hanging from the roof of the tent and counted the number of ways he’d screwed up today. Somehow Bella had cast a spell on him and he’d lost the ability to think rationally, while she made use of each of his blunders to catapult herself into a stronger position. When he’d taken her hand beneath the covers just now, a spark of desire had lit up his whole body, yet she remained unmoved.
Several times today he thought she returned his interest, especially on the zip line platform, where he’d come perilously close to kissing her, but now he wasn’t at all sure he’d read her right. Maybe she was playing him like a fiddle—teasing him to a fever pitch of wanting, while she laughed at him all the way to the bank. It would be just like a woman to want to humiliate him that way.
Well, she wasn’t going to win—no way. He was two points ahead of her and he’d pull further ahead tomorrow. Heck, he would be at least five points ahead if he’d kept his mouth shut at the archery range. No more mister nice guy, he promised himself. He’d show Bella his true colors tomorrow.
Still, as the minutes ticked by and his eyes remained open, Evan grew more and more uncomfortable. He hated confined spaces—even tents—and while he could sleep in one just fine when he was on his own—as long as the flap remained open—it was too much to bear having Bella pressed against him—in more ways than one.
She turned him on, for one thing, but her presence also made it hard to breathe. In fact, the longer he stayed inside the tent the less oxygen there seemed to be.
Shit. He recognized this tightness in his chest and the feeling that the walls were about to cave in and smother him. If he didn’t get outside—pronto—he would head into a full-fledged panic attack. He didn’t need that broadcast over national TV.
He quickly threw the sleeping bag back and made a big show of wiping his brow and peeling his damp t-shirt from his chest a few times, to indicate he couldn’t stand the heat. Nothing unmanly about getting too hot, he thought as he struggled to the front of the tent and unzipped the flap. He exited it gratefully just as the sun finally set. Heading back to the campfire, which he’d carefully put out a half-hour before, he leaned against a rock and settled in for the night.
CHAPTER SIX
Bella slept much better than she’d imagined she would, but when she pushed herself to a sitting position in the morning and felt the coolness of the sleeping mat next to her, she realized that was partly due to Evan not sharing the tent with her. When had he left? God—had she snored so loud it drove him out? That was an embarrassing idea. None of her previous bed partners had complained about her snoring, however, so maybe it wasn’t that. Maybe he was an early riser.
Pushing her way outside a moment later, she realized that wasn’t the answer, either. Evan lay sound asleep near the ruins of their campfire from the night before, and looked like he’d been there for some time. She remembered his fingers wrapping around hers so intimately. What had driven him away?
Don’t even think about it , she told herself. Instead she waited as a crew member came and dismantled the tent camera, then took the opportunity to change inside it before Evan woke up. Back outside, she checked her heel. It looked far better than it had last night, and the insert she’d been given for the back of her boot should help, too. She wondered what surprises this day would bring.
She decided to stretch some of her stiffness away while she waited for breakfast. Evan wandered past, back from his own visit to the bushes. He looked worse than she felt—like he’d aged ten years overnight—but she wouldn’t underestimate him. If today’s contests were as badly skewed toward his strengths as they were yesterday, she’d be in trouble. Her right arm twinged from the unusual activities of drawing bowstrings and throwing beanbags.
Several times today he thought she returned his interest, especially on the zip line platform, where he’d come perilously close to kissing her, but now he wasn’t at all sure he’d read her right. Maybe she was playing him like a fiddle—teasing him to a fever pitch of wanting, while she laughed at him all the way to the bank. It would be just like a woman to want to humiliate him that way.
Well, she wasn’t going to win—no way. He was two points ahead of her and he’d pull further ahead tomorrow. Heck, he would be at least five points ahead if he’d kept his mouth shut at the archery range. No more mister nice guy, he promised himself. He’d show Bella his true colors tomorrow.
Still, as the minutes ticked by and his eyes remained open, Evan grew more and more uncomfortable. He hated confined spaces—even tents—and while he could sleep in one just fine when he was on his own—as long as the flap remained open—it was too much to bear having Bella pressed against him—in more ways than one.
She turned him on, for one thing, but her presence also made it hard to breathe. In fact, the longer he stayed inside the tent the less oxygen there seemed to be.
Shit. He recognized this tightness in his chest and the feeling that the walls were about to cave in and smother him. If he didn’t get outside—pronto—he would head into a full-fledged panic attack. He didn’t need that broadcast over national TV.
He quickly threw the sleeping bag back and made a big show of wiping his brow and peeling his damp t-shirt from his chest a few times, to indicate he couldn’t stand the heat. Nothing unmanly about getting too hot, he thought as he struggled to the front of the tent and unzipped the flap. He exited it gratefully just as the sun finally set. Heading back to the campfire, which he’d carefully put out a half-hour before, he leaned against a rock and settled in for the night.
CHAPTER SIX
Bella slept much better than she’d imagined she would, but when she pushed herself to a sitting position in the morning and felt the coolness of the sleeping mat next to her, she realized that was partly due to Evan not sharing the tent with her. When had he left? God—had she snored so loud it drove him out? That was an embarrassing idea. None of her previous bed partners had complained about her snoring, however, so maybe it wasn’t that. Maybe he was an early riser.
Pushing her way outside a moment later, she realized that wasn’t the answer, either. Evan lay sound asleep near the ruins of their campfire from the night before, and looked like he’d been there for some time. She remembered his fingers wrapping around hers so intimately. What had driven him away?
Don’t even think about it , she told herself. Instead she waited as a crew member came and dismantled the tent camera, then took the opportunity to change inside it before Evan woke up. Back outside, she checked her heel. It looked far better than it had last night, and the insert she’d been given for the back of her boot should help, too. She wondered what surprises this day would bring.
She decided to stretch some of her stiffness away while she waited for breakfast. Evan wandered past, back from his own visit to the bushes. He looked worse than she felt—like he’d aged ten years overnight—but she wouldn’t underestimate him. If today’s contests were as badly skewed toward his strengths as they were yesterday, she’d be in trouble. Her right arm twinged from the unusual activities of drawing bowstrings and throwing beanbags.
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