"Come on, Leah. You've only got a few more steps to go till we reach the top," Tanner shouts down at me.
I huff. "He's gonna kill me."
I pinch the twinge in my side and force my legs to climb the next few steps on the steep hill. When Tanner woke me up this morning and said we were trekking in the hills, I thought it sounded like a great idea. But as the sun beats down on my back and the stifling air gets to my lungs, I quickly change my mind. I wheeze in another breath and close the gap between Tanner and me. I keep my eyes fixed on him as my target while I walk and try to ignore my aching legs protesting to stop.
"That's it. You're almost there now," he encourages as I take the last two steps to him.
As soon as I reach him, he embraces me in a warm, sweaty hug and kisses my damp hair.
Having next to no energy, I lean my body on his for support, and Tanner keeps his arms wrapped around my back, holding me upright.
"Can we please stop now? We've been going at it for over an hour."
He smiles and shakes his head. "You see those trees up there?" he asks, pointing in the distance.
I nod. "Uh-huh."
"Well, the top is just behind them."
Is he serious!
"But they look so high up. It's got to be at least another ten-minute walk."
He chuckles. "You're doing great. And once you get there, the view is definitely worth the hike."
Wanting to get this over with, I extract myself from Tanner and take a step forward. "Ugh, fine. Let's get going."
He chuckles at my lack of enthusiasm and puts his hand behind the small of my back to help push me forward. With his help I move a lot faster, but the downside of this is that it intensifies the burning in my thighs.
As I look at the ground to watch my footing, I notice my pink converses are covered in dust. "You couldn't have picked an easier date like a picnic in the park or bowling?" I whine.
He shows me a disgusted face. "Bowling is for babies; this is what real adults do," he tells me, waving his arms around to show me exactly what he means by this.
I have to admit it, even though this isn't my date of choice, the idyllic scenery is breathtaking. The sun shines down on the trees, making the green leaves look more vibrant, and every so often, a squirrel or rabbit scurries along the ground. It's nature at its best.
We continue to follow the trail for the next five minutes, leading us closer to the trees at the top. I can hear the sounds of my shoes padding along the hard, muddy ground, and in the air, I can hear the birds chirping happily. I break the silence between us and ask a question that's been on my mind for a while now. "So, how do you know about this spot?"
He massages the back of his neck with one hand, while the other stays behind my back, supporting me. "I come here a lot."
Wow, that's news to me.
"I didn't know you like hiking."
He shrugs, seeming embarrassed. "I come up here to think. It's quiet and peaceful. Something I need in my life from time to time."
Awe, that's so cute.
I stop in the middle of the path, and Tanner halts, looking at me confused. I lean up and grip his T-shirt and kiss him. Tanner slowly swirls his tongue around mine, and just as I think it's all sweet, he smacks me on my ass.
"Hey!"
He smirks and grabs my hand, pulling on it. "Come on, missy. We have some more hiking to do."
I groan in response. "Can't you just carry me?"
He laughs. "Nope."
I have to practically run to keep up with Tanner's long strides as he gets more excited about reaching the top. While I'm a hot mess, he seems absolutely fine. He's barely sweating, has a carefree smile on his face, and is humming to some old tune.
The advantage of Tanner's pulling me along in his short-sleeved T-shirt is that I get to watch his muscles strain against my weight. I bite my lip from my perfect view and continue to linger my eyes on his body as he walks in front of me.
When we reach the edge of the trees, Tanner pauses and looks at me. "You're about to see why I love it here so much."
My heart rate picks up as I'm eager to see what captivates Tanner so much. He slowly leads me through the trees and to the edge of the hill. My mouth drops open in surprise at the sight before me. "Oh, Tanner! It's so beautiful."
Before my eyes is the view of California below us. In the distance, I can make out the ocean blending in with the perfect blue sky. There's not a cloud to be seen, and the sun shines down on the valley below. As my eyes scan closer to the hills, I can make out the roads, and I watch for a few minutes as tiny colored dots that represent cars whiz back and forth. Tanner is silently standing next to me, looking at the view himself. He seems at peace, and it's nice to see him like this. I fix my eyes back on the hills and look at the vast amounts of trees covering the surface. I've never seen so much green. I wish I could take a mental picture of this, as I never want to forget it.
The view makes my aches and pains in my body go to the back of my mind, and I bend down to sit on the edge of the hill. My feet sway back and forth in the air beneath me, and I lean forward and watch them.
"Make sure you don't fall, Leah," Tanner says with an edge of concern.
I love how he's being protective of me.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful."
He slowly sits down next to me and takes one of my hands. I watch him as he brings it to his mouth and kisses my palm. I blush at his tenderness and lean against him, resting my head against his shoulder.
"I see why you come here all the time. The view is breathtaking."
"I'm glad you like it. You're the first person I've ever brought here."
That fact touches my heart. I squeeze his hand to let him know and sigh. As my body moves against his chest rising in and out, I watch a flock of birds flying in the sky. They fly in a V formation and head towards the ocean.
As well as seeing the wildlife, I can hear them too. In the tall grass behind us, I can hear the chirping of crickets and an owl hooting. The long hike was definitely worth it for this.
We spend the next hour up here until our stomachs start to rumble. After taking a few pictures of us with the view as the backdrop behind us, we leave our sacred place and head back down the trail to the car.
"What do you feel like eating?" Tanner asks as he drives down the main road.
"Ooh, we could go to Wendy's. I haven't been to one in ages."
"Okay. Wendy's it is."
He takes the exit on the left, seeming to know where to drive to, and after another ten minutes of driving, he arrives at one and goes through the drive-thru.
"What do you want, Leah?" he asks as we scan the menu board.
I read the different options, and I'm spoiled for choice. "Um... I'll have the home style bacon jalapeno chicken with a sprite."
He smiles. "Nice."
"What about you?" I ask as Tanner pulls the car closer to the intercom.
He rubs his hands together enthusiastically. "I'm gonna have the Baconator combo with a side order of chili cheese fries."
My eyes bulge at his order. "You pig!"
He grins. "I'm a growing man, Leah. I need to bulk up for hockey."
I shake my head, amused. "That's just an excuse."
He winks. "Well, if you're nice, I'll share my fries with you."
I laugh. "You're on."
Tanner pulls the car up to the intercom and makes our order. Once it's ready, Tanner pays for our meals, and we collect the food at the next window. He pulls up in one of the parking spaces, and we unwrap everything and dive straight in.
When I finish eating my burger, I start to lick my fingers, but Tanner grabs my hand in his and sucks one of my fingers in his mouth, hard. I feel the pull straight to my groin, and I squirm in my seat. Just like that, I'm turned on. The downside though, is that as I move in my seat, the pain in my legs comes back to me. I let out a small groan which Tanner catches. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. It's just my legs. I'm not used to that much exercise." I rub my hands up and down my thighs to try to ease the pain away.
Tanner opens up the glove compartment and rummages through it. "Here we go," he mumbles. He hands me a pack of Tylenol. "Take two of these. It'll help."
I do as he says and chug then back with my drink. I lean my head against the headrest and watch Tanner finish his fries. "I wish I had a tub back at my dorm. That would really help."
Tanner turns his head to me. "Why don't you use mine at the frat house?"
The thought of all those filthy guys using it puts me off. "Ew, no thanks. I hate to think how many of you have used it."
Another pain shoots in my legs, and I grimace. Tanner strokes my forehead, trying to comfort me before starting the engine.
"Come on. I'll clean it before you get in. I hate to think of you in pain."
Awe.
I sigh. "Okay. As long as you share it with me," I respond sweetly.
Tanner chokes out a loud laugh. "I wouldn't have it any other way, baby."
I continue to rub my legs as Tanner drives back to his Fraternity house. Once we get there, Tanner parks right outside the house and carries me inside, all the way to the bathroom. A few of his roommates gawp at us, and I pull on my shorts self-consciously. We finally make it to the bathroom, and Tanner sets me down on the edge of the tub as he gets to cleaning it.
When Tanner's finished, he fills the tub and adds some bubbles. He comes over to where I'm sitting, and his eyes rake over my body. He licks his lips and kisses me on the mouth. "And now, Miss Preston. I have the honor of undressing you."
I grin at his statement and lift my arms in the air, signaling that he can take off my white blouse. He quickly obliges and removes it and then unfastens my bra. My breasts hang freely, and Tanner cups them in his large hands. He gives them a gentle squeeze, and I drop my head backward. He then moves his hands down my bare stomach and unbuttons my shorts. I stand at the edge of the tub so he can shimmy both my shorts and panties down my legs with his hands. When he's finished, I stand before him naked and grip the collar of his T-shirt. "Your turn."
What do you think of their date? Is it sweet that Tanner took her to a personal place for him?
Thank you for reading! Please vote ⭐ and comment ❤️. These little stars mean a lot.
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