Duty Bound (Blackthorn Security Book 1)

Chapter 14

Lily was glad to be out of that sleeping bag.

Away from him.

Sure, he’d saved her life by giving her the warmth from his body so she hadn’t succumbed to hypothermia, but holy crap, that had been intense.

His smoldering, bare-chested body wrapped protectively around her, his legs touching hers, his heart beating through her, making her feel things she hadn’t felt in a really long time.

Not since Joe.

Closing her eyes, Lily took a steadying breath. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to feel those things again. Somehow, with this guy, it seemed impossible not to. He just had that strong, protective way about him. Capable. Safe. With mind-numbingly well-developed biceps.

To be fair, it hadn’t been her idea to climb into the sleeping bag with him. Once she had… What girl wouldn’t melt with those arms around her?

But, she’d had an effect on him too.

He’d tried to hide it, but something like that… Uh-uh.

That made her feel marginally better. Still, they were victims of circumstance, stuck out here in the middle of nowhere together. It was like one of those reality TV programs where extreme conditions and near isolation drove unlikely people to partner up. In every way.

She shuddered at the thought.

It wasn’t real. It was a moment in time, that’s all. Once this was over, they’d go back to their separate lives. She mustn’t read more into it than there was.

He had a job to do, a mission to complete. They couldn’t afford to let anything interfere with that.

Like he’d said… no distractions.

“When are we crossing back over?” Lily focused on their current predicament. Her wet clothes were uncomfortable, but she was nowhere near as frozen as before. Blade had been right. Now her body had kicked into gear, and she was fine.

“Not for a while. We’ll put some miles between us first. Hopefully they’ll have given up looking by the time we cross back.”

She watched as he repacked his backpack, folding up the sleeping bag and stuffing it inside. He was carrying a much heavier load. Blade reattached his utility belt, with the rope clipped to it, then the holster around his thigh carrying that lethal-looking knife.

“Here.” He picked up her pack then held it out so she could slip her arms into it.

Why did he have to be so goddamn attentive?

Lips pressed together, she wriggled into it. His hands were warm on her shoulders as he adjusted the straps so they didn’t hurt her.

“I got it.” She took a step forward. She wasn’t ungrateful, but every time he touched her, her brain went into meltdown.

He grunted and turned to survey the hillside.

Lily fastened the chest strap. It suddenly became clear what had happened when she’d first met Blade ten years ago. She’d felt it then, the power of his attraction. And it had frightened her.

That first meeting at the base. Off duty, he’d been wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He’d grinned at her, his blue eyes sparkling with vitality and mirth, and shaken her hand, holding it that little bit longer than was necessary.

Then a blonde woman in a tank-top and skinny jeans had sauntered up behind him and put an arm possessively around his waist. He’d kissed her, full on the lips, right in front of them, causing her to blush and look away. She’d been very naive back then, only eighteen and barely out of secondary school. His blatant sexuality had disturbed her, and she’d made up her mind to disapprove of him, right then and there.

Not only that, but she’d also feared his influence over her boyfriend. Joe admired Blade, looked up to him. What if Blade’s cavalier attitude and arrogance rubbed off on her Joe, leading him astray?

She’d lose the only definite thing in her life, the only man she could depend on.

Consequently, she’d done all she could to keep Joe away from him. It was impossible, given they were in the same unit, but when Joe was on leave, she’d kept him to herself, integrating him into her group of friends and refusing to socialize with his teammates.

It wasn’t right, but she’d been scared.

Lily exhaled.

The revelation that Blade had this strange power over her, even back then, made her decidedly uneasy. Especially since it hadn’t been reciprocated.

Not then.

That day at the barracks, he’d said how good it was to meet her then disappeared with his blonde without so much as a backward glance. She’d stared after him, filled with a sense of foreboding.

Now, she watched Blade sweep the ground with his foot, eradicating any sign that they’d been there. He swung his much heavier pack onto his back then fastened the straps, his weapon sandwiched between his legs. That rifle was never far from his body, never out of reach. Always connected to him like an extension of himself.

The only time he”d put it down had been when he”d been holding her.

Lily followed Blade as best she could while he navigated the tree line in the darkness. The ground was rugged and uneven, with lots of clumps of vegetation and long grass growing between the trunks, which made walking difficult. On top of that, they were constantly hiking at an angle, which made her feel lopsided.

Blade moved like a leopard, sure footed and silent, while she stomped along behind him, trying not to fall on her face. They were averaging about two and a half miles an hour thanks to the terrain.

Every now and then he’d guide them deeper into the vegetation to avoid a dwelling or group of dwellings. The simple, rectangular houses clung precariously to the steep hillside, like a stack of matchboxes positioned on top of one another. If something happened to the bottom one, she was convinced they’d all fall down.

Blade glanced at the sky. “It’ll be light soon.”

That meant they weren’t covering enough ground. If only her glasses hadn’t been broken, she might be able to see the clumps of vegetation better. “How long have we got?”

“Another hour. At most.”

Shit. After that, it would be too dangerous to continue. She picked up her speed, ignoring the ache in her shoulders and the rumble in her stomach. It had been a long time since they’d eaten, but getting out of the danger zone took priority. The hillside and indeed the lush valley plains were filled with shepherds, farmers, fishermen, and any number of people during the day. They had to hide until it was dark again.

Grimacing, she trudged on. Traveling only at night made their progress very slow.

“As soon as daylight breaks, we’ll hole up and eat something.”

Lily gave a weary nod.

Her clothes were still damp but drying from the warmth of her body. The vigorous marching had warmed her up, despite the coolness of the early morning. She’d actually worked up a sweat. Still, it beat freezing. Seemed in this place there was no in-between.

Finally, Blade called a halt.

Thank God. She leaned against a tree, weak with exhaustion and hunger.

“This looks like a good place. It’s out of sight from anyone who might happen to walk by.”

Lily raised her head. He’d found a clump of trees growing so close together that they provided all-round coverage like a green, circular hedge. Their roots intertwined in the middle, creating natural armchairs for them to sink into.

“Looks perfect,” she murmured, shrugging off her pack. It slid down her arms to the ground. “How do we get in?”

He pulled a couple of branches back. It wasn”t easy, and if he let them go, they’d snap back into place. Lily slipped through, dragging her pack with her.

“I’ll get it,” he said, taking it out of her hand.

“Thanks.”

He nodded, setting it down beside her. “You okay?”

“I’ll be fine after some food and a nap.” She didn’t want to complain, but she could hardly keep her eyes open.

Blade began setting up camp and unpacking his pack. Outside their little hideaway, the sun had come up, and everything seemed a little bit brighter. Warmth percolated into the forest, dissolving the last of the chill.

Lily leaned back against her pack and closed her eyes. She didn’t even remember falling asleep.