Enduring Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #3)(29)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“So you’re completely serious?”

“Yes, Kevin. I am serious.”

“We can try one. Want me to turn around while you get changed?”

“Just get undressed and in the bag.” I appreciated his attempt at chivalry, but it was not the time to be embarrassed. We need to strip and get warm. I knew enough about survival skills to know we had been outside too long.

I waited until Kevin unrolled the blue sleeping bag before pulling off my clothes. I tried not to look, but I could not help it once he took off his pants. He wore shorts, but I still got quite an eyeful of his muscular body.

I slipped into the bag. “Come in, Kevin. This stalling will not help us at all.”

He looked nervous for a moment before joining me. His body felt cold at first; the extra few moments of hesitation had cost him heat. We held each other while shivering and listening to the storm. After a while, our bodies warmed, and the shivering died down. Not everything stayed calm though. Kevin’s body made his interest in me very clear.

“That isn’t my fault.”

With only the light of the moon, I could not see his face. “I suppose it is mine.”

“I’m not saying it’s your fault.”

“It is a joke, Kevin.”

“Oh.”

I snuggled closer against him, wanting to lose myself in his warmth. I moved one of my hands to his chest, loving the feel of the muscular planes.

He chuckled. “This might be seen as torture to some.”

“Torture?”

“Being in a sleeping bag with a beautiful naked woman who you’re crazy about… it’s hard to keep my hands to myself, to say the least.”

“Your hands are not being left to yourself.” I ran a hand down his arm that was currently wrapped around me.

“You know what I mean.”

“You did not keep them to yourself last night. Why should you now?” Where had those words come from?

“You don’t mean?”

“I almost lost you today…”

“And that means you’re ready?”

“I have been ready a long time. I just needed to know you felt as I do.”

“And you believe that now?” His voice was soft.

“After I pulled you out… the way you looked at me…”

“I love you, Samantha.” His lips brushed against my ear. The words and touch caused a chill to run through me.

“I love you, Kevin.”

“I will never let you down.”

He kissed me, and I knew my life was forever changed.

Chapter Sixteen

Kevin

The world stood still, or at least that was how it felt. I held Samantha in my arms, and I knew she belonged there. Outside, the storm continued, but inside our little cocoon, nothing touched us.

“Did that mean the same thing to you?” she asked.

I brushed some hair away from her face. “Yes. If we make it out of this alive, you’ll have to explain the whole uniting thing to me.”

“We will get out alive, and I will hold you to it, Kevin.”

“You better, and I love how you say my name.”

“Kevin? Do I say it differently than others?”

“Maybe it’s just the way it sounds on your lips.” I kissed her lightly.

“I like how you say my name, too.”

“Yeah? How do I say Samantha?” I asked.

“Say it normally.”

“Samantha.”

“Do you realize we did not worry about a watch tonight?”

“I can’t wait until all of this is over and we can forget about sleeping in shifts. I plan on sleeping with you like this every night.”

“Like this? Squished together?”

I kissed her gently. “Yes. Squished together naked with you in a sleeping bag. It’s quite comfortable.”

“I might prefer a bed.”

“Hmm… okay, only if we keep the squished together naked part.” I ran a hand down that beautiful body of hers. I dreaded facing the cold and losing the feel of her warm body pressed against mine.

“We need to get moving.”

“I know. It’s time to find the Onyx.”

***

When the storm passed, we packed up our gear and headed outside. My leg felt better, but I wasn’t looking forward to walking on it again. The lake was visible only a few miles down the mountain, so we made our way back through the snow.

“Do you think the ice is solid?” I asked. We’d reached the lake, the part I was most worried about.

“Yes.”

I took out the GPS and checked the coordinates. “Well, I hope so. We need to get to the center.”

“Very convenient.”

I smiled. I liked it when Samantha was sarcastic. “On the positive side, the lake is frozen, so we can walk on it. On the negative side, we have to break through the ice to get the Onyx.”

“We can do this.”

“Well, I don’t see any other choice.” The dry suit fit like a glove, and theoretically, it was designed for arctic water, but the thought of jumping into the frigid water still sounded completely unappealing.

We used the drill to cut a hole in the ice double the size of my body. At least Dad had been prepared with the tools. Still, after my fall the day before, I didn’t like the idea of jumping through the ice. I tried not to think about it, but what I was about to do was crazy. For all I knew, the Onyx wasn’t there. I really hoped Dad’s coordinates were correct.

I took a deep breath before pulling the mask over my face. I didn’t have an oxygen tank, but at least the suit meant I was somewhat prepared.

The lake was dark and murky, nothing like the oceans where I’d scuba dived. I held my breath as long as I could while searching for something that could possibly be a powerful stone. Nothing. The water was only about twenty feet deep, but the limited visibility made it difficult to see. After searching the lake floor for over a minute, I had to surface for air. Thankfully, the ice hole glowed with light.

I gulped down air as Samantha watched me worriedly. I didn’t stop for long. Giving up wasn’t an option. Back underneath the water, I scanned the area. I wished I were Charlotte and could sense things as she did. Then, I noticed a small metal box covered with green algae. I grabbed it and swam to the surface. Samantha pulled me out and covered me with a thick blanket.

I handed the square, black box to Samantha. She tried to open the box first, but the lid didn’t budge. “Here.” She handed it to me.

I prepared to wrestle with it, but the lid opened as soon as I touched it. I looked up at Samantha in shock.