Once removed, Caleb stands back with a cheeky grin as he holds up not a bug but a fat twig.
My cheeks burn hot as relief washes over me, but embarrassment quickly replaces it. I face palm. “I thought it was a bug.”
He throws the twig to the ground. As stupid as I feel, he doesn’t shame me, embarrass me further or call my squealing annoying.
“Thank you.”
“Anytime. Although, I’ve never heard you squeal like that. Seems like I need to step up my game.” He winks.
And now my cheeks are hot for an entirely different reason.
We don’t have a chance to talk about what just happened. Tyler comes into view seconds later. “Hey guys. What’d I miss?”
Internally, I groan.
So close.
Chapter TWENTY-EIGHT
Caleb
That was close.
I can’t believe I got carried away like that. Almost lost to the dark side, I would have brought shame to my family. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if things had gone any further.
I’m relieved, but my body is frustrated that Tyler showed up when he did. My mind ping-pongs between concern and desire, between a moment longer and...Fuck.Just a moment longer.
Caught between Heaven and Hell and I don’t know who I want to receive my soul.Why is the devil so damn tempting?
Tyler has laid out a spread for us. The kind of setup that, if things were different, I’d want to make for Jay. But that’d be suspicious, so I asked Tyler to do it. Per my request, he packed things Jay could eat rather than just a bunch of different meats like we would normally throw in a cooler.
I wish he wasn’t here, and I thought about telling him to scram, but that’d be suspicious. If I had more time with Jay... I was so close to being buried in her. And the way her hand gripped my dick with such need...
Thinking about Jay, I stare off into space. I’m ready to shift to my mantra to avoid a boner—when I nearly miss my mouth with a carrot.
Whoops.
I glance at Tyler, who’s too busy chowing on beef jerky to notice. Jay averts her eyes, pretending she didn’t see me failmiserably. She can’t hide those dimples as her lips curl into a smile.
Has she always had dimples?How come I haven’t noticed them before?
I’m pulled from my thoughts when Tyler’s stomach gurgles. “Oh...” He clutches his stomach.
“You alright there?” I raise a brow at him, leaning back, afraid he’s going to explode.
Tyler pauses like he’s bracing for something. When nothing comes, he drops his hand from his gut and goes back to picking at his food. Nodding, he says, “Yeah, I’m good.”
We carry on, but then his stomach gurgles again, louder this time. Tyler’s hand flies to his gut once more, and his eyes widen. “Oh no. Be right back.” With haste, Tyler scurries into the forest.
I guess his stomach isn’t used to such a balanced meal. Just in case, I push away the bowl he was eating from.
“Anddd another reason I don’t eat meat,” Jay giggles, a sound men would kill for.
A snob would have turned up her nose and tossed her food aside, complaining that my friend just ruined her appetite. At least some of the women I know would have. But Jay does no such thing. Instead, she continues eating, and I’m glad she doesn’t let small things ruin the moment for her.
She’s filling out into a healthier version of herself. With the right nutrients, the color in her complexion is even brighter. I wouldn’t want Tyler’s flatulence to ruin the mood. But with him gone, I have a chance to learn more about her.
“Why did you become a vegetarian?”
