CHAPTER 52: I WANT TO KNOW

Nick’s POV

I knew it the moment her eyes widened... she liked it—three pearls I found hidden inside the huge oysters. One black, one deep blue, and one a shade lighter. Rare. Almost unreal.

Her breath hitched when she saw them. That spark in her gaze when she saw the pearls, the way her fingers lingered on it...

She smiled, eyes locked on the shimmering pearls like they were treasure, and maybe to her, they were.

’I’ll find more tomorrow,’ I told myself.

"Shall we head back to the cave?" I asked, lifting the heavy bag of oysters and mussels.

"Here, look—"

I stopped mid-sentence. I froze.

"Thank you!" She kissed me on he lips. Just like that, soft, quick, unexpected, before she threw her arms around me, hugged me tight, and whispered, "I love it," before turning on her heel and walking away.

My heart was racing like I’d just survived a storm.

She has no idea what that kiss just did to me.

I stood frozen, unmoving, fingers grazing my lips. We’ve kissed before, but that one was different. It wasn’t part of a bargain, wasn’t teased or provoked. She did it on her own for the first time. No hesitation. No warning.

She could’ve kissed my cheek, but she didn’t. She went for my lips. And that... that meant something.

Plus her hug? My goodness, it’s warm and comforting. I felt her sincerity from that.

I watched her as she stared at the pearls in her hand. She had this smile that tells me she’s going to remember what I did for the rest of her life. She walked toward the big rock where she’d laid out the seaweed. She picked up the bag leaning beside it, then glanced at me.

"Nick! Are you just going to stand there like a statue? Let’s go!" she called out, snapping me back to the moment.

I smiled and jogged over, reaching for her bag. But she held it tight.

"What are you doing?" she asked, brows rising.

"Let me carry that," I said, tugging gently, but still she wouldn’t let me.

"No need. You’re already lugging all the oysters and coconuts. I’m fine. I’m not weak," she replied, eyes fierce.

I tightened my grip and managed to wrestle the bag free. "Just because you’re strong doesn’t mean I can’t help. Let me," I said, locking eyes with her.

She huffed, hands on her hips. "So what now? I’m going to walk around empty-handed?"

I handed her my Swiss knife. "Get some banana leaves. Maybe firewood, too."

Her lips twitched, half smile, half challenge. "Okay," she nodded and seemed to be satisfied with my reason.

As soon as we reached the cave, Georgia moved with purpose, no hesitation. It was like she was doing a routine.

She spread the banana leaves beside the fire, feeding more wood into the flame that was almost out, until it roared with heat. Her face glowed from the light, fierce and beautiful in the shadows. I won’t get tired of staring at her.

I unpacked the oysters and mussels, placing them on a flat rock I’d set over the fire. My hands moved on instinct, but my eyes kept drifting to her. "How are we going to open the coconuts without proper tools?" I asked.

She didn’t glance up, just kept laying out the seaweed like she was preparing a feast. "We’ve got tools. Your Swiss knife, and I brought a kitchen knife," she replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

It was like she was calling me stupid in her mind, which I don’t mind. I can be stupid and shameless for her if that would mean I get to spend more time beside her.

I frowned. "Those are too small. We need something heavier. A cleaver or a machete."

She snapped her head toward me, brows pinched, eyes sharp. I nearly lost it, biting the inside of my cheek to hide my grin. There she was again, my firestarter, ready to burn me alive.

One moment, she was happy about the pearls and angry at me again the next.

With a heavy sigh, she stood, snatched the kitchen knife, and stalked over to the coconuts like she was about to make a point with every strike.

"Watch and learn," she said, voice low and confident, before picking up a coconut and slamming it hard against a rock.

The crack echoed in the cave. "See that?" she continued, showing me the hairline split on the shell. "That’s the first step, get it to crack. Then, remove this part here, where it was connected to the stalk."

I watched her hands move with precision, her fingers sure, steady. There was something wild and sexy about it, this woman, taming nature like it was nothing.

She grabbed the kitchen knife and started carving. "Make a hole right here. It’s soft under this layer. Once you hit the shell, hollow it out. That’s where you extract the juice. Then, smash it again to get the meat inside."

Her focus, her confidence, it pulled me in. I was mentally reciting every step, eyes fixed on her hands and lips, trying to remember it all.

"Did you get it?" Her voice snapped me out of it. She was already done and watching me with a knowing smirk.

"Yes, ma’am. Got it," I replied, trying to sound cool, but my heart was racing.

She laughed and handed me the knife. "Good. Get to work, I’ll handle the cooking."

God help me, I was falling harder than I wanted to admit.

"How did you learn all this?" I asked, genuinely curious. She didn’t exactly strike me as someone who grew up on a farm or deep in the jungle.

From what I knew, her family had lived comfortably before the pandemic and that tragic mess with her brother. She didn’t have the weathered look of someone raised in survival.

"You really want to know?" she asked, eyes glinting with mischief as she hovered over the fire, grilling the shells.

"I do," I said. "You know so much about these things. You don’t seem like someone who learned this growing up in the city."

She let out a sarcastic laugh. "So I have to be some backwoods girl to know how to crack a coconut?"

"Okay, that came out wrong," I admitted, lifting my hands in surrender. "I just meant these skills and knowledge, they’re not exactly part of city life. It’s impressive."

Her teasing smile softened into something more thoughtful. "If I tell you, promise you won’t laugh?"

"Why would I laugh?" I stepped closer. "I’m serious, Georgia. I want to know."