Page 57 of The Plus One
Indira opened her mouth to argue—mainly because arguing with Jude felt as natural as breathing—but a loud groan from the vicinity of Collin’s tent cut her off.
“Would you two mind, oh, I don’t know, shutting the hell up and going to bed? Thanks.”
With that oh-so-subtle scolding, Jude pushed Indira into the tent, following close behind.
Indira was eternally thankful for the pitch blackness of the space. She didn’t want Jude to see her hands trembling, the swirling thoughts written on her face, the unbelievably awkward and graceless way she shoved herself under her heap of blankets.
She made the impulsive, self-protective decision to sleep opposite Jude, her head lined up with his legs, so she wouldn’t do something mortifying like reach out her arm and snake it around his chest or lean her head on his shoulder and whisper every real feeling she was having about their fake dating into his ear.
After a few seconds of frantic shuffling and thrashing on both their parts, they fell as silent as the dead, laying just as stiff.
Indira wondered if Jude could hear thethump thump thumpof her hammering heart. Every breath was shallow, as though breathing too deeply would jolt the earth off its axis or do something worse like make her accidentally touch Jude. Every cell in her body prickled with awareness of him, how only a few layers of fabric separated their skin.
Torture wasn’t a strong enough word.
“This might be the most uncomfortable night of my life,” Indira said into the darkness after what felt like hours. It was likely only seven minutes. She heard Jude’s head turn in her direction.
“Really? Because I absolutelylovesleeping with your stinky feet in my face,” he said dryly.
Indira’s mouth dropped open. Without thinking, she used their positioning to dig her sock-clad foot into Jude’s cheek and ear, satisfaction ballooning in her chest at theAarghhhhhhhJude choked out before grabbing her ankle.
He paused for just a beat, like he was checking an impulse, but something shifted in the way he touched her—firmer, surer—and he used his other hand to rip off her sock and start tickling her foot mercilessly.
Indira swallowed a shriek, writhing like a fish on land to get out of his grip. But part of her—a detrimental part—couldn’t ignore the sharp jolt of joy that speared through her chest at his touch. At his teasing.
She turned her head, sinking her teeth into Jude somewhere in the vicinity of his thigh through his sleeping bag and pajamas.
“Oh my God, no biting! You know that’s against the rules,” Jude hissed, trying to keep his volume to a whisper. He dropped her foot, trying to disengage her bite.
“The rules,”Indira mocked, matching his hushed tone. She took advantage of his releasing her, squirming upward until she could roll her deadweight on top of him, pinning his hands in the process. “The rules were for when we were kids. We’re adults now and this is aWWE SmackDown. All bets are off.”
Jude and Collin had gotten really into wrestling one summer, coaxing Indira into joining their tournament-style matches, which basically equated to them tossing her around like a ragdoll until she’d go feral and sink a good bite into them or “accidentally” knee them in the groin.
Jude tried to roll out from under her, but his sleeping bag restricted his movements. All his thrashing pushed Indira further up his body.
She was shaking with silent giggles as he continuously cursed under his breath.
“You’re”—grunt—“so”—thrash—“annoying.”
Indira laughed harder.
Jude managed to free his hands, shooting both out to Indira’s sides and digging in. She made a mortifying sound like a screeching pig, and Jude became the one laughing.
“It’s not so funny now, is it?” he said, voice dripping with smugness, an arrogant grin on his mouth that shone even in the darkness.
She found a reserve of superhuman strength and ripped his hands off her body, slamming his wrists to the ground.
“I’m not letting you win this, kitten—” Indira whispered sweetly into his ear. “Surrender.”
Jude bucked under her one more time, and she reinforced her hold, knowing she had him pinned.
But victory was short-lived, instantly replaced by a hyperawareness of her body and his.
Their suppressed giggles died in their throats as the intimacy of the position crashed around them. Indira suddenly felt like the one held captive. A bolt of sensation rocketed through her as they both sucked in a breath at the same time, their stomachs meeting, neither willing to break the contact to exhale.
Jude’s arms were pinned over his head, Indira’s chest pressed against him, her thighs straddling his groin, and her lips just centimeters from his.
And Jude stirred with the proximity, his sudden erection prominent between her thighs.
