Chapter 31
When Shannon awoke the next morning, Dave was gone. It was just her and Gordon, lying stiffly beneath one of the dirty blankets, pressed so close she could feel his heartbeat and the mellow rhythm of his breathing. The fire was dead, smoldering coals and ash. The oil lamp on the table burned dimly, the wick low to conserve fuel, turned up just enough to throw a pale flickering light over their surreal setting. What happened next happened without any thought, without any intention, or even concerns that Dave might be just down the corridor watching them.
Shannon pressed closer to Gordon, feeling his heat and liking it, cherishing it in a way she had never cherished the feel of another body. She pressed her face into the back of his neck and inhaled his scent, a combination
