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We round a corner to a beautiful oasis and I gasp, stunned at the beauty. There’s a small waterfall feeding into a pool of clear water. Exotic birds chirp, flying over our heads. There are big orange flowers the size of sunflowers climbing around a large round stone. There’s a firepit to the right, and to the left there is a small A-frame covered in palm leaves, with coconuts on a table that was clearly handmade.
“Welcome home,” Rock says, dropping the tiger next to the firepit.
“This is where you live?” I ask, following close on his heels. I don’t want to be alone out here. It may appear to be the setting of a romance novel, but I know dangers are everywhere. I will never forget opening my eyes to that tiger ready to pounce, teeth bared. I thought I was going to die.
“Not all of it,” he tells me, walking to the large stone and pushing it aside. “This is the house.”
“Oh, wow,” I say as he uses flint and steel to light a torch, then hands it to me. I’m startled by the reality of the situation. Fire is life here, and he just gave it to me. And there really is no electricity, no power lines, nothing. Just him and me and the wilderness.
Tears fill my eyes.
“Fuck, I made you cry again?”
My shoulders shake as tears fall down my cheeks. “I can’t believe this is actually happening,” I say, looking around his cave. It is so basic, so bare. Nothing like my apartment back home with cozy couches and throw pillows, scented candles and a television where I watched The Bachelor on Monday nights.
“I know it’s not much, but I would’ve cleaned if I’d known I was going to have company.”
I know he’s trying to make a joke, but it’s not funny. His life consists of a ratty sleeping bag on the ground, a few fur pelts over it, a fire in the corner that has embers burning low. A backpack. A few items of clothing bundled up next to it.
“You want to change?” he asks, seeing where my eyes have landed.
“You have clothes my size?”
He laughs. “Uh, no. But anything has got to be better than that wetsuit. Aren’t you sweating?”
“I am,” I admit; my body is roasting and my feet are all squishy from the water shoes.
He bends down, sorting through the clothes. “It’s all pretty ratty. Just the stuff I had in my backpack when I wound up here.”
“You had a gun and a knife?”
“I was in the military. On a Special Ops mission. Ended up in Mexico while trailing a known terrorist. Thankfully I had my pack – not sure I would have survived without my knife.”
I kneel next to him, looking at his belongings. “My dad was in the military too. He would have done okay out here too. Me? I’m not at all an outdoorsy person.”
“You were in that cave. What were doing in there? Seems pretty outdoors to me.”
I choose an old tee shirt, standing. “I didn’t want to sit around the resort all day staring at people who were happy and in love, and that was the only tour that hadn’t left yet.”
“So it was fate.”
“What? No, it was stupid. I should have gone to the day spa or something.”
“Nah,” Rock insists, leaving the cave. I follow, unsure of where to change. “I think it’s destiny. You coming here, for me. Me for you. It’ll be good.”
“You’re insane,” I tell him. “I’m not here for you. I’m… I’m…”
“Don’t,” he groans. “Don’t cry on me again. Go take a swim while I gut this tiger and then we can eat. I’m damn near starving.”
I huff, irritated at his lack of compassion. My entire world has spun out of control and he is talking about eating.
I turn away and walk to the pool of water before us. Looking over my shoulder, I see his eyes on my ass. “You’re staring now?”
He grins. “Hell yes I am. Your ass is fucking fine.”
I lift my eyes, shocked at his forwardness. Turning away, I set the tee shirt on a rock, then crouch beside a fern and unpeel the wetsuit from my body, grateful that I have my bikini on underneath. At least I brought something with me.
With my swimsuit on, I step into the water. It’s cool and clear and I sink into it, swimming out, thankful that I can see the stones at my feet, so at least there are no massive creature swimming down there, ready to bite my legs off.
“Watch out for the crocodiles,” Rock shouts.
I screech. “What? Crocodiles?”
He laughs. “Just teasing.”
“Not funny,” I shout, livid. He may be sexy but he sure is mouthy! I am literally horrified at his manliness. Who does he think he is?
I dive down, taking in the colorful fish in the water, amazed at how vibrant the colors are, how regally they glide through the water.
