Page 53 of The Cabin

“C’mon, stop fucking with me.” She hits my shoulder with hers.

“I’m serious!”

She gives me a doubtful look. “Sol, that doesn’t make any sense. You’re hot as fuck. And the way you were so free on that dance floor? Sexy.” I just kind of stare at her. I feel like I’ve swapped lives with some other person who gets complimented and flirted with on the regular. Is this what normal people experience?

She just says what she thinks and isn’t the least bit shy about it. Damn, I wanna be her when I grow up.

“I haven’t really been like that in a long time. I’m still really not.”

“Like what?”

“Carefree, in love with life. Dancing for the hell of it. Not caring if anyone sees.” She studies me and I pick pieces of the bread from my sandwich apart. We picked up hoagies at a place Jade raved about and then came down here to the reservoir. It’s really beautiful. I haven’t been since I was little.

Looking out in front of me I notice there’s a family of otters playing in the water. I watch them and let out a long breath. “That’s why I came up here. To figure out who I am.”

“Honestly, I probably should have gotten out of here a long time ago. So, I commend you for being brave enough to do it.” I narrow my eyes in thought. Jade? Of all women? ThinkingI’mbrave?

“You’re like the most badass person I know,” I laugh and she smiles.

“You’ve gotta be tough to be into women living around here. The people here are not exactly what I would call accepting.” I hate people. “I wanted to move. To get away. I still do. But every time I get close, I freeze and cancel my plans.” I can understand that.

This is the most unsure I’ve seen her.

“I stayed in a marriage for four years with a balding accountant who thought the clit was a myth. So, I get it.” I look over at her out of the corner of my eye, grinning.

She huffs out a laugh and turns towards me. “I definitely do not think the clit is a myth. I’m a huge, huge fan, actually. A devout believer.” Man, she has mastered saying things with her eyes without having to say them out loud. They’re so smoky. Her voice so silky. She’s leaning in again. Her lips are just about to touch mine when we both jump.

Her phone starts ringing, the sound breaking us apart.

“Shit, sorry. One sec.” She pulls it out from her pocket and starts laughing. “Oh my god, it’s Grayson.” Her laugh is full on boisterous. “MAN, he knows how to cuntblock.” She adds between gasps for air.

“It’swho?!”

“Grayson. That guy you came to the bar with.”

“You have his number?”

“Yeah, I gave him mine so he could give it to you. He said you didn’t get service up here.”

“I don’t…”

“Should I answer it?”

“No!” Is he freaking serious? “Send it to voicemail. I have an idea.” He deserves this after what he did last night. The pouting over not getting his way at the bar and the subsequent revenge he took over it. Well, look who's sitting here with the prize now. (You get a middle finger, and you get a middle finger…)

There’s a gleam in her eye as she presses the red button. “Whatever it is, I’m down.”

“If he’s so worried about where I am, we better let him know…should we send him a little picture maybe? I feel like that’s way more heartfelt than a phone call.” With one eyebrow raised, I watch as she smiles knowingly and opens her camera app. She switches it so that we’re using the front lens.

Jade leans back in, and this time I close the distance, holding her jaw with my fingers. Damn she has nice lips. Her tongue drags across my bottom lip, asking for entrance, nipping. I open to let her in, she tastes like the orange soda she’s been drinking. Her fingers twine into the hair at the nape of my neck, pulling so my head falls back and I gasp. She takes advantage of the opportunity and kisses down my neck. Her phone drops in the grass as she slowly lays me down on my back, climbing over top of me. Our lips meet again, tongues taking turns exploring, massaging, testing the waters. She pulls back to look down at me, hunger in her eyes.

“Your lips are even better than I was imagining.”

“Ditto.” I frown, transported to the last time I said that to someone. I take her in, towering over me and I am getting flashbacks of a very different, larger, masculine body on mine, making me absolutely desperate for him. Fuck.

She notices the shift. The way my body tenses.

“You good?” Her eyes are inquisitive.

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