rock, sucking on a cup filled with steaming coffee. She saw he had laid out plates and silverware and set them nearby. He poured coffee into a second cup and handed it to her. The warm liquid slid down her throat and settled comfortably in her stomach.
A rumble of thunder and flash of lightning suddenly split the silence. Wind sloughed through the trees, showering them with sparks from the fire.
"I was afraid this was going to happen," Rafe said as he eyed the ominous sky. "Take the food inside the wagon and light the lantern. I'll put out the fire and join you. We'll have to finish our meal inside. Hurry," he urged as the first raindrops hit the ground.
Before the deluge hit, they were safely ensconced in the wagon with the remains of their feast spread around them.
"I hope you don't mind sharing your sleeping quarters tonight, Angel," Rafe said.
His voice was edged with roughness as he considered the coming night. Being in the same space, breathing the same air as his Angel wasn't going to be easy. Keeping his hands off of her was going to be the most difficult thing he'd ever done. The only way he'd touch her was if she wanted it, and he knew damn well that wasn't going to happen.
"Perhaps it will stop raining soon and you can sleep beneath the wagon," Angela said hopefully. "This is a small wagon and I don't think we'd..."
"Shall we get ready for bed, Angel?" Rafe said, cutting her off in mid-sentence.
Open-mouthed, she stared at him as if he were the devil come to earth to tempt her.
C hapter Three
Rafe knew exactly what Angel was thinking for he was thinking the same thing, in vivid color. Sighing regretfully, he pushed his wayward thoughts aside. "Don't worry. I won't touch you unless you want me to."
The color slowly returned to her face. "I...wasn't worried." She dug into a chest and handed him two blankets and a pillow folded into a bedroll. "This is the best I can offer. There's just enough floor space for you to stretch out."
Rafe stared a the bedroll, then at the cot, which looked big enough for two, and frowned. "We could share the cot."
Her eyebrows rose until they nearly touched her hairline. "I think not. The bedroll will have to suffice."
Grumbling beneath his breath, Rafe spread out the bedroll and proceeded to take off his shirt.
"What are you doing?"
"I don't sleep in my clothes. It's going to be a long night, I suggest you get into your sleeping gear."
His shirt hit the floor. When he worked open the buttons on his tan twill trousers, Angela blushed every way to Sunday and turned her head. With studied calm, Rafe removed his trousers but not his underwear and scooted down between the blankets.
"I'm covered," he said, eyeing Angel's rigid back. "You can look now."
Angela turned around slowly, her gaze finding him stretched out on the floor. Her sigh of relief was so exaggerated he couldn't help grinning. "Are you going to get undressed?"
"I'm fine just like I am," she said as she sat on the bunk to remove her shoes and stockings.
"I'll turn around so you can have some privacy," Rafe said magnanimously, though he was feeling far from magnanimous. When Angela looked unconvinced, he said, "Don't you trust me?"
"About as far as I can throw you. You promise not to look?"
"You have my word."
"Very well, turn around."
Rafe turned to face the opposite direction. He heard the rustle of cloth and felt himself grow thick and harden. He remembered another night, her long legs and womanly curves temptingly limned against a backdrop of canvas. He stifled a groan and willed his wayward body to subside. When he heard her slide into bed, he heaved a shaky sigh and flopped over on his stomach. He expected little sleep this night.
Rain lashed the wagon. Thunder rolled and lightning flashed. It was still pouring when the dull gray of morning chased away the murky darkness. Rafe
A rumble of thunder and flash of lightning suddenly split the silence. Wind sloughed through the trees, showering them with sparks from the fire.
"I was afraid this was going to happen," Rafe said as he eyed the ominous sky. "Take the food inside the wagon and light the lantern. I'll put out the fire and join you. We'll have to finish our meal inside. Hurry," he urged as the first raindrops hit the ground.
Before the deluge hit, they were safely ensconced in the wagon with the remains of their feast spread around them.
"I hope you don't mind sharing your sleeping quarters tonight, Angel," Rafe said.
His voice was edged with roughness as he considered the coming night. Being in the same space, breathing the same air as his Angel wasn't going to be easy. Keeping his hands off of her was going to be the most difficult thing he'd ever done. The only way he'd touch her was if she wanted it, and he knew damn well that wasn't going to happen.
"Perhaps it will stop raining soon and you can sleep beneath the wagon," Angela said hopefully. "This is a small wagon and I don't think we'd..."
"Shall we get ready for bed, Angel?" Rafe said, cutting her off in mid-sentence.
Open-mouthed, she stared at him as if he were the devil come to earth to tempt her.
C hapter Three
Rafe knew exactly what Angel was thinking for he was thinking the same thing, in vivid color. Sighing regretfully, he pushed his wayward thoughts aside. "Don't worry. I won't touch you unless you want me to."
The color slowly returned to her face. "I...wasn't worried." She dug into a chest and handed him two blankets and a pillow folded into a bedroll. "This is the best I can offer. There's just enough floor space for you to stretch out."
Rafe stared a the bedroll, then at the cot, which looked big enough for two, and frowned. "We could share the cot."
Her eyebrows rose until they nearly touched her hairline. "I think not. The bedroll will have to suffice."
Grumbling beneath his breath, Rafe spread out the bedroll and proceeded to take off his shirt.
"What are you doing?"
"I don't sleep in my clothes. It's going to be a long night, I suggest you get into your sleeping gear."
His shirt hit the floor. When he worked open the buttons on his tan twill trousers, Angela blushed every way to Sunday and turned her head. With studied calm, Rafe removed his trousers but not his underwear and scooted down between the blankets.
"I'm covered," he said, eyeing Angel's rigid back. "You can look now."
Angela turned around slowly, her gaze finding him stretched out on the floor. Her sigh of relief was so exaggerated he couldn't help grinning. "Are you going to get undressed?"
"I'm fine just like I am," she said as she sat on the bunk to remove her shoes and stockings.
"I'll turn around so you can have some privacy," Rafe said magnanimously, though he was feeling far from magnanimous. When Angela looked unconvinced, he said, "Don't you trust me?"
"About as far as I can throw you. You promise not to look?"
"You have my word."
"Very well, turn around."
Rafe turned to face the opposite direction. He heard the rustle of cloth and felt himself grow thick and harden. He remembered another night, her long legs and womanly curves temptingly limned against a backdrop of canvas. He stifled a groan and willed his wayward body to subside. When he heard her slide into bed, he heaved a shaky sigh and flopped over on his stomach. He expected little sleep this night.
Rain lashed the wagon. Thunder rolled and lightning flashed. It was still pouring when the dull gray of morning chased away the murky darkness. Rafe
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