around her.
Each branch was filled with droplets. Spikes pricked on some plants, others
felt smooth. One felt soft and downy at first, then stung her curious fingers
and Josie pulled her hand to her chest. Her legs ached as they summited the
hilltop.
Bane led her a small ways down the other side and he pointed
to a small clearing. “It won’t be the softest night’s sleep. But I’m so dead on
my feet I won’t care.”
Josie cocked her head to the side and noticed the way his
body slumped forward and his feet dragged. “This’ll be fine.”
He bent at one side to lower the pack to the ground. “I can
defend this, but I’ll want to catch some Zs before nightfall.” He kicked a few
stones out of the way. Then he pulled a pile of cloth out of his bag and rolled
it out on the mossy ground. Josie watched him slide metal sticks from the same
nylon bag. He adjusted them back and forth ’til they became long, skinny poles,
which he fed through loops of plastic on fabric.
“What is that?” Josie marveled at Bane’s skill as he
swiveled the metal tubes and the interior of the contraption inflated, forming
an oblong box.
“It’s a tent.” He rifled through the pack again, pulling out
several machines, which Josie now knew to be guns, and then two sleeping bags.
“We may have to zip these together to stay warm.” He didn’t meet her eyes. “But
I won’t try anything.”
He tossed a few more items into the enclosure and crawled
inside. Josie could tell she’d be able to fit too, but it would be a tight
squeeze. The idea of being in such a small space so close to Bane’s body again
sent shivers of anticipation fluttering along her back and shoulders, even
while a small tremor of nerves jolted between her legs.
The tent stretched one way, then another, as Bane organized
things within it. Something about the increasingly long stretches between his
movements told her he was dragging it out. “Um, I’m done. But I need to sleep
for a while.” The tone of his voice sounded like a question.
Josie went to her knees at the mouth of the tent and stuck
her head inside. “What do you want me to do?” She searched his deep-set eyes
for direction.
Bane rested on his heels, his knees splayed wide. The top of
his blond head nearly brushed the roof of the tent and his broad shoulders
filled the close space. “I’m asking if it’s okay with you if I rest for a
while.”
As she’d never been asked such a question, Josie didn’t know
how to answer. “Yes, it’s fine…” When he didn’t move, she struggled to clarify.
“Do you want me to come inside, or stay out there?” She jerked her thumb back
in the direction of her hips, which still poked out the tent’s door.
“Whichever you want, babe.” He said it with a small chuckle,
but Josie noted the redness creeping up his neck to play under the stubble on
his jaw. She remembered the way his chin had scraped hers when they kissed. Her
hand rose to cool the abrasion.
“I want to stay here.” She crawled into the tent alongside
Bane and lay on her side on the sleeping bag he’d rolled for her. “I want to
know… I want to understand what you were thinking before.”
Nervousness danced in her belly, but Bane turned away from
her and lay down on his own sleeping bag, his back to her, his head resting on
a small pillow. “Forget about it. It won’t happen again, and in a few days
neither of us will even remember this.” He made a show of yawning, stretching
and settling his body.
Imitating him, Josie stretched her arms above her head and
struggled to find a comfortable position on the ground. Bane had spread some
thin, inflatable pads under the sleeping bags, but it was far less comfortable
than her bed at Adam’s house, or the mattress on the boat.
The thin cotton of his t-shirt strained across his shoulders
and upper back. Josie scooted closer, until she nestled against the length of
him. A little jolt of excitement shot through her to feel his firm
Each branch was filled with droplets. Spikes pricked on some plants, others
felt smooth. One felt soft and downy at first, then stung her curious fingers
and Josie pulled her hand to her chest. Her legs ached as they summited the
hilltop.
Bane led her a small ways down the other side and he pointed
to a small clearing. “It won’t be the softest night’s sleep. But I’m so dead on
my feet I won’t care.”
Josie cocked her head to the side and noticed the way his
body slumped forward and his feet dragged. “This’ll be fine.”
He bent at one side to lower the pack to the ground. “I can
defend this, but I’ll want to catch some Zs before nightfall.” He kicked a few
stones out of the way. Then he pulled a pile of cloth out of his bag and rolled
it out on the mossy ground. Josie watched him slide metal sticks from the same
nylon bag. He adjusted them back and forth ’til they became long, skinny poles,
which he fed through loops of plastic on fabric.
“What is that?” Josie marveled at Bane’s skill as he
swiveled the metal tubes and the interior of the contraption inflated, forming
an oblong box.
“It’s a tent.” He rifled through the pack again, pulling out
several machines, which Josie now knew to be guns, and then two sleeping bags.
“We may have to zip these together to stay warm.” He didn’t meet her eyes. “But
I won’t try anything.”
He tossed a few more items into the enclosure and crawled
inside. Josie could tell she’d be able to fit too, but it would be a tight
squeeze. The idea of being in such a small space so close to Bane’s body again
sent shivers of anticipation fluttering along her back and shoulders, even
while a small tremor of nerves jolted between her legs.
The tent stretched one way, then another, as Bane organized
things within it. Something about the increasingly long stretches between his
movements told her he was dragging it out. “Um, I’m done. But I need to sleep
for a while.” The tone of his voice sounded like a question.
Josie went to her knees at the mouth of the tent and stuck
her head inside. “What do you want me to do?” She searched his deep-set eyes
for direction.
Bane rested on his heels, his knees splayed wide. The top of
his blond head nearly brushed the roof of the tent and his broad shoulders
filled the close space. “I’m asking if it’s okay with you if I rest for a
while.”
As she’d never been asked such a question, Josie didn’t know
how to answer. “Yes, it’s fine…” When he didn’t move, she struggled to clarify.
“Do you want me to come inside, or stay out there?” She jerked her thumb back
in the direction of her hips, which still poked out the tent’s door.
“Whichever you want, babe.” He said it with a small chuckle,
but Josie noted the redness creeping up his neck to play under the stubble on
his jaw. She remembered the way his chin had scraped hers when they kissed. Her
hand rose to cool the abrasion.
“I want to stay here.” She crawled into the tent alongside
Bane and lay on her side on the sleeping bag he’d rolled for her. “I want to
know… I want to understand what you were thinking before.”
Nervousness danced in her belly, but Bane turned away from
her and lay down on his own sleeping bag, his back to her, his head resting on
a small pillow. “Forget about it. It won’t happen again, and in a few days
neither of us will even remember this.” He made a show of yawning, stretching
and settling his body.
Imitating him, Josie stretched her arms above her head and
struggled to find a comfortable position on the ground. Bane had spread some
thin, inflatable pads under the sleeping bags, but it was far less comfortable
than her bed at Adam’s house, or the mattress on the boat.
The thin cotton of his t-shirt strained across his shoulders
and upper back. Josie scooted closer, until she nestled against the length of
him. A little jolt of excitement shot through her to feel his firm
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