Page 29 of Only in Your Dreams

When he’s done, Zac shuffles toward the tent opening. “I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going now?”

“I need a minute.”

“For w—”

“I need a minute, Mel.” Zac turns with a look so dark and frustrated over his shoulder that my breath catches in my throat.

Holy fuck.

I let my eyes drift down, but his back is turned to me so I can’t get a look at the only thing he could mean, with a look like that and a voice that gruff. My pulse seems to have settled between my legs.

I expect him to walk off into the woods, but he only stands at the tent opening with his hands raking through his hair. When the leaves settle outside, I can hear the deep breaths he’s taking. I follow his lead, trying to settle the dull ache between my thighs.

I can’t help it, though. When Zac crawls back inside, looking a lot less tense, I let my eyes wander down the front of his sweats—

“Eyes up here, Melody.”

Shit. My gaze zips to meet his. “There was nothing there. Don’t worry, I’m sure you manage to keep your ladies satisfied in other ways.”

He snorts. “Such a brat.” He hands me a fresh sweater out of his bag and watches me slip it on. “What happened out there, anyway? With your ankle?”

I clear my throat. “Well, I was out on a perfectly innocent walk. And then a wolf decided to dart from behind a bush—”

His lips twitch, threatening a smile. “It’s the middle of the day.”

“So?”

“So, wolves don’t tend to roam around in broad daylight. Was it a bird?”

“Of course, it wasn’t a bird. I’m not a wimp.”

“Squirrel?”

“I told you it was a wolf. I escaped within an inch of my life.”

He hums. “So, you’re a bratanda liar, huh?”

I bat my lashes. “Aren’t you thrilled to be stuck here with such a lethal combination?”

He smirks, brushing loose hair off my forehead. “I don’t hate it.”

I bite my lip, warming under the playful look he’s giving me. Too late, I go to swat away his hand, but he’s already long gone. “It was a chipmunk. It flew out of a bush and—”

Zac coughs. “Achipmunk?”

“It—it was quite alargechipmunk—it launched itself at me—”

Zac erupts. A loud laugh, so warm and familiar, eyes crinkled into barely open slits. And damn him, I can’t stop my own gurgle of laughter before it makes it out into the open.

“I can’t stop picturing it,” he manages, voice thick with laughter. “You getting buckled by a fuckingchipmunk—” He snorts, succumbing to another peel of laughter.

I pinch his side, trying and failing to wipe the grin off my face when he yelps. “Stop laughing, you ass. I’ve been crippled—”

“By achipmunk—”

“You don’t know what it was like, okay? It was looking at me all beady-eyed—”

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