Page 19 of His Hawaiian Heart (Stateside Doms #26)

Chapter Thirteen

Samantha

I refused to take credit where credit wasn’t due, but when I insisted Sam was the one who truly deserved the praise I’d been receiving, he turned out to be of the same mind.

“It wasn’t me,” he stated emphatically. “If Cookie hadn’t given me some advice, I could walk around this canyon for the rest of my life and not have a single clue how many bugs surround me.”

“Advice?”

The tone Katrina used to ask the question had me wondering if that goodbye she’d told me she’d made wasn’t quite as final as she’d like me to believe. Sam didn’t so much as blink.

“That as well as a list about as long as my arm. He said he figured I should be able to come up with the best place to find at least one of the names on that list. That and a bit of research”—here he paused to gaze down at me—“not as fun or as impressive as the research I learned from Sam today, but Google did narrow the list down a bit. I just picked one that I figured best fit the part of the forest I was familiar with and, well, fate took care of the rest.”

“Then cheers to all three of you,” Josh said as he lifted his bottle of water. “Knowing what location to search cuts down half of the hours we normally spend.”

“What happens now?” Sam asked.

“Now the real work begins,” I said. “We form a small team to return and take more samples and hopefully find additional caterpillars.”

“Won’t removing them impact, I don’t know, the ecosystem or something?” Sam asked.

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean we’d take them or anything. Just find more to study. The only thing we’ll take are samples of their environment and note what they spend their time doing.”

“Okayyy,” Sam said though I knew he didn’t truly understand what I meant.

“You already know I’m an entomologist which means I study insects. In fact, most of us on this team do the same. But my role for this research study focuses on entomotherapy.” Seeing his brows furrow, I laughed. “I know, it’s not something one necessarily hears every day.”

“Unless you’re a bug in need of therapy.”

I smiled as his quip drew laughter from most of the team. Only Katrina seemed to be determined to remain stoic, but that was her issue and not mine.

“No, it’s not that kind of therapy. It’s just a big word that means I look for ways to use various species of insects in applications that are beneficial in healing diseases in humans.”

“I never considered bugs as offering anything to humanity other than the sting that comes from being bitten by one.”

“They do so much more,” I said sincerely. I could talk bugs all night but didn’t want to overwhelm the poor guy. “Does that help?”

“Yes, though it also serves to make me even more aware of how much I don’t know.”

“About the world or about Samantha?”

This time I wasn’t the only one who turned their head to look at Katrina. She obviously knew she’d sounded a bit, well…

Bitchy.

I couldn’t argue with that.

“Sorry, I’m just tired, please, go ahead.”

If she was just tired, I was just too dumb to know a lie when I heard one. And while I might be a lot of things, dumb wasn’t one of them. But this wasn’t the time nor the place to have that discussion.

While Beth seemed oblivious to the undercurrents, I’d seen Josh look between Katrina, Sam and then land on me with a look that told me we’d most likely be having that “just because” chat sooner than I’d planned.

Not wanting to encourage scrutiny, I gave Beth a big smile.

“Don’t hold back. If you have something to add, please feel free to jump in.

Asking questions is really the best way to learn. ”

“Great! I mean, I really don’t have a question, though I guess it could be considered one.”

I waited, but it took me saying, “What can be?” to have her continue.

“Oh, right. Even though I’m not a fan of cannibalism, I’d like to volunteer to help,” Beth said, then quickly added, “I mean, if that’s okay?”

“Wait, so does that mean when Samantha said ambush his prey, she actually meant he’s a carnivore? I didn’t imagine that Mr. Eupithecia ate that ant?”

I saw Katrina’s eyebrow raise and knew it wasn’t because of his question, but the fact he’d used an actual honorific for what would be nothing more than a bug to most. Before I could answer, Beth laughed and took my journal from Josh who’d been looking through it.

“Nope. Sam even has pictures! Here, look for yourself.”

Sam took it and flipped the pages back to the beginning and started going through them, studying each one.

“These are really, really good.” He flipped another page. “I watched a caterpillar eat an ant,” Sam said, a trace of wonder in his voice, then he jerked a bit as the clang of a bell sounded.

“Dinner!” Josh said as he and others began to stream toward the mess tent.

“You coming?” Katrina asked.

I wasn’t sure who she was directing the question to, but when I said, “Yes,” Sam said, “No.”

“You aren’t joining us?” I asked, no longer giving a damn what Katrina was doing or thinking.

“I’m afraid I can’t,” Sam said as he closed the book. “I’ve got to get McNut back.”

I hadn’t considered that but seeing as it was beginning to get darker, I understood. “Well, thanks for today.”

“My pleasure. Walk with me?” He held out his hand, but not to hand me my book. That he still held but offered me his other.

I took it and when his fingers entwined with mine, I felt the connection deepen between us. We reached the spot where we’d left McNut way too soon, but I had to admit the horse had to be ready to get home and eat more than macadamia nuts and grass.

“Thank—”

We both paused and laughed as once again, we’d said the same word at the same time.

“You first,” Sam said with a grin.

“For everything,” I said. “For giving us a second chance, for sharing your horse, for taking the time to research our bug, for the picnic, the waterfall… but mostly for just being you.”

He smiled. “Funny, we don’t have to actually say the same thing to actually say the same thing.”

I grinned like a loon because I understood precisely what he meant. “I am sorry you can’t join us for dinner, but I understand.”

“I would love to join you for dinner. How about tomorrow after we go swimming?”

As much as my inner goddess was screaming yes , I had to shake my head. “I’m afraid we’ll have to postpone swimming. I need to go back and get samples before Mr. Eupithecia decides to take up residence somewhere new.” I hated disappointing him, but I loved seeing that he was.

“I promised Cookie I’d make sure you ate, so I’ll give you time to collect your samples, but I’ll be back to get you for dinner. Even if I have to swing in on one of those vines like Tarzan, I’m not about to get on Cookie’s bad side.”

I laughed and went onto my tiptoes to kiss his lips. “Okay, I’ll play Jane and we can share supper.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not talking about sharing.

I want you all to myself. And I’ not talking about the mess tent or a picnic as much as I enjoyed today.

I promised to show you my island, and I meant it.

I have a feeling it’s been a while since you’ve done more than grab a sandwich or a piece of cheese.

And despite what you might believe, you can’t survive on cookies alone.

If I can’t take you swimming, at least I can take you to a nice restaurant. ”

My pulse raced a bit at the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice. “Okay, I think I can do that.”

“Good, then until tomorrow night…”

He set the journal on a rock beside us and pulled me to him until I was pressed up against his body.

His hand slid up my back and I shivered, knowing exactly where I’d feel it next.

He didn’t disappoint, his fingers encircling the nape of my neck as he lowered his head.

Not to kiss me, but to press his forehead to mine.

“Where is it?”

The question took me totally by surprise and it took me a moment to go from waiting to be kissed to asking, “Where is what?”

“The drawing?”

“The drawing?”

“The one I saw you remove from that book before you started passing it around.”

How in hell had he seen that? He’d been standing all the way on the other side of the clearing. “Uhhh?—”

His hand lifted to cup my chin and he shook his head. “Remember when I told you I don’t lie?”

“Yes.”

“Then afford me the same courtesy and don’t lie to me. If you don’t want to show it to me, just say so, and I’ll respect that. Just don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

I would have nodded, but it was hard to do with his hand holding my chin and his forehead still against mine. I swallowed and said, “My pocket.”

He smiled and dropped his hand. “Thank you.”

There was no way I couldn’t show it to him. Not now, not when I knew he knew that it had to mean something for me to conceal it in the first place. “Want to see it?”

“If you’d like to show it to me.”

Okay, now that we’d established consent, I couldn’t help but grin. “My back pocket.”

His lips curled and my body shuddered as his hand moved to first splay against my ass and then run across it from left to right.

I shivered when his fingers dipped into the pocket.

I didn’t bother informing him he had the wrong one, nor did he appear to care.

Instead, he simply slipped his fingers out and began to run them across my ass again.

The fact that he took a slight detour to run them along the seam of my jeans where the split God gave me lay hidden, only served to make me need the support of his other arm as my knees threatened to buckle.

Though when his finger dipped a bit lower and I feared he’d discover my jeans had a wet spot, I was pretty sure even his arm wouldn’t be able to keep me erect if he touched me there .

The mewl of distress I gave when his finger moved away was met by his deep chuckle. I felt his fingers dip into my left pocket and then slide out again. He held up the folded paper and I glanced down as if I didn’t know what he would see.

He took his time and I took several breaths as he studied the drawing. When he looked up, I felt my heart skip a beat.

“Message received.”

I could only stare. Even my inner goddess couldn’t come up with a single snarky thing to say which was saying a lot .

“Slow was my word for today. You chose tomorrow’s when you drew this. If you change your mind?—”

“I won’t,” I said, cutting him off.

His smile curled his lips as mine curled mine and when they met, it was a promise of what was to come.

The gasp I gave was swallowed by Sam as something pushed against me.

I had a moment of panic remembering the panther when I heard Sam grunt and felt him rock back a bit.

Then he steadied himself and the pressure disappeared.

I opened my eyes and had to laugh. Sam’s hand was on McNut’s forelock as he urged the horse to take a step back.

“He’s jealous,” Sam grumbled.

“He’s hungry,” I countered and turned to give the horse a pat. “Thank you again, Maximus. Now, take your master home safely so I can see him again.”

Sam pulled me against him once more. “There you go again, using words that you know will drive me crazy.”

I batted my lashes up at him. “Why, sir, whatever do you mean.” I yelped as his hand dropped to swat against my ass. A delicious shudder raced through me and I smiled. “So you really were keeping a tally.”

“Oh, baby, you have no idea. I figure I owe you a whole lot more than a single swat.”

“Promises, promises,” I said as I ducked beneath his arm, grabbed my journal and started walking back toward the mess tent. It was only when I remembered the page that I turned back. “The page, please.”

“Don’t be greedy,” he said, gesturing toward the journal. “You’ve got plenty to look at. This one goes home with me.”

Again, I could only stare as I watched him fold the sheet and tuck it into his pocket. “Sweet dreams, babygirl. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow,” I said softly as I watched him swing up onto McNut’s back and continued watching as they disappeared. It was the end to a day I’d never considered when I’d awakened this morning, but I also felt it was the beginning of something I’d never truly allowed myself to dream would ever happen.

I stopped off at my tent to place my journal inside, but not before carefully removing a second drawing.

A page that I hadn’t bothered removing as there was nothing obvious about it.

Only two people would know it’s significance.

Smiling, I tucked it into my personal journal.

The blossom from the lei now had a companion.

This drawing I’d made in the forest had Mr. Eupithecia holding the ant he’d consumed, but he wasn’t balancing on the edge of the log.

Instead, he stood on the ridge of the leaf that Sam had discovered held so much more than his eye could see.

As for the drawing that was now in the same pocket as that leaf?

Well, that one bore the likeness of Sam, but not as he peered through my magnifying glass down at the caterpillar.

And in it, Sam wasn’t alone. I was with him and we stood, not in the forest, but where the waterfall fell.

Though I’d taken artistic license and instead of his lying on the ground, his head in my lap, we stood there on the cliff’s edge, foreheads pressed together and arms around each other.

As for clothing? We wore nothing but fig leaves.