Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 224(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 224(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
I shrug. “To each their own, but I’ve always been independent.”
“Me too.”
I look ahead at a small smoke-spewing bus filled with tourists. There’s a couple in the back window making out. They look like they’re having a really good time, possibly honeymooners, given the tour bus. “Do you ever see yourself settling down?”
“Never.” He glances at me and winks. “But that’s how I’ll know when I meet the right girl; she won’t want to settle down either.”
“You want to be a swinger?”
He chuckles. “No. I’m not into that at all. I meant that the woman I spend my life with will want to travel the world with me. Maybe she’ll even be my partner and make movies with me or run the business side of things. I don’t know. But I want a woman I can build a life with.”
I’m swooning, but in the most unexpected way. I love that he’s thinking about the future, and that future doesn’t involve leaving his woman behind for months at a time while he follows his passion. He wants her to be a part of his dream.
I could absolutely see myself loving that sort of life—traveling to exotic locations, seeing the world, and shooting movies. To be clear, I’m not a movie fanatic—I watch them, but they’re not my passion—and it’s not an industry I know anything about, but I’ve always wanted to run my own business.
“Would you say that there’s a place for problem solvers in that partnership?” I ask. Because that’s what I am at the end of the day. I solve problems. I make sure obstacles are removed so the business runs.
“You auditioning for the role?” He flashes another charming smile that does things to me. Dirty things.
I rub the back of my sweaty neck, my stomach pure flutters. “A little too early for that, but I’d at least read the script.”
“I think I’d like that,” he says.
CHAPTER SIX
Completely spent, sweaty, and muddy, I enter my hotel room, finding a freshly showered Sofie with one towel on her head and another around her body.
She takes one look at me and grins. “Well, well, looks like someone had a romp in the jungle today. I want details.”
I don’t even know where to start. Carter and I got to the first waterfall and, yes, he let me touch his coconuts. He snapped off a bunch of photos from different angles and had me help.
At one point, he asked if I’d get in the water near the cascade so he could get a better feel for the morning light. Apparently, he’d already taken photos of the place in the afternoon and evening.
I removed my sundress, and he stared at my boobs for three seconds before catching himself. He quickly went into business mode. I sensed he felt a little embarrassed, but the fact that he checked me out gave me goosebumps.
Then, when I was in the water waist deep, he had me unbraid my hair and wet it back. I asked what the photo was for, and he answered, “For me.”
I blushed. He’d actually taken the photo for later. For himself. Wank bank? Memory of the trip? I didn’t care. We were vibing.
When we got to the next waterfall two hours away, I ended up slipping down the embankment and rolling into the pool of water below. He quickly shed his gear and ran down to save me. Only, he fell too and flopped right into the water on top of me.
I was startled for a second until I felt his big strong arms scoop me up. For a split second, he held me, his chest heaving, me panting, our eyes locked. Then I felt it: electricity. He wanted to kiss me, and I was inviting him without saying a single word.
He started lowering his head and then, whoosh! He lost his footing, and we both went under. When we came up for air, we couldn’t stop laughing.
“I think this place isn’t going to work for my project,” he said.
“No. A little too slippery.”
“But it’s stunning on you,” he said.
I blushed. “Thanks.”
By waterfall number three, we were having so much fun. I positioned his two coconuts at various spots, and he took photos, insisting I do ridiculous things with them—pretend to lick one, hold one in my hand and gaze lovingly into its deep brown eyes, make believe I had a second head… All the while, he kept snapping off photos, saying, “Yeah, baby. Yeah!” like Austin Powers. It was hilarious.
Toward the very end, I switched places with him, and he posed with his coconuts for me. I’ll cherish the photos on my phone forever.
On the way back, we stopped at this hole-in-the-wall restaurant his friend recommended. Best seafood on the island. I ate some, but wow, was it spicy. I’m still sweating.
“So?” Sofie asks. “How was it?”