Whitewater Rendezvous

CHAPTER NINE

Chaz was grateful the clients all wanted to talk about the bear.

Between their requests to hear her retelling of last night’s encounter and her duties preparing breakfast, she was too distracted to think much about waking up with Megan in her arms.

But the memory did surface every time she got a moment to herself, and she couldn’t help glancing in the direction of the tents. Everyone was up and eating except for Megan, who had been out cold when Chaz had gotten up an hour and a half earlier. They were all loath to disturb her, after the fright she’d had, and there was no need to rush to get on the river, anyway. Their next campsite was not far downstream.

How the hell do I react when I see her? What do I say?

Chaz had awakened slowly that morning and had briefl y felt as though she must still be dreaming, so unaccustomed was she to waking up next to someone. Especially quite like this. She had found herself wrapped protectively around Megan, hugging her from behind, one arm loosely draped around her neck, the other around her waist and…

Oh, my. Her right hand was inside Megan’s T-shirt, pressed against the warm, soft fl esh of her stomach, which moved slightly with each slow, deep breath.

She was spooning Megan as though they did this every night.

Initially, she was shocked to fi nd herself thus, but then she vaguely remembered that Megan had had a nightmare. She’d had them herself—nightmares of being chased—the summer that a grizzly followed her for miles during a solo backpacking trip near Denali. She’d wanted Megan to feel safe. She remembered that much, but not much else. Icertainly didn’t intend to sleep like that all night.

Once the initial shock had worn off, and she realized that Megan seemed to be deeply asleep, Chaz had pushed her nagging conscience aside and allowed herself a few totally self-indulgent minutes just to…

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KIM BALDWIN

relish where she was. A moment to memorize the feel of Megan’s skin against her palm. Her hand ached to go exploring, but she refused to allow it. It took every ounce of her willpower to remain still.

She closed her eyes and inhaled the delicate herbal scent of Megan’s shampoo, delighting in the press of their bodies against each other. Their legs and lower torsos were separated by their sleeping bags, but during the night, they had somehow managed to unzip the tops of the bags so they could snuggle closer together.

Her breasts were pressed up against Megan’s back, and she was all too suddenly aware that her nipples were achingly hard. Uh, oh. Shebetter not wake up when I’m like this.

With excruciating slowness, she had extricated herself from their embrace, trying desperately not to wake Megan. Only once did Megan show any sign of rousing. When Chaz’s body separated from hers, she let out a soft sigh, a moan of disappointment that made Chaz’s heart skip a beat.

She kept hearing that sigh.

Don’t go there, she tried to tell herself. She’sa client. Just a client.

Just a client. She kept saying it over and over, trying to imprint it on every fi ber of her being, but her body was having none of it. It had had a taste of Megan, and it wanted more.

O

Megan joined them just before nine, looking relaxed and rested.

Chaz caught sight of her as soon as she left their tent, and Megan sought out her eyes, too, and held them, as she approached the eating and cooking area.

Before she had a chance to say anything, Pat and Justine corralled her with questions.

“How are you?” Pat inquired. “Still shaken up a bit?”

“Did you get some sleep?” Justine asked.

“Actually, I slept pretty well,” Megan replied with a half smile.

She looked in Chaz’s direction and her smile got bigger. “All things considered.”

Chaz could have sworn she saw a twinkle in her eyes. Oh, shit.

Well, that answers that. She apparently remembers me holding her. Sothe question now is, does she also know how much I enjoyed it?

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Дата добавления: 2015-11-14