My eyes followed his finger and landed on the bird. Long, white tail-feathers shimmered in the sun as it let out another cry from its purple beak.
“I know. I already found it.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did,” I bit back.
He quirked an eyebrow. “It’s not a competition, you know. There’s no award for who finds the animal first.”
“I’m aware.”
“It sure doesn’t appear that way.”
My shoulders tensed. “Is this how it’s going to be for the next two months?”
He narrowed his eyes. Eyes that were even greener against the vibrant backdrop of the jungle. Eyes that peered at me from behind his glasses and seemed to read my every thought.
“I don’t catch your meaning,” he said, but his face was full of mischief, as if he knew he was irritating me.
“This. You, making fun of me for being ‘competitive’ or teasing me for being boring while I try to do actual work. Are we to spend the next two months playing this game?”
He threw his head back with a laugh. “First of all, I don’t know what ‘game’ you’re referring to. Second of all, I never called you boring?—”
“Yes, you did,” I interrupted.
“As a matter of fact, I did not. I asked your friend if you knew how to have fun and she confirmed you didn’t. The word boring never even entered the conversation. It seems like you’re afraid that you are, in fact, boring, and you’re projecting by putting words in my mouth.”
My jaw dropped. “I—what?” This man wasinfuriating.
“Like I told you before, I’m good at reading people.” He waved his hand. “You think you’re boring, therefore you’re overly sensitive about it. Therefore, you accuse me of calling you boring instead of taking responsibility for your own insecurities. But to answer your earlier question…Is it going to be this way for two months? Meaning, am I going to continue to be myself and not put on a mask like you do? The answer is yes.”
Put on a mask? What in the world was he talking about?
“You sure like to hear yourself speak, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “I have a lot to say.”
“Clearly.”
“Well, shall we discuss our plans like you so adamantly wanted to last night?”
“That’s an excellent idea.” I kept hold of my horse’s reins as she stepped over a fallen log. “First question: what is your goal on this expedition?”
He tilted his head. “My…goal…”
“Yes.” I waited.
“Why?”
“Because we must see if our goals align so we can adjust if needed, to make sure we are able to work well together.”
Liam looked utterly confused. “Tell me yours first.”
I tightened my grip on the reins. “To discover a new species.”
“Why?”
“To help my career, of course. It’ll help me move up to dean of my department.”
