We played in a silence for a few minutes, my body hyper-aware of Preston’s. Every time he breathed, I felt it. Every time he shifted his weight, I felt it. His breath hit my neck, and I shivered, goose bumps exploding down my body.
“Are you cold?” He wrapped his arms around me, rubbing up and down. “I can add more wood to the fire.”
“No, I’m alright.” I hated how defensive I sounded.
“You’re tense.”
“I’m not.” I gritted my teeth together, my core heating at his nearness. He was so hard and strong beneath me, and it was all I could think about. Everything we did that night, how it was the best orgasm I’d ever had...how he matched my freak. I inhaled right as Price stared at me. “What?”
“Only a tense person would say they aren’t tense.”
“Oh my god.” I laughed. “You’re a pain in the ass.”
“So I’ve been told.”
The game continued, no other truth or dares popping up before Preston won. Something was different about him as he reached for my hips and slid me off his lap. He wasn’t gloating or talking shit about his win. He was too quiet. Thoughtful, almost, as he cleaned up the cards and kept sneaking glances at me. The hesitation on his face had my nerves exploding again.
He should be bragging. He should stand up and call us losers. This silent victory made my skin itch.
“Fuck, this sucks.” Price leaned onto his back and groaned for a solid thirty seconds. “Might as well sleep. Not much else to do.”
“Yeah.” Preston gripped the back of his neck, his attention moving toward the front window. “We should move upstairs.”
“What about the fire?” Price frowned. “Shouldn’t we stay near it?”
“It’ll die out when we sleep, and this room has the most draft.” Preston’s jaw tensed as he glanced up the stairs. “If we put towels near the door, we can keep each room insulated.”
“Okay,” I said, hoping to appease Preston. He seemed to need this validation. “That sounds like a good plan. Price, you can use Logan’s room.”
“She won’t care?”
“No,” I said. “She wants us safe. I’m assuming you’re not an animal and won’t destroy her stuff.”
“No promises.” He winked and stretched his arms up. “Thanks for letting me charge. I’m gonna to bed, fuck around on my phone for a bit. Maybe the power will come on during the night.”
“Maybe, yeah.” Preston picked up the blankets and folded them, taking his time on each one. “Glad you’re here, Pricey.”
“Aww, you too brother.” Price hugged his twin from the back, Preston giving a little grunt. “Night, Jordan, take care of our boy.”
“I will.”
Preston’s body tensed as I said the words, his nostrils flaring once before he flashed a quick smile. I hated that fake-ass smile. I wanted the dimples. I wanted the way his eyes crinkled on the sides and the ridiculous chuckle he had. It had been too long since I’d seen that version of Preston, and I wanted it.
I vowed to do whatever it took to get that guy back.
“Let’s head to bed.” I balled up the rest of the blankets he didn’t grab and marched right up the stairs to his room. Blue and black blankets covered his queen-sized bed, and the light of my flashlight moved from the bed to the door. Preston stood at the entrance, his posture rigid. “I’m spooning the fuck out of you tonight. You can be big spoon or little, it doesn’t matter, but I’m using your body heat.”
His lips twitched as he walked in and threw the blankets on his bed. It felt weird to point my flashlight at him, so I faced it on the ground. Darkness surrounded us, and the only sounds were our breathing and his soft footsteps on the carpet. “I’m gonna brush my teeth and use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
Well, shit.
He didn’t respond to my taunt. Groaning, I fell onto his bed and bundled myself with all the covers. It was significantly colder in here compared to the living room and the fire, but with our body heat and blankets, we should be alright to sleep. Part of me stressed about the event and my future resting on it, but that stress was tomorrow’s problem. Tonight, my worry was about calming Preston and getting some sleep.
I went through my mental checklist twice before sitting up and frowning. Preston still wasn’t back yet. Did he…let me sleep in here alone? My throat ached at his dismissal. He wouldn’t do that, would he? My eyes prickled as I slid out of his bed, ready to find him and demand answers when his door creaked open.
“Preston,” I breathed, relieved to see him. He hadn’t left me. “You’re back.”
“Can you shine the light for me? I don’t want to spill.”
