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Kat lights up at my insistence, just as competitive as me, and allows me to guide her along the winding path to the deserted stretch of beach where sandcastle building took place just yesterday. Were it not for Wyatt's steady presence, I might do something rash, like throwing Wilder's flirtatious hide straight into the ocean.
I may be–somehow–on board for whatever this is, but Wilder is still Wilder.
As we make our way to the vacant beach, Kat scours the area meticulously until discovering our next clue just barely poking out of the sand in a glass bottle. Clever girl.
She holds it aloft triumphantly. "Success! You boys better keep up!"
Wyatt chuckles, gazing at her with unconcealed admiration. "Of that I have no doubt."
She flushes prettily at the compliment before tearing open the seal and scanning the contents eagerly. "I’m cute as a button, but you better take cover. When ruffled and angry, I'll spit like no other."
Kathryn purses her lips in that tempting way she does when deep in thought. I force myself to look away, scanning our surroundings for inspiration.
"Aha! The spitters!" Wyatt proclaims way too enthusiastically. At my baffled look, his face reddens before he straightens the color of his shirt, trying to restore his distinguished air. "It’s the name some of the resort employees gave to the grouchy ostriches in the petting zoo area."
"Of course! Let's go." Kathryn rewards Wyatt with a high five and a dazzling smile and I have to rein in a growl. It’s not that I want her to stop liking them–I think I might have come to terms with that–but I also want to have that look aimed at me.
So I guess I’ll just have to try harder.
At the petting zoo area, Kathryn marches around the pen of spitting ostriches towards a large pile of straw. She spies the next clue peeking out from beneath a large rock at the bottom almost instantly. How does she notice such details?
"Eagle eyes," Wyatt praises, squeezing her shoulder affectionately. But, for some reason, I don’t even so much as bristle as Kathryn bites her lip, cheeks pinking once more. Nope…this time I merely recall the flush of her skin while he spoke such affirmations the night we all spent together and how she unraveled as he did so.
And my cock starts twitching.
I subtly adjust myself and join the other two guys to scan the newest paper over Kat’s shoulder. Wyatt reads aloud, "Flee from Invictus' merciless light, find haven beneath Diana's night."
"Invictus. Invictus. That sounds familiar." Kat’s face suddenly lights up and she spins towards us, her head cocking back to take us all in from her small stature. “That’s Sol Invictus! From Roman mythology! He was an official sun god of the later Roman empire. And Diana was his feminine opposite–goddess of the moon, forests, and the hunt. But…” Her brow furrows in that adorable way. “It’s not night. Find haven beneath Diana’s night…”
"The cabanas on the far north beach." I grunt, earning glances from all three of my companions. “What?”
“Nothing. We’re all just a little surprised you can talk is all.” Wilder drawls as he dramatically widens his eyes at me. “It’s a miracle!”
“How did you know that?” Wyatt asks and, while normally that might be insulting, he simply seems curious.
“I found a baby Coatis stuck over there the other day. It got stuck on top of one.” I scratch at the back of my head and refuse to meet anyone’s eyes.
“Oh my…” I glance up to see Kat’s entire face softening as she gazes at me with awe. “You saved the poor thing.”
“Oh come on! I can save Coatis-es-sis too! Whatever those are,” Wilder proclaims with faux jealousy as she continues staring at me like I just gave her the world. Which is something I find myself wanting to do.
“We might want to keep trekking if we still want to win.” Wyatt clears his throat. Kat looks torn, but she grins and nods.
“You’re right. I refuse to lose.” Though…she seemed for a moment like she was considering it.
We quickly make our way across the resort grounds towards the secluded area filled with private poolside cabanas. Most are unoccupied at this time of day. Kat scans the area intently until she points triumphantly.
"There! It's sticking out of the thatched roof."
The angle is too awkward for her shorter frame to reach easily, so I step forward swiftly and lift her by the hips as if she weighs nothing at all. Her surprised squeak makes me grin.
"Up you go, love."
Ignoring her half-hearted protests, I hoist her higher until she is able to grab the envelope lodged amidst the palm leaves. I take a moment longer than necessary to savor her curves pressed against me before reluctantly lowering her back down.
Kat smiles despite her exaggerated indignation. "My hero," she teases, patting my chest fondly before tearing into the new clue.
"In Amphitrite's kingdom, search below, Where Galene's pools trap treasures that ebb and flow," Kathryn muses aloud. Her beaming smile returns swiftly. "The tidal pools!"
