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‘One more thing.’ She finally pushed herself off the wall where she’d been lounging and spun around to face him.
It took everything he had not to haul her to him and take up where they’d left off a week ago.
‘And what’s that?’ he asked, feigning an air of resignation.
‘Before you decide, remember that this isn’t about you, or me. This is about Brady. And what works best for that seven-year-old boy.’
Her amber eyes pierced through him. Pinning him down. So intelligent and so caring. But he thought he preferred them best when they were glazed over and spilling with need.
‘I know this is about Brady.’ Jake wasn’t sure how he pulled himself together.
This staying away from her business wasn’t really working. If anything, he thought it was making him want her more.
Maybe it was time for a differential diagnosis.
‘I tell you what,’ he answered thoughtfully, at last. ‘I’ll bring Brady here if you agree to come and watch a medical procedure with me.’
He saw her eyes flicker with interest before she even spoke.
‘What kind of procedure?’
‘The kind where I use one of the antivenoms we’re trialling for VenomSci. One of the antivenoms that you helped to create.’
‘You know, I have never actually seen one of those for real. Only footage afterwards. And I’ve followed case studies, of course.’
‘You’ve never seen what we do close-up?’
‘I worked tumour paint in the lab, but I was only a small part of that team, and then I moved on to my own project trying to find this application of snake venom to stop tumours from metastasising.’
‘Nonetheless, you were still an integral part of the team that developed VenomSci’s fluorescent dye. Want to see how you’ve helped to reshape the face of surgical oncology for me today?’
‘You’d do that for me?’
‘Why not?’
He knew he couldn’t claim his offer was for entirely altruistic reasons. But when she looked at him like that, he didn’t even care.
CHAPTER NINE
‘THE FIRST THING I want to teach you is how to set up your camp correctly.’
‘The first thing?’ Jake answered dryly. ‘You took my rucksack from me back at the house to give me one of your own instead. Then we spent the last few hours hacking our route through the jungle—and that was only after you instilled in me how crucial it is to have a machete and know how to wield it.’
Jake was glad his nephew was safe with Flávia’s family. Only the prospect of a sleepover with his two new best friends, and the promise of a day on an adventure trail with Eduardo, had stopped Brady from kicking up a fuss about not accompanying Jake and Flávia into the Atlantic Forest.
‘Are you pining for your luxury city life already, urbanista?’ Flávia teased, the way she’d been doing more and more, ever since they’d left the city.
As though the rainforest was bringing out the real her, and she was more relaxed and contented than he’d ever known her. As though he was seeing the real Flávia, which very few others outside her family would ever see.
He found that he liked the sensation. Most likely a little too much. He could picture how it might be if this was the life he and Brady could lead for good. And then it worried him that it was all so easy to imagine.
No woman had ever made him think of the future before, not to mention that ‘having fun for one night only’ Flávia Maura certainly shouldn’t be the one to break that pattern.
He had no room in his life for her. For any woman. He’d do well to remember that.
‘You’d better believe I am. I simply don’t see how you can prefer tramping through undergrowth, with no idea what lurks within, and eating corned beef hash out of a tin tray to the convenience of a hot power shower, climate control and a beautifully prepared meal.’
‘Is that so?’ She shook her head, smiling. ‘Listen, Jake. Tell me what you hear.’
