AllFreeNovel
Share Us
More sparks fly onto the grass and I bend down closer, lightly blowing on it at first and then harder when I see the flames ignite.
“It’s going!” Viviana says and leans down opposite me, placing more grass on top of the pile of wood and growing the flame. When it’s fully ignited, I stand and brush the dirt from my knees and grin at her.
“We did it!” Viv jumps into my arms and I grasp under her thighs, holding her to me, her arms wrap around my neck and I take a moment to enjoy the feeling of her.
She hops down sooner than I would like and turns toward the couple next to us. “Do you guys need any help?”
I smirk and move to help her with the people next to us, each of us working to start their fire. I watch in amazement as Viviana moves from person to person, helping them all start their own fires.
Without even realizing she did so, she did exactly what Cyrus was hoping for.
When I glance up at him, he’s watching her with a satisfied smile and Lillian joins him, grinning broadly.
Around us, the other couples seem to pick up on what Viviana figured out first and start to help their neighbors out.
Finally, all the fires have been lit and inspected, then promptly extinguished by the fire safety team.
“Nice work, everyone!” Cyrus calls when we’ve all come to stand around him again. “Isn’t it amazing how much you can achieve with a little bit of hard work? And some of you didn’t have a lick of anything on you to help, yet you still managed to get it started.”
Cyrus pauses and gestures to the couple who got their fire lit first. “There was one clear winner when it came to getting their fire started first, and your prize is back at camp. However, I’d like to reiterate that not all victories are who is first, but how you go about winning. Teamwork, people. I saw some of you not only light your fires but step forward and help those around you even when you knew your own task was complete. That was the ultimate test.” He claps his hands together once. “Good work, everyone! Let’s go eat!”
I squeeze Viv’s hand and she turns to give me a bright smile and I follow that smile all the way back to camp.
Chapter Sixteen
“I was that kid that made myself believe that the laundry I didn’t pick up off the floor turned into monsters once the lights went out. I still didn’t pick up the clothes, though.” – Derek
VIVIANA
It’s quiet.
Too quiet.
I’m lying stock-still in my sleeping bag, right next to Archer fucking Moore who is passed out peacefully next to me.
Shirtless.
Completely freaking shirtless.
Why does he have to be shirtless?
Who cares if it’s a bazillion degrees in this tent and the middle of summer?
Who cares if I was sweating through my underwear and regretting not bringing more pairs with me?
Who cares if he smells like man and sunshine and sweat and…
Ooh boy.
I’m in big trouble.
After our little challenge with the fires, we headed back for dinner at the camp, everyone was milling around, grabbing dinner from the table that Lillian and, to my surprise, Sheila had set up.
Sheila had shown up late and had made a point of coming to greet me, giving me props on the starter board I’d shown her earlier this week on the new soap campaign.
We’d eaten our dinner and hung out around the fire, talking with everyone. Archer had them all eating out of the palm of his hand, he was a charmer. Which I already knew, but it was interesting to see him interact with people other than the guys back home or my own family.
It has me wondering if I’ve ever seen him around anyone other than those two groups, and then I realize I have, and it was at the charity event last year that I attended to support Jane and Warren.
