stopped next to Mia and the unhappy blonde handed over a plastic bottle. Sophie squirted some cream into her palm and began to smooth it over her shoulders and chest. His gaze followed the path of her slender hand across her collarbone and lower over the tops of her breasts. He looked away before he lost all restraint. She wouldn’t need sunscreen beneath the jungle canopy. She wouldn’t need clothing at all. Or that obnoxious bug spray they all wore. He would feed her Holla berries. The delicious purple fruit released a scent from your pores that repelled insects. Catsi oil did the same. He would smooth it over her pale skin, her lips, her pussy, her sweet ass.
His lips twisted. A useless fantasy. He would never show Sophie the wonders of his world.
Chapter Five
“No, Mom. I’m fine. Really fine.” Sophie held up a finger and pointed at the phone.
Mia wrinkled her nose in sympathy and walked past her to unzip the tent flap and duck inside.
“I worry about you out there alone.”
“I’m not alone,” Sophie said automatically, even as Mia came back out with a backpack and waved good-night. Sean? She couldn’t be going back to him. But before she could ask, Mia was gone, heading off in the direction of Sean’s tent, half-hidden behind some scrub brush for privacy.
And Sophie was alone again, the night falling slow and gentle around her, a rodent scurrying through the dry grass behind her. The sun had set beyond the jagged mountains, leaving the camp in shadow. She could just make out the first stars. The lack of road noise had been astonishing to her when they first got here, almost creepy. Now it was peaceful.
Her mother sighed, started to say something else but then paused. “Just a minute.” Sophie heard her muffled voice answering someone in the background.
She wished she could ask her mother for advice on Adriano but they’d never been close in that way. Part of what made her mother such an excellent surgeon was that drive to try to fix everything. If Sophie brought her a problem, she wouldn’t get compassion or advice. She would get a solution and probably a reservation on the first flight home. That suffocating concern wasn’t good for her or her mother. Her mom’s life was busy and stressful enough as it was.
“Okay.” Her mother came back. “You’re getting enough to eat and nobody’s gotten sick, right? The bathroom facilities—”
“Are fine,” Sophie cut her off. “I wanted to tell you I’m staying an extra two weeks so I won’t have time for that visit before classes start back up.”
She braced herself for a protest but her mother said, “Just as well. I have a conference that I need to go to the week you were due home. I’ll come for the weekend once you’re settled.”
“Is Dad…” She couldn’t quite make herself ask the question. Her father hadn’t wanted her to go to Peru. He wanted her to pursue a boring, useful, business-type degree and get a real job. Safe. He wanted to wrap her up in cotton and keep her close to home. In her darker moments, Sophie thought she knew what he really wanted. Delia was the one who’d always wanted to go into marketing.
“He’ll be fine,” her mother said with an edge to her voice Sophie knew wasn’t directed at her. “He’s still refusing to pay the tuition. But if he doesn’t, then I will. We’ll find a way—”
“I don’t want you fighting over me.”
“Oh, honey, we’re divorced. You’re my daughter and it’s my money. What can he say really? We’ll work it…Okay. I’ve got to go. Love you, sweetheart. We’ll talk next week. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
“I won’t,” she promised. “Love you too.”
She slipped the phone in her pocket but stood there for a moment longer, letting the silence settle around her. She knew her parents worried about her and she felt bad about that but she also knew she was making the right decision. After her twin died, she stopped living, closing herself off from
His lips twisted. A useless fantasy. He would never show Sophie the wonders of his world.
Chapter Five
“No, Mom. I’m fine. Really fine.” Sophie held up a finger and pointed at the phone.
Mia wrinkled her nose in sympathy and walked past her to unzip the tent flap and duck inside.
“I worry about you out there alone.”
“I’m not alone,” Sophie said automatically, even as Mia came back out with a backpack and waved good-night. Sean? She couldn’t be going back to him. But before she could ask, Mia was gone, heading off in the direction of Sean’s tent, half-hidden behind some scrub brush for privacy.
And Sophie was alone again, the night falling slow and gentle around her, a rodent scurrying through the dry grass behind her. The sun had set beyond the jagged mountains, leaving the camp in shadow. She could just make out the first stars. The lack of road noise had been astonishing to her when they first got here, almost creepy. Now it was peaceful.
Her mother sighed, started to say something else but then paused. “Just a minute.” Sophie heard her muffled voice answering someone in the background.
She wished she could ask her mother for advice on Adriano but they’d never been close in that way. Part of what made her mother such an excellent surgeon was that drive to try to fix everything. If Sophie brought her a problem, she wouldn’t get compassion or advice. She would get a solution and probably a reservation on the first flight home. That suffocating concern wasn’t good for her or her mother. Her mom’s life was busy and stressful enough as it was.
“Okay.” Her mother came back. “You’re getting enough to eat and nobody’s gotten sick, right? The bathroom facilities—”
“Are fine,” Sophie cut her off. “I wanted to tell you I’m staying an extra two weeks so I won’t have time for that visit before classes start back up.”
She braced herself for a protest but her mother said, “Just as well. I have a conference that I need to go to the week you were due home. I’ll come for the weekend once you’re settled.”
“Is Dad…” She couldn’t quite make herself ask the question. Her father hadn’t wanted her to go to Peru. He wanted her to pursue a boring, useful, business-type degree and get a real job. Safe. He wanted to wrap her up in cotton and keep her close to home. In her darker moments, Sophie thought she knew what he really wanted. Delia was the one who’d always wanted to go into marketing.
“He’ll be fine,” her mother said with an edge to her voice Sophie knew wasn’t directed at her. “He’s still refusing to pay the tuition. But if he doesn’t, then I will. We’ll find a way—”
“I don’t want you fighting over me.”
“Oh, honey, we’re divorced. You’re my daughter and it’s my money. What can he say really? We’ll work it…Okay. I’ve got to go. Love you, sweetheart. We’ll talk next week. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
“I won’t,” she promised. “Love you too.”
She slipped the phone in her pocket but stood there for a moment longer, letting the silence settle around her. She knew her parents worried about her and she felt bad about that but she also knew she was making the right decision. After her twin died, she stopped living, closing herself off from
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