The Erotic Expeditions - Complete Collection (26 page)

“You must be tired,” she said. “Doing all this.”
 

She gestured around.

He did feel a bit tired but it was going to be a long night of sleeping and waking to keep the fire going.

“Is there a plan?” Jules said.

“A plan?” he asked, looking at her.
 

The firelight bathed her face in soft, warm tones and sent gleaming highlights into her hair. Her lips looked as though she were wearing lipstick, though he’d noticed in the past she didn’t use any.

“I just thought,” she said, “that since everything else was so organized, there must be a plan.”

“Stay warm and get some rest is the main plan,” he said, smiling. “Unless the temperature drops more than usual, we’ll be fine.”

It’d stopped raining but at least there was still cloud cover. That would help to keep the temperature up. Despite his reassuring tone, a frown was forming on her face and she seemed to look through him.

“What?” he asked.

She blinked and focused on his face.

“I was thinking of Lumby,” she said. “A couple of patients in particular.”

He slowly shook his head. They had crashed in the wilderness, she was injured, and
still
she worried about others–amazing.

“I think you should probably lay down and try to get some rest,” he said.

She ran her fingers through her hair and tucked some strands behind her ear.
 

“What I wouldn’t give for a nice, hot shower,” she said quietly.

Logan did his best not to imagine what that would be like and wondered if a smile had frozen on his face.

Jules glanced back into the shadowy lean-to and down at the metallic and wool blankets. Then she gave him a disapproving look.

“Seriously, Logan. I hope you’re not going to stand on ceremony. There’s no reason the two of us can’t get under the blankets together.”

“Oh I’ll be right along, don’t you worry. I want to make sure the embers are good and white before I grab some shuteye.”

She looked exhausted as she glanced at the blankets again.

“Lie down, Jules. I’ll be there in a minute.”

She gave him a tired smile and nodded once as she uncrossed her legs and scooted back onto the emergency blanket. As she lay back, he helped lift another thermal blanket over her and then the wool blanket over that.

“Sweet dreams,” she whispered, her eyes already closed.

“Sweet dreams,” he said.

Jules woke with a start. Logan was yelling.

“Logan!” she said, pushing up on her elbow.

She looked down at his face as she tried to make sense of what was going on. He seemed to be asleep and she had been lying in the crook of his arm. A vague memory of being cold and snuggling up to him came to her and then he yelled again.

“Put the gun down!”

His eyes were shut tight and she could feel his arm behind her back now, pulling her close.

“Put it down!”

Is he dreaming about the war?

“Logan,” she said, putting a hand on his chest. “Logan, wake up.”

The faintest light of early morning lit his face. Under the lids, his eyes moved back and forth at a furious rate.

“Logan?” she said, rubbing his chest. “Wake up.”

His eyes snapped open and immediately landed on her.

“Are you okay?” he said, searching her face.

He seemed to be instantly awake.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “I’m fine. You were having a nightmare.”

“Did I wake you up?”

“No,” she said. “Not at all.”

One corner of his mouth curved upward.

“You’re a bad liar,” he said, with a growing smile.

He rubbed her back a little and, as if he’d just realized what he was doing, the smile vanished.

“Right,” he said, letting her go. As he slowly sat up, he raised his arm over her head. “Let’s see about this fire.”

He threw the blankets off himself and got up.

As Jules watched him go, she wished she hadn’t woken him up. She hadn’t meant for him to just jump up and leave. It wasn’t as though anything had happened. They were both still wearing their jackets.

She sat up and threw off her side of the blankets and suddenly realized her back was stiff. The pine needles had helped but it was still the ground. Of course, it was probably the aftermath of the crash as well.

Slowly, she stood. The dull ache in her ankle flared into a sharp pain as she put her weight on it.
Sprained
. When she looked back to Logan, he was watching her intently.

“Your ankle?” he asked.

“Probably a sprain,” she said, as she limped forward to stand closer to the fire.
 

Logan immediately came to her side and helped her the last couple of steps. The feel of his strong arm around her waist, like when she’d woken up, was reassuring.

“Thanks,” she said, as he let her go.
 

As he went back to the pile of wood, he looked at the plane and then up to the sky.

“With any luck,” he said. “SAR ought to be in the air soon. We’ll be out of here today.” He looked back down at her ankle. “And we can get you to a hospital, doctor.”

 
“I think it’s okay,” she said, holding out her hands to the fire. “I’ll wrap it later.”

The fire was blazing nicely and he held his hands out to it too.

Put the gun down
, Jules thought. Though he’d never said it in so many words, the war years were a forbidden topic. She’d gently probed a couple of times but he’d never taken the opportunity to open up.

“I’d ask you how you slept,” she said, looking into the fire. “But I think I can guess.”

He was quiet.

It bothered her that he was troubled. Logan was her best friend. It had actually surprised her when she’d realized it. But there wasn’t anybody she trusted more. As her marriage had become more and more strained, her husband had actually accused her of having an affair with Logan. All those hours together, Ted had sneered–all those trips to remote places. In hindsight, she realized he was projecting something onto her that he’d been doing himself.

Logan continued to stare into the fire.

I ought to let it go. Now isn’t the right time. But when is?

“You said something about a gun,” she said quietly.

He slowly drew in a deep breath and let it go. He was apparently not ready to talk.

“I’m sorry,” Jules said. “Forget I said that. It’s none of my business.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he said. “It’s…”

She finally turned to him. There was that faraway look again, the flames reflected in his eyes. He lifted his gaze to meet hers. For a moment, his lips parted as though he’d say something but then they closed. When he turned away, she felt a pang in her chest.

“It’s time to get more firewood,” he said.

Suddenly, a wild baying sound, the high-pitched cry of an animal, pierced the air.

Jules immediately screamed and jumped. Her hands flew to her chest and she stepped hard on the sprained ankle, which made her teeter–toward the fire. Logan was instantly in front of her, his arms around her.

“What was
that?
” she said, barely managing to control her voice.

“Grey wolf,” he said, looking over her head and into the forest.

Her heart was hammering and she laid the side of her face against his chest, hugging him like a life preserver.
 

“Is it close?” she said, her voice beginning to quaver.

“Nah,” he said, drawing out the syllable, his tone so casual he might have been talking about the family dog. “That came from miles away. We’re fine.”

Jules didn’t know how he’d know but she was okay with believing it.

“Besides,” he said. “They won’t approach the fire.”

She felt him stroke her hair.

“It’s okay,” he said quietly. She felt his deep voice rumble in his chest. “We’re safe.”

She squeezed her eyes shut. For several moments, he held her–the only sound the crackling of the fire.

“I don’t have to go far for the wood,” he said.

She hugged him tighter.

“Please don’t leave,” she whispered.

In response, both his arms wound around her.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered into the top of her hair.

Again, the wolf howl sounded through the air and, though it was no louder, it sent an icy chill through her. A wild animal was out there. She and Logan weren’t camping–their plane had
crashed
. They were alone. They were in the middle of
nowhere
–lucky to even be alive.

“Jules?” Logan said, separating from her. “Are you okay?”

“
No
,” she said, clutching him. “Don’t let go.”

His arms tightened around her again.

“You’re trembling,” he said. “Are you cold? It’s warmer in the lean-to.”

She turned her face into his chest and shook her head.

“Jules, can you look at me?”

He stroked her hair and waited.

Finally, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. His eyebrows were knit together but he gave her a little smile.

“That wolf is nowhere near us,” he said quietly.

“I know,” she said, trying to pull herself together. “It’s silly. I don’t know why I’m so scared.”

It was more than silly. It was embarrassing. She was a woman of
science
.

“It’s perfectly normal,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers. “You’re scared because it’s a scary situation.”

And as simply as that, he put words to what she’d been thinking. The wolf was only the last straw and he understood that. She smiled a little.
Of course he understands. This is Logan. I don’t have to explain what I’m feeling.

As she looked up into his face, she realized how close it was. She remembered how close she’d been when they’d woken up. He hadn’t said a thing about that. But now, she saw his eyes drift down to her lips.

Her eyes widened at the intensity of his gaze and, as understanding dawned, her breath caught.

Logan wasn’t just her best friend, he was a
man
. And she’d put herself into close proximity–
very
close proximity.
 

On purpose?

His eyes held the same question.

• • • • •

Logan knew that kissing Jules would
not
be right. To kiss her now would be taking advantage–of the situation, of her state, both physical and emotional. But as he felt her arms clutching him and her body pressed against his, doing what was right was rapidly fading into the background.
 

The mist of their breath in the chill morning air mixed between them. Her lips were bare inches from his own. What began as a need to protect her was escalating into something more primal, deep inside–something wild.

“Jules,” he whispered.

As he slowly drew her closer, he waited for the moment she would pull away. But as he lowered his face to hers, she didn’t let go. Instead, he became aware of her hands gripping the leather jacket at his back. Her lips slowly parted and, as her eyes closed, his mouth was suddenly on hers.
 

With more force than he’d intended, his lips pressed against the incredible softness of hers. Though he’d kept himself from ever thinking about this moment, now he knew he could never have predicted it.

Her lips were
velvety
.

Delicate and plump, they gave in to his so easily he almost thought they weren’t touching–but they were.
 

His arms quickly encircled her tiny waist and pulled her close. She gasped a little as he jerked her against him and again he knew he was moving too fast, but the knowledge didn’t help. The gasp had parted her lips even more and as he tilted his head the other way, his mouth covered hers. Any moment now, she would stop him. It was too much, too soon. He needed to slow down. But to his amazement, she opened her mouth and her fingers ran into the hair at the base of his neck.

His tongue immediately pressed into hers. The warm air from her nose washed down over his chin as her chest began to heave. Her fingers kneaded into the muscles of his neck, his shoulders. Even through the layers of clothes, there was an urgency there that drove him further into her mouth. Her lips responded to his with their own need and the thought of her body melding with his suddenly flashed into his mind. His arousal suddenly pulsed between them. There was only one way this could end.

• • • • •

Without warning, Jules felt Logan pull back.

Her eyes fluttered open as she gasped for air. His arms still encircled her and her hands were behind his neck but he’d broken the kiss.

“Jules,” he said, his voice thick.

Her eyes found his staring into hers. A silent ‘what’ formed on her lips as she tried to catch her breath. The feel of his lips on hers had rapidly spiraled from surprise to a consuming need. Although her own reaction had shocked her, it was Logan’s hesitation that took her aback.

“This isn’t right,” he said, lowly. “You’re not ready.”

She shook her head, her eyes wide, and finally found her voice.

“I don’t understand,” she said, confused. “Me?”

“You’re on the rebound,” he said, breathing hard. “It’s not right.”

She heard his words and shook her head again, still not able to understand.
On the rebound? Is he having second thoughts?
She froze.

“If you don’t want…this,” she said, “then–”

“I want this,” he whispered hoarsely.

His mouth covered hers, ending more words. But the disquiet they’d created didn’t fade as quickly.
Am I on the rebound?
But as his tongue danced with hers, she found she didn’t care.
Let me be on the rebound. And let Logan catch me. Let–

His arousal pressed into her.
 

Though Logan’s mouth muffled her tiny whimper, he must have felt the sudden quiver that ran through her. In one smooth movement, he bent low, picked her up, and carried her to the lean-to. The thermal blankets crinkled below her as he set her down. She sat up and had been about to unzip her jacket, when he took off his and pulled his polo shirt over his head.

As he knelt next to her, she couldn’t help but gape. Though she’d seen her share of naked bodies,
none
of them had been like his. Logan was as chiseled as any statue. The round, broad shoulders, topped an equally round and broad set of pectoral muscles. They were huge and deeply curved, shadowing the rippled abdomen below. He didn’t just work out–he sculpted his body. The flared oblique muscles at his sides tapered down to his narrow hips. Each and every sinew stood out in relief. Anatomy class had never been like
this
.