Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 104729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“It would take too long.” Once I put myself back in my pants, she walks over to me, reaching her hand out with the toothpaste.
“Here. You stink.”
“I don’t stink. And even if I did, you stink just as bad, so you wouldn’t smell me.”
“Real nice, asshole.”
“Just keeping it real.” I shrug.
I take the container from her and place a small amount on my finger and clean my mouth and gargle and spit. With that out of the way, I point in the direction we will go today. It’s relatively close to the water but in the right direction of the lake, which means there’s a chance some fruit will be there. Together, we walk and don’t go more than a few feet before I notice a few palm trees that might have a coconut.
“Look.” I point up. “This might be our lucky day.”
“Yeah, but how are we going to get them down?”
“Well, that’s easy. I’ll climb.”
She raises her brow. “You can climb a tree?”
“You can’t?” I deadpan.
“Can you ever be nice to me?”
“Oh, that’s rich. Here I am, offering to climb a tree so you don’t starve to death, and you’re saying I’m mean.”
She lets out a long sigh. “Fine. You might be right.”
“What do you suggest?”
She swallows and then bites her lip. “A truce.”
Knowing that it took all her strength to make that suggestion, I push down my need to make an arrogant, sarcastic remark, instead opting for a different approach. “For how long?”
“As long as it takes to get off this island.”
“Deal.”
“Let’s shake on it.”
I reach my hand out, and she hesitates.
“If you want me to climb the tree …”
Reluctantly, she reaches out her hand.
I take hers in mine, and when I do, I see the way she stares down. My finger gently strokes the skin on her palm, and she shivers, her pupils dilating.
She shakes her head and pulls away. But not before I realize that Phoenix is one hundred percent affected by me.
Good.
Because she affects me too.
Now what to do with that is the real question.
25
Phoenix
No matter how hard I try, I can’t take my eyes off him.
It’s annoying.
No man should be able to do that with his body. He’s limber in ways that make my imagination go wild.
The worst part? Before he started this ridiculous tree-climbing, he removed his shirt.
So yep.
Here I am, six feet beneath him, watching his heavily tatted arms flex as he lifts himself up. If that isn’t bad enough, his back muscles are in full effect.
I can barely breathe. Not just because I’m fairly certain he will fall, but also because he looks like he’s a freaking god up there.
Turn around and stop looking.
But as much as I try to pull my attention from him, here I am, just staring.
“Fire in the hole,” he shouts, and I’m not quite sure what he says, but then a coconut hits the ground a few feet away from me.
“That could have hit me,” I grit out. He lowers his head, and I can see his big blue eyes dancing with mischief.
“I warned you.”
“You warned me as it was falling. That hardly counts.” My own eyes narrow.
His lip tips up on one side of his face. “It counts.”
I shake my head, but instead of saying anything more, I take a step back. That way, any loose coconuts won’t hit me.
One by one, they fall. The sound of heavy breathing is present, but other than that, Alaric doesn’t seem to care that he’s up in a tree.
I’m happy on the ground.
“How much longer?” I ask.
“One. See that one.” He points at one that is way too high for him to get.
“Um, no. Don’t you dare get that one!”
“Afraid I might hurt myself?” he chides. “I thought you hated me. This could get me out of the way.”
“You better be careful.”
“If I fall and die, it would probably make you happy.”
I’m ready to respond, but I can’t form words as he swings his body to grab the coconut way too far away.
When it’s in his hand, I let out a gigantic sigh of relief, but it isn’t until he’s firmly on the ground, bending down to survey his handiwork, that I realize just how much I didn’t want him to get hurt.
I can’t do this without him.
Nor would I want to.
“Grab a few, and we can bring them back to camp,” Alaric says as he hands me four.
“Then what?”
“Then we do this again.”
My mouth drops open. “You are going to climb a tree again today.”
“Yep.”
I must go pale or something because he laughs. “You worried about me?”
“Hardly.” I snicker.
“Whatever you say, dove.”
“Phoenix,” I clarify for what must be the millionth time before turning from him and walking away.
We have eight coconuts, which, according to Alaric, is not nearly enough.
I know he’s right, but I have no interest in watching him climb again.