I stop cold.
His eyes travel to the band of skin I’ve exposed above my hips, then they move up to my face. I take a deep breath, hold his eyes — heart pounding inside my chest — and gently lift the shirt over my head.
Guy sucks on his bottom lip and it’s nearly my undoing.
He’s only watching me, I realize. Not Harper and her perfect body, or Caroline and her beautiful complexion and dark hair. Only me. Confidence builds in my belly. I have not a spot of makeup on my face. My thick, chestnut curls are gone. And my skin is bright red from the desert sun.
But he thinks I’m beautiful.
I pull in a ragged breath and undo the button on my pants. Moving my hips, I allow them to slide down the length of my legs and drop into the sand. I step out of them, wearing nothing but my mismatched bra and underwear, and my brown combat boots. The flame feels delicious against my skin. Even better is the way his eyes take in every part of my body.
My hands rub along my hips, and my lungs cease to work.
Guy stands up.
He moves so very slowly toward me.
When he’s only inches away, he raises his hands and wraps them around my face.
He’s going to kiss me. Oh God, he’s going to kiss me in front of everyone.
Guy’s eyes dart over my face, and the look on his own is filled with confusion, like he’s not sure how this is happening. He presses his lips together. He closes his eyes. And he pulls me against him.
I fold into his warm chest as he cloaks his arms around me, pulls me tight. His hand strokes the back of my neck, and he lays a small kiss on the crown of my head. I know I lust for Guy. That my body yearns for his touch. But I’ve always attributed it at least partially to circumstances.
Now I’m afraid it isn’t so simple. That this thing —
May not be mere lust after all.
“So …” Harper says slowly. “Are you guys, like, doing it?”
“Seriously.” Jaxon laughs. “Awk-ward.”
I glance away from Guy and realize they’re all staring. Of course they are. There’s nowhere else to look. A blush brightens my face, but Guy tips my chin up to look at him. He’s a full foot taller than I am, and I feel incredibly small in his arms. I wait for him to say something, anything. But he only pulls me back against him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Guy guides me to the ground and we sit side by side.
“You didn’t really answer my question,” Harper says, flashing a grin.
“Jeez.” I cover my face.
“No,” Guy says. I can still feel his eyes on me. “We’re not … doing it.”
Her voice changes, humor mixing with concern. “How will it work for you two? In the end?”
“Harper,” Caroline scolds. “We may be traveling together, but we’re still allowed our privacy. Let them figure it out.”
I can’t believe this is happening. That this thing between Guy and me is public knowledge. Surely, they’ve seen the way we paired off at base camp. But maybe they thought it was a strategy thing. I guess I always figured the same. Even now Guy doesn’t say what’s on his mind. He’s only hugged me. And kissed me the once.
Uncovering my face, I meet Guy’s stare. He’s close enough so that I can feel the warmth rolling off his body. I wish he were closer. I wish his hands were still on me, his arms still wrapped around my waist. But I’m slowly growing accustomed to his sudden bursts of affection. He reaches over and runs his fingers along my feather. He narrows his eyes as he inspects it, then lets it drop against my shoulder.
“Where’d you get that thing?” Harper says, obviously still watching us. “I never asked.”
I grasp it in my palm. “I’m not sure. My mother gave it to me before I left. Said it was her mother’s.”
“Maybe her mom competed in the Brimstone Bleed.”
Even though the desert night is quickly becoming too cold for comfort, my skin flushes with heat. I’ve secretly wondered the same thing. If my mom knew what she was doing when she gave me the feather. If she knew details about the race but told me nothing.
Except that I have her eyes.
Whatever that means.
Guy mentioned that our families may have known, but if they’d told us, there would have been consequences. I wonder about those consequences. I want to ask him, but I’m afraid he won’t say anything in front of the others, so I decide to wait until we’re alone.
“We need to find something to cover the ground,” Guy says. I realize he kind of interrupted Harper and wonder if he did it on purpose.
“What’s the plan, Stan?” Jaxon asks.
“I think we need to use these bushes.” Guy glances at the arm he was rubbing the leaf against, and seems satisfied. “They’re all over the place. Why don’t you, Dink, and I go collect them and the girls can ensure the fire stays lit.”
“Oh yeah. That’s all we’re good for,” Harper says. “Why don’t we watch the sand while we’re at it? Make sure it doesn’t blow away.”
Guy turns and looks at her, exasperated. “You want to come? You’re more than welcome.”
She looks past him and into the dark mouth of the desert and hesitates. “I’ll watch the sand.”
“Thought so.” He stands and offers Dink a hand.
“Why does Dink have to go?” Caroline asks, reaching out to the boy as Guy pulls him up.
Guy doesn’t answer for a long moment, and I can’t see what look he’s giving her. “You know,” he says, finally.
I glance at Harper, my face scrunched with confusion. She shrugs.
After they leave, I ask Caroline, “What did Guy mean? When he said, you know?”
She presses her lips together and shakes her head like she doesn’t know, but I can tell she’s lying. I add Dink to my list of things to ask Guy about tonight.
Nearly an hour later, the boys come back with armfuls of small branches and leaves. They spread them out for us. It isn’t enough to stretch out on, so we all curl up in balls. It feels like I’m sleeping on bones and needles. Overall, a pleasant experience.
“This is terrible,” Jaxon says. “I want one of those number beds old people sleep on.”
“I want my pillow-top mattress,” Caroline adds.
Olivia, who has hardly said anything today, shifts on her twig pallet. “I want a water bed. And then I want to suck every droplet out of that bastard.”
Harper and I look at each other, our eyes wide. Then we burst out laughing.
Guy sits up and opens his canteen. He takes a long pull of water and then lies back down. When he realizes we’re staring at him, he says, “It’s not like you need my permission.”
We all move at once, bolting upward and reaching for our canteens. I tip my bottle back and close my eyes against the goose bumps rolling across my skin. It’s like heaven in my mouth. Once again, I attempt to give Madox, who’s sleeping nearby, some water. He turns his head away.
I decide to treat the water I’d reserved for him as an unexpected gift and rub it over my face. The sensation is amazing, and I feel like maybe I could walk through the desert for another two hours if need be. No sooner do I think this than I feel myself lying back and my eyes closing. Harper is rattling off the keep-watch shifts, but I can barely make out what she’s saying. It’s like the words are coming from behind a wall.
I have to wake up when it’s Guy’s turn, I tell myself. I need to ask him what else he knows about the race. And about Dink. And if he’s being generous with the convo, maybe about that sexalicious tattoo on his back.
Someone takes my hand in theirs, and though I want so badly to open my eyes and find out who it is, I tumble into sleep.