She’d wanted another morning after with him for so long. It was somewhere around three and not yet sunrise, but this was close enough.
Through the waves of anger and hurt all those months ago and every day since, she knew they’d get back to this emotional place. That they weren’t over. The real question was how long they could stay in this holding position.
The temptation to hide under the blanket and forget the world and the horrors outside the cabin rushed over her. She hated to wake him, but that was the deal. One person on guard duty, and Cam had been handling that for hours.
Now, deep into the night, rain still pinged against the cabin and the alarm on his simple black watched sounded a second time. No question about it, it was Joel’s turn to stand guard.
“I want to stay in bed with you.” Joel mumbled the comment into her hair.
She had to smile at the grumbling. “Cam would kill you.”
The man protected for a living and could shoot anything, track anything, catch anything, yet he hated waking up. It had always been that way with Joel. Morning came and he whined and groaned and tried to get her to stay in bed beside him.
He’d concoct elaborate scenarios just to win another ten minutes. When that failed, he’d start kissing her, and he’d always won the bed battle once that happened.
“Trust me, Cam would understand.” Joel lifted up and balanced over her on one elbow. “He can’t believe I let you get away the first time.”
“Me either.”
She hadn’t said the words last night because she wanted him to accept the risk and tell her first, but she did love him. They’d said it before and it didn’t stop him from walking out. She had no idea if it would matter now. The not knowing made her want to knock some sense into him.
His mouth opened, then closed. It took another few seconds before he said anything. “I walked into that one.”
“And, technically, you left me.”
He groaned and sat up. “On that note, I’ll get out of bed now.”
Naked and not even a little shy about it, he threw his feet over the side of the bed. He wiped his face with his open hand but didn’t cover his body. Just looked around the floor.
“I’m going to regret this a few hours from now when I’m trudging through the forest dead on my feet,” she said as she gathered the lone blanket against her bare skin and sat up. “Now I just have to find my clothes.”
He glanced over his shoulder at her. “What are you doing?”
“Coming with you.”
This time he stood up. “You are not.”
Her body flushed at the sight of him. He was long and fit, and the idea of crawling back into bed and pulling him in there with her nearly won out. But they needed to keep moving and get ready to head out.
She had no idea what would happen between them back in the real world, but she knew she’d be safer there. “I’m not staying in this cabin alone.”
“I will be right outside. Guard duty consists of sitting on the porch with a gun and shooting anything or anyone I don’t recognize.”
She spied his pants at the end of the bed, underwear still lodged in them, and lifted the bundle up to him. “And you won’t be out there alone.”
He took the pants and just as quickly dumped them on the floor. He reached for her arm instead and tugged her to her feet, closer to him.
With his arms around her waist, he leaned down and kissed her. Sweet and warm but not demanding.
He smiled when he lifted his head. “Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?”
All the time. Joel wasn’t one to hide his feelings. He’d told her repeatedly that he loved her and how much he wanted her. His expression would get all heated when he looked at her, and his breath would catch when he stripped her. The man knew how to convince a woman with words and actions how beautiful he found her.
He just didn’t know how to stick around.
Rather than fight and ruin a perfectly good moment, she leaned into him. Her arms went to his neck and she brought him down for another kiss. “Yes, but feel free to say it again.”
This kiss rumbled through her. When she thought he’d pull back, he deepened it, crossing his mouth over hers until a wave of dizziness hit her.
She ended it before poor Cam started banging on the door. “I like the way you use your mouth to make an argument. Very interesting, but I’m still coming with you.”
“I figured as much.” Joel smacked her butt and winked. “Get dressed.”
When they stepped out on the porch five minutes later, Cam was already standing there with his fist raised as if about to knock. His gaze passed from Joel to Hope.
Cam swallowed a smile. “I can take another shift.”