Page 90 of Ford

“I need some air.” RJ slipped on her shoes and headed out into the hallway.

They’d opened the windows, and she hung on the railing and let the breeze wash over her. Outside in the darkness, thousands of kilometers, tiny villages, and untamed forest stretched out around them. So far their trek reminded her of the wilderness of Washington State and western Montana—lots of pine, rocky terrain, and in the distance, far-off mountains.

A wan light glowed down the hallway and spilled out into the doorway between cars. She walked down the hallway and stood at the entrance.

What she wouldn’t give for ice water.

She opened the door to the car and stepped outside.

The world turned, the rails chinging by in a bright rhythm. She held onto the railing, suddenly aware of how fast they were going.

Probably she should go back inside.

She turned to open the door, but it was yanked from her grip.

A man filled the doorway. For a second she startled, but then he stepped outside with her.

York.

The wind flapped his shirt, ran fingers through his hair. “Hey,” he said. “What are you doing out here?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I was hot. And I’ve never been on a train before.”

He nodded but made no move to enter their compartment. “It is hot in there.” He closed his eyes. “The breeze feels good.” He lifted his face to it.

She had the strangest urge to touch him, right in the well of his neck. It seemed such a vulnerable place on such a powerful man.

She swallowed, gripped the railing behind her.

He opened his eyes and looked at her.

Said nothing.

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, met his eyes.

His gaze fell to her lips. Back to her eyes, a little wariness in his gaze. “Ruby?”

No, really, she shouldn’t…didn’t even know why she thought of it except he kept standing there, his body warm and radiating such a male scent, and suddenly she thought of how he’d held her hand as they walked into the general’s place, turned to her and saidStay close to me.

Yes.

She touched his chest, laying her palm on it. Felt his heartbeat there, thundering.

“RJ.”

He covered her hand with his, and she thought it might be to move it away, but he didn’t. Just drew in a long breath. She looked up.

He was looking at her just like he had in the park, a sort of hunger in his eyes that ignited something not so dormant since she met him.

“I think—” he said.

“You think too much,” she said and stepped up to him. “Stop thinking for one moment and—”

He kissed her. Leaned down and simply kissed her. And it wasn’t like the park, because she didn’t have to coax him into responding. Nor did she have to pretend to want him.

He braced one hand against the railing, curled his other arm around her, and stepped close to her, devouring her, sweeping her mouth open, diving in, and taking hold of everything that had been churning between them.

Or at least what had been churning inside her.