Tempted Into Danger

by Melissa Cutler

She flashed her eyes his way, but she was too deep into the memory to quit. “I begged a little. It wasn’t good. And then he said maybe the engagement was a mistake. Maybe we needed to take a break. I remember standing there in his office, looking at a beetle crawling on the outside of the window, feeling about as insignificant as it was. He asked for the ring back and I set it on his desk and walked away. At least I still had time to withdraw my transfer request at the bank.”

  She stared out at the darkness, fiddling with the hem of her shirt, feeling tiny—thin and fragile and so much smaller than she wanted to be, than she’d vowed to be from this point forward.

  Diego closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m not big on jumping to conclusions about people I’ve never met, but I kind of hate your dad and Dipstick Dave.”

  The fitting moniker hit her straight in the funny bone. “Jordan would approve of that nickname. She never liked him.”

  * * *

  Diego couldn’t believe the way laughing erased the pain from Vanessa’s features and made her seem stronger from the inside out. At least he was starting to get a picture of why she had so many hang-ups about trusting him to stick around. For about the millionth time since he’d met her, he wished he were better at saying the right thing. Would’ve been nice if he could’ve told her something comforting.

  Screw it, he thought, scooping her up and hauling her onto his lap. “So you remember earlier, how you were kissing me?”

  She smiled at him, and, oh, man, it did a number on him, the way it reached all the way to her eyes and turned the skin beneath her freckles pink. Reminded him of how she looked after they’d kissed that afternoon and got him wondering all sorts of dirty things, like how she’d look after a night spent in his bed.

  “We were interrupted by a snake,” she said.

  “And I told you we had to stop kissing because we had a long way to hike before nightfall, so we had to keep moving?”

  She toyed with the strap of his shoulder holster. “I remember that, too. And then you went into anaphylactic shock.”

  “Okay, so I’m not in shock anymore, and nobody’s trying to kill us at the moment, and we’re done with hiking for the day. Frankly, there’s nothing left to do. I wonder how we could pass the time until we’re tired?”

  She was still smiling, but her eyes turned hungry.

  He captured her jaw in his hand and lowered his lips to hers. With a breathy little moan, she brought her leg across his body to straddle his hips, melting into him, surrounding him with all her soft curves and sweetness.

  His hands explored the shape of her while his tongue dipped inside her mouth with slow, deep strokes. He drank in the details of her like a starving man, and in some ways, he probably was. This easy, tender intimacy was something he never knew he needed. But now that he was experiencing it, he couldn’t imagine going the rest of his life without Vanessa to touch and kiss and talk to. To temper the vileness of his job with the peace and pleasure of holding her in his arms.

  Nothing he’d experienced with other women had compared.

  In the past, the superficial, temporary nature of the relationships he’d shared with his bedmates never entirely left his mind, and it never bothered him in the least. But with Vanessa, there wasn’t anything he wanted to forget more than the responsibilities that prevented him from being the man she deserved. From taking her hand and hanging on to it forever.

  But forget his responsibilities, he could not. Their time together was fleeting at best. As soon as she no longer needed his protection, he’d move on and so would she. She had to know that, too, but all they’d done was talk around it. She hadn’t brought it up directly. Maybe she was working as hard as he was to ignore the truth that soon they’d be saying goodbye.

  He must have had some kind of physical reaction to his wayward, unpleasant thoughts because she ended the kiss. “Does your snake bite hurt?”

  “Not at all. I can’t even feel it.”

  She stroked his cheek, her eyes searching his face. “Then what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I was thinking about how I almost never met you. I fought hard against taking this assignment because I was insulted by how easy a job it looked like it was.”

  “You mean, being a chauffeur?”

  “Yeah. How am I doing with that, by the way?” He squeezed her backside. “Am I chauffeuring you okay?”

  She splayed her hands over his chest, a wicked gleam in her eye. “You’re chauffeuring the hell out of me.”

  It was his turn to laugh. Couldn’t have said it better himself. Threading his fingers through her hair, he coaxed her face nearer. “Come here, you. I wasn’t done kissing you yet.”

  She opened for him, kissing him back, demanding it harder this time. No problem, he could do that, too.

  He kissed her so long it left him dizzy. Must be all that blood rushing away from his brain, he figured, but eventually he regained the willpower to stop, using the excuse that his arm was starting to ache.

  The truth was, though, that if he ever took it further with Vanessa, if he ever had the chance to lay her back and make love to her like he was crazy with need to, it wasn’t going to be in the middle of the jungle under mosquito netting after he’d gone two long days without a shower. She was worth so much more than that.

  She slept with her head on his lap again and this time, he wasn’t shy about putting his hands on her. He rested his back against the wall of the hut and kept his mind sharp until the sky lightened by puzzling out a way he could prevent Vanessa from getting caught up in the dangerous world he lived in, yet keep her in his life.

  It was an impossible fantasy, but the part of his brain that loved solving problems wasn’t ready give up strategizing a way to guarantee she’d never feel lonely again.

  * * *

  An hour before the sun crested over the trees, the sound of a car engine broke the relative silence of the waking village. Good. Hopefully it meant the Nobu let his crew pass into their territory peacefully. He ran his hand along Vanessa’s side to rouse her.

  She rolled to her back and smiled at him with sleepy eyes.

  He smoothed a strand of hair away from her face. “Morning, sleepyhead. I hear my crew’s car getting close. Time to get up.”

  She touched his shirt. “I’m going to miss being alone with you.”

  He folded over and kissed her, not a fireworks kind of kiss, but the kind he hoped told her how much she’d come to mean to him. “Me, too.”

  A boxy, brown van rattled up in front of the hut, Ryan at the wheel. A parade of Nobu tribesmen, women and children jogged alongside and behind the van, curious and smiling, probably thrilled for the diversion from their morning chores.

  Vanessa stood and stretched her arms up. “That’s what your crew drives? Guess the Batmobile wasn’t available, eh?”

  He pushed up from the seat and shook out his legs, chewing the inside of his cheek to fight a grin. “Around these parts, we call a van like that camouflage.”

  She smiled. He nodded toward the stairs. “Come on. Time for you to meet my crew.”

  Ignoring the crowd of Nobu who watched them like they were the day’s entertainment, he introduced each agent as they piled out of the van. Ryan first, then Alicia and Rory.

  John was the last man out, and when he zeroed in on Vanessa, he whistled, strutting forward. “Vanessa Crosby, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. And, may I say, you’re even prettier than your pictures.”

  Then he gave her body a brash, intentional once-over.

  A potent, primal emotion Diego didn’t take the time to name struck him like lightning. Before he knew what he was doing, he’d sprung forward, curling his hand into a fist.

  Chapter 15

  Scattered, volatile anger tore through Diego’s system like the explos
ion of a dirty bomb.

  He stormed up to John, shoving him in the chest until he back-stepped behind a cluster of trees, out of sight and earshot from Vanessa. In his periphery, he saw Ryan, Rory and a whole slew of tribesmen had followed. He knew Ryan would stop him from doing anything too stupid, but he hoped he’d get to make the point he needed to before Ryan stepped in.

  “What’s wrong with you?” John said.

  Diego twisted John’s shirt in his fist, the welling of emotion so hot it boiled inside him. “The woman I’m about to introduce you to? She matters. A lot. You don’t get to talk to her like that and you don’t get to look at her like that, understand?”

  John held his ground. “Who, Crosby? I was just being friendly. She’s had a tough couple days and a little harmless flirtation might make her feel better.” He smoothed a hand over his shirt. “Relax, man. I’m in this mission as deep as you are.”

  Not even close, pal.

  He got in John’s face. “If you so much as breathe wrong in her direction, you don’t want to know the wrath I’ll bring down on you.”

  Rory huffed and stood with John. “Overreact much? The Diego I know would never threaten one of his crew members. And over an asset? Makes me wonder exactly what happened in that jungle between you and the broad.”

  The way he said it crawled right under Diego’s skin. Like he was picturing Vanessa doing something cheap and nasty. He cracked his knuckles, ready to brawl. The whispered commentary of the Nobu cranked up to an excited racket. They knew someone was about to get a beat down. “Got something you want to ask me to my face, Rory? I dare you.”

  Ryan sauntered into view, his expression blank, taking it all in. Not many things in this world rattled Ryan. “She’s watching,” he said just loud enough to be heard over the noisy Nobu.

  As if on cue, he heard “Diego?” from somewhere behind him.

  He inhaled deeply, fighting to douse the flare of anger still burning bright in his veins, and turned toward her. Alicia stood next to her, frowning, but Vanessa wore the same look of calm as Ryan.

  She walked into their circle, Alicia following, and took in John’s wrinkled shirt and Diego’s clenched fists. He flexed his hands and shifted, putting her behind him. Holding himself as a shield between her and his crew.

  It wasn’t until he’d moved that he realized the significance of what he’d done. Nothing ever came between him and his crew. But it hit him in that moment that if it came to a choice between Vanessa and the four members of his team, he’d choose her.

  My God.

  He’d never felt like that before about a woman—a protectiveness that was levels beyond professional, levels beyond anything but his own driving need to make sure she was safe at all costs from anything or anyone coming at her, even his closest friends.

  Maybe his crew realized it at the same time he did because Alicia stepped back, her eyes wide. Rory and John exchanged a look of concern. Only Ryan seemed unfazed. He met Diego’s goading, violent stare and gave him a subtle nod of understanding that eased the fight in Diego’s heart just enough for him to take a breath and relax his posture. Ryan’s loyalty stood, as it always had, with Diego.

  He twisted his chin over his shoulder toward Vanessa. “We were on our way back,” he said lamely.

  She nodded. “Alicia got the first aid kit out. I need to take a look at that snake bite.”

  She didn’t wait but pivoted on her heel and headed back to the van.

  Diego shot John and Rory a final warning look, then strode after Vanessa.

  * * *

  Vanessa wasn’t stupid. She knew Diego had been fighting with his crew member John—as he was introduced to her after they emerged from the trees. Hard to miss the obvious when he bullied the man out of sight. Diego’s body had vibrated with fury that he worked futilely to mask.

  When her dad’s football players started posturing and fighting, her dad used to wave it off and say, “Don’t worry about it. All that testosterone has to go somewhere.” She wasn’t sure what John had done wrong, and she didn’t care. Diego’s snake bite had swollen again during the night, and all she could think about was getting him the medical treatment he needed.

  Alicia didn’t think it would hurt to administer more CroFab, as long as they preempted it with antihistamines and had an EpiPen standing by. When Vanessa suggested they take him to the hospital, Alicia explained that was out of the question for a lot of reasons, the most ardent being that Diego would refuse and then they’d be back to square one.

  She and Alicia had laid out the kit and the CroFab on the floor of the van just inside the open door. Diego eyed the setup and cringed. “We don’t have time for that right now. I’m fine. I told you, I don’t feel—”

  “I know you don’t feel pain.” Vanessa didn’t consider herself much of a taskmaster, but she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She took a vial of the CroFab in hand. “But too bad, because you’re going to get an injection of antivenom or I’m not getting in the van.”

  The tribespeople chattered, their smiling faces showing their delight at the exchange. But she didn’t care who was watching, not with Diego’s health at stake.

  He rolled his tongue along the inside of his lip, then gave her a look of intimidation that had probably made many a soldier quake in his boots over the years. “You don’t get in the van, I’m throwing you in, you hear me? You want to play dirty like that, you don’t know what you’re up against.” His Jersey accent ramped up, sending a shot of pure lust right to the center of her. Inappropriate timing for sure, but she couldn’t help it.

  She got nose-to-nose with him and tried out an intimidating stare of her own. “I don’t care how many guns and knives you’ve got stashed in your cargo pants, soldier, you don’t scare me.” She pointed to the floor of the van. “Sit down and be quiet.”

  His expression was fierce. The lust that had kicked to life along with his accent started spreading to all the places that counted. Probably, it wasn’t the best idea to lay a big, wet kiss on him in front of his crew, but she was headed down that road if he kept up his churlishness. It was the only way she knew how to strip away his macho defenses and access that gooey center she loved.

  A spark of understanding flashed across his features. “Oh, no. No, no, no.” He held his hands out in front of him like a buffer. His eyes were wide and panicky and shifted to his crew, then back to her again. “I see that look on your face. Don’t you dare. Not here.”

  Guess she was right about it not being a wise idea to kiss him in front of his subordinates. There was a name for knowledge like that—leverage.

  Gazing longingly at his mouth, she hummed and tugged her lower lip with her teeth.

  “Vanessa, I’m warning you.”

  She tore her eyes from his lips and drilled him with a look of sharp determination. “Then you’d better sit and let Alicia and me tend to that wound, pronto.”

  She pressed on his shoulder and he submitted, sitting in the open side doorway of the van with a sullen “Fine. Have it your way.”

  While Alicia prepared Diego’s arm, Vanessa doled out antihistamine, but Diego was looking past her. She followed his gaze. Ryan, Rory and John were staring, dumbfounded, with Rory and John sporting amused grins. Behind them, the Nobu were laughing.

  “Any of you say one word,” Diego said in a menacing voice, “I’m going to kill you.”

  Vanessa rolled her eyes. Ugh, men. How could he care about looking tough in front of his crew when he obviously needed medical attention?

  Once Alicia administered the doses, Diego scowled at Vanessa. “Satisfied?”

  “Almost.” She tucked an EpiPen in a leg pocket of his pants, then helped Alicia repack the aid kit. “You haven’t gotten a wink of sleep in days. Are you planning to nap in the van?”

  “I might be.”

 
“You’d better.”

  “Will you stop with the third degree and get in already?” He waved his hand toward the van door in invitation.

  She pretended to consider the question. “Yes. I do believe I will.”

  In the van, she watched Diego bid farewell to one of the senior Nobu who’d been watching them, a stout man Vanessa remembered from the previous day’s battle. Surrounded by his crew and a cluster of tribespeople, Diego presented the leader with his rifle and spare magazines, much like he had with his handgun from the day before. Then he and his crew nodded in gratitude before turning to the van.

  John took the wheel with Rory riding shotgun. Alicia sat next to Vanessa into the forward-facing bench seat, leaving Diego and Ryan to take the backward facing bench that abutted the driver’s seat.

  After several long minutes of awkward silence, Rory cleared his throat. “Okay, fine, I’ll ask since you’re both being so quiet. How did you two end up in the middle of Nobu territory? They hate outsiders.”

  “En route to my Leroy we crashed a helicopter, then hiked for two days. When we got attacked by Chiara operatives, we found out the Nobu don’t take kindly to battles being waged on their land. They helped us escape the hostiles and took us in.”

  John darted a quick look over his shoulder. “Good thing you had Vanessa with you or they might have turned you into Swiss cheese along with the Chiaras for trespassing,” John said. “The Nobu have rules against hurting women, I’ve heard.”

  “Yeah, that must be it.” Diego met her gaze and winked.

  “Whatever the reason,” Alicia said, “you’re lucky you made it out safely.”

  “Where are we headed?” Vanessa asked.

  “We have orders about a new ICE safe house location to deliver you to immediately.” Alicia smiled at Vanessa. “I’m sure Diego debriefed you.”

  Her gaze dropped to her hands as her pulse picked up speed. No, he most certainly had not.

  “Give it a rest, will you, Alicia?” Diego said, sounding annoyed. His boot tapped the side of Vanessa’s shoe. “I didn’t mention it to you because I knew that wasn’t the way it was going to go down. Nothing’s happening until I have a chance to assess the situation properly.”