Mint

by Blue Davis

  She marveled over his smart outdoor bedding technique. He had gathered bunches of leaves and piled them on to two rectangular forms while she had been pouring over the maps earlier. She looked at the “beds” now. They were close to one another, but still separate.

  “I hear the fresh fish is good around here,” he said, scarfing down the sardines with more of the crackers.

  “How are we ever going to catch it without a rod from Sport Mart?”

  He smiled with one corner of his mouth. “You're right. I’ll head to Sport Mart, you get the cooler ready.”

  Her mouth curled upward. “Funny.”

  He placed a sardine in his mouth and stared at the sea. “We’ll get coconuts too. There’s got to be edible food on this little island.”

  It sounded as if he wanted to stay for a while. “Hey, we’re only here for one or two more nights,” she piped. He didn’t need to hunt for groceries. He needed to help her find the gold so they could get back home. The island and the talk of modern-day Haitian pirates freaked her out. She wanted to get the treasure and disappear. “I hope no one sees the boat and springs a surprise on us.”

  “Let’s not think any more about that tonight.” He turned around in a circle. “I checked the surroundings. I believe we’re safe for now.” The tone of his voice didn’t reflect as much safety that his words did. “So, you never told me how you got the map from your dad. If he doesn’t approve of treasure-hunting, how’d you manage to get it out of him?”

  She was quiet. “My father just died of a heart attack.”

  He furrowed his eyebrows as his head jolted back. The response had clearly pained him. “Oh, wow. Sorry to hear, Lexi.”

  “It’s okay. He never wanted me to come out here. A waste of time, he said. He spent his last dimes on playing the damn lottery, but he knew the map was important though. Because when he died, they allowed me to enter his safe deposit box and there it was.”

  She stepped across the pile of leaves and sat. “I feel much safer having you here.”

  His face softened and became flushed. “I’m glad to be here, Lexi.” His gaze continued for an awkwardly long time. She broke away and looked at the trees. “See you in the morning,” she said, pushing herself back on to the pile of leaves. It was softer than she thought it’d be.

  “Lexi?”

  “Hmm?”

  He looked upset. “My father just died too.”

  “What?” Was he serious? What a strange coincidence. “Really?”

  “Yeah. It kinda sucks, doesn’t it?” He sounded sad, yet his voice was bitter.

  “Yeah, it does.” Her eyes moistened for the first time since the funeral. She hated talking about it. Now the bittersweet memories unraveled before her. Sometimes she wondered if her father had ever loved her. Who knows? He had never said it. Not even once. She removed her mind from her own father and concentrated on James.

  What kind of father did he have? Did he miss him? “Oh my god, James. I’m sorry too. I guess all we can do at this point is make them proud.”

  His body stiffened. His face looked as if he fought a flood of rage. Why had mentioning his father brought the look of unease? She resolved to never mention it again. Whatever had happened between him and his father was none of her business.

  She rested her head and willed sleep to take her. It didn’t. She stared at the moon, wide awake. What kind of day would tomorrow bring? A lucky chest full of treasure? Or miserable hunting and map-unraveling? She peeked at him.

  His eyes were closed. What kind of man is he? She allowed her gaze to lower to his rugged chest. He had taken his shirt off earlier, but she had pretended not to notice. He must have noticed her obvious embarrassment because he left it off for the rest of the walk, forcing her to tear her focus away and face straight forward for the rest of the day.

  Her eyes feasted on the lines of his robust curvature now. He was a beautiful specimen of raw masculinity.

  Her vision became blurry as her eyelids sagged. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Tomorrow could prove to be an interesting day. She drifted into a deep slumber and relaxed into a vivid, sensuous dream.

  She found herself in waist-deep, warm, sparkling ocean water. She wasn’t wearing her usual blouse and tank, but instead, a cornflower blue bikini. The surrounding ocean was the same deep, clear blue. The same shade of blue that matched his sexy eyes. The foam from the waves dissolved onto sparkling sand. The lush green jungle beckoned her. She inhaled the salty mist.

  James beckoned her even more. He brushed the side of his eyebrow and smiled at her.

  Her body heat rose even though she was standing in water. Her toes curled under the sand on the ocean floor.

  He neared her, sporting the most seductive smile. His blue eyes vexed her. He touched the arm and caressed her for a moment.

  Her arms grew limp. She let them float freely in the water.

  He circled an arm around her and drew her closer into his hard, wet chest. The smell of sea and sandalwood heightened the arousal in her belly. Her breathing increased as he ran his fingers through her hair.

  Here was James, the heartthrob of every woman. And he was interested in her.

  Her pulse increased as she felt his soft lips on hers.

  His eyes centered on one of her dark nipples. He circled the tender skin through the wet bikini until it poked out. The arousal swirled through to her inner core.

  He teased it more and kissed her neck.

  Her mind pondered stopping the pleasure. It was all too much. They had just began working together, and now she was throwing herself at him? She tried to pull away. Everything in her mind said to pull away and stop the craziness, but it felt so insatiably good.

  She buried her lips into his salty chest.

  He rocked his head back and groaned out a long sigh.

  “You know I’ve wanted you forever,” he said.

  “I know and I can’t stand it anymore, James. I want you too.”

  She opened her eyes. What? Why did I dream of this guy? Completely unacceptable. Her mind panicked. Heat rose to her cheeks and ears. Her chest and stomach hardened. He’s off-limits. He’s just going to play me like he plays all women, and then I’m gonna end crying in my empty, cold bed. Besides, why have a man at all? Men are overrated.

  She peeked at him. He lay stretched out on his bed of leaves with his fingers laced behind his head. His eyes were closed, his breathing solid. His head was tipped back, his messy hair tangled in with stems and twigs. He wore a slight smile on his lips.

  She rolled over onto her back and stared at the blue dawn. There’s no way. He’s trouble. He’ll demand your company for couple weeks and then act clueless about it afterward. No way. Forget it.

  Especially this man. He reeked of wrong. He couldn’t control himself around women, and further, they were gadgets to him--to be gained at a discount, and then thrown out upon boredom. Or upon realization that the next latest greatest was out. Or when—

  “Morning, beautiful.” James was laying on his side, his fist embedded into his temple. He sighed a long breath. “Did you sleep well?”

  She swallowed and tried to push down the lump that formed in her throat. She panicked for words. Say something normal. “Yes. Just fine.” She pushed her cheek bones into a quick smile.

  Just fine? Sounds forced and fake. The dream had changed everything. Her body was throbbing for this guy and she needed to stop it. She needed to exercise emergency self-control before she found herself in a dead-end one-night stand. She rolled over and stared at the glowing sun on the horizon. They should get going soon, anyway. She raised herself from the leaves and straightened the collar on her blouse. She hoped her loosely buttoned shirt had covered her scars adequately. That would have been even more embarrassing. “Aren’t you getting up? You can sleep in when we get back to Miami.”

  He raised an eyebrow, then frowned. “Yes, I’m getting up, Lexi. Wouldn’t miss this for the world.” He raised himself up from the leaf bed, looked arou
nd, and stretched his elbows back. His chest looked hard and firm. Like the dream.

  She turned away. Had she said anything stupid while she was sleeping? Anxiety plundered her chest. She fiddled with her hair and vowed to forget the dream ever happened.

  His constant staring made her uncomfortable. Was he trying to read her mind? He spoke. “Well, did you at least think the bed was comfortable?”

  She broke away from his gaze. It was the best sleep in a long time. There was something about sleeping in nature she had always loved. It brought back childhood memories of when her dad used to take her camping. She tightened her bottom lip. “Yes. It was fine.”

  Stupid answer. This is fine. That is fine. Everything is fine.

  “Glad you thought it was fine.” He pulled up his shorts higher on his rock-solid abs and threw a shirt over his head.

  Geez, how much does he work out?

  She buried her head into her pack. “The map and notes. They’re gone!”

  He shifted on to one leg and rested into a bemused smile. “They’re right behind you.”

  Her stomach rolled. They were laying on the ground two feet away from her. Get your head on straight. She dropped the pack. “Oh, my... I didn’t see it back there,” she said, her hand flying up to her heart.

  The forgetfulness needed to stop. The focus should and will be the treasure, from this moment onward.

  He shook his head and grinned. “No problem.”

  Yes. It is a problem, James. “You’re kidding right? Anyone could have walked up and seen this map and then it’d be over.” She wanted to kick herself for leaving it out all night and kick him for letting her. Wasn’t he supposed to be watching things?

  She snatched the map and unraveled the corners to get a better look at the geography again. She poured over the map, her mind racing to remember the best route while her butt had been in a comfortable seat on the airplane.

  James said nothing. He narrowed his eyes and blinked and he stared at the ground and trees. “Hmm.”

  Her heart pounded. Whatever he was thinking about, she wished he would tell her. “Hmm what?”

  He rubbed the base of his neck and wandered a few steps away. He ran his fingers through his hair, then stuffed his hands in his back pockets. “It’s just that…”

  Her mind scrambled to figure out what he was talking about. Say it. Tell me what’s going on! “What?”

  “It might be me, but I don’t remember leaving my pack all the way over there.”

  Chapter 8

  James

  “Dammit, James.” She pouted her lips and focused on him.

  His body heated. She’s got to be kidding. She’s blaming me for every little thing. “What? You think it’s my fault?” He threw his arms out and waited for a whimsical answer.

  She crossed her arms and stuck her foot out to the side. “Oh, not at all. Just don’t be too busy laughing it up at me while your own situation is in shambles,” she smirked, focusing on her map.

  Is she crazy? “You’re not the slightest bit worried that someone might have come and entered the camp and messed with our stuff?”

  “No, not at all. I think you absent-mindedly put it there and don’t remember.”

  Maybe she had a point. He was concerned with keeping an eye on her last night. He about lost it when she collapsed onto the ground. Now, he revolved around in a circle to watch the shore again. Nothing. Only seagulls. The old fisherman was down there too.

  Her. He could barely sleep last night, having to peek over and constantly watch to make sure she hadn’t been eaten by wild animals in the middle of the night. She hadn’t seemed concerned at all. Slept like a koala. She got him too damn emotional.

  It was unlike him to share a strange emotional event like his father’s death with any woman. He had plenty of people to talk to. His brothers, for instance. There was no need to open up this much. It was silly. He had broken and cried a couple days ago over his dad, but it had been in private, hovering over the sink in the resort bathroom. No one wanted to see a grown man cry. He took in a deep breath and fought to control the sadness. He made a mental note not to get too emotional again.

  A partially-obstructed cove lay down below. He strained his neck to get a better view. Nothing there.

  And any normal boat would anchor in the water as they had done yesterday. Or they’d pull up onto the sand. He trusted old Bernardo when he said there was no way to get close to land without a harbor.

  His stomach turned in knots. He swallowed. Or was there? Was there another way on to the island besides those two ways? Did they come up in the middle of the night and rummage around with their things? He opened the pack and pushed aside his clothing.

  The map.

  His chest tingled as he stared at the neat pile of notes. Had the pirates seen those? If so, why hadn’t they taken them? He scratched his head. “Lexi?”

  She continued to hover over her notes, making a line and a red X mark. “Yeah?”

  “How sure are you that the map was in your bag?”

  She looked up and stiffened as her mouth fell open. “Wh… what do you mean?”

  His heartbeat raced. He circled around the island again. The coast was empty, except for that cove that was so damn hard to see. Maybe someone lives here? “I think someone’s been up here.”

  The ground had several footstep tracks, but that could have been their own.

  She stood up and turned around in a circle herself. “You’re creeping me out,” she declared, folding the map. “We need to get going. It’s getting late.”

  He eyed the cove again. If only they could get a better view of it. “We need to get down to that cove and make sure it’s empty.”

  She dropped her hands by her side. Her nostrils flared. “Are you crazy? Enough of this running around, worried about being chased by pirates. There are no pirates, James,” she enunciated. “There’s only us, the map, and the treasure. We would’ve already been there by now had it not been for your incessant worry about your fictitious pirates.”

  He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. She made him sound like an idiot. Fight with this girl? Last thing I want to do. I’d much rather be caressing her sweet, supple ass. She looked cute when she was angry. She was damn adorable. “All right.” He raised his palms up, then rubbed them both together. “You win. Let’s go get the treasure.”

  She displayed an ‘I-told-you-so’ smile and shoved the map and the rest of her things in the bag.

  She was hard-headed. What was she trying to prove? If she couldn’t see his genuine concern for her well-being, then that was just fine. He shoved his hands in his pockets and clenched his jaw. “You’re the boss.”

  Why was he so worried about her in the first place? They were on a secluded Caribbean island. He should’ve been figuring out how to get up under those short shorts and letting his fingers do the talking.

  Instead, he pushed away branches and swatted flies off his neck. They hiked forward, pushing the ground behind them. They made good mileage through the muddy turf. “This island is bigger than I thought. It looked so small from the sea.”

  She didn’t talk much. It was all one-word answers from her, or nothing. Things had changed 180 degrees from last night. What the hell happened? The night had ended with them on good terms, then she woke up all strange in the morning. She had said she felt better with him there, did she not? She said she felt… safer. Now she was ready to ditch him. She wouldn’t even look at him. He felt used. What is she going to do once she has the gold in her hands? Would she need him then? Probably not. It’s gotta go down before she gets that gold in her hands. The treasure was secondary. It was her he wanted. She’s playing hard to get, but she’ll be begging once she has a taste.

  He checked back on her every couple minutes. His mouth was dry. He wasn’t hungry, but he could've used a moment to rest and refuel. The climate changed as they got further inside the jungle. The air was more humid, more wet. He watched the ground as he dredged throug
h mud.

  He stopped. “You hungry?” Say something. Say anything.

  Her eyebrows raised. She tilted her head, her eyes soft. She wasn’t as angry or irritated or bothered, or whatever the hell she was earlier. “Yeah. Sort of. I could eat.”

  She was hard to read and a hard one to figure out and the usual techniques weren’t working.

  “Want to go fish something, or what do you got for me?” Her breasts looked especially perky today. The nipples were poking through that tight shirt, nearly begging to be sucked on. He could eat those. He could eat her. Her succulent lips drew him closer to her. Her minty scent drifted to his nostrils and drove him wild.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “There is no time for fishing. We need to make it to the lava tubes.”

  He rubbed his empty stomach. “You’re right.” he stated. When in doubt, just agree with everything she says. “Did you bring anything besides sardines though? I’m getting a little sardined out.” Talking to her was like walking on eggshells. Or worse, it was like walking on broken glass. He tried to keep the chatter light, though he didn’t understand.

  She tightened her lips and lifted her nose into the air. “Of course I did. I brought peanut butter too.”

  Heat rose to his cheeks and ears. His belly tensed. The more he heard of her soft, sweet voice, the more he wanted to take her, to devour her. What is she doing to me? He was sexually frustrated and he hadn’t thought of anything or anyone else in days. He inhaled a shallow breath and touched her arm. He started at the elbow, and let his fingers slide into her soft hand. Her touch was more delicate than he thought. She held his hand loosely.

  But she held it.

  He pulled her to him. Her eye contact flickered with heated passion. He leaned in, mesmerized by her sulky, swollen lips. His lips brushed against her sweetness.