Banks makes a wounded noise. “I’m getting punked by a twenty-one-year-old.”
Sulli slides between Banks and me. “Charlie is twenty-two.”
“Same difference,” Banks says.
His words fall into quiet, and our eyes drift to each other. None of us touch or flirt. A longing exists. A desire to just…be. I didn’t realize how free I felt with Sulli and Banks until it was taken away.
Now I feel caged.
I brush a tense hand through my hair. I’m just waiting until we head into our own RV and break apart from everyone else. So we can be ourselves again.
37
SULLIVAN MEADOWS
After a campfire and s’mores with my family and our bodyguards, everyone splits up and heads to their respective outdoorsy lodgings.
“Sweet dreams, squirt,” I tell Winona while she slips into her sleeping bag.
“I love you s’more every day, sis,” she says in a yawn.
“I love you s’more every minute.” I smile and reach into her tent. “Avo-cuddle.” I wrap my arms around my sister. Winona squeezes back even tighter.
When I exit, I zip up the flaps. Outside the entrance, Greer unfurls a foam mat and thermal sleeping bag on the dirt. So far, Greer seems to have played nice with Security Force Omega. He even joined us at the campfire and made a marshmallow-less s’more.
Banks thinks Greer isn’t starting shit because he’s the only Epsilon bodyguard here. Outnumbered. But Akara said it’s because they all have a common enemy right now.
Team Apex.
After those fucking creeps heckled me while I was climbing today, every bodyguard is on high alert. I hope Team Asshole just sticks to fucking with me. If they go after Winona…
I bristle.
And grimace.
I don’t want to even think about it. Greer is planning to crash under the stars in the October cold. I’m guessing it’s the best vantage to protect my sister, and I feel better knowing he has her back.
Greer nods to me. “Night, Sulli.”
“Night,” I say as I pass, and Banks follows at my side. Anticipation grows on our trek to our trailer, nestled in the woods next to my forest-green Jeep. It’s felt like fucking eons since we’ve had any sort of privacy from my family and his friends.
“After you, mermaid.” Banks holds open the door for me.
My lungs are light as air as I breathe in. “Thanks.” I can’t stop fucking smiling, but as I start to draw curtains closed over the half-windows, I spot Akara alone at the dying campfire. A phone is pressed to his ear.
I know it’s a business call.
“He’s been on the phone for a lot longer than usual.” I glance in concern to Banks.
Coming up beside me, Banks peers out the window and mutters, “Don’t envy his job one bit.” He looks to me. “He’s been coordinating temp guards for the bachelor-bachelorette parties. All of us are going off-duty that night, so we need extra hands, and Akara is waist-deep in logistics.”
“You’re not a logistics kind of guy?” I ask, drawing the curtains shut, but I fucking swear Akara glances to the trailer just as I do.
“No, intricacies like that are mind-numbing to me.” Banks brushes past my frame to reach a panel above the dinette. My heart palpitates as his chest skims along my boobs. While he pushes a few buttons, he continues, “I don’t know how Thatcher and Akara do it half the time.” Warmer air blows through the A/C above the queen-bed in the back. He cocks his head to me. “I’m a follow-through with Akara’s logistics kind of guy.”
I nod a lot, smiling so fucking much. “Yeah, I can tell.”
His mouth curves up in a crooked, sexy smile the longer we stare at each other with a quiet understanding. That we really like each other’s company.
That we both want to be together rather than all alone.
Banks glances at the locked door, then at me as he edges closer. Not much space in the tiny trailer to move, we’re already close enough that I feel heat radiate off his six-seven build. He curls a strand of hair behind his ear that tries to get in his eyes. Eyes that haven’t abandoned me. Eyes that speak Encyclopedias-worth of words and attraction.
He’s such a beefcake.
My beefcake.
Those overwhelming feelings swell up in me—how much I really, really want Banks to be mine. It’s easier to come to these conclusions when I’m alone with each of them. Harder, when we’re all together.
With Banks this close, more warmth bathes me. Maybe he shouldn’t have turned up the trailer’s heat. It reminds me of water.