Page 25 of Duty Bound

“I would have washed them,” she said, “but there’s nowhere to hang them up, and I wasn’t sure how long we were going to be here.”

“Not that long.”

She’d figured that much.

He opened one of the packs and rifled around. With a grunt, he pulled out a plain, khaki green T-shirt. “Knew there was one in here somewhere.”

It was a man’s size, but she didn’t care. It was clean.

“Thanks.”

His gaze locked on her, heat radiating off him. She turned her back and a few seconds later, heard him go outside and close the door.

The fresh T-shirt felt amazing, but there was no getting around the dirty jeans, which she pulled back on, cringing at the dirt stains on the knees. Finally, she put on her tennis shoes, which used to be white but were now an interesting brown-gray. Her blisters were beginning to turn into calluses, so at least her shoes didn’t hurt her feet. She’d lost her jacket in Kabul and would probably never again see it or anything from her suitcase.

Lily opened the door to find Blade, rifle in hand, staring out into the forest. He appeared to be deep in thought. The sun beat down on his head, highlighting the natural blond streaks in his brown hair. His profile was strong and noble, his jaw glistening with golden stubble. She blew a damp strand off her face. God definitely knew what He was doing when He made this one. “Everything okay?”

He gave a tight nod. “So far, so good.”

She stepped outside and glanced up at the sun, still hot, but beginning to sag over the top of the hills on the other side of the valley. “What time is it?”

“Nearly two o’clock.” He didn’t check his wristwatch.

That meant she’d been asleep most of the morning. Strange, it had felt like no time at all. Her captors would definitely have cleared the rubble from the explosion by now and realized she wasn’t in the cave. They’d know the only way out was via the tunnel. Were they already scouring the hills, searching for her? Could they be making their way through the lush valley towards the cabin?

“Isn’t staying here giving them a chance to catch us up?”

“Yeah, but the alternative could get us killed. We’re too exposed during the day.”

“When does the sun go down?”

“Here in the woods, might be dark enough in another three or four hours.”

Three or four hours. That long. Knowing her enemies were on her trail made her on edge. Her instinct was to keep moving, keep running, but she had to trust him. He was the expert, after all.

“Okay.” She tried to keep her voice upbeat. “What did you want to talk about?”

CHAPTER 10

What was she trying to do? Torture him?

He couldn’t get rid of the image of Lily standing there in nothing but a blanket, her pearly white shoulders in full view, her cleavage taunting him.

Soaking freaking wet.

Damp tendrils of hair falling over her shoulders, like some sexy river nymph.

It was all he could do to concentrate on what she was saying. For a moment, his brain had frozen.

The effect this woman had on him…

Not this woman. Spade’s woman.

As if he could forget that. He was beginning to understand why his buddy hadn’t brought her out with the guys like some of the others did. The wider Special Forces units were fairly incestuous. Maybe Spade had wanted to keep her all to himself, and not run the risk of anyone hitting on her.

Not that she would have cheated on him. She was loyal, he could see that. She’d loved Spade.

Her words came back to haunt him.

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