The Forbidden Trilogy(179)

She stepped back, into Hunter, who once again grabbed her hand. "What other choice did we have? I saved us. You should've slowed us down more. You did before."

"Well, I couldn't. I've only done that once. Why would you even think...?" Luke took a deep breath. "Forget it. What were those things, anyway? They looked like Hercules beetles, but—"

"Huge?" Lucy offered helpfully.

"Yeah. What's going on here?" Luke stood and tested his ankle with the walking stick.

Lucy grinned up at Hunter. "Told you they were Hercules."

Luke cut her gloating short. "Your plan wouldn't have worked, anyway. In case you don't remember, Hercules beetles, if that's what they were, can fly. Crossing the log wouldn't have helped."

Lucy ignored him. They'd had no other options, and neither of them had offered any better ideas. He can stuff it! "I wonder if Rent-A-Kid's been experimenting here. This isn't normal."

Luke shook his head and limped away. "Damn, I don't need this shit."

Whatever. They had to get moving anyway, and figure out where they were and how to find their team. Lucy reluctantly let go of Hunter's hand and pulled some water from her pack. She drank her fill, refilled her bottle in the river, and returned it to its place.

The guys did the same, though Luke had moved away from them to do it.

Weeping willow trees lined the lake and filled the valley. I didn't know they could grow in the jungle. She loved weeping willows, and walked deeper into the valley through the long branches, feeling as though caught in a dream or a fairy world.

Hunter caught up to her. "You just couldn't resist staring at the big shiny bug, could you?"

"Shut up." This was no time for arguing, even though she could tell he was just teasing. At least he hadn't given her a hard time in front of Luke. Still, it's not like either of them has stepped up to make a decision.

"Okay. It's just that I've heard that women are attracted to shiny objects. It was interesting to see it in reality."

Lucy's lips twitched, but she refused to smile. "You're horrible."

"Thank you. I try to be. It's one of my best traits."

"I thought that was modesty."

"That too. I have many."

Lucy climbed over a rock, and she and Hunter waited for Luke to catch up. She had a hard time staying still. Something deep in the jungle pulled at her, as if leading her somewhere. Her sphere pulsed, stronger than ever.

She distracted herself with the banter. "If this is your best trait, I don't want to know what your bad traits are."

Hunter nudged her shoulder and pierced her with his eyes. "You never know, you might like my bad side." He winked, and she stuck out her tongue. "You are entirely unpredictable sometimes. I love that." He laughed. "So, fearless leader, where are we going?"

How could she explain something she didn't understand? "Just... trust me."

"You know, my father always used to ask, if your friend jumped off a log... excuse me, I mean a bridge... would you jump too? I always answered no, naturally. So I think what happened back there demonstrated my trust in you. I'm no lemming."

Lucy thought about how many times he'd followed her without question, never hesitating when she ran into danger—or put them in danger. Even when he questioned her choice, he didn't let her go it alone. Wow. She'd just met him, but they'd already built a basis for trust. It made sense, from a psychological standpoint. In life-and-death situations, bonds could form much faster and deeper than in the context of everyday life. That's why soldiers formed such tight-knit friendships—and why in storybooks two people who'd just met could fall in love in impossible situations. The chemicals that these kinds of circumstances released in the brain lent themselves to intimacy and trust.

Lucy just hoped that whatever was developing between them could withstand real life too, not just crazy-stuck-in-a-jungle life. "Thank you for trusting me and standing by me."

Hunter pulled her close. Her chest pressed into the hard muscles of his torso, her body conforming to his. Would he kiss her? She'd exchanged her share of sloppy kisses behind the bleachers at school, had played at having a boyfriend from time to time, but none of them had made her pulse race and heat explode in her like this.

With his face just a few inches from hers, Hunter spoke in a husky voice. "I'll always stand by you. You're not alone here. I swear it."

His declaration stole her breath away. He was only referring to their assignment—all bets were off once they got out of the jungle—and she wasn't naive enough to believe he'd made some grand, life-long vow, but her heart fluttered all the same.

He cupped her face with his hand and traced a line down her jaw with his finger. "You're an amazing woman, Lucy. I've never met anyone like you."