Sage Primrose counted to ten and then back down. She wasn’t the type of person to be confrontational, but this guy was really making it hard for her to keep her cool. Swatting another bug with a growl, she gave a slow exhale and glanced at Corbin. How she had allowed him to talk her into a nature hike in a city, she didn’t know.

“So,” she took a sip of water and tried to rein in her anger. “Do you know how much farther to this amazing waterfall you promised?”

Corbin stretched his chicken leg calves and she winced at how short his pants were. He’d come across as self-confident and fun in the meeting with the management for the hotel chain she was working with. He was a mid-level manager in some department she’d barely paid attention to and he’d immediately told her she had to see this fantastic waterfall in the city. ‘One of the places you have to see or you haven’t lived’ were his words. Well, if this went on much longer, he’d be the one who wouldn’t live past today.

He started jogging in place and took his pulse at the base of his neck while checking his FitBit. The skulls bandana on his forehead went perfectly with the neon tank top he had on.

“Yo, Corbin?” she said again, to get his attention. “You with me? We’ve walked for three hours. I have no phone service and my feet are probably bleeding in my hiking boots. I thought this was a quick hike.”

He finally glanced at her and smiled. “We could have been there hours ago,” he said, “but I started us on the longer route. It’s fine. We’ll be there soon.”

“There’s too many mosquitoes in this place,” she said, readjusting the military knife and its holster she carried with her whenever she went hiking. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it was her motto.

“Why did you bring a knife anyway?” he asked.

She raised her brows. “In case we get lost and I need to turn your skinny ass into chicken soup.”

“Ha-ha. Really funny.”

She shrugged. “I’m not laughing.”

Corbin stretched his arms over his head and his soaked tank top clung to his fit body like a second skin from the sweat. Meanwhile, she was huffing and puffing like Puff the Magic Dragon, trying to catch her breath.

Oh, she exercised daily, and even went hiking, something that would probably get her disowned by her sister Isaline if she found out. But she never exercised this long without a proper water supply and breaks. God.

She’d give anything to be back at the hotel, at the spa, instead of in the middle of a national park the size of a state, looking for a waterfall.

The spa. That’s where she should be, getting a massage after dealing with Corbin all week. But instead, she was stuck with him for lord knew how many more hours and all she could do was visualize strangling him until his eyes popped out of his head like a squeeze toy.

They started hiking up another motherfucking hill. Whoever decided hiking was fun needed to get mentally evaluated. She growled, her frustration growing the farther they went.

Lungs burning from exhaustion, she had to stop again after another twenty minutes. She didn’t even bother telling Corbin. He was too busy singing to whatever the hell he was listening to, which she swore sounded a lot like Justin Bieber, and half-dancing as he walked.

Glancing at her water bottle, she frowned at how full it still was. Corbin had been telling her for the longest time to take small sips. She’d known that. She wasn’t stupid. But now she was thirsty so she took a couple gulps.

Her stomach rumbled. Crap. The only energy bar she’d brought along, she’d eaten two hours ago, thinking they’d be back in time for a late lunch. It was going on mid-afternoon and she was sure they were nowhere near the stupid fucking waterfall she didn’t want to see anymore. Why would anyone go this far to see water falling?

It was called gravity. You could do that shit at home. Open the faucet. There, a waterfall. No need to hike. No need to starve. No need to die of mosquito bites. And definitely no need to watch Corbin shaking his skinny ass. Argghhh!

Sweat poured from her head, down her back, down her chest. Heck, even her fingers were sweating. She got up again, glanced over, and caught Corbin shaking his head at her from ten feet away.

“I was hoping to be back at the hotel early,” she told him. “I have other things to do.”

“Don’t tell me you’re tired,” he laughed, his face flushed and his voice was too damn happy for him to be a normal human. “You could use the exercise with all that extra weight.” He winked at her and waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t get mad. It’s clear you don’t get a lot of exercise or you’d be skinnier. It’s okay. I know all about busy schedules and bad eating. Don’t worry. If we start dating while you’re here, I’ll get you running up these hills in no time.”

Wait. Did he just call her fat, lazy, and told her they were on a date? “Corbin, I don’t know what you’re thinking—”

He waved his hand dismissively at her again, stopping her from talking. “You’d be a beautiful woman if it wasn’t for the weight.”

She raised her brows, unsure she was really hearing what she thought he said. “Excuse me?”

He went on as if she’d said nothing. “That’s why we’re taking the long route. You’ll be skinny in no time.”

“You mean to tell me,” she clenched her teeth, “you took me the ‘long’ way because you felt I need more exercise?”