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Jake listened, uncharacteristically obedient. This was her show. Her party.
‘Nothing. I hear absolutely nothing,’ he announced at length. ‘No city buzz, no verve. No hooting of cars letting you know the place is full of energy. Alive.’
‘Listen again.’ She practically twirled round in bliss, and he found his eyes drawn to the way her cargo pants perfectly cupped her pert backside.
You’re in the jungle, for pity’s sake.
‘You can’t hear all that you just described, it’s true,’ she continued, oblivious. ‘But who wants to? All that noise pollution drowning out what really matters? You might not hear the loud city cacophony, Jake, but you can’t say you can’t hear anything. This place is practically teeming with life.’
He tore his gaze away and tried to listen again, a part of him loving the way her brow pulled taut in frustration at his admissions, making her look all the more adorable.
And tempting.
‘The jungle is full of animals, and insects, all coming together in a harmonious concerto of sounds. Listen.’ She closed her eyes and held her finger up as if to emphasise her point. And he tried. He really tried. ‘I can hear birds, and frogs, and insects—all chirping, croaking, humming. I can even hear howler monkeys. And take in the scent of all that vegetation
. Soil, wood, flowers, trees. It’s as though the jungle is dancing with our every sense. Seducing them.’
Whatever innocent picture Flávia had succeeded in painting in his head shattered at that final comment.
All he could think about was a different kind of seduction. The images in his head were all about Flávia, with that shimmering green dress of hers pooling at her feet, and that look of pure pleasure playing over her features. But Jake kept that to himself.
His body tightened at the memory, but he kept that to himself, too.
Instead, she continued.
‘The reason I exchanged the rucksack you’d brought for one I’d packed myself is pretty much for this very reason.’ There was almost a merriness to her tone. ‘Bush craft is all about preparation. Working smart and planning out beforehand, so that ultimately you don’t have to work harder than necessary. Especially out in the jungle when everything can be so unpredictable.’
‘Go on, then, jungle woman,’ he said softly. ‘Give me your first lesson.’
She studied him sharply, but he could read that pulse flickering in her neck, and it didn’t help his attempts to stay on topic.
She cleared her throat.
‘When I’m setting up a temporary camp, I like the KISS approach...’ She flushed but rushed on. ‘As in, Keep It Simple.’
‘Should I remind you that kiss is spelt with a double S?’ he asked huskily, unable to empty his head of the image of his lips claiming hers.
‘Fine.’ Flávia glowered at him, but he noticed the way she swallowed. Hard. ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid.’
And what did it say about him that he liked how easily he could provoke her?
‘In the top of your rucksack, you’ll find a tarpaulin to shelter yourself from the rain, and a hammock to keep you off the jungle floor, each bound up with paracord. Get the tarp first...it’s the camouflage one. Good. Wait—what are you doing?’
He stopped, looked.
‘Don’t leave your rucksack on the jungle floor like that—you’ll get all manner of things trying to crawl in there and hitch a ride. Let me just tie this off...okay, you can hang it on that hook.’
The woman had a system for everything. And her bossiness was oddly compelling. He couldn’t hardly help himself. What if he crossed the divide between them, his hands sliding around her waist, turning her to him?
‘What about Raoul and Fabio?’ he bit out.
‘Don’t worry about them,’ Flávia answered merrily, her back still to him. ‘They’re over there making their own shelters from scratch. When you’re done here, get them to show you how they strip vines to make ropes, and saplings like little joists.’
He looked around. Far away, but not far enough.
‘They’re building a damned house,’ he exclaimed.
‘More of a tree house, but I agree it’s pretty impressive. Now, I chose this because it’s a good spot. You have two fairly straight trees a decent distance apart over there, and two more just here. You’re taller than me, so you take that pair over there.’
