in the jungle. Military boots probably wouldn’t have been.
She’d finally gotten comfortable enough to begin drifting toward sleep when someone settled behind and in front of her. She searched with her senses to determine who it was. Surprise flickered through her when she realized it wasn’t either Mac or Hawk, which left Beau and Cavanaugh. She wondered drowsily where Mac and Hawk were but decided it was too much effort to try to figure it out.
“Warm enough, Chère ?” Beau asked in a low murmur, apparently realizing she wasn’t completely asleep.
Unwilling to stir herself to talk, she nodded, but realized she wasn’t particularly comfortable in that sense. Wiggling toward the sound of his voice, she burrowed against his warmth as if he’d invited her. He tensed slightly, but settled an arm along her waist, holding her. After a moment, Cavanaugh also shifted closer, planting his back against hers. Being sandwiched between them was like having an electric blanket, she thought dreamily.
* * * *
“Time to rise and shine, sweetheart,” Hawk murmured in her ear, his voice rough and husky from sleep. Sylvie drew in a deep breath, inhaling essence of Hawk, and opened her eyes to discover her nose burrowed against his chest. Instantly disoriented when she vaguely remembered cuddling up against Beau when she’d fallen asleep, she struggled to resolve the confusion and finally gave up. Rolling onto her back, she stretched all over and finally opened her eyes.
Mac, she discovered, feeling even more confusion, was directly beside her, which meant his was the warmth she’d felt at her back. After studying her face a long moment, he flicked a gaze down to her breasts and rolled into a sitting position.
Sylvie pushed herself up with an effort, looking around. It was still night—
mostly. The shadows had lifted enough to discern everything close by fairly clearly but 50
the jungle was still dark with shadows.
She felt like a decrepit old woman when she struggled to get up, clumsy, stiff, and every muscle and joint protesting loud. She wavered a little drunkenly when she’d gained her feet, looking around blankly. Hawk caught her shoulders, turned her in a half circle and gave a little push. “River’s that way, Baby,” he murmured with a chuckle, and then swatted her ass with the palm of one hand to give her a little extra giddy-up in her step. “Make it quick.”
Rubbing her stinging cheek, she wove a path through the brush in the direction Hawk had indicated, her mind so sluggish she almost forgot to check for livestock before she squatted. She also didn’t think about possibly harmful microbes before she used her finger to take a stab at brushing her teeth.
Mac appeared on the riverbank beside her just as she’d finished her haphazard morning grooming ritual and pulled her sweat pants back on. She stared blankly at the toothbrush he held out, wondering what he was doing with her toothbrush, but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. He’d very thoughtfully squeezed a dollop of toothpaste on it, too, she discovered.
She was a little self-conscious about him being so close while she was brushing her teeth, but since he seemed focused on brushing his own she managed to pretty well ignore him.
“About last night …,” he said hesitantly when she’d finished and started to rise.
She held up her hand. “ Don’t throw me in the water! I don’t feel like being playful this early in the day. Anyway, you said we were even.”
He frowned, making a sound of impatience. “I wasn’t talking about that …. It’s hard to explain.”
Sylvie stared at him in dismay, realizing abruptly what he was getting at. “Oh.
Well don’t try because I have a hard enough time understanding simple things this early in the day.” She thought about it. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think I want to talk about it at all. Let’s just forget it. OK?”
His lips tightened. “If that’s the way you want
She’d finally gotten comfortable enough to begin drifting toward sleep when someone settled behind and in front of her. She searched with her senses to determine who it was. Surprise flickered through her when she realized it wasn’t either Mac or Hawk, which left Beau and Cavanaugh. She wondered drowsily where Mac and Hawk were but decided it was too much effort to try to figure it out.
“Warm enough, Chère ?” Beau asked in a low murmur, apparently realizing she wasn’t completely asleep.
Unwilling to stir herself to talk, she nodded, but realized she wasn’t particularly comfortable in that sense. Wiggling toward the sound of his voice, she burrowed against his warmth as if he’d invited her. He tensed slightly, but settled an arm along her waist, holding her. After a moment, Cavanaugh also shifted closer, planting his back against hers. Being sandwiched between them was like having an electric blanket, she thought dreamily.
* * * *
“Time to rise and shine, sweetheart,” Hawk murmured in her ear, his voice rough and husky from sleep. Sylvie drew in a deep breath, inhaling essence of Hawk, and opened her eyes to discover her nose burrowed against his chest. Instantly disoriented when she vaguely remembered cuddling up against Beau when she’d fallen asleep, she struggled to resolve the confusion and finally gave up. Rolling onto her back, she stretched all over and finally opened her eyes.
Mac, she discovered, feeling even more confusion, was directly beside her, which meant his was the warmth she’d felt at her back. After studying her face a long moment, he flicked a gaze down to her breasts and rolled into a sitting position.
Sylvie pushed herself up with an effort, looking around. It was still night—
mostly. The shadows had lifted enough to discern everything close by fairly clearly but 50
the jungle was still dark with shadows.
She felt like a decrepit old woman when she struggled to get up, clumsy, stiff, and every muscle and joint protesting loud. She wavered a little drunkenly when she’d gained her feet, looking around blankly. Hawk caught her shoulders, turned her in a half circle and gave a little push. “River’s that way, Baby,” he murmured with a chuckle, and then swatted her ass with the palm of one hand to give her a little extra giddy-up in her step. “Make it quick.”
Rubbing her stinging cheek, she wove a path through the brush in the direction Hawk had indicated, her mind so sluggish she almost forgot to check for livestock before she squatted. She also didn’t think about possibly harmful microbes before she used her finger to take a stab at brushing her teeth.
Mac appeared on the riverbank beside her just as she’d finished her haphazard morning grooming ritual and pulled her sweat pants back on. She stared blankly at the toothbrush he held out, wondering what he was doing with her toothbrush, but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. He’d very thoughtfully squeezed a dollop of toothpaste on it, too, she discovered.
She was a little self-conscious about him being so close while she was brushing her teeth, but since he seemed focused on brushing his own she managed to pretty well ignore him.
“About last night …,” he said hesitantly when she’d finished and started to rise.
She held up her hand. “ Don’t throw me in the water! I don’t feel like being playful this early in the day. Anyway, you said we were even.”
He frowned, making a sound of impatience. “I wasn’t talking about that …. It’s hard to explain.”
Sylvie stared at him in dismay, realizing abruptly what he was getting at. “Oh.
Well don’t try because I have a hard enough time understanding simple things this early in the day.” She thought about it. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think I want to talk about it at all. Let’s just forget it. OK?”
His lips tightened. “If that’s the way you want
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