Page 13 of Rebel
Xavier crossed his arms. “Tide is doing that.”
But Lore was already turning away, one hand rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture that told me he was uncomfortable.
I winced. “He really doesn’t like me, does he?”
Xavier looked at me in surprise. “You don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?”
“Sleeping bags,” Vex said, and handed two bundles to Xavier. His jaw was tight. “You’ll be okay with those two?” he asked me.
I gave him a teasing smile. “Are you seriously asking me if I can handle myself?”
He sighed and shook his head. “No, because that would be unwelcome.”
“I’ll save my cuddles for you guys.”
Xavier’s smile was wicked. “And kisses?”
Vex gave him a sharp look. “Not while I’m in the room.”
“Ah, so you share, but you don’tshare,” Xavier said.
Now my cheeks were burning at the thought of them both in the tent with me, naked and hard and … Okay, no more. There’d be time enough for all that once we’d found our own home.
A chill brushed my cheek as the light began to dim. “Shit, that’s coming on quick.”
“In the tent.” Xavier unzipped it and ushered me inside. Vex locked gazes with me for a beat before the zip came up to block him out.
The sleeping bags were rolled up, so I unrolled them and laid them side by side. The tent wasn’t small, but it wasn’t built for three; two at the most, and those two were entering now.
Lore crawled to my left and Tide to my right. Their huge bodies ate up space and oxygen, or maybe that was just me affected by their proximity. I breathed through my mouth so as not to inhale their scent, but my body heated regardless. Damn this time of the month. This was a bad idea. I should take my chances outside with the thermo-blanket. But even as I thought it, I discarded the idea. It would be stupid to risk my life because I was worried I’d be unable to control my libido. The guys weren’t interested in me that way, so that would be enough to dampen the heat inside me.
“You stay between us, and you’ll stay warmer,” Tide explained as they flanked me.
Lore had zipped up the tent, but cold stung my cheek. “I thought this was a thermal tent.”
“It is, “Lore said. “So, you can imagine how cold it must be outside. Get in the sleeping bag.” He held it open and stared at me steadily until I crawled in.
Okay. Warmer now. “Will Xavier and Vex be okay?”
“The thermo-blankets are surprisingly lightweight but large enough to envelope them and be worn as suits. They’ll be fine for an hour, and then we’ll switch out.”
“And how will they change out of the blanket-suit?”
“They’ll take turns getting in the tent with us, then they’ll strip off the blanket so we can don it and switch places.”
Yeah, that wasn’t going to work. “There’s barely room in here for the three of us. How in the world will Vex or Xavier fit in too?”
Tide reached for me and lifted me up onto his body. “Like this.”
The taut, muscular length of his body was pressed to mine in contact that was too intimate. His breath brushed my cheek as his hands flexed at my waist. I caught his eyes and noted the dilation of his pupils and the stutter in his breath, but then he was lifting me off his body and back to my spot between them.
Lore kept his gaze down as he slipped into his sleeping bag and pulled the covers up around his waist, but my heart was pattering so loud I was sure they could hear it.
But a quick glance at Tide showed he was unaffected, and Lore was busy picking at the seams of the sleeping bag. Oh, God. Awkward much? Damn, what was wrong with me? It had to be the heat cycle making me react this way to them. I slipped back into my sleeping bag, and the silence stretched between us.
“Do you have cats on Athion?” It was the first thing that popped into my head.
