Whether or not it tasted the same, Jack bet kissing her would be just as intoxicating as drinking a frozen daiquiri served at a club.
“So,” he said, dumping a handful of candy into her palm, “I’m glad you’re done ignoring me.”
“I…uh, wasn’t ignoring you.” She chose a blue M&M and popped it in her mouth.
“Sophie,” Jack teased. “Lying is a sin.”
“Okay.” She ducked her head. “I was ignoring you.”
He reached over and took a piece of candy from her hand. “Is it fair to assume you weren’t talking to me because I was kissing someone else?”
She shot a look at him and pointed her finger. “See, you just admitted that you were kissing her.”
“That was the wrong choice of words,” Jack said, shaking his head. “You have to believe me when I say she kissed me, but I didn’t kiss her back.” He stole another piece of candy from her hand. “But out of curiosity, why does it bother you?”
“Because I—” Sophie stared down at her hands and fingered the two remaining colorful pieces of candy. “I…think I like you, Jack.”
Her admission was sweet, and he could tell by the faint blush she was embarrassed by her honesty. Playfully, he nudged her in the shoulder. “Why would you?” he asked wryly.
Sophie looked at him totally exasperated. “Honestly, I don’t know. You are the most arrogant, annoying and obnoxious man I’ve ever met.”
Jack snorted at her answer. “Don’t hold back, Sophie. Tell me how you really feel.”
Her mouth lifted into a smile. “Why do you always tease me?”
“Because,” he said, reaching over to take her hand and intertwine their fingers together. “I think I like you, too.”
“Oh.” She kept her gaze averted and popped the last few candies in her mouth.
“Aren’t you going to require that I list all of your endearing qualities?” he asked.
“No.”
“Do I at least get a kiss?”
Jack waited, his heart thrumming with anticipation. She didn’t answer him, but he heard her draw in another deep breath.
“Sophie?”
“Be quiet.” She pulled her hand out of his. “I’m thinking about it.”
After only a few seconds of hesitation, Jack hooked a finger under her jaw and made her look at him. Their eyes met, and the amusement died as something powerful passed between them.
“Sometimes you think too much,” he murmured just before his mouth covered hers. Making the kiss brief, he pulled back quickly. Sophie looked stunned. “Just so you know, that was me kissing you.”
Then Jack curved his hand around the back of her neck and brought her mouth to his, kissing her again, slowly and deliberately. She responded to the kiss, leaning into him as his fingers wove through her hair. Her lips were incredibly soft, tasting like chocolate and the daiquiri flavored lip gloss she had on.
Reluctantly, he pulled away and whispered huskily, “That kiss—you kissed me back. Can you see the difference?”
“Just a second.” Her breath was ragged as she put a hand to her head. “My synapses aren’t quite working, yet.”
Jack placed his fingertips on the inside of her wrist and felt for a pulse. “Hmm, your heart rate is erratic, too. I had no idea I had that kind of effect on women.”
She laughed and tipped her head to look at him through her thick lashes. “Are you fishing for another compliment?”
“Well…” He grinned and lifted his eyebrows. “…you have to admit that was a pretty good kiss.”
“For someone who is so good looking, you sure are insecure.”
“Just how good-looking am I?”
“Ha!” she said, bumping his shoulder with her own. “I am not feeding your ego anymore.”
“Okay. How about another kiss, then?”
Giving him a flirty smile, she said, “Only if I get more chocolate.”
Jack promptly handed over the bag of M&M’s. “They’re all yours.”
The moment of levity transformed into something more as her smile faded and her eyes darkened with desire. Slowly, she leaned toward him and pressed her lips to his. The way she delivered this kiss left no doubt in Jack’s mind that she liked him. A lot.
He slid his hands along the side of her neck to cradle her face in his palms. His thumb stroked her jaw as he tilted her head to deepen the kiss. They took their time exploring, tasting; and Jack reeled with emotions he’d never felt before.
At length, Jack eased back to break off the kiss. Sophie trembled as she laid her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, feeling her heart beating just as rapidly as his own.
Neither of them spoke, just held on as their breathing became even again. He wasn’t sure what had just happened, but the intensity of it scared him.
“Jack,” Hector said, coming around the tent. “Don’t eat the pineapple. It’s rotten.”
Sophie pushed away and sat back in her chair. Her cheeks were a lovely shade of pink.
“Yeah,” Jack said, standing up. “We figured that out. Didn’t we, Sophie?”
She kept her face down and only nodded her head. Hector laughed. “That’s not the only thing you figured out, ¿no?”
“You’re right. Sophie finally kissed me.”
Her head snapped up. “Jack! You kissed me.”
He shrugged. “Okay, it was a joint effort.”
Hector walked past them, still chuckling. “I’m going to check on Fred. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Sophie stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Is this what it’s going to be like all the time?”
“Like what?” he said with a laugh.
Glowering at him, Sophie started to walk away. “I need to get some sleep.”
“Sophie,” Jack called, following behind her. He was glad when she paused and let him catch up to her.
He took her hand and she automatically looked up in to his eyes. “I’m sorry.” He brought her hand up and placed a kiss to the back of it. “I’ll try not to be such a tease.”
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly. “I just never know when you’re serious or not.”
“I seriously like you.”
Her smile widened. “I like you, too.”
He raised an eyebrow and grinned. “I know.”
A giggle escaped. “You are incorrigible.”
“Yeah.” He tapped her on the nose. “But remember you like me.”
Then he kissed her again, and, to his satisfaction, she kissed him back.
Chapter Sixteen
Jack bolted upright, his heart pounding madly from the bad dream that had awakened him. He listened carefully, only to hear the typical sounds of the jungle. In his dream Sophie’s screams had seemed so real. As his pulse rate slowed, he still felt disturbed by the haunting images and needed to reassure himself that Sophie was okay. He tugged on a shirt and crawled out of his tent.
“Sophie,” he whispered as he approached her tent. When she didn’t answer, he slowly unzipped the door and pulled back the flap, whispering her name again. Relief washed over him as he studied her beautiful face, soft and relaxed in sleep.
Knowing she was safe, he scooted back and pulled on the zipper.
Suddenly her eyes flew open and she gasped, “What’s wrong?” She sat up and placed her hand over her heart. “Did I have a nightmare?”
“No. I did.”
There was just enough light from the rising sun to see her eyes fill with concern. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Now that I know you’re safe.”
An expression of wonder crossed her face. “You dreamed about me?”
He slanted her a glance. “Let’s just say since I’ve met you, you’ve been invading my sleep.”
“Jack, that is so sweet.”
“It is not.” He half laughed and half groaned as he scrubbed his face with his hands. “That was the worst dream I’ve ever had, or at least that I can remember.”
“What happened?”
Jack studied her for a few seconds. “Someone took you from your tent. I could hear you crying, but I didn’t want to get up if it was just another nightmare. I even heard you call out my name. But by the time I finally crawled out of my tent, a man was taking you away. I was too late and couldn’t catch up, and I knew I would never see you again.” He laughed dryly. “I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it was so real.”
Sophie let out a long breath. “You don’t have to tell me how real a bad dream can be. I’ve been dealing with almost the same nightmare for over a month.”
He reached for her hand. “If you get up now, I’ll make you some hot cocoa.”
“Deal,” she said, squeezing his fingers.
He tugged on her hand, pulling her a little closer. “Is there any chance I get a kiss this morning?”
She backed away. “I think it’s highly probable, but first I need to brush my teeth.”
“Then let’s get your teeth brushed.” He moved out of the tent doorway, giving her a playful smile. “I’m feeling a little insecure this morning.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Sure you are.”
* * *
The muscles in Jack’s arms strained as he slashed his machete through the thick foliage, cutting down the dense growth to clear a path for Sophie and Hector. Their destination was Del Sol, the village where they hoped to find Edward Kendrick, or at least find out his whereabouts. Behind him, he could hear Sophie humming. It made him smile—something he’d been doing all day long.
He was falling in love with her. He knew it. He just couldn’t tell her. Not yet. The feelings were still too scary for a man who believed he’d never get married. Furthermore, what if Sophie didn’t feel the same way? Yeah, she liked him, but that didn’t mean she loved him. He wasn’t sure he could take that kind of rejection again.
Letting out a deep sigh, he glanced up, spotting an open area where they could make camp. He turned to see how far back Sophie was from him when the toe of his boot caught on a vine, making him stumble. Unable to regain his balance, he fell forward, feeling the sharp blade of the machete slice into his shin.
Jack yelled out, biting back a curse word as the searing pain shot up his leg. He looked down to see his pant leg soaked in bright red blood. Oh, man. This can’t be good.
Sophie rushed to his side. “Jack, what hap—” She stopped when she saw the blood. “Oh, Jack. Hang on, I need to put some pressure to stop the bleeding.” She rummaged through her daypack, trying to find what she needed.
Hector knelt down next to Jack. “Amigo, what have you done?”
“How bad is it?” Jack questioned through gritted teeth.
“I’m not sure,” Sophie answered while tearing away his pant leg. “I need to get the bleeding stopped.”
The burning pain made him dizzy. Still, he rose up on his elbows to survey the damage. Sophie ripped open a pink plastic package, pulling out a thick white pad. Jack choked on a laugh when he realized what it was. “Are you using a woman’s sanitary pad on me?”
“Yes. They’re always clean, absorbent and large enough that I probably won’t have to add more to stop the bleeding.” She looked up and said softly, “Now lie back down and rest. I need to apply pressure for about five minutes. Once the bleeding has stopped, then I can assess the damage.”
Jack moaned, feeling the forest floor press into his back as he lay back down. Something crawled across his arm and he twisted his head to make sure it wasn’t anything deadly. A small yellow butterfly took flight as he moved his arm slightly.
The pain had localized to the area where the sharp blade of his machete had probably left considerable damage. How was he going to manage not fainting if Sophie had to sew him up?
After some time had passed, he felt Sophie lift the pad. He watched her lean over to inspect the wound. Grimacing, she replaced the pad. “What’s wrong?” he asked, feeling a little alarmed.
Her features relaxed into a forced smile. “We just need to keep the pressure on for a little while longer.” She looked at him with concern. “How’s your pain?”
Jack closed his eyes and grunted, “It hurts.”
“Just keep taking deep breaths,” she soothed, pressing firmly on the wound. “The bleeding has slowed down, but not enough so that I can treat you.”
What did she mean by that? Jack swallowed hard, hating how much he detested needles. His worst fears were confirmed when Sophie said, “Hector, can you come over here and apply pressure while I get what I need to stitch it up?”
Jack sat up abruptly. “Does it really need stitches?”
Sophie switched places with Hector, grabbing her medical bag. “I’m afraid so. Don’t worry, I’ll numb the area first and give you something for pain. All you should feel is a little pressure.”
Don’t worry? Shoot, he was just about to hand over his man card to the woman he was falling in love with. “How exactly are you going to numb it?”
“I’ll inject a small amount of two percent lidocaine,” she answered, seemingly unaware of the panic racing through his veins.
Inject. Just thinking about what that meant made him feel as if all the blood had drained from his face. Sophie looked alarmed as she moved near his shoulder. “Jack, you’re as white as a sheet. Please lie back down.” She placed her cool hand to his forehead, smoothing her fingers through his hair. “Do you feel nauseated?”
“No, just a little dizzy.” If he was lucky, maybe he’d die and save face.
* * *
Sophie brushed her fingers along Jack’s forehead again, concerned with how pale he looked. She wanted to press a kiss to his furrowed brow, hating the pain he must be in. “Are you allergic to any meds?” she questioned, grabbing her medical bag and removing various vials of medication.
Jack opened his eyes and shook his head. “Not that I know of.” When she pulled out a few hypodermic needles, his blue eyes popped open with shock. “What are you doing with those?”
“I need to give you a shot of Penicillin and probably a little morphine to help with the pain.”
“No shots,” he stated firmly. “I hate shots.”
She smiled. “Most people do, Jack.” Finding the morphine, she tore open an alcohol wipe to clean off the vial. “You have to have the antibiotic. And believe me, after the lidocaine wears off, you’ll thank me for the morphine.”
“Why can’t I just take some pills?” He looked at her intently. “Please, Sophie. I really hate needles.”
“You can take oral pain meds if you want, but I insist on the Penicillin shot.”
The look he gave her reminded her of some of the little boys she’d taken care of over the years. “Will the antibiotic be the only shot you have to give me?” he asked, almost pleading.
She couldn’t help laughing. “Well, remember I have to use a small needle to numb your leg. If you’re up to date on your tetanus, then those will be the only ones.”
He glowered at her. “I don’t need a tetanus shot.”
“Jack, I need you to be truthful. As much as I’d like to shut you up sometimes, lockjaw would not be the way to go.”
“Very funny. I had to get one two years ago after an incident while fishing.” He closed his eyes again. “So…how many shots are we actually talking about?”
“No more than three.”
His eyes flew open in alarm, and he grumbled, “Just knock me out.”
“Honestly, Jack,” Sophie said on a laugh. “You’re worse than a four-year-old.”
He flung his arm over his eyes. “Laugh all you want, but I have a serious aversion to needles.” Then he peeked out from under his arm. “Where exactly are you giving me the Penicillin shot?”
“Well, since you’re so ripped, I can give it in the deltoid.”
“Dumb it down, Sophie.”
A giggle escaped as she placed her hand on his well-developed bicep. “The deltoid muscle is right here.” She skimmed her fingers up his arm and underneath his
sleeve.
Jack smiled sheepishly. “Oh, yeah. I knew that.”
Hector snickered, but didn’t make a comment. Sophie gave Jack’s arm a gentle squeeze. “Of course you did. Now just try to relax and trust me. I promise to take good care of you.”
Jack’s gaze locked on hers. “I think I like having you take care of me. It’s been a long time since…” He gave her a crooked smile. “Well, let’s just say I usually take care of Jack.”
She couldn’t help the intense feelings washing over her. It probably wasn’t the best time to confess she was falling in love with him. Leaning down, she gently brushed her lips against his mouth. He placed his hand on the back of her head, preventing her from pulling away, and prolonged the kiss. Heady emotions swirled, and she could hardly think straight.
She pulled away and Jack stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I hope you don’t do that with all your patients,” he muttered dryly.
“Never,” she said breathlessly. “I’m in pediatrics, remember?”
“That’s pretty good, amigo,” Hector teased. “You even managed another kiss today while injured and complaining about a needle.”
Jack dropped his hand and smiled weakly. “Yeah, what can I say? The doctor finds me irresistible.”
Sophie laughed softly and scooted away from Jack. The truth was she did find him irresistible. A fact that had her wondering what would happen when she had to return to Colorado.
Pushing the questions from her mind, Sophie reconstituted the powdered Penicillin with saline water. She rolled the vial between her palms until it was completely mixed. Getting a new syringe, she drew up the medication and then moved toward Jack.
“That is a very big needle,” Jack said, eyeing her with a leery expression.
Sophie replaced the cap. “Jack, it’s the exact same size I used on those children the other day.” She set the syringe aside and pulled out a bottle of Lortab tablets. “Are you sure you don’t want the shot of morphine?”
He shook his head. “Pills, Sophie. Give me the pills.”
Chuckling, she shook out two of the tablets and helped support his head as he took both pills and washed them down with a drink of water. “You should start to feel the effects of the medicine within twenty to thirty minutes.”
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