Ben shot me a thumbs up.
Huh, maybe he hadn't been flirting with me, after all. Apparently I was pretty shit at judging people.
I delivered my dirty plates to the wash-up area—because it was rude as hell to leave them for someone else to pick up—then left the dining hall. Dylan had probably gone back to his cabin. Our cabin.
Every step I took along the path bolstered my anger toward him, so by the time the pretty, fairytale cabin came into view, I was seething mad.
How dare he? He had no right to treat me like such shit these last few days. I'd been all but nonexistent during the day, but oh, god forbid I try talking to anyone else or make friends! And I didn't believe for a fucking second that he had moved me into his cabin to protect me; it was a power play, plain and simple. He was pissing on his tree, making sure everyone knew I was off limits.
Well. Fuck. That.
I stomped up the front stairs and shoved the front door open in a burst of fury, which instantly evaporated when my eyes landed on Dylan. Naked Dylan. Totally freaking naked.
"What the hell?" I exclaimed in a strangled scream, clapping my hands over my eyes. "Why are you naked?"
"Calm down, Brooke," he replied, sounding not even slightly embarrassed. "I was about to take a shower. I figured you would be ages, seeing as your boyfriend had just arrived to gossip."
That just reminded me why I'd come chasing after him in such a huff in the first place.
"Okay, let's get some things straight, Dylan," I announced, still covering my eyes with my hands. It seemed stupid, talking to him like this, but it was actually helping my confidence. "Ben is not my boyfriend. I wasn't fucking flirting with those douchebags earlier. And you—" I broke off, my mouth going dry as I felt him standing way too damn close. Holy hell, I could feel his heat right in front of me. If I reached out, I'd probably touch his—
"Why are you covering your eyes, Brooke?" he asked when I didn't continue with my mini-rant. "You've seen my dick plenty of times before. Hell, you had no problem showing me exactly how much you loved my dick in the back of that limo the night we met... Remember that, Serena?" He brushed a lock of my messy blonde hair over my shoulder, his fingertips grazing my neck in a way that made me tremble. But he was just making a point. That much was clear by the way he’d called me Serena.
Fucking hell, why'd I have to lie to him all those months ago?
Oh yeah, 'cause I wanted hot, anonymous sex with the sexiest man alive. I just hadn't expected him to want to see me again—or for me to stupidly fall for him.
"Can you put some pants on or something?" I pleaded, pressing my hands tighter over my eyes in an effort not to look. Because if I looked... I was going to want to do a whole lot more. And more was firmly off the table right now.
Dylan didn't do as I asked. He just scoffed a small laugh. "Why? You scared my dick will seduce you, Brooke?"
Yes. "No."
"So what's the problem? We've both done a whole lot more than just see each other naked, so why act like a blushing virgin now?"
My whole body stiffened with tension. Did he know? No. No, of course not. He'd have said something at the time... and seeing as we'd been in the shower with nothing but soft candlelight illuminating the room, all the evidence had been easily washed away. No, Dylan had no clue he'd been my first—and only—lover.
"This is stupid," I announced, spinning around to give him my back. Yeah, I felt dumb as crap with my hands over my eyes, but I also didn't trust myself not to crumble like wet paper if I saw him all naked and sexy and in my personal space. "I'm going for a walk."
I made it all of half a step before his arm snaked around my waist and yanked me back against him. Every damn inch of him. My clothes may as well have been nonexistent for how aware of him I was.
"I think it's about time we talked things out, don't you?" Dylan's lips were so close to my ear that his breath fanned my skin, and I couldn't hide the shudder of arousal that rolled through me.