Chapter Twenty
Talon came abruptly, violently awake. He sat up, staring into the darkness that surrounded him, struggling to get his bearings. Where the hell was he?
The sound of the sea, so close yet strangely muted, confused him further. Had he fallen asleep and let the lifeboat wander off course?
“Talon?” Kate’s voice pierced the darkness, and she touched his back, making him flinch. “Are you all right?”
He shifted to face her, taking in the small fire that burned to his left and the concern in her eyes. The soft, powdery substance beneath his hands clicked into place. Sand. They’d made it to dry land, and Kate had insisted he take a nap.
Letting out a shuddering sigh, he scrubbed his face with a trembling hand. God, he was as weak and tired as he’d been when he’d first gotten out of prison. “It’s dark. You shouldn’t have let me sleep so long.”
“Actually, it’s almost dawn.” There was a popping noise as she put another piece of wood on the fire he’d started yesterday afternoon. “You needed to rest. It’s all right. I’m not afraid of the dark.”
“Almost dawn?” That meant he’d slept nearly twelve hours. She’d remained awake all night, watching over him and tending the fire.
It confused him, made him feel strange and unsettled. Why was she being so kind? He’d rather face her anger than this cool, impersonal concern.
In any event, she looked exhausted. The dim, flickering light illuminated the dark shadows under her eyes. “Come lie down with me. Don’t worry about the fire. We’ll be warm enough if we share the blankets.”
He held his breath, wondering if she’d reject him again. To his relief, she nodded and scooted across the few feet that separated them.
“I haven’t forgiven you,” she warned, crawling under the blankets beside him. “But you’re right; if we’re to keep from freezing to death, we need to share our body heat.”
Deep tremors racked her slim body. She lay stiff beside him, her teeth chattering. Talon was humbled to think she’d sat there freezing for hours on end while he’d lain here oblivious beneath a half-dozen blankets.
Ignoring her soft protest, he pulled her into the circle of his arms. “You little fool,” he whispered, rubbing his cheek against her hair. “Forgive me. Let me take care of you.”
“I think perhaps I can forgive you. But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to trust you again.”
It was a start, more than he deserved. He held her tighter, thinking of the night they’d made love, wishing he’d had the foresight to tell her the truth then. “I’ll never abuse your trust again,” he vowed. “And I’ll get you back to England. I swear I will.”
“We’ll see.” She burrowed a little closer to him and promptly fell asleep.
* * * * *
Of all the things Kate loved about Talon, waking up in his arms was one of the best. That much hadn’t changed. He exuded strength and warmth, and after going for days without those things, she was reluctant to relinquish them.
She lay in his arms, pretending she was still asleep. While awake, she’d have to keep her distance; for now, though, she just wanted to rest against Talon’s broad chest and listen to the steady beat of his heart.
Heat seared her eyelids. It was probably afternoon already. The sea lapped against the sand and a few strange-sounding birds called in the distance.
She knew what she’d see if she opened her eyes. Strange trees, white sand and water that seemed to stretch on to eternity. A whole new world. A beautiful, lost, lonely place. It reminded her of Talon.
No wonder he loved it so.
He’d coaxed her into lying beside him with embarrassing ease, but she wasn’t sorry to have left her post in front of the fire. She’d sat there most of the night, watching him sleep, his long limbs sprawled out in boneless exhaustion, wishing she’d never found Daniel’s letter.
If she hadn’t… Well, if she hadn’t, things would be so simple right now.
She felt shockingly apathetic about Daniel’s death. Despite their differences, he’d been her husband, and she’d grown fond of him during the last few weeks. She should be weak with grief, but she couldn’t manage anything but a sense of emptiness and loss.
Daniel had left her a widow. If Talon had meant the things he’d said, if he loved her as much as she loved him, there would be nothing standing between them now.
As if on cue, Talon’s arms tightened around her, the slight tension in his body giving him away. He was awake, and he probably knew she was awake, too. She should move away.
She should move away, but she didn’t. She remained still, lost in memories of his touch and kiss. There must be something wrong with her to want him so badly after all he’d done.
“Kate?” Her name was a mere breath of sound, his lips barely moving against her hair.
