The Pleasures of Winter by Evie Hunter Read Free Book Online Page A

any of them had been near a shower, so what she was smelling was pure essence of Winter and it had an intoxicating effect on her.
    Almost as quickly as it started, it stopped. A few last heavy drops signalled the end of the rain. For now. Jack checked the compass again and led them out into the thick wall of vegetation.
    Pictures didn’t convey the reality of a jungle, she thought, as she watched him hacking away at the undergrowth. Each step involved several swings of his knife. It was a pity he didn’t have a proper machete. Every foot of progress disturbed more insects and wildlife. Kevin chatted to her but she didn’t pay much attention to what he was saying – she was too busy watching out for bugs. She was glad when Kevin brushed them off her head and back a few times.
    Kevin and Jack swapped places and Jack fell in beside her. The four of them walked in silence, all focused on conserving their energies and simply making their way. Abbie suggested taking a turn leading, but Jack and Kevin just stared her down. She didn’t push it – she wasn’t confident she would be that good at hacking through the greenery.
    By the time lunch came around, she needed to sit down. Jack lit a small fire, collected a number of larvae and grubs and put them on makeshift wooden skewers. She watched the bug kebabs cook, wondering how on earth she’d eat them but realizing that she had no choice.
    ‘Not haute cuisine, but edible,’ Jack said.
    She wasn’t sure.
Starving New York journalist forced to eat bugs – my jungle hell,
she thought as she took one off a skewer and reluctantly put it into her mouth. Imagining the headlines was the only way she was going to swallow anything. Oh god, oh god, she was going to be sick. She cast a sidelong glance at Jack. He was staring at her. Waiting to see if she would spit it out.
    Not a chance. If Hollywood and his sidekick could swallow one of these babies, so could she. It was just like sushi.
    Who was she kidding? It was a bug. A truly foul-tasting bug. She swallowed and flashed Jack her brightest smile.
    ‘Would you like another, Abbie? Plenty more to go round.’
    ‘No thanks, I’m good.’
    The sound of retching made her stomach clench. Zeke was bent over a log, puking up his lunch. Abbie gritted her teeth, trying not to do the same. Kevin winked at her before going to fetch some water for Zeke.
    Jack stretched his arms over his head and she caught a glimpse of a well-developed six-pack when his T-shirt lifted. Well, there was proof positive: he really had it. He didn’t use a body double. Then she had another flash – those rock-hard abs pressed against her back, his hands roaming her … S
top it, Abbie. Just behave.
    Jack winked when he caught her stare and she turned away quickly before he could see her blush.
    ‘You OK, Zeke?’ he called.
    The agent stood up, his face pale and beads of sweat along his forehead. ‘Of course I’m not OK. My gastroenterologist will go crazy when he finds out what I’ve been eating. My digestive system is very delicate.’
    Jack ignored that. ‘Great. I’ll take point. We’ll walk for another couple of hours before we make camp for the night. Abbie, you can walk with Zeke, and Kevin will take the rear.’
    ‘I bet he will,’ she laughed, then realized she faced two hours of listening to Zeke now that he had her to himself.
    ‘Can I take a turn with the knife?’ she asked again.
    ‘No,’ both men chorused.

5
    Jack struck the first blow at the green curtain and they set off into the unknown. Abbie chose not to think of how far they still had to go.
    Zeke turned to her. ‘So, what’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?’
    He was hitting on her, and with a line that corny? Abbie resisted the urge to break his other arm. He was old enough to be her father. She smiled sweetly at him. ‘I was chasing down a connection between an international drugs cartel and Antonio Tabora.’
    ‘Antonio who?’
    ‘Tabora,’ Jack’s