Safe In Your Arms Read Online Free PDF Page B

deep with maturity. His body was no longer slim and agile, but had filled out with hard muscles covered by tanned skin. He was a toned warrior, now. She wondered what experiences had marked him enough to keep her from recognizing him. The ready-to-laugh boy was sadly missing in the so-serious man before her.
    “Hello, Mina.” He waved a hand in front of her to get her attention. “Go take a bath. I’ll have dinner for you when you’re through. Don’t use too much shampoo, and no splashing. We don’t want the Z’s getting curious enough to try to swim over here.”
    “Can they swim?” Her question made him shrug, causing his shoulder muscles to flex. A heated ball of pure lust had her girlie parts dancing in anticipation and her mouth going as dry as the desert.
    “I don’t know. I don’t want to find out, either. You have fifteen minutes, Duchess,” he said, turning to walk away. Her eyes focused on his backside in a pair of dark blue shorts with a sigh of female appreciation. She was in serious danger of having her childhood crush turn into a full-blown adult case of the hots for Gabriel Landing.
    “Holy crap!” Setting the folded-up towel on one of the bigger rocks, she set about washing up in the chilly water.

Chapter Four
    The smell of something cooking made her feet move faster over the uneven ground, though she was having a harder time seeing the sharp rocks with the sun gone. The camo-net covering brushed over her as she lifted it to enter the cave. Gabe was kneeling at the small fire pit, using a fork to turn over long strips of what she recognized as fish. Her mouth watered enough to force her to swallow, but she wasn’t sure if it was due to the enticing aroma of the food or the half-naked male who looked up at her with eyes that traveled over her towel-wrapped body.
    It felt so wonderful being clean that she hadn’t wanted to put on the dirty clothes he’d let her borrow, so she’d washed them and draped them over a small tree in the hopes that they would dry during the night. Clutching the tuck holding the towel over her left breast, she pushed back her tangled, wet hair behind her ear. Nerves made her bite her lower lip as she watched his gaze move down from her naked neck and shoulders, to her rounded breasts perfectly outlined by the towel, and finally to her legs and bare feet.
    “You’re late. Dinner was about to burn.” The reprimand in his deep tone shocked her out of her frozen state of awe. Instantly, anger burned deep in her belly, replacing the quivery nerves of sexual awareness. She’d let her childhood fantasies blind her to the fact that he had never been hers. He liked Callie. Disappointment was a crushing blow to her ego as she took a reassuring breath.
    “If you hadn’t stolen my watch, then I might have been able to tell when fifteen minutes went by, Sergeant Landing.” Attitude came to her defense as she tossed her head, forcing the wet curls back over her shoulder. There was no place for soft feelings in this situation. She had momentarily forgotten the danger of getting attached to anyone in this post Z-Day world.
    “Did someone steal the clothes you were wearing as well?” A dark brow rose over his eye in a way that reminded her of her father. Disapproval was a permanent expression on the old man’s face whenever he looked at her, which wasn’t often. He didn’t like that she’d insisted on studying to be an artist. He didn’t want a flighty artist in the family; no, he wanted her to follow in his footsteps and go into politics. Callie was his little protégé, now.
    “Actually, someone did.” He grinned in appreciation for her pointed glare.
    “I’ll have your clothes back to you tomorrow afternoon, Duchess.” He stood up, making the small cave feel even smaller as his body cast a long shadow against the back wall. Mina took the moment to catch her breath as he moved to the wooden chest. Her concentration was on the play of his shoulders as he rummaged