by Kira Archer
…
Chris smiled as she caught up to him. She might try to pretend like she didn’t have an adventurous bone in her body, but her smile said otherwise. He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when they got to their final destination. He could guarantee she’d never seen anything like it.
They traveled for another half an hour, weaving in and out of the jungle as they climbed up the mountain. Finally, they got to where he had been taking her. He knew the exact moment she caught sight of the waterfall. He could hear her gasp even over the roar of their engines.
She slowed her ATV, bringing it to a stop, and he pulled up beside her.
“Oh, wow,” she said, staring at the magnificent sight ahead of them.
He smiled and nodded, completely understanding her reaction. The falls weren’t the largest in the country by any means. But they were breathtakingly beautiful. The water fell from about twenty feet above them down a vegetation-covered cliff into a crystal clear pool below. The clearing looked as though a giant had scooped out a chunk of the jungle, leaving a clear, lush oasis in the middle of the thick trees. The sun glinted off the water that beckoned invitingly.
“Come on,” he said, jerking his head toward the waterfall. “Let’s get a closer look.”
She gave him a smile that would warm the dark corners of his heart for the rest of his days and took off, just as eager as he was to get to the falls. When they got there, they parked their ATVs, and she climbed off, pulling off her helmet.
“Can we swim?” she asked. He raised his eyebrows, surprised that she would ask before he made the suggestion. He must be rubbing off on her.
“Absolutely. Race you to the water.” He took off running, and she followed behind him, laughing.
They wasted no time in stripping off their outer clothing. He had instructed her to wear a swimming suit, and he’d been trying to guess at what she would wear all day. Of course, his mind conjured up several tantalizing images of tiny string bikinis or, better yet, nothing at all. But he suspected she leaned more toward a nice pair of shorts and baggy T-shirt.
Okay, maybe not that extreme. But at the very least a fully covered one piece.
He was pleasantly surprised at her sporty black boy shorts and dark teal halter top ensemble. Tasteful, comfortable, sporty even, while still leaving enough skin bare to actually enjoy the water.
“You first,” she said, nodding at the rippling pool. He laughed.
“I was always taught that it was ladies first,” he said.
She shook her head. “Please, be my guest.”
He shrugged and then took a running leap into the water, executing an impressive cannonball, if he did say so himself. He emerged and ran a hand over his face and up through his hair, flicking off the water droplets. She stood like a little statue on the banks, her eyes glued to his bare, wet chest.
Hmm, so she wasn’t as unaffected by him as she liked to pretend.
He ran a hand down his chest, following the lines down the planes of his stomach, brushing away the water. Not because the beaded drops bothered him. But because even from where he stood, he could see her chest hitching with her uneven breaths and her nipples beading through her suit. Oh yes. She was liking the show as much as he was enjoying putting it on for her. He wondered if she’d had any fantasies about what he would be wearing while they swam. And if those fantasies involved stripping off whatever it was.
He closed his eyes, trying to force that image out of his head. He had no business fantasizing about her at all. He didn’t need a risk assessor to tell him what a bad idea it would be for them to get involved. Never mind the fact that doing so could put everything he was trying to save at risk. But even if she believed he wanted her for her and not just so he could get on her good side for a good review, their different lifestyles would never mesh well. He’d either be begging her to go with him on his adventures or trying to get out the door without her wrapping him in bubble wrap. If she let him go at all.
That thought brought him up short. What the hell was he thinking? Meshing lifestyles? He hadn’t thought about being in any sort of relationship with anyone since Cass. He barely knew Charley. Why on earth would he be thinking about her in terms of anything other than maybe a vacation fling? He certainly wasn’t relationship material and had no intention of ever being in one again. And frankly, with all her hang ups, she didn’t seem like great relationship material, either. Then again, she was definitely not a one-night stand.
He shook his head and dove back under the water, letting the shock of the cold water slap some sense into him. Charley was off-limits. Period. So, fantasies of any kind were off the table.
He swam to the middle of the pool and waited for Charley to finish getting in. She entered the water much more slowly than he had, taking her time to carefully pick her way across the pool bed. When she was about hip deep, she surged forward, immersing the rest of her body to her neck. The look of utter bliss on her face sent several more fantasies cascading through his mind of other ways he could conjure that look.
She waded over to where he stood, though the water that only came to his chest lapped at her shoulders.
“Was it worth the ride on the deathtraps?”
She laughed, wiping her hands across her face. “More than worth it.”
“So you’re not going to count any of this against me?”
He’d said it with a smile, but she frowned. “I’m not out to get you, you know. I’m just—”
“I know,” he said, holding up a hand. “I didn’t mean to imply anything. Just…a bad joke.”
He winked, and she gave him a hesitant smile. “There’s nothing to count,” she said. “As far as I can tell, you took every precaution and were safe as possible. When approached responsibly, I can see how an excursion such as this is just as safe as any other.”
He nodded, pursing his lips. “Well, well. Never thought I’d see the day that you would admit something like that.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not some crazy uptight monster. But…” She sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out again, shaking her head with a faint smile. “When you assess risk for living, it’s a little difficult to not see the dangers in every situation you’re in.”
Her eyes quickly flicked over him, and her cheeks flushed. Somehow, he didn’t think she was referring to his job anymore.
“I can see that,” he said, catching and holding her gaze. He took a step closer, giving her a slow smile as the red in her cheeks deepened. “As long as you don’t let the fear of those risks rule your life.”
She stared at him a few seconds longer and then turned her head to gaze back up at the waterfall. “I’m working on that,” she mumbled.
He reached out to touch her arm but stopped just short of making contact. What was he doing? This was the one woman on the planet he could not make a move on. At least until the whole assessment thing was over. And yet, he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“Charley.”
She looked back at him, but before he could get anything else out, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Oh, no. He knew that look. He managed to brace himself half a heartbeat before she launched herself at him and climbed him like a howler monkey climbing a tree.
“Something touched my leg,” she said in between panicked shrieks.
He tried to look through the water at what might have scared her, but that was easier said than done when he had his arms full of terrified female.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. But he didn’t have time to enjoy that because she immediately tried to climb higher, flinging a leg over his shoulder while she tried to maneuver to his back and keep as much of her body out of the water as possible.
He, on the other hand, was struggling to remain upright while scouring the water and laughing his ass off.
“Charley,” he said, gasping between laughs. “I don’t think there’s anything in here that can hurt you.”
She was now on his back, one leg still draped on his shoulder while she clung on to his head for dear life and tried to get her other leg around his other shoulder to get her entire body out of the water like some demented game of chicken fight.
“Charley!” He gripped her thighs, laughing so hard he wasn’t sure he could keep holding her. “There’s nothing there. I promise.”
“Something touched me,” she said, peering into the water from her vantage point. “It felt like a snake or something.”
“It was probably just a fish. And I guarantee, no matter what it was, you’ve scared it away.”
Her grip on his head loosened enough that he was able to look up at her. “I promise, there is nothing in this water that will eat you.”
Except maybe him. But only if she invited him to, and since that wasn’t going to happen, she was as safe as she could get in a South American jungle.
She didn’t look like she believed him, but she took a long, shuddering breath and slid down. A move that stole his own breath.
He supported her as best he could as she slid down his back, keeping his arms behind him and wrapped around her, savoring every second of skin-on-skin contact. Her feet touched the bottom, but she didn’t let go of him. He turned so he was facing her, his eyebrows raised.
“Thanks for not tossing me off,” she said with a sheepish smile.
He chuckled. “You had a vice grip on my head. I don’t think I could have if I wanted to.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” she mumbled, her cheeks flaming bright red again. But she still hadn’t let go of him, keeping an arm around his waist.
“Ready to get out?”
“Yeah,” she said, but she made no effort to move, frowning at the bank.
He laughed again. “No worries. I got ya.”
He scooped her up in his arms. She let out a strangled gasp but didn’t object. She just wrapped her arms about his neck and held on tight while he carried her out of the water. Once they were out, he took his time setting her down on her feet. And again, she made no protest. A shiver ran through her body, and she opened her mouth like she was going to say something but then changed her mind. He ran his hands up her arms, mentally screaming at himself to let her go. Nothing good could come of continuing whatever was happening between them.
He gave her shoulders a light squeeze and stepped back, despite every cell in his body screaming in protest.
“We better get back. It’ll be dark soon.”
Panic quickly replaced whatever emotion had been clouding her eyes, and she nodded, turning on her heel and marching to the ATVs before he could say another word. He laughed quietly and shook his head.
One thing was for sure—he wasn’t the only one feeling whatever this was between them. He also wasn’t the only one worried about it, if that little frown that had creased her brow was any indication. Acting on it would be a very bad idea. Well…it would be fucking fantastic, but the consequences not so great. He could lose his position if her assessment was determined to be suspect. Her firm would certainly not be happy if she slept with a client.
But whatever this was between them was growing stronger and harder to ignore.
The question was… What were they going to do about it?
Chapter Nine
Charley woke her second morning in Spain and lay still, taking a moment to soak in her luxurious surroundings.
They’d been at the Westin Palace in Madrid for two days now, in the Royal Suite. It was far and away the most beautiful place she’d ever stayed. And not just because of the gorgeous accommodations.
She’d never in her wildest dreams thought she’d be in Spain. She could hardly believe she was there. Until she’d met Chris, she had never even left the country. And here she was a world traveler, already in her second country and, knowing Chris, who knew how many more before she would return home?
She’d expected this trip to be tedious, at best. She didn’t even want to think about her worst-case scenario. Though it had something to do with being locked in a cage surrounded by sharks or spelunking through spider-infested caves. So far, though, the trip had been…well, pretty fantastic. Aside from the whole getting chased out of the casino thing and momentary flashes of terror that Chris’s little excursions sparked, she’d enjoyed herself much more than she thought possible. Of course, today was a new day. Who knew what he had in store for them now?
And speaking of Chris and sparks…she closed her eyes again and let out a long, shaky breath as every second of their interlude under the waterfall replayed in her mind.
She’d been legitimately terrified when whatever that slimy creature had been brushed by her leg. And when she’d climbed up Chris’s tall, strong body, the only thing she’d been thinking was that she wanted to escape the certain death that was swimming around in the water.
But once she was safely perched on top of him, a whole lot of other issues had made themselves glaringly obvious. One, her body had been very, very happy to be wrapped around him. Two, her brain stopped telling her to get out of the danger zone and started coming up with all kinds of really fun ways to take advantage of the position she’d managed to put them in. And three, as far as she could tell, he would have been totally on board with all of it.
And all of the above added up to be a serious problem.
Before she could stress over it more, her phone buzzed, and she grabbed it with her heart in her throat. The rush of disappointment that flashed through her when she saw it wasn’t him was further sign that she was teetering on a dangerous precipice.
She put the phone on speaker and flopped back on her pillows. “Hey, Izzy. What’s up?”
“You sound like you’re in a lovely mood. How’s the trip going?”
Charley sighed. “Okay.”
Izzy laughed. “Yeah, sounds like it.”
“Sorry, I just woke up. Everything really is fine.”
“You guys jetted out of here so fast the other day, I didn’t get a chance to say good-bye.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. Chris seems like he flies by the seat of his pants most of the time.”
Izzy snorted. “Understatement of the year.” She paused. “So…how are things?”
Charley frowned. “Fine. Actually, it was probably a good idea to come on this trip. I have rethought a few of my previous assessments.”
“Just a few, huh?”
“I think he still takes some unnecessary risks. But I’ve also been able to see the precautions he takes.”
“See! I told you.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“So, are you going to recommend him then?”
Charley sighed and rolled to her side, tucking a pillow beneath her cheek. “I still don’t know.”
“Um-hmm. Well, are you going to sleep with him then?”
“Izzy!” Charley sat up and grabbed the phone. “What kind of question is that?”
“Uh, the good kind? Come on, you two would be amazing together. And he totally likes you.”
Charley pulled the pillow to her lap so she could bury her face in it and groan. “Does he? Or is he just being nice to me so I’ll score him better?”
“He wouldn’t do that.”
“Maybe. Even if he wouldn’t, that’s what everyone would think if they found out. That I was stupid enough to get played. Or slutty enough I’ll go around sleeping with clients. Not quite the business rep I was hoping to build with this job.”
“Are you seriously slut shaming yourself?”
Charley sighed again. “No. Just being realistic about what would happen if I gave in to this…this…whatever it is and people found out. I’d be done.”
“You’re in Spain. Who’s going to find out?”
“Seriously? Even the toddler across the hall has a cell phone. Someone would find out.”
Izzy was quiet for a few seconds before answering. “I guess. It’s a shame, though.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Ha! I knew it! You do like him!”
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Charley laughed and sat up. “Okay, this is getting way too junior high for me. I’ve got to go.”
“All right, well, call me later. And Charley…”
“Yeah?”
“Please do everything I would do.”
Izzy hung up mid-laugh, and Charley shook her head. “That girl is nuts.”
She got up and threw on a pair of comfy linen pants and a soft white shirt and went to the window to look out on the square in front of their hotel. Their suite overlooked the Fuente de Neptuno—the Fountain of Neptune. A gorgeous work of art that she could, and had, stared at for hours.
The day before, Chris had had a conference call with his board, something that had lasted far too long and put him in a less than stellar mood. While he’d remained professional and courteous with her when she’d met him for dinner that evening, there was definitely a spark missing from his normal overwhelming vitality. He’d shocked her by excusing himself and going to bed early.
She’d spent the evening soaking in the gorgeous bath in the black and gold marble bathroom in her half of the suite, after which she’d curled up with a book in the suite’s library. While she hoped Chris would be back to his perky self, she had to admit, it hadn’t been a bad way to spend an evening. Especially after the whirlwind she’d already been on.
A knock sounded at her door, and she told Chris—who else would it be—to enter.
He pushed open the door, and she braced herself for the now-familiar rush of tingling excitement that always accompanied his appearance. The little half grin he gave her sent that rush into overdrive, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
“Good morning,” he said. “Ready?”
She cocked an eyebrow. “For what?”
“I’ve got a few things planned.”
Her stomach dropped at that. With Chris, that could mean anything.
He barked out a laugh. “What do you think I’ve got planned that would put that expression on your face?”
“I don’t know. Base jumping from the top of the hotel? Bungee jumping from a helicopter? Fencing with real swords while rollerblading around the fountain?”