Page 22

Troy

A drian was a coward.

With any other woman, he’d have been on her, putting the moves on and claiming what he wanted. With Elena? Nope. He sat far away from her, probably rolling over a hundred reasons why not and ignoring everything that screamed just fucking do it.

He was frustrated and confused. I understood that. So was I, but fuck it. I didn’t want to have any more regrets in my life. Since I had no idea how long the rest of my life would be, it seemed wise just to take the damn leap.

I could see the longing look in how he stole glances at her when he thought no one was looking. The way his grip on his book would tighten every time she laughed at something I said. The way his expression turned carefully blank whenever I drew her attention back to me with a little joke or comment.

He wanted her.

I knew he did.

And I knew him. If I didn’t push him, he’d sit there, drowning in his indecision, making up excuses, overanalyzing every second until the opportunity was lost .

Well, I wasn’t going to let it happen. We were in dire straights, and I didn’t know how many moments we had left.

After we settled in that night and had another meager meal of crackers, apple slices, and water, I gave him a pointed look.

I’m going to wash up,” I said, stretching as I stood. I was doing this to give him some time alone with her to tell her how he felt.

Adrian glanced up quickly, his gaze flicking from me to Elena, who was curled up on the raft, book in her lap, completely oblivious.

Good.

If she had noticed how he looked at her and how he had been looking at her since the beginning of this entire nightmare, she might have been just as confused as he was.

Adrian hesitated, clearly uncomfortable, shifting slightly in his seat.

Come on, man. Make a move.

I didn’t say it out loud, but I willed it with every fiber of my being.

He wanted her. I wanted her. And I wanted him to have her, too.

It wasn’t weird. It wasn’t wrong. It was just…right. She was perfect, and he needed to do something about it all sooner rather than later.

Maybe it was the circumstances, the desperation of our situation, but I didn’t think so. I knew upon reflection I’d felt this way for a long time. Pushing the guys at the party was a testament to that.

This felt inevitable.

Something we had both ignored for years, but now that the walls had been stripped away, now that there was nothing left to run from, it had finally caught up to us, caging us on a fucking mountain with no hope for an escape and crammed into a tiny private jet.

It had finally caught up to him . And if he wasn’t going to be brave enough to face it, then I was going to push him straight into the fucking fire.

Elena is that fire.

I took my time in the bathroom, stalling as long as I could, knowing damn well that I had been in there for at least an hour.

It was plenty of time for him to do something. Say anything. Just fucking move in the right direction.

Adrian had no excuse not to do something.

When I finally opened the door and stepped out, there he was .

Still in his same seat. Still reading. Still pretending like nothing had changed.

Elena was still in her spot with her book, completely unaware of how fucking miserable Adrian looked.

I sighed, rubbing a hand down my face.

Fine. I’d just have to make this painfully obvious for him.

I walked straight to Elena and settled beside her, taking my spot like I had every other night.

Then, before she could blink, I pulled her toward me, my hand sliding through her soft hair, which she’d left loose, and kissed her.

She gasped softly against my lips, startled at first, but then she relaxed her fingers gripping my shirt and kissed me back.

I didn’t rush it. I didn’t make it too much. I just let it be what it was. A fucking point.

A statement.

I knew Adrian was watching.

When Elena finally pulled away, her face was flaming red. I knew my theory had been proven.

Because the first thing she did was look over at him.

Adrian’s jaw was tight, a muscle in his cheek twitching, his book still open in his lap, but his fingers clenched so tightly around the edges of the pages, I was surprised they didn’t bend it and put creases in his precious book. He hated creases and dog-eared pages. I’d threaten his fucking book next if he didn’t make a move. But maybe I didn’t need to…

He was feeling it. I could tell by how he sat forward slightly, his green eyes taking in the scene with uncertainty, intrigue, and, if I wasn’t mistaken, a little jealousy.

I gently redirected Elena’s face back toward me, cupping her jaw, my lips just inches from hers.

“It’s OK,” I whispered against her lips, my voice low, reassuring. “Adrian knows. I told him.”

Her breath hitched, her fingers trembling slightly against my chest.

Her blue eyes searched mine, uncertainty flickering in them.

I brushed my lips along her jaw, slow and deliberate. She tensed, her breath shuddering.

Then, softly, she whispered, “It feels weird having him watch.”

I chuckled softly against her skin, my fingers tangling deeper in her silken hair.

“You’re so beautiful, little dancer,” I murmured, trailing my lips back to the corner of her mouth. “And I want this… if you do.”

She hesitated, her hands still gripping my shirt.

After a long moment, she kissed me back.

Gently. Nervously. But it was there. It was real. And that was all I needed.

As I whispered to her, I trailed kisses back along her jaw, my breath warm against her ear.

“I don’t mind if you want Adrian to join us too.”

She froze.

I felt her body lock up; her breathing became uneven, and her fingers dug into my chest as she pulled away just enough to stare at me.

I didn’t push. I didn’t rush her.

Instead, I offered her a small, easy smile and tucked a lock of her pretty hair behind her ear.

“It’s your call,” I murmured gently. “You decide.”

She looked at me for a long moment, her eyes searching mine. Questioning me.

Slow, she turned her head to look at Adrian.

He was still watching, and this time, I saw it.

The pain. The hesitation. The hope.

He was fucking desperate but too goddamn scared to do anything about it.

I knew him too well.

I knew exactly what was running through his head. He was probably wondering if I was fucking with him. If this was just some twisted joke. If he was stupid for even thinking this could be real.

So I leaned in again, brushing my lips against her jaw before speaking.

“Are you interested, little dancer?”

She turned back to me, her lips slightly parted, confusion still clouding her expression.

I thumbed over her bottom lip, my voice low and just for her .

“Adrian wants you just as much as I do.” I let my words sink in and linger. “And I’m OK with sharing…if you are.”

She looked at Adrian again, her breathing increasing, her hands on her lap.

Adrian hadn’t moved and hadn’t said a word.

But I saw how his fingers had tightened into a fist after setting his book aside, how his chest rose and fell just a little too fast, and how his eyes never left her.

He couldn’t hear what I was telling her, but I knew he was on edge, probably hoping I wasn’t being a complete asshole.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I saw it.

The slight bob of her throat. The way her hands stilled. The way she breathed out was like she was accepting some unspoken truth that could bring her to new heights.

She nodded in the slightest way.

A smirk tugged at my lips.

I leaned in, brushing a soft kiss against her flaming cheek, before whispering, “Then tell him.”

I trailed my lips to her ear, my voice a breath against her soft, warm skin.

“Tell him to come here…and join us.