Safe In Your Arms (4 page)

When her immediate needs were taken care of, she made her way back to the entrance to the cave. There was no way to tell which island she was on. They didn’t call them the Thousand Islands for nothing. No, she had to find out how big the island was, but if she wanted to do that, she knew it would take a walk through the trees and weeds. The ground rose at a sharp angle, that and the pine needles, rocks, and unknown insects hiding in the thick woods decided for her. She would stay put until her possessions were returned. Anger at his decision to leave her all alone and defenseless made her look for anything she could use as a weapon. The idea that he could be attacked somewhere on the island made her worry and fear the worst when he failed to show up as the sun sank toward the shoreline.

Whittling a spear out of a tree branch was impossible without her knives, so she settled for collecting shards of broken glass. Spending a miserable week with Daren’s groping friends had taught her a thing or two about survival. She’d found that she was handy with knives, could build a trap well enough to catch rabbits, and actually remembered some of the self-defense moves from the classes her father insisted both his girls take. She wouldn’t go down or be turned into one of those monsters without a fight. And she sure wouldn’t allow some strange man to use and abuse her, either.

Mina forced herself to move about the small area gathering dry wood for the fire. Adding small pieces of wood a little at a time, Mina had kept the fire going just enough to ensure she’d have light, heat, and protection from animals if her reluctant hero didn’t return. She ate a can of peas for lunch and drank more water.

Dusk settled over the water like a warm blanket as Mina wandered close to the water. Her bare feet hurt from walking over the sharp rocks. A blissful sigh escaped her as she stepped into the cool water with both feet. Looking out over the dark water, she stared at the opposite shore, where the sun was just beginning to sink behind the trees and buildings. Her disgruntled hero had warned her not to go near the water until dusk. It was dusk.

There was an absence of everything she had always expected and known here in these wonderful waters. She closed her eyes and pictured the sounds of the busy waterway. Boats, motors roaring, splashed through the water, bouncing against the waves from other ships zooming by. The occupants laughing and screaming in delight as they enjoyed a sunset ride. Big paddle boats, luxuriously built for passengers, blared their horns as they pulled up to the docks across from her. She could almost smell the family barbeques, charred hamburgers and chicken smoking on the grills.

Her eyes flew open as she heard nothing but the slight breeze as it blew through the leaves of the trees behind her. Frogs and crickets were beginning to chirp nearby, their song easing her nerves a bit. All of nature hid when the undead were near. She was safe, for the moment.

“I told you not to go near the water.” She spun around so fast that she lost her balance and would have fallen if he hadn’t grabbed her arm to balance her. Her hands landed on bare skin, warm and slightly damp beneath her palms. She stared at solid pectoral muscles until a firm hand gripped her chin to lift her face up toward his. Mina held her breath as she looked into dark blue eyes the color of the darkened sky.

“I didn’t expect you to listen.” He looked over her head towards the other shore, those bedroom eyes narrowing as he concentrated on scanning for danger. “You don’t smell them, Mina?” She felt his hands tighten on her arms as he asked.

Taking a deep breath, Mina numbly shook her head. All she could smell was him. He must have just taken a swim and washed with some masculine soap. It was intoxicatingly male, strong and spicy with a hint of mint that made her want to take a big bite out of him. Her knees weakened, her breasts tightened, and her breathing accelerated.

“Don’t worry. They are in the town, searching for survivors in the homes and businesses. They might not know we are here...yet.” His deep voice sent a shiver down her spine as it dropped to a reassuring tone. Slowly, he released her to step back. She wrapped her arms over her breasts, trying to hide the fact that his nearness had affected her so strongly. She watched as he went to a big green tote bag, unzipped it, and turned toward her with a towel and a couple bottles in his hands.

“You probably want to bathe. I’m afraid you’re stuck washing in the river. I’ll build a fire so you can get warm afterwards.” He held out the towel and a bottle of shampoo and body wash to her. Mina stared at the shampoo, feeling her stomach clench in longing. How long had it been since she’d been able to wash her hair with real shampoo? At least a week that she could figure.

“You look like I’ve brought you the golden fleece and a bowl of ambrosia.” His charming chuckle slid over her like a warm caress. Something in the way his eyes sparkled and his lips curled up forming a cute little dimple in his right cheek caught her as familiar. She took the towel and soaps, hugging them tightly to her chest as she blinked up at him.

“You never told me, how do you know my name?” she blurted out as he turned to head for the cave’s hidden entrance. He stopped, the muscles in his bare back tightening before he turned sideways to look at her. “Who are you?”

“You wouldn’t recognize me.” He shrugged a shoulder. “Callie would have remembered me, but then, she was the sweeter sister. My name is Gabriel Landing. My father owned Landing Contracting.”

“Gabe.” Mina nearly dropped the towel as her whole body shook with the revelation. Of course, why hadn’t she known him? He was taller, stronger, and far more aggressive than the boy who had been her summer crush. There were similarities, of course. That dark brown hair that curled up at the ends as the strands danced in the gentle breeze. And his eyes were the same dark blue, entrancing if a girl looked at them for too long. Damn he was hot! But then, he had a hard edge to his mouth, cut 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 inside it. He had a pleasing form, one that made her fingers itch to sketch him. So caught up was she in trying to memorize the shape of his back that she nearly missed the ball of material he tossed at her.

“I’ll step outside for a second to let you get dressed. Sorry, I don’t have another pair of sweats, but the shirt should be long enough to cover you.” He made to move past her, both of them careful not to let their bodies touch as he left the cave.

Mina unfolded a black T-shirt that looked like it was big enough for her to use as a dress. Sighing, she dropped the towel and pulled the shirt on. Burying her nose in the collar, she inhaled the fresh scent of detergent. Two weeks after the world fell to the undead, yet he had freshly laundered clothes? Most of the guys she knew didn’t worry about clean clothes before Z-Day. What was going on here?

An idea hit her that made her huff out a breath. It never crossed her mind that the contractor’s son could be into other guys. Disappointment turned to disgust. It figured. His body was well-maintained and groomed. Wasn’t it just her luck to be stuck with a guy who wasn’t interested in anything she had? So much for worrying about him ogling her naked body beneath the soft material of his shirt, she thought with a shrug.

“All clear?” The cover moved as he lifted the edge of it.

“Yeah, come on in.” Not that it mattered. He’d already seen her naked. No wonder he’d made that statement about not all men wanting what she had. She rolled her eyes and moved to sit cross-legged on the soft mattress. He’d even taken the time to make the bed.

“I don’t have another plate, so we’ll have to share.” He didn’t sound happy about it as he moved toward her a few moments later. She scooted over, making sure the T-shirt covered her folded legs. He sat down beside her, careful not to touch her as he placed the plate between them. “I don’t have cups, so you’ll have to drink from one of the jugs.”

“I already have one opened.” She reached over to grab the half-empty jug.

“Eat up, then. The lights have to be doused soon.” He picked up a piece of fish and popped it into his mouth. Mina followed suit. It was the best fish she’d ever tasted.

They ate in silence. Mina felt the tension in the man sitting beside her and wondered why he was so averse to her company. True, they hadn’t been friends. Hell, he’d barely looked at her during that summer. Callie had all his attention. She hated losing her little sister’s company, but she’d felt like the third wheel whenever he was around. To be fair, he had invited her to go fishing with them the first time, but Callie’s dark look and his half-assed way of saying she could tag along had decided her against it.

“This is really good.”

“So, where is Callie?”

They spoke at once, both of them having become uncomfortable with the tense silence. Mina pulled her hand back from reaching for one of the last pieces of fish.

“I don’t know.” She licked her fingers and reached for the water jug. “My father told me she was with my mother. They were supposed to be heading to the summer house.”

“Here?” His obvious surprise made her look at him, her hand with the water jug pausing in the air beside her. “Are you sure they were coming here?”

“That’s what I was told. Why do you think we were on the beach?” She dropped the jug on the floor to wipe her hand on the hem of her shirt. “Daren didn’t know where to go. When I told him Dad sent them to the summer house and ordered me to follow them, he brought us all out here.” She looked away toward the smoldering fire. “No one second-guesses Benjamin Brady.”

“You sound irritated. Seems to me, Daren was doing the smart thing by coming here. The Z’s are concentrated in the bigger cities.” She didn’t want to hear the patronizing tone in his statement of fact.

“Yeah, well, that didn’t save him, did it?” She fisted her hands in the shirt as she turned to look at him.

“He saved you by bringing you here. Everything happens for a reason, Mina.” She felt her chest tighten at the gentle look that came into his features. Those blue eyes seemed even softer in the low light of the oil lamps. Mina felt something inside her unfurl as she blinked up at him. When he reached out a hand, she swallowed at the touch of his index finger to the sore on her cheek. “You need to keep this covered.”

Disappointment flooded her as he grabbed the empty plate to move away from her. Looking down at her hands, she released the material of his shirt and stared at her mother’s ring. Daren had saved her. He’d been a brute the last couple days, but could she blame him for that? No, she decided with a sigh. Her cousin had done the best he could with what the world threw at him. Had she even thanked him?