He glanced down, the peace on Kristi’s face putting a hitch in his chest, unleashing a rush of emotion. He’d had a year and a half to sort out his feelings for her, to figure out why he hadn’t hooked up with other women after Antarctica. He’d almost succeeded in convincing himself that their connection was just great sexual chemistry and that he’d been too busy with missions to meet other women. But now, as he watched her sleep, he knew that was bullshit.
Was he in love with her?
Whoa! Don’t get carried away, bruh.
Sure, he cared about her—a lot.
You cared enough to drop everything, fly around the world, and kill and maybe die to rescue her.
They were good in bed together. He just loved having sex with her.
Keep telling yourself that.
Okay, there was more. He loved her sense of humor, too. He loved her big heart, her compassion. He loved her courage, her hunger for adventure. And that sparkle in her eyes when she smiled.
You’re in love with her.
The realization ought to have scared the shit out of him, but it didn’t. Instead, he found himself smiling, a feeling like sunlight spreading in his chest.
Yeah, you love her.
He’d thought he was in love twice before, but this was different. Of course, he’d been a lot younger then. Neither relationship had lasted.
Whitney, his high school sweetheart, had wanted him to go to college. His decision to join the army had split them apart. Several years later, he’d met Veronica. They’d moved in together, and he’d thought that was it. He’d caught her poking holes in his condoms with a needle, trying to trick him into getting her pregnant. He’d broken up with her. After that, he’d kept things casual, focused on his job.
And then Kristi had come into his life.
They had agreed to a simple exchange of sexual pleasure, but it hadn’t been simple at all. She’d been so much more than he’d expected. She’d gotten inside him. They’d spent a month together, only a month, but he’d never stopped thinking about her.
How does she feel about you?
He didn’t want to think about that. Not here. Not yet.
He needed to focus.
He turned slowly, scanning the forest around them for movement or predators, his gaze drawn once again to her face.
She shifted in her sleep, reached for covers that weren’t there.
She was cold.
He knelt and unzipped his duffel bag far enough to reach inside and pull out his jacket. Then he draped it over her. “Sleep, angel.”
Tomorrow would bring a world of trouble their way.
14
Kristi was awakened by a chorus of birds. She opened her eyes to see the sunlight streaming through the trees above her.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
She stretched, sat up, and discovered that Malik had covered her with his jacket during the night. God, he was sweet. “Good morning. Did you sleep at all?”
“Nah, but I’m good.” He tore open a small paperboard box and removed a green plastic bag.
“What’s that?”
“Breakfast. I got these MREs out of the truck just before you woke.” He drew items out one at a time. “Hash brown potatoes with bacon, peppers, and onions. Granola with milk and blueberries. Filled bakery item. Cheddar cheese spread. Crackers. Dry-roasted, salted peanuts. Orange beverage base, sugar-free. Accessory Packet A.”