Page 123 of Once Upon a Fable

“And I preferred you when you were being gentle. When you kissed my cheek and whispered to me, all while youthoughtI was sleeping.”

“Youweresleeping.” He scowled. “You dreamed it all.”

“If I dreamed everything, why do I have a blanket covering me?”

“You grabbed it yourself.”

“And you know that how?”

He crossed his arms over his bare chest. “Unlike you, I didn’t close my eyes. I didn’t sleep.”

I stilled. “Not even a cat nap? You must be exhausted.” Come to think of it, shadows did etch under his eyes, darkening his skin and revealing fine lines.

“I’ll sleep when we’re home.”

“Why don’t you sleep now, before we start the long journey back?”

His jaw clenched as his temper spiked. “Is this you nagging me out of concern or just to piss me off?”

“Neither. I just want to know why you can’t sleep.”

“Icansleep.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

He dropped his arms and balled his hands. “Christ, if this is what it’s going to be like living with you, I’m leaning toward the gag idea.”

“Gag me, and you’ll have a serious problem.” Rage heated my blood. “If you won’t tell me your name, at least tell me something. You’ve been inside me twice. You’ve taken it upon yourself to own my freedom. Why can’t you sleep—”

“I need the valley, alright? I need my dorm—” He choked and cut himself off. “Just get the hell out of bed. I want to go.Now.”

My back prickled at his anger. I should stop. I shouldn’t push him. But something urged me to keep nettling him. To nudge and nudge until he snapped and revealed something I could use to my benefit. “I’m rather enjoying our little camp. Let’s stay another day.”

“No,” he growled.

“Why?” I raised my eyebrows. “Think there’s someone worse than you out here?”

He stiffened. His chest rose and fell. I expected him to scoff and slap my question away. To perhaps grab me from the Jeep and force me to walk where he commanded. Instead, his eyes went cold, and his voice turned almost dead. “There’salwayssomeone worse than me.”

I sucked in a breath, aware I’d poked a predator who might not have sharp teeth or claws but could devour me all the same. I felt a small pang of guilt. I’d gleaned enough to know his past was not a pretty one. He’d survived something I couldn’t begin to imagine. Yet his life was not my life, and my life was currently in jeopardy because of him.

Keeping eye contact, I let truth slip into my murmur, “Not from where I’m standing.”

He flinched, then tossed me a savage sneer. “If you’re so aware of what I can do to you, then perhaps you should do what I say.” Throwing me the bag holding my spare clothes, he snarled, “Get dressed.”

Clutching the bag, I didn’t let it go. “What happened last night?”

“What?” His eyes jerked to mine. “I fucked you. Twice. You came. Twice. That’s all—”

“Still determined not to acknowledge it, huh?” Standing on my knees, I let the blanket fall away, revealing every inch of me. Dried mud, pebbled nipples, and a stupid core that never seemed to stop wanting him.

He sucked in a breath as I crawled awkwardly through the remains of our Jeep picnic and swung my legs off the edge of the tailgate.

My heart raced as that undeniable attraction once again infected us with madness as I dropped to the ground and stood nude before him.

He hissed low in his chest as I looked down, locking onto his rapidly hardening cock.

Last night...God, last night.