“I do not.”
Her eyes flared hot as she dumped another bucket of water. “Fine, then you think you’re better than me.”
Was she right? No. I didn’t think that. But had I acted this way? Maybe. It wasn’t like I gave her the chance to help me with anything. But that was purely because I didn’t want to be around her, and my reasons for not wanting to be around her were that I hated her. Not because I wanted her. It was absolutely not that.Just thinking about Nat’s combativeness had my defensiveness rising.
The truth was, I’d been wrong about today. This job was going so much faster with her help, bringing the water while I mixed the mud. If we weren’t at each other’s throats, maybe we’d make a good team, but I couldn’t control myself with her, and it was maddening.
Nat grabbed more water and walked it over to me, causing my hackles to rise. I was watching her more than raking mud now, and her raised eyebrows told me she took notice.
I needed to get some control back. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. And if you pour that thing near me one more time, you’re going to regret it.”
She squared her shoulders, her smugness shining through. “Ooh, threats. Just what I’d expect from you.”
I reached for the bucket, yanking on the handle. Some water sloshed out, right on her shoes. She stared at her feet, then into my eyes, sending a death glare right at me.
Nat’s next words were full of malice. “You did not just do that.”
“Like you haven’t been doing it the entire time.”
She shook her head and yanked on the pail, which she didn’t get back because I wasn’t giving up. “Give that to me.”
I gritted my teeth. “Take it.”
She yanked harder, pulling it away from me, and sloshed even more on her shoes. I laughed, which must have been the final straw, because she pulled it and me, causing me to lose my footing, and I went down.
I slipped, landed, and wondered how young was too young to throw your back out. If it were going to happen, it’d be now. But one flex and I felt fine, more or less. Thankfully.
I lifted my hand to block the light from the sun, and a clump of mud fell on my cheek. That was when I heard the sound of pure, unadulterated laughter.
Nat bent in half, clutching her side, giggling at my misfortune. She was downright gleeful, and that little spark, the one I told myself to ignore, was creeping through me in full force.
In this moment, I could have remembered why we were here, why Leo was so upset with us, and what our mission was. Hell, I could have just had one brain cell devoted to thoughts an adult should have. But I didn’t.
No, I wanted her to get down and dirty just like me. See if she laughed then.
I swept my leg and took her out at the knees. She flailed in slow motion, as if she were trying to grip the air, but it obviously didn’t work. What I hadn’t accounted for, however, was her falling right on top of me.
“Jack!” she yelled as I tried to catch my breath again after getting the wind knocked out of me. I wouldn’t be surprised if wildlife scattered at the shrill sound.
Now I was the one who was laughing. No, it was more like wheezing.
“You.” She took a huge breath, and I realized the gravity of what being chest to chest meant. How close all our parts were to each other. The way her face was inches from mine. “You?—”
“What?” I cleared my throat, hoping she didn’t notice the effect she had on me. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to have a major problem on my hands. Or in my pants, if I were being honest. What I needed was a distraction.
Nat still hadn’t moved from my hold. “I can’t believe you?—”
I pulled my hands from the muck. A loud slurping sound followed before I ran my hands to the small of her back. The squeak she let out as I found skin would have been precious hadit not been coming from her. Her eyes widened as she took in what I assumed was a smirk on my face. And the rare moment of silence from her lips was broken as she purposely moved her hand in the mud and rubbed it on my biceps. Joke was on her. I was already covered in it anyway. But when she’d done the deed and should have been stopping, she kept rubbing them, looking down before realizing what she was doing and letting my arm go. Her gaze raised to mine, almost apologetically, but I didn’t wait for her to take it back.
I lost all sense of reason, cupped her face, and pressed my lips to hers.
I would have expected some hesitancy, maybe even resistance, and a push away from either of us as we realized what had been done, but I was met with instant surrender. Nat leaned down, and my head met the ground again as she moved her mouth against mine, melting into me, begging for more. Her pillowy lips were soft as silk, just like I’d imagined. Because I’d dreamed about crushing my lips to her more times than I’d like to admit.
Nat leaned into my touch, and when we pulled apart, staring at each other, she closed the distance once more, extending this euphoric sensation of what I’d imagined kissing her might be like. And there was definitely nothing better.
And when I rolled us over so her back was in the mud, she didn’t complain. No, she raised her thigh around me and allowed me to grind into her. There was no hiding the effect she had on me, and I didn’t care anymore. She smelled of flowers, expensive and luxurious. She didn’t belong in the mud, making out with a man like me, but she’d softly whimpered when we kissed again, so maybe she was fine with it. Her back arched slightly, and she kept hold of me.
My hand went up her other thigh until I reached the hem of her shorts, longing to be beneath them, but I squeezed her thighinstead, having the sense not to try anything further. Her fingers tightened around my arm ever so slightly, and I wondered if she’d try to break the mood or extend it. I gave her a moment to end this, to pull back. Only she didn’t move away. Nat pulled me closer.
