Page 61 of Deserving Lara
“Right, so you need to tell him that you want him to take control,” Cora said firmly. “From what I know of the man, and what I’ve seen in the months we’ve been here, if he thinks taking control in the bedroom will give you flashbacks or emotionally damage you, he’s not going to risk it. So you’re going to have to tell him that you honestly, truly want him to take charge. To initiate sexy times between the two of you.”
“You’re right.”
“Of course I am.” Cora sat up a little and looked toward the window, then she turned back to Lara. “And they’re waving goodbye, so we only have a little bit of time left before everyone comes back and Owl claims you again. Are you excited about going to check out the helicopter with Owl and Stone? Are you nervous about leaving The Refuge?”
Lara frowned. “What?”
“What do you mean, what?” Cora asked, sounding confused.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said. “Owl and Stone areleaving? And they’re getting a helicopter?”
Cora stared at her a moment, then abruptly tried to get out of the chair. “Um…maybe? I need to go check on…Henley. I mean, she’s pregnant and all, and—”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence because Lara grabbed the material of her shirt and yanked.
Cora fell back onto the chair. Well…onto Lara’s lap.
Lara wrestled with her friend as she tried to get away, and it felt amazing. Like old times. Cora might be her best friend, but she drove Lara crazy fairly often, and mock wrestling with her felt like coming home.
She wrestled Cora to the floor and sat on her back, pinning her in place.
“Cora Clark—wow, I love how that sounds—tell me right now what you meant. Owl and Stone are leaving to go look at a helicopter? I knew the guys were talking about getting one, but I didn’t know they’d actuallyfoundone. Are they leaving soon? And what’s this about me going with them?”
“It’s not fair that you’re bigger than me! Sitting on me is a dick move, Lara,” Cora complained through giggles. But no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t dislodge her.
“Talk, woman.”
“Fine, geez! I thought you knew. Yes, they found a helicopter they want to buy, but Owl and Stone have to go check it out. Test-fly it. For obvious reasons, they need to be the ones to do so. The chopper is up in Seattle, apparently. They’re supposed to leave next week, but Owl was leery to leave you, so I think it was Brick who suggested that you go with them.”
Lara was stunned. Owl hadn’t said a word about any of that. She wasn’t sure whether to be excited for them that they’d actually found the chopper they wanted, happy for Owl and Stone that they’d get to do something they loved on a more regular basis—fly—or upset that Owl hadn’t said anything about the upcoming trip.
“I’m sure he didn’t want to worry you,” Cora said from under Lara, quieter now.
Lara had been proud of the progress she’d made. Had reveled in Owl’s affection. They’d said they loved each other, for goodness sake. And yet he’d kept this from her. What was he going to do, carry out a packed suitcase the day he was leaving and inform her that she was coming with him?
Or…maybe he’d decided against asking her to go because he didn’t think she could handle it.
Couldshe handle it? Lara wanted to think she could, but the thought of leaving the safe haven of The Refuge sent an instant bolt of terror down her spine. Carter Grant was still out there. They all knew it. It was just a matter of when he made a move to claim what he thought was his.
“Lara?” Cora asked in concern.
Taking a deep breath, Lara did her best to control her suddenly all-over-the-place emotions.
“What the hell is going on here?” a deep voice asked with amusement.
Looking up, Lara saw Tiny, Owl, Pipe, and Brick standing in the doorway of the lodge, staring at them. She was still sitting on Cora.
“We’re having a girl heart-to-heart conversation,” Cora said with a small chuckle.
Lara was embarrassed that she’d been caught sitting on her best friend and immediately tried to get up. Before she could move too far, Owl was there, holding a hand down to her.
Childishly, she didn’t want to take it. Wanted to smack it away. She was hurting because she had to learn about the trip from Cora…and selfishly, she wanted him to hurt too. But because she was an adult, and wanted to avoid the conversation she needed to have with him in front of the others, Lara took his hand.
And the second her skin touched his, it tingled. Sparks shot down to her toes. It was thrilling, and slightly annoying because she was irritated with him.
They hadn’t had sex since the families had arrived because she’d been exhausted at the end of every day. And energetic kids aside, just engaging with so many people, for the first time in months, was mentally taxing. But theyhadbeen intimate. Owl had gathered her in his arms in their bed, and they’d fallen asleep wrapped around each other. And he’d slept. Every night. That was a heady feeling for Lara. He helped her feel safe and she helped him sleep through the night. The fact that he needed her as much as she needed him felt as if the scales were a little more balanced between them.
Now, she felt off-kilter. Why hadn’t he told her that they’d found a helicopter they wanted to buy? It was a big deal for him. Having a real-live chopper he could fly anytime he wanted instead of having to make do with the simulation program? That was huge!
