Page 42 of Line of Resistance

None of that surprised him. Not the part about someone prowling around off-grid camping sites and not the part about Eloise being in that location.

It explained a lot.

His eyes moved to the bag sitting by the door. “So this isn’t your first rodeo.”

Her lower lip tucked between her teeth before pulling free. “I used to camp a lot, so no. I’ve been out alone in the middle of nowhere before.” Her eyes dropped, lingering just a second before snapping to his. “Not usually with a naked mercenary though.”

“That’s too bad.” He moved in a little more, fully letting his front rest against hers. “We’re really good at sharing body heat.”

Eloise shivered, like he’d reminded her she was cold. Her coat and dress were damp and cool where they pressed into his skin, so she had to be freezing. “Your clothes need to dry.”

The sound she made was somewhere between a squeak and a yelp as both hands came to grip the front of her coat, like she expected him to start peeling it away any second.

It wasn’t an unappealing thought, but he would much rather watch her do it.

Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, Nate stepped away, going to one of the old, flower-printed armchairs and sinking into the seat. He stretched his legs out, angling both feet toward the warm air blowing from the stove. “If we have to go back out you’re going to be twice as cold if you’re wet. You need to get dry.”

He expected her to continue dragging her feet. For it to take a little more convincing.

Instead, Eloise rolled her eyes again, huffing out a loud exhale as she yanked her coat off. “I know.” She kicked at the two chairs he set up, shoving them to one side as she peeled away her clothing.

The movements weren’t graceful or remotely sexual, but it was still impossible to control his body’s reaction. Every inch of creamy pale skin that came into view made his dick harder and harder until it was jutting out as far as it could manage given the constraints of his briefs. By the time she wiggled free of the thick tights covering her lower half, a wet spot was soaking into the cotton where he was starting to leak.

Eloise collected her clothes, giving him a sideways glance that focused solely on his aching cock. “Do you need to go take care of that thing?”

He would love nothing more than to fuck his fist right now, but the thought of doing it while she was in the next room, knowing what was happening, didn’t seem right. Especially considering it would be images of her in his mind.

Nate shook his head. “Nope.”

She straightened. “So you’re just going to sit there like that?”

He lifted his hands toward the ceiling in a halfhearted shrug. “Seems like.”

Eloise’s lips pursed, working to one side for a second before she finally lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “Suit yourself.” Then she turned away.

For a second his feelings were a little hurt. She’d been questioning if his interest in her was genuine and she’d just stared at the proof it was for more than a few seconds without batting an eye. He was hoping it might make her see he genuinely did want her. That she might realize how difficult it was for him to ignore the attraction he felt.

At the very least he was hoping she might be a little impressed by what he brought to the table.

But Eloise didn’t appear to be doing any of those things. All she offered was disinterest and the opportunity to handle his issue himself.

And the worst part was he deserved it. He deserved to sit here and suffer, wanting her so bad it hurt, knowing she hated his guts and would never feel the same.

Eloise grabbed a chair from the table and dragged it across the room. When her hips swayed a little more as she came his way he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him.

But then she stood right in front of him and bent over, the motion pressing her ass his direction, giving him a full view of where the cleft of her ass and pussy met, the outlines of both impossible to miss through the thin fabric of her hot pink panties.

Then she fucking wiggled it.

He didn’t realize he groaned until her head turned his way, peeking back at him. “Something wrong?”

It took him a second to realize what he was seeing wasn’t indifference.

It was torture. Pure, unadulterated vengeance.

She was punishing him.

And he was gonna let it happen. Let her even things back out again. Give him back everything he gave her.

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