Gabe took off into the jungle like it was his playground and had navigated it a million times. I’m not terrible with directions, but when dropped in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country, I’d have no clue where to go. I was only too happy to follow. Even if my feet had daggers shooting through them from my shoes, I wasn’t about to complain or ask to stop.

But, my feet are killing me and I didn’t lie—I’m about to pee my pants.

When I walk through the opening of the little house, Gabe is using a branch with leaves on it to clear out the cobwebs and sweep out as much trash and dirt as he can.

Hmm. Gabe Blackburn does housework and, from the looks of it, he’s not half-bad at floors.

I make my way across the small room and dig through my big tote bag until I find my travel packet of tissues. Setting my bag on the floor, I turn to my boss and do my absolute best to keep this professional, which is next to impossible. “I need a moment of privacy. As freaked out as I am about what happened earlier, not to mention my fear of snakes, I would appreciate it if you could stay here and only come out if I scream bloody murder.”

Gabe looks up from his makeshift broom and after dragging his eyes over me, raises a brow. “Watch out for poison ivy. That would suck.”

I expel all the air in my lungs. Yes, squatting on a patch of poison ivy would suck, but he didn’t need to say that out loud. I try to even my voice. “I’ll be right back.”

I walk around the back of our little shelter and do everything I can to ignore the pain from my shoes. I try to peer into the shack to make sure he can’t see me through the aged boards. Thinking I’m safe and not wanting to wander too far, I take care of my business and hurry back. I’m not looking forward to spending time alone with the big boss, let alone all night in an abandoned house with him.

Gabe has made quick work of his chores and is tossing his broom out the door when I return. He gives me a tight look before stepping aside to make room for me.

Going straight to my bag, I dig around and find my hand sanitizer and a bottle of water. After washing my hands, I take a much-needed drink. I did everything I could not to touch it while we were walking, I had a feeling I might need it later.

I offer it to Gabe. “Thirsty? It’s all I have but we can share.”

He looks from the water to me before taking the bottle without a word. He takes a sip and hands it back. “You should probably conserve that. You never know.”

I’m not sure if that’s his way of telling me he doesn’t think we’ll find our way out anytime soon, but I do my best not to think about that. I reach back in my bag and pull out my cucumber and mint facial towelettes and do my best to pretend we’re not lost, that we’ll find our way out, and eventually get home.

When I think about home, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. We were supposed to fly out first thing in the morning and I’d arranged to fly straight to Wilmington instead of Indianapolis. I spoke to my grandmother’s house manager this morning and it’s important—now more than ever—that I get home.

I hear a grunt and my eyes snap open as I’m wiping the sweat away from my neck and chest. Gabe is standing across the small shack, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, glaring at me.

“Do you want one?” I offer.

He sighs and even though we’re surrounded by shadows from the setting sun, I can tell his face is tight and his voice is gruff. “I’m good.”

I try not to roll my eyes as I throw the used towelette back into my bag before digging to the bottom. When I turn to him, I decide to make the best of things because this could be my chance to finally win him over.

Taking a big breath, I hold out my hands and offer him a smile. “Peanut M&M’s, trail mix, or a granola bar?”

His frown deepens. “What are you, Mary Poppins or something? Is there a lamp in there, too?”

I tip my head and drop my hands, holding the only food I have with me. “You’re a Mary Poppins fan?”

“Hardly.” He drops his arms and stuffs his hands in his pockets. “I have four older sisters and was forced to watch all kinds of shit I didn’t want to when I was little.”

The thought of big, tough Gabriel Blackburn with the interesting scar on his hand watching classic musicals as a young boy makes me smile, even while lost in a Central American rainforest.

“What?” he bites.

“Nothing.” I smile bigger and try again. “I know you have dietary restrictions, but this is all I have. Can you eat any of this? Lunch was a long time ago.”

He crosses his arms again and I realize I’ve never seen him so uneasy. He’s probably eight inches taller than I am and built like a brick house. I’m barely five-five and, even in my heels, he dwarfs me. I’m so used to his commanding presence, I find it odd that he looks so uncomfortable in his own skin. “Why would you assume I have dietary restrictions?”

This confuses me. “Because every time I bring treats into the office to share, you’ve never touched them. Not once. I assumed you had an egg allergy or eat gluten free or you’re a vegan or something. Who knows, maybe you eat paleo? Why else wouldn’t you want cookies and brownies and cake?”

He shakes his head and sighs. “I’m not vegan and I don’t have any food issues.”

“Oh.” Well, then. I guess that just means he really doesn’t like me. The stress from the day is beginning to bear down and the need to sit and take my shoes off is overwhelming. I toss the package of M&M’s at him and he moves with quick precision to catch it. “Here. I hear a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Oh, but you already know that, don’t you?”

I sit on the dingy, wooden floor and, when I lean back against the wall, I bite back a moan from getting off my feet. When I reach down to unbuckle my sandals from around my ankles and pull them off, I wince.

“Holy shit,” he mutters and moves closer to look at my feet.

I knew I was wearing blisters but I didn’t think they’d be this bad. These wedges were comfortable in the store, but hiking through the rainforest in them? No way.

Gabe reaches down and tips my ankle to get a closer look. “You should have told me to slow down. I was surprised you kept up as well as you did in these shoes.”

“It’s fine.” I brush him off and yank at the hem of my dress to pull it down my thighs since he’s squatting at my feet.

“I’ll be right back.” Gabe stands and starts for the door.

“Wait. Where are you going?”

“I’ll be gone two minutes.” He looks back. “Don’t you dare come out unless I scream bloody murder.”

My face falls. “That’s not funny.”

“It’s also not funny to tease me about watching Mary Poppins when I was forced to by my sisters who weren’t above using cruel and unusual punishment before I was big enough to kick their asses.”

He turns to leave again and I can’t help yelling after him, “If you could sing the Supercalifragilistic song and click your heels together, I could use a fruity rum drink with a happy umbrella stuck in the top.”

I’m not sure, but over the hum of the bugs and other creepy sounds in the rainforest, I swear I hear him laugh.

I didn’t think Gabriel Blackburn knew how to laugh.

I didn’t think it was even possible for him to smile.

Even so, I hope he hurries the heck up.