They came to a steep slope, and Audrey stared at the slick hillside, looking for the best route. There was a band without trees, but she was uneasy about being exposed as they traversed the difficult section.

Why couldn’t the fog be thicker right here?

There was no option but to move fast, spend as little time in the open as possible.

Easier said than done, as she slipped twice on the slick moss and ferns that still managed to cling to the hillside. But eventually, they made it back under the thick canopy, Audrey panting with the effort of the steep climb with heavy pack.

“Need a break?” he asked.

She did, but they needed to move deeper into the forest first after being out in the open for several minutes.

“Soon,” she wheezed.

They continued upward until the canopy was thick enough to recreate the feeling of twilight and Audrey called a halt. She pressed a hand to a tree trunk and leaned, taking slow, deep breaths. Sweat coated the back of her neck and dripped between her shoulder blades. When her breathing evened out and exhaustion receded, she was going to be chilled.

Xavier—the bastard—was barely winded. She gave him a grumpy look. “Weren’t you wounded for a while and laid up? Shouldn’t you be out of shape?”

He grinned. “I was shot twenty months ago. I’ve been back on my feet and working out for almost a year since then. Except for my bum shoulder, I’m in excellent shape.”

Much as she appreciated his fit body when he was using it to please her, right now it seemed a bit showy. A vulgar display of perfection that made her feel inadequate.

“You know, you’re adorable when you’re exhausted and grumpy.”

“It’s a good thing you think that, because I have a feeling lack of sleep and taking care of a crying baby is going to render me just as cute.”

He kissed her, his tongue sliding between her lips, stealing the little breath she’d managed to take in. “Bring it on.”

Dammit. He was too freaking sexy. She was melting on a thirty-seven-degree day in the middle of a misting rain.

His kiss proved effective in erasing her grumpiness. She’d have to remember that. It was quite the mood enhancer.

He leaned his forehead against hers. And she noticed that now he was breathing heavily. She’d taken each moment as it came these last two days. Even making love with him had been an in-the-moment experience, separate from thoughts of a future, because except for him wanting to father their baby, his feelings for her as lover and partner might dissolve to nothing over time. This was a surreal situation, and she couldn’t expect real emotions to be in play.