Backwoods by Jill Sorenson Page A

down. He said it was okay to be gay.”
    Brooke covered her face and dissolved in giggles. When she was done laughing, she said, “That’s sweet, Leo.”
    “No. It’s lame.”
    “He wanted you to know he’d love you either way.”
    “I think he was trying to pinpoint the reason for my lack of aggression. If I was gay, I had an excuse for not being good at sports.”
    “Gay people play sports.”
    “I know. I’m just saying that he thought I was girly. I could never be strong enough, tough enough or man enough for him.”
    She pondered that for a moment. “I get called a lesbian a lot.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I’m an athlete, I guess. Because of my...body.”
    He sat up, frowning. “What do you mean?”
    “I’m not curvy or womanly. I have muscles.”
    Leo had been staring at her body all day and had yet to find a flaw. She filled out her bikini to perfection. “You’re smoking hot.”
    “Really?”
    “Have you ever looked in a mirror?”
    “Some guys are intimidated by my strength,” she said, shrugging. “This jock at my high school told everyone I was a lesbian after I rejected him.”
    Leo stretched out on his back and tucked his hands behind his head. “Jocks are stupid.”
    “Hey.”
    “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
    “What if I am a lesbian?”
    His heart stalled in his chest. “Why would you say that?”
    “I don’t know. I’m not as boy-crazy as my friends.”
    “Well, you should definitely explore your options and sleep with a few girls. Then tell me all about it.”
    She punched him in the ribs. “Would you explore your options?”
    “Don’t need to. I’m 100 percent sure.”
    “Maybe I haven’t been with the right person.”
    “Maybe you haven’t,” he agreed.
    “You remember that guy I was dating?”
    “Yeah.” The jerk who hurt her.
    “I didn’t enjoy the...physical part of the relationship.”
    “Why not?”
    “Well, I kept trying, but I never...”
    “Came?”
    “Exactly.”
    “Did he know that?”
    “Yes. He said his last girlfriend came every time. He told me I needed to give up control and embrace my feminine side.”
    Leo rubbed his eyes, smiling wryly.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “If you didn’t come and he knew it, he wasn’t doing it right.”
    She studied him with skepticism. “How many girls have you been with?”
    “A few.”
    “What’s a few?”
    “Five.”
    “Did they all...”
    “No. Jenna and I only did it once. With the others, I had a little more practice.”
    “Was it easy?”
    He stared up at the ceiling of the tent, moistening his lips. The first time, he’d thought his jaw was going to lock up. He hadn’t realized he could alternate between fingers and tongue or work up to oral instead of diving right in. “It got easier.”
    She turned off her headlamp, casting them into darkness. When she snuggled closer, he turned onto his side, facing away from her. He didn’t want her to feel his arousal. She curled up against his back and slid her arm around his midsection, her palm over his beating heart.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    A BBY DUCKED INSIDE the empty tent to change.
    Brooke had crawled into the other tent with Leo. Abby didn’t protest the arrangement. She was too anxious to sleep, anyway. She’d rather stay up with Nathan than lie down and stress out over every little sound in the woods.
    She took off her shorts and put on black leggings. She was already wearing a jacket over her bikini top and shirt, so she didn’t bother to change the upper half. After slipping her shoes back on, she grabbed one of the sleeping bags and a sleeping pad. They didn’t have to be cold and uncomfortable while they guarded the camp.
    The temperature had dropped below sixty, which felt chilly. She wanted another layer between her butt and the ground. Her body was sore from hiking.
    When she brought the gear toward him, Nathan rose to his feet, his eyes alight with approval. He’d pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a flannel shirt. She set the