Quint shook his head. “Your mom is going to have to be careful.”
“Especially in public restrooms.” Angélica cringed. “She gave me a thorough explanation one night at camp of how nice it is to pee standing up, and then she went on about how it feels to have the sensation of male genitalia at her fingertips.”
Quint started laughing.
“But when she started talking about already being very familiar with the male anatomy thanks to her time fiddling with my father’s bits during their marriage, I literally ran away.”
Quint laughed harder, covering his face.
“It’s not funny, Parker.”
“It very much is.”
She shook her head, staring at his ring as he wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. “You really think that ring your aunt sent is a lucky charm?”
He stared down at it. “Your mom swears it’s what saved my ass when I fell through the floor in the bat-house, and that it kept me from getting scratched or cut before KuTu sliced me with the dagger. She believes that had I bled before then,Camazotzwould have showed up and things might not have gone so well for me and you and the others.”
Angélica didn’t know what to think about the ring, but maybe her mom was right. It was odd that Quint kept managingnot to get hurt, especially going through the floor like that. “How did your aunt know you’d need it?”
He shrugged. “Like I told you before, Aunt Zoe has always had me and my sister wearing charms for protection or luck. She often seems to know what we need to keep safe before push comes to shove. That’s why I gave you that protection charm she made to wear along with your mom’s locket.”
Did the charm she’d been wearing have anything to do with whyCamazotzhadn’t bothered with her in the bat-house that night? She had no doubt the death-bat could have taken her life as easily as Fernel’s.
She set down her empty glass. “I’d like to meet your aunt and the rest of your family, especially your sister who also wears these protection charms.”
“You will, along with Violet’s twins. Layne and Addy are hilarious. They keep my sister hopping. Have I mentioned they have a pet chicken named ‘Elvis’?”
Angélica grinned. “Elvis the chicken? You’re kidding.”
“Says the woman with a pet javelina she calls ‘Rover.’ ”
“Touché. You think they’ll hate me for keeping you down here in Mexico because of my job?”
“You aren’t keeping me here, Angélica. I’m staying because I want to be wherever you are. They’ll understand that. And with time, we’ll figure out how to meet in the middle on the career front or whatever else this damned jungle throws at us.”
She smiled clear from her heart, falling more in love with him by the minute.
Quint stared back at her for several seconds, then he held out his hand. “Come here.”
She took his hand, letting him tug her over onto his lounge chair. He fit her between his legs, settling her back against his chest, and pushed her coverup off one shoulder.
“What are we doing?” She ran her fingers over his thighs.
“Watching the sunrise together.”
She lifted his arms and wrapped them around her, sighing contentedly as the sun started to crest the horizon. “So, where are we going next, demon?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that, boss lady?”
“It’s your turn to choose.”
He brushed his lips over her bare shoulder, lighting a fire under her skin. “Well, if that’s how it is, then I choose we go back to bed. I have some big plans in mind to show you how crazy I am for you.”
She chuckled. “And sleep until noon?”
“Who said anything about sleeping? That single cot got pretty lonely on those hot, miserable nights. The way I see it, you have a lot of making up to do to me since you chose that place over a nice, relaxing vacation.”
“I’m on it. What are we doing after we leave our bed?”
