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I try to shake my hand out of his so I can put some distance between us in case this is a trap. He’s the closest to how I remember him than he has been at any other point right now. It’s disconcerting to say the least.
“I’m not letting go of your fucking hand, Vi. The more you struggle the harder I’ll hold on.” To prove his point, he gives my palm a strong squeeze. “Stay close and quit fighting me.”
“Why are you even helping me? I know you don’t want to pay my college tuition. You hate me.”
He says nothing as he continues dragging me in the direction of the tower he saw. Hopefully it will be manned, as long as it’s not that creepy guy who passed me.
“Did you see a weird hiker?”
He pauses and looks down at me. “Yes. Did he bother you?”
“No, I hid, thinking it was you guys. He walked past me.”
“Good. He gave us weird vibes.” He starts dragging me along again.
Even with the canopy of trees, we’re still getting wet. A cold wind cuts through the forest, making my soaked clothes icy against my skin. I can’t help but wish that I put my sweatshirt back on at the creek. At least I’d be marginally warmer.
It seems like we’ve been running through the trees for an hour when we finally come to a small clearing with a rundown tower. I’m shivering so badly my teeth are clacking together. West stops at the bottom of the ladder leading up, his brow furrowed as he pulls my pack off and puts it on himself.
“Go first, I’ll be right behind you.”
I slip a couple times from the shaking and how wet everything is, but West is right there, his arms bracketing my legs. When I make it up to the platform, he grabs the door and ushers me inside on a relieved breath. I was hoping it was unlocked, too.
A layer of dust covers everything and the power doesn’t work. It has to be one of the older towers that isn’t used anymore. There’s an old formica and chrome table, a twin size bed, and a leather chair.
“Strip,” West barks at me as he tries to turn on the generator. He moves to the wood stove in the corner and slams the door when he finds no wood inside. The light in the tower is as gray and misty as the sky outside, but I catch the look of irritation on his face when he looks over and sees me standing there, still shivering in my soaking wet clothes.
“Listen, you can take your clothes off or I’ll do it for you, but either way, you will be naked and in that bed in two minutes.”
“Don’t look.”
He turns with a grunt. I struggle to unknot my boots and pull them off. My hands are shaking so badly I can barely lift my tank top off. I’m standing topless, fidgeting with the button on my pants, the sound of my teeth chattering filling the musty air of the small space, when arms envelop me from behind.
“Let me help,” West says softly. He pops the button open and unzips my fly. I grip his hands as his thumbs hook in the waistband of my panties, stopping him from pushing them down my hips.
“I can do the rest.” Luckily the shakiness of my voice can be blamed on being so cold instead of nerves at his touch.
“Okay.” He gives my hips a gentle squeeze before letting go. “I’m going to get in bed, too. I won’t look.”
I nod and look over my shoulder just long enough to see him start to push his pants down. I turn back around too quickly and lose my balance. The same shoulder that I landed on earlier hits the wall as I cry out.
“Fucking hell, Vi.” West moves toward me, his boxer briefs clinging to his narrow hips and powerful thighs. My arms fly up to cover my chest.
I know I should stop ogling him, but I can’t. I’ve never seen a naked man, aside from movies or porn, but even so, I can tell he’s packing from the bulge he’s got. The muscles of his abs are insane, too. This is definitely not the body of the awkward, skinny, gap-toothed boy I grew up with.
“Violet.” His voice is gravelly as he steps toward me. “Lay down on the bed so I can finish undressing you. And for the love of God, stop looking at me like that.”
That comment snaps me out of my stupor.
Don’t be a dumbass, Violet.
I can’t let hot muscles and a big dick distract me from the end goal here, which is winning. Plus, these are the assholes who’ve made my life miserable for years. Who cares if they have sexy bodies? They have trash personalities. I keep my arms up to cover my breasts.
“No. I can do it myself.”
He raises an eyebrow in challenge.
“Turn around.”
