“I’m sorry about making you eat that, Liam,” she said, pointing toward his empty MRE bags with her plastic spork. You can have whatever you want next time we eat.”
Liam nodded, though a wary expression crossed his face. “Thanks, but I have a feeling that none of these meals are all that appetizing.”
Cammie snorted. “Yeah, you’re right. But some are better than others, marginally anyway.”
Liam looked around the darkened cavern then began to pick up their trash. “As soon as we get this cleaned up, what say we take a nap? It will be full dark in a couple hours. We better get some sleep while we can, before we try to contact that chopper for help.”
After dropping her utensil in her empty MRE, she handed it to Liam then wiped her hands on her robe. “Thanks. I have a sleeping bag and a queen-sized air mattress tucked away in here. I’ll set it up and wait for you there.”
“Sounds good, baby. Try to get some sleep. I’ll be right there.”
Chapter Seven
Cammie carried the mattress over to the back corner of the cave where two tunnels led off in different directions. If by some chance someone should find them, they would at least have a chance to hide.
She shook her head as she pulled the mattress from its box. What a shame to set all this up only to leave it in a few short days. Sooner if they could get someone on the radio tonight. Hell, Robert may decide to come and pick them up right away. In fact, he may insist on it. After all, he’d never tried to hide his interest in her. And what would he think of Liam being here? She bit her lip and looked over her shoulder with a frown. She wasn’t overly anxious for the two men to meet.
She watched as Liam walked through the cave, setting things strategically in places where someone would unknowingly trip over them in the dark. It was a good idea. She licked her lips, watching the muscles in his back ripple and bunch as he bent and straightened several times while he made his way through the easiest route to where they would sleep.
The rise and fall of his firm buttocks caught her attention. She licked her lips with anticipation, waiting for him to join her in the corner. Perhaps they could make love on a bed, for a change. She looked down at the box unseeing, still deep in her thoughts.
She never wanted to hurt Robert. In fact, she’d gone out of her way to avoid him most times when he dropped off her supplies. And she had never led him to believe she was even the least bit attracted to him. Still, she had the feeling that Liam’s presence would hurt the other man. Shrugging aside her thoughts until later, Cammie went back to setting up their bed.
Seconds later, Cammie hooked up the battery-operated pump and waited for the mattress to inflate. The directions said it would take five minutes, so she busied herself with unrolling the sleeping bag and opening the airtight packs she’d placed her extra pillows in.
Running her fingers through her hair, she grimaced and rummaged through her things for a brush. What would she have done if she’d never taken those survival courses? She would most likely be dead right now—or wishing she was. She certainly wouldn’t have been prepared for this eventuality.
Before this ordeal was over, she may find herself utilizing each and every one of those learned skills. She could only hope Liam had some latent talent buried deep within his injured psyche. She knew she could never leave him, regardless of the danger to herself. She loved him too much for that already.
She grinned at the thought that she could love him so much so soon and shook her head. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that they both make it off this mountain alive.
The pump quit automatically after reaching its optimum pressure. She looked down, missing the steady hum at once as she gazed at the full mattress before her. Placing the pillows on the makeshift bed, she unzipped the sleeping bag and laid it over the mattress. Once the bed was ready, she laid down to await her man.
Her man. She liked the sound of that. But for how long? How long before he remembered his past, his life, and chose to return to it? Cammie blinked back the sudden tears welling in her eyes and stared blankly at the cavern wall. If he leaves once his memory returns, at least I’ll have the memories of our time together.
A shadow passed across her face and she jerked her head up in surprise. Liam towered over her, a concerned look spread across his face. “Are you okay, Cammie?”
What should she say? She didn’t want him to stay with her because he’d felt pressured to stay. But if she didn’t tell him how she felt about him, wasn’t she just as good as letting him go? “I’m okay, Liam. Just worried is all.” And if that isn’t an understatement, I don’t know what is.
“Well, I know my mind will rest easier as soon as your pilot picks us up.”
Cammie nodded then edged over, patting the spot next to her. “Lay down, Liam. It’ll be dark before you know it, and I don’t know about you, but all this exercise has worn me out.”
After giving him a naughty grin, she rolled onto her side, praying he would pull her into his arms. She’d be happy to spend at least one night with his arms wrapped securely around her. She wouldn’t push her luck and ask for more than that. Well, at least not yet. If it looked like he may leave her, she’d do whatever she could to keep him in her life. She’d beg him to stay if she had to.
She sighed when he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him. The feel of his warm body pressing against hers gave her a sense of peace, a sense of belonging she’d never felt before in her life. Settling down beside him, she closed her eyes and let sleep claim her.
* * * *
Liam let his gaze wander over Cammie as she slept. Her lashes formed dark crescents against her pale cheeks. Her auburn hair fanned out behind her, draping over his arm. She slept with her hands tucked beneath her chin, her pink lips slightly parted as if she awaited her lover’s kiss. His kiss.
She appeared comfortable enough, content to rest in his arms. He pulled her closer, wondering if she would be happy to stay within the warmth of his embrace. Or would he have to let her go when they reached the city?
The thought plagued him. He wanted to keep her with him for the rest of his life. Still, he wasn’t sure he had the right. What if he was already bound to someone? He refused to believe he could already be married. His mind may be gone, but he could not believe his heart would be so fickle.
He sighed and rested his head on the pillow and waited for sleep that never came. The soft click of Cammie’s watch beat out each passing second in his mind as Liam waited, restless for nightfall to come, for her to rise and lead him to the surface.
Just as he thought he’d go stir crazy waiting for darkness to fall and Cammie to wake, he felt her stir in his arms. She stretched in her sleep, moving as slowly as a cat stretching beneath the sun.
He felt his cock rub against her ass cheeks and he gritted his teeth. He felt his shaft thicken, already preparing for another round of loving. Well, he’d just have to bear the frustration because they needed to get to the surface and call her pilot in before he made love to her again.
Liam groaned when she backed up further into his arms, nestling her backside into his now throbbing rod. She must have heard his tortured moan because Cammie stiffened in his arms, then slowly relaxed back into his embrace. “Are you alright, Liam?”
“I’m fine. I’ve just discovered that holding you in my arms and not being able to slide my cock into you is a form of torture I’d never before experienced.”
Cammie turned her head, meeting his gaze over her shoulder. “Oh, you say the sweetest things.”
Liam grunted, then playfully slapped her thigh. “Up woman. We need to get to the surface and make the SOS call.”
Cammie sighed then pulled away, before sitting up. She pulled her legs beneath her chin, hugging herself. “What are you going to do once we get out of here, Liam? Where will you go?”
He rolled over and sat up on the other side of the mattress. He looked out over the cavern, gazing into the dim light of the lantern tha
t sat several feet away, relieving the pitch darkness of the cave.
“I don’t know.” He turned to face her, his expression bleak. “I have nowhere to go. I have no one. I don’t know who I am or how I got here.” He pushed his fingers through his hair. Why would she want me? I have nothing. I know nothing. I am nothing.
“Don’t say that, Liam!” Cammie moved across the bed and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She rested her head between his shoulder blades and sighed. “You may not know who you are, but you are a wonderful man.”
“How can you know that about me when I know nothing of myself?” He fought the urge to shrug her off, but knew it would hurt her feelings. He would die before he intentionally caused her pain.
“I know that you are a good man. I know that you would give your life for me. You nearly did earlier today.” She scooted to the edge of the bed to sit next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I can’t thank you enough. I owe you my life.”
“So that’s why you slept with me?” He pulled away from her then stood and pulled his shirt on over his head. “Let’s go radio your pilot. We need to get a ride out of here as soon as possible. It’s only a matter of time before someone discovers this cave behind the waterfall.”
Chapter Eight
Cammie sat shocked and speechless for a moment. Is that what he thought? She bit her lip. Hadn’t she thought the same thing while she wondered what his motives were?
“That’s not why I slept with you.” She scrambled to her feet, grabbed the small radio and followed him from the cavern.
“Then why did you?”
Because I think I’m falling in love with you. “Because I wanted to.”
She grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. He looked down into her eyes, his own sapphire gaze unreadable.
“Why did you want to, to pay me back for saving your life?”
“No. Of course not!” She paced away from him, unable to bear the searing pain in his gaze. She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t be the first. “I don’t know what it is. Something about you has drawn me to you since I pulled you from the pond two days ago.” Two days? Good grief! It’s only been two days? Jesus, Cammie, what a slut you’ve become.
She couldn’t tell him she’d been attracted to his dark good looks, muscular build and to-die-for eyes. How shallow was she? Wasn’t his helpless demeanor, charm and companionship even more compelling? She reached down, grabbed his hand and tangled her fingers with his.
“I don’t know what made me sleep with you. I only know that I haven’t been able to keep my eyes off you since I brought you home. And I’ve barely been able to keep my hands off you.” Something about you calls to me, Liam. It calls to me and tells me that when I’m with you, I’m home.
She felt like a fool. What else could she tell him—that she slept with him because he was hot? Should she just blurt out that she’d done it because she’d been stuck here alone for three years with no companionship save her radio conversations and quarterly visits from her pilot?
Somehow, she doubted the truth would make him feel any better. Men never wanted to hear that you think you love them two days after they meet a woman.
“And I wanted you.”
He turned to look at her and raised his brow. “That’s it, you wanted me?” He grabbed the radio from her hand and headed up the incline toward the small hole that lead to the other caves and sighed. “Hell, I guess that’s better than saying you pitied me, or you felt that you owed me.” He held the lamp high while she shimmied into the other section then handed the lamp and radio out to her.
Cammie wiped her damp palms on her jeans then took the equipment while he squeezed through to the other side.
“What do you want me to say?” She whispered as they approached the entrance to the cave. “Would you rather I tell you that I love you? That I want to spend the rest of my life with you?” She paused, turned down the flame on the lamp and set it down. “Never mind, don’t answer that now. We need to be quiet until we reach the top of the falls, then we should only speak when we have to.” She took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. We don’t know if there is going to be anyone lurking about.”
Liam grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. She turned to look at him in the dim light.
“What?” She tried to keep the irritation from her voice. What did he want from her? Something in his eyes captured her attention and she waited while his gaze bored into hers.
“I have to know, Cammie. I know it's only been two days, but I have to know that I’m not alone. Tell me what you feel, hell tell me what you don't feel. But I need to know that you're mine, or at least willing to keep seeing me when this is all over with.” His eyes searched hers with such intensity it nearly took her breath away. “I need that. Can you give me that much, baby?” He dropped her arm, took a step back then ran his fingers through his hair. “Or was this merely an amusing interlude for you while you whiled away some of your loneliness?”
Cammie nervously licked her lips. When had they become so dry? “Look, Liam. I just . . . I just need time. You’re asking me to tell you how I feel and I’m just not . . . I’m not ready yet. Can you give me time? Please?” What would she do if he wouldn’t give her time? Would she let him walk from her life because she was too frightened to admit that she cared for him?
When he didn’t answer her, Cammie turned away. She looked back over her shoulder to the waterfall. The frothing water poured from above. The dim light from the lamp and the sliver of moon above the falls barely gave them enough light to see past the entrance to the caves.
Damn, it would have to be almost pitch black, wouldn’t it? Normally, moonlight shone down on the water when she came out here after dark. The slivery glow glistened on the water’s surface. Then, she didn’t have to rely on memory to keep her from falling off the rock face as she climbed to the top. Not like now. Now she visualized every crack, every crevice as she dug her nails into the cliff face and started her climb.
She looked back, hopped down off the sheer rock wall and took the radio from Liam. “Follow me, or stay here. It’s your choice,” she said, hanging the long strap over her neck. “Either way this shouldn’t take long.” She grabbed the rock again and raised her foot for the toehold she knew was there. “We’ll bring a different way back, if you come. I don’t want to chance bringing you back down a strange climb in the dark.”
Her conscience niggled her. She shouldn’t be taking him up a strange climb after dark, either.
“If you do follow me, be sure to put your hands and feet in the same place I do. Otherwise you’re bound to fall.” Stupid, stupid. This was so stupid, allowing him to climb behind you in the dark like this. He’s going to fall and break his neck.
She made the climb slowly when she realized he followed her. What else could she do? Nothing. Warned of the danger, he’d chosen to ignore it. Still it didn’t stop the worry that ate at her. If he were to fall out here, he’d die before help arrived. She would never be able to drag him into the warmer recesses of the caves.
Her breath came in short pants as she continued to exert herself. There was no turning back. No slowly backing down the rough face of the sixty-foot climb, Liam had no idea where the footholds were. He merely followed her lead.
She waited impatiently at the top of the cliff after she reached the top. It seemed to take forever as she waited for his silhouette to clear the last stone. She barely controlled the urge to pull him up by the sheer force of her will alone.
When, at last, he sat beside her, panting, Cammie pulled the radio from its case and yanked on the folding antenna. She flipped the switch and waited for the radio to warm up. She wanted to be sure it was in optimum condition before she began to speak. The act of talking into the microphone alone had the potential to give their position away to their enemy.
Picking up the mic, she tested it with a few clicks, hoping to get clicks in return. Nothing. She sighed
, knowing she’d have to risk it. Hooking the headphones to the radio, she dialed up the volume and tried again. Still nothing. Bowing her head, she prepared herself for the call.
“W742B, this is W7KJY. Emergency. Over.” She waited for a response and repeated her call when none came. “W742B, this is W7KJY. Repeat, emergency. Over.”
She almost sobbed with relief when she heard the static filled reply.
“W7KJY, this is W742B. State your emergency. Over.” Was there tension in his voice, or was it her imagination?
“They’ve found me, Robert. You have to come get me. I’m hiding in the hidey-hole. Over.”
There was a short pause on the other end then, “Roger on the hidey-hole, Cammie. Stay put until Thursday, midnight. Meet me above the waterfall at the designated time. Over.”
“Thursday! But that’s too long. Over.”
“Just do as you’re told!” Robert’s voice broke protocol. “Look, I don’t want to get there and find your dead body. Just stay put and I’ll meet you at the falls on Thursday. Over.”
“Why Thursday? That’s two more days.”
“Because, I have to get a few friends together. I can’t just fly into a hot zone and expect to pull you out without a fight. Go back to your hiding place and wait it out. My friends and I will see you around midnight, Thursday. Just set out a few flares to mark the landing site and wait for me. Over.”
“Roger that,” she said, resigned. “W7KJY out.” She removed the headphones, turned off the radio and looked at Liam. “Thursday, midnight. How in the hell are we going to stay hidden that long?” She really wanted to know how she could spend so much more time with him without it breaking her heart when they parted ways.
Without waiting for a reply, she stood then turned to lead him through the woods. They’d take the deer path that led down to the falls. It would be much safer for them all the way around.
What to do with a Naked Leprechaun Page 5
