Olivia Sparks

It had been thirty minutes since they first saw it, but the mighty eagle was still perched on a tree branch on the other side of the ridge. "Should we send someone to shake the tree or throw a stone so it'll move? He's been sitting there for an hour," Olivia suggested, her patience running thin. If she didn't love the man beside her, she wouldn't be enduring this booooring trip. Looking through her binoculars one more time, she scrunched her nose when yep, the bird was still sitting stationary. "What?" Maxen diverted his focus away from the camera and to his side where Olivia sat. He coiled his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him. "You can't disturb him like that and you know it. It's ok, baby. He will fly soon. Don't stress yourself about it." "I'm not stressing about it. I just wanted it to move. That's all." Maxen grabbed his other camera, scrolling through the hundreds of thumbnails which showed a plethora of birds in different shapes and sizes. He thought that maybe it could keep his baby entertained for a few minutes, but when he looked to his side, he saw Olivia was still obsessing over the eagle, with the binoculars glued to her eyes. "I think he heard me," she whispered as if the bird could really hear her. She gulped when the piercing stare of the bird felt like it put a target on her back. It's narrowed eyes and sharp features along with its commanding presence deemed it fit to be called the King of the Skies.  She passed the binoculars to Maxen and saw for himself the squinted eyes of the eagle staring straight into his soul. He quickly got into position and shutter after shutter, he took every angle of the eagle's face. Finally, the seeds of their patience bore fruit as the mighty eagle graced them with a flight. Its wingspread was wide, gliding in the air effortlessly. "Can we have one?" Olivia mused, her eyes twinkled with admiration. However, beside her, Maxen's brows furrowed, unsure whether he heard her right. "Did you say keep one?" "Yes, Your Highness. We could set up a big cage for it. Hmm? But we need a pair so it won't get lonely." "Baby?" Maxen turned to face Olivia. If it were up to him, he would collect all the eagles in the jungle for her but they both knew those aviators were endangered. "I know. I know. Just an idea. Maybe you could bend the law for me, Your Highness." She winked at him, and a nervous laugh escaped his lips as he looked around the staff. "And you're asking me in broad daylight? With the people around us?" When Olivia stuck a tongue out, Maxen gripped her waist, planting a kiss on her lips. He moved his lips to her ears, his hot breath c.a.r.e.s.sed her skin as he whispered, "Next time you stick that tongue out, I'll make sure it's wrapped around my c.o.c.k." Olivia held her tongue in. She knew Maxen would keep his word and it doesn't matter if they're in the jungle. He would surely find a way to make her kneel and feed her with his length, so she nodded and sat still like a good little lamb. Behind them, Jack gagged and rolled his eyes at the blatant PDA. He elbowed Yana beside him who was fanning Olivia the entire time. "Jealous?" The little lass raised a single brow as she mouthed the word, but before Jack could retaliate, Maxen called upon him.  "Please give the base camp office a heads-up." Maxen kept his word short. He didn't want to spoil the surprise later for Olivia. He fished his phone in his pocket and dialed a number but the other person didn't pick up, so he just left a message before dipping it back in his pants pocket. "Anything else you'd like to do today?" He squeezed Olivia's waist when he caught her reading a work email. He should be thankful that she's no longer nagging him but seeing her nose sticking on the phone irked him. Grinning up to him, Olivia put her phone away. "Nothing really. We can stay here all day and I scheduled for a massage later tonight." Maxen bobbed his head in agreement. Soon enough, the smell of food prepared by the locals wafted along with the mountain air, switching on the gurgling sounds in Olivia's stomach. Following the trail of aroma, everyone found themselves in front of a long table covered with banana leaves.  In no time, the banana leaves could no longer be seen as the locals covered it with rice, vegetable side dishes, and different kinds of grilled meat. They also prepared a log full of edible worms on the side for the daredevils. "Do you want to try the silkworm?" Olivia elbowed Maxen, c.o.c.king her brows towards the treasure c.h.e.s.t of wiggling protein. "I ate that once and it's tasty. I can grab one for you. Just swallow it down with vinegar so it won't get stuck in your throat." Olivia swallowed. Her curiosity was telling her to go and try it but the mention of 'stuck in your throat' was the deal-breaker for her so she shook her head. Picking a toasted beetle, she waved it in the air. "I'll stick with this one." After their scrumptious meal, the entourage decided to rest for an hour before trekking down to the base camp. Huddled up in a swing that was tied between two towering trees, enough to give them shade from the noon sun, were Maxen and Olivia. "This is nice," Olivia mused, her eyelashes fanned as the motion of the swing lulled her for a nap.  "Everywhere with you is nice," Maxen replied, kissing her forehead. He smiled when Olivia stopped ruffling her socked feet on his leg, a sign that she's fast asleep already. He should be taking a nap too, but his mind was elsewhere, thinking of countermeasures over what should be a peaceful auction if not for the unexpected arrival of his long time nemesis.