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She looks at me with a confused expression as she sits on her pallet. “Yeah… is that okay? I thought we’d share a tent for the whole trip?”
“Right. Yes. I wasn’t sure if you’d bunk with Chris tonight after your pool fun.”
She smirks. “Am I detecting a hint of jealousy?”
I scoff and slide under my blankets, which are lighter and more breathable than the ones we used last night in the colder climate. “Don’t be ridiculous. I hope the poor sap marries you, then I won’t have to put up with you anymore.”
She continues to stare at me with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. “Then why were you watching us?”
“If you must know, pool games are extremely unsafe. I found it difficult to relax knowing someone might get hurt.”
“Right.” She pauses, still smirking. “You should’ve joined us. You were looking pretty good in those black swim trunks.”
I blink rapidly, noting my face is suddenly hot. Turning away from her I pull the covers up over my bare chest. Since the weather is warm I opted to go shirtless.
She laughs and tugs on my blanket. “Don’t be shy! Let me see that once-in-a-lifetime view of your exposed flesh. Which obviously hasn’t seen sun… in a very, very long time.”
I keep tight hold of the blanket, not because I’m self conscious, but because she’s being an irritating ass. “Could you at least attempt to have some decorum?”
Isa squares her shoulders. “The woman has no decorum, shall we alert the queen??” she says in a deep voice with a horrible British accent.
“That was the worst British accent I’ve ever had the displeasure of hearing.” I sit up to a sitting position and place a palm on her face to keep her an arm’s length away.
She laughs and continues trying to swipe my blanket from me. We’re facing each other now, both on our knees since the tent isn’t that tall. My blanket is somehow still draped over one of my shoulders. She finally snatches it from me, and without thinking, I grab her hands and pin them behind her back, causing my arms to wrap around her in the process. Her big brown eyes, that suddenly remind me of those chocolate fountains people use at weddings, look up at me in surprise. Neither of us moves. Instead, we stare at each other. I wait a moment for her to wiggle out of my grasp, but she’s perfectly still, her chest rising and falling slowly as she breathes. My brain obviously isn’t working properly with her in my arms, since I then inhale the scent of her hair, which is down and still damp from her shower. The tendrils rest on my hands and arms and it smells incredible… like rose water and vanilla. Her lips look just as tempting up close, and her bronze complexion definitely isn’t from makeup since she just got done bathing. She’s somehow even more irresistible this way, natural and wild. Like a wild mustang that no one can tame.
Laughter comes from outside, causing our heads to snap in the direction of the sound and away from each other. I gulp, realizing how close we still are, and slowly release her hands.
She looks back up at me again and hands me my blanket. “Here you go.”
I clear my throat. “Thanks… we should get some sleep. Night.”
“Sweet dreams, David.”
Chapter twelve
Isabella
I awake the next morning with something warm and furry pressed along my torso and side. At first I wonder if David rolled over toward my pallet since he’s such a crazy sleeper. Reaching my hand over my shoulder, I expect to feel human skin, or maybe chest hair? But my hand touches something much fuzzier than David, who has just the perfect amount of dark chest hair; nothing like the thick fur I feel against my fingertips.
I’m too groggy to put much thought into it, until I hear David’s sleepy voice, “Oh, Isa, that feels nice.”
He chuckles. It’s deep and husky and laced with sleep. Is he talking in his sleep? I roll over and open my eyes to discover there’s a large, furry, brown llama—or alpaca?—in between David and me. David’s eyes are closed and he’s smiling as the creature nibbles his neck and licks his hair.
“We can’t do this now. Someone will hear,” he mutters sleepily.
I bite my bottom lip to keep from laughing. Maybe my grouchy neighbor doesn’t hate me as much as I thought he did? Whatever version of me he conjured up in his dreams seems to please him well enough.
As amused as I am, I’m also a little terrified that there’s a wild animal in our tent. Llamas aren’t carnivores, are they? I sure hope not.
I don’t want to startle the poor thing, especially since she’s so smitten with David.
I clear my throat, trying to wake David up. He stirs but doesn’t open his eyes.
“David,” I whisper.
He furrows his brow and pushes the llama’s head away from his neck. “I said not now, Isa. Have some self-control.”
I sit up slowly and shake my head. Does he really think I would just randomly start licking his neck? Who does that? Llamas… apparently.
