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“Nothing.” I shrugged it off and then quickly swept the tent for any kind of bug or recording device. After confirming there were none, I took my turn examining what was left for us.
Two journals. Two pens. And the next day’s itinerary.
8am—breakfast
9am—morning reflection hour
10am—Group Intimacy Trust Session #1
I stopped reading.What the hell had I agreed to?
“I’m sorry.”
I replaced the paper and turned.
Lara sat cross-legged on one of the chairs, her bottom lip pinched between her teeth. She looked younger like this. Uncertain. Wholly unlike the woman who’d shown up at the ranch with her almost reckless determination to find her sister, and very much like the woman who’d fallen asleep on my couch only to be woken by her nightmares.
“For what?”
“For bringing up Rachel,” she answered, tucking her arms to her chest. “I felt like Dr. Julia was searching ... like I had to give her something, and it just came out.”
The urge to walk over and take her face in my hands, promise her I was going to fix this, and then kiss her overwhelmed all rationality. I wondered whether giving in to the ache was exactly what Maxwell had meant when she talked about freeing yourwild core.
I cleared my throat—and my thoughts.
“Don’t apologize. The best lies are the ones closest to the truth.” I repeated her own words back to her and handed her a notebook. “It would be a real barrier if ...”If we were really dating.
“Yeah.” Lara pursed her lips, flipping through the blank pages of the journal. “So, we’re supposed to reflect ... for an hour ... What are we really going to do?”
Her eyes lifted to mine, and instantly I imagined her bent over that bed. Naked. Legs spread wide. Obeying my every command.
Fuck.
“I’m going back to the Sanctuary.” I grunted and grabbed my journal, needing to get my dick under control. “There was another path leading away from the clearing. Since Maxwell didn’t follow us when we left, I’m assuming her tent is separate from everyone else’s.”
“Okay, then I’ll explore the campground—”
“Lara—”
“Don’t tell me to stay. She told us to walk around, so I’m going to wander around ... and look for my sister.”
“I thought you appreciate when I take control.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Sometimes.”
Determination.My exhale pushed through my nostrils. I was the one who’d said I admired it; I’d made my bed, and now I had to sleep in it. My gaze homed in on the singular, ominous structure. Another problem to be dealt with later.
