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I continue to watch him as one of the guys tells another funny story. He’s practically nodding off, but still refusing to go to the tent.
There’s no sense in both of us being completely miserable.
I stand, stretching my arms over my head, wanting to grin but knowing better when I draw every eye around the fire. Alex’s go to the thin line of skin exposed below my t-shirt.
“Gonna hit the sack,” I say, turning and walking away before anyone can stop me.
I wave over my shoulder when they all issue their goodnights.
I have to go grab my things from near the SUV where I put them after realizing my tent was a lost cause.
My sleeping bag is soft, my eyes heavy, by the time I crawl into Alex’s tent.
I feel like I’m hallucinating when I climb inside the tent because the scent of Alex’s skin is all over the place. The man isn’t the type to wear cologne or have an overly masculine smell to him. He’s a lot more basic and rugged than that. Clean soap with a hint of pine coming in from outside fills my nostrils, and despite feeling a little silly for my deep breaths, I breathe in again from the bottom of my lungs until they’re both full of him as I settle down on the ground. The bottom of the tent is made with an air mattress, so the entire floor of the tent is lifted off the ground several inches.
I might have suffered through sleeping by the fire, but I can admit this is so much nicer.
I try for sleep, channeling all the exhaustion I felt while listening to story after story near the fire, but it just won’t come.
With my eyes forced closed, I can imagine every sound I hear as being Alex coming to join me, but even the thought of it is ridiculous. He may eventually stop being stubborn and climb into this tent, but he wouldn’t be with me.
As time slowly drags by, I consider all the possibilities.
Alex could come inside and go to sleep.
He could ask me for details and give me the chance to apologize for something I didn’t do, because, let’s face it, I would.
He could be growing irrationally angry with every second he feels forced to sit out there when he’s clearly sleepy.
If it turned into that, he could climb inside and grow violent because I’ve invaded his space.
I shake that thought away immediately, once again blaming my ex for making me think the worst of people.
I could easily tell Alex didn’t want me in here, but I can’t help but feel like it’s a setup by Ugly and possibly Kincaid as well. I’ll go ahead and throw Jake in on the pyre as well because what are the damn chances that not a single person here has a two-person tent besides Alex?
If they are involved, does that mean Kincaid knows about Alex? Did Ugly open his mouth to his boss? Does the man not understand that outing someone is so wrong? It violates all codes, especially if it’s done by a friend.
Is that why Ugly isn’t drinking? Did he get drunk and say something?
I scoot closer to the wall of the tent, giving Alex more than half of the area if he ever decides to come inside. I’m feeling more and more like a complete asshole for being here. I knew deep down Ugly was fucking lying. I knew that Alex didn’t tell him to invite me. I lied and used that as a shield, not wanting Alex to dislike me any more than he already does.
I growl in frustration, hating the way the man is stuck in my head. I’m seconds away from climbing out of the tent. I figure I can make it back to the main road in less than an hour if I leave all my shit behind. It’s all replaceable anyway, but then the sound of the tent’s zipper being pulled fills my ears, and I freeze.
I nearly choke, holding my breath so long as Alex enters the tent, from what I can tell, crawling on his hands and knees. The thing isn’t big enough to stand up inside.
He nudges me, but I know it’s not on purpose as he pulls off his boots. My eyes stay squeezed shut, but then his clothes make a noise as he pulls them from his body, and I swear I hear the rasp of his zipper as he pulls it down.
My cock takes notice, the damn thing always quick to get wild ideas despite there being absolutely no chance. With squinty eyes, because I’m a fucking pervert who can’t resist the sight of him, I watch as he peels down his jeans, his muscular legs more shadow than anything. The man turns me on so badly I sometimes question my sanity where he’s concerned.
