Page 20 of Squatch Out!
This can’t be happening.And why am I not freaking out more? Am I being naive to think, because he hasn’t hurt me so far, he won’t? I drag a deep breath in through my nose, hoping that when I open my eyes I’ll be alone in my sleeping bag, and all of this will have been an awful dream.
Counting slowly, I peek under one eyelid to find the bigfoot still hunched over me, staring down at me curiously.
Great.
I whimper when he shifts his weight and holds one finger up to his lips. Silently asking if I can be quiet.
Glancing over his shoulder to the doorway, I see Brian has the fire going. His back is to my tent, and I can’t see anyone else around. What would happen if he suddenly turned around? With the lantern on and the door half open, there would be nothing blocking the sight of the bigfoot pinning me to my bed.
The prospect of being caught like this cools some of the unsettling arousal that burned moments ago. Remembering how he batted the guys away when they were trying to rescue me the last time, I worry he might actually hurt them if they catch him again.
Dragging my eyes from the tent’s entrance, I nod.
His warm brown eyes flick back and forth across my face, like he’s trying to decide if he can trust me. Then, slowly, he eases some of his weight off me. Tapping his finger to his lips again, reminding me to keep quiet, he pulls his hand away from my mouth.
My tongue darts out to lick away the salt that coats my lips from his palm, and his eyes drop to my mouth. His eyes darken and he makes a deep noise that sounds suspiciously like a moan, sending another wave of heat flaring between my legs.
What in the hell is wrong with me? This is not the time or place to get horny!
Carefully, trying not to make any sudden moves that might trigger any kind of instinct from him, I lift myself up on my elbows.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I whisper, darting another nervous glance at the doorway. I need to figure out how to get him out of here before anyone notices.
Outside the tent, Tony has joined Brian at the campfire. They both have their backs to me, and neither has noticed what’s going on in my tent.
Bigfoot’s lips quirk up at the corners in a smirk when this isnota smirk-worthy situation!
“This isn’t funny!” I hiss.
He starts to lean over me again, and this time, I have the presence of mind to scoot out from under him, which earns me a deep frown.
“How am I going to get you out of here without the guys seeing you?” I ask, glancing around for something that might hide him. Which is laughable since he barely fits in my tent as it is. I look back at him again. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
Of course he doesn’t answer. Seems that for all the intelligence I see in his warm brown eyes, he lacks the ability to do more than grunt.
This is a disaster.
I rub at the tension headache that has sprung up behind my eyes.
“Hey, Liv. Did we eat all the hotdogs last night?” Tony shouts from outside, making me jump and clamp my hands over my mouth to hold back a startled scream.
Bigfoot’s smirk falls away, and every inch of his muscular body tenses.
“Liv?” Tony calls out again.
It takes me a minute to realize Tony has moved over by the SUV, where he’s digging through the cooler we keep in the back. He hasn’t noticed what’s going on in my tent yet.
I glance up at Bigfoot. Right now would be the perfect time to call for help. When I open my mouth, his eyes narrow and his body tenses.
“Um, no,” I shout back, trying to keep my voice as neutral as possible, “I think I saw Darren snag them for lunch, though.”
Tony’s shoulders sag with his disappointment.
Bigfoot also slumps, but with relief.
Tony pushes himself back from the cooler and my heart speeds up when I think that he might come back to the fire.
Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around. Don’t turn?—
