by Carrie Kelly
Despite the nagging self-doubt and his lies – I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe Jack wanted me just like I wanted him.
Only time would tell.
5
Jack set the hair dye next to me and gripped my shoulders with his strong hands.
"I’ve never dyed my hair," I admitted and picked up the box with trembling fingers. The last day pushed me to my limits -- made me realize things I never had about myself.
Steven, my ex-fiancé, breaking up with me five weeks before our wedding was the hardest thing I'd ever faced. This should have been worse – chased across the Thailand countryside by human traffickers who wanted both of us dead – but with Jack it was somehow bearable.
"You’ll look lovely no matter what color it is, Mattie," he said and kissed the top of my head tenderly.
I looked at him in the dingy mirror, a fluorescent light flickering over our heads. His own light brown hair was now dark, almost black. With his golden skin he blended in with the locals – at least from a distance. His sharp blue eyes and powerful six feet build were the only things that gave him away. My size sixteen figure might be mistaken for chubby Thai woman from behind, but my complexion was too pale for the ruse to last long.
After spending the day in the shack on the river, we rowed to a small town and got a hotel. At least it was cheap. I only had about a hundred American dollars worth of baht left. I didn’t know how much Jack had, and I was too scared to ask.
What happened to my relaxing vacation?
"It'll grow back out," Jack said as he fingered my strawberry blonde waves.
"I don't care about my hair," I said and glanced at him in the mirror. It was more than that. How to explain it to the sexy Aussie?
"We'll be in Chiang Mai in less than a week. Once I get you to the U.S. consulate you'll be safe, love. I promise."
“I know.”
We'd been over it a hundred times before. After getting chased out of Bangkok by gun wielding maniacs, I lost it all -- my passport, my suitcase and my clothes. At least I still had my life. But what hurt most was losing the Jack I thought I knew, my best friend’s gorgeous brother and ever-present crush. He wasn’t a carefree wanderer like I’d been led to believe but some top-secret government agent instead.
A spy chasing down criminals across Asia!
I wanted to find comfort in his strong jaw, straight nose and keen eyes, but I saw a stranger. A lie. He also saved my life – kept me safe when he could have left me behind.
And the worse part was, I dreaded finally getting to Chiang Mai. The idea of the U.S. consulate taking care of me while they got my passport situation figured out filled me with sick dread.
Not because I didn’t want to go home, but leaving Jack’s side – his protection – was worse than anything I imagined.
I might not know him like I thought I did, but this new Jack was terrifyingly capable.
Cheryl always said I needed excitement in my life. Boy would she be surprised now!
“It’ll help you blend in. They’ve got a stronghold in the city, but it’s the only consulate in Thailand besides the embassy in Bangkok --”
“And we can’t go back,” I finished for him.
Jack rubbed his forehead. “No. Not yet. They’ll be on the lookout for two foreigners traveling around the country. They’ve got ties that go deeper than I anticipated, love. But your safety is my first priority. You know that, right?”
“Yes, but why can’t we take a bus or a train and blend in with the other tourists? When I was planning the honeymoon --”
He shook his head. “They’ll be watching the standard forms of transportation. I know how they work, Mattie. You’ve got to trust me on this.”
His serious expression sent a shiver up my spine, but I nodded.
“Do you need any help?” he asked and pointed at the box.
I took a deep breath. “No. I’ll figure it out.”
Jack cracked a smile and pulled back the cardboard packaging. “Considering it’s all in Thai, I think I better stick around.”
An hour later, I ran my fingers through my new dark locks. The deep chocolate brown hair made my fair skin look even paler than I had before, my golden freckles pronounced. I frowned at my reflection.
“I don’t look local,” I said and stepped out of the bathroom.
Jack smirked and held up a loose purple skirt and a matching blouse. “You will in these. Get dressed, love.”
I grabbed the clothes and went back into the bathroom to put them on. At least the wrap design didn’t make me look any bigger than I already was, and it matched the simple straw sandals Jack got to replace the heels I threw away while we ran for our lives. Fingering the embroidery on the hem, I wondered who made it and how much it cost.
Even in danger, I couldn’t let go of my costume designer mentality.
When I stepped back out, Jack smiled. “Good. Now we can start our adventure.”
“Adventure?” Heat rushed to my cheeks. After everything we’d been through, that was the last straw. “This is your idea of a good time?”
With two powerful strides, he stood in front of me. His superior height dwarfing me, and his powerfully defined chest pressed against mine. “There’s nothing I can do about the other night, but I’ll make the rest of your vacation as delightful as I can,” he said and ran a finger down my cheek.
Shivers of desire rose in my body. Heat rushed between my thighs, and I thought of the night before. How he held me against the wall with his strong body, the way his cock rammed into me with perfect urgency.
Maybe he did it to calm me down, help me relax. Jack didn’t really love me – he got swept up in the moment.
“Please don’t,” I said, but he didn’t heed me.
His lips brushed against mine, full and soft, as his tongue probed my hungry mouth. He tasted fresh and cool, a contrast to the fire his palms lit across my skin.
I pushed his chest, but it was as useless as pushing a brick wall.
Don’t give into him again, Tilda. He’ll only hurt you like Steven did.
My body ignored my mind, and I gripped his bulging biceps. If I didn’t hold onto him I’d melt into a useless puddle right in the middle of the floor.
He flinched, and I moved my hand from his freshly wrapped bandage.
“Sorry!”
His eyes looked pinched, but he shook his head. Then his knee slipped between my thighs, spreading them and forcing me to straddle his powerful leg. “I love it when you’re wrapped around me,” he groaned and pulled my bottom lip with his teeth in a teasing bite.
My panties flooded with need. I dug my nails into his arms, trying to pull away from his magnetic touch.
Hands groped my breasts, his lips searing my jaw and neck, brushing aside my hair to nip at the delicate flesh.
“Jack, please,” I gasped.
His palms pressed into my eager nipples. His searing fingers titillated them into hardened nubs through my blouse and bra. “Please what, Mattie?”
I wanted to say ‘stop,’ but the words died in my throat. After Steven’s criticism and rejection, I couldn’t take another blow to the heart. Especially from Jack. How would I repair that kind of damage?
But my body wouldn’t let me resist. Every time I tried, electric passion crippled me. Held me still. Forced me to give in. Why was I so damn weak?
Jack didn’t wait for an answer. He gripped my waist, his lips pressed into mine with desperate fury. Sparks ignited in my belly as our tongues met, my legs trembling.
Suddenly, he pulled back and looked around. He tilted his head to the side, like he listened for something. Then he grabbed my arm.
“Get your bag and climb out the window. Now!” he whispered and pulled his gun from the holster in his pants.
My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the slick black metal. Seeing him take action didn’t do much to diminish the mood, but the thought of being found out did.
How’d they find us so soon?
I di
dn’t stick around to ask. Slinging the little bag that held my wallet, phone, dress and lipstick over my shoulder, I pushed open the wooden shutters and eased over the thick window seal. At least we had a room on the first story. I was not about to jump over roofs!
I glance around the little town, but in the fading evening light I didn’t know where to go. Lights burned from the little shops, and a few of the locals glanced at me curiously.
A moment later, Jack climbed out after me and slung his arm around my shoulder. His bicep, strong and taut, rested against my neck protectively as we walked down the crowded, unpaved street.
“Did they find us?” I whispered and glanced up at him.
Shadows danced across his face. “Almost. We’ll get away, no worries.”
Every step sent goose bumps across my skin – waiting for a shout or the crack of the gunshot to split the air.
“Why aren’t we running?” I hissed, my heart pounding in my chest.
“That looks more suspicious than a couple out for an evening stroll, love.”
I bit my bottom lip. Sneaking around put every nerve in my body on edge!
“Where are we going on this stroll?” I asked as we neared the edge of the river.
My backside ached from hours of sitting on the hard wooden seat inside the boat, but to my surprise our ride was missing from the little dock.
“Did you move it?”
Jack set his lips in a grim line and shook his head. “No. I guess we’ll have to travel by foot for now.”
“By foot? For how long?” I asked as he pulled me into the high grass by the river.
Behind us, the town erupted with shouts. Had they talked to the motel owner? Were they onto us?
Jack didn’t say a word, but his grip tightened on my shoulders, and we slipped into the safety of the jungle. The banyan trees were spaced far enough apart that we could slip through them without a machete, but in the almost total darkness their roots grabbed and tripped me with almost every step. Jack, somehow, avoided this fate.
After the fifth time nearly falling on my face, I stopped and grabbed his arm. “Wait. This isn’t working. I can’t walk like this, Jack! I can’t see where I’m going at all.”
He sighed and turned around. “You’re right, Mattie. I’ll carry you for as long as I can. Climb on,” he said and squatted in front of me.
“What? No!” I cried and took a step backwards. He might have held me against a wall, but that didn’t mean he’d be able to carry me around a jungle at night! Plus, a sliver of self-doubt ran through my mind. He’d feel the bulges on my thighs and probably fall over within five minutes!
He turned and leaned into me, his arms encompassing me. “What are you afraid of, love?”
In the darkness he couldn’t see the blush on my cheeks. Thank God! “Nothing. Let’s keep going. I’m getting eaten alive by the mosquitos!”
His chest rumbled and his hands trailed down my arms. “Just a bit further. We’ll stop at the next town and find another mode of transportation. I promise.”
That was turning out to be his catchphrase, but it soothed my nerves -- if only a little.
What seemed like hours later, we stumbled upon a tiny village. It looked more like a collection of houses, huddled between the deeply rutted road and the river. Lights burned from a few windows, but Jack hesitated for a moment in the shadows of the jungle.
“Do you think they’re working with the men chasing us?”
He shook his head. “No. But they might track us here.”
The idea sunk in, and I frowned. At least we had dinner in the last town. “We don’t have to stop. I don’t want to put anyone in danger.”
He smiled and squeezed my hand. “You’re kind, Mattie. That’s one of the things I love about you. Come on. We might be able to buy a new boat or something.”
A knot tightened in my stomach. Love. He didn’t mean it. It was just a saying. One of those things. But the butterflies fluttered inside me regardless.
Get it together! Now is not the time to think about love!
I followed him into the village, but hung back as he spoke to some men playing cards in a little garage. Did they have a moped for sale? Looking at the state of the road, I wasn’t sure how agreeable that’d be.
Jack motioned for me to join him a few minutes later.
“They’ll sell us some transportation, but we’ve got to wait until morning to get it.”
“Why? Is it not safe to travel at night?” I asked and swatted the millionth mosquito to land on me.
Jack rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. “Look. I don’t think they’ll track us in the night – not on these roads. We’ll sleep here and wait until tomorrow, deal?”
My feet weren’t going to argue with him. I wasn’t sure how far we walked, but the sandals didn’t do me any favors.
One of the men led us to a room in a little house and pointed at an old mattress. I swallowed the lump in my throat and fought not to think about the nice clean sheets at the Four Seasons. Hospitality was hospitality. I hoped the mattress didn’t have bed bugs.
Thankfully, exhaustion overcame me as soon as I collapsed on the bed. The more time I spent asleep, the less I had to worry about our predicament.
6
The smell of cooking awoke me the next morning. In the dim gray light, Jack leaned over a smartphone. His brow furrowed as he pressed buttons with his thumb.
Sitting up, I brushed the hair from my face. “Did you get in touch with anyone? Are they coming to rescue us?”
I knew the answer as soon as his eyes met mine. “No, love. That’s not what I’m doing. Sleep well?”
Blood rushed to my face, and I fisted my hands. “Yes, but only because I was too tired not to. Jack, why can’t you contact the CIA or whomever you work for? Aren’t they supposed to rescue--”
He clamped his hand over my mouth before I uttered another word. His sharp eyes narrowed and his usually carefree expression hardened.
“Don’t, Mattie. This isn’t like the movies. I’m trying to clean up this mess without turning it into an international incident. And you can’t go spouting off names like that. These people might seem rural, but they know more than you give them credit for.”
Pricks of tears threatened my eyes, but I bit my lip and urged them not to fall. It wasn’t Jack I was upset with. How could I be so stupid? Of course I shouldn’t say anything about him being a spy in enemy territory – or whatever this was.
I pried his fingers from my lips, the heat of them burning my flesh. “Sorry, Jack. I need to get washed up before we get back to our adventure.”
He sighed and nodded. “I’ll show you.”
After breakfast, I no longer felt as generous toward him.
He stood next to a humped beast with a grayish white hide. It looked like a cow with huge horns, and it didn’t pay him any attention.
“Why do you have a cow, Jack?” I asked, my hands trembling.
We might be traveling incognito, but why did we need livestock?
“Actually it’s a water buffalo, and it’s our ride for now. Come along,” he said with his thick Australian accent and patted the beast’s side. “We should get going.”
Gapping at him, I shook my head. “No! I can’t ride a cow.”
The old familiar smirk slid across his lips, and he grabbed my by the wrists. “I didn’t say anything about riding it, love.”
The villagers glanced at us, their eyes wide and curious.
“Then what are we going to do with a cow?” I hissed.
“Tie it to a cart and move along to the next village,” he said and led the animal to a little wooden cart. The whole thing looked rickety and close to falling apart. I didn’t ask how much he paid for it.
“They don’t have any boats?” I asked and watched him tie a number of complicated knots around the cart and the cow’s harness.
“Not that they can afford to sell. Get on. We need to be gone before those men get here.”
I climbed into the cart piled with a plethora of exotic fruit. “Did you buy the food too?”
“Nope, just delivering it to market.”
“Oh, to the market. Of course!”
“Of course,” he repeated and planted a soft kiss on my temple.
Why did he have to do that? My cheeks flushed. Then I pushed my hair behind my ears and gripped onto the side of the cart as he urged the cow into a slow walk.
“We aren’t going to outrun anyone like this,” I said as we rolled down the road.
He smiled, white teeth gleaming. “We don’t have to outrun them, love. We have to outsmart them.”
I didn’t see how a cow and a cart would do that, but Jack was the spy. I was only along for the ride.
***
Sitting in the back of the cart on a badly tended road was officially worse than riding in a boat. We arrived in town caked in brown red dust. I rinsed my mouth out with some bottled water and frowned for the millionth time at Jack.
Complaining got me nowhere, so I glanced around instead. It was larger than the village we came from, and a group of brightly dressed locals paraded down the street.
Some kind of festival?
"What's going on?" I asked.
Jack smiled. "Looks like a wedding, love."
Great. Just what I needed. Another reminder that this was supposed to be my honeymoon. I was supposed be married right now and instead – I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut. Stop with the pity party Matilda. You have more important things to worry about now!
A strong hand patted my thigh, and I glanced at Jack. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief instead of pity. I'm not sure which I preferred. What was he up to now?
An open market filled the town's square, and Jack pulled our cow to a halt before he climbed down. Like a gentleman, he offered his hand to me and I stumbled out of the cart, falling into his powerful chest.
His hands gripped my shoulders, palms rubbing my bare arms. "You all right?"
"Fine," I breathed and took in his rich, manly scent. Even after hours traveling through this heat he smelled good!
For a moment his eyes burned into mine, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. Even though dangerous men tracked us, being with Jack made me forget how close they might be.
