Then, as he looked down at her, he felt the magnetic current arc between them, saw the distress in her eyes mutate into something less fearful but more confusing. At that moment he knew what he wanted, and he lowered his head, expecting her to cry out and run away.
She didn’t move. Instead, Savannah waited, her heart pounding, her emotions warring with her mind, her body singing with a song that was deceptively enticing.
Their lips met, brushed, drew back, and claimed each other again. Cold became hot. Solid became liquid. Control became release. And Savannah felt as if she were sweeping through the air, through currents that seared and churned, then flung her into space.
Nothing in her past could compare with the sensations that flowed between her and the man who was kissing her. They stood, touching only their lips and fingertips, until Rasch abruptly wrenched his mouth from hers and stepped away. He lifted her hand, examined it as if it were some precious object to be treasured, then released it as though his fingers were dissolving away from hers.
“I don’t understand,” he said simply.
Savannah turned away. Everything was going according to plan; he was falling into her trap … but she hadn’t intended to be caught in the spell as well.
Should she call it all off, forget the whole plan? She’d been so sure that what she was doing was right. She’d force him to lower his defenses and let her in. Then, when he was most vulnerable, she’d strike. Stealing his heart had been her goal. Now she was confused. Her resolve was wavering, as if she’d lost touch with her purpose. Everything seemed muted, less defined, like a pastel drawing all smudged and soft.
All she could say was “Neither do I.” She whirled and dashed down the ridge toward the edge of the lake. Her rapid movements made the ankle bracelet chime merrily. The wind picked up the sound and carried it across the lake, kissed the hillside with the music, and flung it back again.
To Rasch, the soft reverberation could have been laughter.
To Savannah, it sounded like crying.
After a long moment Rasch followed her. He reached her side at the water’s edge and set her to gathering dead limbs and brush to build a fire. He found rocks that he used to circle the fire site. After the wood started to blaze, he began to assemble the small tent he’d unpacked.
“You’re going to sleep in that?” Savannah asked as she dropped another armful of branches.
“
We’re
going to sleep in this.”
“We? Isn’t it pretty small,” she asked skeptically.
“I didn’t expect to share it.” He secured the last stake.
“You won’t have to. I have my own sleeping bag. I’ll be just fine out here by the fire.”
“Whatever you say. But it gets pretty spooky out here at night, and cold too.”
“I’ll manage. I’m used to sleeping beneath the stars.”
He shrugged. “Then let’s get your bedroll out now. I like to have the camp set up before dark.”
Savannah untied her pack and laid it out, stuffing her clothing into a pillowcase and laying it aside. Her extra candy bars, trail mix, and other food was already tied in a waterproof drawstring bag. She looked around for a tree from which to hang it, as Niko had instructed.
“Here, I’ll take that and hang it with mine.” Rasch took both parcels and walked back to the tree line. Looping a rope over a limb, he tied both bags away from the ground.
By the time he unfolded his sleeping bag and arranged it inside the tent, the sun had dropped behind the mountain.
Savannah shivered and moved closer to the fire. Rasch was right. The air coming off the water was cold. She regretted not changing into the jeans and shirt as he’d suggested. But a show of weakness would be a mistake now.
“What are we cooking?” she asked, trying to conceal the chattering of her teeth.
“Fill the cook pot with water from the lake,” he instructed as he began to remove foil packets from his cache of
She didn’t move. Instead, Savannah waited, her heart pounding, her emotions warring with her mind, her body singing with a song that was deceptively enticing.
Their lips met, brushed, drew back, and claimed each other again. Cold became hot. Solid became liquid. Control became release. And Savannah felt as if she were sweeping through the air, through currents that seared and churned, then flung her into space.
Nothing in her past could compare with the sensations that flowed between her and the man who was kissing her. They stood, touching only their lips and fingertips, until Rasch abruptly wrenched his mouth from hers and stepped away. He lifted her hand, examined it as if it were some precious object to be treasured, then released it as though his fingers were dissolving away from hers.
“I don’t understand,” he said simply.
Savannah turned away. Everything was going according to plan; he was falling into her trap … but she hadn’t intended to be caught in the spell as well.
Should she call it all off, forget the whole plan? She’d been so sure that what she was doing was right. She’d force him to lower his defenses and let her in. Then, when he was most vulnerable, she’d strike. Stealing his heart had been her goal. Now she was confused. Her resolve was wavering, as if she’d lost touch with her purpose. Everything seemed muted, less defined, like a pastel drawing all smudged and soft.
All she could say was “Neither do I.” She whirled and dashed down the ridge toward the edge of the lake. Her rapid movements made the ankle bracelet chime merrily. The wind picked up the sound and carried it across the lake, kissed the hillside with the music, and flung it back again.
To Rasch, the soft reverberation could have been laughter.
To Savannah, it sounded like crying.
After a long moment Rasch followed her. He reached her side at the water’s edge and set her to gathering dead limbs and brush to build a fire. He found rocks that he used to circle the fire site. After the wood started to blaze, he began to assemble the small tent he’d unpacked.
“You’re going to sleep in that?” Savannah asked as she dropped another armful of branches.
“
We’re
going to sleep in this.”
“We? Isn’t it pretty small,” she asked skeptically.
“I didn’t expect to share it.” He secured the last stake.
“You won’t have to. I have my own sleeping bag. I’ll be just fine out here by the fire.”
“Whatever you say. But it gets pretty spooky out here at night, and cold too.”
“I’ll manage. I’m used to sleeping beneath the stars.”
He shrugged. “Then let’s get your bedroll out now. I like to have the camp set up before dark.”
Savannah untied her pack and laid it out, stuffing her clothing into a pillowcase and laying it aside. Her extra candy bars, trail mix, and other food was already tied in a waterproof drawstring bag. She looked around for a tree from which to hang it, as Niko had instructed.
“Here, I’ll take that and hang it with mine.” Rasch took both parcels and walked back to the tree line. Looping a rope over a limb, he tied both bags away from the ground.
By the time he unfolded his sleeping bag and arranged it inside the tent, the sun had dropped behind the mountain.
Savannah shivered and moved closer to the fire. Rasch was right. The air coming off the water was cold. She regretted not changing into the jeans and shirt as he’d suggested. But a show of weakness would be a mistake now.
“What are we cooking?” she asked, trying to conceal the chattering of her teeth.
“Fill the cook pot with water from the lake,” he instructed as he began to remove foil packets from his cache of
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