Page 52 of Too Many Beds

I hop on behind Vance, pressing my body to his when he starts the engine. Yanking on my helmet, I wiggle my legs until I’m more comfortable as Ambrose exits the hotel with his bag tossed over his shoulder. He hooks it onto his bike, and while he’s positioning himself on the seat the other guys take off ahead of him. He quickly catches up to us as we head down a narrow road, going in the wrong direction until they’re sure we aren’t being followed.

I wrap my arms tightly around Vance, my nose buried in his jacket, taking in his musky cinnamon scent. He shoots me a smile, sliding his glasses over his eyes and speeding up. The ride is long and I catch myself nodding off several times, but Vance hooks his hand over my arm when he feels my grip loosen too much and the front of my body parting from his.

My eyes snap open as we pull over to the side of the road. The other guys do the same, giving us a curious stare—Ambrose’s less friendly than Mitch’s.

“We’re an hour away. Why the fuck did you stop?” Ambrose throws his hands in the air, placing one foot on the ground.

“Princess here is falling asleep. Almost fell off the bike.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m fine, and for the last time, it’s Oakley.”

“Sure thing, princess.” Mitch smirks, taking a swig of his water.

“Let him ride with me then,” Ambrose offers. “I’ll make sure he stays on.”

At first, I don’t think Vance is going to agree, but then he gives Ambrose a nod and as I’m climbing off the bike he steadies me, whispering in my ear. “Don’t worry, princess. We’ll get more one-on-one time later. Hopefully it’ll be like last night and I’ll get to make you come more than once.”

Freezing, my stomach tightens and Ambrose whistles loudly. “What’s taking so long? Hurry up and get over here. We can’t keep stopping like this. We need to get the hell off the road.”

I meet Vance’s eyes one more time, not missing the heat in them as I step fully onto the concrete. Something did happen last night, it just wasn’t with Ambrose. I didn’t even consider it might happen with the other guys. Fuck.

Vance doesn’t stop watching me until we’re moving again. I can’t let him know I was asleep. How embarrassing would that be? Then Ambrose will know my little problem wasn’t a one-time occurrence. I can’t handle him running away from me a second time—not when we almost feel likeusagain.

When I fall asleep halfway to the cabin, Ambrose stops, gesturing to the others to keep going while pulling a rope from his bag. “If you can’t stay awake, I’ll have to secure you to me.”

My mouth parts. “What?”

“You heard me, princess.” He hands me the rope and I wrap it around myself, handing him both ends. He ties us together, wrapping the rope around us twice and tying a knot.

“Now, let’s get to this damn cabin without any more interruptions.”

Too speechless from his actions, I gawk at him, gripping onto his hips when the bike jerks. I don’t fall asleep the rest of the way, the rope making it hard for me to get comfortable orseparate from his body when the bumps in the road cause his ass to rub against my crotch. Mitch and Vance are standing outside the cabin with brown paper bags in their hands when we finally arrive.

“What’s that?” Ambrose asks, parking his bike.

“Groceries. You fuckers took so long we were able to stop at the little shop down the road and still beat your asses here.”

Ambrose waves him off, pulling a knife from his boot. Once free from the ropes, we both get off the bike, Ambrose catching me when I almost trip on my own feet. “How have you survived this far on your own, princess? You can barely stand by yourself.”

I shove him away and pick up my backpack from the ground, heading for the cabin. They all watch me as I search for the keys in my bag—I’ve always kept them on me. My mom’s paranoia stuck with me all the way to adulthood, and for good reason, apparently.

The door clicks open when I turn the key and the smell of oak hits my nose when I enter the small living room. There are only two bedrooms, but also a cot in the closet, and a couch. The lights flicker on as Ambrose walks in behind me and the other guys set the groceries on the counter, checking out their surroundings.

“You sure no one knows about this place?”

“Yeah. My mom occasionally comes up here to check on it, and her last visit was only a month ago, so it shouldn’t be too dusty.” I flip on the heat as the cold air pierces my skin.

Mitch and Ambrose familiarize themselves with every exit, window, and room, while Vance unpacks the food. I help him, and occasionally his hand grazes my ass, his flirty glances adding to my already dazed state. “You know how to cook, princess?”

“A little. Mostly the basics. Mac ’n’ cheese. Grilled chee?—”

He sticks out his hand. “Alright, I’ve heard enough. We’ll have time for a lesson later, but for now have a seat and let me cook you something good.”

“Okay.” Setting my bag on the ground, I sit at the table. Ambrose enters the kitchen, setting a lemon-infused mineral water in front of me. “Thought it would help with the stomach issues you get when you’re under too much stress.”

“Thanks,” I say, smiling on the inside and out.

“No problem. Grabbed Sour Skittles too.” He sits beside me, plucking a purple pack from his pocket.

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