Fuck, I was too happy to see he was all right. Far beyond the scope of simply being the director of this place and stressing about a potential lawsuit on the horizon. In all of the yearsAustin Adventureshad been open to the public, there was only one time where we’d gotten a knock at our door by a process server and subsequently slapped with a ninety-page document stating we were being sued.
Settling that had been a bitch and a half for my granddad, but since then, we’d been scot-free.
“We should get you checked out either way,” I said, my gaze running over his body.
No scratches.
No bruising.
No holes that were bleeding.
Impressive, to say the least. That river wasn’t for the weak and even though this group had started farther down where the rapids weren’t so severe, it was still a rough ride. That’s what made it fun—on normal adventures, at least.
He leaned back slightly, almost like he was preening. “I’m all good. But hey, if you want to pat me down to check, by all means.”
My cheeks flushed with heat.
Jesus, I needed to stop reading into everything that came out of that flirtatious mouth of his. Especially, since I was hoping not even ten minutes ago for a chance to kick his swinger friends off the property.
Get it together.
“Come on.” I nodded for him to follow, spinning around on my heel. “Jay, can you make sure everyone’s accounted for before you guys head back up to base?”
The last thing we needed was for a straggler to be left behind. Or worse, not accounted for and somehow having wound up in the river without anyone noticing.
“Roger that,” the staff member closest to me replied.
I didn’t wait for confirmation of Marlow following after me, trusting he’d be a good noodle and do so while I made my way over to where Talos was. He was still talking on the radio to dispatch, confirming that the ambulance was on its way before switching the channel back over to the main one and looking over at me.
“We’re all set. They should be down here within fifteen.”
I nodded. “Good. I’m going to head back up. I’ve got Jay doing a headcount. Once you’ve got everyone back up our way, take them to the mess hall. I’ll have the cooks fire up the grills. They deserve an early lunch today after all of this.”
Talos glanced behind me and then said, “You taking him with you?”
“It’s my special day,” Marlow replied, directly behind me.
A shiver raced up my spine unexpectedly from how close he was. “Yeah, I’m going to send him off in the ambulance, too. Think there are still a couple of screws loose in there.”
Marlow gasped dramatically the second I tapped my forehead. “My mom had me tested. She said I was fine.”
“That’s what all parents say when they have a hard time breaking the real news to their kid,” I quipped back easily. “Sorry to be the one to tell you.”
“No, wait. I have the paperwork to prove it!”
Talos wasn’t at all subtle with the befuddled shift of his eyes between us both. “Uh huh... well... I wish you all the best. I guess...”
My poor second. He already had enough to deal with, with just me on a daily basis. Adding Marlow to the mix and doublingdown on our eccentric conversations was probably already giving him a migraine.
Without thinking, I reached behind me and grabbed Marlow’s wrist, his skin burning my palm the instant I touched him.
Why the fuck did I do that?
Touching him was off-limits with my libido acting like a starved teenager just discovering what a boner meant. Yet, no matter how much I tried to will myself to let him go, I couldn’t.
I tightened my grip around his wrist, using it to yank him with me and march toward the remaining golf cart parked haphazardly on the side of the trail. The keys for it were still stuck in the ignition.
Regretfully, I wrenched my hand away from him and flexed my fingers a few times to shake off the feeling of his skin imprinted into mine. Adrenaline was shooting through my veins in rapid bursts, making it hard to concentrate on swinging my body onto the seat and grabbing at the key to start the cart.
