Page 15

15

Peckish

*Ren*

G od, who knew a straw mat in a cave would feel so freaking good? A smile curved my lips as I woke the next morning. It was one of those times you’re so warm and comfy and the absolute last thing you want is to get up. But before I could convince my subconscious to take over and lull me back to sleep, something odd invaded my senses.

First there was the comforting smell, laden with subtle notes of leather and smoke. If it had been only that, I might’ve been able to ignore it. But just as I started to drift again, my pillow twitched.

Eyes popping wide, I choked down a gasp. A bare male chest lay beneath me, clearly visible in the dim morning sunlight seeping around the cracks of our boulder door.

I’m in his bed. How the fuck did I get in Jalen’s bed?

My first instinct was to blame him. Because no way in hell would I consciously decide to crawl into my hired guide’s bed—while almost completely naked. Nope. He must’ve…

But before I could make an even bigger ass of myself by waking him up with shouted accusations, a flash of hazy memory stopped me. I’d woken in the night, plagued with the boiling heat under my skin I couldn’t seem to shake. Then I’d tumbled out of my bed, looking for water. I’d shuffled around the darkened cave until I found a pack and grabbed the thermos.

In my half-asleep stupor, I’d assumed it was my pack. But I’d lost my pack in the river. That had to mean… My gaze trailed past the nipple staring me down to Jalen’s bag, lying on the floor within reach, the top gaping open.

Oh god… I didn’t do this to myself, did I?

I must’ve slipped into his bed by mistake. How stupid could I be?

Panic clawed at my chest. I need to get out of here—now.

After I peeked at his face, a little of the frenzied fear receded. He was still asleep. Jalen was sprawled on his back with both of his arms folded beneath his head like a pillow and me pressed against his side. If I kept my cool, I could sneak away with no one the wiser.

Keeping my movements slow and measured, I rolled away. Cool morning air chilled my skin instantly, making me shiver for another reason.

I’m practically naked! I popped to my feet and snagged my skinsuit from where it was hanging, dressing in about two seconds flat. Then, sucking in a breath, I turned, half-expecting him to be lying there, watching me with a smirk.

The breath escaped in a huge, relieved whoosh. Still asleep.

That could’ve been so much worse…

My agitated pulse rattled in my chest like an engine with a misaligned motor. I needed some space. And since daylight was bleeding through the cave, I decided to grab some fresh air while I was at it.

After shoving open the boulder door, I escaped into the jungle. I stopped myself before going too far. It wouldn’t be smart to get lost. Still, I felt a bit better with some distance between us, though that weird sensation of my insides roasting started again as soon as I walked a few feet into the trees.

The neat line of thread that Jalen had stitched in my skinsuit stared up at me. Guess that wasn’t the problem after all.

Was I getting sick? Could it explain why I’d been out of it enough to climb into the wrong bed?

Honestly, I had no clue. But there was someone who might… I just hoped she was awake at this hour.

Tapping my neck, I activated my comms implant and waited.

“Ren?” Karsen’s voice answered groggily. “That you?”

“Hey, sorry if I woke you.”

A yawn echoed in my ears. “It’s okay. I needed to wake up soon and check on Arda, anyway.”

“How’s she doing?”

“She was much better yesterday, with only a few scattered episodes of hallucinations. I suspect the worst has passed by now.”

“That’s good.” I sighed.

“Something else bothering you?”

I pinched my eyes closed, silently working up the courage to spill the whole crazy story. “I think I’m coming down with something.”

Karsen slipped into full doctor mode, her voice losing all sleepiness. “I’m sorry to hear that. Describe your symptoms for me and let’s see what we can do to help you feel better.”

“I keep feeling hot. Like boiling hot under my skin.”

“Okay. What else? Any coughing or congestion?”

“No, none of that. It’s not like any cold I’ve had before. It’s mostly just the heat.”

She fell silent for a moment. “Hm. If that’s all, then I suspect you’re feeling the effects of hiking through a sweltering jungle for two days straight. You’re bound to be dehydrated. Make sure you drink plenty of water and rest whenever you have the chance. Unless there’s something else?”

Ugh… I really didn’t want to go there. “Well, there was one weird thing that happened last night.”

“Go on.”

“I kind of… sleepwalked.”

“Interesting. How do you know it happened? Did Jalen see you in the act and tell you about it?”

“Not exactly.” I winced. “I remembered it happening vaguely, after I woke up this morning—in the wrong bed.”

“Ren…” The way she said my name made me certain Kar was trying her best not to laugh. “Did you sleepwalk into the hottie’s bed?”

“It’s not funny,” I hissed. “I was practically naked.”

“That doesn’t sound like a problem to me.” She did laugh then, and the sound seriously grated on my frayed nerves.

“Damn it, Kar! I’m freaking out over here!”

“Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “It’s just that most sleepwalkers have no idea they’re sleepwalking. The fact that you do leads me to believe that your subconscious mind is trying to tell you something with these symptoms that your conscious mind is ignoring.”

God, I’m afraid to ask. “Yeah? And what’s that?”

“Simple. That man is a freaking snack you want to take a bite out of.”

I gagged dramatically. “Do you know me at all, Kar? Come on! There has to be another explanation…” But my attempt to deflect sounded lame, even to my own ears.

Fact was, he was a snack. And from the thoughts pinging through my brain while bathing last night, it seemed I was feeling a bit peckish…

“There’s one fool-proof way to figure out if my theory is true.”

“What is it?” At this point, I was desperate enough to try anything.

“The next time you end up in his bed by mistake, take a ride on his pogo sticks. See if your symptoms disappear.”

But not that. “Ugh, really?”

Karsen laughed again. “Yes, really. An active sex life can benefit many aspects of your overall health and well-being. If it makes you feel better, consider it doctor’s orders.”

“Eww, Kar. Please tell me you didn’t just say that.”

“Live a little, Ren. Or at least think about it.”

She couldn’t be serious. There was no way—

“I gotta go,” Karsen said. “I told Arda I’d meet her for breakfast.”

“Okay. Tell her I said hi.”

“Will do. Later.”

Karsen’s advice reverberated in my skull, but no matter how many times it repeated, I couldn’t wrap my head around it—or her orders . Sure, Jalen was attractive. Really fucking sexy, if I was being completely honest with myself. But I’d been around hot guys before, and this weird heat under my skin had never happened until now.

There was more going on, and fucking Jalen wouldn’t magically make everything better. Right?