she struggled not to react.
Yep, Ajax in jeans and a tight black T-shirt—the outfit he’d worn to travel—had made her mouth water.
She herself had chosen to show up dressed similarly to the day she’d met them, mostly just to throw them off and keep them on their toes. No way would she dress like that now that she was in the country, but it had been a ruse at the time.
Her suitcase was filled with comfortable, lightweight slacks and shirts. Hiking boots. Functional bras, panties, and socks. Comfort was the name of the game.
Serena swallowed as she stared at Ajax. This third version was off the charts. Every muscle on his body was defined. She wanted to stroke his chest or maybe his biceps. She shuddered as she jerked her gaze to his.
“You okay? I heard you moving around and then the faint light. And… Well, you’ve been in there a while.”
“I’m fine. I was trying not to wake you.” She absentmindedly ran a hand through her hair again.
“Jesus, woman,” he murmured as he grabbed her arm and spun her around. “Holy shit. Have you ever cut this hair?”
Oh, right. Her hair. She rarely let anyone see it down. But it had been weighing heavily earlier and given her a headache. “No.”
His hand came to the locks, and she stood very still as he picked up a section and let his fingers slide through it. “It’s so silky. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who never cut their hair. Is this some sort of religious thing?” he asked as he came around to face her again.
She chuckled. “Sort of. Mostly, it’s just a thing. My mother never cut hers and she didn’t cut my sisters’ or mine either. I honestly never thought much about it until I was back in the States.”
“You were eighteen. An adult.”
“Yep.”
“What did you do when you returned?” he asked gently.
“I took a year to figure things out and mourn, and then I enrolled in the local junior college, got my associate’s, and went on to get my degree in business and my master’s in international studies.” Why was she telling him all this? Simple answers would suffice. The man didn’t need to know her life story.
He smiled. “I bet you’re fucking smart.”
She shrugged. “I’m just me.”
“Smarter than me. I never attended a single day of college.”
She winced. “You know I didn’t mean anything when I suggested you couldn’t read.”
He chuckled. “I know.”
“There’s no correlation between intelligence and education either.”
“Yep. I know that too.”
“You came on so strong and cocky that I had my defenses up. I owe you an apology.”
“No, you don’t. You were thrust into this situation, same as us. I understand. I was angry and frustrated when we met. Fucking furious is more like it. I didn’t put my best face on. I wouldn’t have for anyone that day. Finding out my best friend and a man I consider a brother was still alive after being told he had died…”
“Yeah. I’m sorry about that. I can’t begin to imagine how you must have been feeling for those three months.”
“Dead mostly. And wishing I were actually dead.”
She winced again. She definitely knew that feeling.
“I’ve since pulled my head out of my ass, and I intend to find my damn team, get them to safety, and find a way to restart my life. The moping and feeling sorry for myself phase is over.”
She nodded and reached for his hand for some reason. It was probably a horrible idea, but she felt like touching him in some way. They both needed comforting.
Standing in the dim light coming from the bathroom, she stroked his thumb with hers. “I know you hate having me along on this trip—”
“Serena…”
“Just listen. I get it. I’m a woman. I look fragile, and I’m not at all the sort of person you’d have chosen to head into dangerous Ethiopian territory with. I wouldn’t if I were in your shoes either. But I want you to know, I’m not as weak, physically or mentally, as I come off. I’ll do my best to stay out of your way and let you do your thing, but I’m not as ill-equipped to be here as you might imagine.”
He nodded slowly as he flipped his hand over and grasped hers. He lifted it to his cheek and rubbed her knuckles against his skin.
Her breath hitched. It felt nice. Parts of her better left dormant came to life unbidden. She wanted to jerk her hand back