A wide smile curved his lips as his eyes roamed over her face. “Hey, sleepyhead.”
She twisted her legs around so that she was sitting on the bottom of the boat and pushed her hair away from her face. Yawning, she covered her mouth. “I can’t believe I was able to sleep. How long was I out?”
“About two hours.”
Eyes widening, her mouth dropped open in surprise. “Two hours?” Looking around, she saw that they were still on the river, rainforest jungle coming right to the edge. The water became rougher, the noise of the rushing river drowning out all other sounds.
“Fuck!” Blake yelled. “Get down!”
Eyes wide she twisted just in time to see a small motorboat with two men coming from behind. One had a gun pointed their way, but that was all she saw before Blake shoved her down while twisting to return fire. Oh, Jesus, save us!
She clung to the sides of the boat, staying quiet, giving Blake a chance to concentrate. They bounced, rocked, and hurled forward as the water rushed over the rocks. Occasionally, a squeak was emitted, forced out of her lungs when they traversed over a particularly rough patch of river.
Her eyes remained open, focused on Blake as he managed to steer and return fire at the same time.
“Hang on!” he shouted, and before she had a chance to question, the front of the boat tipped down and they bounced over a short waterfall. Water splashed over the sides, soaking her.
Yelping loudly, she felt her stomach drop, but the boat was quickly righted. They continued to rocket forward, the front dipping precariously over the river’s rapids, and she looked askance at the rocks jutting from the surface.
The sound of a splintering crash met her ears and she squeezed her eyes shut, not knowing what was happening. The thought of having escaped Boutillier’s clutches only to be dashed on the rocks hit her, but she remained quiet. She did not want to distract his concentration as he steered the boat. After one last hard bounce caused her to bite her tongue, she clamped her jaws together. Praying once again, she breathed a sigh of relief as they moved out of the rapids but wondered about their pursuers. Opening her eyes, she spied Blake facing forward again, no longer seeming to be concerned about what was happening behind them.
He looked down and nodded. “You can sit up now, Sara. It’s all clear.”
She said nothing, unsure she still had the ability to speak. Her chest heaved as she dragged air into her lungs, finally aware that her shirt was soaked. Remaining quiet, she shifted up onto a seat and looked at her surroundings. There were no other boats around, and the river was once again smooth, the sound of the rapids in the distance.
She brought her gaze back to him as she blinked the water droplets from her eyes. Lifting her hand, she wiped her face and grinned. “Well, that was a special way to make sure I was awake.”
Barking out a laugh, Blake shook his head. “Fuckin’ hell, girl, you’re something else.” His gaze landed warmly on her as he wiped water from his face as well. His voice softened. “You okay, babe?”
She nodded while looking down. “Nothing but wet clothes and a few teeth jarred loose.”
He chuckled, then held her gaze. “Hopefully, that’s the last of the rapids and assholes with guns firing at us.”
Looking behind them, seeing nothing but river she asked, “What happened to them?”
“I hit the one steering and their boat crashed on the rocks.”
“Oh,” she breathed, nodding slowly. Wiping more water from her face, she settled her gaze back on him. “Thank you.”
His expression warmed, his lips curving. “My pleasure.”
Sucking in a deep breath, she let it out. “How much longer until we get to St. Laurent?”
She watched his expression change, his lips tightening, and her stomach instantly clenched. Sucking her lips in, she waited to see what his answer would be. He did not make her wait, which let her know that he trusted her to be able to handle the information he was giving.
“My co-workers who flew in will be in St. Laurent soon. Unfortunately, Boutillier has more power than just in his little corner of the world. Word is that they’re looking for two jewel thieves. A man and a woman. The woman is described as having red hair, and the man is an American that had been captured by the police but escaped.”
It took a moment for her tired brain to noodle through what he was telling her. Jewel thieves. Woman with red hair. Man escaped from the police. Then, like a bolt straight through her, she gasped. “Oh, my God! They’ve pinned the robbery on us just to get everyone looking for us!” The look on his face let her know that she had hit the nail on the head. Scrunching her brow in thought, she asked, “But what about the people there? There was that older couple and…and…the pregnant shopper. What about the salesclerk?”
“I know the Superintendent of Police knows what happened and is part of the planning of this mission, so there’s not a formal police investigation looking for us.” He shrugged. “But all it takes is for the word to get out that there’s money for a reward and people will be looking.”
She continued to shake her head, still not comprehending the situation. “But Blake, I’m no one. I don’t have a super-secret special job. I wasn’t even going to be able to do anything for the Boutilliers other than he decided I could stay and teach his sons English.”
“That’s what he was going to have you do?”
Shoulders slumping, she nodded. “Milo was bilingual in French and Spanish, but his English was very rough. I’m sure René planned on killing me, but when he realized I could be of use to his sons, he decided that I could become his sons’ other tutor. That was my reward.” Sucking in a shaky breath, she let it out before adding, “Damn, what a reward. I was present at the family dinner the first night. It included René’s brother, Jean, and their wives. It was obvious the other women did not like me being there, and as I walked out of the dining room, I heard Jean tell his brother that he wanted me.”
She watched as Blake’s jaw tightened, not hiding his grimace. “I was fuckin’ afraid of that.” He held her gaze and added, “I’m just glad I was able to get there in time.”
Slowly her body began to shake with the import of all they were talking about. Swallowing deeply, she dragged in another ragged breath. “So, what’s our plan?” She watched something move through his eyes that seemed like admiration.
He confirmed this when he said, “Sara, I can’t believe how you’re handling all this. With all the shit going down, you’re holding it together.”
Her head moved slowly back and forth. “I’m not really sure how well I’m holding it together, Blake. I just know that right now, with you, I’m a helluva lot better than I was this time yesterday. So, I’m going to keep doing whatever I’ve got to do to make sure I’m not dragging you down.”
His lips curved into a smile, and he lifted his arm. She responded to his silent beckoning and shifted forward, once more tucking herself into his side.
“Okay, babe, here’s the deal. We’ve been lucky so far that on this part of the river. We’ve seen very few other boats. As we get closer to St. Laurent, that’s going to change. It’s a much bigger town than Grand Santi. There’s another much smaller village before we get there. It’s called Apatou.”
“Are we going to sleep in a hammock there?” she asked, both wondering if she would be able to sleep in a hammock and if they would be safe.
Chuckling, he shook his head. “No, I don’t want to take you onto land until I know we’re safe. But I think we’ll stop this side of the village, tie off near the edge of the river, and wait until it gets dark. Then, like last night, we’ll go past the village and rendezvous with my co-workers near St. Laurent.”
A sigh slipped past her lips at the thought that they would still be on the boat in the dark once again. Her eyes jumped to Blake’s when she felt him squeeze her shoulder.
“Sara, I know you’re tired, and I know you want to get outta here. That’s my goal, babe. But we’ve got to do it smart to s
tay safe.”
“Oh, I know, Blake. I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be ungrateful. I’m good. It’s all good. Honest,” she rushed to assure.
He stared at her for a long moment, not saying anything while his fingers dug into her shoulder, pulling her tighter. Finally, he gave in to the desire and kissed her forehead. “Sara, you don’t have to promise me anything. I told you earlier, I’m fuckin’ impressed with how you’re handling everything.”
His praise warmed her, and she felt the heat of blush hit her cheeks. Or maybe it was sunburn. Feeling the need to do something productive, she asked, “Do you want me to steer for a while? I should warn you that I’ve been in small boats before, but it’s been a while. I’m sure I can get the hang of it once you show me what to do.”
“That’s okay, I’ve got it. Although I wouldn’t mind having something to eat or drink. Would you mind getting that? And you need to eat also.”
“No problem.” She slid to the bottom of the boat and crawled forward until she came to the chest holding the food. She heard him chuckle, and she looked over her shoulder at him, her brow knit in question.
“I’m sorry, honest to God, I’m not laughing at you,” he said, smiling.
She pursed her lips into a mock frown. “What was so funny?”
“I just realized you never stand up on the boat. If you need to get somewhere, you crawl. I’m not complaining...it gives me a view of your perfect ass.” He continued to grin as he wiggled his eyebrows.
Sputtering, she retorted, “I’m not about to stand up in this boat! It’s skinny and narrow and wobbly!”
“I wouldn’t want you to fall into the water, but I promise I’d get you.”
She stared at his face for a moment, thinking his smile was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. In fact, everything about him was gorgeous. His dark hair, lush lashes, thick muscles. As though she could not hold back the words, she said, “I saw you.” As soon as the words had left her mouth, she felt the heat hit her cheeks again, and this time knew it was from embarrassment, not the sun. Any chance that he had not heard what she said was lost as his eyes hit hers.
“You saw me?”
Realizing she could not backtrack now, she forged ahead. “At the university. I was stiff from sitting for such a long time, so I got up and moved around. I looked down from the second-floor window at the people attending the conference. You were standing to the side, and I thought that you, like me, just needed to move around. Then I realized you had been standing there for a while. That’s when I first thought you might be somebody’s bodyguard. All I knew was that you were the most handsome man I’d ever seen, and I would have given anything to meet you.”
His gaze held hers, his eyes warm, but he did not say anything. As though unable to control her mouth, she continued, “And then I saw you at the hotel. You and the other man were in the lobby, and I had just gotten on the elevator, but the doors had not closed yet. After that, I looked around the conference center and the hotel each day, just hoping to get a glimpse of you.”
As the boat continued to motor through the water, she kept going. “I even started looking for you. I don’t know why because that’s not like me. I’m not usually one to go after men. And, well, I told you that one-night stands or vacation flings aren’t my thing. You always looked so serious, so I never even thought about approaching you. But I saw you in the bar that last night as I walked through the lobby and decided that I wanted to go and at least see if I could talk to you. And then you smiled at me. And when you smiled at me, I think I would’ve done just about anything to get to know you better.”
His face had gentled, his eyes resting on her. “Why are you telling me this now?” he asked softly.
Shaking her head slightly, she admitted, “I…I don’t really know.” Her brow scrunched, and she amended, “It’s just that you came after me. I can’t even imagine how much you risked to come after me. And even now, you’re still doing it. You covered me when I was sleeping so the sun wouldn’t burn my face. You want to make sure I’m eating and drinking. And if I fall into the water, you said you’d get me.” Shrugging, she lifted her hand and gently rubbed her forehead, suddenly very tired. “I just wanted to be honest and let you know that I noticed you long before any of this happened. I hadn’t planned on sleeping with you, but that night was really amazing.”
His smile softened his features, and he reached his arm out, beckoning again. “Come here, babe.”
She clutched the container that held their food and crawled back toward him. As soon as she was close, he bent and kissed her. Soft. Slow. His lips moved over hers, and she melted into him.
He lifted his head, and she immediately missed his touch. Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared, first at his mouth, and then moved her gaze up to his eyes that were pinned on her.
“I can’t let you be the only one to make that confession, Sara. You caught my eye at the university and then again at the hotel. At first, I noticed your hair and then saw your face from afar. I thought you only spoke French and had no idea how to approach you. I watched you get on the elevator when I was sitting in the bar that night and figured I’d missed my chance to meet you. When you walked back in and I realized you spoke English, it was as though I’d been given a second chance. And the night we spent together? It may have started out casual, but it didn’t end up that way. I wanted more time with you.”
Her lips quivered, but she pressed on. “I wondered if you regretted meeting me, considering everything that happened.”
Shaking his head slowly, he said, “I regret everything that happened to you, but never regretted meeting you.”
He bent and took her lips once again, and she reached her hand up to clutch the back of his neck, pulling him closer. After a moment they separated, and his gaze moved about the river. She felt the boat change direction, and he steered them toward the Suriname side of the river. Soon they maneuvered to where trees grew to the edge of the water, their long branches hanging down, creating a curtain. Lifting her hands to sweep the branches aside, they were soon ensconced in their own little world, hidden from the prying eyes of anyone else around.
16
As the boat bumped gently against a tree root, Blake stood and stepped over the side, balancing on the edge of the river. With the rope in his hand, he tied off the pirogue to the nearest tree. Looking back down into the boat as Sara stared up at him, he explained, “We’re close enough to Apatou to stay here for a bit. Once it gets dark, we’ll make our way up the river.”
She nodded, but he could see uncertainty written on her face. Stepping back over into the boat, he sat down next to her, no longer needing to stay with the motor.
She looked up and asked, “Hungry?”
He was but just not for food. He wondered if kissing her had been a mistake because now all he could think about was the night they had spent together—and how much he wanted to kiss her again. He tried to force his mind off her delectable lips. “Yeah, we should eat.”
They settled on seats facing each other, the food between them. She handed him a water bottle, and he twisted off the cap, drinking deeply.
Peeling a banana, she took a bite and grinned. “When I was a kid, I used to love peanut butter smeared on bananas.”
He met her smile with one of his own. “My mom used to fix a peanut butter and banana sandwich for me to take to school.”
She opened her eyes wide. “I never thought to put them in a sandwich, but that actually sounds good.” They ate quietly for a few minutes, then she looked up. “Tell me more about you. I know you said you were from California. Is that where you were born?”
“Yeah, my dad was a Marine, and my mom worked as a civilian on-base. When he retired, we stayed in California since my mom was still working there, and they had the commissary and veteran’s hospital close by. I loved it. We lived close to the beach, and I did a lot of surfing and fishing. We were also close to the mountains so that I could go hiking.”
E
yebrows raised, she murmured, “Outdoorsy, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess you can say we were. My older brother was also a Marine. My younger sister went into the Air Force. When we were still teenagers, Mom and Dad would take us hiking, camping, mountain climbing, biking, fishing...you name it, and we were doing it.”
He watched as her nose wrinkled slightly. Cocking his head to the side, he asked, “What are you thinking?”
“Oh, nothing bad. It’s just that I’m not very good at outdoor things. I’ve certainly been camping because some of the places we stayed at when traveling with the Peace Corps were little more than campsites. And I suppose I’ve had more than my fair share of meals cooked in an outdoor kitchen over a fire pit for the same reason. But I was more likely to be found with a book in my hand instead of off playing sports.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” He did not have a hard time imagining a younger, beautiful Sara walking around with her nose in a book.
Shrugging, she said, “I know, but it’s not very exciting. I had a roommate in college that was like me, and she dated a guy who was into extreme sports. She was really into him, but it didn’t last very long. He finally broke it off saying that he just couldn’t be with someone who didn’t feel the same urge to jump out of planes that he did.”
“Then she’s better off without him,” he said firmly. She blinked, then tilted her head to the side in a silent question, and he continued. “I think it’s important to enjoy doing some of the same things, but there has to be mutual respect in a relationship. Respecting what the other person enjoys doing.”
“So, you’re not necessarily attracted to someone who does all the same things that you do?”
Once again, he saw hesitation move through her eyes. “I care more about what’s on the inside of someone. I mean, sure, we notice their appearance. And I think it’s important to enjoy doing some of the same things together. But I’m not looking for someone who’s a carbon copy of myself. I’d rather be with someone who complements me. Someone that I can learn from just as much as they can learn from me.”
Blake (Lighthouse Security Investigations Book 5) Page 13
