Christmas Kisses Collection. Louise Allen

a bonfire but it would be something to dry clothes by.

      With arms full, he made his way back to the river. He started to take his first step on the rocks when he saw her. Ellen stood naked beneath the falls. Her arms were raised as she held her hair out to let the water reach each strand. He’d never seen anything more breathtakingly beautiful or more uninhibited.

      He should leave. Let her know he was there. But he couldn’t.

      Ellen turned, giving him a profile view of her delicious curves. His body hardened. Her breasts were high and her stomach flat. There was an arc to her behind that made his hands itch to hold her. He stood mesmerized by her splendor, unable to put a thought together beyond the acknowledgement of the desire building in him. Waiting and watching, he didn’t want to disturb her or break the spell.

      Ellen did it for him. She stepped out of the water. The gold of the evening sun caressed her skin as she walked to a nearby rock and gathered her clothes. She pulled on her shirt and pants and ducked behind the falls.

      Chance remained where he was until he had control of his breathing. By the time he’d made it back to their hiding place some of his libido had eased but at the sight of Ellen it climbed again. He had to regain some perspective. It didn’t help that Ellen’s underwear lay in a small pile nearby.

      The tension was thick between them. She wouldn’t meet his gaze. Was she feeding off his emotion? Had she known that he’d been watching? It was as if the easiness between them over the last two days had disappeared and been replaced by the disquiet of heightened awareness of the weeks before. As alluring as Ellen had been as a water nymph minutes ago, he had to focus on them surviving. They needed to have a fire, eat and tend their feet. Those needs took precedence over his sexual cravings.

      But those carnal needs pulled at him with each look he gave her.

      He squatted and let the pile of brush fall from his arms. “Ellen, look in the side pocket of my bag and you’ll find a round silver tube. Would you hand it to me?”

      She did as he asked and included the trash as well.

      He placed the paper under the brush and opened the watertight container, removing two matches.

      “I should’ve known you’d have something up your sleeve to start a fire with.”

      “I keep them in case I have to go old school with sterilizing a needle. You just never know.”

      “Like this time.”

      He gave her a tight smile. “This was more than I planned for.” Striking one match against the other, he quickly placed them on the paper. He slowly added some of the material he’d gathered until they had a small fire. “Bring your clothes over here and spread them out to dry. I wish this was going to be large enough for you to get your pants dry after a wash but I don’t think they’ll dry by morning. At least our underwear and shirts will be cleaner.”

      “Are you hungry?” she asked.

      “Yes. I could eat.”

      “That was sort of a dumb question.” Ellen picked up what little food they had and joined him beside the fire.

      She gave him half of the food from the rag and ate the other. “That leaves us with one food bar.”

      “Hopefully we’ll be in Saba by tomorrow night.”

      “As much as I’ve enjoyed this walk through the jungle, I have to admit I’m looking forward to seeing the resort again.” She put the rag back in the backpack.

      “Not New York? I would think after this you’d want to go home.”

      “No. Most of all I’d just like a good shower.”

      Chance looked at her. “I thought that’s what you were having a few minutes ago.” Even in the glow of the fire he could see her blush.

      “You weren’t supposed to see me.”

      He stood. “How was it?”

      “Wonderful.”

      “If you’ll keep the fire going I think I’ll give the falls a try as well.”

      Ellen watched Chance leave. She wasn’t sure why she had suddenly turned bashful around him. It was as if they had been fighting for their lives every hour of the last two days and she now felt safe enough to think of living. The intimate space they would share for the night only added to that awareness. She still tingled all over with the knowledge he had watched her bathe. For how long?

      The waterfall had looked so inviting. She hadn’t felt nastier in her entire life. Dirt mixed with sweat, her clothes sticking to her, pants less black than tan. Her hair had been a mass of tangles with bits of leaf and twigs. No one at home would have recognized her. The rush of the water had called to her. She had planned it to be a quick bath but she’d become caught up in the heavenly feeling of the water flowing over her and had stayed longer than she’d intended.

      Ellen looked at the falls. She couldn’t see Chance through the rush of water but she could picture him beneath it as water washed over his shoulders and ran down his chest. What if they didn’t make it home the next day? Were caught? Never had a chance to be together?

      What would it be like to really spend a night in his arms? Life was too short not to have that pleasure.

      She spread the blanket out near the fire and stored their packs. Her leg let her know it was there as she moved. Sitting down, she pulled her pants leg up and twisted so she could see the back of her calf. There was a red welt just above where the top of her boot came. She had been bitten. It was tender and warm. There wasn’t much she could do about it now. She’d check it again in the morning.

      Pulling Chance’s pack to her, she found the ointment and gave her feet some much-needed attention. Her blisters now had blisters. She dreaded putting her boots on in the morning. At least her socks had been rinsed, which would help cut down on infection. She would lose one of her big toenails, if not both.

      Chance joined her. His hair was wet. He’d pushed it away from his forehead. A lock of it hadn’t stayed in place. Bare-chested and with his pants low on his hips, he strolled toward her. The fire reflected off his still-damp skin. Every nerve in her body was alert to him.

      He laid his clothing beside hers. There was something oddly intimate about their undergarments drying next to each other.

      “You need to get some sleep. We have another day of walking ahead of us.” He put another piece of brush on the fire.

      He continued to stand as if he wasn’t going to join her on the blanket. “You aren’t going to sleep?”

      “I think I’ll sit up for a while.”

      “Then I’ll keep you company unless you’ve had enough of it.”

      “I don’t think that’s possible.” A stricken look covered his features as if he’d said something he hadn’t meant to.

      “We haven’t had that talk yet,” she said just loud enough that she could be heard over the falls.

      “Ellen, I don’t think—”

      “You’re right. I don’t want to talk.” She stood. “I’ve spent the last two days worrying about dying.”

      “Ellen…”

      She stepped around the fire. “There might not be another day, another time and I want to celebrate being alive. With you.” Placing her hands on his shoulders, she went up on her toes and kissed him.

      Chance grabbed her around the waist. Pulling her against his chest, he brought her feet off the ground. His mouth devoured hers as if he was hungry and a banquet was being served.