snake before fatigue crashed over her. She fought to keep her eyes open and was startled when Jack said, ‘I’ve set up the hammock. Go to bed and I’ll finish settling the camp for the night.’
She nodded gratefully, too tired to argue. The damp hammock was more welcome than the most luxurious bed she had ever slept in. For a few minutes, she heldherself stiffly, waiting for Jack to join her. But exhaustion won. She was sleeping soundly by the time he came to bed.
There was something wrong, Jack realized, as they beat their way through the vegetation the next morning. When he checked behind him Abbie was looking up at Kev in a way that made his teeth clench. He had thought that if Kev and Abbie got together it would cure his inconvenient fixation. But now he knew that was the last thing he wanted. The previous night she had slept soundly beside him and he had gathered her in his arms. Despite himself, he wanted to protect her. They had woken together and for a brief moment had held each other’s gaze before tumbling out either side of the hammock. He couldn’t get away from it – he couldn’t remember the last time he had wanted to fuck a woman the way he wanted to fuck Abbie Marshall. But even more than that, she had a quality that frightened as much as attracted him. She was sophisticated but still innocent. She had no idea how alluring she was and the more she did her superior-woman-of-the-world routine, the more he wanted to show her just how far down into the depths she could go with him. But that was impossible; he could never go there with Abbie. Yet still he was on the alert for any sign that she was falling for Kev’s easy charm. It would kill him to see Kev with her.
Suddenly he realized what was different. For the first time in two days, Zeke had stopped complaining. He hadn’t noticed it all morning, but now that they were settling into a routine the blessed silence had finally registered. He stopped to check on the older man. Zeke was whitein the face. He had stopped complaining simply because he was beyond words. His breathing had become laboured and uneven.
‘Kev,’ he said sharply. ‘I thought you were keeping an eye on Zeke.’
Kevin dragged his attention away from whatever Abbie was saying to look at the older man. ‘Oh fuck,’ he said.
That about summed it up. Jack made Zeke sit down and checked his arm. It was swollen and painful. Zeke flinched and whimpered with pain at any movement. Jack forced another couple of painkillers into him. He looked longingly at the paracetamol. His own head hurt like a bitch, but there were only six left, and Zeke needed them more than he did.
The muslin sling, now damp and thin, was just not up to the job of holding Zeke’s injured arm securely. They needed to reinforce it, but with what? He ran a mental eye over all their gear. They had nothing that would give it the extra support it needed if Zeke was going to continue to walk.
Abbie gave Zeke a few mouthfuls of water and another slug of tequila. Her concern made her green eyes more brilliant than usual, and caused something to tighten in Jack’s chest. He wanted her to look at him like that.
For a brief moment, he allowed himself the luxury of a fantasy where Abbie was naked in his bed, staring up at him with those luminous eyes and he … He cut off that train of thought. The things he wanted to do to her would have her running away screaming. And writing about it on the front page of her paper. Sometimes the pleasure was not worth the price.
But he still couldn’t take his eyes off her, and when she brushed up against Zeke, he thought he could feel the caress of those nipples on his own skin.
That was it. ‘Abbie, take off your bra.’
‘What?’
The stunned expression on her face, the way shock caused her mouth to part, allowing him a glimpse of a tempting pink tongue, was an aphrodisiac in itself. Against his will, he felt himself harden.
Down, boy, this isn’t the time or the
She nodded gratefully, too tired to argue. The damp hammock was more welcome than the most luxurious bed she had ever slept in. For a few minutes, she heldherself stiffly, waiting for Jack to join her. But exhaustion won. She was sleeping soundly by the time he came to bed.
There was something wrong, Jack realized, as they beat their way through the vegetation the next morning. When he checked behind him Abbie was looking up at Kev in a way that made his teeth clench. He had thought that if Kev and Abbie got together it would cure his inconvenient fixation. But now he knew that was the last thing he wanted. The previous night she had slept soundly beside him and he had gathered her in his arms. Despite himself, he wanted to protect her. They had woken together and for a brief moment had held each other’s gaze before tumbling out either side of the hammock. He couldn’t get away from it – he couldn’t remember the last time he had wanted to fuck a woman the way he wanted to fuck Abbie Marshall. But even more than that, she had a quality that frightened as much as attracted him. She was sophisticated but still innocent. She had no idea how alluring she was and the more she did her superior-woman-of-the-world routine, the more he wanted to show her just how far down into the depths she could go with him. But that was impossible; he could never go there with Abbie. Yet still he was on the alert for any sign that she was falling for Kev’s easy charm. It would kill him to see Kev with her.
Suddenly he realized what was different. For the first time in two days, Zeke had stopped complaining. He hadn’t noticed it all morning, but now that they were settling into a routine the blessed silence had finally registered. He stopped to check on the older man. Zeke was whitein the face. He had stopped complaining simply because he was beyond words. His breathing had become laboured and uneven.
‘Kev,’ he said sharply. ‘I thought you were keeping an eye on Zeke.’
Kevin dragged his attention away from whatever Abbie was saying to look at the older man. ‘Oh fuck,’ he said.
That about summed it up. Jack made Zeke sit down and checked his arm. It was swollen and painful. Zeke flinched and whimpered with pain at any movement. Jack forced another couple of painkillers into him. He looked longingly at the paracetamol. His own head hurt like a bitch, but there were only six left, and Zeke needed them more than he did.
The muslin sling, now damp and thin, was just not up to the job of holding Zeke’s injured arm securely. They needed to reinforce it, but with what? He ran a mental eye over all their gear. They had nothing that would give it the extra support it needed if Zeke was going to continue to walk.
Abbie gave Zeke a few mouthfuls of water and another slug of tequila. Her concern made her green eyes more brilliant than usual, and caused something to tighten in Jack’s chest. He wanted her to look at him like that.
For a brief moment, he allowed himself the luxury of a fantasy where Abbie was naked in his bed, staring up at him with those luminous eyes and he … He cut off that train of thought. The things he wanted to do to her would have her running away screaming. And writing about it on the front page of her paper. Sometimes the pleasure was not worth the price.
But he still couldn’t take his eyes off her, and when she brushed up against Zeke, he thought he could feel the caress of those nipples on his own skin.
That was it. ‘Abbie, take off your bra.’
‘What?’
The stunned expression on her face, the way shock caused her mouth to part, allowing him a glimpse of a tempting pink tongue, was an aphrodisiac in itself. Against his will, he felt himself harden.
Down, boy, this isn’t the time or the
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