Ignoring the tightening in her chest again, she stuck her hand out to shake on the deal. "It's a bet."
His gaze flicked down. Then he dipped his head to spit in his palm before reaching for her hand. Shanna grit her teeth to suppress her grimace. Great, she'd just given him license to be even more of a jackass than usual.
Exactly why she needed to get away from him.
But she wasn't a quitter, and she sure as hell wasn't leaving her job. She'd take whatever he dished out, and give it right back.
Before his fingers could grip hers, she jerked her hand away. His lips curved up in a triumphant smirk-until she spit in her own palm and fit it against his.
As she curled her fingers around his hand in a firm grip, she smiled. "I am going to kick your ass."
He'd made a mistake.
A big mistake.
A great, big, huge, colossally foolish mistake.
Underestimating Shanna Rogers was akin to shooting oneself in the foot because you stupidly kept your finger on the trigger while holstering your gun. Only idiots did it, and they got exactly what they deserved.
Kevin pulled his few things from the back of Shanna's SUV and carried them down to the water's edge by the canoe that had been left for the rest of their journey. Beneath the shade of his cap, he squinted his eyes against the glint of mid-morning sunlight on the water. According to the directions from that meddling old codger, Butch, they were to paddle across the lake, through a narrow channel connecting to another larger lake, and locate their private campsite on the opposite shore of that lake.
He couldn't remember the name of where they were, but it was more remote than he'd expected. They weren't staying in an actual campground with other people as he'd assumed. The vehicle-his planned replacement ‘tent'-would not be within easy walking distance. Or even paddling distance.
Worse, Shanna had packed enough supplies for a friggin' month. The woman had even brought half the things from his list, though they hadn't been given copies of what the other was supposed to buy. She'd obviously done some research, while he'd simply banked on her being too prissy to handle more than a day in the great outdoors.
That's what you get for underestimating a brilliant woman. Nash warned you.
His lips twisted with wry acknowledgment while he picked up his cooler to set it on one of the canoe seats so he could climb in. The boat rocked wildly beneath his feet, sending ripples out across the water as he made a frantic grab for the sides to steady his balance.
He thought he heard a muffled snort behind him, but didn't risk letting go to look back. Once he had his equilibrium set, he carefully transferred the cooler to the back and then made his way back onto shore for the rest of his things.
Shanna carried her third armload from the vehicle and set it down. "You're not even going to offer to help me?"
"Help you kick my ass?" He scoffed and swatted a mosquito that landed on the back of his neck. "Nope. Don't think so."
Her gaze narrowed. "So, every man and woman for themselves?"
"You set the stakes, not me."
"Okay." She lifted her hands and backed away. "You're right. I got it."
Forcing his gaze away from her shapely ass when she turned back toward the SUV, he stepped into the canoe with his backpack and sleeping bag, having to steady himself against the rocking with one hand on the side again. Now that his things were loaded, he'd let her finish with her mountain of shit, and then she could push off. No way was he getting his feet wet.
Kevin started to swing his gear from his shoulder to the floor of the boat when an ear-piercing scream jammed his heart up into his throat. Alarm jerked him up and around. He caught a glimpse of Shanna, but before he could see what had happened, the violent rocking of the canoe flipped him over backward into the lake.
Water closed over his head, and he came up sputtering, scrambling for purchase on the mucky bottom. Thankfully, it was only about two feet deep, and he surged up, swiping water from his face as he searched for Shanna.
She stood halfway between the shore and the vehicle, no signs of fear or harm to her person. She had one arm crossed over her stomach, and her chin tucked down to her chest as her other hand covered her mouth-to smother her laughter.
Apprehension morphed into irritation as he stood there coughing water from his lungs, hair and clothes dripping, and his only pair of shoes buried in a half-inch of mucky sand on the lake bottom. The crazy-ass witch had screamed just to make him lose his balance.
He fisted his T-shirt and pulled the sopping wet material away from his skin. When he released it, the cotton suctioned back to his stomach. With the mid-morning heat, the cool water would have been refreshing-if his feet weren't stuck in muck.
And he had sand in his underwear.
Up on shore, Shanna gave up even trying to hide her delight. Her laugh was infectious, and with that gleeful grin on her face, she went from beautiful to gorgeous. His anger faded into grudging amusement. Imagining what he must've looked like as he went ass over teakettle, he bit back his own wry smile while turning to look for his hat. His cooler floated off to the right, mocking him with each bob.
Well played, Princess. Well played.
"Don't let the paddle float away," she called out behind him.
Or his sleeping bag. His soaking wet sleeping bag.
He tossed the sodden roll of material into the canoe, swiped up his hat, and-where'd his backpack go? There. Sunk in the shallows. He lifted it, and water poured out through the zipper that held in his extra clothes and toilet paper.
Then he remembered his phone in the front zipper pocket.
Son.Of.A.Bitch.
Unfortunately, with the bet cemented by their combined spit-shake, he had no choice but to make the best of it.
As he waded after the paddle, he thought about letting the damn thing go and saying it was hers. But that would mean he'd have to do all the work to get them across both lakes.
She'd definitely won round one. Or maybe that was two, considering the wager she'd gotten him to agree to?
Devious, brilliant minx.
He was so screwed.
Chapter 4
A little after two p.m., Shanna pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and surveyed the shaded campsite as the canoe glided toward the shore. Though remote, it was clear someone used this place on a regular basis. Or regular enough to have set up an actual outhouse back in the woods-thank God.
Kevin's response to her obvious sabotage surprised her. He hadn't yelled, or gotten mad, or anything. She even suspected he'd smiled as he turned away to gather up his things and chase down the paddle floating away to freedom. Then he'd helped her load her things and let her get in first before he pushed them off the shore since his feet were already wet. A chivalrous act that strummed her guilt as they silently paddled across the water under the blazing sun.
Then she realized he was likely regrouping. Strategizing. Reality must have set in when he saw the extent of her supplies. He knew he would need some of her things when they got to camp, so might as well butter her up, right?
Wrong.
He was the one who said everyone for themselves. She'd chipped one of her newly manicured nails carrying all her stuff down to the canoe by herself. He wasn't using anything.
A few feet from shore, he hopped out, splashing through the shallow water to pull the canoe onto the beach. He then actually helped unload as she handed things to him, and after the last of it, he turned back to offer a hand to help her out.
Shanna hesitated, glancing at the water, not putting it past him to shove her in the lake in retaliation.
"Tempting," he said with a twitch of his lips, "but no, I'm not looking for revenge. Promise."
His vow at the end eased her suspicion. One thing she knew and respected about him, he was a man of his word.
She gripped his fingers to step onto the sandy shore. A jolt of awareness knocked her off guard and the heel of her hiking boot nicked the side of the canoe at the last second. She lurched forward with a gasp, but he caught her before she fell.
Her pulse thundered in her ears as her indrawn breath filled her senses with Kevin doused in hot sunshine. The fresh air of the outdoors mixed with the scent of warm male was downright intoxicating. Her cursed heart wanted her to lean against his damp chest, with his strong arms holding her tight as she tipped her face up to his.
When her gaze connected with his beneath the brim of his cap, she realized with a start that she'd done exactly that. His irises darkened before his lashes lowered and his attention focused on her mouth. His large hands skimmed up her arms to grip her shoulders, leaving tingles in their wake.
Anticipation shortened her breath. She started to close her eyes, but all of a sudden, he set her back in an abrupt move.
"You good?"
She blinked. "Yeah." Heat seared her face, and she cleared her throat to get out more than a throaty whisper. "Thanks."
"Yep." His voice was rough as he spun away while reaching down to swipe up his backpack. "I have to get my stuff dried out. Any chance you brought rice with you?"
"Rice?"
"My phone drowned."
"Oh." That gave her another twinge of guilt. "Nope, sorry, no rice."
He huffed out a sigh and walked away.
She set aside her confused disappointment from the almost-kiss and spent the next hour organizing her things and getting her tent ready to erect. All the while, she snuck glances in his direction as he hung his sleeping bag, clothes, and anything else that needed drying on a nearby clothesline.