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“I don’t think we have all day to stare at each other, but I’m game if you are.” My words were soft but still carried the appropriate amount of sass I’d wanted.
Only inches of space (and secrets) now stood between us as he dipped his chin, so we were closer in eye level. “Drink the damn water, Charlotte.”
“Oh, so it’s like that, is it?”
His eyes dropped to my lips for a second like he was contemplating lifting the canteen between us to force me to drink.
“Why are you mad at me? I know it’s not about earlier.” About my rejection. And that’s for your own benefit, trust me.
When he met my eyes again, his gaze had softened a touch, and that one look managed to rattle my defenses. My arms uncrossed as more of my self-imposed barrier faltered.
I had to resist the wild impulse to place my hands on his chest and search for the comfort of his heartbeat.
“Pick a reason, sweetheart.”
I’d take Charlotte over the bite in his hissed term of endearment, so totally different from how he’d said it to me as we’d made love.
I was exhausted from trekking through the woods, knowing it was possibly a trap, and I still had more questions than answers. My mood was going south, and I was growing crankier on this man more than he probably deserved. But yeah, patience—so clearly not my virtue. Should’ve had that inked to the inside of my other wrist.
“Please.” I had to push the word out. It was uncomfortable and made me uneasy. I didn’t beg or plead for anything, not even the truth. And definitely not from a man. Well, not since the one time I’d had to do it at twenty, and I’d vowed never to do it again. “Tell me.” I did my best to keep those words sugary instead of full of vinegar, but despite my attempts, and based on the way his bladed jawline tightened and his nostrils flared, I’d been more devil than angel. I’m a work in progress, what can I say?
“Drink.” The word was a grunt that cut through the air, and his ability to abstain from revealing whatever was in his head was maddening.
I peeked around him, checking the location of our teammates. I was so focused on our stare down, I hadn’t even heard anyone grab the backpack, but the bag and our team were about twenty-five feet away and waiting on us. Lucy peeled down the granola bar wrapper as she chatted with the cameraman. That’s it. Distract him for me. Thank you, thank you.
When my attention returned to my current problem, that problem took one step back and took a sip from the canteen himself. My gaze flitted to his tanned throat as it bobbed with each swallow, and then he completely killed my focus by catching a drop of water on his bottom lip with his tongue.
Shit. Wrong time to be thinking about how Jack had gone down on me as if he’d been given a roadmap of my damn vagina to study ahead of time.
“You like to piss me off, don’t you?” That was fair, but not what I was expecting as Jack lowered the canteen to rest at his side. “Stubborn and frustrating one second, and then looking at me with hearts in your eyes the next.”
“I’m not a hearts-in-the-eyes kind of girl,” I scoffed, defending myself. I’m just stupidly turned on by your tongue. Your eyes. How well you rock a backwards hat. “But whiplash, I know,” I relented since he was technically right.
“You two okay?”
Jack looked back over his shoulder to answer Mason. “We’ll be with y’all in a second,” he told him loud enough for everyone else to hear before facing me again. He pushed the canteen at me, and I was ready for round two of being a stubborn brat in denying my thirst while waiting for answers.
“I’ll drink if you tell me what Carter said to you.” I was about to lock my arms across my chest like a kid again, but he cupped my chin with his free hand, catching me off guard.
It was a light touch, but commanding nonetheless, and coupled with the severity of his stare, he had my attention, and I felt obliged to obey.
“You’re going to drink, Charlotte. Because you’re dehydrated and might faint. And I’m not carrying your ass through the jungle while you take a nap in my arms. Got it?” he borderline growled out the order before letting go of my chin only to snatch my wrist, bringing my hand between us so I’d accept the water.
And I did.
I took it.
My body thanked me about ten times over after I finished drinking.
“Thank you.” His gratitude caught me off guard. That should have been my line.
“For being a good girl?” Where did that come from? I shoved the canteen his way, and he glared at me while accepting it. The heat in his expression was tangible. Why was I poking the bear?
“You’re so far from good right now, what you really need is a—”
“Spanking,” I whispered, shocked that word popped from my mouth at a time like this.
His brows slanted as he rasped, “You have no idea how badly I want to swat that ass of yours right now.” Oh, he was pissed, and it wasn’t from my attitude.
