Page 14 of Enticing Her Love

They checked their gear, and after it was safely put away, she felt a modicum of relief.

He grabbed the machete and his walking stick. “Let’s go find some chontacuro worms for dinner.”

She’d read about the fat worms that were harvested from chonta palm trees, but the thought of eating them turned her stomach. “As delicious as that sounds, I think I’ll enjoy a vegan meal tonight. I’m good with flowers and plants. I’ll contemplate diving into those delectable worms tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow I’m hoping we can catch some fish, but you’ve got to be starved.”

“Honestly, I don’t have much of an appetite tonight. But I’m happy to film you finding and eating worms.”

“Nice try. I’m not getting on camera, but I will eat them after we gather them. There’s not much daylight left. Let’s find a place to use as a bathroom. You’ll definitely want to go before it gets dark. But if you have to go at night, let me know and I’ll stand guard.”

“There’s no way I’m going to the bathroom after dark.” She followed him into the forest.

“I grabbed a bunch of moss along the way to use as toilet paper.”

“No, thank you. I brought biodegradable wipes. You’re welcome to use them.”

He frowned. “That’s cheating, Steele.”

“Cheating would be staying in a resort and spending an hour here filming, or bringing bottled water and ready-made meals. Look at me.” She held out her arms. “I’m sweatier and grimier than I’ve ever been. I’m starving and thirsty and every noise makes my heart race. I’m going to drink the disgusting water and eat God knows what to survive, but I draw the line at getting bugs in my cooch. You’re a guy. You just whip it out and go. I have to squat, and who knows what might jump up and bite my ass or worse. I brought unscented facial and body wipes, too, so my face wouldn’t break out and I wouldn’t feel gross all the time. But don’t worry, I also brought ziplock bags. I’m not going to leave either type of wipes behind and ruin the rainforest.”

“You brought ziplock bags? What else are you hiding?”

“Nothing. You threw out my other necessities.”

“Peanut butter crackers and coffee are not necessities. They’re luxuries. Are you sure there’s no kitchen sink in your backpack?”

“Very funny. I brought a Snugpak, because I thought it would be uncomfortable sleeping in a hut with the tribe, but it’s not like I’m hiding it.”

He lifted his brows in question.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s an ultralight sleeping bag that has built-in netting to cover my face so no snakes or spiders can get to me at night.”

“I know what a Snugpak is. I just can’t believe you brought one. We’re supposed to be roughing it.”

“Look around you, Braden,” she said loudly. “We’re searching for a safe place to pee in the rainforest. This is roughing it, and I asked Karen if I could bring the Snugpak. She said it was fine.”

“Didn’t you grow up on an island? Didn’t you ever go camping there?”

“Yes, but the island isn’t like this. I roughed it many times on the beach.”

“And by that you mean, what? You fell asleep in the sand after a party and didn’t make it home?”

“No.”

He cocked a brow, poking at something on the ground with his stick.

“Fine. Yes, but it was roughing it. It gets cold at night by the ocean, and there are sand flies, and we have foxes and other wild animals. It’s not a walk in the park.”

He stifled a laugh.

“Okay, maybe it is a walk in the park compared to this, but it wasn’t like there were bathrooms on the beach.”

“You had to run home, didn’t you?”

“No. We peed in the water or held it until morning.” She lowered her voice. “Or we went to whoever’s house was closest.”

“And the truth comes out. I thought you were tougher than this, Steele, but if you’re comfortable misleading the audience, you can use your wipes. Just be sure to carry them out.”