by Lori Foster
His nose in the air, Eli asked, “What’s that wonderful smell?”
Ray pointed to two women working over outdoor fires. “It could be the Creole bread or cinnamon rolls. They bake them in those steel drums you see, using coals from driftwood. You can also smell the citrus trees. But a few yards down, closer to the wharf where the fishermen are dumping nets of snapper and jack, the smell is something else entirely.”
Eli laughed. “Everyone is smiling.”
“Yeah. See those kids eating wild sea grapes? And the men hustling tourists to make a buck? It’s a nice place.”
“It’s busier than I expected.”
“Which is why it’s a good thing you aren’t wearing your watch, or someone would have already taken it and you wouldn’t even have noticed.”
“And he would have grinned the whole time?”
“Of course.”
Just as Ray said it, a dark man approached with a huge smile, saying, “Cahn I geht a dallah, boss?”
Unable to discern the dialect, Eli lifted an eyebrow.
Ray laughed. “He wants money,” she said in an aside, then dug in her pocket, fished out change, and handed it to him. “Here you go.”
As the man left, she explained to Eli, “He called you boss as a sign of respect.”
“Which raises his odds of getting the money?”
“Exactly. They call almost everyone here boy otherwise, which is just their way, not a slur.” Eli continued to smile down at her, so she shrugged and added, somewhat defensively, “It’s easier to pay and get rid of them than to fight it. The people here specialize in a certain type of hustler’s shtick that’s hard to resist, especially when you see them washing cars in the streets, toting luggage, anything to make some honest money . . .”
Eli put his arm around her, mocking her with soothing words. “It’s okay, Ray. Being generous won’t tarnish your reputation as a badass, I promise.” He gave her a teasing squeeze. “Just keep track of any money you give away so I can reimburse you.”
She should have known, Ray thought. Eli was a genuinely nice guy. Other than his bossiness, she hadn’t found too many flaws with him yet. His body sure as hell pleased her, as did his sense of humor.
His mouth left her mindless. The way that man kissed . . .
She knew that if Eli hadn’t called a halt earlier, they’d be late now because she hadn’t been able to think of anything except feeling him inside her. Half the day had passed since then and she still wanted him. Her body was warm and needy in a way she hadn’t experienced in far too long.
She was afraid the feeling would linger—until she finally had him. Which left her with a decision to make.
They’d just neared the brothel when Sarita stepped out onto the front stoop. The slat-board building used for her business boasted a sloped porch with uneven planks. It was small, in need of repair, and still one of the better structures within view.
Sarita wore a short homemade dress of bright colors wrapped snugly around her tiny waist and cut low in front to show off her abundant cleavage. Her feet were bare, her hair was long and loose, and she had eyes only for Eli.
Because his attention caught on the bewitching woman, Eli didn’t realize Ray had stepped in front of him until he almost plowed her down. Ray regained her balance and drove her elbow into his stomach with enough force to knock the wind out of him. “Watch it,” she snapped.
Eli murmured, “Sorry,” but still he couldn’t take his gaze off the woman. With everyone else layered in sweat, she looked cool and seductive. This, he thought, must be Sarita.
“Todo tranquilo?”
His high school Spanish was pretty rusty, but Ray helped out just by replying.
“Yeah, everything’s calm.” She propped her hands on her hips. “Should we talk inside?”
“Sí.” Sarita stepped back, pushing aside long strands of beads that served as a makeshift door. Every few feet, ceiling fans swirled lazily, keeping the air stirred. She smiled at Eli. “Belikin?”
Eli wasn’t quite certain what she offered, so Ray said, “Belizean beer.”
“Thank you, no.” It was hard enough keeping his hands off Ray without mixing in the effects of alcohol. “Does she speak English?”
Sarita answered for herself. “I speak English, Spanish, and a little Creole. In my line of work, one must be able to communicate.”
Eli laughed, amused at her flirting. “I have a feeling you could communicate with any man you met.”
She replied with a suggestive smile. “Sí.”
Eli accepted the hand she offered, but she didn’t conclude the perfunctory shake. Instead, she cradled his hand in both of hers and held it to her mostly naked chest.
Pretending to ignore that, Eli said, “Thank you for your help, Sarita.”
Her smile widened. “My help will not be cheap. As my Miguel has complained, your little brother is the pain in the ass.”
He knew it only too well. But while his brother sometimes drove him nuts, Eli loved him. These people didn’t, so how would they react to being annoyed? “What has he done?”
“He complains. Often. About everything. And he whines.” She looked at Ray. “Does this one whine, too?”
Ray looked stiff and angry, but still she said, “No, he doesn’t.”
Sarita’s black gaze slid over Eli, specifically his chest, and she purred, “Yo los aprecio peludo. Ellos son hombres verdaderos.”
Between the Spanish he remembered and Sarita’s gaze, Eli caught the gist of her comment, which was something about hairy men being real men.
Ray puckered up even more. “He’s not that hairy,” she snapped, and then, all businesslike: “Sarita, his brother is okay?”
“El esta enfermo templado, un chico.”
Fed up, Eli barked, “Speak English.”
Sarita shrugged. “The brother is fine. Spoiled, but fine.” Her dark eyes looked at Eli with accusation. “He is rude.”
Incredulous at her daring, Eli glared. “Miguel kidnapped him. Was he supposed to be courteous?”
“Eli . . .” Attempting to warn him away, Ray took his elbow, but Sarita still held his hand, which left him caught between the two women.
“He is fed as well as our soldiers, but doesn’t like the food. He is offered clothing, but ridicules the style. If he were not valuable, Miguel would have already fed him to the jaguars and he would be back here with me now, where he belongs.”
That subtle threat both alarmed and angered Eli. Before he could say or do much, Ray was in front of him, chin thrust out, blocking his view of Sarita by sheer force of will.
Both hands flat on his chest, she rudely backed Eli into the rickety wall. “Don’t make me regret bringing you along, Connors.” When he tried to look beyond her, she grabbed the back of his neck and brought his face down to hers. “You heard Sarita. If Jeremy’s able to bitch about the accommodations, then he must not be hurt or even feel too threatened. Right?”
Sarita laughed. “Only the insects scare that one.”
With a roll of her dark eyes, Ray glanced over her shoulder at Sarita. “Yeah, but with the bugs you have around here, who wouldn’t be scared spitless?”
With the two women now joking, Eli relaxed a little. “You have a plan for us to get him back?”
“Sí. Bridget will take them breakfast tomorrow.” She grinned. “Los hará enfermo.”
Ray automatically translated. “It’ll make them sick.” Then to Sarita, “How sick?”
“Sick enough, the men will not notice or care when you take the brother. Their thoughts will be on their bellies.”
Eli winced. “That’s brutal. The men won’t retaliate against you?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I will have the money you give me, sí? And they will be rid of the pest. A fair trade. But we will also nurse them back to health.” She teasingly trailed her fingertips over her collarbone. “They will find no complaints.”
“No, I don’t suppose they will,” Eli said slowly.
&
nbsp; Sarita turned to Ray, all humor gone. “My Miguel, you will not hurt him as you did last time. He was weeks from my bed.”
“Last time?” Eli asked, but the women ignored him.
Ray shrugged. “You know how it is, Sarita. I’m not anticipating any trouble, but I’m not going to let him hurt Eli or Jeremy either.” She held up a hand when Sarita would have spoken. “Look, I won’t touch him if I can help it, okay? As to the other, well, if I do hit him, I’ll keep it above the belt. That’s all I can promise.”
Sarita considered things a long moment, then rubbed her hands together. “That will do. Let us finish this deal.”
After they exchanged money and specific time frames, Ray and Eli shared a meal with Sarita. The main dish consisted of white fish seasoned with coconut milk and Cajun spices, served with tortillas. They both agreed the fare was far more delicious and filling than a granola bar. It was also far better than what the guerillas and Jeremy would be eating. Ray hoped Eli knew how special the meal was—for him. Sarita was pulling out all the stops.
She even offered them a room for the night, but Ray didn’t trust her. Throughout dinner, Sarita had eyed Eli with interest. The woman made a living off her sexuality and feminine wiles, and though jealousy was new to Ray, she wasn’t about to start sharing what she hadn’t yet had herself. She’d gotten to know Eli well enough to doubt he’d take Sarita up on an offer, but no way in hell would she put it to chance.
She insisted they leave the village, saying it wouldn’t be safe for Sarita for them to stick around.
Sarita must have figured things out on her own, given the small gift she slipped to Ray, along with some pretty explicit advice on how to handle a man like Eli. She ignored the suggestive comments but, feeling unaccountably territorial, Ray didn’t mind if Sarita knew how she felt about Eli.
She just wasn’t ready for Eli to know it yet.
They came upon the hut where Ray intended to spend the night about forty minutes after leaving Sarita. It still stood, but just barely. Ray laughed at Eli’s startled exclamation as bats flew past them and something scurried across the floor.
“Behold,” she said, her arms swept wide in a gesture of grandeur, “your night’s lodging.”
Eli took in the grass roof, the rickety walls, and the very close quarters. He slanted Ray a look. They hadn’t spoken much since leaving the village and Ray had done her best to avoid his intense scrutiny, though she’d felt it often on the trail.
She kept her smile firmly in place.
“How far are we from the guerilla camp?”
“Half a mile, give or take.” Ray dropped her load, flexing her shoulders to relieve the strain. She noticed with some disgust that Eli didn’t seem the least bit tired, though he was every bit as dirty and sweaty as she was.
“It’s getting dark out there now,” he observed while peering into the dense forest behind them. In front of the hut was a long forgotten field, now overgrown with weeds and vines. Behind them, edging the tree line, was a gurgling stream.
The shack was mostly hidden from view by tall trees, their roots gnarled over the ground, some as thin as fishing line, others as thick around as Eli’s leg. They had broken through the plank foundation of the small structure and invaded the interior like hardened, entwined snakes.
There was almost no furniture. Only a small metal cot, bare except for a well-worn mattress badly in need of airing and two rickety hardback chairs set beside a three-legged table. The shed had one narrow door in front and one window, minus the shutters, in back. Ray watched as Eli dragged the mattress outside and propped it against a smooth tree trunk so the air could circulate around it.
When Ray picked up the binoculars and started out the door, Eli caught her arm. “Where’re you going?”
She wasn’t used to answering for her every move. Still, Eli looked concerned, and so, surprising herself, she explained. “I won’t be long, I’m just going to check on your brother, catch a lay of the camp before we head in there tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“That’s okay.” Ray turned to the door. “Sit down and take a load off.”
Eli stepped in front of her. “I’m coming with you, Ray.”
That imperious, demanding tone got to her. Damn it, wasn’t it enough that she wanted him? That she felt like she had to have him? He already interfered with her thoughts and body. She didn’t need him rubbing it in. “There’s nothing you can do except get in my way.”
Eli’s expression hardened. “We’re wasting time, Ray.”
She knew he wouldn’t give up, so she had to. She didn’t want to have a big fight when she had other plans for the night. As usual, he had her doing things way out of the norm for her—like conceding. “Suit yourself, but stay the hell out of my way, and you damn sure better follow my lead.”
He saluted her, and together they left the shed.
The jungle here was thick with ferns and air plants, the ground loamy and loose. They moved slowly for about twenty minutes, aware of small animals scurrying around them and birds overhead flying from tree to tree. Finally, they came to a steep, rocky incline. Ray turned to Eli, her eyes narrowed. “I have to climb up so I can get a good view of things. The camp should be right over that next ridge. You stay down here to . . . to . . .”
He raised a brow, waiting, and she blurted, “To catch me in case I fall.” Her eyes widened. Oh hell. She couldn’t believe she said something so lame. That delicious kiss earlier had her so rattled, she’d alternately berated, belittled, and badgered him, and now she was spouting pure nonsense.
She had lousy seduction skills for sure.
As Eli continued to watch her, it became obvious he hadn’t believed that giant clanker anyway. Their gazes clashed for a long moment, and finally Eli nodded. “All right. But you won’t lie to me ever again, Ray.”
His arrogance knew no bounds. She shot for sarcasm rather than admit to the lie. “I won’t, huh?”
Eli tucked her hair behind her ear, his touch so sweet that her knees suddenly felt like noodles and falling became a real possibility. “No, you won’t. Give me your word.”
Her mouth fell open. “I’m trying to conduct a rescue here, and you’re worried about something that won’t even matter in less than a few days.”
His implacable stare never wavered. “It’ll matter, so promise me.”
Bemused by his certainty of that, Ray pulled away to pace a small circle around the uneven ground. She knew things ended with the mission, so why wouldn’t Eli accept it? And what did it matter to her anyway? She could enjoy him tonight, and hopefully that’d get him out of her system. If he fooled himself into thinking it’d be more than that, big deal. Once he was home in his safe little world, he’d thank her for not intruding in his life.
She stopped in front of Eli, who hadn’t moved. “Have it your own way. I won’t lie to you. But it’ll be a moot promise soon enough.”
Eli smiled with his victory. “Come on. Get your tail up this rock so we can see what’s going on.” Kneeling on the ground, he cupped his hands for Ray.
She shook her head at his easy acceptance, stepped onto his laced fingers, and felt herself hoisted a good distance onto the rock facing. Like a monkey, she scrambled the rest of the way up until she could see over the top. Her feet were wedged into small crevices, much like toeholds, and with one hand she held on.
She raised the powerful binoculars to her eyes, then searched out the camp. For long moments she didn’t move. Memories of another day, another rescue, swamped her. The things she’d seen then left her stomach roiling and her forehead filmed in a nervous sweat. Stupid. That was then, and now nothing seemed amiss.
She continued to watch, forcing herself to study the layout of the camp. This one was different, more decrepit, proof of the guerillas’ lack of skills. There were only half a dozen casitas, which would make searching out Jeremy that much easier.
Luck was with her when she noticed one man moseying aroun
d alone. His hair was brown but his skin was fairer than the others.
Head down, arms crossed defensively, he prowled around the yard, disheveled and obviously bored, not talking with anyone. For the most part, he was ignored.
In the fading light, Ray couldn’t detect any signs of abuse, other than a few bruises and scrapes that looked older, probably from the barroom fight. Climbing down, she suddenly felt Eli grasp her waist and lift her the remainder of the way.
He didn’t turn her loose, even when both her feet were on the ground. “Well?”
“I found him. He looks fine. He even has free run of the camp, though I’m betting he’ll still be thrilled to see you.” Ray turned to start the trek back to the shack. “From what I could tell, they aren’t heavily armed. And after Sarita doses them, it should be a walk in the park.” She cast him a quick glance. “But just in case, be on your toes tomorrow.”
“I’ll manage.”
“That’s pretty damned vague, Eli. I need to know if I can count on you for backup or if you’d be better off as a watch. This isn’t a game, you know. Even with Sarita’s plan, things could still go wrong and someone could get hurt. I have to make sure it won’t be you or your brother.”
Eli caught her suddenly, jerking her around to face him. “You’re the one who’s always trying to minimize my strength and intelligence. Having money doesn’t make a man stupid or weak.” His words were sharp but low. Ray thought she’d insulted him until he added, “And what about you, damn it? I don’t want you hurt either.”
Ray was stunned by his vehemence and ridiculous worry. “I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.”
“You can, but I can’t?” He stepped around her, no longer willing to follow behind. They traveled in silence until they’d reached the cabin.
Ray stared at his broad back, wishing she could kick her own ass. She’d insulted him again when she hadn’t meant to. This whole seduction routine was a pain. “Eli?”
He ignored her as he stalked into the shack.
