not to touch it because it might not come back on.
The room is hot and stifling.
It’s March and the ice-cold wind is barreling through every crevice in the door and window.
Since I can’t turn down the heat, I just strip down to my T-shirt and even take off my socks.
“I swear I’m going to get a cold from coming in and out so much,” I joke, but only partly. “It’s so hot in here and arctic out there. The last thing I need is to get sick.”
“You can’t get a cold from the cold. You get sick from bacteria or a virus, not the cold,” Tyler says, staring at the ceiling and avoiding my gaze.
The tone of his voice is detached and deadpan so it’s hard to know if he is serious or just lost in his own thoughts.
“What did Mac say?” I ask.
“That he needed to get laid and that the only reason I was stopping him was because I had someone to lay with.”
“Is that why?” I ask.
“No,” he says with a sigh. “I mean, I would hope not but I can’t fault him. It’s been a really long time since he has been with a woman. He’s the kind of guy that has always enjoyed that, probably a lot more than the rest of us.”
“Still. That’s no reason to jeopardize everything that you have worked for. Not just for him, but for you, too.”
“I know,” Tyler says, sitting up. “I know all of that. I know where you’re coming from and I agree with you, but another part of me sees his position, too. If he were to get caught and not have this night as a free man, just hanging out, grabbing a beer at a bar, flirting with a girl or two, then what’s it all for? This could be our last night out here.”
“It’s going to be our last night out here if you keep letting him act like this. First, you both go to the diner and now he’s going to a bar. We’re all going to get caught.”
Tyler looks at me and tilts his head.
“Let me ask you a question,” he says slowly. “Are you worried about us getting caught or are you worried about you getting caught?”
“Both,” I say. “Of course, I’m worried about you and to some degree him, but I’m really going out on a limb here. I don’t think they’re going to believe that you kept me hostage even if we end up going with that story. If they don’t, then I’ll be facing years in prison. If we get caught because of something so stupid like eating at a diner or going to a bar, what am I doing this for?”
“I don’t know why you’re doing this, Isabelle. I warned you that you wouldn’t want to be here. I told you that it wouldn’t be safe.”
“No, correction,” I say, pointing my finger in his face. “You never told me about Mac. You didn’t tell me that we were going to pick up somebody who was so reckless and just out to have a good time. I know that he’s your friend and that he saved you in there and that you owe him, but you owe me, too. You should’ve told me the truth. You shouldn’t have kept him a secret. I deserve to know what I’m getting into before I risk my life and freedom to be out here with you.”
Tyler glares at me and then leans forward.
I want to push him away but suddenly I feel this magnetic pull toward him.
I want to talk about this.
This conversation isn’t over, but when our bodies collide, I know that we’re not going to talk about it for a while.
Tyler kisses me.
I am still angry so I kiss him back, hard.
He presses his lips so hard against mine that it almost hurts, but in a good way.
When we pull apart, I bite him. For a moment, he’s surprised, narrowing his eyes.
“What do you think you're doing?”
“Whatever the fuck I want,” I say, challenging him.
His jaw clenches and his eyes evaluate me. They look me up and down before he opens his mouth.
“Take off your clothes.”
It's more of a command than a request and I like that.
“You first,” I say, straightening my back and crossing my arms.
Without a moment of hesitation, he pulls off his shirt.
The muscles in his stomach protrude with each breath, flexing and relaxing.
I'm mesmerized by their power.
In addition to the six pack, he even has