Trapped (The Condemned Series #1) - Alison Aimes Page 0,45

a hundred metrals of him if the jammer isn’t operational.”

“But you don’t need me to work on—”

“I do.” He still hadn’t looked at her. “I do need you.”

Her heart skittered and took flight. Could it be they weren’t only talking about the jammer anymore?

“Give me a few days.” His gaze slammed back into her, his expression unreadable again. “I’ll see what I can do with the jammer, and in the meantime, I’ll deliver a message from you to Ava. Maybe something written in your own hand will persuade her of the dangers. And I’ll make sure you’re back with him–,” he swallowed hard, “–with Winthrop–when the time comes.” He nodded once. “I’ll get you home, Bella. I swear it.”

Her. He’d get her home. Not the two of them.

She rubbed at her chest with the palm of her hand. “Okay.” It was settled. Her worry put to rest. He’d take her back if and when the time came. So why did it feel as if her chest were being torn in two?

“Okay?” One eyebrow rose, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “That’s it?”

“I trust you, Caine. If you say you’ll get me home, I know you will.”

He nodded, his jaw still clenched tight.

Done fighting her instinct, she walked over and wrapped her arms around him—or, at least, around as much of him as she could, his hard chest as comforting and warm as ever. “Thank you for everything.”

For an instant, he’d just stood there awkwardly, a little stiff, a lot unsure. Then his arms came around her and he gripped her tightly. “You’re welcome.” His voice was gruff.

She’d have given anything in that moment to know what he was thinking.

Was he secretly cursing the deal he’d made and the burdens of extra responsibility and risk it had heaped upon him? Or, like her, was he floored to discover that, if not for her worry over her siblings and the approaching rescue shuttle, she could stay in his arms forever and be happy?

Chapter Fifteen

The ripple of warm water against her shoulders soothed Bella’s nerves.

While the rest of Caine’s home might be sparse, this side chamber was indulgence itself: a patchwork of vivid emerald moss and red smooth rocks surrounding a small clear spring. It might not have the dramatic plants or pink lake of the Oasis, or the purple fruit and fan-shaped palms of the first cave Caine had taken her to, but it was equally lovely in its own quiet way. Even the melodic plinking of condensation slipping back into the water was calming.

Exactly what she needed right now.

She’d retreated here after a strained dinner. Sure, Caine had wolfed down the meal she’d made, praising her efforts while his jaw worked overtime pretending she hadn’t overcooked the meat. And if she hadn’t thought him a good guy before, that act of kindness alone would have told her everything.

But tension still vibrated between them. Questions about the future, worries about what would happen tomorrow, returning with a vengeance the moment she’d stepped out of his arms. She had to return home. That she knew. Even if the thought of leaving Caine here alone made her stomach twist and her throat close tight.

Sighing, she scooped up handfuls of water. The droplets slipping through her fingers no matter how hard she tried to hold them close. Just like Caine himself.

Her hands blurred. She blinked fast.

What she needed was some distance. Some perspective. Even if she could somehow convince Caine to come with her, what did she think would happen? That somehow things would work out between them? She would still be a junior scientist bound by Council rule to do whatever it took to keep her siblings fed and housed. Plus, she had no idea who was waiting for Caine back on Earth. Or anything about his past for that matter. What he’d done to end up on Dragath25. Who the hell Gwen was.

Maybe Ava was right. Maybe her dreams of a possible future between them were foolish. Maybe they were nothing more than desperate pipedreams based on the intensity of the moment.

Her fist hit the water surface, sending spray flying into her face.

“Am I interrupting?”

She swiveled around at the rough rumble of Caine’s voice, her vision clearing as the water rolled down her face.

Her breath caught in her throat.

He stood on the bank above, one arm stretched above his head, his fingers tucked into a rocky ledge, his other hand behind his back.

It was a stance with forced casual written all over