“I always thought that movie was sad,” Cami murmured. “But brilliant too. There’s hardly any dialogue and yet you find yourself entranced by the story.” Before anyone could respond, she eyed Romeo. “How about you?”
“Beauty and the Beast,” he confessed without having to give it a second thought. “I like the idea of a woman falling for a man because of who he is on the inside instead of how he looks on the outside.”
He immediately realized he’d revealed too much when everyone got quiet. Opening his mouth to make a joke to distract them from their speculations, he was relieved when Doc saved him the effort by asking Cami, “Why not tell the salad place to keep the second packet of dressing?”
“Because I’m paying the same price whether I get one or two, and I’m cheap. Did you not hear what I said about student loans? Anyway”—she waved a hand—“I save the second packets for times like these. You’d be surprised how often dressing comes in handy.”
“Stranded on desert islands a lot, are you?” A teasing smile lifted one corner of Doc’s mouth.
Romeo tuned out whatever Cami said in response and once again focused his hungry gaze on Mia.
Ever since he’d realized there was nothing keeping them apart, ever since that kiss, he hadn’t been able to think of anything besides getting her alone so they could do it again. Do itright.
Do it long.
And slow.
And deep.
If he thought she’d been an earworm before, that was nothing compared to what he suffered now.
Look up single-minded in the dictionary, he thought,and a picture of my horny mug will be right there next to the definition.
Emphasis onhorny.
“You want to go for a walk?” he asked her quietly.
Not quietly enough, apparently. Cami glanced across the flickering flames and said, “Wait. Do you think we could split one of the granola bars for dessert? My hangover is demanding sugar. And now that we know we can catch fish, do we still have to be so stingy with the rations?”
When Romeo agreed to her request, she squealed and tore into a granola bar wrapper like a kid tearing into Christmas presents. She was careful to hand out four perfectly equal pieces, hardly more than a bite each. But before any of them could savor their portions, she held hers aloft. “What should we toast to? Surviving a plane crash? Riding a rogue wave? Catching a snipe?”
“Snook,” Doc corrected.
“Whatever.” She shook her head. “Or to the health of those who are, hopefully, out searching for us at this very moment?”
Doc lifted his piece of granola bar in the air. “Here’s to fair winds and following seas for all of our would-be rescuers.”
“Cheers.” The four of them “clinked” their granola bites together and then shoved the morsels into their mouths.
Mia had a sweet tooth and Romeo watched—of course he watched; he couldn’tstopwatching—as she closed her eyes and savored the chocolate and peanut butter-flavored granola as if it was the best thing she’d ever had in her mouth.
Until I give her something better, he thought wickedly.
When she opened her eyes and caught him staring, some of what he was thinking must’ve been written across his face. She blushed and quickly returned her gaze to the spark of the fire. The flames reflected in her eyes and made them look impossibly gold, like two ancient coins hauled up from the deep.
“I’ve always wondered what that means.” Cami cut into his thoughts. “Following seas? Following what, exactly?”
“I thought you claimed to be a wordsmith?” Doc arched an eyebrow.
Cami sighed heavily. “Is it possible for you to answer a question without being deliberately provocative?”
“Sure.” Doc shrugged. “But where would be the fun in that?”
“Oh,” Cami groused. “I can tell you’re spoiling for another argument, but I’m too full and content to give you one. Or to give a shit about anything, really. Although...” She lifted a finger and grinned at her own wit. “I could probably scrounge up a rat’s ass if I was forced to.”
Doc said something that Romeo didn’t catch because he purposefully tuned out everything and everyone that wasn’t Mia.
“Hey.” He reached over and rubbed a tiny speck of chocolate from the corner of her imminently kissable mouth. Without thinking, he placed the sweet sliver on his tongue and didn’t even attempt to hide his hungry growl when her eyes followed the chocolate between his lips. “Come walk with me. We’ll find a good spot to watch the sunset.” He hitched his chin toward the life raft. “And maybe you can read to me a little before the light is completely gone, eh?”
