Heart of Danger

by Sidney Bristol

  Two women entered from the back of the house, their frowns pronounced. The men beckoned the women to the fireplace.

  So far so good?

  Val reached over and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. He laced their fingers together.

  There was a difference in being a good leader and inspiring people to do something. Duke knew he was a good leader. It was what helped him get the job done. But Val? She could inspire people. Make them believe in something greater. It was what she and her best friend Jackie had in common. Given time, they could make a river change course. She could get this family to see a way to help others.

  “What are they saying?” Duke whispered.

  “They’re rehashing things that led up to this, what they could have done different.”

  A younger man, probably in his late twenties, entered from the front of the house. Duke turned to watch him approach, taking in the deep lines of his face, the hard glare he leveled at Val and Duke.

  Once more their host gestured at Val, then the newcomer. She launched into what was likely the same spiel she’d led with before. A few sentences into it, the young man cut her off. He slashed his hand through the air and spoke a flood of angry words.

  “Val...” Duke clenched her hand tighter.

  She patted Duke’s knee, not the least bit concerned about the display of anger.

  “This is Esteban’s brother. He’s saying that they should have done something sooner, he’s tried to get them to put a stop to this, but begging Esteban to stop isn’t working.”

  Then this wasn’t the first time they’d attempted to curb the wayward son’s behavior.

  The son went back and forth with his elders, the wives pleading and wringing their hands while the men grew more and more serious. Finally their host turned toward Val, his voice softer than his expression.

  “He wants to talk to the family in private. They’re offering us dinner and a place to stay for the night. Come on.” Val pulled Duke to his feet.

  She said a few more words to the others and a final line to Esteban’s brother before the matriarch of the family led them through the doors into the kitchen where the evening meal was waiting for the family.

  They made plates, Val and the older woman bantering back and forth with quick volleys, laughs and smiles the whole time, and were then shown to a second floor bedroom.

  “Well?” Duke asked when the door closed behind them.

  “I don’t want to get my hopes up too much, but...that went well.” She put her plate down on the dresser. “They’re going to discuss it over dinner, then come talk to us again.”

  Val sat on the bed and blew out a breath. The weight that had settled on her shoulders this afternoon was gone, and in its place—hope.

  “What else did they say?” Duke sat down next to her and dug into his food. It’d been a long day, and he’d learned the hard way over the years to never let a chance to eat pass him by.

  “Esteban’s had an addiction problem for a long time. It sounds like maybe he was a spoiled, youngest child and things got out of control. His brother is the most vocal about doing something.”

  “All good things, right?” Duke asked.

  “I think so. Yeah. They said we were welcome to stay the night. I’m hoping that means someone from the family might want to go back to La Playa with us for tomorrow night.”

  9.

  FRIDAY. LA PLAYA DE Belén, Colombia. 8 days until Christmas.

  Val stared at Duke’s hands, scraping the last bite of food off his plate.

  It didn’t matter how awful something tasted or how weird it was, Duke always ate every last bit. Not because he wanted to or because he was hungry. It was about appreciating hospitality. Val ate whatever was put in front of her because she needed the calories so she could do her job and keep their team going. But for Duke, even the simple act of consuming food was one of showing gratitude. It wasn’t about him, it was about others.

  When she’d met Duke, she’d taken one look at him and known he was an intense personality that demanded everything from the people around him. They’d been in a life or death situation. She’d made a judgment about him that defined who they were to each other. And she’d never revisited that. She’d based everything she thought about the man with the generous smile, open heart and will of iron on the most stressful circumstances they could have been in. He’d nearly lost three of his team that day.

  During their short time here, he’d shown her that he could back off always being in charge. He could follow someone else, namely her. She knew he had to feel something for her. All those times holding hands, the long embraces, the looks—she wasn’t stupid, she’d just played the role. Because deep down she wanted to keep him in her life and up until now she’d thought the only way was by preserving the semblance of friendship.

  Was putting her job on his team at risk worth having more with him?

  Or could she sit by and watch someone else fall in love with him while remaining quietly in her place?

  There was no doubt in her mind that someday a woman who was not her would catch his interest and hold on tight because Duke was a great man. He was someone special.

  She clenched her fist at the thought of anyone else kissing that mouth.

  A knock on the door started her out of her mental merry-go-round.

  “You okay?” Duke asked.

  “Yeah, just thinking.”

  Val got up and circled the bed to the door. She opened it and peered out onto the younger Mr. Rojas.

  “I’m sorry to ask this, but can we give you an answer in the morning?” His face was lined with worry. They were discussing what to do with his son. It had to be difficult.

  “Of course.” She didn’t like the waiting or the not knowing, but she was in no position to make them do anything.

  “If you would like, you may use the sun room. There’s a TV down there.”

  “That’s very kind. We’re very tired. I think we’ll get some rest before we head back tomorrow. My grandparents want to help decorate the square in La Playa.”

  “Your grandparents...” Mr. Rojas squinted.

  “They own the bakery off the square.”

  “The nativity scenes.” He grinned and wagged his finger at her.

  “The same. They haven’t made any this year...” She bit her lip, reconsidering her words.

  “We’re going to do something about Esteban.”

  “We want him to get help, and for no one else to get hurt.”

  “I hope, for his sake, we can make that happen. Have a good night.”

  “Thank you.”

  Val closed the door and leaned against the solid wood, letting the coolness of the surface sink into her. Who knew how long this structure had been here? Homes like this, while simple to look at, were the product of generations of hard work and craftsmanship.

  “What’d he say?” Duke set both their plates on the dresser and turned to face her.

  “They want more time.” She pulled out her phone and shot off a text to update the family. It wasn’t the news they were hoping for, but it was pastime she let everyone know they were fine and thing were progressing.

  “Then I guess we should bed down for the night. It’s been a long day.” Duke turned to survey the room. “If you can spare a pillow, I can take the floor,” he said.

  “Shut up.” Val took the final few steps toward him until she stood with their knees nearly touching. He wasn’t just the man she’d made him out to be. He was more than that, and he would never fit the neat box she’d tried to shoehorn him into.

  He wasn’t just the give orders guy. He could bend. He could listen.

  This could work. There could be a them.

  Everything she’d been afraid of was all in her head. She couldn’t look at the man in front of her and see the truth because deep down she’d been scared. A connection like this, the chemistry, it was big stuff, and she’d tried to put distance between them. It hadn’t worked. At every opportunity, she�
�d chosen to spend her time with him, and each time she’d fallen a little more for him until she couldn’t fathom a world without him in it.

  Val slid her palm across his cheek, cupping his face. Duke stared up at her, waiting. That was what he’d been doing this whole time. Waiting for her to get her act together. She bent and pressed her lips to his before she could think herself out of it. He jolted, pressing closer, and held the back of her head. She could feel the longing they’d been denying in that kiss. It was the meeting of skin, nothing more, and yet—it was as if she’d been in a dark room with her eyes closed until he turned on the light. A surge of life swept through her, shining into every ignored corner and thought she’d been concealing from herself for the last six months.

  Val loved Duke. It hadn’t been all at once, and she’d done everything to ignore it, but she loved him. Her better judgment knew what she wouldn’t admit, and it had taken a near death experience to wake her up to the reality that she loved this man.

  His mouth moved against hers, stroking her skin while his fingers twined through her hair. She straddled his lap and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. She needed to be close to him.

  Duke broke the kiss and turned his face, sucking down a deep breath. His hold on her tightened, bringing their bodies intimately closer. Her head swam to the point she was glad she wasn’t still standing.

  “What are you doing?” he whispered against her neck, his lips coasting over her skin. She lifted her chin, wanting to feel him everywhere.

  “Waking up.” She settled on his lap, her world seeming to shift into sharper focus. Duke stroked her hair off her face, his brow furrowed. “We could have died this morning—”

  “But—”

  “Let me finish, please?” She stroked her fingers over his lips. He had a perfect mouth, generous, prone to smiling, and the kind she liked to dream about kissing. Doing it once wasn’t enough. “You feel this, don’t you? Every time you hold my hand I pretend I don’t. I tell myself it’s not real, but it is. And today, we could have died, because I did something stupid. You risked your life because of me, and it just...I got to thinking that this isn’t worth ignoring because I’m scared. I’m not crazy, am I?”

  “You aren’t crazy. I feel it, too,” Duke said.

  “Why haven’t you said something?”

  “I’m your boss.”

  “So?” Were there rules she wasn’t aware of?

  “How could I act on those feelings?”

  “You say, hey, Val, you’re cute. Let’s go out?” Panic tightened her throat.

  Duke tugged her closer and chuckled.

  “What I mean is—I’m your boss. How could I say that with a clear conscience you wouldn’t feel pressure to—”

  “Have you seriously never met me?” She glared at him.

  “I’m just saying—”

  “You’re just saying you think I’d date someone because I was scared for my job security?”

  “Not—I mean—no...” He closed his eyes and blew out a breath. “You can be the most frustrating woman sometimes. What I mean is—any act on my part would betray the trust we have as a team. It would be an abuse of power to behave that way even if I thought you felt the same.”

  “Let me get this straight. You’ve been waiting for me to ask you out because hitting on me would be wrong?”

  “Yes?” he said slowly.

  Val snickered, which turned into a deep, belly laugh that brought on tears.

  “I don’t see what’s funny,” he said.

  “This whole time I’ve been telling myself that you could never be anything but my boss. That it was this side of you that you didn’t switch off that work would always come first—”

  “Focusing on work is what kept me in line.”

  “Does that part of you switch off? Can you stop being the leader long enough to make room for something—someone—else?” That was the crux of it for her. She loved what she did and believed in the work they did as a team to the point that she’d packed up her life and followed Duke blindly into the unknown.

  “The last few years, since losing the rest of my family, work is all I’ve had. I’d like something else—someone else—just for me.”

  “Okay.” Her voice trembled. They were going at this completely backward. She was already in love with him, but now they were talking about finally acting on it. That was a big, scary step.

  “Is that what you want, Val?”

  “Are you sure you’re interested? I mean, I come with a crazy family, a village under siege from a spoiled brat, and I get us into some pretty bad situations. That’s kind of a lot to take on.”

  “I think I can handle all that.” His gaze dropped to her lips.

  She chuckled and curled her toes against his thighs. She was free falling, and Duke would catch her.

  He leaned in, brushing his lips to hers, teasing her mouth with little kisses. She pressed closer, and he fell backward, taking her with him. Again she laughed, the thrill of realization going to her head.

  Duke had feelings for her, and they both wanted the same thing. He stroked her back, his fingers sliding across the skin between her shirt and jeans, drawing little circles. His mouth moved against hers, deepening the kiss while his hands explored her body.

  This whole time he’d been sitting back, waiting on her because once again, that was the kind of guy he was. He put everything and everyone before himself.

  She sat up and pulled her shirt off.

  Duke’s gaze went straight to her breasts.

  “I have to go first, right?” She grinned.

  She’d always thought these long, hard stares were about coming to terms with what was wrong with her. Looking at him now she realized every time she’d kicked herself for doing something, he’d been having completely different thoughts.

  He slid his hands up her sides and around her waist, tugging her forward. She bent, focused on that perfect mouth of his.

  Duke wrapped his arms around her and rolled, putting Val on her back. His weight pinned her to the bed, not that she minded in the least.

  He kissed up her neck while his hand slid up her side, over her stomach and nudged the underside of her breast. She covered his hand with hers and moved it up until he palmed her breast.

  “You thought I was the one with control issues?” His voice vibrated with laughter.

  “I have to make the first move, remember?”

  “I think you should kiss me and not worry about anything else.”

  “I like kissing you.” She lifted her head enough to press her mouth to his.

  “We should slow down, get some sleep.” His lips moved across hers as he spoke.

  “Duke?”

  “Hm?”

  She tugged her bra down, leaving him touching her bare breast.

  “I’m not interested in slow right now. We’ve done enough slow,” she said.

  “I’m trying to—”

  “Be the good guy, I know.” She stroked her hands down his chest and slipped them under his shirt. It wasn’t the first time she’d touched him, but it was the first time she got to enjoy the feel of his skin, how he was made, the whole package.

  “Val.” He groaned her name and squeezed her breast. His thumb swiped over the tight nipple.

  She arched her back and sucked in a breath.

  “I want to do this right,” he said.

  “Well, the right way is naked.” She tugged his shirt up.

  “You know what I mean.” He frowned at her, not amused in the least.

  “I knew when I pulled those stitches out of you that you were a man I wanted to be with. Tell me it was any different with you.” She kissed his cheek, his chin, but not those down-turned lips.

  “I saw you from across the room and knew.”

  “Really?” She’d been so wrapped up in dealing with the injured the able-bodied men hadn’t registered.

  “Yeah. I had an appointment to get my stitches out when we got back, but that was my only o
pening to talk to you.”

  Val shook her head. They were a mess, so into each other they were scared to make a move. Well, she was done with that.

  She reached farther down until she could wrap her hand around the tent pole in his jeans.

  “Val.” Duke groaned her name.

  “I’m not patient.”

  “I’m aware.”

  He covered her mouth with his, pressing her down into the mattress. He pushed her hand out of the way and loosened his belt. She grinned against his mouth and tabbed her jeans pen. He sat up and they both shed their clothes as if they were in a race to get naked first.

  Her clothes went sailing over the edge of the bed along with Duke’s until it was just them, skin to skin.

  Duke didn’t waste time pulling a condom out of his wallet.

  “Do I want to know how long that’s been in there?” She laughed at his frown.

  “Since Johannesburg,” he said.

  She swallowed. That weekend in the city was their first off the clock, just wandering around together weekend. She’d kind of hoped for more, but the three missions they’d just come off, had left her raw and in need of time to heal. Tangling with Duke in her state would have been too much, but now? She was ready.

  He rolled the condom on and she pulled him down on top of her, hungry for the feel of him.

  “This should be—”

  “Duke, stop telling me what we should be like and just be with me.”

  “I want everything to be perfect.”

  “Spoiler, our lives aren’t perfect.”

  “Mine has been ever since I met you.”

  It was a stupid sappy line, and yet it echoed the way she felt deep down. She cupped his face and kissed his mouth. He thrust, and she gasped as he slid into her. She wrapped her leg around him, lifting her hips to meet his thrusts. It’d been a hell of a long time since she’d last had sex. It was as though she’d been waiting for him, as if this connection were bound to happen.

  She opened her eyes and stared deep into his, losing herself in this singular moment here the world didn’t matter, because it was all about him This man she loved and needed as much as her next breath of air.