Page 24 of Anyone But You

Ten minutes later, I nearly dropped to my knees and kissed the ground.

“Is this a mirage?” Victoria asked.

We had our answer when Josh released a piercing victory cry and ran toward what I believed to be a freshwater oasis fed by a 20-foot waterfall. He jumped cannonball-style and broke the surface a few seconds later.

“Whoa! This water is so cold!”

“What about the taste?” Victoria asked as I shedded my clothes.

“It’s the best-tasting water I’ve ever had. Think Evian, but ten times better!”

That is good enough for me.

I was about to follow Josh’s lead when Victoria stuck her arm out to block me.

“Vic—”

“Give it a few minutes.”

“Why?” I asked curiously.

“He jumped in and has no clue if predators are in the water.”

A chuckle started low in my chest and soon became a full-blown gut-busting laugh. I wagged a finger at her—still coming to terms with how devious my sexy assistant could be.

“You’re fucked up, you know that?”

“It’s called survival of the fittest. Give it about twenty minutes. That’s enough time to see if an alligator will snatch his ass up.”

Victoria

Thank God I had the good sense to get vacation braids, I thought as I floated in the crisp water. The palm fronds and overgrown vegetation provided a natural canopy that blocked some of the sun’s harsh rays. The waterfall was crystal clear, catching the sun in each drop that cascaded from a cliff. I was at peace for the first time since the crash. The sight was so majestic and astounding that I had nearly forgotten we weren’t in Bali and were stranded on what now appeared to be an uninhabited island.

I closed my eyes, obscuring my vision of Knox getting hisGQMagazineon underneath the falls. The water beat down on him like it was his personal shower. He slicked his wet hair back with his hands and blew water out of his nose and mouth. The water sluiced down his bare chest and well-defined abdomen, threatening to trigger my own little waterfall.

Now, if he just loses the designer boxer briefs, then we’d be in business. Never mind. It’s probably best that I focus on finding something to eat instead of thinking of gobbling up my boss’s dick.

I closed my eyes and tried to think pure thoughts instead of Knox Ramsey opening my third eye. I began sputtering when someone’s childish ass splashed water in my face.

“What the—Josh, quit playing around!” I fussed after recovering from him splashing a tidal wave of water in my face. I swiped at my face angrily. “Iknowyou were that badass kid running around the community pool being a menace. You had to sit in time out every five minutes, watching the rest of us have fun because you were doing too much.”

I heard Knox chuckle in the background and grumble something about me projecting.

And I am. I was the badass little kid, but that’s neither here nor there.

“What’s a community pool?” Josh asked inquisitively, pushing his auburn hair out of his face.

Mr. Alligator, you can come take him now.

“Think of the pool at your parents’ country club, but without the servers, cabanas, and luxury loungers, and everyone is invited, no matter their financial status,” Knox explained.

Josh cringed, and I wanted to punch him in the face. He caught the unimpressed look on my face and changed his tune with the quickness. “That…that sounds…exciting,” he said with a tight smile.

Translation: Bless your heart.

On our three-hour hike, Josh couldn’t help but tell us that his father was basically Daddy Warbucks and would be looking for him, which was terrific for me because that doubled the odds we’d be found.

“We should start heading back,” Knox said, filling the 50-ounce stainless steel carafe from the waterfall.