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Maybe she wasn’t as worried as he was because she was a Terran and her senses were not as strong as his.
Or maybe she was even more frightened, but because she had years of experience putting on a brave and confident face for her students, she was able to hide her concerns.
In any case, he was impressed with his sweet little surrogate.
Mine, a voice whispered in the back of his mind.
Not for long, he reminded it. But he was fully prepared to take advantage of every moment with her, if they ever found their way back to safety.
The ghostly howling rose again, closer now. A shiver went down his spine, and he grabbed Chloe’s hand.
“You doing okay?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she said, nodding curtly.
She was worried too. It was official.
Jubal had been brought up never to back down from a bet. But in this moment, as the night creatures drew closer, and Chloe’s mouth formed a thin line, he was ready to call it off.
He was just opening his mouth to yell to Oberon when Chloe stopped in her tracks.
“Oh, wow,” she breathed.
He looked in the direction she was pointing, and said a silent prayer of thanksgiving.
The path opened up to the top of the mountain, where a massive stone outcropping stood sentry over an expanse of tall grass, which overlooked the starry sky and the moonlit ocean below.
Opposite the stone, a tiny stream meandered through a stand of graceful trees.
“It’s beautiful,” Chloe said softly.
He took her hand and they walked together into the tall grasses, which had been swept sideways by the wind.
“You can taste the ocean,” she said, closing her eyes.
He brushed his hand along her jaw, unable to keep himself from touching her.
She opened her eyes and his heart thundered in his chest as they gazed at each other.
Something was happening between them, something he didn’t have words for.
Something that made him rethink all the love songs he’d ever written.
19
CHLOE
Chloe tried to slow the racing of her pulse as Jubal stroked her cheek with a calloused thumb.
This is just pretend. The whole thing is a simulation, meant to make me feel this way.
But it worked, oh, how it worked.
She wanted him more than she wanted her next breath.
“Let’s get the camp site ready,” he said, pulling back. “I want to get you to bed.”
“Yes,” she said. “Besides, I think he’s ready to call it a day.”
