Page 31 of Midnight Hunter
“Will do.”
I watched him shuffle away for a few moments, making sure he was steady on his feet, then hung my coat up again near the fire and dove back into the tent.
“Brrr…” Rubbing my arms, I sat down and took off my boots, leaving them near the door, then unzipped my sleeping bag. Our combined body heat and the radiant heat from the fire had turned the tent interior much warmer than outside, but there was still a bit of a damp chill permeating the space.
Slipping into the bag, I zipped it up over my legs, then waited for Toren to come back.
Hopefully, this wouldn’t be too weird or awkward. We had our own sleeping bags, so I didn’t have to worry about rolling onto his side of the bed or anything. It still felt a little strange to share sleeping space with a stranger, though, no matter how nice he was.
When Toren returned five minutes later, my legs and feet had warmed enough to make the rest of my body sleepy. I was done with this day.
“Did you do all right with the walking stick?” I asked as he entered the tent.
“It wasn’t too bad, actually.” He crawled across the tent floor to his sleeping bag. “I think I’ll be okay with it to hike to the plane. We’ll just need to take it slow.”
That was a relief. I knew we could call in help if we truly needed it, but it was better for everyone if he could hike out himself, even if it took us twice as long.
Nylon rustled and a zipper ticked as Toren got into his sleeping bag.
I sank deeper into my own, suddenly hyper aware of his large presence only feet away. It was both comforting and not. While he made me feel safe, something about the man called to me on an almost primal level.
Something?my inner voice said, sarcasm ringing through my head.Try those rock-hard muscles, beautiful face, and brooding eyes.
I rolled my eyes, thankful the dim interior and the hood of my bag hid my face so Toren couldn’t see. Yes, he was all those things. And yes, that was probably what called to me.
With a quiet huff, I rolled over, away from temptation. I wanted to snuggle up to his side and that just wouldn’t do.
“Sweet dreams, Lana.” Sleep tinged his low voice.
I let go of the thoughts circling my mind and welcomed the fatigue I’d been holding at bay. “You too. Goodnight.” I closed my eyes, tugged my sleeping bag a little tighter around myself, and gave in to sleep.
Chapter 12
Lana
The ache in my hips, not the chill on my nose, woke me the next morning. Each time I woke to stoke the fire, the thought of lying back down on the hard ground held less and less appeal. It was finally late enough—or early enough, depending on how you looked at it—to get up and stay up.
Pushing my sleeping bag away from my face, I fumbled with the zipper. As I moved the fabric away, my gaze landed on Toren. Even inside our little alcove, there was enough light coming in from the fire and the sun that was already up to see his face.
He looked comfortable, unlike when he went to sleep last night and pain pinched his features. If he could sleep relaxed, that reassured me his injuries were less severe than we originally thought.
My gaze traced the lines of his face. How anyone could be so devastatingly handsome, I didn’t know. I still couldn’t believe I’d convinced him to come out here. Even without his massive size, his looks alone were intimidating.
Dark eyebrows sliced over eyes—when they were open—the color of coal, except shiny. I couldn’t call them obsidian, because there weren’t completely black, but instead variations of darkbrown and a deep rust color. I’d seen them up close and personal yesterday, and they’d been mesmerizing.
My gaze traveled down his face. A short, thick, beard obscured his jawline, but the neat trim made it easy to see the sharp angles. They matched the sharpness of his cheekbones.
Topping it all off was the thick, wavy, raven-colored hair that he often kept tied back. Right now, though, it was loose, falling around his forehead in heavy locks.
That fine hum from last night coursed through my body again.
Down, girl.
I rolled my eyes and sat up, pushing the sleeping bag down. Lusting after my guide, handsome or not, wouldn’t help get us out of here. I needed to keep my wits about me and not be distracted. My hormones could wait until we were back in town.
Toren stirred as I slid out of my bag and scooted toward the door. I glanced back to see those dark eyes flutter open.
“I’m going to go stoke the fire again, get some more firewood, and use the restroom. Do you need any more painkillers while I’m up?”
