Page 34 of Passions Ignite

They both laughed, and Lux chuckled the loudest. She glanced at Zoey’s face and smiled.

“Can’t believe a snake saw me naked,” Lux said.

“Who knows, maybe that’s why it didn’t attack.”

“Don’t even get started, you’re”—she glanced at Zoey’s body again—“damn.”

Zoey backed away and cleared her throat. “We should get dressed.”

Didn’t she want this?Lux nodded and walked over to pick her clothes. Zoey did the same. Lux couldn’t take her eyes off Zoey’s beautiful round ass as she bent over. There was a memory that would stay with her forever.

“We should head back to camp,” Lux said, as soon as they were done dressing. “We need to get dry and make sure we’re ready for the next leg of the journey.”

Zoey nodded, but she didn’t move. Her eyes were still locked on Lux’s, her expression softening. “Lux…?”

“Yes?”

Zoey hesitated, her hand still resting on Lux’s arm. She could see the conflict in Zoey’s lovely brown eyes.

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

Lux nodded, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something Zoey had wanted to say. But she didn’t press, knowing that they had already been through enough for one day. They turned and began to make their way back to camp.

The tension from the rattlesnake encounter still buzzed in her veins, but she forced herself to try to relax. Zoey’s hand brushed against Lux’s, and her heart skipped a beat.

She reminded herself she wasn’t supposed to feel this way. It was supposed to be just sex, nothing more. She didn’t domore.She wasn’t looking for anything deeper and didn’t want to risk hurting Zoey when she inevitably got bored of her.

“Lux,” Zoey started, “what do you think you’ll do after all this is over?”

Lux’s stomach tightened. She knew the question was coming, even if it wasn’t the dreaded “what are we” talk. She needed to keep things light, keep the walls up.

“I don’t know. Maybe take a long shower and eat something that isn’t wild berries. You?”

Zoey laughed, but it was a little forced. “I guess I haven’t really thought about it. It feels like we’ve been out here forever.”

“Yeah,” Lux agreed, keeping her tone casual, though her thoughts were anything but. She liked Zoey, more than she should. But she wasn’t the type to settle down. It was easier to keep things physical to avoid the emotional entanglements that came with letting someone in.

Zoey hesitated, then reached out, her fingers brushing Lux’s arm. The touch was light, but it sent a jolt of electricity through Lux.

“You okay?” Zoey asked, her eyes searching Lux’s face.

Lux nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah, just tired.”

Lux swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. She wanted to say something, but the words were stuck. Instead, she nodded again, her smile feeling tight.

Lux’s heart twisted. She knew she was on the edge of something she couldn’t control, something that terrified her more than the fire or the snake. But she couldn’t bring herself to pull away.

Not yet.

She reached out, tucking a loose strand of dark hair behind Zoey’s ear, her fingers lingering against Zoey’s cheek.

The space between them seemed to shrink, the air around them thick with unspoken feelings. Lux wanted to close the gap,to give in to the pull she felt toward Zoey. But the fear of what might happen after held her back.

Instead, she stepped away, breaking the moment. “We should get some more rest,” Lux said, even though her heart was racing.

Zoey nodded, the disappointment clear in her eyes, but she didn’t press. “Yeah, you’re right.”

As they settled down, Lux couldn’t help but wonder how much longer she could keep up this balancing act, caught between what she wanted and what she was afraid to have.

---