The embrace was pure warmth and comfort. She was afraid, while he was hurting—physically and mentally. They were on a small life raft for this brief moment in time, hiding from the danger while it was too light out to emerge from their safe shelter.

They needed this nurturing break. A salve for open wounds so they could return to battle, not whole, but at least a little better off.

Eventually, she raised her head and cupped his face in her hands, the stubble of his beard a gentle abrasion on her palms. His eyes were damp as he said, “Thank you.”

“We’ll find a way to save them,” she said.

“We will,” he confirmed. “You’re amazing, Audrey.” His voice was husky and deep as he added, “I can’t wait to take you to Hawaii so I can wine and dine you and try to convince you to give me another chance.”

Truth was, she was pretty sure he wouldn’t need to wine and dine her to get his second chance.

He ran a hand over her belly, then slid it around to her lower back. They both wore thermal underwear that went from wrist to neck, not revealing, but still skintight. The covering over his muscled body resembled a comic book hero’s costume.

“I desperately want to kiss you right now,” he said, “but I also don’t want to ruin the moment. I know this was an embrace, not a come-on.”

She smiled and lowered her head, brushing her lips softly over his. She lingered there, warm lips meeting sweetly. Her heart bloomed with a gentle heat.

This felt right.

She probed his lips with the tip of her tongue, and his mouth opened. From that moment, he took over the kiss, transforming it from sweet warmth to spicy heat.

His hand cupped the back of her head, holding her mouth to his as he devoured her with his deep, stroking tongue.

Between her legs, she felt his erection thicken, and she rocked against him, generating a delicious friction that penetrated their layers of long underwear.

They kissed like that—rocking their pelvises together as his tongue caressed hers—for a long interval. Neither of them made a move to remove clothing or initiate an intimate touch. It was a burning-hot kiss, a temporary respite, and nothing more.

She felt his hand relax at the back of her skull by slow degrees as the intensity of the kiss lessened and the rocking of their hips subsided. She raised her head and met his gaze. His eyes were hot with desire, bringing back memories of their one delicious night together.

“I suppose it would be a bad idea for us to take this any further right now.”

He nodded. “We can’t take the risk of losing ourselves in the moment.” He gave her a slow, sexy smile. “But you’ve given me something to hope for.”