Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 119746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Then reality seeps back in—the storm outside, the waiting monsters, Eli’s steady breath from across the room—and we collapse in a tangle of limbs and heat and exhaustion. The sleeping bag is stifling now, but neither of us makes a move to get out of it. We just lie there, skin damp with sweat, hearts hammering against each other’s chests, breaths slowly syncing.
He shifts slightly so that my head rests on his shoulder. “Hmmm,” he murmurs into my hair. “If I’d known nearly freezing to death would lead to that…”
I laugh softly, nestling closer. There are no walls between us now—only skin and heart and a fragile new understanding that feels even more precious than before. We might not make it out of here. We might not have tomorrow or even the next hour. But for now? For this fleeting moment?
We have each other.
And right now, that’s more than enough.
I think that over as exhaustion tugs at me. I don’t fight it. Jensen presses a kiss to my temple, holding me tight as I drift off into a warm, solid sleep.
27
JENSEN
Iwake slowly, disoriented for a moment before memories solidify—the storm, the desperate cold, Aubrey’s soft, naked body pressed against mine in the sleeping bag. We’d shed our clothes, skin to skin for survival, which then turned into an overdue and much-needed roll in the hay. One I think both of us needed more than anything, just to feel alive.
But then exhaustion hit after.
I’d fallen asleep on watch.
The realization brings a surge of panic. I lift my head carefully, scanning the cabin without disturbing Aubrey, who’s still nestled against my chest, her breathing deep and even. Eli remains on the cot, his condition seemingly unchanged, face flushed with fever but his chest rising and falling steadily under the blanket. The door remains bolted, windows secured. No sign of intrusion, no evidence the hungry ones took advantage of my weakness, and no hint that Eli might be turning into one of them himself.
Relief washes through me, followed immediately by self-recrimination. I know better than to let down my guard in these mountains, especially with the monsters circling. If they had broken in while I slept…well, I suppose Aubrey’s pussy was worth it.
Aubrey stirs against me and lets out a sweet, breathy sigh, her warmth a stark contrast to the cabin’s chill. Despite everything, there’s a rightness to her presence that I can’t deny. The simple human comfort of skin against skin, of not facing the darkness alone. I don’t give a fuck if she’s a federal agent ready to turn me in, I needed this like I need oxygen.
“You’re thinking too loud,” she murmurs, her voice rough with sleep. Her eyes remain closed, but a small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. “I can practically hear the gears turning.”
“I fell asleep on watch,” I admit, the words heavy with self-blame. “I shouldn’t have.”
She opens her eyes then, shining in the dim light. “We both needed it,” she says simply. “The sleep, I mean. And we’re still here. Still alive.”
Her pragmatism catches me off guard, as it often does. No accusations, no panic, just an acceptance of what is and a focus on moving forward. It’s a quality I’ve come to admire, despite the complicated emotions that never seem to dissipate.
“How’s Eli?” she asks.
I glance at him again. “Seems to be sleeping. Doesn’t look any different.”
Not yet, anyway.
“Then we were right to take him,” she says. “Hank tore into him with his hands, not his teeth.”
She sounds so certain, but none of us actually saw what Hank did. Still, it gives me hope that if Eli survived the night, maybe he’s in the clear.
If we get out of here.
“How’s your temperature?” I ask, changing the subject. “Still feeling hypothermic?”
She shifts slightly within the confines of the sleeping bag, her body sliding against mine in ways that would be distracting under any other circumstances. Hell, who am I kidding? It’s distracting now, even with everything else at stake. I can feel my cock hardening and I know she can too.
“Much better,” she says as she shifts slightly against me, sending a wave of rough heat down my spine. “The sleeping bag trick worked.”
“Basic survival,” I say with a shrug, lowering my mouth to her neck. “Body heat is the most efficient way to fight hypothermia in the field.”
“It’s also efficient at leading to sex.”
I can’t help but laugh against her skin as I lay a kiss there. “Yes, well that too.”
I pull back and she kisses me, silencing any further response, her lips soft and insistent. We have no business doing this—again—with Eli’s life and everything else hanging in the balance. But I find myself kissing her back anyway, drawn to her warmth like a moth to flame.
Her hand moves down between our bodies, sliding against my stomach and lower still, heat trailing in its wake. I bite back a groan when she wraps her fingers around my cock. She squeezes gently before parting her thighs slightly, guiding me into her, slow enough to drive me crazy. Her eyes are locked on mine, unguarded in a way that makes my chest ache more than I care to admit.