Page 61 of The Trouble with Love and Ink
I followed the direction of his point, eyes bouncing from tree to tree until I saw her hanging by her claws. She may as well have been a damn unicorn for the awe that fell over me.
“You found her,” I said, hushed. “You found our sloth.”
We watched as she pulled herself upward in a movement not quite as slow as I’d imagined.
“Are you having a good time, Emily?”
I looked at Beck, and he did that thing where he tried to read my expression. I let my smile meet my eyes as I nodded. “I’m really glad I braved the jungle with you today.”
A smile unraveled, slow but wide. “Me too.” He was handsome.
So incredibly handsome when he smiled. I’d known it before, but now—alone in the jungle with him, after kissing— the sight made my knees weak.
The ride back to the resort was tense and quiet. Different scenes kept playing over and over as to what Beck would do to me when we got there. I pictured the door closing behind us and him carrying me to the bedroom. Maybe we wouldn’t even make it that far. I could see him setting me down on the loveseat or even the countertop. I imagined running my hands under his shirt, across his chest, then down his stomach, following tight muscles until I reached his boxers.
A pothole jolted me from the fantasy.
“Sorry,” Beck mumbled.
To a passerby, he might have looked casual behind the wheel of the rental. But I noticed how he gripped the wheel, white-knuckled. It was all too easy imagining that tight hold on my shorts before he pulled them down and placed himself between my legs.
God. Get a hold of yourself.
The ride to the park had seemed much shorter in the morning. Now I ached for him, and every minute seemed to stretch out, making the twenty-minute drive torturous.
As our feet met the tile of the resort’s lobby, my pulse thrummed. Beck. Beck. Beck. Beck. I wanted to get behind that locked door. All previous reservations be damned. Beck seemed eager as well. We walked hand in hand, but my short legs had a hard time keeping his pace.
My imagination still ran wild with all the things I hoped Beck would do to me when Victoria and the group sent those fantasies to a screeching halt.
“Where have you two been?” Victoria asked. I noticed how they all had their bags as the group sprawled over the chairs and couches in the lobby.
“I texted you this morning. We went to the national park.” Beck gave her suitcase a light kick. “What’s all this?”
“I’ve been trying to call you for the past hour.”
Beck looked at his phone and then held it out for Victoria’s inspection. “Sorry. Spotty service in the jungle, I guess. What’s going on?”
“We’re leaving. Jerry told us about this amazing place only about an hour from here—glamping in Uvita.” Victoria practically glowed.
Beck didn’t seem impressed. “Victoria, you can’t get much better than this.” He gestured vaguely to the lobby around us. “Our rooms literally jut out into the rainforest. Hell, do I need to remind you that we were attacked by a viper two days ago?” I wondered if his apprehension of this idea matched mine—wanting to pick up where things left off. Now. “Where is this coming from?”
“Beck, listen.” Victoria tried to straighten his shirt by grabbing where it hung off his shoulders and pulling, but the sweat from the hike didn’t allow the shirt to move much. “I have to get out of this resort. All I can think about is the service here and whether the other guests are having a good time. It’s going to be a great place to get married, but I can’t enjoy myself while being practically immersed in work.”
“Vic—”
Victoria clapped her hands together, loud and final. “You two are going to love this place. It is so romantic.”
Beck pinched the bridge of his nose. “We have a pretty big group. Are you even sure they have enough rooms?”
“They have six tents left. Reagan and Madison are happy to room with each other. Gabe and Koontz . . .” We all looked over to where the two guys slumped. “Are a little unhappy to share a bed. But they are going to suck it up in the name of the trip.” Victoria gave us a light shove in the direction of our suite. “Pack your bags. We’re staying there for the next two nights. The van will be here in fifteen.”
Before, my adrenaline had been high with the prospect of Beck and what we might do together behind closed doors. Being packed in a van with the rest of the wedding party had doused the mood. The toll of the hike hit me hard. My body sagged into the seat, and the soft rocking of the van made my lids heavy. I hadn’t meant to allow myself to fall asleep, which is why I was surprised, waking to Beck’s hand cradling my head against his shoulder.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, sitting upright and finding my neck muscles tense from the odd angle they’d been at.
“It’s okay. I’m beat too.”
The ride had been quiet—everyone else looked wiped out from another day under the sun. We stopped for dinner on the way, which meant we didn’t arrive at the camp until after sundown.
