underside of her arms chafed
from the wooden crutches and pulling the tips out of the sand was exhausting. So
far she hadn’t complained.
He was letting her go as far as she could before he told her he
was going to have to carry her. It wouldn’t sit well, he knew, but sooner or
later, she wouldn’t have any other choice.
By the time he called for the third rest stop of the day, even
after using sunscreen, Sabrina’s cheeks were red, and her good leg was shaking
with fatigue. She sat down in the sand beneath a mesquite tree and drew her
knees up beneath her chin, used them to pillow her head.
When Alex sat down beside her, she looked up at him, her
expression so weary it made his chest ache.
“Alex?”
“What is it?”
“I think I’m going to cry.” Her eyes welled, and his chest
squeezed. He reached over, eased her into his arms and just held her.
“Go ahead, love. You’ve earned it.”
She let out a sob and her body started shaking; he could feel
the wetness against the side of his neck. He ran a hand over her back, hoping it
would soothe her, wishing there was a way to make all of this easier.
Just as suddenly as it had started, it was over. Sabrina clung
to him for another couple of seconds before she eased away.
She wiped the wetness from her cheeks. “Thank you.”
“We’re gonna be okay. You believe that, right?”
She swallowed, nodded. “I’m glad I chose you, Alex.”
He knew what she meant. “So am I.”
“I didn’t want to like you. I tried really hard not to.”
He caught her chin. “Too late,” he said and then he kissed
her.
Six
A s kisses go, it didn’t last long. But what
started as a tender, gentle kiss, expanded into a deep, greedy exploration of
mouths and tongues that had her shaking with need, her arms winding up around
his neck. She could feel Alex fighting for control against the hunger burning
through him. The same hunger that burned through her. It had her skin tingling
and heat flaring in the pit of her stomach.
Alex ended the kiss long before she wanted him to. Breathing
hard, he came to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean for
that to happen.”
Rina licked her lips, tasted him there. “I know. It just
did.”
He took a couple deep breaths. “We need to keep going.” His
voice was gruff as he reached down, grabbed her hand and hauled her to her feet.
The hunger was still in his eyes, but it was guarded now. Whatever was happening
between them wasn’t something he wanted any more than she did.
That was good, she told herself, still working to catch her
breath. Certainly better for her.
She gazed across the barren expanse of desert that seemed to go
on forever, and exhaustion washed over her. Her ankle was killing her and the
strength in her good leg was almost gone.
“Stand still,” Alex said.
“Why? What are you doing?”
“You’re wearing the pack.”
“What?”
“I’m going to carry you. We’ll be able to make better
time.”
“No way! You can’t carry me and the
gear all the way to Rio Gordo!”
“We aren’t going to Rio Gordo. We’re going to the road. We’ve
covered some ground this morning. It’s probably no more than ten or twelve miles
away. It might take us a while, but I can carry you there without a
problem.”
“What about your ribs? You’re going to make them worse.”
“Let me worry about my ribs. We made the decision to leave. Now
we need to get where we’re going.”
Her good leg trembled. Her mouth was as dry as cotton. A drink
of water sounded better than a glass of Dom Pérignon. “I can make it a little
farther.”
Alex ignored her. The next thing she knew the pack was securely
in place across her shoulders and she was riding piggyback style, clinging to
Alex’s strong neck while he held on to the legs she wrapped around his
waist.
He started walking. “It’s getting hot. We’ll be stopping pretty
soon. Just hang on and let me do the work.”
She looked back over her
from the wooden crutches and pulling the tips out of the sand was exhausting. So
far she hadn’t complained.
He was letting her go as far as she could before he told her he
was going to have to carry her. It wouldn’t sit well, he knew, but sooner or
later, she wouldn’t have any other choice.
By the time he called for the third rest stop of the day, even
after using sunscreen, Sabrina’s cheeks were red, and her good leg was shaking
with fatigue. She sat down in the sand beneath a mesquite tree and drew her
knees up beneath her chin, used them to pillow her head.
When Alex sat down beside her, she looked up at him, her
expression so weary it made his chest ache.
“Alex?”
“What is it?”
“I think I’m going to cry.” Her eyes welled, and his chest
squeezed. He reached over, eased her into his arms and just held her.
“Go ahead, love. You’ve earned it.”
She let out a sob and her body started shaking; he could feel
the wetness against the side of his neck. He ran a hand over her back, hoping it
would soothe her, wishing there was a way to make all of this easier.
Just as suddenly as it had started, it was over. Sabrina clung
to him for another couple of seconds before she eased away.
She wiped the wetness from her cheeks. “Thank you.”
“We’re gonna be okay. You believe that, right?”
She swallowed, nodded. “I’m glad I chose you, Alex.”
He knew what she meant. “So am I.”
“I didn’t want to like you. I tried really hard not to.”
He caught her chin. “Too late,” he said and then he kissed
her.
Six
A s kisses go, it didn’t last long. But what
started as a tender, gentle kiss, expanded into a deep, greedy exploration of
mouths and tongues that had her shaking with need, her arms winding up around
his neck. She could feel Alex fighting for control against the hunger burning
through him. The same hunger that burned through her. It had her skin tingling
and heat flaring in the pit of her stomach.
Alex ended the kiss long before she wanted him to. Breathing
hard, he came to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean for
that to happen.”
Rina licked her lips, tasted him there. “I know. It just
did.”
He took a couple deep breaths. “We need to keep going.” His
voice was gruff as he reached down, grabbed her hand and hauled her to her feet.
The hunger was still in his eyes, but it was guarded now. Whatever was happening
between them wasn’t something he wanted any more than she did.
That was good, she told herself, still working to catch her
breath. Certainly better for her.
She gazed across the barren expanse of desert that seemed to go
on forever, and exhaustion washed over her. Her ankle was killing her and the
strength in her good leg was almost gone.
“Stand still,” Alex said.
“Why? What are you doing?”
“You’re wearing the pack.”
“What?”
“I’m going to carry you. We’ll be able to make better
time.”
“No way! You can’t carry me and the
gear all the way to Rio Gordo!”
“We aren’t going to Rio Gordo. We’re going to the road. We’ve
covered some ground this morning. It’s probably no more than ten or twelve miles
away. It might take us a while, but I can carry you there without a
problem.”
“What about your ribs? You’re going to make them worse.”
“Let me worry about my ribs. We made the decision to leave. Now
we need to get where we’re going.”
Her good leg trembled. Her mouth was as dry as cotton. A drink
of water sounded better than a glass of Dom Pérignon. “I can make it a little
farther.”
Alex ignored her. The next thing she knew the pack was securely
in place across her shoulders and she was riding piggyback style, clinging to
Alex’s strong neck while he held on to the legs she wrapped around his
waist.
He started walking. “It’s getting hot. We’ll be stopping pretty
soon. Just hang on and let me do the work.”
She looked back over her
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