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We return to the uncomfortable silence. The crackling of the fire is the only sound filling the space until we hear a car approaching the cabin.
Dropping my book on the couch next to me, I speed walk to the window, where I swipe the curtains to the side. “It’s Dallas,” I announce when I see our black SUV pull up.
A moment later, he climbs out of the car, carrying two white bags with a dragon on the front of them. When he comes closer, I can read Dragon Palace under the logo.
“Looks like we’re having Chinese for dinner.”
“At this point, I don’t care what we’re having as long as it’s food,” Nat mumbles. At least she is still talking to me.
Dallas bursts through the door a second later. “Anyone hungry?”
“Starving,” I answer.
Natalie gets up from her spot in front of the fire, and we all meet at the kitchen table. The smell of savory orange chicken fills the small space, making my stomach rumble loudly, which makes Nat giggle. A sound I could listen to all the time. Fuck, I forgot about her cute giggle. Being here with her, having her so close, brings up all these feelings I buried when we ended things—when she ended things.
Shaking the thought away, I dig into the food, pulling out dish after dish. Dallas brought enough to feed six people, and I’m not mad at it in the slightest.
“What’s with the weird tension between you two all of a sudden?” Of course Dallas doesn’t miss a thing. The fucker has a sixth sense when it comes to vibe checking. “You didn’t fuck while I was gone, did you?” He questions all nonchalant.
I almost choke on my chicken.
Nat doesn’t skip a beat. “I tried, but he turned me down.”
“Interesting.” Dallas shrugs. “Just so we’re clear, I wouldn’t have turned you down.” He winks at Nat, and I feel like gagging.
Damnit, what if I fucked up my chances with Natalie now? Even worse, what if I drove her into Dallas’s arms by rejecting her? Fuck, I need to make this right. The question is, how?
We end up finishing almost all the food. My stomach is so full, I seriously worry about puking if I move around too much. Dallas and Nat look like they feel the same. We all lean back in our chairs, stomach round, looking at the huge mess we left on the table. Empty cartons and plates, used chopsticks, and napkins are all spread out before us.
“Do you know what I miss about the hotel?” Natalie asks.
“Someone cleaning up after us?”
“Exactly!” We all laugh, and slowly start to pick up the mess we made.
When we’ve finished cleaning, Nat excuses herself into the bathroom, giving Dallas and me a moment alone.
“Did you really turn her down?”
“I did,” I admit with a frown.
“Idiot.” Dallas shakes his head like he is disappointed in me.
“Do you really think sleeping with her after she almost drowned would’ve been a good idea?” I try defending myself, but of course, Dallas has a great comeback.
“We’re not talking about a random civilian here. You know Nat is used to shit like this. Almost dying is not going to shake her up.”
“Whatever,” I grit through my teeth, angry with myself and with him for pointing it out.
Natalie returns from the bathroom after a good bit. Her hair is braided, and her face looks shiny as if she put lotion on it.
We hang out in the living room for a little bit before deciding to head to bed, so we can leave bright and early. We lie down in the same spots we did yesterday. Natalie is in the middle while I’m on the right and Dallas is on the left. I’m only wearing a pair of boxers tonight, while Nat is in an oversized shirt and underwear.
I’m exhausted, but my mind isn’t tired. A million thoughts still race through my mind, every single one involving Natalie. It’s hard not to think about someone if they are lying half naked inches away from you. She is close enough I can feel her body heat, smell the flowery scent of her body lotion, and see the way her chest rises and falls with each breath.
I try to close my eyes, but that doesn’t help either. If anything, it makes it worse. Because now I’m thinking about how she was straddling me earlier. How she was rubbing her pussy over my cock, urging me to fuck her. Damnit. I’m such an idiot.
Turning on my back, I stare at the ceiling. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, the moon and the stars are bright enough to illuminate most of the room. I use that light to count the boards above me out of boredom.
It isn’t until I hear Dallas’s soft snoring that I get annoyed. Sighing to myself, I turn on my side, facing Natalie and find her eyes wide open.
