Close Proximity
OPAL
After our bags are placed in the car, Bruce and I drive off, just the two of us.
He gave me some basic information about the trip we're taking. Our hosting Alpha is called Alpha Chester, and he's a powerful man with the biggest pack in the country. Apparently, he was at our wedding, but I don't remember any of the guests. My mind was in another place that day.
I couldn't focus on a single thing.
The drive is five hours long. That didn't seem like much when he told me but now that I'm here in the car with him, five hours seems a little too long, and I don't know what I'm going to do to pass the time because I sure as hell won't be talking to him.
I fold my arms and stare out the window for the longest time. I'm trying not to constantly stare at the dashboard to check the time, but it's virtually impossible. I make a sound at the very back of my throat when I realize that only ten minutes have passed since we left his pack house.
This trip is going to take forever!
Bruce chuckles, and I wonder if it's because he realized what I'm doing. The sound travels down my spine and settles in my core. I bite the inside of my cheek and keep on staring out the window, disappointed by my body and its desperate need to have him. He's not even my mate, so why am I acting this way?
Why does my body sing when he's near?
Why do I want him to do wicked things to me when I'm fairly sure that I hate him?
About half an hour into the drive, we still haven't said a word and my neck hurts from looking out the window all the time. We haven't said a single word to each other. I should just sit up straight and face this because I can't ignore him forever. At some point, we're going to have to interact and I should be an adult about all this.
But I'm afraid of what might happen if I raise my barriers and let him in. I've been fighting him this whole time and look what happened!
I fell right into his arms and let him do devilish things to me.
The sky is starting to turn gray and though the windows are up, meaning I can't smell the rain, I know it's close. I really hope that where we're going, there'll be no rain, even if I do see dark clouds in the distance.
"You're determined, I see."
The sound of his voice makes me flinch and I don't answer him. Again, he chuckles, and the sound is so deliciously pleasant that I—
"I don't see why we need to say a word to each other,"
I claim, hoping that by speaking, I'll shut these thoughts down. "I think it's best if we just keep our distance from each other."
"And why is that?" He actually sounds curious.
I don't have an answer for him. It's too embarrassing to mention the sex part. Bruce takes my silence as an answer because he says, "I don't see why we have to treat each other as enemies, Opal."
"You're the one who built this wall between us," I remind him.
"And that's something I already apologized for, Opal," he says through his teeth. "I meant my apology. Will you crucify me forever because of those words I said to you? I only said them because I was so angry. I didn't mean them at all."
Dammit, I don't want to have this conversation with him. Can't we just go back to the silence? I liked it when we weren't saying anything to each other.
Rain starts pelting down on the car, and I realize that we're headed straight toward a storm. Bruce realizes the same thing because he lets out a curse.
"How many hours do we have left?" I find myself asking.
"We've barely been on the road for an hour."
Thunder rumbles in the distance, and the rain comes down harder the faster we drive down the highway. It's starting to get colder, and it's harder to see. The windshield wipers are working overtime to keep our view of the road ahead clear, but they're just not working.
"We're going to have to stop the car," he claims. "There's a motel nearby."
He drives off the highway, and as I stare out the window, I wonder what will happen next. How long will this rain last? Why did it have to start raining right when we were on the road? This just means that the trip will be delayed and that I'll have to endure his presence for longer.
That's dangerous.
But I'll have to be strong and take control of my body. Dammit, this wasn't even supposed to be a problem for me.
Twenty minutes later, he's parking in front of a hotel. It's pretty small, and there are quite a few cars parked outside of it. My main concern is that we don't have security with us—Bruce claimed we didn't need to bring anyone with us because there'd be enough protection at Alpha Chester's place, and he didn't want to inconvenience them with a bigger group of people.
"We have to head inside," he tells me.
"Is this safe?"
"It'll have to do."
I stare at the side of his face. He's the Alpha Prince. He's supposed to have protection wherever he goes. I'm starting to realize that Bruce Danworth is a stubborn man.
He refuses to listen to sense.
But right now, I don't have a choice. I'll have to head inside with him and see where this will all take us. We practically race toward the entrance and find ourselves in a small but cozy lobby. The receptionist is very kind and smiles at us both. "Terrible weather, isn't it? It brought many people in from the roads."
"Yes, we're one of them," Bruce claims. I realize that she doesn't recognize him.
If she did, she would've said something by now.
"I take it you don't have a reservation?"
"No. We don't."
"You're in luck. We have one last room available. Would you like to pay for it?"
After everything is settled, we head upstairs. Bruce claims he'll go for some of the bags later on, if necessary. I'm worried about there only being one room. What are we supposed to do in that case? Sleep on the same bed? Of course, it's too early to even think about sleeping.
The rain might be gone by then.
The room is pretty small, and so is the bed. This reminds me of the first time I ever met him, in that hotel room. My face is up in flames, and the last thing I want is to look at him.
He closes the door and stands behind me. My heart immediately starts beating faster, and I pray to the goddess for strength. Why? Why do I act this way? Why can't I resist him? If he touches me, I'm pretty sure I'll give in. I can't stop thinking about that first time. How magical it was. I've never felt that liberated.
Bruce clears his throat and says, "You take the bed. I'll take the sofa."
I watch him walk toward the sofa near one corner of the room, and he peers out the window.
Goddess. We have too many hours left to go.
And there's no predicting what will happen next.