Free Daybreak by Ellen Connor

enough to lick her all over, get lost in her body, and drive her out of her mind. He wanted to start at her toes and work his way up.
    To cover the sharp intensity of that need, Tru winked. “It’s not on the schedule, Penelope.”
    He waited to see if she’d trust him. The moment slowed, incredibly long, as she gazed at him. With a languorous grace that left Tru slack-jawed, she pushed to her knees and walked on them to her blanket. Skirting the fire, she settled in as he had instructed.
    Wow. Unexpected. But okay.
    He moved alongside her, because kneeling over her would seem overtly sexual. Schooling himself, he settled his palms and went to work, moving his thumbs in slow, gentle circles, palms splayed on either side. He manipulated the base of her spine first, easing down so gradually that she didn’t even tense when he touched her butt. It required all his self-control not to cup and fondle, but rather to massage and soothe.
    Watching her responses, listening to her breathing, Tru alternated the pressure, gentle and firm, until she relaxed beneath his touch. Her thighs fell open; he took that as her cue to rub them, too. Beneath the fabric of her pants, her legs clenched. But even those tight muscles eased as he continued his steady caress. He tried to keep it impersonal, but Penelope didn’t help when her hips shifted, just a little rhythmic push against the blanket. Her scent changed slowly, deepening with the greater heat. Though she might not realize it, she’d hit the first stage of sexual arousal.
    He could tease her inner thighs, make her crave release. Quite desperately, he wanted to roll her over, unbutton her pants, sink his fingers into her, and stroke until she came.
    But he’d promised he wouldn’t go that far tonight. Fucking promises .
    Instead he left her, sleepy and soft, moving restlessly, and found his own blanket—padding for sleep, not for cover. Even in the dark, it was hot as hell. She murmured something indistinct, her head pillowed on folded arms. Before long, her breathing evened. So relaxed. Not thinking or worrying.
    All told, Tru felt like he’d done a good, good thing.
    He still wasn’t tired, so he settled in to keep watch. To make matters worse, his cock throbbed like a wild thing in his pants. If it didn’t seem indecent with a woman and kid sleeping nearby, he’d give himself some relief. Instead, Tru forced the erection down with bad memories. Didn’t take long.
    He gazed into the fire and hoped for a future brighter than the nightmare of his past.
    Faint hope, indeed.

NINE
     
    Pen awoke with a start. She sat up in the near darkness and searched for a clue as to what had woken her. A glimmer of light on the eastern horizon seemed even brighter for the nearness of the ocean, reflecting off the distant water. Too far away to hear the waves, but near enough to taste the salt on the back of her tongue.
    An hour left till the sun rose. Then they’d move again. The condition of the roads meant she hadn’t risked night driving. Too many truck-size craters that would consume their rickety vehicle. And though she’d never admit it, she hadn’t wanted to make it any harder for Tru to find them.
    He acted as if nothing mattered. No big deal. She’d intended not to let his seeming nonchalance burrow under her skin, but that was a futile hope.
    Touching her. Hands on her. Again . . . no big deal.
    “You should be asleep,” came his voice, quiet as the rustle of leaves. Even as a human, he remained a seamless part of nature. Closer to it, somehow, than anyone she’d ever known. Only occasionally did she feel that way when she cast her healing spells and saved lives. The world came into alignment under her sternum. Heart beating. Everything making sense. Transcendent moments to be treasured.
    Other times were pure chaos, when her powers made her wonder if she deserved to be around people at all. Forget the Orchid. She always considered herself one step short of a