“You’re freezing.”
“No, I’m not,” I said stubbornly. “I woke up and wanted some honey water. Is that a crime?”
He sighed loudly and opened the door wider. “Fucking get in here already. The stovetop’s hot. Your damn water will take two minutes to boil.”
Okay, but then I was going back to the helicopter!
I swallowed the last of my frazzled nerves and grabbed the pot, and then I scurried down the final bit to the haunted spider house.
Oh my God, it was so nice and warm in here.
I exhaled unsteadily and avoided eye contact. Pot went on the stove, and I accidentally sloshed some water over the edge. The drops sizzled and jumped on the surface.
“Gimme that.” He took the honey from me as well as the flashlight. He set the honey next to the stove, then spun me around to face the stone bed. “I want you to look at this.” He directed the flashlight at the ceiling, bit by bit. “There are no spiders in here. See those cracks? Nothing is small enough to hide there.” The beam of light traced the walls too. “Nothing, nothing, nothing.”
I knew it was stupid, but I couldn’t help it. It was my one fear, aside from…well, being ambushed by rebels in a war-torn country.
“I know it’s not rational, James,” I said tiredly. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’m still gonna try to reason with you,” he told me. “I have a steel mosquito net that I usually use for fishing, but I’ll put it on the door, okay? I can’t cover the bottom part completely, because we need air in here, but I’ll put the net up right now.”
I hugged myself loosely, feeling like an idiot. “Okay. Thank you.”
He nodded firmly and handed over the flashlight. “Do your own check to make sure. I’ll go get the cushions from the bird.”
I thanked him again, and he was quick to leave.
Stupid, stupid!
I’d walked through life priding myself on never being some silly little damsel in distress. I liked to hike, fish, camp, and hunt, and I wasn’t bad at self-defense. I’d learned to gut fish with a sparkly tiara on my head. I loved to challenge myself, learn newthings, and push the envelope. But the moment I saw a spider bigger than a quarter, I was overcome with panic.
I looked around the small room. To James’s credit, every surface was smooth and flat, and there were practically no hiding spots for spiders. So if we secured the door, then yes, I would feel safe in here.
I had to make things up to him—again.
My gaze landed on the jar of strawberry preserves, and I made the quick decision to prepare a midnight snack.
I mixed flour and water in the skillet with some oil, and I grabbed the coffee tin for James. Nothing said “I’m sorry” like fresh pan bread in the middle of the night.
It was also way more appropriate than offering him a massage or a blow job.
I smacked myself on the forehead. I’d promised myself not to fantasize about him! I was just gonna end up with a huge crush, and he was clearly not a relationship guy.
Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have minded something casual, but if I wanted to have a kid or two, I had to focus. I wasn’t that young anymore. Most of my friends back home had a family already.
The search doesn’t have to begin until you get home…
Dammit.
It took James two rounds to bring everything he needed, and then he built a second bed by stacking the cushions. Together with the structure made of stone, the two beds formed an L along two walls, and it was genius. It allowed us to move around easier.
When he was done, he continued with the door.
“What’re you making?” he asked.
“Pan bread and coffee for a pilot who’s probably extremely sick of a certain stowaway.”
He came over to me and glanced at the bread in the skillet.
