Nick’s POV
I knew it the mont her eyes widened... she liked it—three pearls I found hidden inside the huge oysters. One black, one deep blue, and one a shade lighter. Rare. Almost unreal.
Her breath hitched when she saw them. That spark in her gaze when she saw the pearls, the way her fingers lingered on it...
She smiled, eyes locked on the shimring pearls like they were treasure, and maybe to her, they were.
’I’ll find more tomorrow,’ I told myself.
"Shall we head back to the cave?" I asked, lifting the heavy bag of oysters and mussels.
"Here, look—"
I stopped mid-sentence. I froze.
"Thank you!" She kissed on he lips. Just like that, soft, quick, unexpected, before she threw her arms around , hugged tight, and whispered, "I love it," before turning on her heel and walking away.
My heart was racing like I’d just survived a storm.
She has no idea what that kiss just did to .
I stood frozen, unmoving, fingers grazing my lips. We’ve kissed before, but that one was different. It wasn’t part of a bargain, wasn’t teased or provoked. She did it on her own for the first ti. No hesitation. No warning.
She could’ve kissed my cheek, but she didn’t. She went for my lips. And that... that ant sothing.
Plus her hug? My goodness, it’s warm and comforting. I felt her sincerity from that.
I watched her as she stared at the pearls in her hand. She had this smile that tells she’s going to rember what I did for the rest of her life. She walked toward the big rock where she’d laid out the seaweed. She picked up the bag leaning beside it, then glanced at .
"Nick! Are you just going to stand there like a statue? Let’s go!" she called out, snapping back to the mont.
I smiled and jogged over, reaching for her bag. But she held it tight.
"What are you doing?" she asked, brows rising.
"Let carry that," I said, tugging gently, but still she wouldn’t let .
"No need. You’re already lugging all the oysters and coconuts. I’m fine. I’m not weak," she replied, eyes fierce.
I tightened my grip and managed to wrestle the bag free. "Just because you’re strong doesn’t an I can’t help. Let ," I said, locking eyes with her.
She huffed, hands on her hips. "So what now? I’m going to walk around empty-handed?"
I handed her my Swiss knife. "Get so banana leaves. Maybe firewood, too."
Her lips twitched, half smile, half challenge. "Okay," she nodded and seed to be satisfied with my reason.
As soon as we reached the cave, Georgia moved with purpose, no hesitation. It was like she was doing a routine.
She spread the banana leaves beside the fire, feeding more wood into the fla that was almost out, until it roared with heat. Her face glowed from the light, fierce and beautiful in the shadows. I won’t get tired of staring at her.
I unpacked the oysters and mussels, placing them on a flat rock I’d set over the fire. My hands moved on instinct, but my eyes kept drifting to her. "How are we going to open the coconuts without proper tools?" I asked.
She didn’t glance up, just kept laying out the seaweed like she was preparing a feast. "We’ve got tools. Your Swiss knife, and I brought a kitchen knife," she replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
It was like she was calling stupid in her mind, which I don’t mind. I can be stupid and shaless for her if that would an I get to spend more ti beside her.
I frowned. "Those are too small. We need sothing heavier. A cleaver or a machete."
She snapped her head toward , brows pinched, eyes sharp. I nearly lost it, biting the inside of my cheek to hide my grin. There she was again, my firestarter, ready to burn alive.
One mont, she was happy about the pearls and angry at again the next.
With a heavy sigh, she stood, snatched the kitchen knife, and stalked over to the coconuts like she was about to make a point with every strike.
"Watch and learn," she said, voice low and confident, before picking up a coconut and slamming it hard against a rock.
The crack echoed in the cave. "See that?" she continued, showing the hairline split on the shell. "That’s the first step, get it to crack. Then, remove this part here, where it was connected to the stalk."
I watched her hands move with precision, her fingers sure, steady. There was sothing wild and sexy about it, this woman, taming nature like it was nothing.
She grabbed the kitchen knife and started carving. "Make a hole right here. It’s soft under this layer. Once you hit the shell, hollow it out. That’s where you extract the juice. Then, smash it again to get the at inside."
Her focus, her confidence, it pulled in. I was ntally reciting every step, eyes fixed on her hands and lips, trying to rember it all.
"Did you get it?" Her voice snapped out of it. She was already done and watching with a knowing smirk.
"Yes, ma’am. Got it," I replied, trying to sound cool, but my heart was racing.
She laughed and handed the knife. "Good. Get to work, I’ll handle the cooking."
God help , I was falling harder than I wanted to admit.
"How did you learn all this?" I asked, genuinely curious. She didn’t exactly strike as soone who grew up on a farm or deep in the jungle.
From what I knew, her family had lived comfortably before the pandemic and that tragic ss with her brother. She didn’t have the weathered look of soone raised in survival.
"You really want to know?" she asked, eyes glinting with mischief as she hovered over the fire, grilling the shells.
"I do," I said. "You know so much about these things. You don’t seem like soone who learned this growing up in the city."
She let out a sarcastic laugh. "So I have to be so backwoods girl to know how to crack a coconut?"
"Okay, that ca out wrong," I admitted, lifting my hands in surrender. "I just ant these skills and knowledge, they’re not exactly part of city life. It’s impressive."
Her teasing smile softened into sothing more thoughtful. "If I tell you, promise you won’t laugh?"
"Why would I laugh?" I stepped closer. "I’m serious, Georgia. I want to know."
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