She breathed a sigh of relief as she followed him to his tent. “You can trust me. It’s just that I’m so close now. I’ll do anything you want. But you should listen to me. It would be a mistake not to use me.”

“And you do hate mistakes.” He smiled sardonically as he knelt before the fire outside his tent and stoked it before reaching for the coffeepot. “You have a few minutes before the coffee will be ready. You can go in my tent and clean up a little if you like. Feel free to use anything I have. I don’t mind sharing. Though you’d be better off if you’d go to your own tent and take that nap I suggested.”

“No, I wouldn’t. This will be fine.” She ducked into the tent and paused a moment in the dimness. The air was warm and close, and the spicy, clean scent of him was all around her as if he was still standing next to her. But then she was always aware of him no matter how near he was to her. His backpack with a shirt tossed on top was lying on his cot, which was pushed against the opposite wall. She saw the toothpaste, bucket, and water canteen on a camp table. She moved quickly across the tent and splashed water on her face and neck, brushed her teeth with her forefinger, rinsed out her mouth, and spit in the bucket. Then she grabbed the camp towel and wiped her face. That faint scent of Korgan clung to the towel, too, she realized. She folded it neatly and laid it back on the camp table.

Then she was back outside the tent. “I took you at your word,” she said as she took the coffee he handed her. “I definitely shared. I probably have your scent all over me.”

He went still. “What an erotic thought.” He met her eyes. “But you weren’t in there long enough for it to be all over you. And that also requires a certain amount of my participation.”

She stiffened. “Yes, it would. I didn’t think of that. But you did.”

“Yes, I did. Immediately. I’m still thinking about it. I could have resisted the urge to tell you about it, but I’m having enough trouble resisting urges around you.” He reached out and touched the curve of her upper lip. “However, I’m not going to act on what I’m thinking because any minute now you’ll offer to go to bed with me again because you’re excited and happy and you want everything to keep on going that way.” He took his finger away from her lip. “Right?”

Her lip felt soft, swollen. She wanted that touch back. “Maybe.”