Chapter 3
Chapter Three
The first rays of sunshine pierced through the gaps in the wooden shutters, banishing the storm's remnants from the cozy cabin.
An early riser by nature, Lily was happy that her roommate was also a sunrise lover. Like her, he was dressed and ready to greet the day, though he looked more like an jungle tour guide in his khaki shorts, zinc on his nose, and a wide floppy hat.
"Loving the fit," she said, trying to win some points as she gestured to his ensemble. "It's giving Indiana Jones circa Raiders and not Temple vibes, if you know what I mean."
"I definitely don't know what you mean. None of what you just said made any sense," Alex deadpanned with a flat expression as he walked past her and stepped onto the porch, his broad shoulders rolling back in a stretch that spoke of a rough night and stiff muscles.
"Are you always this chipper in the morning? "
"Are you always this sour?" she countered with a grin.
"Yes," he said on the tail end of a yawn.
"Then, yes, I'm always this chipper in the morning." She bounced on her feet to pop up next to him, offering, "I could rub the knots from your shoulders if you like. I'm pretty good with my hands."
"Pass."
"You know, science has proven that stress will chop years off your life. If that constant frown is any indication, you might be on your last leg soon."
"Is that so?"
"Yep."
"Then, I'm guessing you're going to live forever, right? Does anything stress Lily St. John?"
Plenty, but no one wants to see a sad girl; always gotta be giving them what they want.
She faked a cheery smile. "I like to look for the bright side of things.
You know that saying, 'Choose your hard' well, I choose to spend my energy looking for the silver lining rather than the raincloud.
Except for last night when the raincloud literally found me," she finished with a giggle.
He grunted some kind of response, though Lily wasn't sure it wasn't a burp or some kind of involuntary spasm either.
Heaven help me, my brain might atrophy if I have to spend two weeks with this grunting academic caveman.
Keep trying, Lily—everyone has a soft spot. You just need to find his.
"Looks like we've got some blue skies for company today," Lily chirped, brushing a lock of brown curls from her eyes. Her bikini top was a splash of hot pink against the backdrop of lush greenery—a defiant reminder of her sun-soaked California roots.
Alex scanned the horizon, a subtle frown marring his features. "We need to stock up on food," he said, the lines on his face set in determination. "I wasn't expecting additional company and there's only enough for one without rationing and adding to the stock."
She hadn't considered there might not be enough food. No room service or poolside snacks here—just the wild offerings of Mother Nature's pantry.
And Lily had a picky palate.
"So, what does that mean?"
"It means you're lucky the island has some fruits that we can eat but we have to go collect them." He eyed her bare feet before asking, "Did you bring any tennis shoes or hiking boots?"
She screwed her face into a frown. "Um, no. I brought heels and sandals. I hadn't planned on being stranded on the island that time forgot."
I'd planned on being delightfully tipsy on drinks that came with tiny umbrellas and dancing the night away at the tropical-themed night club.
But hiking? No.
He shook his head, leaving the porch to return with a grubby pair of tennis shoes. "They're probably too big but it's better than nothing," he said, handing her the shoes.
She grimaced but didn't complain. "Thanks.
" Slipping the shoes on, she tied them tightly and tested them out.
"They're not winning any awards for cuteness but they'll work.
" After strapping her camera over her head, she said, "Lead the way, Dr. Carmichael.
I'm ready for this tropical scavenger hunt," enthusiasm bubbling in her voice like a well-shaken soda can.
"Uh-huh," Alex grunted, skepticism etched into every syllable. He looked her over, taking in the pink bikini top and the short shorts, and his frown deepened. "You might want to put on something more... jungle-appropriate."
Lily glanced down at her ensemble. Perfect for a beach day, maybe not for foraging. But her smile didn't falter. "I'm all about the adventure, Alex. Trust me, I'll be fine."
"Suit yourself. Oh, and make sure I don't end up in any of your photos," he said, striding off the porch.
"Camera-shy?" she teased.
"Just private."
"Got it. Anything else I should know?"
"Watch out for the spiders. They're big enough to have opinions."
"Spiders? What do you mean, spiders?"
But Alex just chuckled and kept going, leaving her to follow or get left behind.
Lily's feet squelched in the damp earth as she hurried to catch up, her heart racing with the thrill of the unknown. This might not be an ideal situation, but she loved the possibilities. Oh! With any luck, there might be a waterfall she could snap some pictures of for her channel later.
The sun was a golden maestro orchestrating a symphony of light through the leaves, and the air was rich with the scent of wet foliage and freedom.
She felt like a character in a Tom Cruise movie where danger lurked around every corner, but, of course, she was safe because the hero had her back.
Except, she was missing the hero part. All she had was Dr. Crankypants, and judging by the punishing pace, he was trying to lose her in the jungle.
"Wait up," she called out, trying to catch up. "Are we in a race or something? Slow down and enjoy the beauty of nature—which, if I'm being honest, feels ironic that I'm the one saying it to you and not the other way around."
"I have a schedule to keep. If you'll recall, I'm here on business, not a vacation."
"Okay, I get it, I'm an unwanted guest but it doesn't have to be all bad. I'm actually a fun person if you give me a chance."
Alex ignored her comment and kept walking.
She had expected a morning of leisurely hiking, maybe some playful banter. Still, she quickly learned that Alex took his fruit as seriously as he did his studies on Ilot Serenite's delicate ecosystem.
And apparently this precious fruit grew at the heart of the island because it felt like they were walking to Japan.
"How much further?" she panted, realizing her Pilates class hadn't prepared her for this kind of cardio.
"Keep up," was all the encouragement she got as Lily hopped over a fallen log, catching glimpses of the clear blue sky through the dense canopy above.
Trailing behind Alex as he chopped their way through the dense jungle, she realized there was something a little sexy about how he handled himself with such confidence.
"Why hello, Dr. Carmichael. What a big machete you have," she murmured. What kind of man was Alex Carmichael when he wasn't isolating himself on a deserted island for fun?
Pardon, research, she mentally corrected herself.
She couldn't picture him in an office, but he seemed right at home hacking away at the big jungle leaves like he'd been born a pirate explorer.
Wait, am I attracted to this? Hmm, plot twist.
Granted, red was her favorite color, so when a red flag waved in front of her face, she launched herself straight into the emotional damage with extreme prejudice.
But she'd never been with the sexy brainiac type. He had that nerd thing going on with his big brain, but there was no hiding those solid biceps swinging that sharp jungle knife.
She smothered a shiver. Interesting.
Finally, Alex started pointing out the trees that would bear the fruit they were looking for, and after another hour or so, they'd loaded enough in their bags to head back.
Alex swung the bag onto his back using the straps as an anchor so his hands remained free to chop at the vines.
Even that was impressive. Was he getting sexier by the minute?
Maybe the humidity was cooking her gray matter.
She was happy to have the fruit, but the sticky heat clung to her like a second skin, and the weight of the fruits they gathered began dragging at her limbs.
The banana bunches were heavier than they looked and the coconuts... well, they might as well have been boulders.
Alex glanced back at her struggling with a particularly stubborn coconut that kept slipping in her sweaty grip. He stopped, watching her wrestle with it like it was a greased pig at a county fair.
"You're holding it wrong," he said.
"There's a wrong way to hold a coconut?"
"There's a wrong way to hold everything." He walked back to her, and for a moment she thought he might actually take it from her—but instead, he repositioned her hands, his fingers warm and calloused against hers. "Cradle it against your hip, not your chest. Uses your core instead of your arms."
Lily adjusted her grip, hyper-aware of how close he was standing. "Like this?"
"Better." He stepped back, but not before she caught a hint of something that wasn't pure irritation in his expression. "You're not completely unteachable."
"Wow, such high praise." She batted her lashes dramatically. "With motivational skills like that, it's a wonder you're not a life coach."
"I prefer creatures that don't talk back."
"Then you must be loving this vacation."
The corner of his mouth twitched. Almost. Almost a smile.
Progress, she thought triumphantly.
"Holy moley, are we lost?" Lily panted a while later, shifting the load in her bag as a bead of sweat trickled down her spine. "Surely, we have to be close to the cabin by now. I feel maybe we took a wrong turn or something."
"Nature's grocery store doesn't do home deliveries," Alex replied dryly, not missing a beat as he sliced through another stubborn vine.
"Good one," Lily let out a breathy laugh, her initial zeal dissolving into the stifling jungle air. "This cardio is no joke."
"You look like you're in pretty good shape," he said with a small backward glance.