Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“What?” Dimitri didn’t get the word completely off his tongue when Gregori held up the hand he’d been hiding under his bicep to reveal that he was cradling a snowball. Dimitri launched to his feet right as the chilly ball of frozen water exploded against his chest.
Gregori’s mad cackles rang out in the forest and the bastard ran. Vasily and Luka joined in Gregori’s antics, launching their own snowballs at him. Dimitri rolled and dodged, creating and throwing snowballs at his three companions as fast as he could.
“What the fuck is going on?” Sam demanded as he reached the edge of their campsite.
Dimitri didn’t hesitate as he lobbed a snowball in Sam’s direction. “Sam! Catch!”
“What?” Sam asked, but the man’s reflexes were good. He snagged the ball without blinking an eye.
“Gregori said archeology isn’t a real science!” Dimitri shouted.
“What! I did not—” Gregori squawked, but it was already too late. Sam spun and pelted Gregori with the ball in his hand.
A snowball from Vasily whizzed by Sam and he yelped, darting toward Dimitri. Opening his arms, Dimitri wrapped Sam up tightly, spinning them so that he was using his body to shield the smaller man from the onslaught of summer snow. Several balls thumped against his back, but he barely even noticed them. All of his attention was on the man in his arms. Sam’s fists tightly gripped Dimitri’s T-shirt while ducking his head against his chest. Dimitri’s heart thundered in his ears and his mouth went dry. He was holding Sam and the rest of the world just stopped.
“Alright! We’re done! Cease fire!” Luka called out with laughter in his voice.
Dimitri couldn’t move. He just watched as Sam lifted his head to gaze up at him, eyes wide behind dirty glasses. The man swallowed hard as their eyes locked. He looked so vulnerable and kissable. They were so close…
Sam released Dimitri and stepped out of his arms with a little shove. “What the hell was that all about?” he asked with a strangled laugh.
“We were just teasing Dimitri about his bossiness, and things got out of hand,” Vasily explained.
The moment was broken. Sam wandered over to the picnic table and sat down hard on one of the open seats.
Thankfully, Luka had dinner in hand tonight because Dimitri’s mind was too scattered. With his luck, he’d burn the food and set half the woods on fire.
After they finished eating, Dimitri sidled in to sit next to Sam at the picnic table. “So…Brazilian nights are hot. Humid. Lots of dangerous creatures in the area that like to prey on sleeping people. Maybe consider sharing a tent with me?”
Sam didn’t even look up from the notebook in his hands. “No thanks.”
That did not go as well. Try again.
“I can keep the tent a nice cool temperature to sleep in. You’ll be well rested tomorrow instead of exhausted.”
“I can sleep fine under rough conditions.” Sam shot him a look that Dimitri couldn’t quite decipher. “I think you forget that I’m an archaeologist. Getting my PhD required hours in the field and in less than stellar conditions. This is not my first time hiking somewhere remote or sleeping rough.”
Yup, as expected, this man was too stubborn to concede easily. “I’m not saying otherwise. But why be uncomfortable tonight if you don’t have to? Think of me as a portable A/C unit. That can make the things that go bump in the night keep their distance.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
Shit, this man was stubborn beyond belief. Dimitri queried his dragon again.
You like this one? Why?
Dragon purred and suggested trying for cuddles next.
Not exactly helpful.
Well, he’d tried. Dimitri would keep an ear out for Sam and hope that nothing vicious tried to pounce on him while he was defenseless. Even if something did, Dimitri would prove it wrong very quickly. With him in the vicinity, Sam was definitely not defenseless.
Sam moaned softly.
He tried to roll over on his sleeping bag but couldn’t.
It was so fucking muggy. He’d gone to bed wearing only a T-shirt and shorts. He was pretty sure they were sticking to him now.
God, did Brazil have winter? He should have come in winter. It was better to freeze than to melt. At least then he could get some sleep.
He attempted to move again, but the weight on his chest pressed down harder, making it difficult to breathe. What the fuck?
Consciousness leaked into his brain enough to open his eyes and blink at the darkness. What was pressing down on his chest? Had Dimitri crawled into his tent while he was sleeping under the guise of “protecting” him? That sounded like something he would do. Stupid dragon.
He groped for his phone with his right hand, preparing to snap at the guide and send him back to his own tent. When he located it, he pressed the power button, casting just enough light in the pitch-black tent to illuminate bulbous red eyes, a long, hooked nose, and wild white hair that looked as if it had been styled by Albert Einstein.