Page 256 of Storm over the Caribbean
For a moment, she looked confused. Only then did she notice the two other animals of the same unfamiliar species that had followed their young companion into the clearing. Fortunately, they, too, did not seem to be too large or equipped with sharp teeth and tusks, or else this would be far too dangerous an enterprise.
Slowly and silently, I raised the wooden spear I had crafted myself. My full focus was on the prey ahead—until I noticed the strange look on my wife’s face.
“Mrs Ambrose?”
“Yes, Mr Ambrose, Sir?”
“What are you grinning for?”
“Nothing, Sir. Nothing at all.”
Then why is your gaze wandering between my spear up here and my spear down there?
I didn’t say those words out loud, however. Instead, I decided to wait till we were alone in the cave tonight. For now, I silenced my wife with a meaningful look and tightened the grip on my spear.
Then…
I struck!
“Squeaaaaah!”
Blood spurted. Startled animals scattered everywhere—except for one, that is. My prey, struck by the spear, collapsed to the ground. Yes! Now we only needed to get out of here before any predators were attracted by the scent of blood, and we were out of dange—
That was when I heard the whistling of a spear cutting through the air from behind me.
Thwack!
Slowly, very slowly, I turned around, only to come face-to-face with my wife, who no longer held a spear of her own andwas hiding her hand behind her back, doing her best to look innocent. Her best wasn’t nearly good enough.
“Mrs Ambrose?”
“Um…yes?”
I glanced down at her spear, which had nailed my coat tails to a nearby bush. Then I raised my eyes again and met my wife’s gaze.
“You willneveraccompany me to hunt again.”
“Why?” Were her lips twitching? Yes, her lips were definitely twitching. “My spear hit! You could even argue I caught the bigger prey.”
That little…!
“You could.” With a single move, I yanked out the spear and looked over towards our prospective dinner, bleeding out on the ground. “Yet somehow, I still believe my results are superior.”
“You’re biassed.”
“Hardly.” Pointing down at the spot where she had nearly skewered me, I fixed her with my patented employer stare. “Unless you plan on eatingmethis evening?”
“Nah.” Smiling sweetly, she shook her head. “I was thinking of the other way around, actually, Dicky Darling.”
It took a moment or two for her words to sink in. Did she…did she really just…?
Yes. Yes, she absolutely did.
Heat rose inside me, and not the kind of heat that was ever-present here in the tropics. No, that hardly bothered me. This was different. This was desire. This was fire. Burning me up from the inside and slowly melting the icy barrier around my heart that only one person had ever been able to breach. The woman right in front of me.
Almost instinctively, I took a step towards her and—
No! Control yourself! You must leave before any dangerous predators arrive!
