Giant thanks to Sherry for Editing this!
"I don't know why I act the way I do
Like I ain't got a single thing to lose
Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy
I guess that's just the cowboy in me."
-Tim McGraw-
BPOV:
The sweltering summer air is cleansing in a peculiar way. There's nothing like the "great outdoors" to make you feel truly alive. The only downside to our venture is the heat, which is causing the minimal makeup I'm wearing to melt off. I try not to mess with it too much as my foundation trails down my face, but I can't help it. We've only hiked for a little over an hour and the heat is already overwhelming.
However, the park is absolutely beautiful. Umber, taupe, copper, sepia-as well as some shades I can't begin to describe-as well as the sage, moss, and pine shades of grass, create such a gorgeous landscape. It's unlike anything I've ever seen and it takes my breath away. The scenery is almost as gorgeous as my companion, who's hiking a few feet ahead of me. I insisted that he go first, since I don't trust myself navigating our way around the trails. While I'm not a complete disaster, I'm definitely a bit clumsy and I don't want to fall flat on my face within the first hour of our camping trip. Trying to maneuver around these unpredictable trails is difficult at times, adding the backpacks to the mix, and I'm almost hopeless. Watching Edward's ass sway in front of me as he walks is a good remedy, though.
"How are you doing back there, Bells?" Edward calls over his shoulder as he continues to venture ahead.
I stumble for a moment because, like always, the sound of his voice distracts me, before calling back, "I'm doing good! How many more miles do you think we have?"
Edward stops by a rock which is at knee-level and sits down, pulling the map out of his backpack. I sit down at his side and rest my head on his shoulder. He feels so warm… so perfect. I wish we could just set up camp right now so he could hold me in his arms and make love to me under the hot sun. Later. Apparently, this park isn't too busy after dinnertime; so, Edward and I should have plenty of privacy to make love at the campsite without worrying if anyone can see, or hear us. Although, if someone did hear us, I'm not sure I'd have the sense to be embarrassed. Heavens, I would probably be too wrapped up in Edward to even notice anyone else around us.
"About seven miles, give or take," Edward answers as he folds the map back up, before sliding it into the smallest pocket of his backpack and zipping it up.
I take a deep breath and turn my head to kiss his shoulder. "I guess we have to pick up the pace if we want to get there before dark."
Although my muscles feel a tinge of soreness after sitting in the car for so long over the past few days, I feel incredible. There's something about the warm weather and physical activity that has me feeling as though I could take on the world. While a lot of people might assume I don't exercise regularly due to my size, I do, in fact. Despite the fact that my BMI suggests I'm "technically" obese, my doctor has assured me time and time again, I'm perfectly healthy. I've always been a little bigger. And I wasn't always this confident. I used to starve myself to be thin. I worked out until I was absolutely miserable, until, one day, I decided to allow myself to be happy again. When I gained the weight I lost back, I filled out in all the right places. So now, I'm perfectly healthy with tits and an ass I'm perfectly proud of. Edward seems to appreciate my curves, too.
However, despite my confidence, I can't ignore the few looks I receive from other female hikers as they pass by. It's like they're thinking, Wow, I wonder how long that girl is going to have to go before she passes out due to exhaustion. Well, the joke is definitely on them because I can go like this for days. At least, Edward knows of my endurance. He has seen me riding his cock for hours, after all.
"You ready to get back to it, Bells?" Edward asks as he stands up and extends his hand for me to take.
I nod and take his hand, letting him pull me up from the rock. This time, he insists that I lead the way. I pull out my copy of the trail map and study it before taking us on the easier route which heads in the direction to our campsite for the night. Whenever the trail is smooth, I feel Edward reach forward and brush his fingertips along the curves of my ass. There's no one around to see, but I still blush at the contact and throw him a smile over my shoulder. I nearly trip when he pinches my right cheek, and I give him a stern, but playful look as I slap his hand away from me.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Edward apologizes as he steps forward and interlaces the fingers of his right hand with mine. "It's just that I've never had such an attractive hiking companion."
"Edward, you could've hurt me," I playfully respond.
"I wouldn't have let you fall, Bells. I'll always be here to catch you."
I know he's only talking about the here and now, but my mind does wander; I smile at the pleasant thoughts it conjures up. I wouldn't mind him being there for me forever. Wouldn't mind? Heavens, I'd love that, in fact. Edward mine forever... Edward watching over me, loving me, making love to me… I push the last thought from my mind so I can make the next few miles in a more comfortable state. I can't just pounce on him in the middle of our hike, in broad daylight. That wouldn't be very ladylike, would it?
"What are your usual companions like?"
Edward grins at my question, as if he were pondering a pleasant memory before replying, "I usually hike with my dad and older brother. We've been hiking together since I was old enough to walk-maybe even before that. Dad would make us dinner before he'd tell us these outrageously, scary stories before we'd eventually pass out in our sleeping bags. When I was a kid, those camping trips meant everything to me. Since my brother was a few years older, there was a bit of a distance between us growing up, but when we were on those camping trips we couldn't have been better friends."
"That's sweet," I comment, wishing I had a brother or sister I could share memories like that with.
"Yeah. You'll love my brother, Bells. Emmett's pretty cool with everyone he meets, but he's especially excited to meet you."
"What do you mean?"
"What do you mean, 'What do I mean?' I've told him all about you already. I couldn't have not told my brother about a runaway bride I found on the side of the road."
I grimace. "What did you say? Good things, I hope."
"All good things. You haven't given me a reason to say anything negative about you, yet," he answers with a wink.
Goodness, I wish I could have listened to their conversation. I want to know exactly what he told his brother Emmett. I feel like you can learn so much about how a certain person feels about you based off of how they talk about you with other people. You can hear a man talk about a woman sometimes, and just know how deeply he feels for her. I wonder how deeply Edward feels for me; that is, if he feels deeply for me at all. This could all just be a fling to him, and if it is, I'm more than happy to ride it out. Despite how much it might hurt when it comes to an end.
"Yet. You say that as if it were the operative word," I tease him.
"It could be. Maybe you have some tricks up your sleeves I don't know about, Bells."
He's smirking at me and I can't help but roll my eyes in response. "I would never do you like that, Edward. I like you too much."
Edward grins at this and bends down so he can quickly kiss my cheek, pulling away before we both trip. That quick kiss is not enough for me, though. I stop in my tracks, pull him to the side and off the trail, in case someone needs to pass us, and plant my lips against his. He tastes wonderful-like salt and the flavored electrolyte water he's been drinking. His lips are so soft as they mold against mine. I feel like I could kiss him like this all day, and still feel like I haven't had enough.
"Now, are you ready to keep going?" I ask with a coy smile as soon as I break away from our kiss.
He bends down and kisses me once on the tip of my nose before taking my hand and leading the way. Is it sad that I would follow this man anywhere? We barely know each other, yet I find I already care about him more than a lot of the people in my life. He's quickly become my favorite person. I don't know what I'll do if we become estranged when we arrive in El Paso. I'm sure we'll keep in touch, somewhat, but it will still sting if our relationship is not like it is now. I try not to think about what the future has in store for us for too long because I know it's important to just stay in the present and try to enjoy today.
Under the hot, Texas sun Edward tells me stories of his childhood. He goes into great detail about what it was like growing up on a farm with his eccentric family. I grin, happy to imagine a younger Edward running around the farm, learning how to ride horses with his dad, milking cows, and gathering eggs in the morning for breakfast. It all seems so foreign to me. My childhood was different. No wonder it seems as though Edward has such an amazing work ethic; he grew up working on a farm with his parents. While I was spending my summers lounging by the pool in my parent's backyard, Edward was delivering foals. I love getting this insight of his life, the more he tells me, the stronger our connection seems. There's nothing like hearing about someone's life before they met you. You get to see the type of person they were raised to be, and nothing could ever be more interesting to me.
Edward's chatter keeps my mind off of my feet-which are already developing blisters. At first, I was blissfully unaware of the issue, but now it's pulsating on my mind and won't go away. I force a smile and laugh along with him, but I want nothing more than to stop, kick these boots off, and soak them in a tub of warm water and Epsom salt.
"Don't worry, Bells. We're almost there," Edward assures me out of the blue, as if he could read my mind.
It's growing dark and I'm ready to settle down for the night. Eat dinner, tell stories around a fire, make s'mores, make love to Edward in our tent… I blush, pushing that last thought away. Seeing his strong muscles glistening with a slick sheen of sweat is already making me horny enough as it is. At this rate, I'll be naked soon enough and begging him to just plow into me. How embarrassing would that be?
"I'm fine," I lie, as I try my best to not put too much pressure on the balls of my feet. Which is practically impossible.
"Need me to carry you, Bells?"
Carry me? I almost laugh out loud. I can't remember the last time anyone offered to carry me. The thought is so ridiculous to me. I think my parents stopped carrying me when I was a toddler. Not that I don't think Edward could manage-with muscles like that, I'm sure he could-it's just I'm so uncomfortable about the idea. I know it's strange since I'm so confident in my own skin and happy with my curves, but the idea of Edward feeling how heavy I am by carrying me to our destination makes me want to cringe.
The thought brings me back to that one summer where I broke my ankle and my dad would have to help me walk from point A to point B. "You're a lot heavier than you look," he would always say and it would make me want to shrivel up and disappear. This was when I was a teenager, long before I found my confidence. Now, I love my thick, feminine figure, but then… back then I would wear baggy clothes to cover it up.
"I'll be okay. Just keep talking, keep me distracted."
"Distracted from what?"
"From my feet."
"Bella," he says with a groan. "Did you not wear those thick socks I bought you?"
"I did. I'm just breaking in the boots I guess."
"Are you sure I can't carry you?"
"I'm sure."
Edward looks like he's about to argue for a moment, but doesn't. I take a long drink of water from my Camelback and curl my toes in my boots, trying to avoid the edges that are rubbing against my tender skin. Edward starts talking about his rescue dog his brother is watching and I can't help but feel even more attracted to him. I love men who love animals. It's such a turn-on for some reason.
When we finally arrive at camp, I nearly kiss the ground. I plop down ungracefully and kick off my boots, hoping Edward doesn't need me to go collect sticks or something. I take off my backpack and lay my head down on it as I unzip my light sweatshirt. So much better. I smile as the crisp, twilight air fills my nostrils. Now that the sun is almost gone for the day, it feels as if it's dropped at least ten degrees. The weather is absolutely perfect, and I know I'm in for a relaxing night.
"Feeling better, Bells?"
I open my eyes and smile at the amazingly hot man staring down at me. "Better than all right. I'm perfect."
He grins at my answer and slips off his backpack before dropping to the ground beside me. "This is perfect. I've got to say, I've never had such an amazing hiking partner."
"Really?"
"Really. You make everything perfect, Bells."
My face lights up and I turn to wrap my arms around his muscular frame. God, when he says stuff like that to me, I can just feel myself turning into mush. I don't know if he's said those lines before, or if he truly means them; either way, I love hearing the words fall from his beautiful lips. I don't know why I'm doubting his words. Maybe I'm just more nervous about reaching El Paso than I'm willing to admit to myself. His words don't sound rehearsed, they sound honest. Edward doesn't exactly come across like the type of man who would blow smoke up my petunia.
"You make everything perfect, too." Feeling suddenly uncomfortable with the romantic feeling in the air, I quickly continue, "So, should we set up the tent?"
Edward grins before kissing my cheek. "I can set up the tent while you rest."
"You don't need my help?" I ask as he gets up off the ground.
Edward glances at me and then down to his backpack before chuckling. "Bells, no offense, but I think I can get this done a lot quicker on my own. Why don't you just take a break, and I'll set up camp and get a fire going." Edward kneels down to give me one quick, peck on the lips before getting to work.
I watch him-because how could I not?-as he sets up the tent. I can't help but look at his ass as he bends down and straightens up, again and again. His muscles flex with every movement that he makes. I bite my lip and toy with the hem of my tank top as I watch him. He glances over his shoulder a few times and winks at me, showing me that he knows my eyes are all over him.
Feeling the need to make myself useful, I slide my boots back on and get up to retrieve some sticks to get a fire going. I don't know what I'm doing exactly, but what I lack in knowledge, I make up for in enthusiasm. Edward's practically finished setting up the tent, and as I pass him, he smacks me on the bottom and grins at me.
"Where you heading, Bells?"
"I'm just going to get some sticks for the fire."
He puts the finishing touches on the tent before following after me. "I'll come with you. I don't want you wandering around on your own. You could get lost or snatched away by the monsters that lurk around out here."
I smile, roll my eyes, and playfully swat his arm. "So, are you going to tell me a bunch of scary campfire stories tonight?"
He throws his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. "Well, of course. That's what you do when you're camping, babe."
Babe. I love when he calls me that. After gathering two good armfuls of sticks and branches we head back to our campsite where I get to watch as Edward starts a fire. He explains the process to me, but I'm far too interested in him to really focus on what he's saying.
As soon as everything is set up, the sun is gone and I'm astonished by the beautiful, starry night sky. I thought it was beautiful in my hometown, but this… this is magnificent. I've never seen anything quite like it. We eat dinner and make our s'mores for dessert. We tell each other scary stories until I'm completely spooked, and only then do we retire for the evening and crawl into our tent.
It's roomy and just for me, Edward set up an air mattress with my sleeping bag on top. While I would've been just fine sleeping on the ground, I'm happy he takes time to do little things like this for me. I slip out of my clothes and crawl onto the air mattress while Edward crawls back outside to use the bathroom. I had already gone quite a few times throughout the night, although, going got creepier and creepier after every scary campfire story Edward would tell. I cozy up in our two-person sleeping bag as I wait for Edward to return. I've got to say, those stories have me feeling quite anxious and the seconds tick by like hours while he's away.
Edward returns and smirks as he crawls back into the tent to find me naked in the sleeping bag. He undresses, too, before sliding into the sleeping bag beside me. He kisses my shoulder, and pushes my wild hair out of my face before lowering his head to kiss me on the lips. His lips are sweet against mine. He kisses me as if I were his only source of oxygen before he finally has to pull away to really breathe.
"Why don't you let me rub your back," he softly suggests. I turn on my stomach, more than willing to comply.
Edward's hands are strong and skilled, before I know it, I'm drifting off to sleep. I'm awoken by the feeling of his erection poking me in the back, which causes a sleepy smile to spread across my face. While making love on an air mattress is awkward at first, Edward manages. All too soon, I'm coming hard on his cock and seeing stars behind my eyelids. They're brilliant enough to rival the night sky outside our tent.
A/N: Okay, guys! Only one more chapter until they reach El Paso! Thanks to Kristi Smith for the song rec!