Page 22 of Break: Vol. 2

“Dex?” I tilted my head as I tried to figure out what I had said. Was he angry with the way I had handled the situation? “What’s wrong?”

Instead of answering, Dex shook his head, his eyes glaring past me at the door. He turned me around and urged me further into the suite. “Stay with the guys tonight,” he ordered. Then, before he left, he turned and glanced back at us. Behind me, I heard the guys shifting and Darren opening the sliding glass door that led out onto the balcony. “I’d prefer it if you stayed inside tonight. I’m not going to demand it or anything, but I need to speak with my family first and I’d rather you not run into them until I do.”

No one spoke. Dex looked at me, the anger swirling in his irises calming ever so slightly. “I’m sorry, Jamie,” he said. And then he was gone, the door closing behind him with a quiet, anticlimacticsnick.

“What the fuck?” Darren blurted.

If only I fucking knew.

Chapter 11

The quiet whisper of air woke me as someone opened the bedroom door and quietly closed it again. I inhaled sharply and rolled over, blinking my bleary eyes at the dark figure striding towards the bed. The closer he got, the more my vision cleared. I tipped my face up as Dex reached the bed and sat down to pull off his shoes.

Despite the coldness of the room that kept the rest of me securely under the covers, I reached my hand out and touched his thigh. He didn't jump at my soft touch, but he did drop his second shoe to the floor before he looked at me. His gaze locked with mine. He didn't bother removing his clothes as he turned and fully climbed under the comforter to curl around me.

"Everything okay?" I asked around a yawn.

He shook his head and laid it against my shoulder, breathing in my scent. I paused and then reached up, running my hand through his dark hair.

"Do you want to talk?" I offered.

He shook his head again and just sighed, squeezing me tighter.

"You're scaring me, Dex." I had never seen him so unforthcoming. Yes, he was quiet. Yes, he could sometimes be introverted, but Dex was not one to avoid my questions. A sinking feeling took root in my chest. I sat up, pulling him with me, and leaned over to flick on the bedside lamp. Dex's face was solemn. I cupped his cheeks, staring up into his eyes, searching for something—an answer or even a hint as to what had obviously gone down between when he left and now.

"What happened?" I asked.

Dex didn't speak for a long time and then his lips parted and he breathed out a low breath. "Stephan saw you kissing one of the others," he whispered.

I blinked and leaned back. Dex's fingers flexed in the fabric of my sleep shirt, drawing me back. "I-I'm so sorry, Dex," I said. "I thought we were being careful."

Dex ducked his head and ran his nose up the side of my neck before sighing and resting his chin on my shoulder. He shook his head. "It's not your fault," he admitted. "It was a stupid request to make. I want you to know I didn't ever want to hide us."

"I know," I assured him. "We haven't told anyone else's parents—not even mine—yet."

"My mother is difficult to be around, I know that," Dex said. "Stephan had no clue, he thought you were cheating on me and he brought it up at dinner."

I cursed low, pulling away from the comfort of Dex's heat. "That's why he was acting weird at the pool today," I said. "He suspected—or I guess … he knew it then. Why didn't he just try to call me out alone?"

"Stephan isn't like that," Dex said, a darkness to his gaze. "When I admitted that I knew you were seeing the others—told them it was an open relationship—"

"But it's not," I interrupted, glaring at him.

"No, it's not, but they wouldn't necessarily understand that I share you with three of my best friends."

I softened. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just—"

"It's okay," he replied. "This cruise has everyone on edge—some vacation it's turning out to be."

"It's not the cruise," I told him. "The cruise is fine. We're not always on edge, just..." I let the sentence trail off. I didn't necessarily want to admit that his family was the major issue. I bit my lip.

Dex scrubbed a hand down his face. "Fuck, I wish I'd never written this idea down," he said sharply, blowing out a breath.

I released my lip and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek until he turned and looked back at me and then I kissed his lips as well. "When we get to the island tomorrow, why don't we all go explore—just the five of us again. No family or other cruisers. Just us."

Dex's eyes were on my lips, a ravenous gleam in his gaze. "I like that idea," he admitted.

I giggled as his hands found my hips and he used his grip on them to pull me closer. "Dex," I laughed, "I'm serious."

---