Page 29 of Enticing Her Love

“Okay. It won’t happen again.” He gave a curt nod, as if sealing their deal. “We’ve got two canteens of purified water and a lot of ground to cover and filming to do. Why don’t you go brush your teeth, use the bathroom, and do whatever else you need to before we go looking for breakfast.”

That’s it? She’d gone through a litany of emotions and he wasn’t bothered in the least? So he was just having fun? She was a hookup? Of course she was. I really am an idiot.

“You should bring your sandals in your pack when we leave camp. There’s a river a few miles from here where we can fish. You’ll need to go in the water, and I’m sure it’ll be rocky. I don’t want your feet to hurt.”

“What makes you think my feet can’t take a few rocks?”

He cocked a grin. “I’ve seen your pedicured toes, Glamour Girl.”

She wondered if that was another reason he wasn’t interested in more than having a little fun, because he still thought of her as a glamour girl. The fact that she even wondered about it annoyed the heck out of her. He was her boss. He could get fired. What more of a reason did he need?

Shoving thoughts of what they’d done down deep, she locked them away, spun on her heel, and went to pee in the stupid hole in the ground.

AFTER FORAGING FOR more chontacuro worms for breakfast, which Sutton had been too hot and irritated to eat, and Flynn had eaten raw, they filled their daypacks with supplies and headed out to find the river. Sutton followed behind Flynn as they made their way through the dense forest. She must be getting used to the rainforest noises, because she wasn’t as jumpy as she’d been yesterday. Flynn let her use his personal video camera to film. Seeing the rainforest through the lens of a camera gave her an entirely different perspective, making her feel slightly removed from it and, at the same time, even closer. In between watching where she was stepping, she focused on spotting colorful birds, playful monkeys, and industrious insects. Anything to keep her eyes off Flynn’s back. His shirt was so snug, it showed every muscle as he swung the machete, guiding them through the forest.

After what felt like several hours, though time blurred in the rainforest, so it was probably only an hour or two, he stopped walking and said, “You’ve got to see this.” He took her by the wrist, pulling her in front of him. With a hand on her hip, he drew her back to his chest and lowered his face next to hers, speaking quietly and pointing with his other hand. “See that hole in the ground?”

How was she supposed to concentrate on anything but the feel of him, when other than his earlier tease about last night, he was back to the tight-jawed, order-giving guy she knew so well? She couldn’t afford to get lost in that confusion. “Yeah.”

“Look just above it and to the left, at the tree about ten feet back.”

“What am I looking at?”

“Follow the trunk up to the first branch, and you’ll see a tree boa.”

Visually tracing the line of the trunk, she spotted the amber snake lying in the crook of the branch and held her breath, fear prickling the back of her neck. “Aren’t they aggressive?”

“Yes. Very.” Flynn’s hand curled tightly around her hip. “But we’re far enough away from it. You’re safe.”

You’re safe with me. The chains she’d used to trap those memories rattled, and she struggled to push them away again, but one memory from yesterday broke through. I was so fascinated by the places we went and the things we saw and did, I assumed everyone was. I didn’t want them to miss out on anything. That was all this was. Flynn’s excitement and his need to share it.

“Are you up to getting it on camera?” he asked.

Was the universe testing her? She was so used to him giving orders, his question threw her for a loop, making a small part of her wonder if last night had meant something to him after all. It bothered her that that’s where her head went, and a bigger part of her, the smarter, more rational part that’d had to fight with him every step of the way for the last year and a half, took offense to his question.

“Of course I’m up for it.” She stepped out of his grip and handed him the camera. “Let’s do this.”

His jaw ticked, and he stepped back to frame the shot with the other camera. “I’ll zoom in on the snake when you call it out,” he said gruffly.

She put on her reporter face, and when he pointed at her, she forced herself to be ultra-professional. “There’s no lack of life in the rainforest. For novices like me, much of the wildlife blends into the scenery. Lucky for us, for experienced survivalists like Flynn Braden, it’s like playing Where’s Waldo. Over my right shoulder, coiled on the branch of a tree, is an amber tree boa, not to be confused with the emerald tree boa, which is a heavier, thicker snake. Tree boas aren’t venomous, but they are aggressive. I’m glad there’s some distance between us.” She rattled off several facts about the species and told the viewers where they were heading next. “Let’s see what else we can find.” She held her smile until Flynn lowered the camera.

“That was great, but you don’t have to mention me in these clips.”

“I don’t want to mislead the viewers into thinking anyone could wander into the rainforest and be safe in a place like this. You see things I don’t, and you have skills that are keeping us alive and well. I know you don’t want to be on camera, but do you prefer I don’t mention you, either?”

“No.” He raked a hand through his hair, tension tightening his jaw. “I just didn’t want you to think you had to.”

“I don’t. And, honestly, I don’t really think when I do these clips. I just say what comes to mind. I figure you’ll edit out a lot of it anyway.” Her stomach growled loudly.

“Bet you’re wishing you’d eaten those worms now. Let’s go catch some fish.”

Other than giving a few directives to watch her step, Flynn didn’t say much the rest of the way to the river, and the silence amplified the tension between them. She’d liked the window of friendship they’d found, and it bothered her to think he’d opened up to her with an endgame. But she couldn’t reconcile that thought with the Flynn she’d gotten to know last night.

When they came out from under the umbrella of trees, it felt like they’d entered another world. The sun beamed down with all its bright, wonderful glory on the river snaking between the overgrown banks. Just ahead of them was a small rocky area, the only spot along the river’s edge that wasn’t covered with trees and brush. Sutton looked up at the sky, overcome by a sense of freedom, and spread her arms out to her sides, breathing deeply. “I didn’t realize how much I missed seeing the sky. Isn’t it beautiful?” She spun around and saw Flynn holding up the camera. It took her a second to realize he was already filming her. She snapped into reporter mode. “Clearly we found the river, and I’m a little excited.” She rubbed her hands together. “Time to catch some fish. The water is murky, but I cannot wait to get wet.”

Flynn flashed a wicked grin.

“In the water,” she clarified. “I cannot wait to get in the water.”