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CHAPTER ONE

Thirty-six Thirty-seven Thirty-eight

Bleary-eyed and yawning, Ashley watched Roman out theof the Airstream as he curled up into one sit-up after another

Forty-two Forty-three Forty-four

Quiet Pennsylvaniabeyond the cleared patch of ca himself

She’d only started counting a o, but the sweat at the neckline and under the arms of his neorkout shirt said he’d been at this for a while The army calisthenics pamphlet from the surplus store lay facedown on the picnic table bench beside him

It was enough to uilty about her pajama-clad voyeurism

Fifty-nine Sixty Sixty-one

The rhythm of the repetitive movement sank down inside her The way his body curled up, then released The perfection of him

Every tiainst the rainfly of his new tent,it jitter and shed dew With the exception of its color—bright green—the tent in no way resembled the model they’d adone to find Roman a shelter after he refused to sleep in the Airstream

Or, rather, it looked like that floorand stepped on it

Any nor pad an inch to the left to keep froainst the nylon, but Roainst his flushed skin Orhimself to stop once he’d started For any reason at all