Eden's Promise by MJ Fredrick

and knew her father and Damien were right—the island was the best place to be.
    Below her, Aaron conferred with the National Guard drivers and guards. He’d always been confident, even back in high school, which was one of the things that drew her to him. But now, with these other men, who all dressed in body armor and camouflage while he wore a T-shirt and cargo pants, he was clearly the leader, clearly an alpha. The thought sent a shimmer of pure lust through her.  
    And she’d be alone with him back here. She hadn’t been alone with him, other than to sleep, for the past thirty hours. She had no idea how many hours it took to stop over in Oregon, northern California and finally Sacramento, but knew it was a lot of hours to fill. They hadn’t talked since they had sex, hadn’t talked about it at all. She didn’t know if she should let it go, or broach the subject. Would it happen again?
    Did she want it to, if this silence between them was the result?
    He hoisted himself into the back of the truck while she was making a space for herself on the crates near the front, using the extra blankets Jodie had given them. He glanced up and gave her a small smile before he positioned himself close to the canvas opening. The canvas cover did little to hold heat in, and the weather was unseasonably chilly. Maybe Aaron was wise to sit closer to the opening, though she reasoned his purpose was to guard against any who might come up on them.
    Jodie stood at the back of the truck to wish them good-bye, and this time Eden didn’t imagine the longing look the other woman sent in Aaron’s direction. Eden was certain the other woman knew they weren’t really married, but she didn’t put them to the test.
    No, they did that on their own.
    The truck rumbled to life, sending a cloud of foul-smelling exhaust from the modified fuel that had been developed by the government for these vehicles. Aaron turned into the truck, coughing, and almost lost his balance when the vehicle began to roll forward, jouncing on the pitted road. He settled down on the bed of the truck, leaning against the gate, his gun at his side, as if he’d done this a thousand times before.
    Maybe he had. She didn’t know anything about his time in the service. He didn’t share that, any more than he shared what had happened to him on his trek back home. Once the camp was out of sight, she slipped down from her perch, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and settled beside him.  
    He looked over at her. “Cold?”
    “Aren’t you?”
    He grunted. “I’m fine. Jodie sure liked you, to supply us the way she did.”
    “I don’t think it was me she liked.”
    That surprised a grin out of him. “Yeah?”
    She wasn’t sure how to take that from a man who’d slept with her just over a day ago. Would he have taken Jodie to bed instead of her if he’d known of Jodie’s interest? She hated the jealousy that rose in her, not when she had more important things to think about, like her reunion with her sister.
    Her sister—she hadn’t even found out if Kelly was still with that Jake person, or if she’d ended up alone in Sacramento. And then there was her sister’s past with Aaron that Eden hadn’t allowed herself to think about. Would Kelly be upset that her little sister slept with her ex-boyfriend?  
    “How long do you think it will take to get back to the island from Sacramento?”
    He winced. “Depends on if we can catch a ride to San Francisco or another port town, if we can find a boat. Two days on the ocean, easy, in good weather. Probably a week if we have to find our own way to San Francisco. Worried about your mother?”
    She leaned against a crate. “I’ve never missed having a cellphone so much in my life.”
    “You could have asked Jodie to call out for a message from the island to see how she’s doing.”
    “And let her know our story was a lie?”
    He blew out a breath and turned his attention to the road behind them. “I tried to buy