turning in the sleeping bag. After a while, exhaustion gave her leave to close her eyes.
As sleep came, so did the dreams. Freed from her worry, Jensen let her spirit soar. In her mind’s eye, she gave into her longing. Gravitating to Clint’s warmth, she eased close enough to feel his breath on her face. The sensation gave her an immediate sense of well-being. With a sigh of happiness, she closed her eyes, drifting deeper into sleep.
…A few hours later, Jensen awoke. She didn’t know what time it was, but night was still upon them. Something was different, however. What had awakened her?
Oh, nothing was wrong. On the contrary. She felt warm, safe, and perfectly content. At first, she thought she was dreaming. Lying perfectly still, she sought to determine what had changed. Two heartbeats later, she realized Clint was spooning her, one arm out of his sleeping bag to cradle her close.
Her eyes sprang open to verify she wasn’t dreaming. No, this was real. Totally unexpected and absolutely amazing. She was now fully resting in his embrace – and God, it felt so good. Unable to resist, she allowed herself to indulge in the moment. Jensen held her breath as he tightened his hold on her, urging her closer in his sleep to nestle more fully against him.
Jensen knew she needed to move. Even though her mind was onboard with the idea, her body refused to cooperate. To complicate matters, frissons of excitement bloomed on her skin when she felt Clint begin to nuzzle and kiss her neck. As much as she ached for the sweet contact, she knew this was a mistake.
“Oh, baby,” Clint whispered, his hand moving from her waist to brush her hair from her cheek. Before she could move, he urged her to lie flat and moved over her, his mouth claiming hers. The moan he gave was one of absolute relief. Cupping her face, he claimed her lips again and again, gentle at first, then hard and hungry. The kiss was so hot, it sent shockwaves through Jensen as their lips crashed together over and over like stars colliding in cosmic fireworks. In her mindless state, Jensen arced into him, reveling in his fire and in his strength. He wanted her desperately and was unafraid to show it. This was beyond sexy to her and gave her the freedom to reveal her own compelling need. Clinging to him, the kiss went on and on until his hand slid up her body – mere inches from her nonexistent breast.
As Clint continued to kiss her softly, Jensen froze and captured his hand to still the sensual exploration. She fully expected Clint to protest. When he didn’t, she realized he wasn’t fully awake. Holding his hand in hers, she kept it still, anchored just below her heart. Lying her cheek to his, she held him as he quieted, drifting back into a deep slumber.
Nestled near him, her heart was beating like a drum. “Don’t wake up. Please. Don’t wake up,” she voiced the most silent of whispers. When his breathing evened out, she carefully distanced herself from him, rolling to her side. Reaching for her bag, she checked her phone, and saw that it was still several hours until dawn.
Behind her, Clint let out what sounded like a happy sigh. She couldn’t help but smile, the reality of his kiss was far better than any fantasy. Knowing tomorrow would be challenging, she closed her eyes and willed herself back to sleep.
… “Wake up, sunshine. Time’s a wasting.”
“Okay. Okay. I’m up.” Jensen’s announcement preceded any actual movement by ten seconds or so. In the process of stretching and rubbing her eyes, the events of the previous night dawned on her. “Oh, my God.”
“What’s wrong?” Clint asked casually. “Is there a snake in your sleeping bag?”
“No!” The very thought sent Jensen scrambling, trying to get to her feet before the zipper was completely down. “Thanks for giving me a bad case of the willies.”
Behind her, he chuckled. Jensen glanced around, surprised to see him fully dressed. “How long have you been awake?”
“Oh, a while. How did you sleep?”
“Fine,” she answered slowly, wondering at the inflection in his tone. Did she detect something in his voice? “Why?”
“Oh, no reason,” he said off-handedly as he stood to his feet. “Just being polite.”
“How did you sleep?” she asked, mirroring his casual small talk.
“Wonderful. Fantastic dreams.”
“Great.” Jensen coughed, almost choking. “Since you’re dressed, could you give…”