Chapter 20
Bree
I woke up to the blaring of some heavy rock music blasting through the cabin’s speakers. The sound hit like a jolt, loud enough to make my eardrums ache, and a chorus of groans erupted from every direction. It was clear no one particularly enjoyed waking up that way, but the resigned way it went on told me this was probably a normal occurrence. Necessary, maybe, but far from pleasant.
What pulled me completely out of sleep, though, wasn’t the noise. It was the slow realization that the mattress beneath me… wasn’t just a mattress. It was warm-radiating heat in a way no bedding ever had in my life-and it was moving, rising and falling steadily beneath me.
And then it groaned.
“Turn that s**t off,” Gage grumbled from beneath me, his voice rough, deep, and laced with that husky quality that only came from sleep.
My eyes snapped open, and reality settled in fast.
I was in his cabin. His cabin.
Surrounded by guys I barely knew-guys I had hardly spoken to before last night. From my vantage point in Gage’s bunk, I could see Kenneth climbing down from his own, moving to kill the alarm. But what really rooted me to the spot, what had my heart stumbling over itself, was the realization of just how I was lying.
I wasn’t just sharing a bed with Gage. I was draped across his chest like I belonged there. My head had been resting over his heartbeat. Our legs were tangled together under my duvet-my duvet, because his had been kicked to the floor during the night. At some point, we’d apparently decided we didn’t need personal space.
Gage shifted again, a low sound rumbling in his chest, and without much effort, he rolled us both in the narrow bed. His hands were large and sure as they adjusted me like I weighed nothing at all. Instead of me lying on him, he scooted down so his head could rest against my chest. His arms wrapped firmly around my waist, holding me in place, and then… he nuzzled in.
“Oh, God,” I whispered under my breath, my voice cracking slightly.
His blonde hair was a mess, curling at the ends like it wanted to form actual waves if he’d just grow it out. With his eyes closed and lips parted in deep, even breaths, he looked impossibly relaxed. Beautiful, even in sleep-especially in sleep.
Movement caught my eye. I turned my head left and locked eyes with Caleb, who had just sat up in his bunk. He scrubbed a hand over his face, groaning softly. The duvet slipped down to his hips, revealing that he was shirtless. And-oh. Well. Clearly he worked out. Lean muscle and defined abs
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lined his torso, all the way down until the blanket covered him again. Even sitting casually, his stomach looked like it had been carved into ridges.
Before I could fully recover from that sight, two long legs swung down from the bunk above, and then Miguel hopped to the floor with the easy grace of someone who didn’t need coffee to be functional.
Unfortunately, the rest of him was… very awake.
My eyes went wide as my brain short-circuited at the very obvious tent in his boxers. I immediately turned away, heat crawling up my neck to my ears. I could have gone my whole life without having Miguel’s morning wood in my face, but clearly he didn’t share that sentiment.
“Good morning, chica,” he said with a grin, clearly far too amused at my reaction. “How did you sleep?”
“Oh, I think she slept great,” Kenneth called from his bunk, far too chipper for the ungodly hour.” Based on the snoring she did, I’m sure she was off on some cloud somewhere.”
That had my head snapping toward him. His hair was sticking out in every direction, his grin wide enough to be borderline smug.
“I don’t snore,” I said, my voice still low-partly from lingering sleep, partly because I really didn’t want to wake Gage.
“I wouldn’t call it snoring,” Miguel said, glancing over his shoulder as he tugged his hand inside his waistband to adjust himself-finally sparing me the sight. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “It’s more like a happy rumble.”
“I like rumbles,” Gage muttered, voice still rough and sleepy as he burrowed further into me, his face pressing right between my breasts like it was the most natural place in the world.
I froze for a second, my pulse thrumming in my ears. I knew I shouldn’t-knew he was half-asleep and vulnerable-but my fingers still slipped into his hair. The strands were soft, silky even, and my hand seemed to fit there too easily.
The cabin stirred with the morning rush. The guys moved in and out of the bathroom, trading banter and shoves as they went. Miguel and Kenneth were already chirping at each other, their voices overlapping in an easy rhythm that spoke of long familiarity. The noise eventually roused Gage fully.
He shifted, lifting his head just enough to glance up at me. His green eyes were still heavy-lidded, drowsy but clear enough to pin me in place. He breathed in deeply, his nose brushing against me, and then a slow smile curved his mouth.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” he said, voice rich with sleep and something else I couldn’t quite name.
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Chapter 20
More Rewards >
The words hit harder than they should have. No one had ever called me anything like that. Not Oliver, not any guy before him. My parents used pet names when I was younger, sure, but this… this felt different.
Dangerously different.
It seemed like reality crashed in on him as well, his eyes widening as he suddenly let me go, rising up on his hands and knees above me.
“s**t, Bree, I’m so sorry,” he hurried, his eyes trailing over my body as if he was checking to see if I was hurt somehow. “I didn’t crush you, did I?”
Laughter spilled out of me before I could push it back down, and the way his green eyes lit up, removing the lingering fear, told me he was amused as well.
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“I think I’ve been laying on top of you all night, so I guess I should ask you that instead,” I chuckled, as the chatter from the others died down, clearly enjoying observing us-well, except for Caleb.
Gage chuckled himself, shaking his head slightly. “I’ve never slept better, Bree. No worries.”
Kenneth cleared his throat. “You want us to leave? Give you two some privacy?” He and Miguel were grinning, clearly laughing at us.
“For heaven’s sake,” Caleb muttered, moving out before he closed the door to the bathroom.
“Shut up,” Gage shot back, his eyes briefly landing on me again before he moved away, taking the heat of his body with him as he stood from the bunk.
I sat up myself, bringing the duvet up to my chin, trying to hide the embarrassment from being caught ogling him. Friends, friends, friends. But it didn’t stop my eyes from tracing over the curve of his ass in his shorts, enjoying every inch of him.
“Have you done your push-ups, Ken?” Gage asked teasingly, reaching for a bottle of water before handing it to me with a warm smile.
“Jesus, Cap, it’s summer. When are you gonna let me enjoy my time?” Kenneth groaned, but nonetheless dropped to the ground, proceeding to start doing push-ups in the middle of everything, still only wearing his boxers.
Didn’t guys ever put on clothes? Did they always walk around halfway naked?
I twisted the cap off the bottle before I started gushing water down, anything to keep myself from looking at these amazingly fit men walking around this place. Sure, I only had an interest in Gage- however stupid that might be-but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate other guys with a great physique.
My distraction worked perfectly, until Gage pulled out some clothes from one of his suitcases. It looked like the same kind of clothes he had worn every morning for the morning run. Then he
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apter
threw it on the mattress, still talking with Miguel about football practice later today.
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Without any further ado, he simply peeled the t-shirt he had been sleeping in off. I nearly choked on my water, as I couldn’t help but count. I didn’t think you could have more than six-I thought you had to be some kind of supernatural being or exist in a romance novel to have what Gage had.
Firm, full pecs, only a slight dusting of hair right between them, which seemed to stop to give way for the eight-pack he was sporting, every single ridge hard and flexing every time he moved. And then the Adonis belt, the sharp V-shape that had a trail of the same hair going straight into the waistline of his boxers.
He pushed his shorts down as well, still talking, still telling them the best course of action. Without much thought of it, his hand traveled into his boxers, and my eyes widened even further. The thick rod there got replaced, moving upwards desperately trying to get out of the top, before he went for his shorts.
“You okay there, Bree?” Kenneth’s voice suddenly broke my trance, as my eyes darted towards him.
He was still doing push-ups, his eyes full of laughter as he clearly tried to keep it in. My gobsmacked face probably didn’t make it any easier-my eyes were wide open, my jaw hanging at my chest.
“I’m-I’m…” I stuttered, feeling utterly empty of words.
Gratitude filled my body-gratitude that I’d just had the opportunity to see something that would haunt me indefinitely, gratitude that he had worn clothes last night when getting in bed with me.
“You need something, Bree?” Gage asked me, a worried expression filling his face, clearly not
catching on to the fact that I was gobsmacked because of him.
“I know what she needs,” Kenneth snickered as he continued his movements.
“I’m good,” I squeaked, before I filled my mouth with more water, just trying to not combust right
then and there.
Gage searched my face, but then nodded to himself before he continued his conversation with
Miguel, who was now smirking at me as well.
Friends, friends, friends.
44
Emilia M
So, if you didn’t know it already: Gage is ridiculously delicious
