The Camp (Chateau 2)

And she did nothing.

I sat up in bed, feeling the panic slowly circulate out of my blood as I returned to calm.

She sat at the edge of the bed and studied me. “Everything okay?”

I glanced at the coffee then held her gaze, seeing the innocence in her eyes. She had absolutely no idea all the thoughts that had just swirled through my head because escape was truly the last thing she thought about. “Bad dream.”

Her eyes softened before she leaned in and pressed a palm to my chest and a kiss to my lips. “It’s because I wasn’t here to chase them away.” She rubbed her nose against mine before she kissed me again.

I closed my eyes and felt that same rush of emotion enter my throat whenever she kissed me. It wasn’t sexual, had never been sexual, even the first time I’d asked to be with her in her old cabin. It’d always been more than that, always raw and emotional, and that was why I wanted it again…and again.

She pulled away and left the bed. “I’ll let you get to work…or whatever it is you do in the mornings.”

Fender and I hadn’t spoken since that party.

Just when I thought things were good between us, they weren’t. I thought he’d forgiven me for my mistake, but in reality, he would never forgive me. He would always throw it in my face the instant I did something he didn’t like.

It was like a permanent scar.

But perhaps that was fair…because I didn’t regret it anymore.

I’d do it again.

I texted Fender. I’m heading out tonight. Is there anything you need me to do before I leave?

His response was immediate. Your job.

I sighed and set the phone on the table.

His message popped up again. Or is that too difficult for you?

I knew I should just let it go, but I couldn’t. Asshole, I’m just trying to protect you. But if you don’t give a damn, I’ll stop trying.

If you wanted to protect me, you wouldn’t have allowed some cunt to burn my fucking camp.

Different issue, Fender. Napoleon is bad news.

I’m in charge. Not you. So fuck off.

This time, I threw my phone at the wall.

Footsteps sounded a moment later as Raven came upstairs to investigate the noise. She stopped and looked at the phone on the floor against the wall and then at me on the couch. Instead of asking a million questions, she picked up the phone from the floor then sat beside me. She set the phone on my thigh.

I didn’t touch it. I sat with my face propped against my closed knuckles, staring at the TV without really paying attention to what I was watching. I clenched my jaw then chewed the inside of my cheek, so angry but with no outlet to express it. Sometimes I wanted to beat the shit out of my brother.

She tucked her feet under her ass and propped up her body to look at me.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I assumed.”

I didn’t look at her.

She scooted closer to me until we were side by side. When I didn’t resist her, she rubbed her hand across my chest then pressed a kiss to my neck.

I didn’t give a reaction, but I liked it.

Her hand moved underneath my shirt, and she came closer to me, rubbing the hard muscles of my core as her lips continued to kiss my neck, her small tongue gliding over the warm skin, making me breathe hard, making my dick stiffen in my jeans.

Her hand undid my jeans then dragged them down along with my boxers, so my cock came free.

I thought she was going to get on top of me.

But then she moved her head down.

I pulled her away from me then got to my feet, pulling up my jeans and my boxers to hide my disfigurement. I didn’t want her to see it, but she would have to see it eventually. I didn’t want to relive that moment, and I didn’t want to hurt her either. I moved to the other couch and sat down.

She slowly sat up and stared at the side of my face since we were perpendicular to each other. She scooted to the edge of the couch and rested her hands on her knees. She was quiet, as if she didn’t know what to do in this moment.

I didn’t know what to do either. My arms rested on my knees, and I leaned forward, looking at the hardwood reflecting the sunlight coming through the window. “We’re going back to the camp tonight.”

She didn’t protest. “But that’s not what’s wrong.”

“I don’t want to talk about what’s wrong.”

A long stretch of silence passed. I sat on one couch, and she sat on the other. Then she left her couch and came to mine, taking a seat beside me, like she somehow knew something was coming. She pressed a kiss to my neck then rested her chin on my shoulder while her hand moved to my thigh. She always sprinkled me with affection, and I fucking loved it. It felt so good to have a woman’s touch like that, to have her devotion because I earned it.