I wished we could have spent the morning together, but I needed to do the same. Even though I’d been boasting about my writing last night, I wanted to keep up my pride by doing some writing before work.
“I’m Myers, by the way.” She smiled, still hovering at the door. “You must be Arze. I’ve heardtonsabout you.”
“Shut up.” Flares of heat went straight to my cheeks.
Arze chuckled from behind me, walking up and placing a quick kiss on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ve been talking about you a lot to Ripp. He lives an apartment down from me.”
That made sense, the Orbs in town sticking together at the same apartment complex. Part of me wondered why Khalice and her family didn’t do the same, but from her earlier words, they’d been living in a free-standing house before. If I had a family of four, I’d also want more space than an apartment could render.
Realization kept my cheeks warm as I registered his words. He talked about me too. I gave him a lazy smile. “Glad to hear it.” Just saying the words, I thought about the sound we’d beenmaking last night, my face turning back to my sister. “When did you get in?”
“Not until late.” Now it was my sister’s turn to acquire the red in her own cheeks. “I was out with Larsky.”
“The stellymn?” Arze offered, shocking me. I wouldn’t have guessed that he knew Myers’ guy, but Phoebe was only so big of a town, after all. “Works at the movie theater?”
“That’s the one.” Myers laughed, red still staining her face. “Anyway, I’ll be back with coffee. Nice to meet you, Arze.”
“You as well, Myers.”
She left through the front door of the RV, leaving us alone. Arze chuckled lightly to himself as he walked toward the same door, his leave already eminent. I wished we could crawl back into bed and forget work for the day, but alas, that wasn’t on the table for either of us, unfortunately.
“I do need to head back, though.” Arze said, plucking the collar of his green shirt between his fingers. “I need to shower and not be wearing last night’s clothes when I show up to work later.”
“Yeah, I get that. I wanted to write before I need to start getting ready myself.”
I followed him, closing the space as he still hovered by the door. His hands instinctively went for my hips, enabling me to waste no time in wrapping my arms around his neck as we both pulled each other close.
“I had a wonderful time.” Arze admitted, leaning close until our lips were melding together just as easily as they had last night. This kiss was less passionate and felt more routine, like we’d been doing it forever. But the underlying heat was easily accessible from its touch.
“Me too.” I said back once I broke the quick kiss. “You were amazing.”
“Just following your lead.” He charmed, with one of those half-smirks that made my heart lurch against my ribcage. Arze placed another swift press of his lips against mine again before adding, “I’ll see you at work?”
“Definitely.”
I initiated the next kiss, needing to remind him what he’d be missing between now and the upcoming sequel to our frolic in my bed. We stayed that way for a couple minutes, letting our tongues find each other and play for dominance between our breathing. God, I was already getting hard again, and we needed to stop before release was the only option.
We mutually parted, clearly thinking the same thing. Smiling at each other, we said our final goodbyes and I watched him leave the RV, stepping down the stairs and giving me one last smile over the shoulder before he faded from view and I closed the door.
Turning back to the face the living room, I couldn’t get rid of my Arze-shaped grin. God, he was so fucking exhilarating. Being with him was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Considering we’d already had sex, it paled in comparison to the night we’d just shared. I wanted more, just so much more. My mind soured at the thought that we only had mere days left together while we were in Phoebe. Our permanent exit from the state was coming way too quickly.
A loud sound proceeded the subtle rocking of the RV all of the sudden. What the fuck was that? It almost sounded like someone had fallen into the RV. No judgment, but it was a little early for someone to be drunk stumbling into the structure of our temporary home.
Panic ran a track through the milage of my veins. What if something happened to Arze? Even though he was a tythwig and obviously could handle himself, I needed to rule out that precise fear currently occupying my mind. I stormed out of the RV,the morning light temporarily blinding me as I raced down the steps. I took in my surroundings as my eyes adjusted to the shift in light.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There weren’t many people out and about either, just a few people on the faraway ends of the park that I could barely make out.
But something had jostled the RV. I went around the front of the RV, heading for the other side where I’d felt the rumble and heard the unknown auditory signal.
“Arze?” I called like a fucking idiot. I was obsessed with horror movies, so the fact that I broke the cardinal rule of calling out when you suspected foul play made my innards stir uncomfortably.
Once again, I saw nothing on the other side of the RV. I’d fully been expecting to see a crumpled Arze on the ground, but I was glad that wasn’t the case.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. My hand reached into the pocket of my jeans instantly, wrapping around my phone until it came into view.
I’d just gotten Arze’s name pulled up and pressed call when I felt a sharp pain radiating from the back of my head, the grass beneath me coming closer and closer before me as I realized I was falling. Before I even hit the ground, my vision vanished as darkness swallowed me up.
Chapter 26
