Page 76 of Locked and Loaded

"It's the desert. It does that."

"I noticed." She tried to pull her wrist free, but he didn't let go. His grip was light, teasing. She could have broken it easily. She didn't.

"I need food," she said. "And sunscreen. I'm going to burn to a crisp out here."

"There's sunscreen in the bathroom."

"How do you know that?"

"Hassan thinks of everything."

She raised an eyebrow. "Does Hassan think of breakfast?"

"Lunch. It's past noon."

She stared at him. "We slept until noon?"

"You slept until noon. I slept about four hours. The rest of the time I was watching you."

Something warm spread through her chest that she immediately tried to suppress. "That's not creepy at all."

"It's practical.” He grinned. “You talk in your sleep."

"I do not."

"You said something about oranges.” He frowned. “I tried not to take it personally that you didn’t mention me."

Heat rose up her neck that had nothing to do with being in the desert. "I'm taking a shower."

This time when she pulled her wrist free, he let her. But his laughter followed her.

She walked toward the bathroom without looking back, very aware of the fact that she was crossing the entire tent with absolutely nothing on, and even more aware of the fact that she didn't care if he was watching.

The bathroom was small but functional. Copper basin, mirror, a shower stall tiled in blue and green mosaic with a rainfall showerhead that looked like it cost more than her first car. She turned the water on and stepped in before it had time to warm up.

The cold hit her like a slap. For a second, she just stood there, letting the water run over her face and shoulders, washing away the sweat and the sand and the last traces of sleep and their fast coupling. Then she tipped her head back and let it soak her hair.

The bathroom door opened. "Room for one more?"

She pushed wet hair out of her eyes. Dragan was standing in the doorway, still naked, the bandage on his arm wrapped in something waterproof. He'd been busy while she was getting in.

"You're supposed to keep that dry."

"Hassan thinks of everything."

"You said that already."

"It's still true."

She should tell him no. She should tell him she'd made a decision and she was sticking to it and this…that they…couldn't happen again. But he was already stepping into the shower and the stall was not built for two people and his hands were settling on her hips and her brain had apparently decided to take the morning off.

"This is a bad idea," she said.

"You said that last night."

"Last night I was right."

He kissed the curve of her shoulder where the water was running down. "Last night you didn't seem to mind."