“Hey,” Kip said as I tried to wipe my face on his shoulder again. “Tits or fuck off.”
Ugh. Then again, maybe solo was a good idea. Kip still needed to go. It wasn’t like he was much help at camp. And I could always go spend my time with Jendan.
“Alys and Summer, you are both up for Judgment,” Chip called as they crossed the finish line, interrupting my thoughts. “One of you will be going home tonight.”
Chapter Eleven
“Am I attracted to Annabelle? Well. She’s beautiful, has the kind of personality I like, and she’s naked around me twenty-four seven. You do the math. I have to keep running off into the woods to take care of business so I don’t scare her off with rogue wood.” — Jendan Abercrombie, Endurance Island: Power Players, Day 12
It was Summer who went home. We all saw that one coming, even Summer. The look on her barbecue-smeared face was cold with anger. It wasn’t personal, though. She and Polly were just better players than Alys was and therefore had to go.
We returned to camp later that afternoon, and I immediately picked up my canteen. I was filthy with grime and reeked of pork and barbecue sauce. I wanted a shower at the waterfall. “I’m going to go get some water,” I told Kip.
“Take my canteen, will ya? It’s empty,” he said, crawling into my shelter. “And my stomach feels like hell. I’ve got the green apple splatters.”
“TMI, dude.” Wrinkling my nose at his description, I felt a pang of guilt at his sour stomach. It was because I’d stopped boiling his water. But to be fair, Kip didn’t lift a hand around camp, and he hadn’t asked if I was boiling his anymore. He just assumed that when I handed it to him, it was drinkable.
It wasn’t my fault he was an idiot, right?
I squashed my misgivings and took his canteen, tucking it under my arm with my own, and headed into the jungle. Jendan was at the waterfall, waiting for me, and I had to squelch the little burst of aroused pleasure that blossomed at the sight of his lithe, athletic form rising in greeting. He was just standing up, for goodness sake. No reason for that to make my hormones go wild.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, sliding my canteens off my arm and heading toward the water. The lure of it was impossible to resist, especially being so grimy with sweat, sand, and sauce.
“I wanted to come and talk to you,” Jendan said. “I’d hug you for saving my ass out there earlier, but given that we’re both naked, I suppose that’d be inappropriate.”
“Totally,” I agreed, but a blush was rising. So hugging me would be inappropriate? Was it because I’d end up rubbing my breasts against him? Or would he get an erection? I pondered this as I sidestepped past him, descended into the pool, and headed for the waterfall. I splashed my face and scrubbed at my filthy skin, my movements brisk…
Until I looked over and saw him watching me.
That made my entire body hum with awareness. I ran my hands over my arms and shoulders, unable to stop myself from making the motions a little more sensual than I should have. I wasn’t quite brave enough to rub my breasts in front of him, but my nipples were erect, a sure sign that I was turned on.
I emerged from the water a short time later, aroused and flustered.
Jendan was still seated nearby and regarding me. “Everything okay?”
I smoothed wet hair off of my face, disconcerted at his question. Had he picked up my attraction to him and was asking about that? That was…kind of awkward. I’d resolved to play this game without romantic entanglements, so I was doing my best to ignore it. I could crush on Jendan after the game. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”
He gave me a knowing look. “Are you drinking enough water? Eating enough?”
“I should be asking you that,” I mentioned lightly. “Your ribs are starting to show.”
He ran a hand along his sides, and my gaze automatically went there. “I’m doing fine. I wasn’t lagging behind in the challenge because I wasn’t eating.”
“Weren’t you?” I teased. He flushed a dark red and I immediately felt bad for teasing him about it. “So, bad stomach?”
“Something like that. I had a rough time with the food challenges on House Guests, too. Failed at those in a spectacular fashion.” He grimaced. “You saved us, though. I was able to help Sunnie finish up. I don’t think anyone noticed us working together.”
Or if they had noticed, it just hadn’t trickled down the grapevine yet. “Mmm.”
His piercing gray gaze fixed on my face again. “But I saw you dropping those leaves, and that isn’t like you.”
“Isn’t it?” Now I was the one blushing.
“You struggled in the last challenge, too. You sure you’re okay? Friend to friend.”
I hesitated. Part of me wanted to confess my sins. Maybe if he knew I was hatching a plot to oust Kip, he could help me somehow. Maybe elbow-check Kip on the next challenge. But, thing was…Jendan was such a nice guy. I liked him precisely because he was polite and thoughtful. Because he was the anti-Kip.
And I was pretty sure he wouldn’t approve of me trying to deliberately get my partner voted out.
So I just shook my head. “I’m good. Just…” I cast around for an excuse. “One of my ankles has been hurting.”
“I know a little physical therapy,” he said, getting to his feet. “Let me take a look at it.”
Hoist by my own petard. “Oh, that’s really not necessary—“
He gestured for me to sit down on the rock he’d just vacated. “Give me your foot.”
“Jendan, really—“
Jendan ignored my stammering excuses and flicked his fingers, indicating that I should lift my foot into the air. I needed to wiggle out of this, because I was a terrible liar. And as soon as he looked at my perfectly fine foot, he’d see the expression on my face and realize I was lying.
Once I sat down, though, another problem presented itself - the fact that I was eye-level with Jendan’s, um, package. Oh jeez. I couldn’t sit there and stare at it while trying to figure out a way out of my situation. Swallowing, I lifted a foot into the air and closed my eyes.
Big, warm hands clasped my foot and I squeezed my eyes shut a little tighter. That felt obscenely good. Obscenely. I shivered as his fingers slid over the arch of my foot.
“Where is it bothering you?” he asked.
I had to pinpoint a spot? “Just…kind of, you know, aching, uh, underneath.” Mentally, I winced at how stupid that sounded. Underneath. God, Annabelle. Why not paste a big dunce cap on your head.
“Underneath? I thought you said it was your ankle.”
“Oh. Um, well, it was, but now it’s underneath.”
“That’s all right.” His thumb pressed into the arch of my foot. “Here?”
I gasped, and to my horror, my nipples got hard and I felt my body respond to that touch. My foot jerked in his hands, and I was pretty sure I was wet between my legs. “Um, yeah, right there.” I felt my face turn an even brighter red. Yeah, baby, right there.
“I don’t see anything.”
I opened my eyes to look up into his face as he stroked his thumb over my arch again. “It’s probably nothing.”
Ugh. Then again, maybe solo was a good idea. Kip still needed to go. It wasn’t like he was much help at camp. And I could always go spend my time with Jendan.
“Alys and Summer, you are both up for Judgment,” Chip called as they crossed the finish line, interrupting my thoughts. “One of you will be going home tonight.”
Chapter Eleven
“Am I attracted to Annabelle? Well. She’s beautiful, has the kind of personality I like, and she’s naked around me twenty-four seven. You do the math. I have to keep running off into the woods to take care of business so I don’t scare her off with rogue wood.” — Jendan Abercrombie, Endurance Island: Power Players, Day 12
It was Summer who went home. We all saw that one coming, even Summer. The look on her barbecue-smeared face was cold with anger. It wasn’t personal, though. She and Polly were just better players than Alys was and therefore had to go.
We returned to camp later that afternoon, and I immediately picked up my canteen. I was filthy with grime and reeked of pork and barbecue sauce. I wanted a shower at the waterfall. “I’m going to go get some water,” I told Kip.
“Take my canteen, will ya? It’s empty,” he said, crawling into my shelter. “And my stomach feels like hell. I’ve got the green apple splatters.”
“TMI, dude.” Wrinkling my nose at his description, I felt a pang of guilt at his sour stomach. It was because I’d stopped boiling his water. But to be fair, Kip didn’t lift a hand around camp, and he hadn’t asked if I was boiling his anymore. He just assumed that when I handed it to him, it was drinkable.
It wasn’t my fault he was an idiot, right?
I squashed my misgivings and took his canteen, tucking it under my arm with my own, and headed into the jungle. Jendan was at the waterfall, waiting for me, and I had to squelch the little burst of aroused pleasure that blossomed at the sight of his lithe, athletic form rising in greeting. He was just standing up, for goodness sake. No reason for that to make my hormones go wild.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, sliding my canteens off my arm and heading toward the water. The lure of it was impossible to resist, especially being so grimy with sweat, sand, and sauce.
“I wanted to come and talk to you,” Jendan said. “I’d hug you for saving my ass out there earlier, but given that we’re both naked, I suppose that’d be inappropriate.”
“Totally,” I agreed, but a blush was rising. So hugging me would be inappropriate? Was it because I’d end up rubbing my breasts against him? Or would he get an erection? I pondered this as I sidestepped past him, descended into the pool, and headed for the waterfall. I splashed my face and scrubbed at my filthy skin, my movements brisk…
Until I looked over and saw him watching me.
That made my entire body hum with awareness. I ran my hands over my arms and shoulders, unable to stop myself from making the motions a little more sensual than I should have. I wasn’t quite brave enough to rub my breasts in front of him, but my nipples were erect, a sure sign that I was turned on.
I emerged from the water a short time later, aroused and flustered.
Jendan was still seated nearby and regarding me. “Everything okay?”
I smoothed wet hair off of my face, disconcerted at his question. Had he picked up my attraction to him and was asking about that? That was…kind of awkward. I’d resolved to play this game without romantic entanglements, so I was doing my best to ignore it. I could crush on Jendan after the game. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”
He gave me a knowing look. “Are you drinking enough water? Eating enough?”
“I should be asking you that,” I mentioned lightly. “Your ribs are starting to show.”
He ran a hand along his sides, and my gaze automatically went there. “I’m doing fine. I wasn’t lagging behind in the challenge because I wasn’t eating.”
“Weren’t you?” I teased. He flushed a dark red and I immediately felt bad for teasing him about it. “So, bad stomach?”
“Something like that. I had a rough time with the food challenges on House Guests, too. Failed at those in a spectacular fashion.” He grimaced. “You saved us, though. I was able to help Sunnie finish up. I don’t think anyone noticed us working together.”
Or if they had noticed, it just hadn’t trickled down the grapevine yet. “Mmm.”
His piercing gray gaze fixed on my face again. “But I saw you dropping those leaves, and that isn’t like you.”
“Isn’t it?” Now I was the one blushing.
“You struggled in the last challenge, too. You sure you’re okay? Friend to friend.”
I hesitated. Part of me wanted to confess my sins. Maybe if he knew I was hatching a plot to oust Kip, he could help me somehow. Maybe elbow-check Kip on the next challenge. But, thing was…Jendan was such a nice guy. I liked him precisely because he was polite and thoughtful. Because he was the anti-Kip.
And I was pretty sure he wouldn’t approve of me trying to deliberately get my partner voted out.
So I just shook my head. “I’m good. Just…” I cast around for an excuse. “One of my ankles has been hurting.”
“I know a little physical therapy,” he said, getting to his feet. “Let me take a look at it.”
Hoist by my own petard. “Oh, that’s really not necessary—“
He gestured for me to sit down on the rock he’d just vacated. “Give me your foot.”
“Jendan, really—“
Jendan ignored my stammering excuses and flicked his fingers, indicating that I should lift my foot into the air. I needed to wiggle out of this, because I was a terrible liar. And as soon as he looked at my perfectly fine foot, he’d see the expression on my face and realize I was lying.
Once I sat down, though, another problem presented itself - the fact that I was eye-level with Jendan’s, um, package. Oh jeez. I couldn’t sit there and stare at it while trying to figure out a way out of my situation. Swallowing, I lifted a foot into the air and closed my eyes.
Big, warm hands clasped my foot and I squeezed my eyes shut a little tighter. That felt obscenely good. Obscenely. I shivered as his fingers slid over the arch of my foot.
“Where is it bothering you?” he asked.
I had to pinpoint a spot? “Just…kind of, you know, aching, uh, underneath.” Mentally, I winced at how stupid that sounded. Underneath. God, Annabelle. Why not paste a big dunce cap on your head.
“Underneath? I thought you said it was your ankle.”
“Oh. Um, well, it was, but now it’s underneath.”
“That’s all right.” His thumb pressed into the arch of my foot. “Here?”
I gasped, and to my horror, my nipples got hard and I felt my body respond to that touch. My foot jerked in his hands, and I was pretty sure I was wet between my legs. “Um, yeah, right there.” I felt my face turn an even brighter red. Yeah, baby, right there.
“I don’t see anything.”
I opened my eyes to look up into his face as he stroked his thumb over my arch again. “It’s probably nothing.”
