Water From the Moon Read Online Free
pitched it violently at her. "You drive like a maniac, you don’t bat an eye when we’re fired on, and you act as though chasing around the countryside with soldiers on your tail is an everyday occurrence."
"Only some weeks." Acasia caught the hat and fired a T–shirt at him in return. "You might want to lose the top half of that monkey suit. Come on! Sanchez can’t be far behind us. I want to be long gone when they find this car. Let’s move."
His metallic pewter eyes caught her purple gaze and held it as he tried to find the woman beneath the tough–guy guise. "Still a steamroller, eh, Casie?"
Acasia held his gaze unwaveringly, then forced a swagger into her movements and insolence into her cryptic reply. "Just try to stick with me, okay, Cam?"
It was the last way she wanted to act, but she couldn’t think in terms of what had been, so she didn’t tell him that even if Paolo hadn’t asked her to come she would have anyway. She didn’t say that the sight of him alone in the crowd, staggering from the blow to his head, had nearly unnerved her, which could easily have gotten them both killed. They had too far to go from here, in terms of safety and, more importantly, of friendship—and love. She couldn’t lose her control, even for a second, couldn’t let herself think about the past they’d once shared, even though she wanted to. Going back was impossible, but going on? That might be just as tough.
"Here, chew this. It’ll help keep you from getting too thirsty." Acasia tossed Cameron a stick of gum and turned to begin the automatic task of taking stock of the jungle. It was safest, right now, to stick to the job.
Chapter 2
C AMERON CAUGHT THE gum Acasia tossed him and folded it into his mouth. Wintergreen flavor coated his palate, and he glanced at her in surprise. Trust Acasia to remember the only gum he’d chewed at seventeen.
He watched as she buckled a machete scabbard around her waist and hoisted a backpack over her shoulders. The weight of the pack drew her shirt tight, and Cameron found himself completely distracted by the sight. Whatever image she chose to project, the figure beneath was all woman. Her physical appeal was undeniable, as strong now as it had always been. He licked lips gone suddenly dry, and his belly warmed. She had always done that to him, made him feel as if he were starving for something only she could provide.
The adrenaline rush produced by their flight was wearing thin. He slapped harder than necessary at a mosquito on his neck, and Acasia turned her attention to him again. For an instant he saw what he’d been looking for, there and gone: memory followed by regret. Then she settled the baseball cap over her short, straight hair, and the visor hid further revelations from him.
He realized he was still holding the shirt she’d thrown him, and he tossed it down beside the boots so that he could rid himself of his ruined dress shirt and the tie he hated. The forest brushed heavily against the silence, seemed to close around them. Everywhere Cameron looked, life grew out of decay, swarming frantically heavenward seeking light.
A thought, irrelevant and misplaced, came to him from some past reading binge. A world sufficient unto itself… Just like Acasia. She’d told him once that love and trust were wonderful emotions but the only person you could ever really depend on in this life was yourself. She’d gone out of her way once to prove to both of them that she would never need anyone but herself in order to survive.
Refused
to need—or to trust—anyone but herself, as Cameron himself had pointed out to her. As far as he could see, that state of affairs hadn’t changed. He worked the T–shirt over his head and sat to pull on the boots.
"Tuck your pants into them," Acasia advised automatically. "It’ll keep anything from crawling up your legs."
"You want to tie my shoes for me, too, Mom?"
"What?" Acasia looked up in surprise, then reddened slightly. Cameron had
"Only some weeks." Acasia caught the hat and fired a T–shirt at him in return. "You might want to lose the top half of that monkey suit. Come on! Sanchez can’t be far behind us. I want to be long gone when they find this car. Let’s move."
His metallic pewter eyes caught her purple gaze and held it as he tried to find the woman beneath the tough–guy guise. "Still a steamroller, eh, Casie?"
Acasia held his gaze unwaveringly, then forced a swagger into her movements and insolence into her cryptic reply. "Just try to stick with me, okay, Cam?"
It was the last way she wanted to act, but she couldn’t think in terms of what had been, so she didn’t tell him that even if Paolo hadn’t asked her to come she would have anyway. She didn’t say that the sight of him alone in the crowd, staggering from the blow to his head, had nearly unnerved her, which could easily have gotten them both killed. They had too far to go from here, in terms of safety and, more importantly, of friendship—and love. She couldn’t lose her control, even for a second, couldn’t let herself think about the past they’d once shared, even though she wanted to. Going back was impossible, but going on? That might be just as tough.
"Here, chew this. It’ll help keep you from getting too thirsty." Acasia tossed Cameron a stick of gum and turned to begin the automatic task of taking stock of the jungle. It was safest, right now, to stick to the job.
Chapter 2
C AMERON CAUGHT THE gum Acasia tossed him and folded it into his mouth. Wintergreen flavor coated his palate, and he glanced at her in surprise. Trust Acasia to remember the only gum he’d chewed at seventeen.
He watched as she buckled a machete scabbard around her waist and hoisted a backpack over her shoulders. The weight of the pack drew her shirt tight, and Cameron found himself completely distracted by the sight. Whatever image she chose to project, the figure beneath was all woman. Her physical appeal was undeniable, as strong now as it had always been. He licked lips gone suddenly dry, and his belly warmed. She had always done that to him, made him feel as if he were starving for something only she could provide.
The adrenaline rush produced by their flight was wearing thin. He slapped harder than necessary at a mosquito on his neck, and Acasia turned her attention to him again. For an instant he saw what he’d been looking for, there and gone: memory followed by regret. Then she settled the baseball cap over her short, straight hair, and the visor hid further revelations from him.
He realized he was still holding the shirt she’d thrown him, and he tossed it down beside the boots so that he could rid himself of his ruined dress shirt and the tie he hated. The forest brushed heavily against the silence, seemed to close around them. Everywhere Cameron looked, life grew out of decay, swarming frantically heavenward seeking light.
A thought, irrelevant and misplaced, came to him from some past reading binge. A world sufficient unto itself… Just like Acasia. She’d told him once that love and trust were wonderful emotions but the only person you could ever really depend on in this life was yourself. She’d gone out of her way once to prove to both of them that she would never need anyone but herself in order to survive.
Refused
to need—or to trust—anyone but herself, as Cameron himself had pointed out to her. As far as he could see, that state of affairs hadn’t changed. He worked the T–shirt over his head and sat to pull on the boots.
"Tuck your pants into them," Acasia advised automatically. "It’ll keep anything from crawling up your legs."
"You want to tie my shoes for me, too, Mom?"
"What?" Acasia looked up in surprise, then reddened slightly. Cameron had
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