Page 33 of Cleansed By Water (The Nature Hunters Academy 3)

“Bloody hell,” Liam cursed as he grabbed Gabby’s hand and pulled her along. “How the hell does she walk so fast?”

“You should see her run,” Gabby said as she remembered their training sessions and how Frost had completely embarrassed all of them. Liam started to jog, trying to catch up to the woman striding away from them. “Okay, now she’s just showing off.”

Gabby laughed. Frost totallywasshowing off.

The vegetation was thick, slowing their progress. But after about ten minutes, they’d finally closed the distance between them and Frost.

“I can’t believe how cold it is, even this close to the top,” Liam said.

Gabby hadn’t even thought about the cold. All she’d been able to think about was how her hand felt in his. Liam was the only guy who’d ever held her hand. She wondered if she would feel the same tingles if any other guy had touched her, or was it only him? Could he really be her soul bonded as Professor Frost thought? And was that why every time he touched her, she wanted to climb him like a damn coconut tree? Why a coconut tree?

“What’s that about coconut trees?” Liam asked.

Gabby groaned. “I’ve got to learn to keep my freaking mouth shut.”

“Please don’t,” he said. “I feel like it’s the only way you’re going to let me in.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Gabby muttered.

“Why?” Liam asked, not sounding the least bit out of breath, which only irritated her more.

“Why what?” she asked, attempting to keep her breath as steady as possible.

“Why won’t you get to know me? What’s so bad about that?” He sounded genuinely curious.

Gabby didn’t understand it. Why on earth would he want to know anything about her? Hell, once he did find out her past, he’d be hoofing it away from her as fast as possible. That’s just what she needed for her already unraveling self-esteem. “It’s just not a good idea,” she finally answered.

“You already got a male?”

Suck a troll egg, shouldn't they be at the top already? “If I said yes, would you back off?”

“Nah,” Liam said as he tightened his grip on her hand. She’d forgotten he was even holding her hand because it felt so natural, at least after she’d gotten over the shock of it. “I’ll just find out who he is and challenge him.”

“This isn’t the middle ages, water boy,” Gabby scoffed. “You can’t just beat the crap out of a guy to get the girl you want.”

“Who says?” he asked her.

“Women everywhere.”

“Ahh, that’s right” he said, nodding his head with a small smile on his lips. “The women’s rights movement, hear me roar, and all that.”

She frowned. “Are you against women having rights?”

His head snapped around to her. “Do I look like a dumbass who wants to be caught in an angry mob of women wielding posters that declare me a hater of all things vaginal?”

Gabby burst out laughing at his words. “All things vaginal? Really?”

“Hey, I’m totallyforall things vaginal. You’re not going to find any hate speech here.”

“Holy hell.” Gabby sighed “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. Though I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised, considering the things I’ve experienced around you.”

His face sobered, and he pulled her to a halt. Liam glanced up to see where Frost was, and Gabby did the same. The professor had stopped and was looking at her cell phone.

“Do you want to know the truth? What I really think?” he asked. There was no humor in his voice or playfulness in his demeanor.

Gabby stood as still as stone as she stared up into his eyes. She didn’t know how to handle this Liam. Silly, joking, inappropriate Liam.Himshe could totally deal with because mostly she just rolled her eyes or verbally sparred with him. But this Liam—who looked deeply into her eyes and pleaded with her to hear him, to accept him—this Liam was beyond her emotional understanding. “I, I mean, okay, yeah, sure,” she stumbled along, feeling so out of her depth.

“I think women are amazing,” he told her as he took her other hand, so he was holding both of them in his. “This world would be so empty of joy, love, and beauty without women. Not to mention, it would probably smell really bad.”

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