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Or is it already too late?
    His gaze continued to linger on her mouth and the intensity became suffocating. Selena thought she might lose consciousness. It was all she could stand and finally she averted her eyes abruptly from him, turning her face away and breathing raggedly. Selena wished desperately that she could disappear. She had never felt more vulnerable than at that moment, standing there at his mercy, waiting for him to strike.
    He drew away. The air around her felt infinitely lighter. She almost didn’t dare to believe it. When she finally looked up again, he was just standing there, watching her calmly in the growing darkness. She had to drop her eyes again, unable to meet his stare. Feeling lucky but undone, Selena turned back to the direction of camp, and started walking.

    Three

                When dawn broke, Dan’s stirring drew Selena slowly from another surprisingly deep sleep. He stood stretching and turned to face the little river down the hill. Selena sat up and smoothed her hair, blearily trying to shake the grogginess off and wishing the night before had been less grueling. Dan turned to look down at her.
                “I’m going to get some food now. Are you going to run away?”
                She wanted to run at that moment. It was ridiculous that after years of nomadic life, solitary travel and many narrow escapes that this time she had been so easily caught. It repulsed her. Memories came flooding back, so painful and terrifying she tried to blink them away. This was not the first time she’d been held against her will. She was twelve at the time and just starting to blossom. A man in their camp had followed her into the bushes as she’d been blithely scouting for blackberries. His name was Karl. She was on guard instantly, but he tried to coax his way nearer with sickly sweet compliments until he grabbed her roughly. When her father found them, Karl had pushed her to the ground and ripped her shirt. He was trying to kiss her while she fought. He’d backed off when he was caught in the act, and fled camp for a few days. Her parents knew that his restraint would no longer hold up when he returned since his intentions were no longer a secret. Selena’s mother had explained how lucky she was that her father hadn’t found them any later. From then on, she understood how dangerous men were. Aside from her father, she hadn’t spoken to another man since her family struck out on their own. Not until now.
                Selena felt so bitter, intimidated and self-conscious that she couldn’t manage to give Dan a reply. Worse yet, a fleeting glance at his eyes proved that she was still too weak to hold his gaze.
                Mercifully, he had resumed his earlier indifference toward her. For this, she was vastly grateful, but her relief only went so far. Selena knew he could change his mind at any moment. All she could do was pray he didn’t. So far, though, it was like last night’s chase and capture had never happened.
                With no escape plan to occupy her, Selena watched Dan stride down the hill to the river. She closed her eyes and tried to think. There was no good in running. She wouldn’t attack him again, even if she could. He was too fast, more skilled. He’d win. Selena opened her eyes and stared up through the softly rustling redwood canopy above. The sky was cloudless above their webby branches and the air was already warm. If it weren’t for the fact she was a prisoner, Selena thought, she could have really enjoyed a day like this.
                Her eyes returned to the stream, sparkling with light as the sun touched it warmly. Dan had removed his shirt and stood hip-deep in the flowing water. His perfectly toned body and smooth skin made Selena’s stomach flinch and she pulled her eyes away quickly. Seeing him half-naked felt intimate, and after last night, it was too much. Selena leaned forward,