Bursting With Love by Melissa Foster

Linda, he was able to fall asleep without first enduring hours of misery.

Chapter Eleven
    SAVANNAH AWOKE WITH the sun, and though she’d slept only a couple of hours, she felt refreshed and ready to tackle the day—and Jack Remington. Boy, had he thrown her for a loop. She’d expected hot sex, but she couldn’t have anticipated the dirty things she’d wanted to do with him, and by the time they’d returned to the campsite, he’d become tender toward her. The more tender he became, the more her body reacted to him.
    As she dressed, she tried to calm her nerves about seeing him again, and before getting out of her tent, she took a few minutes to gather her courage and strength, wondering how he would act toward her. They’d agreed not to hide their feelings but not to flaunt them either. Savannah knew she might have trouble with that. She was a Braden, after all, and all Bradens tended to err on the side of overly affectionate with those they cared for. Cared for . Savannah realized that even though she hardly knew Jack, her heart had already embraced him.
    “I’ll get her!” Aiden’s voice carried through the thin tent walls. A few rapid footfalls later, Aiden poked his blond head into her tent. His wide eyes were full of mischief. “Hi, Savannah. We’re learning to build a shelter. A real shelter. Are you almost ready? Jack says we can’t go till you’re ready.”
    Savannah touched his nose. “I’m as ready as I’m gonna be, but is everyone else up this early?”
    “Yup.”
    “Then I better get my butt in gear.” Last night came rushing back and she felt her cheeks flush.
    Aiden ran away from her tent, yelling, “She’s getting her butt gear on!”
    Savannah buried her face in her hands. She crawled out of her tent under the amused scrutiny of four sets of adult eyes. Jack’s eyes were locked on the ground.
    “I said get my butt in gear, silly boy,” she said with a laugh.
    Elizabeth sidled up to her. “What were you up to last night?”
    She looked around to see if anyone else had heard her. “What do you mean?”
    “Relax. No one else knows. I had to pee, and when I was in the woods, I heard something. At first I thought it was Josie and Pratt, but then I clearly heard the name Jack, and it wasn’t spoken, if you know what I mean.” She poked Savannah in the ribs and arched a brow. “I see you took my advice.”
    “Oh my God. Do you think anyone else heard us?” Savannah’s eyes darted from Lou to Josie and finally to Pratt, none of whom where paying her any extra attention. “I’m so embarrassed.”
    “I just told you no one else knows. Sheesh, your head is still in the clouds isn’t it? There’s nothing better than that new-relationship-after-sex euphoria.” Elizabeth sighed with a dreamy look in her eyes. She nodded toward Jack. “He seems more relaxed today, too. He’s not nearly as cranky.”
    “I don’t know if I’d call it a relationship.” Savannah watched Jack as he filled a backpack with supplies. He was moving with less rigidity, and his mouth was no longer pinched. He glanced up, and Savannah noticed his furrowed brows—and how strikingly handsome he really was—only this time it wasn’t his features she was assessing. As she drank in his angular nose, high cheekbones, and strong chin, it was his words that she heard. I see a strong woman who’s also feminine, and the combination is…frustrating. His honesty was his most attractive trait, and a refreshing change for Savannah, who lived in a world of misrepresentation and deceit. Jack caught her gaze, and she held her breath. When he smiled, the deep worry lines that had traveled across his forehead disappeared, and Savannah let out the breath she’d been holding.
    She made a conscious effort to keep a little distance between herself and Jack. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, and she didn’t need to look like a moon-eyed girl in front of the others. She knew that everyone would see right through