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“Bry …” His voice was a breathy groan. He’d given her a nickname, which was adorable, but there was a warning in his voice too. “It’s not a good idea for me to sleep so close to you.”
“Cash.” She swallowed against the sudden emotion and fear. “I need you close. Seeing Danny point a gun at you …”
Cash hugged her then. She dropped the sleeping bag and pillow in the dirt and hugged him back.
He pulled back, and he didn’t say a word. He shook out the mat and placed it in the tent. Then he shook off the sleeping bag and pillow and put them on top. He straightened in front of her, and she was hit with how big he was.
“I don’t want you scared, Bry, but … There must be some rules.”
“Rules?”
“Yes, strict rules.” He folded his arms across his chest and arched an eyebrow. “You will stay in your sleeping bag, and I will stay in mine.”
“What if it gets hot?”
“It won’t get … hot.”
She laughed at that. They were in a tropical jungle. It didn’t get cooler than probably seventy, even at night, and things were already pretty heated between them.
“Stayonyour sleeping bag,” he amended. “No touching, holding, hugging, or kissing in the tent.”
“Those are some plug-ugly, awful, no-good, low-down rules, mister,” she drawled.
He chuckled softly, but shook his head. “Please don’t break the rules. I can’t sleep in there with you otherwise. If you touch me, I will lose my mind.” He lowered his voice. “And I’m afraid I’d lose my self-control too.”
Heat filled her chest. He was crazy attracted to her, and she felt the same. Though the idea of him losing his mind and his self-control was mouth-watering, it was also not something she could toy with as a Christian committed to morality and waiting for marriage to be intimate.
“I’ll keep my hands to myself,” she promised.
“Thank you. I’ll try to do the same.”
“You’ll try? Argh!” She smacked him on the arm.
“I’m teasing.” He chuckled and gestured to the tent. “Let’s get some rest.”
Brylee ducked inside and to her sleeping bag, and Cash followed. She stretched out on top of her bag, since even cooled off from their swim it was too hot to climb in the bag. Cash couldn’t stretch out. He was too big, so he curled on top of his sleeping bag. His foot brushed her leg. Oh, goodness.
“Apologies.” His voice was a deep, husky growl. She felt the yearning there more intensely than she had his foot brushing her leg.
The tension that rose between them was powerful. The air swirled with heat, and she could swear she was inching toward him without meaning to. Whatever was happening right now was dangerous and tantalizing and not from heaven. Not even close.
She spun around, kneeled on her sleeping bag, and declared, “I’ll say the prayer tonight.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Cash kneeled as well.
Brylee pushed out a heavy breath and tried to concentrate. She started in His name and then focused on gratitude. The air was touched with light and a pure love that hadn’t been there moments before. As she asked for protection for them, the ability to find the money if that was His will, and for them to rest and stay clean and pure in His eyes, she was able to close her prayer and feel at peace.
Cash echoed her amen.
They each carefully lay on their sleeping bags, and Brylee closed her eyes. She was tempted to ask him what secrets he was hiding, but she didn’t think it was the right time and she didn’t want to disrupt the peace, comfort, and light that had distilled upon them. Like the dews from heaven, it pushed away even the horror of Cash almost dying.
Brylee started another gratitude list in her mind. Cash was at the very top, and something about him was repeated every few moments.
Captain Cash Trapper.
Green Beret. Fantastic man. The love of her life.
Would she see him again after they found the treasure, or was the secret he was hiding from her that he would disappear?
