JONAH
Turnsout even with a middle of the night vibrating bed wake up call, I can't sleep past six. Some habits die harder than others.
Max lifts his head the second I move, nails clicking softly against the floor as he walks to the door and plants next to it, oscillating his gaze between me and the door to our room. Guess we’re going out. I grab my phone from the nightstand before I slip on my shoes, heading to the door where Max is now impatiently waiting. He starts to whine, but I quietly hush him, praying that he doesn’t wake up Lila.
I carefully open the door, and slip outside with Max hot on my heels. He follows me as we make our way across the motel's gravel parking lot. The parking lot is quiet except for the distant hum of highway traffic.
I glance back at the door to our room, where Lila is sleeping. Images from last night hit me all over again. Her sprawled across my chest with half-lidded eyes. The warmth of her thighs bracketing my hips when I pulled her on top of me. The exact moment when she settled against me, and realized just how aroused she’d made me.
Shit. Just remembering it sends blood rushing south again. I scrub a hand over my face.
Feeling Lila pressed against me like that had been pure torture in the best and worst possible way. Every small movement of her hips against mine had my entire body humming. My cock was so close to her. Only her underwear separated me from her. God, how I wish my rational portion of my brain had been offline. Every instinct I had last night screamed for me to pull her closer, and forget about sleep entirely. To fuck her senseless until we’d both had our fill of each other.
But, she was exhausted. Injured. No matter how badly my body wanted her, rushing into sex while she was barely stitched together would’ve been wrong. Even if my erection spent most of the night lodging formal protests against the decision.
I exhale slowly into the cool morning air knowing that I made the right choice, and in the end, I got to hold her all night. To feel her against me, and that was enough until she was healed. And when she was, all bets were off.
I wander in thought until my phone vibrates in my pocket. Lucas's name flashes across the screen.
“You do know calling this early is breaking at least a dozen social rules, Lucas.”
“You actually answered a phone call? The apocalypse must be nigh,” Lucas jokes. “How’s life in the fast lane with your storm goddess?”
I roll my eyes. “We’ve collected some great data.”
“You’ve been on the road with her for what, nearly a week, and that’s all you’ve got? Come on, Jonah, give me something.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I reply, even though I know Lucas well enough to expect he won’t drop it. Max freezes when he spots a rabbit at the edge of the parking lot.
“Bullshit. Your tone does that thing when you’re lying—it gets all stiff and formal. You forget I’ve known you since you were an awkward grad student with elbow patches.”
I sigh, watching the sunrise paint the sky in oranges and pinks. “It's complicated.”
“Complicated is code for 'I have feelings, but I'm too emotionally constipated to admit it,'“ Lucas says with obvious glee. “Is she as intense when she’s chasing as she seems?”
“She's brilliant, Lucas. The way she reads the sky, it's like watching someone speak a language I've only studied in textbooks.”
“And?” Lucas prompts.
“And what?”
“And she's gorgeous, and you're into her.”
I run my hand through my hair, glancing back at our door. “Really, Lucas?”
“What, Mr-Stick-Up-His-Ass? Opposites attract. That's like basic physics.”
“That's not how physics works at all.”
“Whatever. Have you kissed her yet?”
The question catches me off guard, and I nearly trip over Max, sending a quiet curse slipping from my mouth.
“You have!”
“I—” I stutter, feeling heat rise to my face. “That's not relevant to this conversation.”
Lucas crows with delight on the other end of the line. “Oh my god, you actually did! I need details. Immediately.”
