Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
The next day, Hunter and I decided to only focus on the riddle “When you face to face with death you are in the right place,” which led us to the idea to poke around the skeleton and see if John was onto something but possibly triggered a trap (thereby facing his death) before reaching the treasure.
Since the pit wasn’t large enough for all three of us, and just in case something went astray, only Hunter climbed with a shovel into the hole, and I stayed up.
As Hunter dug, he placed most of the fresh dirt into the lowered bucket, and I pulled it up.
We dropped that idea after digging about three feet down, with only extra blisters on my palms to show for it.
In the late afternoon the following day, I studied the island map on the blanket in the shade of the leaning palm.
I couldn’t take another minute in the hut, so I moved my “office” to the beach.
I chose to work on the “When the ocean bows low it exposes Achilles fatal flaw” riddle.
My idea was to find Achilles’ shape in the island’s contour, but the more I studied it, the more it felt like a waste of time.
“You are not your usual self today,” Hunter said, plopping beside me.
I didn’t sleep because my back and shoulders hurt from yesterday’s John Keating bootcamp. And I might have been a tad bit cranky because of that. “And what is my usual self?”
“Cheerful, full of annoying questions and suggestions.” A smile quirked Hunter’s lips, and his eyes glistened like the ocean on a bright day, and they held an essence of affection.
He often looked at me like that, sometimes averting his eyes as if he wasn’t staring.
But on some days, he kept my eyes locked with his for what seemed endless time, unafraid to show his vulnerable yearning.
“This morning, I thought of something, but after staring at the map for too long, I think it was a dumb idea.”
“What was it?”
“What if the outline looks like a Greek god or the island had the shape of a foot. And if I could find the part that resembled a heel…” I shook my head. “Never mind, this is stupid.”
“No. I think you are on to something.” Hunter shifted closer, his knee bumping against mine, his chest pressing into my shoulder, as he leaned to look at the map in my hands.
A slow, dazzling warmth spread across my skin at the touch, enveloping my entire body.
He hummed as he thought, rotating the map one way, then another.
Then he made a notable “hmm” sound. Hunter had seen something I didn’t notice before.
“What?” I peered at him. His face was so close I could graze the tip of my nose on his stubbled cheek.
“We are looking on the island from the above, but if we were out in the sea.” Hunter pointed into the ocean. “Coming from Southwest. It would look something like this.”
He grabbed a pencil and notebook, flipped to a fresh page, and sketched. After a minute, I was presented with a pancake, a pile of something on top of it, and a large foot that hung in the air to the right from two smiley human and cat stick figures.
“This is you, me, and two cats on the beach.” Hunter circled the obvious.
“I got it. Explain the foot with…”—I counted—“six toes.”
“Sometimes you can be so judgy.” Hunter’s tongue peeked at the corner of his mouth, as he erased one tiny circle. “Happy? May I continue now?”
I chuckled. “Yes, please proceed.”
“If you catch the side of the hill just from the right angle, it does appear like a bare foot is about to leap off.” Hunter dropped the notebook and got up. “Come on, let’s check out that area. Put on your swimsuit.”
“We’re hiking. Not swimming. Why would I need to change?”
“Once we are done exploring, it’s a great spot to jump off. Have you ever dived off a cliff into the ocean?”
“No,” I said. “But I guess it could be fun.”
Most likely not, but I’d also thought sailing wouldn’t be fun, yet I had enjoyed it—until I almost drowned and turned into an extra in the Cast Away movie. I wasn’t miserable, but quite happy and relaxed most days.
Dressed in swimsuits, we walked on the beach until the sand line disappeared, and the calm waves brushed against the jungle undergrowth.
There, we turned into the woods. When the route went up the hill, Hunter took the lead, allowing me uninterrupted time to admire the width of his back.
Eventually, the path became steeper. Hunter climbed like a mountain lion, barely breathing heavily, whereas I puffed hard, sweat running down my neck.
Joining Hunter on his long morning swims could do me some good.
At some point, the path traveled along the hill’s edge, with waves crashing below. I clutched Hunter’s arm for security. And an excuse to touch him was also a bonus.
We paused at a narrow pathway that led down to a smaller rocky beach.
“The spot isn’t far. After you jump, swim around the corner to that cleared area and follow the trail up,” he said.
“Who said I’ll jump?” I eyeballed how high we were. A hundred feet? More?
From there, he veered into greenery again, and we meandered up the hill some more through the jungle.
The trees, vines, and thick bushes became rare, exposing the bare mountainside.
The discoloration in the stone layer—a light brown deposit—bowed to resemble an arched foot from a distance.
The area yielded no hidden entry nor any carved-in messages.
We went farther up. I was winded when we reached the flat, grassy area near the cliff’s edge.
“Are we under the heel?” I looked up at the solid sheer mass of rock before me, my eyes following the distinguished lighter layer, until it curved and went straight up.
“Yep, this is the place.”
Hunter and I scrutinized the wall for some time, closely inspecting the line where grass butted against the rock, prodding cavities, and reaching shoulder-deep into some cracks.
In the end we came up empty. We stood, hands on our hips, now facing the endless ocean, the constant breeze turning into a stronger gust from time to time.
Day three of our search, and it was once again fruitless.
Taking measured steps, I crept to the brink, my fingers digging into Hunter’s wrist as I peered down.
“Don’t you dare push me,” I warned him, though I didn’t think he was the kind of person who would do such a thing. My mind whirled, trying to measure how far up we were. Too far.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” I said, stepping back and letting go of Hunter’s arm.
Not a second later, he rushed forward and jumped.
I gasped, dropped to my hands and knees, and crawled just in time to see Hunter plunge into the water, legs first, disappearing into the ocean.
My heart throbbed with worry. It felt like an eternity before Hunter finally burst through the surface.
“Jump!” he yelled and waved his hand.
“Never!” I shouted, then laughed.
Hunter swam to the small beach and edged his way up the steep incline of the footpath.
I scrambled away from the cliff’s brink and sat on the grass.
Leaning on my hands, I took in the vast, beautiful view of blue hues.
I enjoyed the sense of untroubled happiness.
I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so content.
Hunter reappeared between the trees and shook his hair, showering me with cool droplets. “Come on, Wonder Woman. It’s only terrifying the first few times.”
That was a poor tactic to convince me.
“Exactly. It’s te-rri-fying.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing.” He stepped to the edge and turned his back to the open water.
“Where did you learn how to do it?”
“I was on the high school diving team.” He flashed me a broad smile and flipped backward.
Shaking my head, I lay flat on my back.
His daredevil attitude not only pushed my blood faster through my veins, but also sparked an unwanted heat deep inside of me.
The late afternoon sunlight was soft on my face, and the salty breeze playfully caressed my sunkissed skin.
Seagulls glided high up, their wings a flash of silver against the bright blue sky.
Up here, I felt as free as they were. Free of all the world’s problems. Free of my troubles.
Free of past hurt. I wanted to stay in this moment and feel like this for the rest of my life.
A few minutes later, Hunter towered over me, the sun’s last rays gleaming in water drops on his defined muscles.
It was no longer possible to ignore changes in my body chemistry at his proximity, turning me into dynamite and my nerve endings into lit fuses.
I had a major crush on him. And I had no idea what to do with myself.
“If you give me a heart attack, you better know what to do. All that mouth-to-mouth and pushing on my chest stuff.” It was my stupid attempt to say: I like you so much, would you please kiss me?
“Are you going to try this?” he asked. “I can hold your hand, and we jump together.”
We could hold hands and jump, me screaming my lungs out and not letting go of him as we broke the water.
We’d surface up, laughing, and swim back to the small beach.
Breathless, dropping on small rocks and caught in the moment, he’d kiss me.
With a rush of adrenaline and exhilaration of sexual energy, we would strip off our clothes and make love right there and then.
The image was so clear. But could I do it?
I rolled onto my stomach and stared at the ocean below.
Not. A. Fucking. Chance.
“Let’s go back to our beach and swim.” I squinted at him. I’d have to find a different way to steal his kiss.
“Okay. Meet me where the path forks.” Hunter balanced with no apparent difficulty on the edge. He stretched out his arms. “Watch this.”
“Nothing good follows a statement li—”
With a powerful drive, Hunter pushed off the ground. His body rotated a few times downward, entering the water seamlessly. My mouth dropped open in awe.
When Hunter swam to the shore I rushed to meet him.
I caught up to him at the dirt path’s midpoint and my flip-flop caught on an exposed root, tripping me forward.
Hunter grabbed my wrist, swiveling me around.
My right foot slid on small rocks, and the left went straight for his groin.
He turned to block it but lost his balance.
We barreled down the hill deeper into the woods, stumbling over soft grass clumps, small twigs catching on my skin and hair.
We rolled into a bed of ferns, and I sprawled on the ground, my legs and arms stretched out, and Hunter’s big frame landed on me.
Without lifting his head off my shoulder, Hunter let out a full, throaty laugh, his body shaking. Laughter burst out of me, too.
“Are you laughing at me?” I wiped the tears from my eyes.
He shook his head, chuckling. “You should have seen your face when you almost kicked me.”
I snorted, which only made us laugh more.
Hunter buried his face in the crook of my neck, his breath warm against my skin.
When his laughter ceased, he rested his weight on his elbows, hovering over me, and our gazes connected.
Ocean droplets fell off his hair, landing on mine as he stared at me.
A new sense of nervousness left me breathless.
“I tripped you,” I said, mesmerized by the feel of him on me, his hot skin pressing against mine.
“I’m aware of that.” His voice was low.
My hands found his back. I wanted to slide them down so I could reach and squeeze his butt, but I ran my fingers upward.
Hunter’s body became rigid, and it seemed he stopped breathing.
A storm of emotions passed through his eyes.
Heat fluttered against my ribs, and my heart beat so fast, I swear Hunter felt it.
My nipples were hard, poking through the thin fabric of my bikini top. I was sure he felt them, too.
His throat worked, and his gaze dropped to my lips. “Anything broken?”
My heart—if you don’t kiss me right now.
I slid my foot down Hunter’s leg and curled it around his calf. An expression flashed over his face faster than I could read. Fear? Regret? Restraint? Hunter’s chest heaved, and his eyes closed briefly. Then he took a breath, exhaled slowly, and met my eyes. “Sydney.”
The way he said my name was enough for me to never want to leave this place. I quivered with anticipation for the next moment. He looked at my mouth. I tipped my chin up, inviting him. Breath was the shortest distance between our lips.
A rustle of dry leaves took Hunter’s attention.
I twisted to look. With a green lizard in his mouth, Monday stared at us, his yellow eyes round as if surprised to find us in such a compromising position.
Tuesday darted from under a fern and pounced on Monday.
They pranced around, blended into an orange, white and black fur ball, and rolled behind a curtain of overgrown vines.
The lucky lizard scrambled away in a hurry.
“Did you see that?” Hunter got up, leaving me instantly cold. The moment we had was broken. “There’s an opening.”
Needless to say, I didn’t give a damn if there was or wasn’t an opening.
We had been about to kiss. Was it possible to misread everything about Hunter’s lingering gazes at me, gentle touches, and constant glances at my lips?
The state of his dick was a huge indication Hunter had precisely the same thoughts as I did.
But Hunter pulled me to my feet as if nothing had just happened between us and stepped to an enormous fallen tree that leaned against a stone wall. He dragged large branches out the way, ducked under the trunk, and pushed some overgrown vines aside, exposing the gateway into the mountain.
I swallowed my pride and stepped beside Hunter, leaving some distance between us.
He kept his gaze forward, and I forced myself to do the same.
The second my eyes took in our new discovery my jaw went slack, but then my lips turned into a grin.
The markings of hand tools used to carve larger spaces in the rock loudly signaled that Hunter and I had finally discovered the right place.
My mind swirled, excitement exploding beneath my breastbone.
“Hunter,” I whispered, but I really wanted to shout. “This is it.”
He glanced at me with an unabashed smile, eyes wide and bright, full of anticipation, a tiny twig stuck in his hair. “I can’t believe I’ve searched this entire island and never noticed it.”
I nudged him with my elbow. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m clumsy.”
Hunter’s face broke out in a grin, and then we walked into the mouth of the cave.