Nodding, Mac could see she was going to be all-business. That was fine with him, although a tiny part of his heart wished that she was as attracted to him as he was to her. He knew this was dangerous for him and his cover, so he quickly squashed those feelings. “I’d like to take you for a late evening walk around the villa. It’s very beautiful this time of day.” Mac sat up and smoothed his hands on his thighs.
Kathy frowned as she saw him nod his head toward the lamp near the end of the couch. What was he doing?
“I really don’t feel up to a walk….” she said, tilting her head and giving him a questioning look.
“I think you’ll feel better if you limber up, Ms. Lincoln.” Again, he flicked his gaze discreetly toward the lamp. He wanted to alert her to the fact that there was a listening device in it. Garcia had almost every area of the compound bugged. He had a team of men who constantly monitored and taped conversations to spy on his employees and guests. What Mac wanted to tell Kathy would be in direct violation of his orders, and Garcia would have him shot in the head for it. Would she realize what he was trying to tell her? Mac saw the confusion clear and her eyes sharpen.
Kathy had been slow to realize it because she was wiped out from the day’s events. Somehow, Mac was trying to tell her something. What? Who was he, really? Standing, she said, “Maybe you’re right. The more I sit around, the stiffer I’ll get. A walk would do me good. Thanks for suggesting it.”
THEY WERE ON A NARROW jungle trail of red coleche clay, which led down the mountain, at least half a mile from the estate. The sun had set and the day was dying, but there was still ample light to see where they were going. Around them, the jungle was alive with insects singing, frogs chirping and monkeys howling.
Mac spoke to her for the first time, in a hushed tone. He had walked at her right elbow until now. Stopping, he turned and drew close enough so that their arms nearly brushed.
“Your villa is bugged,” he informed her. Mac saw her go pale, her eyes growing huge with shock. “The patrón listens to all of us. He has men constantly monitoring nearly all buildings and the people who live in them.”
“That doesn’t seem right.” Kathy searched Mac’s stern countenance and saw honesty mirrored in his gray gaze. She could feel his heat and found herself absorbing his protectiveness.
Shrugging, he said carefully, “It’s his way.” Garcia is a drug lord and he’s paranoid, so that’s why he has bugs. Of course, Mac couldn’t say that to her, nor would he want to right then. The stunned look in her eyes told him she wasn’t a spy. She had beautiful, soul-stealing eyes. A man could spend his entire life mapping out her face and losing himself in her sea-blue gaze. It took a huge effort to restrain himself and keep to the point of their talk.
“And that’s why we’re out here? You wanted to talk to me but you knew we were being taped?” To escape Mac’s steady look, Kathy glanced away and pretended to gauge the trail. It curved steeply downward, and she didn’t feel like taking it. Mac stood less than a foot from her, his hands resting languidly on his narrow hips, his brows bunched.
“Yeah, that’s right. We have some privacy here.” Mac had excellent hearing, and if someone was coming up the path, he’d know it. But to be sure, he dropped his voice to a bare whisper. “You need to listen to me, Katherine.” It was the first time he’d used her first name. She hadn’t given him permission, but the driving fear overrode his normal social skills. “I’m supposed to drop you at the jungle test point at 0500 tomorrow. I told you that they give you nothing and you’ll likely run into that jaguar on the way back. You have to survive that encounter.”
Nodding, Kathy leaned her head forward so that his lips were almost brushing her hair. Fear zigzagged through her. More and more, Mac Coulter was looking like a guardian angel to her. “Go on.” The unexpected desire to simply take one step and lean her head against his broad shoulder was nearly Kathy’s undoing. His ability to draw her to him was mind-blowing. He had powerful male charisma, and it was working overtime on all her senses. Kathy told herself it was the danger of her situation that was making her overreact to him. After all, Mac was the only person in this nest of snakes who was trying to help her survive.
“It’s a short flight across the Urubamba, so I won’t have time to tell you what you need to know before I drop you off. That’s why we’re standing here right now. You have to know the river is turbulent—fast, deep and dangerous. But one mile upstream is a rope bridge that the locals use. You can’t cross safely any other way. A lot of women have lost their lives trying to cross where they were dropped. Just hike a mile upriver.” His nostrils flared, and he unintentionally inhaled the subtle, sweet scent of ginger from her recently washed hair. His fingers positively itched to tunnel through the thick, gold strands.
“Okay, I will.”
Mac studied her shadowed face, her narrowed eyes. She was a hundred percent focused, just like a combat pilot ready to destroy a target. Again he couldn’t shake the feeling that there were two very different sides to this woman—one the meek and mild facade he saw most of the time, and then this one, the warrior woman.
“On the other side of the river you have two choices. The jungle is so thick you can’t penetrate it without a machete and a helluva lot of hacking. For hundreds of years the Peruvian people have been using paths created by the wild animals that traverse the rain forest. Wild pigs have carved most of them out, but there are paths that the jaguars have made.”
Kathy glanced up at him. Mac was so close she could feel the palpable energy of his masculine strength. The evening was humid and she was perspiring. She gulped unsteadily and tried to stay focused on what he was saying. “Okay, so which trail do I take once you insert—er, I mean, drop me off?” Fear racked her. She’d nearly used the military term insertion. A civilian wouldn’t use that word. For a moment, he lifted his chin and studied her. Had she corrected herself in time? Or had she just blown her cover? It was hell standing there beneath his scrutiny. His eyes glimmered with some unknown emotion she couldn’t decipher.
“After you cross that rope bridge, you’ll see a trail going off into the jungle. That’s the one you’ll take. But it’s the jaguar’s path, too. And it will lead you directly through his territory.”
“Where will I meet him?”
“There’s no way to know. A jaguar has a large territory. If you get lucky, he’ll be sleeping during the day. Unless they’re really hungry, jags sleep in the day and hunt at night.”
“You said this was a fifty-mile stroll.”
“Yeah, it is. The most you can walk in a day’s time, providing you’re up to it, is maybe thirty miles on foot.”
Nodding, Kathy said, “You’re right. When does my employer expect me back here?”
“They give you four days to pass this test, so that’s not an issue. Your problem is the cat. That whole path from beginning to end is his territory.”
“How am I going to survive, then? I have to sleep at night. What should I do?”
She was asking all the right questions. “I’m going to stow some gear for you. Once I drop you, you’ll have a pack containing a lightweight hammock, beef jerky, a compass, a tube of antibiotic ointment, extra dressings for your arm and a knife.”
“What about water?” Every moment spent with Coulter was like a rich, unexpected dessert to Kathy. She saw the ruddiness in his cheeks, absorbed the warm intimacy of his husky voice. When he lifted his hands, she stared at their shape and wondered what it would be like to feel those long, strong fingers caress her. Closing her eyes, she touched her brow. Somehow, she had to get a handle on her desire for this man.
Mac barely controlled his desire to reach out and touch her cheek. The look in her eyes told him that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Struggling not to be so drawn to Katherine, he managed a slight, disarming smile. “That’s the easy part. You’ll see a lot of wooden vines no matter where you walk—lianas. All you have to do is snap them off and pull them into your mouth. They’re
filled with water, and will quench your thirst.”
It felt as if she were standing with him outside of time, just the two of them. Her breathing seemed to be in sync with the slow rise and fall of his broad chest. With a strangled whisper, Kathy said, “Then it sounds like I’m set.”
Mac hesitated. He saw the burning look in her eyes, its meaning unmistakable. He drew in a deep, ragged breath. “Almost. At dusk, lay up for the night. Find a nice big tree and climb up into it. Suspend your hammock between two stout branches. Jags hunt the trail at night. And yes, they’re tree climbers, but if you’re suspended high up, he isn’t going to spot you. His attention will focus on anything moving on the ground. And you do not want to be sleeping at ground level or he’ll find you for sure.”
“So being in a tree minimizes my chances of the jag finding me?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t guarantee he won’t. You are going to have a restless sleep, and there’s no way around it. But it cuts the chances of him finding you.” Mac wanted to touch her cheek. What did her skin feel like? Was it soft and firm as he suspected? His fingers ached to find out.
“And a pocketknife as a weapon isn’t going to do me any good.” She felt Mac’s burning gaze linger on her face, then slowly move down the column of her neck. Oh, God, it felt as if he was actually touching her. Her body responded, her skin tingling wildly in the wake of his intimate inspection.
Mac shook his head. “No, it won’t. That cat is big, strong, built low to the ground and pure muscle. Remember, do not look him in the eyes. Avert your gaze. If he does go after you, do what you can to escape. If he corners you, stand your ground, don’t make a sound and don’t move. If you make noise, he’ll leap. If you run, he will sure as hell come after you. The only way you can out-macho this jaguar is to stand your ground but avoid his gaze. Okay?” Mac dug into her eyes and at the same time slid his fingers across her proud shoulder. He felt the warmth of her flesh, the firm muscles. Her eyes turned soft, an almost haunting look as he kept his hand in place, his heart thundering in response to her unexpected expression. She wanted his touch, as much as he wanted to touch her. Heat bolted jaggedly through his lower body and twisted like a writhing snake. Mac ached to make hot, swift love with her. It was the craziest idea in the world, coming totally out of the blue. There was something special about Katherine Lincoln that overrode every guarded wall he’d ever put up between himself and women. She blew through every one of them as if they weren’t there.
Kathy tensed beneath his exploring fingers as they moved tenderly across her shoulder. The contact was startling. Heated. Necessary. She felt her breasts tighten, her nipples contracting sharply at his touch. The look in his hooded eyes told her he wanted her—badly. Mouth dry, her heart banging away in her throat, she made the mistake of gazing at his mouth. The overriding desire to kiss Mac was nearly her undoing.
Panicked, Kathy stepped back, more afraid of herself than him. She managed to choke out, “Sounds good. Thanks for all of this.” She nervously searched his shadowed face as he stood on the trail. He’d dropped his hands back on his hips. His stormy eyes were flecked with concern. “I don’t know why you’re doing this. You’re running some serious risks here to help me.” She tried to read his expression. What wasn’t he telling her?
Katherine Lincoln didn’t have a clue as to how serious the risks were. “Yeah, the patrón runs a tight ship and he doesn’t like to be fooled like this. Whatever you do, protect me on this, okay? Don’t ever mention to him what I gave you for the test, or anything else. Otherwise, well, I’m in deep trouble.”
Mac saw a new glint in Katherine’s eyes. A slight smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. “What you’ve told me right now will go to my grave, Mac. I promise you that….”
CHAPTER NINE
“BE CAREFUL OUT THERE,” Mac told Katherine as they approached the dark ribbon of the Urubamba River far below. It was barely light on the horizon, the jungle black beneath them. Katherine Lincoln sat in the left seat, gripping the dark green canvas knapsack that he’d stowed away last night when no one was looking. He’d given it to her once they were in the air.
“I will be,” Kathy said tightly, the headphones on, the mike close to her lips. Today, she wore a long-sleeved dark green blouse, olive-green nylon pants and a good pair of heavy-tread hiking boots. That was all Therese had brought to her villa the evening before. The woman had also given her a bottle of antibiotics to take along, too, which was damn nice, in Kathy’s opinion.
“You’re clear on everything we talked about last night?”
Kathy nodded and felt the shudder of the helo change as he eased the bird to the opposite side of the river. She could see crests of white water leaping upward. “Yes, I’ve memorized every word, believe me.”
“The reason they drop you here is so you won’t be able to see the rope bridge a mile upstream. They do this on purpose. So, when I hover a little off the rocks here, you know to head north, correct?” Mac could not look at her since he was too busy flying. He had to concentrate extra hard since he hadn’t slept a wink last night. All his mind and body would do was recall how silken and firm Katherine’s skin had felt beneath his hungry inspection. He’d so badly wanted to kiss her. Why hadn’t he just leaned over, cupped her shoulder and drawn her toward him? Mac had seen that she wanted to kiss him, too. God, it’d been so close. So damn close. All night he’d wondered what her mouth would feel like beneath his.
“Yes.” As the helo slowly sank downward, she saw Mac switch on the landing lights. The strong, brilliant beams shot from beneath the carriage of the helicopter, revealing the gray and black rocks below. The terrain from river to jungle wall was a carpet of rocks ranging in size from a person’s fist to large boulders. She understood now why he wasn’t going to land; it would be impossible to do so. Wiping her mouth nervously, Kathy glanced over at Mac. The green light from the cockpit bathed his face and showed the grimness of his profile. His mouth, usually relaxed and ready to smile, was tense.
Adrenaline thrummed through her. This was dangerous. Maybe even more so than her other tests. Even though the cockpit was air-conditioned, a sheen of perspiration beaded Mac’s broad brow. Was he worried for her? Or for himself? After all, he’d told her a lot of things he apparently shouldn’t have. Kathy had a tough time believing it was all because he wanted to get out of babysitting Tiki. Maybe Mac had other feelings for her. Maybe he wanted her to succeed. Her heart expanded for just a moment and she felt powerfully drawn to him. No! That couldn’t happen. Not now, not ever. Yes, he’d been “nice” to her, but he also had his own selfish reasons for that, too, she reminded herself. And he’d nearly kissed her out on that jungle path…. Oh, she knew she could have taken the lead, stepped up to him and pressed her mouth against his, but she was frightened—for a lot of reasons. Part of her was glad they hadn’t kissed, but another part, her silly heart, ached for his touch and yearned to complete something that had been left undone on that trail.
“Okay, in about a minute I’ll be as close to those rocks as I want to get,” Mac told her, his eyes on the boulders below them. “You’ll have to be careful jumping out. One wrong leap and you’ll twist your ankle or bust your leg. It’s happened before.” Mac was unable to look over at Katherine just then, but he could feel her presence. And in the last moments together, she was making an indelible impression on him. She had pulled her blond, thick, shoulder-length hair into a ponytail at the back of her head. In the gear she wore, she looked like a military combat soldier, not a civilian. But more than anything, the expression glinting in her eyes, or maybe the way she carried herself with an unconscious confidence that few women radiated, convinced him she could make it back. Mac tried to release his mixed feelings toward her. He told himself he was concerned for her for all the right reasons: Tiki was going to get a damn good bodyguard and nanny. But his heart said otherwise. Unwilling to examine those reasons, Mac said, “Okay, get ready, Katherine. And remember, I’ll try to hang around the villa on t
he third and fourth day. You won’t make it back before the third day, I don’t think. And if I’m not there, just walk into the villa and go straight to Therese’s office.”
“I got it.” Kathy reached out spontaneously, her hand settling on his broad shoulder. She could feel the muscles beneath his red polo shirt tense at her unexpected touch. “Thanks, Mac, for everything. You’re my hero.”
Kathy wondered where the hell all this had come from. Just as quickly, she withdrew her hand.
“Honey, I’m no one’s hero, believe me,” Mac said, his voice gritty. “Just get home safe and sound? I’ll try to be there to meet you, unless the patrón has me flying a lot of unscheduled missions in the next few days. Take care of yourself, bright angel….”
Bright angel. The endearment was beautiful. Unexpected. Heart-rending. Mac’s voice had dropped to a husky whisper, the emotions clear behind his whispered words. And that was what it was—an endearment.
Kathy stared at him one last time. Mac didn’t look at her, since his focus was needed to keep the bird steady as she leaped to the rocks below. Suddenly, she turned around and twisted the door handle. The door opened, the wind instantly buffeting her. After shoving it open with brute force, Kathy held the door in place with her body. The punishing wind caused by the turning blades slapped violently against her. In her left hand, she clutched the precious knapsack. As she eyed the rocks below, she chose the spot where she wanted to land. Mac was more than skilled at holding the bird steady for her.
Kathy leaped out of the helicopter as it hovered a foot from the rocky shore of the raging, splashing Urubamba River. It was 0530, with the sky still dark, a bare gray line hinting at the coming day. Her feet landed with force and she quickly fought for balance, swinging her arms wide to keep herself steady. Then she moved away from the hovering Bell. If he so much as tipped the bird a little, one of those blades could potentially slice her in half. It wasn’t wise to stand beneath a helicopter.
Enemy Mine Page 10
