Page 16 of Rescuing Nathaniel

He’d never flirted in his life.

Blessed with height and muscle mass from a young age, he’d never struggled to find a woman willing to hit the sheets for some fun without the added burden of strings. He hooked up, he didn't do relationships in any way, shape, or form. Yet here he was flirting—albeit clumsily—with a woman he had just met, had found close to death, who had just survived a horrific ordeal and wanted to get home.

Totally inappropriate considering he was the one who had to get her home.

It wasn’t like she was after a hookup, and once he got her back where she belonged, he wouldn't see her again.

So he had to nip this in the bud before it got out of hand.

Still, knowing that didn't seem to stop him from asking a question that had no bearing on the job he had to do. “You do that a lot. Why?”

“Do what a lot?” Ava asked, her nose scrunching up adorably as she looked at him in confusion.

“Say thank you,” he elaborated.

“Oh, well, because it’s manners?” Her confusion seemed to grow if the nose scrunching was anything to go by.

“You’ve already thanked me, you don’t have to keep saying it for the sake of manners.” Her easy-going attitude, polite manners, and knack for saying what she was thinking were making him uncomfortable.

It wasn't something he was used to.

The guys on his team were family but they didn't act all polite like Ava did. They told it like it was, sure, but they also loved to tease one another, goad one another, and just generally bother one another. They did what they had to do to break the tension of their jobs and the responsibilities that came with it because, if they didn't, that weight would wind up crushing them.

But with Ava everything felt soft, light, and sweet.

Weird.

Odd.

Confusing.

“Course I have to keep saying it,” Ava told him like he was stupid. “You literally saved my life. You didn't leave me behind. You found me something to eat and water to drink. Saying thank you is important because I'm so very grateful for everything you’ve done and everything you're doing to get me back home.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and he froze.

Talk about the icing on the uncomfortable cake.

No one liked dealing with tears, especially a guy with a woman he was attracted to. Convenient or not, he was attracted to Ava, and in more than just a physical way. So the sight of her on the brink of tears had him panicking.

The last time she’d cried was when she was hysterical on the raft, begging him not to leave her. Then she’d passed out, but he didn't want a repeat of that, so he needed something to distract them both.

“If I say you're welcome can we just move forward without more thanks needed?” he asked as he set the canteen down beside them. Thankfully, he had been able to source water and find them some edible berries when he was out scouting. It wasn't enough to sustain them long-term, but it at least got something into Ava. She needed the fuel, both to heal and because they were going to have to hike out of there soon.

His brisk words made her laugh, and the tears receded. For now at least. But despite her positive, sunny attitude she was still deeply affected by an ordeal she hadn't even begun to process yet.

“I need to check on your wound,” he informed her.

The light in her eyes dimmed, but thankfully the tears didn't come back. With a nod, she eased herself away from the wall where he’d helped her prop herself up earlier, and Nathaniel reached over to help her lie back down.

While she wasn't a complainer, he knew she was in a whole world of pain, and since all he had with him were the basics of a survival kit, he didn't have anything that was going to fix that problem for her. His op was supposed to be a quick one. Jump from the helo into the water, swim to the boat, plant the tracker, swim back to the exfil spot, and get picked up.

No one could have foreseen what was going to happen because the idea of anyone escaping from the organ traffickers was so outrageous.

Who could have accounted for one spunky little blonde?

All his small survival kit contained were some waterproof matches, water purification tablets, and of course, he had his weapon. They were going to have to make do with that and hope a village wasn't too far away. With Ava unconscious and vulnerable, he hadn't been able to travel far in any one direction at a time, so for all he knew there was help waiting for them just a couple of miles away.

“Sorry I don’t have any clothes for you to dress in,” he told her to fill the silence as he eased up the hospital gown. She was naked beneath it, and while it was impossible not to see things he was doing his best not to let his gaze linger anywhere it shouldn’t.

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