by Desiree Holt
The warmth of his hand as it slid under her shirt and moved over her bare skin heated her from her breasts to the apex of her thighs where her panties were surely soaked. A fluttering started deep inside her and called up responses she’d long ago buried.
He stroked her midriff, the roughened pads of his fingers creating a pleasant friction on her skin. With quick, deft movements, he had the clasp of her bra open and shoved it and her T-shirt up around her neck. When his warm, wet mouth closed over a nipple, shards of lightening sparked throughout her body. Her hips began to move against him, and tiny little mewling cries escaped her lips.
She slid her hands under his shirt to find the thick matted hair of his chest, twisting her fingers in the curls. The skin beneath the soft pelt was warm and hard, and she couldn’t stop touching it everywhere.
He reached for the zipper on her jeans, and she lifted her hips to accommodate him, willingly allowing him to roll them with her panties down her legs and over her feet. Then his mouth moved over her, leaving a wet trail that his breath wafted over like a hot breeze.
A soft nudge on her inner thighs and she opened her legs for him, wanting his touch, his heat, every part of him.
“Don’t move.” His voice was hoarse and uneven. “Stay just like that.”
He rose, and she watched through half-opened eyes as he stripped off his clothing and tossed it to the side with hers. She realized again that, in the bare flesh, Ethan was a magnificent animal. Every wonderful inch of him. She could see what he’d been before his fall from grace and what his conditioning campaign had brought him back to.
He knelt to unzip the large canvas bag he’d brought into the tent with them and reached in for something.
Another condom.
Then he was beside her again, on top of her, sheathed, poised. In one smooth motion, he slid inside her, filling her, and a strange feeling of homecoming washed over her.
This time was slower than before, as if he didn’t want to be rushed, wanted to savor every moment, every friction, every touch. His cock filled her so full, but even then, she arched toward him, wanting more.
He set up a slow rhythm, his gaze locked with hers, the hunger in his eyes hot as fire as he watched her carefully for signs of her response. She couldn’t believe she was ready so easily, that her orgasm was already reaching for the peak. When her breathing quickened and she pushed hard against him, he picked up the pace. Without warning, the orgasm crested and broke over both of them, his cock pulsing inside her as she milked him with her hot sheath.
On and on it went, until Lisa was sure she had nothing left to give. Then they were still, and Ethan collapsed forward on his forearms, his erratic breath a warm breeze on her face.
Just like before, he didn’t say a word, just took care of business before dropping back onto the thermal sheet beside her. But he did pull her body against his, cradling her against him, whisking a light kiss over her cheek before settling into sleep.
****
When they rose in the morning, Lisa wondered if they would feel awkward with each other, but Ethan was so matter-of-fact she wasn’t even sure the night before had actually happened. He simply went about whatever he was doing as if nothing had changed. And maybe in his mind it hadn’t. A dozen times, she had to stop herself from saying anything.
They had bottled water, more fruit, and another power bar for breakfast, took care of personal business, and washed with moist towelettes.
Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Ethan.”
He looked at her, his expression plainly telling her he knew what was on her mind. “Forget it. Whatever you were about to say.”
“But—
“Don’t make something out of nothing. We’re under a lot of tension here. I’ve been there before. A little recreational sex is better than tranquilizers.”
A little recreational sex? She recoiled as if he’d struck her. He’d been such a considerate and attentive lover, yet now he turned away and went back to what he was doing. Conversation over.
Okay. I can be just as cool about it as he can. He said no strings, and that’s fine with me.
But no matter how much he tried to deny it, she knew inside where it counted that last night had been a lot more than what he tried to make it be. They’d connected on a plane far greater than the physical one, and she was sure it was scaring the shit out of him.
Fine. Plenty of time to talk when this is all over.
Ethan sat cross-legged in the tent field-stripping and checking their guns. About midmorning, he turned on one of the satellite radios and punched in a number.
“Me,” he said. “I’ll recon the surrounding area today and check the finca again tonight. We don’t have near enough information yet to make a move.”
He listened, nodding to himself.
“We’ll have to make a decision after tonight,” he said at last. “We can’t hang around here too long or someone will find us for sure. Here’s the GPS coordinates of our location in case we get caught and you have to bring in the troops. I’ll do regular check-ins. More later.”
He shut down the phone and returned it to his backpack.
“Was that Nick?”
“Yes.” Short, sharp, and to the point.
Lisa cleared her throat, the feeling of dread coiling in the pit of her stomach again. “Did you say something about us getting caught?”
His hard gaze pinned her, and that same spike of agony flashed against the dark irises. “On any mission, there’s always the possibility you’ll get caught. That the whole thing will be blown. Always. You have to set your mind for that eventuality and then do everything you can to avoid it.”
She rubbed her hands against her thighs. “Do you think they know we’re here?”
“No. Not yet, but we’re still scanning the area.”
“I heard you say we’re going back there today. Do you think it’s wise to go in the daylight?”
He busied himself repacking his backpack. “I said I was. Not you.”
“But—”
“No buts, remember?” He stood up and shouldered the pack. “I can do this part better by myself. It’s second nature to me.”
“You just want me to wait here until you either get back or get shot?”
He actually grinned. “Preferably the first one. But, yes, that’s what I want you to do. Get out your sat radio.”
She pulled it from her pack and showed it to him.
“You remember how to use this?”
She nodded.
“Fine. Here’s your assignment. Once every hour, on the hour, press this button.” He pointed. “When someone answers on the other end, just tell him we’re still clear. Can you do that?”
“Of course.” She huffed with impatience. “Do you think I’m some kind of moron?”
“No.” His voice softened. “I think you’re a very brave, very smart, very courageous woman who’s been shortchanged by life. Watch my back, darlin’.”
While she stood there stunned by his words and his term of affection, he leaned down and kissed her with all the passion he’d shown the night before. When he lifted his head, he winked at her.
“See you later.”
****
The day dragged interminably. Every time the minute hand hit twelve on her watch, she punched the number on the sat radio. To the disembodied voice that answered, she said, “Still clear.”
The voice answered, “Okay,” and disconnected.
She wondered if that was Nick Vanetta on the other end, or did he have someone else monitoring this until it was time to move? And exactly where was he? Back in San Antonio? Here in Mexico? In Cancun? Waiting at the edge of the Quintana Roo? Her questions were giving her a headache.
In between calls, she tried to pass the time with exercise, keeping her muscles loose and stretching them. Shortly after noon, she treated herself to a small lunch, then went back to her stretching routine. It kept her from falling asleep.
Her ears strained
constantly for sounds of Ethan, but all she heard were the howler monkeys screeching in the trees, the cacophony of the birds overhead, the beating of their wings in the trees, and occasional sounds of some animal crashing through the undergrowth. She kept her gun ready at all times to shoot anything that wandered into their clearing.
For a while, she battered her brain, trying to dissect every moment of the previous night. A kaleidoscope of feelings ran uncontrolled through her body—satisfaction, the need for more, fear that they’d crossed an invisible line and couldn’t go back, amazement that a man she’d despised for so long could call up such a strong response.
Josh and Nick were right. Ethan was a lot more than what he allowed people to see. He had been a wonderful lover, despite the fact that each time, afterwards, he’d tried to act as if it was a mere nothing. She wondered how dark his secrets were that he had to divorce himself emotionally this way.
She’d laughed once at the seemingly inexhaustible supply of condoms. He’d just told her he was always prepared for anything.
He’d shown an unexpected tenderness, not with words but with actions, as well as respect for her. Not once had he made her feel cheap or embarrassed by what happened. Then this morning, he’d thrown her into a tizzy by ignoring what happened altogether and then giving her that heated kiss.
What would happen when this was all over and they were back in Florida, back to their normal lives?
Lisa laughed to herself. Normal lives? What was normal anymore?
Would they see each other again? Make love? Something more than that? Would he just crawl back into his cave, leaving her with nothing but memories?
When her head began to ache, trying to think through all the possibilities, she shut off her brain by doing multiplication tables, a trick she’d learned to distance herself from Charles’s humiliating treatment of her both in bed and out.
By the time several hours had passed, her nerves were getting the better of her again. She kept sending the “still clear”, hoping she was right but expecting armed men to burst from the jungle at any minute.
Then he was back, moving as silently as he had the day before. He was soaked with sweat, and his hat looked even more battered. She couldn’t tell by his expression if he had good news or bad. He took his time settling his pack, pulling off his T-shirt, mopping his face and body, drinking water in long gulps.
“Well?” she asked, her patience finally at an end.
He settled himself against a tree trunk before answering her. “I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”
“Good news,” she almost shouted. “I could use some.”
“All right, but don’t go crazy. Sound carries out here.”
“I promise. Give.”
“I saw Jamie.”
She would have shouted with joy if she hadn’t remembered Ethan’s warning in time. “Where? How is he? Does he look hurt? Is he…”
He held up his hand. “Whoa. Let me give you the details, okay?”
She blew out a breath. “Yes. Of course. I’m sorry. It’s just that…”
“I know.” He drank down two more swallows of water. “He looks fine. At least physically. He was riding a bike up and down the driveway with one of the guards watching him at all times. He’s wearing clean clothes, and he doesn’t look like he’s been abused in any way.”
“I’m sensing there’s a but.”
Ethan nodded. “I don’t remember the last time I saw a child look so unhappy.”
“Damn!” Lisa smacked her fist against the tree trunk then shook it to relieve the sting of the pain. “He misses me. I know it. He can’t be happy cooped up with a houseful of strangers.”
“Two pieces of bad news. One, I couldn’t get a glimpse of who the owner of the place is. He never came out in the yard. I guess because he was having a busy day.”
Lisa frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Cars arrived and departed all day long. Sometimes one man, sometimes two. A guard would take them inside for maybe an hour, then the next crew would arrive. Whatever business this guy is conducting he’s doing it from home.”
“What’s the other bad news?”
“I used a nifty little piece of equipment Nick included with all this stuff to check out the perimeter. I spotted cameras in some of the trees, but worse, the ground outside the wall is loaded with sensors. My guess is they’re hooked up to an alarm system.”
She resumed her nervous pacing. “So how will we ever get inside? How will we get to Jamie? How will we even know where he is?”
“Lisa, stop.” Ethan reached out a hand and grabbed her arm. “This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this. We’re going to check out the routine once more tonight, then we’ll be able to make a plan. And have the right equipment to help us. That’s why I needed to do a reconnaissance.”
She yanked off her hair tie, raked her hands through her hair, and pulled it back into a ponytail. “Can we do this ourselves?”
“No. When we’ve got the plan put together, I’m signaling Nick. He’s on standby in Cancun with a team.”
So that answered her question. “In Cancun,” she repeated.
Ethan nodded. “So he’d be instantly available when I was ready for him, and his crew. When I called him yesterday morning in Texas, he and Reno put it all together and left shortly after that.” He gave a short chuckle. “I think Nick’s been itching for some action. He was ready to leave almost before I called.”
She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, suddenly cold in the jungle heat. “I’m afraid, Ethan. I don’t want to be, but I am.”
He pulled her down to sit facing him. “Only a fool isn’t afraid, Lisa. Those who operate without fear are courting death. Fear keeps you on your toes and your senses sharpened.”
She picked up a little twig and drew a circle in the dirt with it. “I just want to be able to get Jamie out of there and bring him home safely.”
“And we will. That’s what this is all about.” He took the twig from her hand and wrapped his arms around her, a gesture way out of character for him.
After a moment, she looked up at him. “Ethan…
As if he knew what she was about to say, he shook his head. “Not now. We have a job to do. I know you want to talk, and that will take longer than five minutes. I also don’t want to distract us from what we’re here to do. Time enough when we’re all back in Tampa.”
Would that be a good talk or a bad one? She was almost afraid to find out.
Chapter Sixteen
They said very little to each other after that, eating their simple evening meal, then waiting until enough darkness had fallen to give them protection. Ethan checked their guns one more time and made sure every other piece of equipment he stuffed in his backpack was in working order. Finally, he strapped on their NVGs and they were off.
The going tonight was a little easier since Ethan had been here during the daylight hours and Lisa remembered some of it from the night before. They climbed the same tree, took up the same positions, and began again to wait.
The night was incredibly still, and the humidity lay on them like a blanket. The insects seemed to be worse than ever, and she was glad he had rubbed both of them down with repellent. Tonight, knowing what lay ahead, she managed to arrange herself in a more comfortable position. Her eyes were totally focused on the compound, trying to register every tiny detail.
They’d been there a little more than an hour when they heard shouting from the house, the front door opened and a pajama-clad boy ran out into the front yard. He was screaming something at the top of his lungs and waving his arms wildly.
“Jamie.” Lisa whispered the name to herself, digging her nails into her palms to keep herself from shouting it out. “Oh, Jamie, what are they doing to you?”
Then she heard a man’s voice swearing in both English and Spanish. When he came striding through the open door, cursing the child, she thought her heart would stop beating. Every bit of bl
ood drained from her face, and she began to shake. She’d fallen into a nightmare.
When it was just an idea, it seemed so abstract. Now she was seeing the devil in the flesh and all the terror came creeping back.
Ethan hadn’t moved as the tableau unfolded before them. She reached up and touched his leg.
“Charles,” she mouthed at him. “My God, it’s Charles. He’s alive, just like I thought.”
Ethan didn’t answer, just touched her fingers to let her know he’d heard.
It was a different Charles than the one she’d known, at least physically—longer hair, deeper tan, a moustache. Despite that, she’d know him anywhere. You never forgot your tormenter. Or your jailer.
Now he was in an obvious rage, grabbing Jamie by the arms.
“Your mother is dead, do you hear me?” he shouted. “You will never see her again.”
“She’s not.” Tears ran down Jamie’s face. “She was in the restaurant. She thinks I’ve run away. I told you and told you. Let me go.” His body thrashed wildly. “I want to go home to my mother.”
“Jamie, listen to me.” Charles tried to hold the boy still.
“No. I won’t.” He beat his fists against his father’s chest. “I hate you. You’re mean. And you were mean to Mommy. I don’t want to live with you. And I don’t want to stay in this place anymore.”
Lisa bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. Oh God, oh God, oh God.
“I am your father. You will obey me. Do you understand?”
The guards watched, as if unsure of what their role should be.
“No, I won’t.” Jamie began kicking.
“You need to learn some discipline, young man.” He set Jamie down on the ground and slapped his face in one quick motion.
“No!” The cry escaped her mouth before she could stop herself.
Charles’s head snapped up, and he looked around. The guards held their rifles at the ready.
“What was that?” He looked at both of them. “Did you hear that?”