Chapter Twenty-Nine
Twenty-Nine
Sophy had not expected to sleep well, but she awoke shortly before dawn, aware that she’d had a surprisingly good night’s rest. She could get accustomed to satin sheets and luxurious comforters, she thought. But she refused to make rising before dawn a habit.
Belatedly she became aware of the weight of a warm, heavy body lying next to her. Shocked, she went very still.
True, the body was on top of the quilt, not under the covers; nevertheless, Luke had no business being this close and in such an intimate position.
So much for the pillow barrier. She should be outraged, and she was.
Definitely outraged. She would protest the invasion of her personal space, but maybe she could pretend to ignore it for a few more minutes.
“The shower is all yours,” Luke said.
His voice came from the far end of the bed, not next to her. Startled, she opened her eyes and saw him. He was on his feet and in the process of clipping the auto-injector case onto his belt. His hair was damp from the shower and he looked, she thought, extremely fetching.
But if his wasn’t the warm body next to her, that left only one other suspect.
She turned her head and gazed into Bruce’s deceptively innocent eyes.
“You,” she said.
He tried to lick her face. She gave him her hand instead.
“You’re not fooling me,” she said. “That’s not a real kiss. I know what you want. Breakfast. Go talk to the guy who controls your rations.”
Evidently concluding there was no point pleading his case, Bruce got to his feet, bounded off the bed, and greeted Luke, who leaned down to rub his ears.
Sophy started to push aside the covers and then paused, flushing. “Excuse me,” she said, putting a little ice into the words.
Luke looked up, surprised. “What?”
“I would like some privacy, if you don’t mind.”
It evidently occurred to him that he was standing at the foot of the bed staring at her. “Sorry.” He turned and went to the balcony windows. He gazed intently into the predawn darkness. “Make it quick. The sun will be up soon.”
“I’ll hurry.”
She got up and rushed to the bathroom.
She was out in what she considered record-breaking time, dressed in jeans, a white T-shirt, and bright white sneakers. Luke was in his well-worn leather jacket and scarred boots. Bruce wore a leather vest studded with clips and a couple of pockets.
“I’m ready,” she announced, taking her trench coat out of the closet.
Luke tossed her a soft fabric bag that had some straps dangling from it. “You’ll need that.”
She examined the bag. “It looks like a day pack.”
“It is,” he said.
“Are we collecting rocks or something?”
“No, this is the desert, remember?” He selected a bottle from the carton he had brought up from the SUV. “You never leave home without water.”
“It’s just a short walk to the far side of the compound, right? A bottle of water is heavy.”
“That’s why everyone, including Bruce, carries their own.”