So, noted. However, now was not the time to think about her or her sexuality. It was time to go. The burqa was hot, and we would be moving quickly today, so she decided to change out of the sweatshirt and into a t-shirt, again, not worrying about modesty. Elise certainly was a one of a kind woman.
As she finished pulling the black cloth over her body and adjusting the hood and I stuffed the last of our things in the backpacks, we heard a ruckus downstairs. Elise grabbed one of the packs, and we slipped out of the room and down the back stairs just as several men rushed the second floor. We heard one of the men tell the others to look through every room.
We walked quickly through the town and found the edge of the woods without drawing attention to ourselves. There, we had to put as much distance between her captors and our meeting place with the others as we could.
After we had walked for about an hour, I figured she could safely remove the burqa. It had to be stifling and difficult to walk in, although once again, she not only kept up with me, but she never uttered one word of complaint. I had to admit I was impressed. I had been afraid that she would be one of those stereotypical women who would be afraid of breaking a nail or would be so out of shape that we would be moving at a snail’s pace.
When we stopped for a brief water break, I said, “You’ve really impressed me. Not too many people could keep up with me the way you do. You haven’t complained or broken down from the trauma you’ve gone through, which would have brought a lot of people to their knees.”
She smiled, and it was as though the sun came out. “I’ve had to be tough my whole life. My egg donor left right after I was born. Dad raised me by himself while starting his company at the same time. I always knew Dad loved me, but he certainly is not a sentimental man. He never coddled me. If I fell down, I got back up on my own. Then, when I got older and knew I would be taking over the company that Dad started, I had to learn to make it in a man’s world.”
Elise delivered her statements in a matter of fact manner. She wasn’t looking for understanding or pity. She was simply telling me like it was. Yet another reason why I admired her.
Instead of replying to that, I told her the plan. “Because the four of us split up and went in different directions, we are all taking different paths to the meeting point. That should make it harder for them to track us.”
“Wouldn’t that make you guys more vulnerable? One against many?” she asked.
I smiled, then said, “We all have special skills that make us more likely to succeed against several people. Plus, one person can evade a group of people easier than several people can together.”
She nodded her understanding. Apparently, she had seen all theRambomovies, too.
We got back on the trail. I checked the map regularly for the landmarks I had marked so that I could find the cave I had chosen as a place to stay the night.
When we finally reached it, I inspected it to make sure that something bigger and meaner than us did not already live there. All I found were some bats. Bats were good. They ate insects. A lot of insects.
She was tired but made use of the cold stream that ran by near the cave. When she returned, she was shivering.
I wrapped one of the blankets around her. “I’m sorry that I can’t build a fire. We just can’t risk anyone seeing the smoke. Regardless of how fast and how far we moved, we don’t know how close they are to us.”
She smiled tiredly. “No worries. I’ll be warm soon.”
I handed her one of my pistols and asked her whether she knew how to use it.
“Are you really asking me that question?” she said, with a hint of a smile in her voice. “I thought you had me figured out by now.”
Smiling back, I said, “I was only checking. I’m going to the stream for a few minutes. I’ll call out to you before I come into the cave, so you don’t shoot me. If it’s anyone else, aim for center mass.”
“Gotcha.”
She leaned her head back against the cave wall. I wasn’t sure she would be awake long enough to see anyone come in, although I was pretty sure that her senses were on high alert. She would hear anyone.
It didn’t take too long. I only wanted to clean up a bit. I refilled our canteens. The water was pristine, sparkling, and clear. It was delicious.
The stars had started to come out and looked like diamonds dancing on the water. As I filled the canteens, I thought of another pair of gems, placed perfectly in her beautiful face. I could feel myself harden at the thought of her, despite the chill from the water and the evening air.
I softly called out to her by the cave entrance. She answered, “Gun down,” so I knew it was safe to enter.
She was brushing her long, black mane. Then, she deftly braided it to keep it from tangling later.
Elise gratefully accepted the jerky I pulled out of my pack. “Your steak dinner, MiLady.”
She carefully chewed it, knowing better than to try to eat a pound of it all at once. We couldn’t eat all our provisions in one sitting. It didn’t take long for her to eat her fill.
I sat close to her, and we shared our warmth beneath the blankets. I drank in the liquid amethysts set so perfectly in her face.
Then, I couldn’t stop myself. I leaned down and captured her lips with mine.
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