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hand.
    “Let me grab towels,” Josie said, and she headed to her tent.
    “Nature calls. Be right back.” Savannah slipped into the woods and inspected her surroundings carefully before she chose a spot to take care of her bathroom needs. When she returned to the camp, Elizabeth was waiting for her.
    “I want to go down to the stream, but I didn’t want to leave you alone. Do you want to come with me?” Elizabeth asked.
    Savannah wasn’t used to not showering. She really wanted to get into the water to bathe and wash her hair with the organic shampoo she’d found at the Natural Store. She couldn’t do that around the others.
    “No. It’s okay. I’ll go in a little while,” she answered. She knew Jack wouldn’t allow her to go alone, but once Pratt and Lou were back, she could ask Elizabeth to go with her.
    Twenty minutes later, Savannah had finished organizing her belongings in the tent, and as she was backing out, she heard Jack’s heavy footsteps approach. Butterflies took flight in her stomach. She rolled her eyes, angry with herself for feeling anything after the way he had treated her and wishing she hadn’t enjoyed that kiss so damn much. Okay, Savannah, just get it over with. She took a deep breath and climbed from her tent.
    Feigning a smile, she said, “Good morning.” As if she hadn’t experienced the greatest kiss of her life the night before.
    Jack walked past the tents to the fire pit, not once looking at Savannah.
    “Morning,” he grumbled as he began building a small fire.
    Savannah tried to discern if she was witnessing Jack’s typical morning grogginess, or if he was sincerely going to grumble at her and pretend they hadn’t kissed. I didn’t peg you as a pretender, too. Damn it. I hate pretending.
    “The others went down to the water,” she said.
    He continued silently building the fire.
    “You’re not going to speak to me?” she asked.
    “I said, morning ,” he answered.
    Savannah saw the others making their way back up the hill. She went to his side and said in a rushed whisper, “So we’re pretending last night didn’t happen?”
    Jack’s hands stopped midair. He turned his head slowly, and Savannah’s breath caught when she saw his dark, sexy eyes, but the hard set of his jaw negated the desire she thought she’d seen.
    “Probably for the best,” he said.
    Savannah knew he was right. She wasn’t even looking for a relationship. In fact, she was running from one. So why did her heart feel like he’d squeezed it until it was ready to burst?
    “Okay.” She didn’t recognize her frail voice. “I’m going down to the water to wash up.”
    He narrowed his eyes. “You can’t go alone.”
    He had a right to be upset over her breaking the rules, but she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to wash up, and now she didn’t want to be around anyone. And with what was going on between them—or not going on—she knew he would let her go.
    “It’s daylight. I’ll be fine. Besides, I didn’t go when the others invited me, so I can’t ask them to go again.” Savannah gathered her towels and her toiletry bag and went down to the water, passing the others along the way.
    “It’s beautiful down there,” Elizabeth said as she passed. “Want me to come?”
    “No thanks. I’m good.” And too confused to want company . “I won’t be gone long.”
    “Josie got water for coffee. I’ll save you some,” Elizabeth offered.
    “Perfect, thanks.”
     
    AFTER MAKING COFFEE and rolled oats for the group for breakfast, Jack checked his watch for the fourth time. Savannah hadn’t been gone even twenty minutes, but it felt like an hour. He knew the dangers of someone getting separated from the group, and he’d never before ignored his own rules. Now he was breaking every one of them. If he hadn’t kissed her—and if she hadn’t kissed him back with more passion than he’d ever felt—he wouldn’t have let her go to the stream alone. If she hadn’t made his body