Page 38 of Stranded

“Just long enough to hear you refer to West as a beefcake. I bet he’ll like that, won’t he, King?” He asks with a smirk as he turns to King.

“Oh my god, you can NOT tell him that!” I beg desperately. Then I drop my head and groan. I have never felt so embarrassed in my life.

“Awe, Tink, don’t be shy. You know he’d be flattered.”

“Don’t mind Bower, sweetheart. He’s just jealous.”

I spread my fingers wide so I can peek out between them. “Jealous?”

“Yeah, he wants you to look at him like that. I guess he didn't know you were yesterday.”

“Kingsley!” I cry in frustration, dropping my arms as I turn away from them and immediately bump into Weston’s bare, wet chest. “Sweet baby muscles, kill me now,” I groan as his hands come out to grip my upper arms in support.

“Why is your face so red? Is it the sun? Do we need to get you in the shade?” Weston asks, sounding worried.

“Oh, she’s heating up alright, but not from the sun,” Bower says with a chuckle.

“Can we just go now, please?” I groan, as West lets go of my arms and grabs his clothes from Bower. I avert my gaze, to try to avoid embarrassing myself any further.

“Of course. You ready to show us where the mango grove is?” West asks. I take a peek in his direction and am relieved to see he’s fully clothed. But I frown, realizing he really isn't any less attractive like this. In fact, I still have an urge to climb him like a tree and see what he could do with those big hands of his.

“What are you thinking about right now?” Bower whispers right beside my ear, making me squeak as I jump in surprise.

“Nothing!” I say a little too quickly.

“Hmm, if you say so,” he says with a smirk. I avert my gaze and start heading down to the beach towards the mangos, hoping that if I don’t see them, I won’t make a fool of myself anymore.

I’m not sure what’s gotten into me, or them, this morning, but I’m worried if I spend too much time around them I’ll end up doing something stupid, like licking their abs to see if they taste as good as they look.

Chaptereighteen

Weston

Igive Bower a warning glare as we follow Zee down the beach.

“What?”

“You know what. Stop pushing her, you’ll make her run again,” I warn him as I watch Zee’s hips sway back and forth, practically mesmerizing me.

She might be a flight risk, and still nervous around us, but she’s come incredibly far in the past two days. If that seagull hadn’t tried to dive bomb her, I never would have been able to get that close. And holding her in my arms like that… it cemented something in my mind that my heart already knew.

I wanted her.

There were two problems with that. One was Bower and King’s obvious attraction to her and the other was… much more complicated.

If Reece does manage to rescue us, I’d be putting her in danger by staying close to her. I’m not sure why Bower and King think the plane was sabotaged to get to them, because I know it was meant for me. After all, it’s not the first plane crash I’ve been in.

The first one was when I was in the Marines and was flying a squadron of men out of a restricted zone after they completed their mission. But something went wrong with the plane's electronics, almost like an EMP had gone off, frying the computer system. I wasn’t able to keep the plane up and when it took a dive, it started spinning and hit the ground tail end first. That’s the only reason I was the sole survivor. I had been alone in the cockpit and it was the only part of the plane that didn’t smash into the ground.

I managed to find my way to civilization, and when I was dishonorably discharged for crashing the plane, it confirmed for me that something wasn’t right. I believe those soldiers were taken out on purpose, and the only reason I was still alive was because I wasn't on the ground with them, I hadn’t seen what they had.

It’s been five years, but maybe now they see me as a loose end that they need to tie up. I couldn’t imagine King and Bower having an enemy that wants them dead so bad they’d sabotage a plane to get to them.

Either way, it meant Zee was at risk after we get rescued. I wonder if she has family out there waiting for her? She’s old enough she could have children, or a husband. The thought has my stomach dropping with worry. We really know nothing about her, she could have an entire family waiting for her back home.

But as I watch her bare feet step off the beach and onto the jungle floor, it reminds me that she isn’t someone who’s been here a short time. I just can’t figure out exactly how long she would need to be here to be able to accomplish what she has. The way she butchered the boar and made the jerky like a pro tells me she’s been here at least a year.

Did she build those huts herself? That would have taken a really long time considering her only tool seems to be her knife. And the way sheclimbs trees and swings on vines. I’m betting she’s been here for a couple of years at least. And then there’s the grave. If it is, in fact, her father, it looked like it’d been there awhile, too. How long has she been on her own?

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