Page 70 of Fit for Love

“Finally.”He slaps his forearm.“I think now that the sun is setting, they’re out for a meal.”

I wrinkle my nose.“Let’s hide.”

He points to the cabin nearer the water.“Want to see if your bed is now usable?”

Shit.It probably is.I can see that the water has receded, and we left the door open, so the smell must have cleared out.The problem is, I don’t like the idea of not sharing a bed anymore.If we ever get off this island, then sure.But as is…

“You’re not going to kick me out of yours so easily,” I say.“But if you want to go to that cabin yourself and?—”

“Nope.You’re not going to kick me out of ‘mine’ either.”

We hide out for a couple of hours, then come out when it’s completely dark and the mosquitoes are less active.However, the temperature has dropped so much that we have to return, remove our clothes from the window, and put them all on.

Even with the extra layers, we only stay out for an hour to enjoy the light display before we get back into the cabin and jump into bed in a spooning position to warm up.

“That was a nice day,” I muse.“Considering.”

“I enjoyed it too,” he murmurs into the crook of my neck.“Considering.”

Feeling obscenely cozy in his arms, I close my eyes and immediately pass out.

I wake with a start.

Someone is banging on the door.

“Stay back,” Ashton tells me, then goes over to open it.

It’s Bubba, looking disheveled, and Dottie, looking frightened by the expression she must see on Ashton’s face.

“You,” Ashton growls.

With the lethal speed of a predator, he pounces—and has Bubba dangling in the air in a millisecond.

“Where the fuck were you?”The question is accompanied by a rough shake.

“Oi, don’t hurt Bubbala!”Dottie shouts.“Our boat broke.We forked out extra to get it sorted ASAP.”

Ashton drops the tour guide.“Why didn’t you leave us the keys to the other boat?”

“Oh,” Dottie says.“We didn’t reckon you’d be needing it, mate.”

“Take us back, now,” Ashton orders through gritted teeth.

“And pray I don’t feel litigious when I get home,” I add, matching his tone.

Looking sullen, the tour guides help us get into their boats.After a short argument, it’s decided that I will go with Bubba and Ashton with Dottie—because no one is sure if Bubba would survive the trip otherwise.

Possibly murderous inclinations aside, I must admit that I find pissed-off Ashtonveryhot.He is magnificent in his fury—a fury he hid pretty well until the last second, by the way.

“Now, listen to me carefully,” Ashton says to Bubba, enunciating each word with cool precision.“You can ride with Kendall, but if she arrives at the shore with so much as a hair out of place, I will make youverysorry, and no excuses will save you.”

Looking like he’s on the verge of peeing his pants, Bubba nods profusely and mutters, “Yes, sir.Of course, sir.”

“Ashton had better get to our destination in one piece also,” I say to Dottie.“Or else.”

I have no idea what “or else” implies in my case, but my ride with Bubba happens in a sullen silence—at least until we get close enough to civilization for my cell service to show up again.As soon I get a couple of bars, a million messages flood my phone, the majority from my mom, Emma, and Mr.Boss, along with a few from my brother.

I call Mom first, and explaining takes a while, especially when she hears there was a guy involved.The only reason I mention Ashton is because I know that it will make her retroactively feel better about the whole situation.For whatever reason, Mom doesn’t think a woman can survive without a man, especially in the wilderness.

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