“They use them to pick up odor particles and deposit them in there.” He pointed at the roof of his mouth. “They have a special organ.”
That’s what she said. Jean didn’t crack the joke, because she didn’t want Charlie to think she was laughing at him.
“I have a theory.” She paused to make sure she had his full attention. “About why you’re here.”
He stiffened beneath her, and not in the interesting way; he’d been in that state since Jean took off her shirt.
“Don’t worry. I’m not asking you to confirm or deny. This is about my powers of deduction. Okay?”
His nod was reluctant.
“So you’re a scientist, right? One of those orciologists?”
“Ophiologist.”
“I guess the other one is probably killer whales.”
Charlie frowned. “I’m not sure—”
“The point remains,” Jean interrupted. “You’re a sexy science guy.”
“Well now, I don’t know about that,” he started to quibble, until she shushed him with a finger to his lips.
“A scientist who studies snakes—and yet Hawaii doesn’t have snakes.” She wiggled back and forth, torturing them both. Maybe she had a future in witness interrogation. “Where was I?”
“Snakes,” he supplied, a little breathless.
“Right. I knew that. My hunch is that you’re on the way back from somewhere. Possibly Asia.”
“They have lots of snakes,” he agreed, like he was considering it alongside her. “Especially Indonesia. Komodo dragons too.”
“But do they have Caramello Koalas? Because I saw a pile of wrappers in your kitchen.” Her first thought had been that a mess like that in her apartment would have been a summoning circle for bugs, but the resort was vigilant about pest control. Jean’s second observation was that her snaky friend had recently been in Australia.
He started to nod, but she grabbed his chin to keep it still.
“On the other hand, you don’t seem like a resort person. I mean that as a compliment. So that tells me you’re not here on vacation. Am I getting warmer?” She rocked forward on his lap, provoking a strangled gasp of agreement.
“Are you ready to hear my brilliant conclusion?”
“Yes,” he sighed, hands tightening at her waist.
She tweaked his nipple to make sure he was listening. “Witness protection. That’s what I think is going on.”
“Um,” he said, which could be interpreted a lot of different ways.
“That’s why you’re hiding out. Charlie probably isn’t even your real name.” Of course she’d checked the booking system as soon as she got back to the desk last night, but while Adams was a reasonably normal last name, she really didn’t think her guy was a Samuel, much less a Samuel Adams. He might as well have registered as Bud Light. Then again, not everyone had Jean’s knack for subterfuge.
“I’m thinking you saw something deep in the jungle,” she continued. “Jewel mine, smugglers, a ruined temple with a doomsday cult practicing their weird death rituals—no!” This time she pressed her whole hand to his mouth. “Don’t say a word.It’s better if I don’t know. I like to think I’m the kind of person who could resist being tortured, but how can I be sure until they bring out the pliers, you know?”
He made a noise behind closed lips.
“You can answer that one,” she said, removing her hand.
“Like a snake pit. Except I guess that’s more execution than torture.”
Jean bracketed his skull with her hands, thinking,I might keep you. She let her forehead come to rest against his, in the gentlest possible headbutt, before pulling away again. “I have experience getting caught up in circumstances beyond my control, so I can empathize. You set out with one agenda and the next thing you know, you’re in the shit.” She booped him on the nose. “How are you holding up?”
“Uh.”
