Page 45 of Corrupted Lies

“We take it in turns to wear it,” she said, making her tone imitate the one Jake had just used. As far as she was concerned, that wasn't up for debate.

“We’ll see,” Jake said, and she knew he wouldn't make it easy for her. But they were a team, and they were in this together. They needed to work as one if they wanted to try to make it out of this ocean alive.

A distracted note to his voice set her on edge, and she noticed that he wasn't looking at her. Instead, his gaze was focused on the sky above them.

With dread pooling in her stomach, Alannah tipped her head back to follow his gaze.

Immediately, she saw what had captured his attention and what had tension rolling off him in waves she could feel.

The sky was no longer a clear black canvas dotted with millions of twinkling stars.

Now it was a mass of dark black clouds.

Storm clouds.

Because life couldn’t give them a break. Not even a teeny, tiny, little one.

Trapped in the ocean, with nothing to keep them secure, and only one life jacket between them, there was no way they could survive the raw power of a storm.

“A storm,” she said, surprised when her voice came out even, not betraying the raging terror inside her. Already feeling the change in the air, the storm would be there any moment. “We’re going to die, and I'm never going to get to experience an orgasm and what all the fuss is about.”

Chapter

Eleven

October 18th

2:53 A.M.

Alannah’s totally unexpected words shocked him out of his fear for a moment.

Turning his attention from the sky to the woman beside him, Jake found she was still staring at the gathering clouds above.

Had he really heard her say what he thought he heard her say?

Surely, he must have misheard.

Surely.

Because there was no way what she’d said could possibly be true. While he’d never particularly liked thinking about it, even less in this moment, Alannah was a woman in her early thirties who’d had a few serious relationships.

Serious relationships meant sex, so no way could she really never have had an orgasm.

Unless …

They might be best friends, but they didn't discuss their sex lives with one another. Was it possible that Alannah was a virgin and he’d just never realized it?

“What the hell, Alannah?”

Tilting her head back down so she was looking at him, she blinked her eyes slowly as though only just realizing what she’d blurted out in her fear.

“Umm …” she dragged the word out and didn't add anything to it.

“Are you a virgin?” Jake was totally aware that not only was his question completely inappropriate, but now was not the time to be having this conversation. A storm was coming, the wind was picking up, the waves getting bigger, they had to get moving while they still could, and yet …

He couldn’t seem to let it go.

“Jake …” There was a clear warning in her tone. She wanted him to drop it, and he should, he just couldn’t.

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