Page 16 of Enticing Her Love

“You wish. I need something to stave off the wild animals if they show up tonight.”

He grinned. “Now you’re thinking like a survivalist.”

“Don’t let this go to your head, but I have a pretty good teacher.” She watched him move the skewers away from the fire and set them on a rock to cool. “You’re really going to eat those worms?”

“Yes, and so are you.”

“No, I’m not.”

He gave her a look that said she was being stubborn. “You’ve probably expended more energy today than you have in weeks, and you’ll need your strength for tomorrow.”

“I’ll be fine. I do yoga, and I’ve gone a night without eating before.”

He raked his hair away from his face. “I heard you earlier, griping about yoga not giving you the muscles you needed for traipsing through the rainforest.”

She hadn’t realized he’d heard her bitching. “That’s because I’ve been doing yoga for a few years, and I considered myself fairly strong until I had to carry that heavy backpack through the rain for hours. But just because I wish I was stronger doesn’t mean I need to eat grilled worms.”

“I think you did great today. You really pulled your weight, and those worms are loaded with protein and vitamins. They’re a lot better for you than those processed peanut butter crackers you eat all the time. Natives claim these worms are a cure-all for a list of things from coughs and asthma to gastritis and arthritis.”

“None of which I have, thank you very much.”

He picked up a skewer and studied the worms. “It’s okay. I get it, Glamour Girl.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you’re cool as long as there are butt wipes and a Snugpak, but you’re not very adventurous at heart.”

“How can you say that? Look where we are.”

“You came against your will to keep your job.”

That was true. When she’d convinced Karen to let her go into the rainforest, she’d thought they were staying in a hut with a tribe of hunters to keep her safe. “So? I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“Hey, I get it. You don’t mind the viewers talking behind your back about how you couldn’t hack the hard stuff, and that’s okay.”

Her competitive spirit kicked in, and she narrowed her eyes. “There’s nothing I can’t hack.”

“Prove it.” He popped a worm into his mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed it down with a taunting lift of his brows.

“I know what you’re doing.”

He leaned into her side, speaking playfully. “Come on, Steele. Show the world what you’re made of before it’s too dark to see.” He reached for the camera.

It was hard to say no when she wasn’t hating him. “You get some sort of sick pleasure out of annoying me, don’t you?”

“I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.” He lifted the camera. “No intro. Just get to the heart of it. On three.”

“Wait. You’re not giving me time to think of what to say.”

“That makes it better. Go with what you feel. One. Two. Three.” He pointed at her.

“As you can see, it’s nearly dark, and it seems like every insect in the forest has come to join our cookout.” She motioned to the insects swarming around the fire. “I’ve given up trying to swat them away. There are too many to worry about. I’ve decided to peacefully coexist with them. Unless something harmful lands on me—then all bets are off.”

Flynn’s approval showed in his smile, and she tried not to notice how good that looked on him.

“We’ve just finished roasting the chontacuro worms we harvested earlier.” She held up a skewer. “I’m told these little guys have healing properties, and they’re packed with vitamins and protein. Let’s see if they can heal my annoyance at my pushy boss who won’t let me get away without eating one. Here goes nothing.”

She pulled one of the worms off the skewer, prayed she wouldn’t throw up on camera, and popped it into her mouth. She held her breath, hoping she looked as casual as Flynn had when he’d eaten one, but as she bit down, cracking through the crunchy outer shell, she felt herself wincing at the mushy, warm center spilling out. She managed to chew it quickly and swallow it down, and was surprised she didn’t feel the urge to gag. “That was not bad. It tastes kind of like fried pork rinds mixed with something mushy and woodsy.”