Paradise by Eileen Ann Brennan Read Free Book Online Page A

close. Too close.
    Air as thick as the silt under the water made it impossible to take a calming breath. Her heart thudded like some wild native drum in the stillness of the swamp. The silence echoed around her. The only sound was the gentle rhythmic dip of Eddie’s paddle. No frogs, no crickets, no beasties. Wait. No Eddie. He wasn’t talking.
    Glancing sharply over her shoulder, she nearly capsized the canoe to discover his gaze exploring her butt. At the shift in her posture, his eyes shot upward to catch hers. Unwavering, they darkened into a deep, golden honey. A ravenous stare replaced all his previous laughter and teasing.
    Her stomach did a flip flop, and she couldn’t tear her gaze from his. The world stopped spinning and time slowed so that in the still air, sound seemed to disappear except for the unrelenting dip of his paddle. Almost. Could he hear the roar of blood rushing through her veins? The deafening thud of her heart hammering in her chest? Heat radiated to her inner core, tingling each cell along the way.
    It didn’t seem possible, but his eyes grew darker to a tawny chestnut. His lips parted, revealing the tip of his tongue. Mesmerized, she watched it slide across his upper lip.
    The sharp cry of a crow on a nearby bank startled her. She lost the grip on her paddle, dropping it overboard. With one swift movement, Eddie sliced his through the water before it drifted away with the current.
    “You’re not going to get out of paddling that easily, darlin’.” He smiled, his tour guide persona resurfacing. He handed her the paddle. The swamp water dripped onto her jeans.
    The moment passed as if it hadn’t occurred. Had she imagined his gaze trained on her as if she were a tasty morsel for his enjoyment? Maybe all this fresh air was causing hallucinations.
    He steered the canoe into another narrow waterway not more than six feet across. “There are some interesting egret nests this way,” he commented. “We should be able to see quite a few of them. Did you know that the egret is…”
    There he went again. She smiled to herself. Didn’t this guy ever stop talking? Egrets were not exactly --
    “Oh, my God!” she screamed as they rounded a bend. She swayed back, falling off her seat onto the supplies behind her, paddle raised over her head. A monstrous alligator sunned itself on a fallen tree trunk not ten feet ahead of them.
    “Do something!” she screeched, feeling like a turtle on its back struggling to right itself. She continued to hold the paddle over her head, ready to defend herself when the massive beast attacked. She might get in a swat or two before she became his Happy Meal.
    Eddie continued to calmly paddle in the same slow rhythm. “Settle down.” He chuckled. “Mr. Gator won’t hurt you. He’s just out there working on his tan. We’ll glide right by him and he won’t bother us.”
    “How… how do you know that?” she demanded in a hushed tone. She didn’t want the gator to hear her talking about it, assuming gators had ears. Its unblinking eyes followed them as they glided silently by. Huge teeth, undoubtedly sharpened on the bones of unfortunate campers, hung menacingly out of the enormous open jaw. Her heart raced. One chomp would put an end to her.
    “Simple. He’s not going to bother us because we’re not going to bother him. He’s content right where he is.” Eddie maneuvered the canoe around the waterway, steering clear of the gator’s personal space.
    “Besides, even if he did want to pick a fight, he wouldn’t pick on us.” Eddie’s whispered response did nothing to relieve her anxiety. Maybe he didn’t want the gator to overhear him either.
    “How can you be so sure?” They were almost passed it.
    “Easy. You see, his brain is about the size of a
Georgia
pecan. He doesn’t see us as a canoe carrying his take-out lunch. He sees an adversary skimming by him. Right now, he’s grateful that the fifteen foot silver gator didn’t pick a fight with