Page 9 of Enticing Her Love

“I thought you didn’t believe in lying.” Without so much as a smirk, she headed for Santiago, turning on the charm for the pilot.

Flynn explained their plan, and they thanked him for flying them out. As Santiago climbed back into the plane, Sutton said, “Aren’t you going to be in the intro with me?”

“I don’t get in front of the camera,” Flynn said. “That’s your job.”

Santiago started the plane, and Flynn watched Sutton getting into position a safe distance away. She put her hair in a ponytail, did a few mouth stretches, and cleared her throat.

“Ready?” he called out.

She inhaled deeply, blew out the breath, and nodded, putting on a killer smile.

“We’ll go on three.” Flynn began videoing, with Sutton center screen, and waved to Santiago, giving him the okay to take off, then holding up three fingers on his free hand. When the plane was on-screen but far enough away that the noise wouldn’t drown her out, he silently counted down as he lowered his fingers—Three. Two. One—and pointed at Sutton.

“What does it really take to survive the Amazon rainforest? That’s what I’m in Ecuador to experience firsthand. I’ll be spending the next seventy-two hours living off the land, with no assistance from the outside world, no food or water, and one ornery cameraman, who also happens to be my boss, survivalist Flynn Braden, who claims to know his way around the jungle.” Her eyes sparked with mischief.

Damn, she was good. The audience would eat that up.

“Join me on this exciting expedition, and see if I fall prey to wild animals or lead them to Flynn. I’m Sutton Steele and this is Discovery Hour.”

Her smile remained in place as he silently counted down again. As soon as that third finger went down, she was gone, strutting toward the forest.

This ought to be fun.

He hung the strap of the camera around his neck, pulled out the machete, and went after her. “It’s a rainforest, not a jungle, and if you think I’m going to let you walk into it by yourself, you’re wrong.” When she didn’t stop walking or even acknowledge that he’d spoken, he said, “Just like you’re wrong about me hating you.”

“If how you treat me is the way you treat people you like, then I feel sorry for your enemies.”

“I don’t have enemies. Have you ever stopped to think about how you act toward me?”

“I’m too busy fending off your disapproving looks.”

Unwilling to take part in more of a pissing match with her, he ground his back teeth and stepped around her.

“Of course you have to lead the way,” she said exasperatedly.

He stopped and looked at her. “Do you know how to spot deadly plants? Tarantula nests? Big cat scat?”

Her eyes widened a little, but the confidence in her voice didn’t falter. “I did my research.”

“I know you did, and I’m sure you did an excellent job of it, but for once in your life, trust me. When it comes to this place, nothing prepares you like experience.” Karen hadn’t needed to remind him that he’d promised to stick by Sutton’s side every minute and that she was holding him to it. He was holding himself to it. He stepped closer, speaking low and evenly so she would hear every word. “Everything in this forest wants to kill us, including the weather. If you want to get out of here alive and well…” Stopping himself from saying, I suggest you let me lead, he went with, “I suggest we do this together. In case one of us misses something.”

The seriousness he was hoping to see finally rose above the anger in her eyes. “Okay.”

“Let’s take a second to catch our breath and prepare. We need to keep our ears and eyes open. Look before every step you take, but always be aware of what’s lurking around you. In an hour, whether you like it or not, all your senses will be heightened, as will your anxiety. We’ll need to look for wells of collected rainwater in leaves and rocks, and you don’t want to move anything with your hands. We need to find a couple of long sticks.”

“There’s one.” She reached for a branch on the ground, but he grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “You just said we need sticks.”

“That’s right, but if you pick that up and end up with aggressive ant bites or piss off a snake that’s hiding under it, you’re in trouble. Think of the rainforest floor as one giant cobweb just waiting to suck you in and never let you go. Before you pick up anything, scrutinize it. Look around it for signs of what might be under it. Look for marks on the ground that could indicate a creature large or small is nearby. Remember, animals slither, burrow, climb, hang, fly, and swim. They sting, bite, and spit, and in some cases, just touching something can kill you or make you very sick. In other cases, like with snakes, you can cut their heads off and hours later they can still bite and kill you.”

New fear rose in her eyes. She inhaled deeply, swallowing hard, and nodded. “Okay.”

“This place is no joke, Sutton. There are illegal miners, drug runners, poachers, and uncontacted tribes who know outsiders are trying to take over their land. They’ll kill you with poison darts before you have a chance to flash that pretty smile of yours and explain why you’re here. I’ve mapped out the area, and we should be safe from the criminals and other tribes, but you can never count on that safety. I’m sure I’m going to sound like a sanctimonious ass a lot of the time while we’re here, and it’s okay if you hate me for it. I’d rather get us through this safely than be on your favorite-friend list.”

Those keen eyes narrowed. “I don’t think you’re in danger of landing on that list, but I do appreciate you keeping me safe.”

SUTTON WAS HOT and sweaty and her heart hadn’t stopped racing since they got on the plane. It felt like they’d been walking for hours, and it had rained for a good part of it. It had finally stopped a little while ago, but everything was wet and buggy, and the deeper they went into the forest, the more terrified and awestruck she became.

One of the things she loved most about reporting was that while she was on camera, all other thoughts and worries fell away, and she became solely focused on the subjects she was covering. She had a feeling that would not happen here. If she wasn’t watching her step or their surroundings, she was looking up and around for the source of noises, which were constant and came from every direction. There were screeches, chirps, birds singing, and rustling along the forest floor. She’d startled at birds taking flight and plants brushing along her hands. Thankfully, they hadn’t seen any big cats or their scat, although Flynn said big cats were elusive and rarely seen. That made her feel better and worse. She imagined big cats hunting them, biding their time for the right moment to pounce. She tried to shut down those thoughts, but just knowing the man-eating cats were out there was enough to make her want to stick close to Flynn. The man wielded the machete like it was an extension of his arm, and he was a walking knowledge base on the rainforest, showing her which plants to avoid, stopping to gather edible flowers, plants, and mushrooms, explaining how he knew they were safe to eat, and showing her where animals had traipsed.