“Yeah. Bring your own saliva.”
She laughs and wrinkles up her nose.
“Oh, was that too gross for Ms. Bleeding Gums?”
“Hey, that was purely to save those women’s lives…”
“Right, I almost forgot. Gwendolyn Fox, patron saint of the unvaccinated.”
Rolling her eyes, she lets out a little chuckle, then takes another bite.
I watch her, suddenly realizing how much fun I’m having.
When she looks at me again, she narrows her eyes a little. “What?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“I know that. I meant what’s that expression about.”
“What expression?”
“I don’t know. You have a goofy smile on your face.”
“I don’t have a goofy smile,” I tell her, putting on a faux frown to prove her wrong.
“You did a second ago,” she says with a sideways grin.
Shaking my head, I say, “No, I’ve never had a goofy smile before.”
“Never?”
“Not once. Not even as a young child.”
“I know a goofy smile when I see one, and that, sir, was a goofy smile. So, fess up. What’s so funny?”
I stare at her, desperately wanting to pull her onto my lap and kiss her hard on the mouth. “I don’t know. I guess I was just realizing that … I’m having fun here. With you. Which is surprising, really, because it’s not something I do very often. And given the circumstances, I wouldn’t have thought it would be possible at all.”
“You mean the ‘being stranded in the jungle with a woman who only wants you for one thing?’” she asks.
“Yes,” I say, my gaze flicking down to her mouth and back up. “Although I would suppose it would matter what that one thing was, because depending on the answer, this would be exactly the type of situation where a person could have an incredible time.”
“Incredible?” Her cheeks flush a little.
“Yes, depending on what she wanted me for.” The tension between us grows thick.
“What if she only wanted you for your body?”
“Then I can guarantee it would be a night to remember.”
25
It’s Kind of Steamy in this Jungle…
Gwen
He wants me. And it’s been so very long since someone wanted me. So long. Like I’m pretty sure I’m revirginated at this point. Let’s face it, I want him right back. I want to feel him against me and inside me and on top of me and under me. I want to taste his kisses and his skin and to feel the way he moves. There’s a silent alarm going off in the back of my mind, trying to tell me this is a terrible idea. It’s saying something about betraying my work family and risking my heart with a man who literally just told me he has no interest in happily ever after with anyone.
And yet…