Page 102 of Balance

But now, with the dawning of a new day, the situation had changed.

Our lives were at risk no longer, and we were naked, cuddling together under a tiny blanket.

On top of that, there was something pressing against my butt.

I knewexactlywhat that something was.

My face heated and my skin grew clammy. I had to do something. After how Miles acted last night, he would be completely humiliated to wake up like this. He’d once been a virtuous monk, and from the sounds of it, Mu—my cursed past life—had corruptedhimwith his slutty ways.

Well, that wasn’t going to happen again—not in this life.

I was using one of his arms as my pillow, and his other arm was wrapped around my chest, reaching around until his hand was tucked under my ribs. It was a miracle that he couldn’t feel my racing heart.

Why was he cuddlingnow? When we’d slept in his room, he stayed as far away from me as possible and was gone in the morning before I woke up.

But more importantly, how in the world would I escape?

I twisted—trying to ignore the weight of his arms over my bare breasts—until I turned onto my stomach, pressing my palms against the stone floor.

This position really wasn’t much better. It wasn’t any easier to escape. But on a positive note, Miles’s morning wood was no longer snug against my butt.

Damen’s assurance repeated in my thoughts: a man would not die from blue balls. Miles would survive this ordeal.

But there was still the matter of it jutting into my side. A better location, certainly, but still terribly embarrassing.

For Miles. Not me.

He could never know. After escaping, everything would go back to normal.

This never happened.

I forced my breathing to calm, glancing at my sleeping companion out of the corner of my eye. Thankfully, he showed no signs of waking. Despite my movements, his face remained serene, still blissfully and innocently unaware of our current position.

I needed to run away; to act quickly. If I could suck it up and push him off me, I could make it across the cave in a matter of seconds. Even if Miles did wake up from the action, it would be all right. Feigning innocence came naturally, and if he asked why he’d fallen on his face, I’d tell him there was an angry spirit out to disturb his rest.

That would get us moving.

It wasn’t very nice, but the awkward alternative was far crueler.

I sucked in a breath, tensing my shoulders in preparation to flee. I would have to use all my strength to push his dead weight off me.

Three, two…

“Mu…” Miles sighed, and his embrace shifted, pulling me from my almost-freed position, manhandling me until I had my face pressed into his chest. “Where are you going?”

I blinked; my muscles were frozen with stress. A familiar helplessness began to consume me, spreading like a poison under my skin. There was simply no way to escapethisdeath grip.

On the other hand, my curiosity warred for dominance over my fear becausewhat in the world?

My thoughts scattered as Miles’s arms twisted over my back, pulling me more snugly against him. I was trapped between him and the ground, and a certain part of his anatomy was now pressed directly against the juncture of my thighs. We were both sticky from sweat—from cuddling all night long—dirty, and the force was his presence was almost overwhelming.

But definitely not in a good way.

My heart raced, my emotions dizzying. My hands were pressed flat against his bare chest, and I could barely breathe as he nuzzled my cheek, then pressed his mouth against my jaw with a sleepy sigh.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t react. Internally, I was screaming.

I didn’t care if he knew anymore—I had to get away.