"He scans me up and down, from my face to down my legs, undressing me with his eyes and making me feel completely naked. He sucks his lips between his teeth and swallows. When his eyes meet mine again, there is heat behind them.
The most surprising...
Thirty minutes later, we lazily exit the water. My skin is pruny, but I feel warm and fulfilled holding Zach's hand.
I climb on behind Zach on the bike and rest my head on his back. I wrap my arms around him and place my hand on his stomach, under his shirt, grazing my fingers along his pant line. His skin feels so warm against my palm.
Zach sucks in a breath. "We're never going to get back if you keep that up."
I giggle. "Okay, fi—"
I'm cut off by a large vibration from the ground below us. I quickly grab the tablet from my bag to see how close the T-Rex is.
When I look, though, there are not any dots near us. Zach looks as confused as I am. "Maybe it was an earthquake?" I suggest.
Zach nods, not confidently. "Let's get back, just in case."
The "earthquakes" continue sporadically. After the first few days, I suggested that we make a call to the mainland, but Zach didn't think it was a good idea.
"Claire made it very clear that we should only use the phone for extreme emergencies," he said. "I don't think a few tremors count as 'extreme'."
I had to agree. They don't seem to be gaining in intensity, and we hadn't noticed anything else unusual.
That all changed a month later.
The day was like any other. I woke up when the house shook slightly—it had become my morning alarm. I knew I had some maintenance I needed to do in the medical camper today, so I decide to eat, shower and get started.
I try to be quiet, so I don't wake Zach up. He stayed up after I went to bed, looking for whatever information he could find regarding fault lines near the island. I can tell that he is starting to get worried but doesn't want me to know it.
After that first night, we'd begun spending every possible moment together. We sleep in the same bed every night and help each other with all our work. Although I'm trying not to, I know I'm falling for him...hard.
I have no idea how he feels, and I don't want to ask. My mind keeps reeling back to those first few months on the island, and his insulting attitude towards me. What if he reverts back to that? I would be crushed.
I'm in the outdoor shower, letting the water stream down my hair and back. I'm trying to relax, but my mind is racing, and not only about Zach.
The tremors have been happening for a month now, and we still can't figure out what is causing them. The water level is also starting to rise. When I arrived at the island 4 months ago, the water was at least ten feet below the dock, now it is almost touching.
We have also seen more and more dinosaurs near camp or at the shore—of all shapes and sizes. Thankfully, we still haven't seen the T-Rex since the night we spent in the jungle. I can't help but think that she will be showing up any day now.
I jump when I hear a noise behind me, automatically thinking I'm in danger. I whip my head around, but it's just Zach. I breathe a sigh of relief. "You scared me!"
He smiles, and I smile back. As much as I tell myself not to fall in love with him, as soon as I see those eyes and those lips, I am putty. He pulls his shirt over his head and slides his shorts down. He steps into the shower with me like it's a given. "The bed was cold without you."
He steps underneath the water and flips his hair back. His hair has gotten long since I've been here. It almost reaches his shoulders. I love running my hands through it.
He looks down at me and pulls me into a kiss. He's kissed me more times than I can count in the past month, but it never gets old. It's all consuming. All my worries and fears from two minutes ago have completely vanished.
We break apart, and I know we need to talk. I turn my back to him, so I'm not tempted. It's difficult to have a conversation with my lips otherwise preoccupied.
"Zach, we need to call Claire."
He begins kissing my neck and shoulder. "I don't want to talk about my aunt right now."
I take a half-step forward, away from him, and turn to face him. "Things are getting worse here, and you know it. The dinosaurs are acting even more weird, and the water level is rising, and the tremors are getting stronger. We need to call. I'm afraid it's not safe here anymore."
He nods solemnly. "I knew this conversation was coming. I'll call her today."
He seems sad, and I can't figure out why. "Good. But for now," I say while turning around and resting my back against his chest, "where were we?"
He wraps his arms around my waist and begins kissing up and down my neck. I close my eyes in ecstasy. Zach stops at my ear and places it gently between his teeth before licking it. I can hear his heavy breathing and the small muscles in his tongue moving. It's making my legs weak.
I stretch my arm back and run my hands through his hair. I open my eyes slightly—and my heart stops.
Thirty feet away, on the other side of the fence, standing completely still, and staring at Zach and I, is Blue.
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I had only seen her in videos, but I'd know that blue stripe anywhere. I'd seen the video catalog of my brother raising her from when she was a baby Velociraptor before he eventually became her Alpha. Based on the look in her eyes, I can see that familial bonds are long gone.
She steps closer when we make eye contact but doesn't touch the fence. It's like she knows it's electrified. I knew she was smart, but this is next level. How many times has she been here without us knowing?
"Z-Zach..." I can barely speak. I can barely breathe.
"Yeah, baby?" He whispers into my ear, using his sexy voice.
My hand is still in his hair, and I pull on it, forcing him to look where I'm looking. I know the second he sees her, because he freezes.
He doesn't speak, and neither do I. We just watch her, watching us.
I'm not breathing, and my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. I was scared when we were being chased by a T-Rex, but this is different—more intimate.
After what feels like forever, Blue makes a honking noise that seems to come from her core—calling to her family that no longer exists—and sprints back into the trees.
I return to my body and realize my hand is still in Zach's hair and his arms are still around my waist. It goes without saying, however, that the mood is gone.
Zach reaches behind him and turns off the water. "I'll make the call."
