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He grinned. “Sounds excellent. And in exactly that order—but that’s not what I was thinking.”

“No?”

“No.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I’m thinking about what you’re going to be wearing tomorrow. Well, okay. The day after tomorrow, when we’re sitting on the beach in Santa Barbara.”

“The day after tomorrow.” She smiled. “And you’re thinking about bathing suits?”

“Of course. It’s a logical progression.”

Another laugh, soft and sweet. “What kind would you like me to wear?”

“Well, I’ve always been a bikini man, but that black one piece number you wore a lot was actually kinda sexy.”

“A black swimsuit it is.” She touched her finger to his jaw. “Or I’ll buy a bikini. My very first. Your choice.”

Dec sucked her finger into the warmth of his mouth. “How about nothing?”

“Nothing, what?” It took a couple of seconds. “You mean, no suit at all?”

“Just you,” he said. “Naked. All silky skin and nothing else.”

His words, the huskiness in his voice, sent a wave of liquid longing straight through her.

“Mmm.” She rose on her toes, her palms flat against his chest, and brushed her lips over his. “You’re a creative man, Lieutenant.”

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” he said, and kissed her.

But when the kiss ended, so did the teasing. Dec cupped Annie’s face and looked straight into her eyes.

“We’re going to be fine,” he said. “We’re going to get out of here. And then we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Dec checked his map.

The walk to the rendezvous point wasn’t going to be easy.

They’d have to leave the dirt road, angle across the increasingly arid plateau, and then scale the mountain Black had told him about. All that, plus they had a tight deadline to meet, but it was doable.

All they had to do was get started and keep moving.

“Okay,” he said. “We have a tough few miles ahead of us, but… Honey?”

Annie was sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked… She looked wrong.

“Annie. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

No way was he buying that. Dec knelt beside her. “The truth,” he said. “What’s going on?”

“I’m just kind of achy.”

“Your head?”

“My head. My neck.” She tried for a smile and didn’t quite make it. “It’s nothing. Really. I’m fine.”

She didn’t look fine. Her eyes were too bright; her face was flushed. Dec felt her forehead. She didn’t seem to be running a fever, but he couldn’t be positive.