Page 60 of Deceptive Lies

But this was what Cooper did.

He’d been in Delta Force and now he worked for Prey Security. If he believed they could afford a couple of hours to rest and recharge, she shouldn’t be arguing with him.

“Okay,” she agreed, her eyes already growing heavy just at the prospect of sleep.

When he scooped her into his arms, Cooper killed the protest she’d been about to utter by feathering his lips across hers. “Shh, honey, don’t argue with me. Let me carry you. Better to only have one set of footsteps leading away from the helicopter anyway. That way, if wind doesn’t blow sand over our trails they at least won't know right away that we both survived.”

“Don’t want you to hurt yourself, I can walk,” she told him, even though she burrowed into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder, which made for a surprisingly comfortable pillow.

Carrying her a short distance from the wreckage, over a small hill that would provide them a little cover should Professor Mahmoud’s men show up quicker than they thought, Cooper then sank down to sit in the sand. He kept her on his lap, his arms firm like steel bands around her, but she felt the softness to his hold.

“I'm glad I didn't lose you,” she whispered sleepily, no longer able to fight off the darkness tugging at the cornersof her mind.

“I'm glad I didn't lose you either,” Cooper whispered back, and she felt his lips touch a kiss to her temple.

A smile was on her lips as she drifted off to sleep. They weren't safe, they might not survive the trek across the desert, but she had Cooper by her side, and somehow, that made everything better.

Chapter

Fifteen

July 13th

5:28 A.M.

A scant couple of hours later, Cooper had to wake Willow.

She hadn't gotten even close to enough sleep. Her body would take weeks to recover from the physical and psychological trauma she’d been through, and two hours on the sand in the desert wasn't even enough to take the edge off her exhaustion.

But the sky was beginning to lighten, streaks of color painting beautiful pinks, reds, and golds across the expanse above them, and he knew that they had to get walking. In reality, spending these last couple of hours resting wasn't the smartest thing to do if they wanted to give themselves the best chance of getting out of there.

Only when it came to Willow he couldn’t think clearly.

Torn between doing what he’d do if he was out there alone, or if he’d been with either his Delta team or Charlie team, which was get walking, get as much distance between them and the crash site, and doing what was in Willow’s best interest. In that moment it was rest. She was running on empty, she’d given everything she had, and walkingwas out of the question for her at the time. While he would have carried her, he was wiped out, too, covered in bruises and gashes, body aching and screaming for rest, he wouldn't have been able to carry her indefinitely.

So sleep it had been.

Two hours was the best he could give her because now what was in Willow’s best interest was to get them the hell out of there.

“Hey, honey,” he murmured, stroking a lock of hair off her face, and touching a kiss to the side of her head. He was such a goner when it came to this woman, she’d blasted into his life like a hurricane, tossed him up, thrown him about until he lost all sight of anything but her.

Giving a small groan, Willow burrowed deeper into his arms, and he couldn’t help but smile. She was adorable half asleep like this, all warm and soft and pliable. What would it be like to wake up with Willow in his arms when they’d spent the night in a real bed, after making love, falling asleep sated and safe?

There was no use denying he wouldn't love to find out, but now wasn't the time to focus on anything but their lives and their safety.

Later.

When they were out of danger he could see if she’d be interested in going out on a date with him.

“Come on, honey, you have to wake up.”

“Don’t wanna,” she muttered, pressing her face against his neck.

Cooper chuckled. “I know you don’t, honey. But the sun is rising and we have to get walking.”

Another groan tumbled from her lips, but she lifted her head, blinked sleepily, and gave him a soft smile that shot like an arrow straight into his heart. “Did you get any sleep?”

“Dozed a little.” It was all he could allow himself. While they’d both been kidnapped in Saqqara, and they’d both been in that crash, he was still streaks ahead because these were just the latest in a series of traumas Willow had endured over the last few weeks.

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