It is the crack of thunder that wakes me up. My tent is shaking, the wind howling outside fierce, violent. A droplet of water falls onto my head. I gasp and sit up, seeing rain coming through my cheap tent. This is the one thing I purchased on my own. Everything else I got from Brooks’ storage unit. I bought a cheap, yet pretty tent, and now I am paying for it.

I grab my purse and start looking for my car keys. Looks like I am sleeping in my car tonight. And of course, because my luck totally sucks, I can’t find the keys.

Of course.

Another flash of lightning causes the interior of my tent to illuminate. Seconds later the thunder booms.

I cry out on instinct then immediately slap a hand over my mouth. What the hell was I thinking coming out here? No way I can last a week.

More lightning and thunder ensues, but because I can’t find my keys I’m stuck. I wrap the blanket around me and put the material over my head, the water now coming through the tent. God, I cannot believe I bought such a shit item.

“Lexi?” I hear Beau’s voice right outside my tent, and part of me wants to ignore him, wants to be proud and act like I didn’t totally screw this up. “Lexi, buttercup, I know you’re getting soaked in there. Come out and get in my tent until the storm goes away.”

I’m tempted to say no, but another splash of water seeps through the blanket and onto my head. I start shivering. I grit my teeth, grab my purse, and head out of the tent. Beau is standing on the other side with an umbrella, a grin on his face. Damn, I hate when he’s right.

“Come on, sweetheart.” He holds his hand out, and even though he pissed me off earlier, I find myself slipping my hand in his much bigger one. He closes his fingers around mine and together we go to his tent.

The rain is really coming down hard, the sound of it beating against the tent almost deafening. His tent is spacious, and as I sit in one corner and watch as he digs around for another lantern he’s got in his bag, I can’t help but appraise him.

Beau is so attractive, big and strong in that hardworking kind of way. His biceps flex and I feel my body heat. I grow wet between my legs, and my nipples become so hard I’m surprised they don’t rip through my T-shirt.

I grab the material and pull it away from my body. The fabric is slightly damp from the rain, and the fact that I’m not wearing a bra just now hits me. I feel my face heat, know I’m probably red as a tomato. I reach for one of his blankets and pull it up to cover my chest just as he faces me. He looks at me for a second, cocks an eyebrow, and a smirk covers his face.

Damn, he either can read me well, or he already saw the outline of my nipples when we first got into the tent. I glance away, not wanting to look at him because some pretty filthy things are running through my head right now.

He doesn’t say anything, thankfully, and a second later the tent gets brighter as he turns on the lantern. For long seconds we sit there in silence, and when he starts rifling through his bag again, he produces a dry shirt and a pair of sweats.

“Here.” He hands the items over to me. “You’re soaked and you’ll get sick if you stay in those damp things.”

I look at him like he’s grown two heads.

He exhales. “Lexi, we’re adults. I’ll look away if you want, but change out of the damn clothes and don’t be stubborn about it.”

What I’m really thinking about is getting naked in front of him. So many things have gone through my head over the years, things I imaged—fantasized—about doing with Beau. I want to be his, want his hands on me, his mouth on mine. I want the world to know that he loves me, the same way I love him. But those are just that … fantasies. It’s not reality, and I really need to get that through my head.

I don’t bother to wait until he turns around. I drop the blanket and lift the shirt above my head. We are adults, as he says, and it’s not like he’s never seen a pair of breasts before. I could almost chuckle at the shocked way he looks when he sees me getting dressed, before he turns around. When I have the shirt on I go for the pants next. He does turn his head away then and I grin.

“Shit, Lexi,” he says under his breath.

Good, it’s about time I’m the one making him uncomfortable.