“There you go.” He sat cross-legged, still half inside his sleeping bag. “We watched for them on the way here. They didn’t follow us.”
“I hope not.” She crawled onto her bag, and he realized she was wearing a T-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms. She’d actually brought pajamas camping.
He fought back a grin.
She lay on her belly on her sleeping bag. “What if they got Austin’s license plate number? They could follow us back to Scarlet and maybe even find out that I live—”
“If theydidfollow us, the only thing they’ll find is trouble.” The testosterone in his bloodstream had him wanting to punch that asshole in the face, but he knew from his training that threats of violence wouldn’t reassure her.
Abuse had a way of making victims view their attackers as larger than life, capable of carrying out any and every threat they made. That’s why so many women stayed in abusive relationships. In their minds, the men who hurt them were invincible. It galled thehellout of him that some random asshole had upset her like this.
He set his anger aside, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Those two yahoos probably don’t know how to access motor vehicle registrations. Even if they did, it wouldn’t do them any good. I’m not going to let them hurt you, and neither is Austin or Chaska or anyone else in Scarlet.”
She nodded, but the worry didn’t leave her face. She crawled into her sleeping bag. “It’s cold up here at night.”
“Come here.” He lay back, drew her into his arms, pillowing her head with his chest and pulling his jacket over her shoulders like a blanket. “We can share body heat.”
That was the oldest climber line in the book, but he actually meant it this time. With his lower half of his body in his sleeping bag and her entire body snugly inside hers, nothing could happen anyway.
He kissed her hair. “Get some sleep.”
She lifted her head off his chest, looked into his eyes. “I’m not a call girl. I was never a call girl or a hooker or anything—”
“I’m almost insulted you felt the need to tell me that.”
“I just don’t want you to think—”
A quiet moan cut her off, making her eyes go wide.
Oh, sweet Jesus!
If Taylor and Lexi just had to get their freak on, couldn’t they do it in silence?
Another moan, followed by Lexi’s whisper. “That feelssogood.”
Eric couldn’t help his body’s reaction, not with the sounds of fucking happening ten feet away. His cock pitched a tent in his sleeping bag, which, of course, Victoria noticed. “Don’t worry. I don’t have a condom with me. Besides,ifyou and I ever have sex, it will be someplace nice and private where you can scream.”
She flopped down beside him, ending body contact. “Promises, promises.”
“Was that a challenge?”
“Go to sleep.” She looked over at him, her expression softening. “And thanks.”
* * *
Vic awoke earlythe next morning to find herself in Eric’s arms, her head pillowed on one bicep. His hand was in her hair, his fingers doing wonderful things to her scalp. “Morning.”
“Morning.” His voice was deep and sleepy. “How’d you sleep?”
“Like a baby, thanks to you.”
“Good.”
“How about you?”
He held her a little closer, kissed the top of her head. “I’m not complaining.”
It felt natural to lie here beside him, his arms around her. She closed her eyes again, savoring it, feeling more relaxed than she had in months, feeling safe.