Abby slumped onto his muscled chest, her body and mind still filled with him. “I love you,” she thought. “I love you so much.”
Beneath her, she felt Gage stiffen. Dear God, she hadn’t said the words aloud, had she? But the remote way his hand smoothed over her hair said that she had.
Gage set her aside and moved off the bed, went into the bathroom, and returned, handed her a warm damp cloth. He settled himself on the bed beside her and nestled her against his side, but he didn’t say a word.
“I didn’t mean to say it. It just . . . it just popped out.”
“Go to sleep. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
Abby swallowed past the lump in her throat. Her grandfather was dying. Soon her adventure with Gage would be over and he would leave. Abby would be alone again—the way she always was.
Her heart felt shredded, but there was nothing she could do. Tears burned, but no way was she letting him see. She prayed tomorrow they would find the gold and then they could go home.
Once she got back, she would find a way to get over Gage.
She thought of Clay Reynolds. Clay was interested in her as a woman, not just a partner who shared his bed.
Her throat ached along with her heart. She had no interest in Clay. She was in love with Gage Logan. He was the right man for her. She was the right woman for him. But there was no way to make him see.
Abby closed her eyes. Tears leaked from beneath her lashes. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fall asleep.
* * *
Gage couldn’t sleep. His mind was too full of Abby. He’d known she cared about him. More than cared. But love? The word wasn’t in his vocabulary.
His mind went to Cassandra. She’d thought she was in love with him. He’d told her it would never work. They were just too different.
But what about Abby?
They fit together. He couldn’t deny it. For chrissake, the woman had saved his life! She was brave and strong and determined.
And he was crazy about her.
It didn’t matter. After what had happened to Cassie, he couldn’t risk that kind of involvement again. What if it didn’t work out between them? He couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her the way he’d hurt Cassandra. In the end, Cassie’s feelings for him had killed her.
He was responsible for one woman’s death. Abby had already come close to dying. Just the thought made his stomach burn.
Exhausted, he finally drifted into a restless slumber, only to awaken a few hours later. He rolled out of bed before dawn, showered, dressed, and left the room. He was tired, his mind sluggish, but thoughts of finding the Peralta gold—the Devil’s Gold—began to fire his adrenaline, and anticipation filled him.
The woman from the village, Blanca, showed up with breakfast. Gage, Mateo, and Carlos ate first. Edge and his team, once more staying in the hotel, showed up and ate too. Finally, Abby arrived.
Gage felt a tug in his heart. He thought of the words she had said to him last night, words he couldn’t return. “You okay?”
She looked up at him, her expression purposely bland. “Today we’re going to find the Devil’s Gold. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He thought of last night, and guilt assailed him.
Zuma came in and began putting a meal together for her and King.
“You think he’s up to this?” Gage asked as she filled a tray.
“He lives by a thin thread of sheer will,” Zuma said. “King wants to find the gold for Abby.”
“And for himself,” Gage said.
“Sí, it is his dream.”
“Then we had better make sure it happens.” He turned to Mateo. “What’s the atmosphere like in the village? They lost a number of men yesterday. The ones who didn’t die were arrested and hauled away, probably never to be seen again.”
