Chapter 49
1 stood frozen.
His hand was still outstretched toward me, palm open, fingers steady. His eyes stayed locked on mine, completely unfazed by the silence around us.
“Of course I’d sleep in the same tent as my wife,” he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world
My stomach dropped. I glanced around, expecting a reaction. Everyone was watching, whispers were already starting. Gypsy’s face had gone stiff. She stood two steps away from his tent, eyes wide, fake smile crumbling
He didn’t flinch and he didn’t take his eyes off me.
I looked back at him, I didn’t know what I was supposed to say. I could feel everyone’s stares digging into my skin.
My fingers twitched at my sides, then I stepped forward and took his hand.
His grip closed around mine, firm, warm, possessive. We walked together, past Gypsy, past the circle of stares, past the awkward silence, and into his tent.
The moment we were inside, I let go of him like he burned me
The tent was nothing like the others. There was a padded floor, two sleeping bags already unzipped and layered with a down comforter. Soft lighting from a lantern in the corner, a small electric fan on a crate beside a basket of snacks and a Bluetooth speaker. This wasn’t camping, this was curated wilderness luxury.
I moved to the side and dropped my bag.
I kept my head down and unrolled one of the sleeping bags, ignoring him completely. I sat and started unlacing my boots, trying to breathe, trying not to think about how many people saw what just happened.
He moved closer behind me.
I didn’t look.
His shadow fell across my side, I felt his gaze drop to my ankle.
“You hurt yourself
I didn’t answer.
He crouched beside me. His fingers wrapped around my ankle gently and pulled my leg forward, pinning it across his thigh.
“Let me ser.”
I pulled at my foot. “I said I’m fine.”
“You’re not,” his fingers brushed over the raw skin, careful but firm, “you scratched it earlier when the snake thing happened.”
He pulled out a travel kit from his bag and opened it. He poured something on a cotton pad and started dabbing the wound, the burn made me wince. He blew on it lightly, my breath hitched.
We were way too close, the space was tight. His knee brushed against mine, and his free hand slid under my calf to keep it steady. His
flicked up to mine.
eyes
“Still ignoring me?” he asked.
“I don’t want to talk to you.
My tone came out sharper than I meant, but I didn’t take it back.
He froze for half a second, then dropped my leg gently and stood.
“Got it,” he said flatly.
He grabbed his water bottle and stepped outside the tent without another word.
1 let out a shaky breath and rubbed my hands over my face. My whole body was hot, wired from the walk, the confrontation, the heat of
10:43 AM
Chapter 19
his touch. I laid back on the sleeping bag and stared at the ceiling.
He was so unbelievably annoying.
So smug, so possessive and so goddamn hot when he touched me
I turned my head into the pillow and groaned. My brain screamed no but my body didn’t listen.
I closed my eyes. His voice came back, his hands, his mouth. The way he had pushed me against the bed back at the cabin, the way he
made me come with his fingers inside me, the way he looked down at me like I was the only thing he wanted.
My hand slid under my shirt before I could stop it. I palmed my breast, circled one nipple slowly, dragging my nails over it.
1 bit my lip.
I opened my legs and ran my hand over the front of my panties, wet, throbbing. I pressed harder, rubbed slow, shallow circles. My hips shifted up, my breath started catching-
I moaned quietly and the tent zipper flew open.
I
jerked up, heart stopping.
Karl stood in the entrance, eyes locked on me. I was frozen…shirt pulled halfway up, thighs spread, hand still pressed between my legs.
He stepped inside.
“Why stop?” he said, shutting the flap behind him. “I can finish for you.”
“Get out,” I snapped. “I don’t need you.”
He walked toward me.
“You sure?” he asked, voice low.
His hand slid down and slipped into my panties before I could push him away. My body arched, I let out a shaky moanbefore I could stop it
“You’ve been walking around like I don’t exist,” he said, his fingers moved deeper. “I’m starting to take it personally?
I gripped his wrist but didn’t pull it away.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, breathless. “You have Gypsy, go screw her?
His thumb pressed hard, slow. “Is that what this is about?”
“No,” 1 snapped. “I don’t care who you screw
“Really? Because I fucked you, and suddenly I’m the enemy.”
He leaned closer, still working me with slow, perfect pressure.
“You fucked me,” I whispered, “then acted like nothing happened.”
“That’s how I was trained to handle things”
“Well not me
I pushed his hand away and stood, breathing hard, my shirt dropped back into place.
“For me, sex means something.” I said. “It’s symbolic. It’s serious. It means trust. It means a new step. And you…
I shook my head, “You don’t get to treat it like some forgettable night.”
“You think I forgot it?” he asked.
“I think you made me feel like I didn’t matter.
He stood and crossed the small space between us.
His hand cupped the side of my face. I flinched but didn’t move.
N
Chapter 49
He kissed me, hard, full mouth and with no hesitation.
He pulled back, eyes on mine.
“Is that it?” he asked. “Is that what all of this was about?”
I didn’t answer.
“I don’t know how to do this whole love thing,” he said. “But Ellen, I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted you. I wanted all of it
He stepped back just an inch
“It was fucking torture when you ignored me. Every day, every time you walked past me like I was invisible.”
1 swallowed hard.
He looked at me like he was trying to piece it together in real time, like even he didn’t expect what was about to come out of his mouth.
“I don’t know what it means,” he said, “but I think I love you.”
AD
