“I was surveying the danger.”
“Of the water?”
Theo relaxed into me again and wound his arms around my neck. “The water, the reptiles…the man.”
That was interesting. “You think I’m dangerous?”
Something flickered in Theo’s eyes as he thought over my question and I moved my hands down to cup his ass.
“I think you could be.”
“In general?” I pushed, knowing I had zero right to. But I had him here, and he was feeling vulnerable. “Or to you?”
Theo threaded his fingers up through the wet strands at the nape of my neck, and just as he was about to answer me, his entire body stiffened.
“What was that?”
“What was?—”
“That.” He shoved out of my arms so hard I had no choice but to let him go. “What the fuck, Shep?”
“I don’t— Oh.” I started to laugh as something long and slippery brushed up against me. “It’s probably just an eel.”
Theo’s eyes widened. “Justan eel. Have you lost your mind?”
He turned so fast that a spray of water hit me in the face as he kicked toward the edge of the watering hole.
“It’s likely an American eel—they’re generally non-aggressive to humans.”
“Generally?” Theo shook his head as he slipped and slid his way up onto the rocks where he’d left his clothes. “Until one bites your dick off.”
I chuckled but followed, knowing this little respite was over for now. “At least you didn’t get an electric shock. Electric eels are known to swim in these freshwater lakes and rivers too.”
Theo’s hands froze as he glared down at me. “Are you fucking serious?”
I nodded as I climbed out of the water and reached for my shirt. “Relax, would you? Most eels prefer murky waters, and as you can see, this is crystal clear.”
Theo started cursing in French again, but this go around was much more biting in tone. If I had to guess, he was likely cursing my existence and wishing me straight to hell. But as he turned away from me and went to grab for his tank top, any other assurances I had for him vanished.
Instead, I grabbed his arm and stilled him.
Theo immediately went to wrench it free, but when I said, “I don’t mean to alarm you,” he froze.
“News flash, Iamfucking alarmed.” He went to spin around and face me, but I halted him with a firm hand.
“Hold still,” I ground out, and studied Theo’s…new little friend.
“Shep?”
“Hmm?”
“What the fuck is going on?”
“You, ah”—I slowly bent down and reached around him for the knife he’d placed beside his clothes—“picked up a friend just now.”
“A friend?”
I straightened behind him, knife in hand, and Theo craned his head to look over his shoulder. When he caught sight of the fat, black, slimy sucker on his shoulder, he balked.
