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“We are here now. Goodnight, Daria.”
Guilt sparked when his breathing turned deep and even, signaling he was fast asleep. He held on to the blanket on her as if letting go was not an option, and he still had it in his mind to protect her. The stubborn determination softened her. Perhaps it was the different scenario that made it more intimate when really, it was just typical of Charlie. Perhaps it was just her brain playing with her when there was nothing here to analyze. Whatever it was, it prevented her from sleeping, and she couldn’t even toss and turn lest she bumped into him and woke him up.
But she felt him, particularly when Charlie moved and banded an arm tighter around her. She felt every breath that fell from his lips and knew his face was inches away from her forehead. Her head tilted up, examining the blur before her, wishing once more that she could see. Her fingers itched to touch and memorize crevices, perhaps to understand what that face held when she knew its contours. At some point, all the longing and restlessness drifted her into slumber, where fire filled her dreams and warnings rang in her head.
Walk away. Walk away before it’s too late.
She jerked awake, gasping for breath and clutching at her surroundings for an anchor. Fingers locked on softness as she regained consciousness and reminded herself that she was no longer trapped in the fire. Then the rest came into focus, especially the crumpled thing she was holding on to in front of her. Her blanket was no longer on her body. But Charlie’s hand was.
It was still on her waist minus the blanket…no, it was lower, somewhere between her hip and her butt, a brand that was clearer now that only her trousers separated them. But it wasn’t the only thing nearby as she felt his breath against the back of her neck, fanning warmth into her skin until goosebumps erupted. She stayed still. She would have continued staying still if it wasn’t for his body moving, perhaps at the slightest shift of hers. But now his hand was in motion, sliding from her butt to her stomach and drawing her in until her back was tightly pressed against his front.
She felt his hard body, every muscle that had always been elusive to her sight. She felt the contours she had missed and the dips she had wondered over, enveloping her in a way that slithered its way inside her. Then she feltit—hard, pulsing, and larger than she had ever imagined possible, the one symbol of how a man felt. Before she knew it, her brain was emptied and her body was mush, a slave to that hot furnace he so firmly provided.
“Hmm.” The rumble vibrated against her, too, as if in agreement—the sexiest thing she had heard in her life. She arched into it and felt it digging harder, just a few inches away from where it was meant to go….
Morning wood,her mind supplied. It sounded like common sense.Isn’t that what they called it?
Just like that, her illusion shattered and she was knocked back into scrambling away. She froze after, waiting for the questions. But the tent remained silent and Charlie’s breathing was still even, cementing the mortification of knowing that it had been entirely one-sided. It gave her the courage to finally crawl out of the tent and zip it shut before she stumbled away as fast as she could.
A throb rampaged through her system, making each step more difficult. She managed it, circling the tents and plopping down. Her fingers dug into the sand, crumbling it as she fought the ache inside and how badly it would damage what she held dearest: her friendship with Charlie. It became a mantra in her head and helped her ease away from very dangerous reflections, all of which involved hot, writhing bodies and nothing substantial.
Come off it, Daria,the mantra added.Just because there’s a spark doesn’t mean anything. Don’t think too much about it.
It was because he was the closest man in her space and intimacy was new to her. She inhaled the sea breeze, felt better, and went with where her mind was going, necessary for her to look him in the eye after this.
You can’t look him in the eye, idiot.
A snort caught in her throat at her inner sarcasm. Voices interrupted whatever other musings she had.
“You are an idiot if you think I’m letting you go so easily,” Riva said, her growl more menacing than it had been when she confronted them.
“I’m not leaving easily,” someone hissed—a man, not Oscar. The voice was unfamiliar, deep, and silky-smooth, and Daria drew a face to match it.
“Oh, right. Because we have the most precious thing you guys caught.” Sarcasm swam in Riva’s tone. “Well, here’s some news for you: your friends are very far away and we are your only chance for survival. The moment you try to hurt Sona or take her away, you won’t even have that chance. I will kill you immediately.”
“Because your clan wants her?”
“No. Because I refused to trust anyone yesterday and they all proved me wrong. So, I am not going to let you ruin that.”
Astonishment ignited in Daria’s chest, enough to have her wriggling slightly until she could take a peek. What she glimpsed was a blurry figure sitting on a laying figure, calm as a lake. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was who, and the heaving and grunting cemented that the man was still tied up.
“Good morning! How is everyone today—oh!”
Oscar came across the scene with a strangled cough, scrambling back…then jumping close to the two with a hand held out.
“Relax, Oscar. I have him.”
Oscar backed away once more, letting go of the object he had in his hand. “Right. I see he’s all tied up. Good call. Did he try to wriggle away? Did he try to—oh, hey, Daria.”
Daria straightened, realized she had gotten caught in her nosy moment, and stood up to face them with what she hoped was a serene expression. “Good morning. You don’t have to tie him up except for his hands behind him. We have a long day ahead, and he needs to keep himself protected.”
“And what if he tries to escape?” Riva asked, incredulous.
“He won’t,” another voice piped in. “And if he does, he can go. It’s of no consequence to us since his mates can’t get here either way, and he can’t beat all five of us.”
Her heart jumped before her limited vision found the next shadow, dwarfing the rest with his height. The harsh pitter-patter continued inside her chest as the rest agreed with his reasoning before Sona swayed to the center. After a few more grumblings, Daria heard slashing sounds. The lying figure shot up.
Riva’s hand went to his throat. “Remember my warning.”
