Page 56 of Charlie and Her Sweet Escape
I barked out a laugh, and we finished securing the tarp and staked down the edge. It hung like a triangle, which left us open to the elements at the front or back, but at least the sides gave us some protection.
I raced around to grab kindling and logs to make a fire before everything got too wet, while Bennett lugged our belongings into our makeshift shelter. And just in the nick of time. I ducked under with an armful of sticks as the sky let loose with a torrent of rain.
“Ready to dance?” Bennett asked with waggling brows as a gust of wind blew through our tarp, bringing with it a spray of raindrops. The temperature must have dropped at least ten degrees since we got here.Wildhad warned us about the unpredictable swings in weather, and how it would be one of the hardest things to deal with out here.
“I’m ready to make a fire and curl up in my sleeping bag.” All the adrenaline was wearing off, and exhaustion was starting to weigh me down. “I was only joking about running in the rain.”
“Your face lit up when you talked about it.” He whipped his shirt off. I blinked at the tan expanse of skin only inches from my face, suddenly not as cold as before. The least he could do was warn a gal before he stripped. “I think we should do one quick run.”
“Naked?” My voice squeaked.
“If you want.” He slipped his boots off, then his socks. “I don’t want to get my clothes all wet.”
I hurriedly looked away as his fingers linked in the elastic waistband of his pants.
But I could still see him out of the corner of my eye as he paused and then leaned out to stare at the lashing rain. “Think I’ll keep these on so Savannah doesn’t have to blur out my bits. Retain the mystery.”
“So good of you,” I tried to joke, but it was a little breathy. I was both cold and hot. A furnace inside a freezer.
“I try. Coming?” He looked toward the camera, then at me again as he held out his hand. Right. The cameras. We needed to play off that we were the madly in love newlywed couple without inhibitions. And it did sound fun. I was used to my ideas being shot down, told how irresponsible or immature they were. Bennett was embracing this—even if it really was so dumb to be going out in the rain on our first day here.
But maybe being mature and smart and responsibleallthe time was overrated.
I hurriedly undressed down to my dark gray tank top and bike shorts and followed him outside. Not quite naked—I wore less when I went swimming—but still freeing to not have so many layers separating me from the elements.
The rain hit my skin like pebbled ice, but the fresh scent of pine and mountain air was unbelievable. I’d stepped into my own dream world, and it was hard to believe this was real. I tilted my head upward, letting the water run over my skin.
Bennett’s hand went around mine, and I let him tug me faster and faster around the beach, running and screaming in delight. I jumped onto his back at one point, and he carried me around, spinning until we both fell onto the sand laughing.
My heart raced with joy as Bennett turned his head to face me. “Thank you,” I said.
He brought my cold fingers to his mouth and kissed them, sending my already racing heart rate skyrocketing.
Lightning struck right over our heads, and I squealed as we raced back to the tarp and slid inside, both of us shivering and shaking now that we were done playing. We shouldn’t waste energy like this. We’d need every spare calorie while we searched for food, and running around and fighting the cold were squandering that away.
But I couldn’t regret it. Not with how light and happy I felt—more than I had in as long as I could remember.
“I’ll start the fire, if you want to get the sleeping bags unrolled,” I said.
Bennett nodded, and we got to work. I squatted in front of my little teepee of kindling and sticks and huffed as the first spark didn’t take. Or the next one. I kept trying, rearranging the kindling and hitting my flint again, blowing steadily, but no luck. I imagined warmth filling our small space and how cozy this was going to be, trying to manifest it.
“You’ve got this,” I whispered, but the potential fire wasn’t listening.
From behind me, Bennett let out a frustrated growl. “Hey, Chucky?”
“Yeah?” I turned to find him holding up a sleeping bag, a frown crossing his face.
“We may have a problem.”
22
BENNETT
It’s fine. This is all fine.
Charlie and I sat beside the small fire and ate some berries we had gathered. As the sun went down, it got cold enough for us to each pull on another layer of clothes.
We both, very decidedly, did not look in the direction of the sleeping bag laid out behind us.
