Page 83 of Deserving Lara
The light came back on and she sat up to glance at Owl. He was looking at her with love and adoration. Arousal shot through her…because he usually looked at her like that after he’d come deep inside her. But nothing was going to happen with Stone there, and she was more concerned about their friend than having sex.
Owl squeezed her thigh under the covers, then got up once more. He walked over to the room service menu and handed it to Lara. “You pick,” he said.
“Okay,” she agreed happily. Glancing over at Stone, she saw he was studying her. “What?” she asked with a tilt of her head.
“I get why Owl can sleep through the night now.”
Lara frowned. “You do?”
“Uh-huh.” Stone shared a look with Owl above her head.
Lara turned to glance at him, but he simply shrugged. She decided it didn’t matter why Stone thought Owl’s insomnia seemed to be gone, she was just glad it was…and tonight didn’t count. Extenuating circumstances and all that.
“Right,” she said, turning her attention back to the menu. “Chips and salsa, two orders of chocolate chip cookies, hot chocolate, and a slice of strawberry cheesecake we can all share. That good for you guys?”
“We’re gonna be all hyped up on sugar by the time we leave for the airport,” Stone said as he swung his legs off the mattress. Unlike her and Owl, he slept in nothing but boxers. Other than admiring his obviously toned physique, Lara felt no physical attraction for the man.
“If your hands aren’t steady, I’ll fly,” Owl called out, teasing his friend once more.
Stone lifted a hand with his middle finger up but didn’t turn around as he walked into the bathroom.
As soon as the door shut, Owl sat on the bed next to Lara. She raised a hand and gently touched the dark mark on his cheek. “Does it hurt?” she asked quietly.
“No. Thank you.”
“For what?” she asked, her brows furrowing.
“For not freaking out. For saying all the right things. For going with the flow.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked, genuinely confused.
“Most people wouldn’t be as understanding. He could’ve really hurt you,” Owl said.
“Well, that’s their problem, not Stone’s. And he wouldn’t have hurt me. Not with you here.”
“Damn straight. I love you, Lara. So much.”
“I love you too. And I love your friends…but not in the same way, of course. Anyway, being at The Refuge has taught me that bad things happen to good people all the time. It’s how we react to those things that define us. And I don’t want to be scared for the rest of my life.”
“If we were alone—” Owl started, but Stone chose that moment to return to the room.
“But you aren’t,” he said with a laugh. “So stop noodling with your woman and let her order our food, if she hasn’t already.”
“Noodling? What the hell is that?” Owl grumbled as he sat back and gave Lara some room.
“Actually, it’s where you stick your bare hand into a catfish hole and hope it clamps its mouth around it. Then the fisherman, or woman, grabs their gills and pulls it up. But in this case, it seemed to fit for the two of you…kind of a cross between cuddling and nuzzling.”
“You’re so weird,” Owl said with a shake of his head.
But Lara couldn’t stop smiling. It seemed as if Stone had shaken off the effects of the nightmare he’d had, and she couldn’t be happier to see him and Owl joking with each other once more.
“Hush, you two, and let me call room service. The last thing we want is someone overhearing your weirdo conversations and calling the police,” Lara joked as she reached for the phone.
Owl kept his hand on her shin as she made the call and, within twenty minutes, the three of them were sitting on Stone’s bed with a spread of junk food in front of them whileDie Hard 2played on TV.
It wasn’t exactly the end of the day she’d envisioned, but feeling as if maybe, just maybe, she’d been able to help Stone rather than be on the receiving end of everyone’s concern felt amazing. It gave her confidence that hopefully in the not-too-distant future, she’d be back on her feet and the horrible anxiety that always seemed to be lurking beneath the surface would slowly dissipate.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
