rolled her eyes. “It’s a guy thing, right? Ugh, never mind. Tell me the rest. So you dropped them off in the jungle. Then what?” She refused to believe he knew they were lovers because he was a guy.
Aunt Pandora would have told her if she’d fallen in love. Maybe not the rest of the family, but definitely her. She and her aunt had shared a special bond because Amelia was the only one who loved her for who she was and didn’t try to change her. No way would Aunt Pan have kept it a secret. Would she?
Brody’s expression turned dark and for the first time since she met him, he actually looked uncomfortable.
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re hiding something. There’s more to this story, isn’t there?”
“We should get moving, the day is half gone.”
“Oh no, you don’t.” She came to her feet. “No evasive answers. What happened with my aunt?”
They stood toe to toe with Brody still leaning against the tree, arms crossed over his chest. He held her gaze and she was unable to look away. His sexy eyes drew her in and held her captive. They were by far his best feature. Well … one of them. She also liked his broad shoulders, washboard abs, and tousled dark hair.
“You’re an infuriating woman.”
Amelia smiled. “Yes, you’ve mentioned that. The story, please.”
His look darkened even more. “She got herself in trouble, that’s what happened.”
“What kind of trouble?”
His eyes took on a distant look as he remembered and Amelia wanted to wrap her arms around him. Instead, she waited for the rest.
“In her quest to find
Paraíso
she fell while rock climbing and broke her leg in three places. She also injured her neck and shoulder in the fall.”
“I had no idea,” Amelia said, imagining her aunt lying hurt on the jungle floor. She had never told anyone. How much more hadn’t she told them? She had kept Charlie a secret, if what Brody said was true and they were lovers. But why would she keep their relationship private? “Obviously she lived through it, but it must have been horrible.”
Brody’s gaze drilled into hers. “She almost died searching for
Paraíso,
Amelia.”
“I know that now. Why are you so angry?”
“Because I’m the one who had to fly in and rescue her from the damn jungle. I had to see her broken and bloody. And all for what? A piece of paradise that may not have existed?”
Amelia put a hand flat on his chest. “But it does exist. She found it, Brody. And she gave it to me.”
His hands gripped her shoulders. “Don’t you get it? Your aunt almost died finding
Paraíso
. Is it really worth losing your life over?”
A small gasp escaped her lips. “You’re worried about me. You’re scared that will happen to me. That’s why you refused me in the beginning.” Touched, she reached up and cupped his cheek. “You really are a sweet man, Brody Kern.”
He made a disgusted sound and pulled her hand away, but didn’t let it go. “I’m not sweet,” he muttered.
Amelia smiled. “Well, rest assured. If there are any rocky cliffs to climb, I promise not to fall.” Suddenly aware that he was still holding her hand, Amelia let her eyes drop to his lips. What would it be like to be kissed by those masculine lips? By such a masculine man?
“We should get moving.”
“Yes,” she agreed, taking a sobering step backward. She was really going to have to do something about her wayward thoughts. Before she got herself in trouble, because Brody Kern was exactly the kind of man she could fall for.
And she was exactly the kind of woman he didn’t want. She’d do good to remember that. Throwing herself at a man who clearly stated she wasn’t his type would be a giant, painful mistake. Rejection stung, but being rejected by Brody would be life altering.
“Let’s go,” she said, reaching for her bags. Without another word, she pushed ahead, this time paying special attention to the trees for snakes.
• • •
“There it is. Across the river. The
Aunt Pandora would have told her if she’d fallen in love. Maybe not the rest of the family, but definitely her. She and her aunt had shared a special bond because Amelia was the only one who loved her for who she was and didn’t try to change her. No way would Aunt Pan have kept it a secret. Would she?
Brody’s expression turned dark and for the first time since she met him, he actually looked uncomfortable.
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re hiding something. There’s more to this story, isn’t there?”
“We should get moving, the day is half gone.”
“Oh no, you don’t.” She came to her feet. “No evasive answers. What happened with my aunt?”
They stood toe to toe with Brody still leaning against the tree, arms crossed over his chest. He held her gaze and she was unable to look away. His sexy eyes drew her in and held her captive. They were by far his best feature. Well … one of them. She also liked his broad shoulders, washboard abs, and tousled dark hair.
“You’re an infuriating woman.”
Amelia smiled. “Yes, you’ve mentioned that. The story, please.”
His look darkened even more. “She got herself in trouble, that’s what happened.”
“What kind of trouble?”
His eyes took on a distant look as he remembered and Amelia wanted to wrap her arms around him. Instead, she waited for the rest.
“In her quest to find
Paraíso
she fell while rock climbing and broke her leg in three places. She also injured her neck and shoulder in the fall.”
“I had no idea,” Amelia said, imagining her aunt lying hurt on the jungle floor. She had never told anyone. How much more hadn’t she told them? She had kept Charlie a secret, if what Brody said was true and they were lovers. But why would she keep their relationship private? “Obviously she lived through it, but it must have been horrible.”
Brody’s gaze drilled into hers. “She almost died searching for
Paraíso,
Amelia.”
“I know that now. Why are you so angry?”
“Because I’m the one who had to fly in and rescue her from the damn jungle. I had to see her broken and bloody. And all for what? A piece of paradise that may not have existed?”
Amelia put a hand flat on his chest. “But it does exist. She found it, Brody. And she gave it to me.”
His hands gripped her shoulders. “Don’t you get it? Your aunt almost died finding
Paraíso
. Is it really worth losing your life over?”
A small gasp escaped her lips. “You’re worried about me. You’re scared that will happen to me. That’s why you refused me in the beginning.” Touched, she reached up and cupped his cheek. “You really are a sweet man, Brody Kern.”
He made a disgusted sound and pulled her hand away, but didn’t let it go. “I’m not sweet,” he muttered.
Amelia smiled. “Well, rest assured. If there are any rocky cliffs to climb, I promise not to fall.” Suddenly aware that he was still holding her hand, Amelia let her eyes drop to his lips. What would it be like to be kissed by those masculine lips? By such a masculine man?
“We should get moving.”
“Yes,” she agreed, taking a sobering step backward. She was really going to have to do something about her wayward thoughts. Before she got herself in trouble, because Brody Kern was exactly the kind of man she could fall for.
And she was exactly the kind of woman he didn’t want. She’d do good to remember that. Throwing herself at a man who clearly stated she wasn’t his type would be a giant, painful mistake. Rejection stung, but being rejected by Brody would be life altering.
“Let’s go,” she said, reaching for her bags. Without another word, she pushed ahead, this time paying special attention to the trees for snakes.
• • •
“There it is. Across the river. The
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