“I have waffles, syrup, and bacon. Roxie packed it up for me this morning. She’s been worried about me.”
“Ah, it must be nice having so many people dote on you, so many women willing to do it too.”
“There’s only one woman I want doing that,” he said, wagging his brows as he flashed me that perfect smile. “Come on. Let’s eat.” He held out a piece of bacon, determined to give me the first bite.
I shrugged and sat on the end of the bed, taking a bite as he fed me.
He looked around. “I wish I had a better place for this. I wish it was the finest restaurant in the world, and this was prime rib, something sexy like berries and cream, or strawberry ice cream.”
“If only. You remember I love strawberry ice cream?” Or had that been just a coincidence?
“I don’t think I’ve eaten it once in the past ten years that I didn’t think about you. And since I keep a freezer with Neapolitan, that’s happened quite often.”
“You always liked the chocolate and vanilla and saved me the strawberry.” I thought about the times he’d come to my house with a carton, and we’d watch movies and loaf around in my parents’ den all afternoon.
“Yeah, we had a perfect system, didn’t we?”
“I guess I screwed that up.”
“Hey, we have the chance now to make up for it.” He picked up a waffle and dipped it in the syrup. “We’ll just have to pretend, but I’m game if you are.”
“Sure.” I took a waffle and dipped it. It was sweet and delicious. “This is really good. Maybe waffles will be our new thing?”
“I’m down,” he said. “Although it’s not as good as ice cream. Maybe we could go out for it sometime when we’re back home?”
“Sure.” I didn’t really know what to say. Were we going to go out on a date? Or was he just making small talk as friends do? I was so tired of not knowing what was going on between us.
“Everyone else is gone, you know? We could have a nice little picnic if there weren’t so many deadly insects and snakes around.”
“This is fine, thanks.” I wasn’t sure why he was so interested in a fancy date with me. It was just another reminder of the finer things I’d never have, including him once we were out of the Amazon and back home.
But then he looked up and offered me another bite of waffle from his hand. I took it and smiled, and he took another bite himself.
“I’m glad we have this time, Kate. I have really missed you.”
I felt a small rip in my heart as a lump formed in my throat. It was a lump of hope, the kind that you eventually choked on.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jake
I couldn’t believe my luck. I had not only gotten to spend the night and wake up with the most beautiful woman in the world in my arms, but I would have the entire day to enjoy with her.
It had been like I had always dreamed so far, waking up in her arms and making love, and for once, she didn’t bail on me, not that I had given her much choice. I’d have done anything to keep her there. Thankfully, I didn’t have to beg.
She even managed to make a waffle breakfast interesting as we talked about the days we used to spend hours together when we were younger. Of course, back then, we had TV, the internet, and my car to give us more to do, and we weren’t stranded in the jungle with a movie crew and one satellite phone to connect us with the rest of the world.
After spending another hour in the room, I was ready to do something more. “Do you want to go for a walk?”
“Sure,” she said. “I know a place actually.”
“You know a place? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“Right, and I saw this place on the way in. It’s about ten minutes down the main path, but I think we’ll be all right.”
“Okay,” I said, getting up to fetch my boots as she did the same. “My life is in your hands.”
I barely had my boots on when I heard a voice outside my door.
I got up and opened it.
On the other side was Ally, and her eyes widened when she spotted Kate, who was still putting on her shoes at the foot of my bed.
Ben stormed in behind her with the head medic. “We’re here to check—there you are, Ms. Bridges. We’ve been looking all over for you. I assumed you’d decided to sleep in, and I just hadn’t realized you would be here with my star.”
Before Kate made up an excuse, I changed the subject. “You’re here to check my hand?” It was a safe assumption, and as I held out my hand, the medic came over.