Page 49 of Chloe

“So it won’t blow over?” she teased.

“Want to try it out?” he offered.

His eyes were blazing with need, and she felt an answering tug in her belly.

“Yes,” she told him, suddenly feeling dead serious.

He leapt to his feet and offered her a hand.

When she took it, a shiver of warm electricity seemed to shoot through her, awakening all her senses.

He dragged her into the tent as if he felt it, too.

As if the most urgent thing in the world was claiming each other again and again. And in that moment, it was.

20

CHLOE

Chloe awoke the next morning to birdsong and sunlight.

She started to stretch, but Jubal’s arms locked around her, pinning her in place.

“Not again,” she muttered to herself happily.

“What do you mean, not again?” he whispered into her hair, sliding one hand down to cup her breast as he nuzzled her neck.

“Jubal,” she breathed.

“Did we do this before?” he asked.

“Yesterday morning,” she managed, as he fondled her sensitive nipple.

“Mm,” he said. “I don’t remember.”

“I snuck off,” she admitted. “Before you woke up. I didn’t want you to be embarrassed. You were moaning for me so sadly. Like a lost puppy.”

His hands stilled on her body.

“I was?” he asked.

“Yes,” she laughed, rolling over in his arms to face him. “It was kind of cute, actually.”

His dark eyes studied her as if she were a word with silent letters and the spelling test was tomorrow.

“What?” she asked.

“Congratulations,” Oberon’s voice came from outside the tent. “You won the bet.”

Chloe sat up and pulled the sleeping bag around herself.

She knew factually that the AI couldn’t see her. Or maybe more accurately, that he could always see her.

But something about knowing he was making himself present triggered her modesty.

“Once you are ready, let me know,” Oberon said. “There’s a surprise here for you.”

“Oh, I love surprises,” Chloe said, scrambling up.

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