Ugh, home.
Though we still had half a week left, I was already dreading the thought of leaving. The idea of not seeing these guys ever again was an upsetting one. Hell, I was upset at the idea of not seeing them every day.
But we were together now, I wanted to enjoy every second I had with them.
As long as it didn’t involve surfing.
We walked on for another half hour. If Kincade really was checking me out from behind, I couldn’t blame him. I was doing the same to Brock. He had on ripped jeans shorts and sturdy hiking boots. For a while, I’d been mesmerized with the way the muscles in his legs moved as he took his powerful strides.
Then, he’d evidently gotten hot and had taken off his shirt, shoving it into the pack he carried. That had allowed me to drool over the rippling muscles of his back. It was an awesome view, but I had to balance watching him and where I was going so that I didn’t walk into a tree.
“I think it’s just up ahead,” Jessie called out from the end of the line.
“Backseat driver,” Kincade muttered, and I laughed. I loved how these guys had each other’s backs but also gave each other a hard time. That thought made me smile. I’d given them a hard time once or twice this week, too, but in an entirely different way.
A minute later, Brock stopped abruptly, and I almost bumped into him. Kincade did bump into me, but it might have been on purpose, judging by how quick he was to steady himself by grabbing my upper arms, his fingers wrapping around and brushing the sides of my breasts.
Jessie strode past us and conferred with Brock. He didn’t take out the map this time, either, and I recalled the other guys saying that Jessie had a nearly perfect memory.
Together, they led us off the path. It seemed like we were on another path, a less-used one, but it was a little hard to tell because there was more debris on the ground here. Kincade squeezed past me and then reached his hand back to me. We walked in single file, but he kept a firm grip on my fingers. It was nice to have his support when I slipped on a downed palm frond or tripped over a stick.
The path got steeper and by the time it flattened out, I was panting a little. But over the sounds of my breath, I could hear another sound… falling water.
We rounded one last corner, and there it was. The waterfall wasn’t that high, but the water bounced down a rock wall and then dropped the last few feet into a beautiful little pool of the clearest water I’d ever seen. The pool was small, maybe the size of a backyard swimming pool. Then the water bounced down a series of rocks into a large pond. This one wasn’t as clear, but it still looked refreshing and inviting. I didn’t know where the water went after that, but I figured it must drain into a creek and eventually end up in the sea.
“This is amazing,” I breathed. “Thank you for thinking of it, Brock, and for finding it, Jessie.”
“What about me?” Kincade complained.
“Thank you for having my back.”
“More like watching your back,” Jessie muttered, and Kincade just grinned.
We had to climb down to a little clearing by the larger pond. The men were careful to make sure I was okay, even though I had on tennis shoes. I had to admit, I liked the way they took care of me and looked out for me. I wasn’t used to that. I wondered if that was how Emma felt when she was with her men.
Of course, they weren’t my men… but hopefully they didn’t mind if I borrowed them for the week.
We settled at the small clearing by the pond. It wasn’t really a beach, but there were some bare patches of dry dirt. It was better than constantly stepping over logs and uneven ground.
Jessie and Kincade immediately took off their shirts. I wished I could—I’d worked up a sweat. But even if I’d been brave enough, the bra I’d worn had been chosen for its support, not its beauty. It was the equivalent of granny panties, and I wasn’t willing to let the guys see how ugly it was.
Brock pulled water bottles out of his pack and handed them out. I took one gratefully, and then shared what I’d brought—sandwiches.
“Where’d you get these?” Kincade asked, opening one and consuming half of it in one bite.
“From the lodge when I went up to see Gina.”
“Thanks,” Jessie said.
“And I have this.” I held up a tube of sunblock. “Anyone need it?”
Kincade was already done with his sandwich, so he came over. I stood up and rubbed it over his smooth, broad back, making sure to get the back of his neck, too. A wry thought occurred to me. “How come I only ever get to do your backs?”