scraping against his good intentions.
“That kiss.”
Avery closed her eyes for the briefest moment before opening again...only this time he could see the heat she couldn’t quite hide.
He watched her draw in a single, heavy breath.
“Yes, let’s pretend it didn’t happen. It was a mistake. We’re working together, Knox, even if you didn’t want me here. This is a difficult situation and we don’t need to make it any more complicated.”
She swallowed, her throat working. She was right. Knox knew it, but his body didn’t seem to care. He wanted to bend his head and run his tongue across her creamy skin. To suck on the pulse point fluttering just beneath the surface.
Goddammit.
He took a step backward, away from her, away from temptation.
Blindly, Knox spun and stumbled farther into the dark green foliage surrounding them. After several seconds, he heard the softer tread as Avery followed.
Gritting his teeth, Knox reached deep for the calm he was famous for. He had to find it again, for both their sakes.
“I want you here. Sure, you irritate the hell out of me on occasion, but that just keeps life from getting boring.”
She made a sound, a cross between a snort and a laugh. It was unexpected and somehow adorable.
“You have a real problem with boring, don’t you? What is it with you and excitement?”
“You have a real problem with letting loose, don’t you? What is it with you and obeying the rules?”
She shook her head. But he could see the twitch of her lips as she fought a reluctant smile.
He was so focused on her that he didn’t even notice what was in front of him until his foot splashed down into a small pool of water.
It rose up to his ankle. He didn’t bother moving back to dry ground, but crouched down, scooped up a handful and held it to his face. It didn’t smell like salt water, but there was one sure way to know for sure.
Pursing his lips, he was about to take a taste when Avery’s hand slapped across his, spilling everything in his palm back into the pond.
“What are you thinking? That could be filled with bacteria or worse.”
Straightening, Knox frowned at her. “I’m well aware of that.”
“Then why were you about to drink it?”
“To make sure it was freshwater.”
Little lines pulled between Avery’s eyebrows.
“Surely there’s a better way.”
“Fine, we’ll boil it. Would that make you feel better?”
“Much.”
Unfortunately, they only had one container they could use and it was currently full of alcohol.
But that was easily remedied.
* * *
T HE SUN HAD begun to slip behind the horizon by the time they’d gathered enough wood and tinder to start a fire. It would be dark soon, too late to head back to the pond even if the bottle had been empty.
The morning would be time enough to deal with their need for water.
Avery sat on her heels, watching as Knox struck a match, holding the tiny flare of light against the perfect stack of wood.
She fidgeted, running sand through her fingers, crossing and uncrossing her legs. She couldn’t sit still.
Not having anything to do was unusual for her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d really been idle. When she was growing up, her parents had always praised her hard work. In college the other students had seemed to sneer at her tendency to overachieve. No one liked it when the seventeen-year-old ruined the grading curve.
What was she supposed to do with herself?
The fire flared between them, a burst of red-orange light that slipped across the edges of Knox’s handsome face.
Digging into the bag, he tossed her one of the energy bars. “Eat this,” he said before taking one for himself. “I’ll work on a spear tomorrow so I can catch some fish. Maybe you can hunt up some coconuts and check for other fruit trees.”
Her stomach growled. The idea of fresh fish and fruit made her mouth water. Until that moment she hadn’t realized how hungry she was, her brain too preoccupied with other
“That kiss.”
Avery closed her eyes for the briefest moment before opening again...only this time he could see the heat she couldn’t quite hide.
He watched her draw in a single, heavy breath.
“Yes, let’s pretend it didn’t happen. It was a mistake. We’re working together, Knox, even if you didn’t want me here. This is a difficult situation and we don’t need to make it any more complicated.”
She swallowed, her throat working. She was right. Knox knew it, but his body didn’t seem to care. He wanted to bend his head and run his tongue across her creamy skin. To suck on the pulse point fluttering just beneath the surface.
Goddammit.
He took a step backward, away from her, away from temptation.
Blindly, Knox spun and stumbled farther into the dark green foliage surrounding them. After several seconds, he heard the softer tread as Avery followed.
Gritting his teeth, Knox reached deep for the calm he was famous for. He had to find it again, for both their sakes.
“I want you here. Sure, you irritate the hell out of me on occasion, but that just keeps life from getting boring.”
She made a sound, a cross between a snort and a laugh. It was unexpected and somehow adorable.
“You have a real problem with boring, don’t you? What is it with you and excitement?”
“You have a real problem with letting loose, don’t you? What is it with you and obeying the rules?”
She shook her head. But he could see the twitch of her lips as she fought a reluctant smile.
He was so focused on her that he didn’t even notice what was in front of him until his foot splashed down into a small pool of water.
It rose up to his ankle. He didn’t bother moving back to dry ground, but crouched down, scooped up a handful and held it to his face. It didn’t smell like salt water, but there was one sure way to know for sure.
Pursing his lips, he was about to take a taste when Avery’s hand slapped across his, spilling everything in his palm back into the pond.
“What are you thinking? That could be filled with bacteria or worse.”
Straightening, Knox frowned at her. “I’m well aware of that.”
“Then why were you about to drink it?”
“To make sure it was freshwater.”
Little lines pulled between Avery’s eyebrows.
“Surely there’s a better way.”
“Fine, we’ll boil it. Would that make you feel better?”
“Much.”
Unfortunately, they only had one container they could use and it was currently full of alcohol.
But that was easily remedied.
* * *
T HE SUN HAD begun to slip behind the horizon by the time they’d gathered enough wood and tinder to start a fire. It would be dark soon, too late to head back to the pond even if the bottle had been empty.
The morning would be time enough to deal with their need for water.
Avery sat on her heels, watching as Knox struck a match, holding the tiny flare of light against the perfect stack of wood.
She fidgeted, running sand through her fingers, crossing and uncrossing her legs. She couldn’t sit still.
Not having anything to do was unusual for her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d really been idle. When she was growing up, her parents had always praised her hard work. In college the other students had seemed to sneer at her tendency to overachieve. No one liked it when the seventeen-year-old ruined the grading curve.
What was she supposed to do with herself?
The fire flared between them, a burst of red-orange light that slipped across the edges of Knox’s handsome face.
Digging into the bag, he tossed her one of the energy bars. “Eat this,” he said before taking one for himself. “I’ll work on a spear tomorrow so I can catch some fish. Maybe you can hunt up some coconuts and check for other fruit trees.”
Her stomach growled. The idea of fresh fish and fruit made her mouth water. Until that moment she hadn’t realized how hungry she was, her brain too preoccupied with other
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