Page 102 of Slay Ride

Rose mimes the motions for relax again, but Cat is too far gone. A fresh droplet of sweat speeds down her temple, and her hands have gone clammy. There’s only one thing left to try before we have to give up and admit we’re beaten.

“Cat, do you remember that special drink I gave you on the island?”

Chapter Forty-One

Cat

Idon’t know how many hours pass before I finally swim out of the fog, but I wake up in Bennett’s arms. My head rests on his chest, and my arm drapes over his warm waist.

A soft purring sound radiates from somewhere above my head. I blink back the sleep still clinging to my eyes and squint through the dim morning light. Shorty is fast asleep, right on top of Bennett’s head.

Wait.

Shorty. Morning light. My room.

Bennett.

I move to sit up, and a deep ache radiates through my ass. The memories of last night’s events flit through my mind, and I wince when I remember how it ended. With me on the floor, sedated to the point of delirium as Rosie gave me the most uncomfortable asshole tickle of my life. I’m just grateful I didn’t end up at the hospital.

But now I have bigger concerns than an embarrassing butt plug. Kindra made me promise I’d attend the hunt, and that’stoday. If she comes to my room before I can get Bennett back to his?—

“Bennett,” I whisper as I shove his shoulder. “Bennett, wake up.”

His eyes pop open, and he looks around as if I’ve just shouted that the bed is on fire. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? What do you need? I’ll get it for you.”

God, I want to wake up to that gravelly morning voice for the rest of my life.

Shorty runs to the end of the bed and looks back at Bennett, as if annoyed by the sudden movements. Not too annoyed, though, because he licks his lips, swallows, and settles at Bennett’s feet.

“I’m fine,” I say, “but you have to get out of my room before anyone comes looking for me. The hunt is this morning.”

He sighs and closes his eyes. “Are we really still doing this?”

“What? Hiding, or going on the hunt?”

“Hiding.”

“Yes, we are still hiding. And we will continue to hide until I grow the balls to come clean to Kindra.”

“Maverick, Rose, Grim—three people already know, and they seemed to handle it pretty well.”

I toss the covers away from my naked body, then slide off the bed. “Yeah, well, they aren’t Kindra.”

He turns onto his side, then props himself up with his elbow. “What is it you fear she’ll do, exactly? If you don’t want her to crack jokes, just tell her that. I mean, it never worked for me, but shelikesyou.”

“It’s not that simple, Bennett.” I move around the room, gingerly bending at the waist to gather his clothes from the floor. “Today is the last day. We leave tomorrow. Can’t we just hold it together for twenty-four hours?”

Bennett sighs and shakes his head. “Whatever you need, kitten.”

There’s that pained look in his eyes again. I toss his clothes at his head so that I don’t have to see it anymore. If I look for too long, I’ll break and tell him to stay, and I can’t do that.

“So how do you expect today to work, exactly?” Bennett asks. “Kindra and Ezra will do whatever they can to keep us apart. They’ll probably push you and Maverick together.”

I rifle through the dresser, searching for my warmest and most comfortable undergarments. “That could work in our favor.” I hop on one foot and step into an unflattering pair of granny panties in a pretty shade of light pink. “You and Maverick hunted as a team at the summer retreat. Just run that pairing again, and I’ll tag along.”

“God, I love it when you scheme,” he says as he watches me dress.

“That’s great, but hurry to your room before the rest of the cabin comes looking for us.”

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