He bent down close to Avalyn’s ear. “You okay?” he whispered.
She looked up at him, her dark eyes full of admiration. “Thanks to you.”
He needed to lighten the moment. “So I’m getting a lot more kisses later? To say thank you, I mean.”
She laughed, but then her eyes sobered. “I don’t give out my kisses easily, Bridger Hawk.”
Bridger’s stomach dropped as he realized what she was implying. He’d kissed hundreds of girls. He couldn’t even remember most of their names. Yet if Avalyn would commit to kissing him for life, he’d never be tempted by any other woman. “Lucky me, then.” He gave her a smirk.
She lifted her eyebrows. “Hopefully your luck hasn’t run out.”
Bridger lost all humor as that statement hit him. His luck of getting a kiss from Avalyn, or his luck of saving her life and protecting her from Ramsey? He needed the luck of the Irish right now, but he’d keep praying and rely on blessings from above. Thinking of that, he said a silent prayer of gratitude that they’d survived another round.
Avalyn made it through lunch without slugging Ramsey again, but only barely. He joked like they were all friends and laughed at Bridger’s dark, sarcastic comments about Ramsey’s mental instability and lack of sense.
After lunch, Ramsey jumped up. “You two up for a hike? You have to see the waterfall. It’s only a couple of miles each way.”
Avalyn glanced at Bridger. He shrugged at her. Avalyn loved hiking and especially waterfalls, but she hated this twisted reality Ramsey had trapped them in. He wanted to challenge Bridger and almost kill Avalyn every day, then pretend they were all friends who ate a delicious lunch on the beach and went for a hike after? What kind of a monster did that?
“I … yeah, I like waterfalls,” she admitted.
Ramsey clapped his hands together. “Let’s go, then.” He nodded to his men. “Thanks for everything, guys. Who’s coming with us on the hike?”
Avalyn and Bridger exchanged a look. These men looked and acted like mercenaries, yet Klein had told Bridger last night that they were all committed to Ramsey. Why? He treated them like his friends, but there was a deeper reason that eluded her.
Most of the men followed them up the trail past the beach. No one said much as they walked through the lush jungle. Avalyn focused on the beauty of the thick trees and birds twittering around, not allowing herself to think about her freefall an hour ago and what Ramsey might be scheming for tomorrow. She did let herself think about that moment when Bridger had caught her. Even though they’d still been plunging through the air, she’d felt safe. He was her personal hero. An amazingly tough and handsome hero.
A stream trickled past them on their right. Vines hung down around it from the huge trees. She’d been in a lot of tropical places and was always amazed how the people in such areas could survive on very little and were so happy without worldly possessions. They’d fish for their dinner, pluck a mango off a tree for their breakfast, and get their water from the stream. Their focus was on relationships. Avalyn was in so many different areas of the world that she didn’t develop deep relationships often. What could she and Bridger develop if she let down her guard with him? Would it last beyond this nightmare with Ramsey?
The trail was barely wide enough for one person. Ramsey led the way, with Avalyn directly behind him. Avalyn appreciated the opportunity to be in nature and move her legs. It helped calm the anxiety over her impending doom. Bridger was walking behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, and he gave her a reassuring smile and a wink. Avalyn smiled back.
How could he make her feel so special and safe when there was no reason to feel either? She knew she couldn’t be special to a man who would never settle down with one woman, and she was the furthest thing from safe—walking directly behind Bridger were men with guns strapped to their backs, and not because they were worried about animals in this remote jungle. They were worried about Bridger attacking their boss, and with good reason. It warmed Avalyn clear through that Bridger wanted to take Ramsey out for her.
Water pounding against rocks reverberated throughout the forest. Ramsey glanced over his shoulder at her, his blue eyes lit up. If Avalyn didn’t know he was a murderous psycho, she’d think he was a fun-loving, happy guy. She’d seen him in different videos of Bridger’s and always thought he was funny and seemed like a good guy. How wrong perceptions could be.
“Do you like to swim in waterfalls?” Ramsey asked.
“Yeah,” she said slowly. Who didn’t like to swim in waterfalls?
“You’re going to love this.”
Bridger’s hand rested on her back, as if to assure her he was there and she wouldn’t be subject to Ramsey. He kept it there as they crossed the last fifty yards and then entered a small clearing.
She stared up at the beautiful waterfall dancing over mossy rocks. It wasn’t as powerful as some she’d seen, but it was very pretty as it pranced from one boulder to the next before doing a freefall descent forty feet to a clear pool beneath. The water from the pool trickled out and down the stream they’d been walking next to.
Ramsey ripped off his shirt and climbed up the boulders next to the waterfall. It was a precarious climb, but he moved like a mountain goat. When he was about sixty feet up, he yelled, “Watch this!” and pushed off and dove into the pool below.
“Is that pool deep enough?” Avalyn gasped out. Then she shook her head. She shouldn’t care if Ramsey split his skull open.
He surfaced, beaming at them. “Try it!”
Avalyn shook her head. “No thanks. I’m afraid of heights.”
Ramsey’s face blanched. Avalyn wondered if he actually felt remorse, if he was even capable of it. He seemed like he had multiple personalities or maybe was bipolar.
He swam to the edge of the pool and stood, the water about waist deep. His tanned body glistened with water droplets. Avalyn supposed most women would consider him attractive. Not her. His mouth worked, and he finally said, “Good thing we’re done with the parachuting, then.”
Bridger wrapped his hand around her waist as Avalyn’s stomach churned.
“You’ll do it, won’t you, Bridge?” Ramsey asked, like an eager child.
“He really needs to find some friends,” Bridger murmured to her.
Avalyn hid a laugh.
The guards stood stoically, not taking off their shirts to swim. Their faces were impassive. She supposed Bridger was right. If these were Ramsey’s usual companions, he desperately needed some real friends. Maybe that was why he was so crazy.
Avalyn hoped Bridger wouldn’t do the jump. If he got hurt, who knew what Ramsey would do to her? She could see him eyeing it as if he wanted to jump.
“We’ll just swim,” Bridger said.
Avalyn’s eyes widened. Bridger had turned down a quick thrill. For her?
“Aw, c’mon. Bridger Hawk never turns down a challenge,” Ramsey taunted him. “‘What’s a challenge, and where do I find it?’ That’s the Bridger Hawk we all know and love.”
Bridger tensed against her. He ignored Ramsey and looked to Avalyn. “Do you want to swim?”
She nodded. She did want to swim, but the pool wasn’t very big and she didn’t want to be anywhere near Ramsey.
“Come on in.” Ramsey splashed some water at them, a gleam in his eyes. He pushed his way out of the water and sat on a rock.
Bridger directed her around the pool, twenty feet from where Ramsey sat. He let go of his grip on her to pull off his T-shirt. Avalyn took a moment to gape at his defined chest. She forgot Ramsey and his cronies were watching them and traced her finger along his muscular shoulder. Bridger gave her a smile that warmed her much more than the tropical sun.
“You two need a room?” Ramsey asked, laughing to himself.
Bridger rolled his eyes. Avalyn sat down on a rock and unlaced her shoes and slid out of them and her socks. She was not going to take any of her clothes off, even though she had a sports bra on underneath. She’d rather have her blue T-
shirt plastered to her chest than nothing covering her as Ramsey’s gaze on them never wavered.
She walked carefully into the pool, the irregular stones a little uncomfortable to walk on. Bridger joined her, and as soon as they were waist deep, he dove under. Avalyn bent down and pushed off the rocks but kept her head above water. The pool wasn’t huge, but it was deep. They quickly swam over to the waterfall and ducked underneath it. The spray massaged their heads, necks, and shoulders.
Bridger grinned at her. “You’re so brave. I worried after yesterday you wouldn’t want to be in the water.”
She hadn’t even thought of yesterday as they swam. “I’m brave when you’re with me.”
Bridger moved in closer. “I like that,” he said.
The water from the waterfall somewhat shielded them from Ramsey and his men. Bridger treaded water with just his legs and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. The air rushed out of Avalyn. She was falling for him faster than she’d plunged from the airplane this morning. All thoughts of being a strong and independent woman disappeared when Bridger looked at her like that.
“Do you think I might get another kiss of gratitude?” Bridger said, barely loud enough for her to hear over the rush of the water next to them.
“How long can you tread water like that?” Avalyn asked.
Bridger grinned. “A long, long time.”
Avalyn knew she should show some restraint or her heart would be a goner. If they ever escaped from Ramsey, she’d shrivel and never be able to love again when Bridger moved on. But in this beautiful setting with the sheet of water next to them, the vines and cliffs on the other side, having just gone through something so horrific as being thrown out of a plane without a chute, and Bridger’s strong body close, she really had no resistance in her.
She leaned closer. Bridger’s lips brushed hers, and sheer joy encompassed her.
“Hey! Isn’t it cool back here?” Ramsey’s voice came from much too close by.
Avalyn jerked away from Bridger and glanced over at Ramsey’s mischievous smile.
“I’m going to kill you very soon, Ramsey,” Bridger muttered.
Ramsey laughed like that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “I hope so, my friend.”
Bridger shook his head at Avalyn. His arms loosened around her, and she swam through the waterfall and back out. Ignoring all the men around her, she lay on her back and floated, looking up at the blue, blue sky above. She prayed that somehow, someway, they’d get away from this crazy man and she could get back to the children. But then she wouldn’t have Bridger holding her close anymore.
When she tired of floating, she swam to the side and the men followed her out of the pool. They both shrugged back into their shirts, and Bridger and Avalyn put their shoes back on.
“Thanks for hanging out with me,” Ramsey said, as if they were all friends.
Bridger stared at him. “You have so many screws loose, not even an aerospace engineer could fix that nut-job brain of yours.”
Ramsey threw back his head and laughed. “My mom used to tell me I had screws loose all the time.”
Bridger looked at Avalyn and did the crazy symbol with his finger by his ear. Avalyn giggled, and then she started laughing and couldn’t stop. Bridger and Ramsey both joined in, and Avalyn knew it was insane that she could laugh in the middle of this situation, but it was a release she needed. Then she glanced at Ramsey, who was laughing and looking at her warmly, like she was his younger sister or something. The guy really was insane. At least he hadn’t thrown her off the waterfall or sacrificed her to the island spirits.
Avalyn sobered and started back down the trail. She had to get out of this alternate reality, or she was going to be as nuts as Ramsey.
Chapter Thirteen
When they got back to the yacht, the sun was dipping close to the horizon. Thankfully Ramsey told them good night, so they wouldn’t have to endure his presence any longer. The gleam in Ramsey’s eyes as he said goodbye robbed the breath from Avalyn’s lungs. What would he do to her tomorrow? She couldn’t let her mind go there. At least they’d have the reprieve of being together tonight without his weird comments or looks.
Yet as they walked toward their room, her apprehension grew for a different reason. She would’ve willingly kissed Bridger under the waterfall, but was that smart? How did you ask an adventurer, a free spirit, if he would commit to you and your causes forever, especially in a situation like this? You didn’t. It was stupid, and she hated to envision Bridger smirking at her if she did ask. Would he lie and say yes, or would he just laugh and tell her not to worry about tomorrow? She would be with him on that one. She didn’t want to think about tomorrow and another chance for Ramsey to kill her.
They entered their room, and Bridger told the guards good night and shut and locked the door behind them. The rolling tray full of food was already waiting for them. Avalyn wondered about Ramsey’s staff, especially his guards, who were so devoted to him.
“Hungry?” Bridger asked.
She nodded. They sat down and ate. Avalyn was afraid there would be awkward silence, but Bridger started telling her stories about his brothers when they were younger. He made her laugh quite a few times as she ate some boneless ribs, rice, and broccoli.
After dinner, they took turns showering, and Avalyn waited nervously as Bridger showered. Would he expect to sleep cuddled up again tonight? She’d loved that, but she wasn’t sure it was in her heart’s best interest. Her nerves were to the stretching point when the bathroom door finally opened.
Bridger strode out in only some low-slung sweats. Avalyn put a hand to her throat, suddenly unable to breathe. Why did he have to look so marvelous? How was she going to resist him? Especially when she’d been the one to ask him to cuddle last night.
He looked her over and said, “You okay?”
Avalyn nodded. She wouldn’t tell him that she worried over falling in love with him almost as much as she worried over what Ramsey might have planned tomorrow. Her normal life seemed far away right now, but she worked long days securing funding, speaking or writing about how to help the children and motivate people to be more charitable, and—most importantly—traveling and spending time one on one with her little ones. There were so many adorable faces in her mind. She couldn’t simply fall in love and follow Bridger around the world, forget about her purpose in life.
“Thank you for defeating Ramsey again,” she said to Bridger rather than beg him to love her and find a way to make their lives coincide.
“I’ll do it again tomorrow, unless I find a way to get us out of here first.”
Avalyn wanted to trust in his confidence, but she was scared, really scared, of waking up tomorrow.
“It’s hard being the best.” He gave her a cocky grin.
She rolled her eyes, though she did like his smart-aleck attitude. “I’ll bet it is.”
Bridger slowly walked toward her. His dark gaze pinned her in place. The muscles in his abdomen and chest rippled beautifully. She wanted to run her fingers along each individual muscle. No! She couldn’t let herself go there.
He stopped in front of her and she tilted her head back to meet his eyes, praying for strength and wisdom. She’d asked too much of the good Lord lately, though, and was afraid her prayer quota had been reached. Her mama would tell her there was no such thing, but Avalyn didn’t know if even divine intervention could give her the strength to avoid throwing herself at this beautiful man and getting her heart ripped out in the process.
“There’s something else I hear I’m the best at,” he murmured. His eyes languidly lowered to her lips.
Avalyn’s breathing quickened. She could hear waves lapping against the boat and the motor running as she tried to tell herself not to rise to this obvious challenge. “Oh, really? What’s that?”
“Kissing.”
He gave her his trademark smirk, and all her concerns came rushing horribly back to her. He was a player in every sense of the word. Lo
ve ’em and leave ’em was Bridger Hawk’s motto in life, right after “What’s a challenge, and where do I find it?” That probably applied to women as well. Her mind spun. It did apply to women! He’d said that line to her when he’d kissed her in Cancun the day before Creed and Kiera’s wedding. Dang him.
Avalyn’s eyes narrowed and she pushed at his chest with her hands.
“What?” Bridger backed up a step, lifting his own hands innocently.
“You hear you’re the best?” She folded her arms across her chest. “How many women have you ‘heard’ it from?”
Bridger arched an eyebrow. “Jealous, are we?”
Avalyn clamped her jaw before she growled at him and revealed exactly how jealous she was. She spun away from him, grabbed a pillow off the bed, and stalked to the couch. Lying down so she faced the couch cushions and the wall, she yanked the throw blanket off and draped it over herself.
For a few seconds, all she could hear was her ragged breathing and the boat’s motor. What was Bridger thinking? Did he realize how petty and jealous she was? How she wanted him all to herself? She felt so off in this horrific situation, so unlike her usual confident, benevolent self.
His footsteps slowly approached. Avalyn clenched her fists and refused to look at him. Her heart was racing out of control. Part of her felt justified in her petty jealousies and her refusal to fall for a player; part of her just wanted to kiss him and worship him for rescuing her over and over again.
“Ava?” he said.
Avalyn squeezed her eyes shut.
He let out a frustrated growl, similar to what she’d wanted to express seconds ago. Avalyn smiled in spite of herself. At least she wasn’t the only one upset.
Bridger wrapped a hand under her upper back and one under her legs and swept her off the couch.
“Bridger!” Avalyn grabbed on to his shoulders for stability.
He stared down at her, all traces of teasing gone. “You’re sleeping in the bed.”
“Not with you,” she threw back at him.
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