Page 32 of Green Ravens

“Can you see that?” He practically yelled with excitement. “The smoke.”

Sawyer sat up higher as a wide grin formed.

“Hell yeah, I see it. Does that mean—”

“It means there’s civilization…” Oakley tried to give as accurate an account as he could. “Looks to be about eight, maybe ten miles from here.”

Sawyer inched away as if he were about to climb down. “Maybe we should start walking now. That way, we’ll be there by sunrise.”

“I wanna haul ass toward there too, Chief.” Oakley pulled Sawyer back to him. “But remember what I said about the Amazon at night? There’s too much we can’t see. Plus, there’s a storm brewing, and my flashlight is too dim now. My Maglite will burn out, and I won’t be able to see into the trees.”

Sawyer let out a frustrated sigh.

“We’ll leave at dawn. If we double-time it, we’ll reach there shortly after midday.”

“I just hope it’s someone helpful, not hostile.”

“If it’s a small village, they most likely won’t have firearms…and we do,” Oakley reminded. “We’ll relay we don’t wanna fight. We just wanna get home. Even if they don’t have phones or transportation, maybe a guide will lead us to where one is.”

“Thank god.” Sawyer reclined harder. “I’ll be honest. I was losing hope.”

Oakley scoffed and pressed his lips to Sawyer’s ear. “I thought you said you trusted me.”

“I do,” Sawyer whispered. “But I know I was slowing you down.”

Oakley didn’t say anything else. He let his hold do the talking. He embraced Sawyer like he was the best thing in the world to ever happen to him.

It wasn’t long before a slow patter of rain began to fall, tapping against the broad leaves.

“Great, rain.”

“This isn’t rain, handsome. This is merely a tease of what Mother Nature can do in the rainforest.”

“Shit.”

Just as he’d said, the rain intensified every few seconds until it was a full-on downpour.

The scent of wet earth and tree sap mingled with the overgrown moss and sweet aroma of the blooming orchids.

Oakley reached up and cupped one of the large leaves of the Angelim tree. He allowed a decent amount of rain to pool inside before he took Oakley by the chin and tilted his head up.

“Close your eyes and open your mouth,” he ordered, knowing Sawyer would comply without argument.

He fucking loved it, and he planned to take advantage of that willingness as soon as they were safe and alone.

Sawyer’s eyelids slid closed before he moaned all sexy and delicious, then dropped his mouth open.

Oakley lowered the leaf, laughing when Sawyer coughed and hacked at the unexpected flood of fresh water.

“You asshole. Are you trying to drown me?”

“But it tastes good, right?”

“Shut up and give me some more.”

They drank until they were full, then sat back and let the sparse drops of rain that got through the wide leaves overhead cleanse their hair and faces.

Hours later, it was pitch dark and Sawyer was still tossing and turning in his arms.

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