Hidden Fire by Alexis Fleming Page A

enough for two of us.”
    Her chest heaved as she struggled to come up with a reason not to join him. At the same time, her body hungered for his nearness. Goosebumps broke out on her arms from the combination of the cold atmosphere and uncertainty. Her body trembled and her teeth chattered.
    He leaned over and grabbed her around the ankle, dragging her closer. “For crying out loud, get your rear end in here before you get hypothermia. And strip off those jeans before you do. They’re damp. They’ll just make you feel colder and I don’t fancy sleeping with an iceberg.”
    â€œAh, I can’t.”
    He shook his head. “Please yourself. If you want to go back to the other side of the cave and shiver for the rest of the night, who am I to stop you? Me? I’m going to get some sleep.”
    With a grunt, he rolled onto his side, his back to her.
    Gili waited a second, but he didn’t look at her again. She huffed out a deep breath. Well, she sure as hell couldn’t stand here all night. She’d just have to tell him.
    â€œI don’t have any panties on under these jeans. I washed them out and they’re hanging up in the bathroom at the homestead. I figured I’d be back there tonight.”
    Morgan rolled back to face her, but didn’t say anything. Then he gulped and pointed at his pack. “There’s a pair of cotton boxer shorts in the top of my pack. You can borrow those. Oh, don’t worry, they’re clean.”
    She wasn’t going to give him a chance to change his mind. It took her only a minute or two to find the boxers and then she turned to face him.
    â€œUm, you want to…” She waved one finger in the air in a circling motion.
    Morgan, with a disgusted look on his face and a frustrated-sounding grunt, twisted over so his back was to her again.
    Gili’s hands shook as she unzipped the cold denim and slipped off the jeans, all the while conscious of the fact she had nothing covering her nether regions. She scrambled to step into the boxers and pull them up to her waist. They were a little loose and sagged down to her hips, but at least she was decent.
    â€œI’m done,” she said.
    Morgan turned over and lifted up the top cover of the sleeping bag without saying a word.
    Chill bumps broke out on Gili’s legs and she started to shiver again. She dropped to her knees and scooted under the down covering of the sleeping bag. Curling on her side, she tried to keep her body from touching Morgan’s.
    He flipped the covering over her and angled across her to turn the lantern down to a mere flicker. Then he settled behind her, his body spooning hers, one arm across her waist.
    Heat instantly hit her and drove the cold from her body. Gili stiffened in reaction. Her breathing hiked, heart racing as tension gripped her and tightened the muscles low in her stomach.
    â€œRelax,” he murmured. “I’m not going to jump your bones…unless you ask me.”
    Relax? She snorted. Easier said than done . She felt on fire. Her nipples were hard. Her breasts ached. Moisture pooled between her thighs. Her skin was so sensitized that the slightest brush of his hand would make her explode.
    She held herself as still as she could until Morgan’s breathing deepened. Then, one by one, starting with her toes, she made a determined effort to tighten and release each muscle in her body. Eyes squeezed shut, she dragged air into her lungs and exhaled on a deep sigh. The tension inside her eased. Maybe now she’d get some sleep.
    An inch at a time, she edged away from Morgan, as far as the confines of the sleeping bag would allow. Finally, she had enough room to roll onto her back. Problem was, Morgan’s arm now rested across her stomach. Did she dare move it? Or would that wake him?
    No, not worth the risk. It had taken her long enough as it was to get herself to the point where she thought she might actually get some