Page 111 of The Wife Situation

She wraps her arms around my neck and brings my ear to her mouth. “Still you.”

“Remember, I wrote the rulebook for these games.” I look into her eyes, our mouths so fucking close that I could kiss her, like last night. But so far, I’ve let her decide where this goes. I haven’t initiated shit; it’s why I don’t know if she’s really anti-love.

Her mouth says one thing, but her body says another.

Instead of kissing her, I keep my boundaries and use every bit of willpower I have to continue crawling over her body. I unzip the flap and check my shoes for spiders, sliding them on.

The morning air is brisk, and when I breathe, my breath comes out like smoke. Lexi slides into the sleeping bag and liesflat on her back in a tent that was never meant for two people, especially not someone my height.

“I’ll wait here,” she says, smiling.

“Okay,” I say, adjusting myself as I stand and take a mental picture of her.

Hot coals still glow from last night, and I sit in the chair and try to enjoy the sunrise even though it’s cold.

The sky bursts into pinks and purples as fog floats in the valley below. I search the area for early morning wildlife, but don’t see anything. I’m sure the sound of the engine revving up the mountain scared them away.

Fifteen minutes later, a lifted truck on off-roading tires comes into view and parks behind the Jeep. Philip gets out and walks over to me.

He’s my height, and he’s known as the playboy cowboy. We met at Harvard, and his family owns cattle ranches in Wyoming. After graduating, he moved back to help with operations. We’ve kept in touch over the years, and sometimes, we catch up when I’m in town.

Philip greets me with a cocky grin, giving me a firm handshake. “Decided to camp?”

“No, the battery is dead, and I didn’t have cell service,” I tell him. “I should kick your ass.”

“You should be sayingthank you. After staring at conference room walls all year, being outside is good for ya.” He looks around. “I thought you brought someone with you?”

I point at the tent.

He bursts into laughter. “Did you sleep in there …together?”

I’m not amused.

“Yes, we did,” Lexi says from inside the tent. The flap unzips, and she checks her shoes before putting them on. She stands and smiles as she smooths her dark hair down.

He places his hand over his heart. “Um,hello.”

“Hi,” she says. “Morning.”

“Good morning, gorgeous. One question: why are you with him? Blink three times if you need me to rescue you.”

She stares him down. “Oh, IchoseEaston.”

No words come out of his mouth.

“Well, Lexi, you’ve officially stunned him speechless, whichneverhappens.”

“Did it hurt?” he asks.

She tilts her head at him.

“When you fell from Heaven?”

“Okay, stop flirting with my future wife,” I say, patting him on the shoulder.

He grins. “I don’t see a ring on that finger yet.”

“Keyword isyet,” Lexi says, wiggling her ring finger, then glances over at me. “But very soon.”