With that adorable chin still in the air, Olivia gave him a clipped, “Okay.”
Jake stared at her for another moment before grabbing his pack from the ground. Pulling out two protein bars, he tossed one to her. “Here. We’ve got a lot of walking ahead of us. We’ll need the energy.”
They both ate quickly and took turns with the canteen. Knowing she would still be sore this morning, Jake handed Olivia some ibuprofen before putting everything back into his bag and slipping his arms through its padded straps.
“We should be able to find some more water along the way.”
Her single nod only added to Jake’s frustration. She was definitely closing herself off. He just wished he knew why.
There was no way he’d misread her. Jake had never claimed to be an expert on women, but he could sure as hell tell when one was interested in him.
Even now, the interest was still there, hiding behind that damn wall she’d erected. What he didn’t understand, was why she was suddenly fighting it so much.
After a quick check to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything, they each took turns relieving themselves behind a cluster of nearby trees. Afterward, they trudged on silently, both lost in their own private thoughts.
The first couple of hours seemed to drag on forever, but shortly after sunrise, it began to rain. Jake used the opportunity—and a leaf as a funnel—to fill the canteen and take a short water break. He turned, intending to hand the water to Olivia, and damn near choked when he saw her.
A clearing in the jungle’s canopy allowed the rain to fall straight down in a steady stream. Olivia stood beneath it, her head tilted back, eyes closed. She was running her fingers through her wet hair, looking just as he imagined she would while taking a shower, and...
Ho-ly-fuck! Unable to tear his eyes away, Jake stood back, soaking up the mouth-watering sight.
Water dripped from the ends of her long, dark hair. Strands of it stuck to her neck and shoulders as she smoothed some away from her forehead.
The wet t-shirt she wore clung to her breasts like a second fucking skin and, because she was braless, he could see their size and shape perfectly. Shamelessly, he wished he’d packed a white shirt, rather than the black.
Jake’s eyes slowly began to descend, and it was only by pure fucking will that he stopped himself before looking at what was below her waist.
If he caught sight of her pantyless in those wet boxers—which were white—he’d have her on the ground and be buried balls deep inside her before either of them knew what happened.
With his dick as hard as a sledgehammer, Jake pushed away his primal need to claim her. His eyes to begin their slow trail back up, pausing when they reached her chest.
Despite the fact that the rain wasn’t cold, the peaks of her nipples hardened beneath the dampened material. Her breasts heaved forward with each breath, and Jake’s grip on the canteen tightened. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and squeeze the firm globes between his palms.
Difficult as it was, he forced his gaze to continue upward. When his eyes finally reached Olivia’s face, Jake knew he’d been caught.
He probably should’ve been embarrassed, but he wasn't. Even from a distance, Jake could see the heat flaring behind those beautiful, tormented eyes. All too soon, that heat was gone, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
Too late, baby. He’d already seen it, and it was in that moment that Jake knew.
When he finally got Olivia into his bed—and make no mistake, he would get her there—the earth wasn’t just going to move...it was going to fucking explode.
Olivia cleared her throat, and he quickly handed her the canteen. She took a few sips and gave it back to him with a murmured, “Thanks.”
Not wanting to speak, for fear he’d turn into a blubbering fool, Jake gave her a nod and put it back into his bag before moving out. They continued on in relative quiet.
The few times he did try to talk, Olivia kept her responses to short, non-elaborative answers. The farther they traveled, the more frustrated Jake got.
****
Olivia followed behind Jake, desperately trying to pretend that the heat from his blatant ogling hadn’t been damn near combustible. No man had ever looked at her with such pure, wanton lust.
She should be thrilled. Ecstatic, even. For years, she’d prayed to see that exact look reflected in his eyes. But now that everything was so screwed up—now that she was so screwed up—Olivia was afraid to enjoy it.
By keeping her part of the conversation to a minimum, she avoided any chance of faltering in her resolve. She’d always heard if you truly loved someone you’d want what was best for them, even if that meant letting them go.
When she was young and naïve, she’d thought it was one of the dumbest things she’d ever heard. Now, she understood it all too well. And though it might just kill her, Olivia knew she had to let Jake go.
After what seemed like forever, Jake pointed to something in front of him. “There it is.”
She saw what appeared to be a natural cave cut into the jungle’s side. It was impossible to see how big it really was, or how deep it actually went.
Judging by the size of the entrance, Jake should be able to stand up in it comfortably. That meant her five feet, four inch frame would have no problem fitting inside.
There was an overgrowth of vines and leaves surrounding it. The way
