Move the Sun (Signal Bend #1)(68)

Duncan and Mindy were both waiting for them. Mindy had the blanket spread wide, waiting to wrap Lilli in it. When she saw that Isaac was carrying her, she shifted her hold so that she could cover Lilli in his arms. Duncan had their clothes.

“She okay?”

Isaac grunted. “Don’t know. Gotta get her back to the camper.”

“Wait, Isaac.” Mindy put her hand on his arm. “She’s freezing. Sit at the fire for a few minutes to warm her up. You, too.”

He nodded and sat down where they’d started the night. Cradling Lilli in his arms, he checked her over.

She was still breathing, so it wasn’t that she’d drowned. Her pulse was strong, if fast. But even in the firelight, he could see that she was shockingly pale. He pressed his lips to her forehead; she was deeply chilled. He wrapped the blanket tighter. He was shivering himself, but he didn’t care. “Lilli, baby. Come on.

What’s wrong?”

He didn’t understand what the holy f*ck had happened. She went to the bathroom, and then she was swimming naked and wasted, in the dark, out to the middle of a lake? She’d gone much farther, into dangerous territory, when he’d called for her. Like she was trying to get away from him. He didn’t understand.

He had no idea how long they sat there. For the most part, the party went on around them. Somebody— Isaac didn’t even notice who—draped a rough woolen blanket over his shoulders. Duncan took their clothes back to the camper. Otherwise, they were left alone.

When she woke, or came to, or whatever, she did so violently, in the way she sometimes came out of her dreams. Isaac took a hard hit to his chin before he could get the right hold on her. He squeezed her close, pinning her arms until she settled. When she did, he pulled back so he could see her.

“Hey, Flipper. You with me?”

After a confused second or two, she nodded. “I don’t—I—I’m naked.”

Relieved, confused, but no longer angry, Isaac laughed. “Indeed you are. I’m gonna pick you up and carry you to the camper, okay? We’re gonna sleep, and in the morning, we’re gonna talk.”

When he picked her up, she hooked her arm around his neck and laid her head on his chest.

oOo



He tucked her close, curling his body around hers. Lilli slept right away, having barely woken at the bonfire, and Isaac was able to sleep, too, once he felt sure she was settled.

He woke at dawn to the sounds and smells of camp waking up—people at neighboring sites speaking quietly, fixing campfire breakfasts, heading off to showers. He was stiff. They hadn’t moved all night, and the camper bed wasn’t exactly luxurious. He had a bad moment, when he feared something terrible had happened, but Lilli was simply sleeping deeply. She stirred, sighing prettily, when he came up on his elbow.

Her lake adventure had really thrown him. He didn’t know whether it was a big deal, or whether he should make it a big deal, but she could have died. Stupidly. And he had no f*cking idea why.

They needed to get up, though. He rubbed his hand up and down the firm, satiny length of her arm. He kissed her shoulder. She tasted like lake and bonfire, and he felt his heart cramp at the memory of his fear.

And his anger. She stirred again, her beautiful ass sliding slightly against his rigid cock.

He shifted his hips back; she was probably feeling like crap. Not the morning to get anything started. His hand on her shoulder, he gave her a gentle shake. “Time to get up, Sport.” She moaned a little and curled up more tightly, her ass coming back to graze his cock again. Christ, he wanted her. He felt a need for her whenever she was near, like a buzz in the back of his head, but skin to skin with her, the urge was almost overwhelming. He flexed against her, unable not to, and then turned and sat up, making some better space between them.

He swatted the ass that was causing him such consternation. “Lilli, baby, up you go.” This time she rolled to her back and opened her eyes, giving him a nasty look. The hangover hit her then. “Ow. Fuck.”

He couldn’t help the grin. “Not surprised. You had an adventurous night. How d’you feel besides your head?”

She sat up and groaned. Her hair was a matted mess, and she looked pained, but otherwise okay. “Like I ran a marathon without training for it first.” She rubbed her hands over her face, then dropped them and looked at Isaac. “Did we swim?”

“I guess that’s one way to put it. Another way is that you skinny-dipped and almost drowned, and I swam out to rescue you.”

She gaped at him. “Jesus. What was in that weed?”

“It was just good weed, baby. You’re a lightweight.” He brushed her hair off her shoulders and came back with a piece of lake grass. Rolling it in his fingers, he asked, “There something going on with you?

Us?”

She furrowed her brow, then winced in pain and relaxed her face. “What? No.”

“I think there is. Drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts. Same with actions. You swam away from me last night, into trouble.”

“No, Isaac, I don’t”—she stopped and closed her eyes—“No. Truly. And my head hurts too much for a big talk.”

That told him there was a big talk knocking around somewhere in her sore head. Of course there was something going on with her, with them. They were facing big shit when they got back to town. He still didn’t know whether what happened last night was just a lark or somehow was related to their murky future, but he decided to let it drop. They weren’t talking about that shit now, anyway; that was their deal. “I can help you with the hangover. I’ll get breakfast started; why don’t you take a hot shower?”