Fear surged through her again, and Evangeline rushed out of the cave.


    As she emerged, she looked up and saw Finn high up in a nearby tree, picking fruit.


    He had taken off his shirt and was using it as a makeshift bag to hold what he''d already gathered. His torso was bare.


    Scratches from the fall crisscrossed his skin, but they did nothing to detract from the raw beauty of his physique. Evangeline''s eyes were drawn to the well-defined lines of his muscles, his lean waist, and the clear outline of a six-pack.


    A blush crept up her cheeks.


    It wasn''t the first time she''d seen him like this, but in the past, the atmosphere had always been so charged that she''d never had a chance to really appreciate his body.


    Besides, Finn''s face was so strikingly handsome, almost delicate, that it was easy to overlook the powerful build beneath.


    As she stood there, lost in thought, Finn noticed her.


    He gave her a small smile, carefully bundled the fruit in his shirt, and lowered his center of gravity. He began to descend slowly, grabbing a sturdy branch before dropping lightly to the ground with perfect bnce.


    "It''ll be dark soon, and I don''t know when they''ll get here. I figured it''s important to save our energy, so I picked some wild fruit..."


    He was still talking as he led her back toward the cave.


    Evangeline heard his words, but her mind drifted elsewhere.


    Her gaze kept returning to his waist.


    She watched, and then, without thinking, her hand shot out.


    It felt firm.


    Finn stopped abruptly. "...?"


    In that same instant, Evangeline snapped back to reality, horrified by what she''d just done.


    She saw the look of utter surprise on his face, and her own face turned crimson.


    Her mind raced. "There was some dirt on your muscle... uh, no, I mean, on the dirt..."


    "


    п


    "You were just a little dirty..."


    After a moment of stammering, Evangeline finally managed to regain control of her tongue.


    Her blush deepened, and her heart sank.


    That''s it. So much for my dignity.


    Fortunately, Finn didn''t seem to make a big deal of it, nor did he seem interested in exploring the less than proper thoughts running through her head. He walked into the cave, wiped the fruit clean, and handed one to her. .


    Evangeline took it, feeling a pang of guilt.


    Seeing Finn about to head outside with his shirt, she realized what he was doing and quickly snatched it from his hand. "I''ll wash this. You go dry your clothes."


    Finn was a bit of a neat freak. His shirt had been used as a fruit basket and a towel; he definitely wouldn''t want to wear it like that.


    Besides, she needed to go wash her face and cool down.


    Before Finn could say anything, Evangeline darted out of the cave.


    With no soap or detergent, she


    scrubbed the shirt as best she could, then sshed cold water on her face. Feeling a little more clear headed she returned to the cave entrance and waited, giving


    Finn what she hoped was enough time to dry his clothes before she went back inside.


    "So, whose abs feel better? Soren''s or mine?"


    The moment she stepped inside, Finn''s question hit her so unexpectedly she nearly tripped over her own feet.


    Evangeline stood frozen.


    Finn was watching her with a yful smile. He didn''t sound jealous; it was more like


    he was genuinely trying to start a discussion.


    Evangeline was speechless.


    He could actually discuss it with her so calmly after she had just groped him.


    The nerve.


    Well, if Finn could be so bold, she


    decided she wouldn''t seem so timid. She wasn''t some eighteen-year-old girl, after all. She''d been through enough in her life to know that


    Pn


    pretending to be shy now would just


    look fake.


    ?


    Evangeline bit her lip, her nails digging lightly into her palm. She looked him in the


    eye and said earnestly, "Yours."