Page 58 of One Little Lie
“Me?” It comes out like a pre-hormonal squeak.
“Yeah, you just cringed like I spit on you or something.”
Grabbing the back of my neck, I take a step back to put some distance between us and grumble under my breath. “Yeah, I’m fine. I think GG hexed me, though. My conscience seems to sound an awful fucking lot like her these days.”
Rylan’s laughter is somehow even sexier in the small confines, and has me turning my attention back to her. “She is a little scary, but she’s not wrong.”
“Wrong about what?”Did she hear it, too?I’m losing my goddamn mind. Glancing around, I search for the wine.I need to get rid of that shit.
“She said your left eye still twitches when you fib. She’s right.”
Rylan turns to the cooler and pulls out a carton of eggbeaters and precooked bacon.
“At least they sent actual food,” she sing-songs.
I’m standing, unable to move a muscle, wondering what the hell I lied about now. Rylan is a force of nature that is twisting me up tighter than a hurricane. It makes me fear what the damage will be when we finally touch down in the real world.
Chapter 20
Rylan
“How’s your ankle?”
“Better than your hamstring by the looks of things.” Nodding at the strange stretch Hatty is doing against the wall, I’m pretty sure he’s still in pain. Luckily, a couple of icepacks were all my ankle needed, but he hasn’t been as fortunate. “I knew you shouldn’t have carried me, you big ape.”
“I’m an ape now, am I?” Hatty turns away from the wall and beats on his chest while I sit on the cot with my mouth hanging open.
Laughter spills out of me at the sight. “You’re really coming out of your shell over there.”
“You’ve always had that effect on me, princess. It’s either that or almost three days trapped in a lean-to is eating away at my mental faculties.”
“Princess? Never once has that name fit me.”
His face drops for a second as he examines my body. The soft flutters of butterflies that reside in my stomach whenever he’s near turn into a damn hornet’s nest the longer his gaze lingers.
“Did I say that?”
I give my best ‘duh’ expression, and he grins.
“You’ve always been a princess, Rylan. But you fit the description more now than you ever have.”
My throat goes so dry I can’t speak, and his grin turns into a lecherous smile. “Yeah, princess. It fits.”
“I wish I could still tell what was going on inside of that head of yours,” I finally admit.
Hatty takes a step back. His voice is low, dangerous, and does wicked things to my panties. “No, you don’t, princess.”
“I’m not sure I like that name.” My voice gives away my need.
“No one likes their nicknames. That’s why they stick.” He winks and turns back to his stretching.
“Ugh, I need a shower.”
Hatty glances over his shoulder and gulps. It sounds like a strange kind of frog, and we both laugh.
Rising from the cot that is doing some serious damage to my back, I stretch like a cat and catch Hatty’s gaze on the sliver of skin my raised arms expose on my stomach.
“Friends, Hatty.”
