Then she heard a vehicle, and she ended the kiss with a gasp. Her lips felt like they were still burning, and her body felt alive with an energy she'd never known.
“Was that too much?” Thario whispered.
“God, no. That was freaking amazing. I’ve never felt like that before.”
"Elowen and Griz are back. I'm not sure how you feel about them figuring this out, but maybe you should take a moment in your room, and I'm going to go to the bathroom before they come in. That way, they won't guess the second they see us."
Worry hit, and she pressed her lips together. "Oh, do you not want them to know?"
“I’m fine with it. I just don’t know how much pressure you are okay with.”
“I don’t know. I mean, it’s going to be obvious at some point.”
He brushed a quick kiss over her lips. "If you're okay with them knowing, I'm okay with it."
Relief slid through her. He wasn’t trying to hide his relationship with her. Did they have a relationship?
While she was locked up and reading her mother’s books, she wondered if she would ever have a man look at her or want her. Now she had Thario looking at her in a way that made her whole body warm. Could it last? She wanted to be careful and not get her hopes up, but Thario seemed real and she wanted real.
Chapter 27
Thario wasn’t tootouchy with Calla, but he didn’t mind how close she sat next to him when the electricity came back on and the movie started.
Instead of dissipating, the storm grew, and it looked like it was going to go for most of the night. He wasn't looking forward to driving home in the storm, but the movie was almost over, and the storm was only getting worse.
Lightning struck close, and everyone jumped. Then they all laughed. Griz stopped the movie, and he glanced over to at his buddy.
“Hey, the weather is really bad. How about you stay here for the night?”
“Are you sure?” Thario asked.
“Yeah. The couch isn’t too bad for sleeping on, and then you don’t have to drive back to the hotel in this. I caught an article that flashed across the screen talking about downed trees that have closed roads.”
"Aw, crap. That would suck."
“Yeah. It’s best you just don’t go out.”
He nodded. “Sure. Frog and I can camp out here.”
"I have extra toothbrushes. They aren't the best. They're the free ones from the dentist, but they work,” Elowen said.
“Thank you. Frog won’t mind, as long as I’m here.”
“Good. That’s settled. We can finish the movie, then I’m exhausted,” Griz said.
Thario nodded, glad that Griz had suggested he spend the night. He absolutely would not go into the room where Calla was sleeping. That was totally off limits to him.
Even if it was painful, he was going to give her time to figure out what she wanted.
Calla heldher breath until Thario answered the question about staying here. She couldn’t believe he was going to stay the night. He would be in the den, but still, she would see him in the morning.
When the movie started back up, she had a hard time concentrating, but somehow made it through to the end. If someone quizzed her on the plot and how it was resolved, she would fail.
Both Griz and Elowen wished her a good night as she headed off to her room. She wanted to stick around and chat with Thario, but she couldn’t come up with a reason to stay in the den with him.
She got to sleep okay, but at some point she woke. The storm still raged outside, and she kept tossing and turning.
After about twenty minutes, she rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of shorts before opening the door and listening for Thario's snores. She didn't hear anyone snoring or breathing heavy in the den, so she walked out, thinking she might grab a glass of water.
