“Dammit, James.” She pouted her lips and focused on him.
His body heated. She’s got to be kidding. She’s blaming me for every little thing. “What? You think it’s my fault?” He threw his arms out and waited for a whimsical answer.
She crossed her arms and stuck her foot out to the side. “Oh, not at all. Just don’t be too busy laughing it up at me while your own situation is in shambles,” she smirked, focusing on her map.
Is she crazy? “You’re not the slightest bit worried that someone might have come and entered the camp and messed with our stuff?”
“No, not at all. I think you absent-mindedly put it there and don’t remember.”
Maybe she had a point. He was concerned with keeping an eye on her last night. He about lost it when she collapsed onto the ground. Now, he revolved around in a circle to watch the shore again. Nothing. Only seagulls. The old fisherman was down there too.
Her. He could barely sleep last night, having to peek over and constantly watch to make sure she hadn’t been eaten by wild animals in the middle of the night. She hadn’t seemed concerned at all. Slept like a koala. She got him too damn emotional.
It was unlike him to share a strange emotional event like his father’s death with any woman. He had plenty of people to talk to. His brothers, for instance. There was no need to open up this much. It was silly. He had broken and cried a couple days ago over his dad, but it had been in private, hovering over the sink in the resort bathroom. No one wanted to see a grown man cry. He took in a deep breath and fought to control the sadness. He made a mental note not to get too emotional again.
A partially-obstructed cove lay down below. He strained his neck to get a better view. Nothing there.
And any normal boat would anchor in the water as they had done yesterday. Or they’d pull up onto the sand. He trusted old Bernardo when he said there was no way to get close to land without a harbor.
His stomach turned in knots. He swallowed. Or was there? Was there another way on to the island besides those two ways? Did they come up in the middle of the night and rummage around with their things? He opened the pack and pushed aside his clothing.
The map.
His chest tingled as he stared at the neat pile of notes. Had the pirates seen those? If so, why hadn’t they taken them? He scratched his head. “Lexi?”
She continued to hover over her notes, making a line and a red X mark. “Yeah?”
“How sure are you that the map was in your bag?”
She looked up and stiffened as her mouth fell open. “Wh… what do you mean?”
His heartbeat raced. He circled around the island again. The coast was empty, except for that cove that was so damn hard to see. Maybe someone lives here? “I think someone’s been up here.”
The ground had several footstep tracks, but that could have been their own.
She stood up and turned around in a circle herself. “You’re creeping me out,” she declared, folding the map. “We need to get going. It’s getting late.”
He eyed the cove again. If only they could get a better view of it. “We need to get down to that cove and make sure it’s empty.”
She dropped her hands by her side. Her nostrils flared. “Are you crazy? Enough of this running around, worried about being chased by pirates. There are no pirates, James,” she enunciated. “There’s only us, the map, and the treasure. We would’ve already been there by now had it not been for your incessant worry about your fictitious pirates.”
He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. She made him sound like an idiot. Fight with this girl? Last thing I want to do. I’d much rather be caressing her sweet, supple ass. She looked cute when she was angry. She was damn adorable. “All right.” He raised his palms up, then rubbed them both together. “You win. Let’s go get the treasure.”
She displayed an ‘I-told-you-so’ smile and shoved the map and the rest of her things in the bag.
She was hard-headed. What was she trying to prove? If she couldn’t see his genuine concern for her well-being, then that was just fine. He shoved his hands in his pockets and clenched his jaw. “You’re the boss.”
Why was he so worried about her in the first place? They were on a secluded Caribbean island. He should’ve been figuring out how to get up under those short shorts and letting his fingers do the talking.
Instead, he pushed away branches and swatted flies off his neck. They hiked forward, pushing the ground behind them. They made good mileage through the muddy turf. “This island is bigger than I thought. It looked so small from the sea.”
She didn’t talk much. It was all one-word answers from her, or nothing. Things had changed 180 degrees from last night. What the hell happened? The night had ended with them on good terms, then she woke up all strange in the morning. She had said she felt better with him there, did she not? She said she felt… safer. Now she was ready to ditch him. She wouldn’t even look at him. He felt used. What is she going to do once she has the gold in her hands? Would she need him then? Probably not. It’s gotta go down before she gets that gold in her hands. The treasure was secondary. It was her he wanted. She’s playing hard to get, but she’ll be begging once she has a taste.
He checked back on her every couple minutes. His mouth was dry. He wasn’t hungry, but he could've used a moment to rest and refuel. The climate changed as they got further inside the jungle. The air was more humid, more wet. He watched the ground as he dredged through mud.
He stopped. “You hungry?” Say something. Say anything.
Her eyebrows raised. She tilted her head, her eyes soft. She wasn’t as angry or irritated or bothered, or whatever the hell she was earlier. “Yeah. Sort of. I could eat.”
She was hard to read and a hard one to figure out and the usual techniques weren’t working.
“Want to go fish something, or what do you got for me?” Her breasts looked especially perky today. The nipples were poking through that tight shirt, nearly begging to be sucked on. He could eat those. He could eat her. Her succulent lips drew him closer to her. Her minty scent drifted to his nostrils and drove him wild.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “There is no time for fishing. We need to make it to the lava tubes.”
He rubbed his empty stomach. “You’re right.” he stated. When in doubt, just agree with everything she says. “Did you bring anything besides sardines though? I’m getting a little sardined out.” Talking to her was like walking on eggshells. Or worse, it was like walking on broken glass. He tried to keep the chatter light, though he didn’t understand.
She tightened her lips and lifted her nose into the air. “Of course I did. I brought peanut butter too.”
Heat rose to his cheeks and ears. His belly tensed. The more he heard of her soft, sweet voice, the more he wanted to take her, to devour her. What is she doing to me? He was sexually frustrated and he hadn’t thought of anything or anyone else in days. He inhaled a shallow breath and touched her arm. He started at the elbow, and let his fingers slide into her soft hand. Her touch was more delicate than he thought. She held his hand loosely.
But she held it.
He pulled her to him. Her eye contact flickered with heated passion. He leaned in, mesmerized by her sulky, swollen lips. His lips brushed against her sweetness.
Little footsteps crawled down his back. He shivered and arched his body. His breath halted as he squirmed. Something was making a fast-paced trek across his body. “Fuck!” He wiggled and hit his own waist with a flat palm, trying to get it off, whatever it was.
She covered her mouth and giggled.
He scratched his skin and twitched. He grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and yanked it over his head. A little eight-legged scorpion-looking creature made its way downward, getting closer to his dick. He jerked back, trying to throw it off. “Aghh!” He slapped it away with the tail end of his shirt.
She continued giggling. She was now hunched over, laughing hard.
The eight-legged thing wriggled away into a bed of moss.
Her laugh was cute, but that thing looked poisonous. “Good to see your deep concern. That thing coulda’ fuckin’ killed me!”
“It almost made its way beneath your belt,” she howled.
“I wasn’t gonna let him down there.” He liked to be talking about his dick with her, but he wished it were under different circumstances. He twitched again. “I’m itchy just thinking about it.” He shivered.
She busted up into a deep-bellied, silent laugh, the kind you do when something is hilarious—so funny you can't breathe or talk.
“Well, I’m glad I could amuse you.”
She wiped her eyes and reached in the pack. She still had residue of laughter and had a huge grin plastered to her face.
She took out the peanut butter and crackers and laid them on a paper towel. She spread the peanut butter on a cracker. Great, I’m getting eaten alive and she’s wolfing down crackers.
She handed him a cracker-peanut butter creation.
His shoulders eased. Really? He took it as if it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him.
Back home, girls clawed for his attention by proving just how well they could “mother” him. Most would get up early to make him pancakes or eggs and toast. It was always about money. They used him just like he used them. By the end of it all, he wasn’t sure if he was winning or losing.
This girl, Lexi was different. She didn’t care about money, and he was the one who looked after her. She wasn’t messy or reckless. He was just worried about her safety and felt a strange responsibility toward her. He didn’t like it, but he couldn’t exactly control it either.
He took the peanut butter crackers. “Thank you. Making yourself some?”
Her eyes lowered to his bare chest and further down. “Yes.”
Was she just checking me out? He hadn’t taken the time to put his shirt back on. Did she enjoy it?
She plopped a cracker in her mouth. Her lips were the smoothest berry red, her teeth, bone straight. He could have spent hours watching her chew.
She covered her mouth as if she knew she was being watched. He was careful not to say anything. The more he’d flirted with her, the more withdrawn she’d become. Should he tone it down some? Less flirting, more silence? Who can understand this shit? What just happened between them and did she desire him too?
His hand needed to take one of the crackers and feed it into to her delicious mouth, but he fought the urge.
She poked strands of her jet-black hair behind her ear and blotted her forehead with a paper towel. “Hot out here.” Her eyes still glowed from the laughter she’d had at his expense earlier.
The jungle was alive and breathing. There were animals, birds, wildlife. And so many trees, bushes, ferns, and whatever. It was hard to see what was coming or going. That insect thing had snuck up under his shirt without him even noticing. “Yeah, let’s get moving,” he commanded, standing.
She packed the provisions and waited for him to take the lead.
They set out on the trail again and walked for hours. His belly and shoulders became leaner. It became increasingly difficult to step one foot in front of the other.
“Just a sec,” she said, reaching into her pack.
He squatted and took water out of his sack. His thirst had reached new levels, his mouth and throat feeling as dry as sandpaper. The water had revived him, but he was still losing power.
She held the map with one hand and pointed. “We need to go here now. Off-trail.”
It didn’t look easy, but he kept his spirits up. He opened his arms and faced her. “I’m all yours, sweetie. Lead the way.”
She curled her upper lip and scrunched her nose. It was obvious she didn’t like what he’d just said.
Why? He focused hard on his statement. I’m all yours… sweetie… lead the way. He repeated the words in his head. I’m all yours, sweetie. He straightened his back. She didn’t like that? He made a mental note to tame his tongue around her. “I’m sorry,” he offered.
Her eyes softened. “It’s okay.” She paused. “I think you better lead the way still though. I got the general direction, but I don’t know where the heck I’m stepping. And there’s a gazillion trees in the way.”
“A gazillion is right.” His arm was aching from the constant vine-slashing, but at least there was an actual trail. Now she wanted to wander off into the thick rainforest and who knew what kind of Amazon awaited him? He imagined another set of legs crawling up his neck. He shivered. “All right, let’s go.”
She laughed and stepped behind him.
They found themselves entrenched in wilderness. Sweat dripped down from his armpits and rolled down his torso onto his shorts. His heated skull throbbed. He flapped the front of his shirt and let the momentary air cool him. He continued slashing down the branches and moving forward with her following close behind.
This was twice as much jungle as the survivalist course he did last year in Tennessee. The trails back then had practically been paved out for them and some of the team had still whined. If they could only see what he had to do now. The task was not for the weak-minded or the physically challenged. He charged on through the humid forest.
A group of branches snapped back and hit him in the face. He squeezed his eyes shut and froze. I’ve had it. This is ridiculous.
A new round of giggles sounded from behind. There she was, laughing at him. Again.
His eyes narrowed on to her, his body stiffening. He worked hard, chopping down wood like a fucking lumberjack, so the royal princess could step her proper feet through. And all she could do was mock him.
“Don’t be mad,” she cried between giggles. “You’re just so freaking adorable.” She continued to laugh and even keeled over toward her knees.
A sudden warmth radiated throughout his body. He felt a heated flush sweeping across his face.
She’d liked it. She liked me making a damn fool of myself and was uninterested in my strength and agility. She glowed when he was real. His feet embedded deeper into the mud. “Go on, laugh. Get it out,” he said, grinning. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched her.
She bit her knuckles and quieted down. The laughter kicked in again. She belted into a deep-bellied laugh. She was fucking adorable and she looked like a completely different person--someone who enjoyed his company.
She finally quieted. “Sorry,” she murmured, still wearing a mesmerized grin on her face.
“Oh no. Go right ahead. Glad I could entertain you.”
Her eyes wandered to his torso and shoulders then focused on his eyes. She opened her chest and arched her back. The top button of her blouse had come unbuttoned and her cleavage exposed itself through her tank top. Her breaths quickened as their gaze prolonged.
Was it the right time? It needed to be the right time. He fought the urge. “You ready?” he whispered.
She pressed her body against his and nodded, pursing her lips.
His dick hardened. He closed his eyes and stepped back. Her body heat had sent his hormones reeling. He decided to confront her when they reached their destination. He needed to get out of the creepy jungle. There was no way he was hanging out a minute longer than he had to with the fear of little animals crawling over his dick. He shuddered at the thought of some creepy creature coming up to bite it.
“I mean are you ready to go?”
She lifted her chin and straightened her blouse. “Yes.”
He faced forward and slashed down a few more branches. He would have preferred laying her on the ground and giving it to her hard. He blew air from his lower lip and looked back at her.
She smiled and trekked close behind him.
The manlier he had acted, the more withdrawn she became. That was it, wasn’t it? He needed to stop the macho bullshit and be himself around her. He barely knew what that was. He’d been breaking hearts for as long as he could recall. He could be genuine around his brothers, but that was the extent of “realness.” Women, on the other hand, who understands them? Or better yet, who has the patience to understand them?
He checked on her again. An uncontrollable smile came to his lips. He turned and continued tearing through the treacherous path that lay before them.