his muscles very nicely. I take a moment to appreciate his hands as they adjust the logs. Part of me wishes that Richard had never interrupted us that night, though if that were the case, we would have barrelled right into the reef while screwing each other senseless.
But what a way to go.
“Hey,” I say to him. “Did you watch the sunrise?”
He glances up at me briefly and grunts in response.
“So very caveman like,” I comment. “You haven’t been in the wild very long and you’re already reverting.”
“That’s funny,” he says mildly.
“I’ve been told I can be,” I say, hugging my arms across my chest. Even though the heat and humidity are starting to creep up, there’s a bit of a chill out here, the wind blowing lightly. “How are you feeling?”
He gives me a look that tells me to back off, but of course I don’t.
“I’m just wondering what leaves I can use,” I add. “You know..”
“Use a book,” he says, gesturing to the torn-up pages in the fire. “Makes good toilet paper and good kindling.”
I’m horrified. He’s torn up a book? That’s sacrilegious.
And then I get a closer look at the book.
“Oh my god!” I cry out. “Where did you get that?”
He bites his lip, avoiding my eyes.
“Tai! Is that my book? Is that The Devilish Rake?”
“Look,” he says defensively. “I saw it lying on the beach, I didn’t know it was yours.”
“Yes you did! I had put it on the beach along with all my other stuff, trying to signal for help!”
“It’s just a book,” he says, and I gasp even louder. “You already read it, I saw you read it!”
“We’re on a deserted island, it may be one of the only books I’ll ever get to read again!”
As if to make his point, the pages catch fire and start burning.
“I can’t believe you did that,” I practically whimper, watching the pages curl.
“Give me a break,” he says with a roll of his eyes. “Do you want to wipe your ass with poisonous leaves or not?”
I gesture to the jungle. “I’m sure there are other options!”
“Suit yourself,” he says, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out the copy of the paperback, a lot of the pages already torn out. “Here, you can have it back. Probably did the book a favor by making it shorter.”
“Now you’re just trying to be a dick. Book burner.”
“Boat sinker.”
Asshole. He knows he’s got me with that one. It hits deep, right between the ribs. I don’t even have anything to say to that except sorry and I know my apologies are worthless to him.
So I turn around and start walking off, down the beach to my SOS sign to see what else he ruined.
It all looks fine.
Until I realize he replaced the book with my vibrator, making up part of the S.
Dear god.
I whip around and storm back across the beach to Tai, who is trying not to laugh.
Asshole again.
“You found my vibrator!” I yell, knowing I’m probably waking up Lacey and Richard, and boy, what a way to wake up.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, rubbing his lips together. His poker face is still terrible.
“Yes you do! I hid it in my shoe!”
“Gingersnap, there was no hiding that thing. Sweet Jesus, way to give a guy a complex.”
“You know perfectly well that your, uh, that it’s comparable.”
A dark brow arches. “Oh is it?”
“I’m not comfortable complimenting you right now.”
“I see,” he says, taking a step toward me. “It’s hard not to do, isn’t it?”
“Shut up.”
“I am curious as to why you had to pack that for the life raft. Were you going to use it as a paddle, or…?” he trails off, licking his lips.
Ugh. Can he please stop being sexy for like one second so I can be mad at him?
“I panicked, okay?” I smile wickedly. “Don’t tell me you’re threatened.”
“Whatever makes you sleep at night,” he says, heading back to camp.
“I didn’t sleep!” I yell at him. “Lacey and Little Dicky were being nauseating.”
“Don’t be jealous!” I hear Lacey yell from beyond the palm trees. Guess they’re up.
I sigh and look at the book in my hands. Well, since it’s already been ripped apart, if you can’t beat them, join them.
It isn’t until after breakfast, which is tomato soup and crackers, not the worst of the meals but not the best, that Tai announces he’s going to go on an expedition across the island.
“I’m coming,” Richard says, raising his hand like he’s in class.
“You’re