Free Snake Charmer (Rawkfist MC Book 2) by Bijou Hunter Page B

the wild side.”
    “Could you survive?”
    Donovan hitches up his backpack and
keeps walking. “Sure, but I’m not sure I’d like giving up all the perks of the
straight and the narrow.”
    “My dad plays the average man well. I’d
never know he was anything besides a mechanic who rides a Harley. That’s the
thing about being an outlaw around here. You need to have a day job to make
yourself look legal.”
    “How many hours do you think Court’s
ever spent at the storage units?”
    I smile until our arms touch. He’s
moved too close. I know he’s at fault since I’ve been very careful about not
stepping into his personal zone. I want to retain my self-control, and I can’t
do that if I’m locking lips or staring into his eyes like a horny schoolgirl.
    Keeping my plan in place would be a
heck of a lot easier if Donovan didn’t have dreamy fricking eyes and such an
inviting smile.
    Cocking an eyebrow, he asks, “What does
the look you’re giving me mean?”
    “I was just thinking you’re an annoying
hag.”
    “You probably won’t believe this, but I
was thinking the exact same thing about you.”
    “Hurtful,” I say, struggling against how
much I want to kiss his smiling lips. “Do you miss the ease of hookups rather
than enduring this crappy dating stuff?”
    “Not particularly. Wait, were you
purposely being an annoying hag so I’d want to ditch you and hook up with a
friend with benefits? Poor, Journey. Don’t waste your time. Since we met, I’ve
been like a dog with a bone.”
    My brain instantly imagines what my
sisters would say in response to his last comment. Great, I hear them even
when they aren’t babbling.
    “I don’t like dating,” I say, stepping
away from him as we walk.
    “When I think of dating, I get the
heebie-jeebies about hearts, flowers, and boring chit chat. You need to do what
I do and think of us as two people hiking and looking at leaves and talking
about family and how stupid hiking is.”
    “Okay,” I say, forcing myself to step
closer. “Hiking really is stupid. It’s just walking.”
    “I also never expected the woods to
smell this much like a zoo.”
    Swallowing hard, I slide my arm through
his as we walk. Donovan glances at me with his blue eyes and lifts a brow.
    “That seemed painful.”
    “It was.”
    “Let me know if you need medical
attention, and I’ll call someone.”
    “Smart ass.”
    “Only with you.”
    Smiling, I soak in the feel of him
against me. Donovan radiates a lot of heat in the already warm day. Against my
better judgment, I lean my head against his arm. I like how his breath catches
because it proves this man is at least a tiny percent as crazy over me as I am
for him.

15 Snake Charmers
    Donovan
     
     
    J ourney settles down once we begin
complaining about hiking. She even gets the giggles after we quietly mock a
gung-ho couple passing us. Her arm remains linked with mine while we shuffle
down the path. I know for Journey this move is a big deal. So is her every
smile, and she smiles at lot as we spend the next hour inching along the paths.
    “When my coworker talked about hiking
on a date,” I say, wiping sweat from my head, “I thought it sounded like a
horrible idea.”
    “Do you now feel vindicated?”
    Grinning, I nod. “The company is sexy
as hell, but I could do without the allergies.”
    “Poor, copper. All you wanted was to
get in my pants, but now you’ll spend the night with red, watery eyes.”
    Journey reaches to caress my face
before pausing mid-air and considering whether to continue. She finally allows
her fingers to brush over my cheek. I think about how Journey went from shoving
me against a car to barely capable of touching my face. Had the light of day
zapped her courage?
    “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever
eaten?” I ask when she studies me for too long.
    Thrown by my question, Journey thinks
about the question for nearly a minute before smiling.
    “Poppy’s dad was on a health kick years
ago.