mouth with his. When she gasped in pleasure, he took full advantage, stroking her tongue with his in a deep, hot, wet kiss. No niceties. It had been a damn long time since he’d kissed her. Years. Something in him reared up and itched to remind her that once upon a time they’d been damn good together.
She murmured his name in the sexiest, softest murmur and dug her fingers into his biceps, squirming to get closer. Closer worked for him, and he let himself do what he’d been thinking about doing for hours—he touched. Hetouched whatever he could reach, letting his hands roam her glorious body, losing himself in her soft warmth.
She moaned into his mouth but slowly pulled back. Breathing unevenly, she shook her head. “That’s not the bad-idea part.”
“No?” Good. He leaned in to kiss her again but she put a hand to his chest. “I meant, the last time, it took…it took me a long time to get over you leaving like you did. No looking back. No letters. Nothing.” She paused. “I got that you had to go, that the judge made you, but…”
The judge hadn’t made him. That had been a necessary lie, so she wouldn’t realize he was walking away from her by choice. He hadn’t been able to make himself do that to her. Not loving this little walk down Guilt Row, he drew a deep breath. The way he’d left—no loose ends—had been the only way he’d known to handle the situation. It had been hell. His own doing, of course. He’d always been his own worst enemy. But even back then he’d owned up to his mistakes. He’d made a plan—get out of Sunshine and make something of himself—and he’d executed the plan.
Besides, she’d been made for better things than being with him. Far better. Life with him would’ve been a one-way ticket to Loser-ville.
Getting out of Sunshine had been good for him. The military had taught him discipline, how to make things happen, in a good way, and she had to know that. He’d trained. He’d fought. He’d learned.
What she didn’t know was that he’d done it all with a good part of his heart back in Sunshine. “How long could it have taken?” he heard himself ask. “You were married less than a year later.”
Her gaze whipped to his, and she flattened her hands on his chest, giving a good shove.
Still holding on to her, he didn’t budge.
She made a noise of frustration and pushed again. “Let go.”
He lifted his hands.
She stood up, crossing her arms over herself as she turned away. “It was more than a year.”
Not much.
“Maybe we should try to get to Kaniksu right now,” she said quietly.
Clearly, they were done with this conversation. Worked for him just fine—except now she wanted to try to get to caves. At night. His biggest nightmare, of course. “You want to move across twenty miles of rugged, isolated terrain in the dark.”
“Fine. Stupid idea.” She looked around at the fire, at the dilapidated ranger station that was little more than a three-sided hut, at the million acres of remote, isolated, rugged forestland surrounding them. “Could really use some more sugar,” she said.
He started to rise to go to his pack, but she put out her hand. “No!” She shook her head. “God, no. Don’t you dare bring out any more. My jeans are too tight as it is.”
Not from where he was sitting…
She yawned and then sighed. “Do you really have more candy bars?”
“I’ve got a lot of things.”
“Like?”
“Spare clothes and gear, topo map, compass, water, knife, first-aid kit, rope, rations…”
Condoms…
“You’re practically a Boy Scout.”
Yeah, not exactly. He watched her fight another yawn and gestured to the shelter. “Go to sleep, Holly.”
She pulled her sleeping bag from her pack and headed inside the shelter.
Adam gestured to Milo, and the dog followed her, sitting in the opened doorway where he would act as dubious guard dog. Adam stayed at the fire’s edge, figuring that wasthe safest place for him. The air was still
She murmured his name in the sexiest, softest murmur and dug her fingers into his biceps, squirming to get closer. Closer worked for him, and he let himself do what he’d been thinking about doing for hours—he touched. Hetouched whatever he could reach, letting his hands roam her glorious body, losing himself in her soft warmth.
She moaned into his mouth but slowly pulled back. Breathing unevenly, she shook her head. “That’s not the bad-idea part.”
“No?” Good. He leaned in to kiss her again but she put a hand to his chest. “I meant, the last time, it took…it took me a long time to get over you leaving like you did. No looking back. No letters. Nothing.” She paused. “I got that you had to go, that the judge made you, but…”
The judge hadn’t made him. That had been a necessary lie, so she wouldn’t realize he was walking away from her by choice. He hadn’t been able to make himself do that to her. Not loving this little walk down Guilt Row, he drew a deep breath. The way he’d left—no loose ends—had been the only way he’d known to handle the situation. It had been hell. His own doing, of course. He’d always been his own worst enemy. But even back then he’d owned up to his mistakes. He’d made a plan—get out of Sunshine and make something of himself—and he’d executed the plan.
Besides, she’d been made for better things than being with him. Far better. Life with him would’ve been a one-way ticket to Loser-ville.
Getting out of Sunshine had been good for him. The military had taught him discipline, how to make things happen, in a good way, and she had to know that. He’d trained. He’d fought. He’d learned.
What she didn’t know was that he’d done it all with a good part of his heart back in Sunshine. “How long could it have taken?” he heard himself ask. “You were married less than a year later.”
Her gaze whipped to his, and she flattened her hands on his chest, giving a good shove.
Still holding on to her, he didn’t budge.
She made a noise of frustration and pushed again. “Let go.”
He lifted his hands.
She stood up, crossing her arms over herself as she turned away. “It was more than a year.”
Not much.
“Maybe we should try to get to Kaniksu right now,” she said quietly.
Clearly, they were done with this conversation. Worked for him just fine—except now she wanted to try to get to caves. At night. His biggest nightmare, of course. “You want to move across twenty miles of rugged, isolated terrain in the dark.”
“Fine. Stupid idea.” She looked around at the fire, at the dilapidated ranger station that was little more than a three-sided hut, at the million acres of remote, isolated, rugged forestland surrounding them. “Could really use some more sugar,” she said.
He started to rise to go to his pack, but she put out her hand. “No!” She shook her head. “God, no. Don’t you dare bring out any more. My jeans are too tight as it is.”
Not from where he was sitting…
She yawned and then sighed. “Do you really have more candy bars?”
“I’ve got a lot of things.”
“Like?”
“Spare clothes and gear, topo map, compass, water, knife, first-aid kit, rope, rations…”
Condoms…
“You’re practically a Boy Scout.”
Yeah, not exactly. He watched her fight another yawn and gestured to the shelter. “Go to sleep, Holly.”
She pulled her sleeping bag from her pack and headed inside the shelter.
Adam gestured to Milo, and the dog followed her, sitting in the opened doorway where he would act as dubious guard dog. Adam stayed at the fire’s edge, figuring that wasthe safest place for him. The air was still
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