Page 15

Chapter Fifteen

I wake up deliciously warm and a little disoriented. Somehow, during the night I seem to have ended up with my top half sprawled face down across Nate’s muscled chest and my legs tangled together with Chase’s. A large, warm hand is resting against my bare hip and another is tucked into my short, dirty hair. I wait, resigned, for the panic to set in. But with each passing second I feel nothing but more comfortable and safe. I decide to do a quick flick through my memories, wondering why this isn’t setting off my panic buttons, and realize that I never had to stay. I never had to snuggle or sleep, after, when they were done, they’d send me away or sometimes (usually with Ben), I’d sit awake in the corner while they slept until they needed me again. I release a little sigh of relief and relax against Nate’s chest again, happy beyond words that this simple pleasure hasn’t been taken from me.

“Hey there, Trouble, had us worried for a second. Thought you might come up swinging.” Nate’s sleep roughened voice vibrates through my body and sends a zing of awareness straight to my core. I shiver involuntarily and feel his hand tighten in my hair in response. Only then do I notice that they had both been holding so still, letting me work through whatever issues I might have had on my own. I smile and try to snuggle myself deeper into Nate’s chest and he releases a shuddering sigh of his own.

“You did good, Princess” Hunter murmurs and his voice comes from directly behind me. I struggle to sit up but the hand on my waist moves up my back and gently keeps me sprawled all over Nate so I end up doing a weird, awkward roll thing that has me looking over my shoulder and locking eyes with a sleep tousled Hunter. Who is most definitely not the sleepy looking Chase I was expecting. Not that I’m complaining because, damn! Regular Hunter is a dream but just woken up Hunter? I’m surprised my pants haven’t spontaneously combusted. I blink stupidly at him as his hand reaches further up my back before trailing lightly down my spine and earning himself another shiver. So, of course, he does it again, this time making me squirm and Nate groan as I wiggle against him.

“Alright, that’s enough of that.” Comes Chase’s slightly put out voice from the corner Hunter had been sitting in last night. “It’s not fair to tease if I’m not involved, so if you’re awake, let’s get moving, the suns nearly completely up anyway, lazy bastards.” His grumbling is met by two sets of indignant male huffs and groans, but I tend to agree with my giant, even if it is unusual for him to be the voice of reason. The longer we stay in one place the more likely it is that Jacob’s men will catch up to us. I just hope these guys have an idea of where we’re going.

To that end, I struggle up out of the tangle of limbs I’ve found myself in, attempting to straighten out my clothes and hair as I go. Not very successfully, but an attempt is made. I yawn and stretch and then shuffle over to Chase when he beckons me, only to be pulled into a tight hug and have a thick strip of dried meat stuffed into my hand. I blink at the jerky that Chase apparently pulled from thin air then shrug and plonk my butt down between his thighs as I start to chew. If they want me to eat, I’m definitely not going to say no. I watch out the corner of my eye as Chase produces similar rations for the other two from his bag and hands them over.

By the time I’ve finished my breakfast, Hunter and Nate have everything packed away and are obviously ready to roll, their food having disappeared long before my own. Chase gives me a nudge with his legs, and I climb laboriously to my feet, unsurprisingly sore from yesterday’s exploits. Chase slings my little backpack over my good shoulder and then proceeds to tie the other strap in such a way that it becomes more of an across the body strap instead of just hanging from my non-injured shoulder. Its infinitely more comfortable and I stretch up to kiss his cheek in gratitude but he just smiles and turns me around again so he can fiddle with my backpack some more. Before I can ask what he’s doing a familiar weight settles on my back and Chase makes a satisfied sound.

“There you go Angel; you won’t be able to grab it easily, but you can at least have it close by.” I feel him pat my bow - which I assume is now strapped securely to my backpack - with satisfaction and I can’t help but turn around again and give him a hard hug. “Thank you” I mutter into his massive chest before I move to step away. Chase grunts but doesn’t let me go, instead, he tips my head back for a brief but thorough kiss. I stiffen in his arms instinctively but he doesn’t let me go, he just keeps a gentle pressure against my mouth with his soft lips, waiting patiently until I melt into him with a sigh. He takes full advantage of my slightly parted lips and sweeps his tongue inside, no longer patient as he ruthlessly devours me and leaves me absolutely breathless and overheated. I snake my good arm around his neck and hold him close, even as he pulls me tighter against the hard planes of his body. But, far too soon, Chase reluctantly pulls away.

“We really do need to move Angel, but,” he kisses my lips gently, almost as if he can’t help himself, “this is to be continued.” With one more kiss to the tip of my nose he turns and shoulders his own pack, then takes my hand and leads me out of the conspicuously empty shelter into the soft light of early morning.

I’m efficiently strapped into my rope harness again and lowered carefully to the ground by my sweet giant, into the waiting arms of Hunter and Nate. My whole body still tingles from Chase’s kiss, I have food in my belly, and I wonder if this life I’m living is even real.