The next morning, he was back in his own room when I woke up, the interconnecting doors left open on both sides. I overheard him on his phone telling someone his plans for the day. Clearly, the entire day of activities was a lie, since I was pretty sure he wouldn't be staying within Los Angeles County all day.

We decided to stop at a diner down the road from the hotel for some breakfast.

I placed my drink order first. "I'll have a nonfat three-pump vanilla latte, low foam and extra hot."

Austin squinted his eyes at me and turned to the waitress. "Did you get all that? She'll have a hot two-pump chump with extra cream."

Bertha—as her nametag indicated—didn't look a bit amused. "We just have coffee, decaf or regular," she said monotonously, holding a carafe.

"I'll take a black coffee then."

"Make it two," he said.

She poured it into our cups. "I'll be back to take your order."

Austin was laughing at me as he shook a sugar packet.

I crossed my arms. "What's so funny?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"Did you really think you could order your frou-frou drink in a place like this?"

"Who doesn't have lattes? Even McDonald's has them!"

"We'll get you a latte and a Happy Meal for dinner then—with a little toy inside. Will that make you happy?"

Shaking my head, I perused the menu. There was nothing here that I could eat. "Everything is so greasy."

"Mmm. Bacon. A little fat once in a while won't kill you."

"I've already had my monthly allowance of fat… the chicken bites from yesterday."

"Monthly allowance?"

"Yes. One cheat meal a month." I sighed. "There is not one healthy thing on here. I seriously don't know what to get."

"No worries. I'll order for you."

"What? No."

Austin lifted his finger. "Bertha? We're ready over here."

God, he even had the ability to make that mean waitress blush.

"What'll it be?"

He pointed to the menu. "I'll have this dish you call heart attack on a platter. She's just gonna have an order of plain rye toast, hold the butter."

"Comin' right up."

"All I'm going to be having is dry toast?"

"No. You'll be eating off my plate in no time. You just haven't realized it yet. The toast is merely my way of showing you that you don't really want the things you say you do. And many of the things you deem bad are really those that—deep down—you want the most."

"Oh, really…"

"I see through you. The harder you try to be good, the more you're starving to be bad. Not only are you going to eat some of my greasy food, but you're going to eat it with my cock sauce all over it and love it."

"Excuse me? Your what?"

Austin bent his head back in laughter before unzipping the pocket to his jacket. He slammed a small plastic bottle down on the table. It had a rooster on the front.

"Cock sauce. Also known as Sriracha—a Thai chili sauce. I never travel anywhere without it."

Bertha brought over an oval plate piled high with scrambled eggs, home fries, sausage links, bacon, Canadian ham and corned beef hash. She placed it in front of Austin before handing me the small plate of toast.

He wasted no time squirting lines of the red sauce across the top of his food. He dug in, watching me as I looked at him.

Staring him down, I crunched my toast in an exaggerated bite, determined to keep myself from wanting any of it. Admittedly, I was famished.

To prevent myself from looking at the plate, I pried my eyes upward, focusing on his baseball cap. He'd bought it at the hotel gift shop and was wearing it backwards. It was a good look, really worked for him with his hair sticking out of the sides. A ray of sun streamed through the window of our booth, accentuating number thirteen brown again.

Damn.

His voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "You know you want it, Ally."

Huh? Did he catch me checking him out, or was he talking about the food?

He cut a sausage link in half and attempted to feed me with his fork as he flashed a sexy smirk. "Come on. Just one piece."

It smelled spicy… and delicious. Unable to resist, I opened my mouth and let him feed it to me. "Mmm," I said as I chewed the juicy link slowly, closing my eyes and savoring every bite. When I opened my lids, Austin's gaze was fixated on my lips.

"You want more?" he whispered huskily.

Saliva gathered in my mouth. "Yes."

This time, he lifted a piece of bacon and fed it to me from his hand. I hated to admit it, but he was right about that sauce. It was so good on everything.

"More?"

I licked my lips. "Yeah."

Austin fed me three more bites. When I let out a moan, he dropped his fork, and it made a loud clanking sound. "Jesus Christ. The food is good. But it's not that good."

My mouth was disgustingly full. "What do you mean?"

"When was the last time you were really good and rooted?"

"Rooted? What?"

"Fucked, Princess. When was the last time you were properly fucked?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"There is no way you could possibly have that kind of reaction to food unless you were completely hard up." He wiggled his brows. "Dallas didn't quite do it for you, did he?"

"That's none of your business."

"Your face is turning redder than this sauce." Austin leaned in and whispered, "Ally… when was the last time you had an orgasm during sex?"

"It doesn't matter."

His tone became more insistent. "How… long… has it been?"

"High school," I practically coughed out. What the hell did I just admit? "I can't believe I just told you that. Now, I'm embarrassed."

He let out a deep breath. "Don't be. But I'm not gonna lie. I'm truly shocked. A woman like you should be with a man that knows what he's doing."

"Why do you care? You keep saying that, a 'woman like me.' I didn't even think you liked me very much."

Austin leaned back into the booth and glanced out the window before looking me in the eyes. "As much as you're a pain in my ass… I do like you, Ally. You're funny. Not funny ha ha… but funny. You're conscientious. You're quick-witted. You're smart. You're damn cute…" He looked down almost to stop himself from going any further. "What happened anyway?"

"With what?"

"Why are you running from that tool Dallas?" When I hesitated, he flagged down Bertha. "Can we have more coffee, please?"

I didn't know what came over me. Maybe it was the hot sauce. A part of me just wanted to let it all out. After Bertha poured two fresh mugs, I started to open up to him.

"Dallas was a partner at the law firm I volunteered at back in New York. I was an associate. Patent and trademark law. He and I were a couple for a little over a year. We'd moved in together. About two months ago, I found out he was cheating on me with one of his interns. So, yeah…"

"So, you moved out?"

"Yeah. Dallas has spent every day of the past several weeks trying to convince me that I'm making a mistake, that I'm throwing away my career because he would have made me partner sooner than I could do it on my own. I left everything behind, took the first position I got, which happened to be at a small startup firm in California. I'm scared. I don't know anyone out West, and I don't know if I'm making the right decision. I'm not even sure if being a lawyer is what I even want anymore. I feel very lost." Admitting that last part made me start to tear up a little.

Austin's eyes held a serious intensity that I hadn't previously seen from him. "What are you passionate about, Princess?"

Thinking for a bit, there was only one thing that really came to mind. I let out a nervous laugh. "Not much except… music and animals. I love anything to do with them. I'd wanted to be a vet, but my father was a lawyer, and he pressured me to follow in his footsteps."

"You probably feel like you relate to them better than humans, huh?"

"Sometimes I feel that way, yes."

He scratched his chin and smiled. "You'll find your way. You will. The shit that happened back in New York is still too fresh for you to think straight. When you get out to California, the change of environment will do you good. You can take your time, look inside yourself and decide what it is you really want, then make a plan to get there. You are in control of your destiny—except in the next twenty-four hours. I'm in control of it for now." He winked and flashed a devious smile. "You're stuck with me whether you like it or not."

"I guess I am." I smiled. This guy was starting to grow on me, and that was making me really uneasy. I didn't even know anything about him. "Your turn. Who are you, Austin Moon?"

"Well, I lived in Miami until I was five. My dad was recruited to California because of his job and we had to move with him."

"That's really cool."

"It was for a while… until it wasn't anymore." He swallowed, his expression turning sullen.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a bit of a long story."

My phone rang, interrupting the conversation. It was Dallas. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I flipped it around to show Dallas the caller I.D.

He took it from my grasp and answered, "Dallas! It's been a while!"

Dallas's voice was muffled. "Put Ally on the phone."

"Ally and I were just talking about you! We're out to brekky, and she picks up one of these tiny sausage links and says, 'See this here? This is just about Dallas's size.'"

He sounded irritated through the phone. "You fucking asshole. Tell Ally if she's taking up with trash like you—"

Austin hung up the phone. "Ready to go?"

"That was awesome." I high-fived him after he lifted his hand. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Bye, Bertha!" Austin winked at our waitress.

"Bye, hot stuff."

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head in laughter as I followed his hot ass out the door.

It was a beautiful, clear afternoon. I told Austin I wanted to drive this round. In all honesty, I needed a break from staring at his eyes and stubble for a while. My unwanted attraction to him was really starting to make me uncomfortable. Having control of the radio was also a plus to being in the driver's seat.

"Michael Bolton? Really, Ally? You're gonna make me sit through this?"

"What? He's good! His voice is… hearty… robust!"

Austin started singing loudly over the lyrics to When a Man Loves a Woman. He actually sounded amazing.

Soon after, we stopped for gas, and Austin went inside the mini-mart to get us some snacks after he finished pumping my fuel.

When he reentered the car with a large paper bag, I looked over at him and froze just as I was about to turn the ignition.

He had powder under his nose.

Shit! Was he a coke head? Had he gone to the bathroom to snort it?

"Are you gonna start the car sometime today?" he chided.

My breathing became labored as I geared myself up for a major disappointment. "Tell me the truth."

"Alright…"

"Were you doing drugs in the bathroom?"

His eyes darkened. "What the fuck?" He was angry. "Why would you ask me that?"

"You have powder under your nose!"

He closed his eyes and suddenly erupted in laughter that lasted for at least a minute. He'd never laughed so hard in the time I'd known him. Austin kept trying to speak but would keep losing it, having to clutch his chest. He looked at himself in the sun visor mirror and swiped the powder from above his lip.

Practically shoving his finger into my mouth, he said, "Taste."

I pushed it away. "No!"

"Taste!"

I hesitantly ran the tip of my tongue along his finger. It tasted like grape Kool-Aid or something. "It's sweet."

He opened the paper bag and took out one of those Pixy Stix with powdered sugar inside and threw it at me. "Your cocaine, madam."

Relief washed over me. I also felt stupid. "Pixy Stix? You like these?"

"I love them, actually."

"That's pure sugar. I haven't eaten one of these since I was a kid."

"They were all out of Fun Dip, so these had to do." He looked down. "I can't believe you thought I was snorting coke. I'm not perfect by any means, but I've never done drugs in my life." Austin looked seriously hurt by my assumption.

I still hadn't started the car. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. It's just… I don't really know you."

"So, get to know me," he said softly.

We were silent for a while before I spoke, "Why are you headed to California?"

"I live there."

I knew what I really wanted to ask but wasn't sure why it mattered so much. My heart started to pound. "Who were you talking to on the phone this morning?"

He looked startled by my question. "What?"

"I overheard your conversation from my room. You were telling someone your plans for the day. You lied and said you were in Los Angeles."

It took him a while to answer. "It's complicated, Ally." Then, he seemed to shut down and turned toward the window.

"Well, this was a good conversation. I'm glad I asked," I said bitterly as I started the car and took off toward the highway.

We sat in silence for a long while. Austin looked tense and kept sucking down the Pixy Stix one by one. After about a half-hour, I decided to break the ice. "How do you keep a body like that eating the way you do?"

"Is that your way of saying you like my body? You like what you see?"

"I didn't say that exactly."

"Not exactly, but you implied it."

"Jackass."

"Lots and lots of sex, Ally. That's how I do it."

"Really? That's it?"

"No. I just wanted to see your face turn that pretty shade of pink it does when you're embarrassed." He snickered. "In answer to your question, I work out a lot, and I don't eat like this every day. But on road trips, all dietary rules go out the window. You need to be able to eat what you want to keep sane."

"Well, from what I see, you're pretty insane, so it's not working."

He smiled at me, and I returned it. The aftermath of our tense conversation from earlier finally seemed to have faded away. "Give me one of the packages of pretzels, please."

He took one out of the paper bag and handed it to me then looked behind his shoulder to my packed backseat. "What do you have in all these bags back here, anyway?"

"Don't touch my stuff."

"I bet there are some treasures in this junk that would tell me everything I ever needed to know about you."

He started to blindly grab things out of my bags. "Oh, a book! Happy Bitch: The girlfriend's straight-up guide to losing the baggage and finding the fun, fabulous you inside."

"Put that back and don't touch that bag again!"

"Alright. But what exactly are you hiding in this one that's so bad?"

Shit.

Austin kept digging. "What's this now?"

Oh no!

He pulled out my lifelike flesh-toned vibrator. "Princess… is this a silicone cock in a bejeweled case? No wonder why you didn't mind that Dallas couldn't do it for you. You were taking it into your own hands and into your own—"

"Give me that!"

He took it out of the case. "Oh… this thing is pathetic. We could do a lot better than that."

"Austin… seriously, I'm not joking. Hand it over… now!"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. We all pleasure ourselves."

The events that followed seemed to happen in quick succession. He kept waving the dildo around as I tried to grab it. A truck driver that noticed it honked at us. The car was swerving. Then, I saw it. It was standing in the middle of the road with frightened eyes, frozen like a deer in headlights. I suddenly cut the wheel hard to the right, driving straight into an embankment, not knowing if I had killed him.

"Is he breathing?" I held my own breath hovering over Austin until I saw the rise and fall of its little stomach. It had shaggy long hair and was spotted like a cow, but its eyes bulged from its head more like a frog. The poor goat was only a baby. One I'd just raced into with my car while fighting over a damn vibrator.

At first, I didn't actually think I'd hit him. But then I watched in horror as he fell straight over, all four legs standing straight up stiff, like something out of a bad movie. Now we were both standing over him, waiting for something to happen, neither of us quite sure what to do.

Without warning, the goat flipped himself and was suddenly standing on all four feet. Startled, we both jumped back. Austin's arms spanned wide as if to protect me from a killer beast.

The baby goat took a few cautious steps, and then proceeded to walk directly into my BMW, as if the two-ton mass of steel wasn't even there. "Oh my God. I must have hurt his head. Look how confused the poor thing is." I reached out to touch the wounded animal, and Austin grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to pick him up. Look at him. He's hurt. I ran him over." I skirted around Austin and leaned down on one knee, extending my hand in peace to the sweet little goat. "And it's all your fault."

"My fault?"

"Yes, your fault. If you hadn't been distracting me, I would have been paying more attention to the road, and this would have never happened." The goat nuzzled into my hand. "Oh my God. Look how cute he is." I petted the top of his head, and he snuggled even closer.

"It's not my fault. If you weren't so uptight about your sexuality, you would have been calm when I found your magic wand."

I stopped petting the goat's head. "I am not uptight about my sexuality."

Austin folded his arms across his chest. "Admit that you pleasure yourself then. I want to hear you say it."

"I will do no such thing."

"Uptight."

"Pervert."

"A pervert is someone who has sexual behavior that is wrong or unacceptable. That's your problem. You think pleasuring yourself is wrong. I find it perfectly acceptable. In fact, I rather like the thought of you using your little magic wand."

I was pretty sure my eyes resembled the poor goat's—bulging from my head. Just then, a truck whizzed by us. One of those double trailers that always made me nervous to drive near. A whoosh of wind in its wake reminded me how close to the road we actually were.

"Come on. It's dangerous out here," Austin said.

"What are we going to do with Esmerelda?"

"Who?"

"Him." I scratched my nails behind the goat's ear, and he made a low humming noise that sounded like he was saying, "mommmm."

"Let him go." Austin waved his arm in the direction of the wooded area behind him. "Back where he came from. He's fine."

"He's not fine."

"Looks fine to me."

"I think he has a head injury."

Austin shook his head. "He's fine. Watch." He clapped his hands and made kissing sounds as if he were calling a dog. "Come on buddy. This way."

Esmerelda made no effort to move, quite content with his head pressed against my chest and his body between my legs.

"You need to let go of him."

"I'm not holding him here."

"Not physically. But he's got his head buried between your cleavage and his body between your thighs. No male is going to walk away from that willfully."

"See. Told you. Pervert."

Another truck flew past. This time he sat on his horn as he breezed by, and I went from squatting down to tumbling back onto my ass. The goat… well, he took one step and fell over again—all four legs stood straight up in the air. I couldn't believe I'd damaged such an adorable baby goat.

"See. He's hurt. We can't leave him here."

"What do you expect us to do for him? Belt him into the backseat of the car and take him to a veterinarian for a full work up?"

Two hours later, we were finally pulling off the highway in Sterling, Colorado to take our passenger to the Sterling Animal Hospital. It had taken Austin nearly a half-hour to unpack and repack the back of my car to make room. He wasn't happy about it.

"Snowflake?"

"No."

"It's from the children's book…"

"Heidi. Yes. I know."

"You do?"

"What? You just assume I'm uneducated because I don't walk around with a stick up my ass like your Dallas?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh yeah? So what made you assume I wouldn't know a classic literature story?"

"I don't know. You just don't seem like the type."

"Well maybe you should stop typecasting people. Not everyone fits into neat little compartments you know."

We were both silent for a while, with only the woman's voice from my GPS interrupting occasionally to direct us to turn.

"Mutton."

"Excuse me?"

"For the goat. A name."

"We are not naming him mutton! That's sadistic." We'd been arguing over names for the last hour or so. I favored names from Greek mythology or classic literature, whereas Austin wanted to name him one of the many dinners the poor baby could be turned into.

We arrived at the animal hospital, pulling up to an open spot right in front of the door. I made Austin carry the little guy, even though the door was only about ten feet away. Holding Esmerelda Snowflake, he looked… hot.

Was I that demented? Because I actually thought he was even sexier carrying a goat.

Inside, the women at the front desk confirmed it wasn't just me. Their eyes feasted on the bulge of his biceps as he carried our injured passenger to the front desk. He was quite the sight. I started to smile. Until he spoke.

"My friend slammed her BMW into this little guy while she was trying to get a grip on her vibrator." He smirked at me and winked at the receptionist. She blushed. I wanted to punch him.

"I'd like to get him checked out. I didn't think I hit him, but he just seems…off."

Austin snickered and mumbled under his breath, "He's not the only one."

Fifteen minutes later, we finally saw a doctor. He checked out the goat as if it were an everyday occurrence. One hand held him down on the examining table, the other pressed on his belly, checked his eyes, and wiggled all four legs. It seemed like a thorough physical to me.

"Everything seems to check out just fine. He has the usual congenital myotonic symptoms, and he probably suffered from a thiamin deficiency at some point. But those conditions don't come from a car accident. In fact, I don't see any signs that this little guy was even hit. It was probably just the fainting."

"The fainting?"

The doctor chuckled. "This here is what is commonly known as a fainting goat. It's a genetic disorder. Popular around these parts. Some farmers even show them. They faint when they get nervous. All the muscles in their bodies freeze up, and they basically just tip over. Only lasts about ten seconds. Doesn't cause any pain, but it's unusual to see for the first time."

"But… he's confused, too. When he got up, he walked straight into my car. And kept banging into things during the drive here."

"Well, that's likely because he's blind, too."

"Blind?"

"Thiamin deficiency, I'd guess. Unfortunately, it's becoming a more common problem. Improper feeding, particularly too much grain and too little roughage. Greedy farmer trying to fatten up the animal quickly. One of the side effects of the deficiency is blindness."

"Let me get this straight," Austin said with a skeptical tone. "We didn't hit the goat, but he faints when he's scared and he's blind."

"That's right."

Austin erupted in laughter. It was the second time I'd seen him lose it in the last twenty-four hours. His chest heaved, and a deep throaty sound echoed through the room. I couldn't help it. It got to me. Next thing I knew, I was hysterically laughing. too. We laughed so hard, tears streamed down our faces.

"What are we supposed to do with him?" Austin chuckled as he spoke to the doctor.

"Whatever you want, I suppose."

"Where do we bring him?"

"Bring him?"

"Is there, like, a shelter for animals we can bring him to?"

"For goats? Not that I'm aware of. Although there are quite a few farmers around. You can probably get one of them to take him in as part of their herd."

"The same type of farmer that tried to fatten him up to make a quick buck and blinded the poor thing?" I asked.

"Well, there are good farmers out there and bad. Just like anything else."

"And how do we tell the good from the bad?"

The doctor shrugged. "You don't."

We'd been in the car almost ten hours already. Austin was driving, and our new passenger was sound asleep in the back seat, actually snoring. I didn't even know goats snored. "We should stop soon. It might take us a while to find a hotel that allows pets."

Austin's eyebrows shot up. "Pets? You think we're going to find a hotel in the middle of nowhere that accepts goats?"

"What choice do we have?"

"He's staying in the car tonight, Ally."

"He most certainly is not." I folded my arms over my chest. "He cannot stay locked in a car overnight."

"Why not?"

"Because…" I was angry he was ready to leave the goat in the car without so much as a blink of an eye. "Because what if he gets scared?"

"Then he'll faint." Austin chuckled.

"That's not funny."

"Sure it is. Come on, Ally. Lighten up. Your being uptight is what got us into this mess in the first place."

I had no idea where it came from; the confession just blurted itself from my lips, "I pleasure myself. Okay? Does that make you happy to hear?"

Austin grinned. "As a matter of fact, it does." He shrugged. "I pleasure myself too, Ally. In fact, the next time I rub one out, I'm going to picture you."

He did not just say that? I was appalled. But also sort of turned on. I opened my mouth to say something back to him, then closed it. Then opened it.

Austin glanced over at me and then back to the road. "Well, well, well, Ally. Whatta ya know. You fancy me pleasuring myself to your pretty face."

"I do not."

"You do, too."

"I do not." I totally do.

Surprisingly, Austin let it drop. He pulled off to the side of the road into a parking lot of what looked like a nicer version of Wal-Mart. It was an oversized warehouse of a store, only the front had a stone façade. Cabela's The World's Foremost Outfitters.

"What are we stopping for?"

"Supplies." He parked the car. "I'll be out in ten minutes. You can stay with Billy the Kid so no one steals him."

I was outside the car stretching when Austin returned, both of his arms filled with bags. I bent at the waist, finishing a rotation of stretches and leaned to my right to greet him.

"What is all that?"

He didn't respond for a minute. I bobbed up and down slightly, leaning into my bend and then looked up at his face to find what had made him quiet. He was looking right down my shirt. It wasn't his fault; I was basically putting it on display right before his eyes. My shirt gaped in the front giving him an eyeful of my cleavage. I stopped bouncing. Eventually, his eyes lifted and found mine watching him. Our eyes locked. I knew that look. I'd seen it before. In the mirror after I'd gotten a look at his ass.

He shook his head and blinked a few times. "Gear."

"What kind of gear?"

"Tent, lantern, kindling wood, sleeping bags." He shrugged. "Basic camping supplies."

"For what?"

"Camping."

"You're going camping?"

He shook his head and shoved the bags wherever he could find any free space. The trunk and backseat were packed to the brim when I started this trip. And now I had an extra passenger, a goat… and apparently camping gear. "We're going camping."

"Ummm… I don't camp."

"Then Curry over here." He pointed to the backseat. "Is sleeping in the car." Austin closed the trunk, and his hands went to his hips. "What's it going to be, Ally? Camping or he sleeps in the car alone."

Apparently I was going camping. There's a first time for everything.

"I take it you've done this before?" We'd only been at the campsite for a half hour, and Austin had already started a fire and was almost done pitching the first tent.

"Every summer with my family. My dad took me camping every year in the Outback. Best memories of my life. It wasn't fake camping like this, either."

"Fake?"

"No numbered campsites, bathrooms and security. We did real camping. What about you? What soured you to camping?"

"Nothing. I've just never done it before. Austin finished putting up the first tent and stepped back, admiring his handywork. "That tent's huge."

"Not the first time I've heard that," he snickered.

I shook my head. "Why did you buy such big tents?"

"Damn it!" Austin yelled as he swatted a mosquito from his face. The boisterous sudden rant scared poor Esmerelda Snowflake, and he froze in place and proceeded to tip over and faint. We got a good laugh over that one.

Austin threw some more wood on the fire and sat down. "What about the other tent?" I asked, looking over the fire at him. I really hoped he wasn't expecting me to attempt to figure that one out myself.

"What other tent?"

"You only bought one tent?"

He pulled a Pixy stick out from his back pocket and tilted his head back, shaking some of the sugary powder into his mouth. "Tent has two rooms. There's a divider. You and your son can sleep on one side. I'll sleep on the other."

I didn't really have a right to complain, seeing as he was doing all the work and paid for all of the supplies. So I didn't, for a change.

We munched on what would normally be a month's supply of carbs for me and sat around the campfire. Austin peeled a stick with a pocketknife and popped a marshmallow on the end before offering it to me. He really was good at this stuff.

"So, I'll be sharing a tent with you tonight, we adopted a pet together, and I don't even know what you do for a living?"

"I guess you can say I'm retired."

"Retired?" At what? Twenty-two?"

"Twenty-three," he corrected.

"Oh. Well that makes it better." It was dark, even with the light of the fire. I lifted my roasted marshmallow to check it. The color was browned nicely on one side, the other side was still white. "So what did you retire from?"

"Music."

"You played professionally?"

"Well, not for long."

"What happened?"

"Band broke up."

"You couldn't go solo?"

"It was strange for me."

"I'm sorry. How long did you get to play for?"

"A few shows. Nothing really big."

"Few shows? You mean your band broke up after just a few shows?"

"Yeah. The guitarist was dealing with some family problems and he just quit and then I guess that was the end of the band."

"How long ago was that?"

"We had a three-year contract. I tried a few gigs alone but it wasn't the same. Retired at eighteen."

"Wow. That sucks."

He smiled.

"But what do you do now?"

"I still get royalties, so I don't have to work a nine to five or anything. But I spend my days making junk art."

"Junk art?"

"Some people call it recycled art."

"I went to an exhibit like that at the Guggenheim. I loved it. I'd love to see your work sometime."

He nodded. Very noncommittal.

"Can I be nosey?"

"You mean more nosey?"

"You're the one who told me to get to know you. Before you made me crash into poor Esmerelda Snowflake, that is."

"You didn't even crash into that thing. And his name is not Esmerelda Snowflake."

My marshmallow was on fire. I blew on it, then slipped it off the stick and took a bite. It was almost liquefied. "Mmmmm."

I noticed Austin was watching me intently. "You want a bite?"

He shook his head slowly.

"Why not? You're the sugar addict."

"I get more enjoyment out of watching you eat it than I would eating it myself." He swallowed. The sight of his throat working made me warm, and it had nothing to do with the fire.

"Anyway. How can you be living off royalties if your contract was only three years?"

He looked away. "Posters and merchandise."

"Posters? You mean of you?"

"Haven't we talked about me enough? Dallas's been quiet today, hasn't he?"

"Not a chance, Asshole. You blew me off once, and I let you off the hook."

Turned out, I wasn't the only one that thought Austin Moon was ridiculously hot. Even years after retiring from music, legions of women in all over the world were still keeping his poster and music sales alive enough for him to live off of. There was something very endearing about him being a little embarrassed of the whole thing.

After a few more hours of sitting around the campfire, we decided to call it a night. Austin set up my sleeping bag for me and then zipped the divider of our two-room tent down. He left me with the lantern, so I could change first.

My clothes smelled like campfire, so I stripped everything off. There was something exciting about standing naked with only a flimsy piece of nylon between us. I might have lingered an extra minute before I put my bra and panties back on. When I was all done, I unzipped the corner of the tent and handed the lantern to Austin.

He gave me a sly grin and zipped the divider back into place. My side of the tent went dark, but as I climbed into my sleeping bag, I realized I could now see everything on his side. It was a shadow, but a very detailed shadow.

He was facing me, standing very still. I wasn't certain, but it felt like he was looking right at me. It was impossible to actually see me through the vinyl divider, but I sensed his eyes on me nonetheless. He reached down to the hem of his shirt and slowly lifted it over his head. The shadow of his body was broad at the shoulders but tapered to a narrow waist. Even though I couldn't see the detail, I imagined what I knew was there. The ridges of his muscular abs, the hard plains of that carved V. My mouth was suddenly dry.

He stood there again for a long moment and then began to strip out of his pants. The sound from the slow unzip of his jeans made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. His thighs were thick and muscular; his boxer briefs hugged his legs like a second skin. I held my breath when his thumbs hooked into the top of his boxers, and he began to peel them off of his body. He bent to slip them off and then stood.

Holy mother of all cocky bastards. He was hung. The thing was dangling more than halfway to his knees. I took a sharp breath in, realized it was audible, and quickly slapped my hand over my mouth. I kept it there until he was completely dressed, afraid a moan might slip out.

When he was finally done, I watched him climb into his sleeping bag. He rolled onto his side and faced my direction. It made me wonder if he was looking at me. Then he flicked off the light.

"Night, Ally."

Perhaps I could have been imagining it, but his voice sounded as thick and needy as I felt.

"Night, Austin."

I took a deep breath and shut my eyes, attempting to regain my wits. Then it dawned on me for the first time… had he just watched me give him the same show and returned the favor?