“Sounds like a good plan to me.”
“The only problem is that both Duval and Fouquet know what Ava looks like. Even if we were to disguise her somehow, she has the mismatched eyes. Think Pucallpa has a place that sells colored contacts?”
We exchange dubious looks. Pucallpa is at the mouth of the Amazon jungle. It sells jungle-related shit. Not cosmetic enhancements like colored contacts. You’d have to get that shit in Lima, but maybe we could buy a wig somewhere . . . I stare at Bennito.
“Stand up.”
“No way, man. Do I look like a chick to you?”
“Stand up,” I repeat. Bennito sighs and throws his chip bag on the desk. He gets to his feet, brushing his hands on his pants, leaving orange dust behind. Bennito stands a little under six feet and is shaped like a square. He’s not going to pass for a woman, not with all the makeup in the world. Bridge troll, possibly. Woman, no.
“Fuck,” I curse and wave my hand at him. “Sit down.”
“Thank Christ,” he breathes.
“Call Rodrigo and tell him that he needs to get a maid’s uniform. Size 10 or so. Maybe 12.” Bennito nods and I leave him to take care of the details while I go tell Ava that she’s going to have to enter the hornet’s nest to save her friend.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
AVA
I really freaking hate this new plan. Me, going in and making the switch while in disguise? They sure do have a lot of faith in me. Considering that I’m the world’s unluckiest woman to date, we should probably pay someone else to do this.
But we can’t trust anyone else, and so I guess it’s got to be me.
Hours later, we’re sitting in the rented bungalow next to Duval’s. I’m on the edge of the bed dressed in a frumpy, pale blue maid’s uniform. My breasts have been bound down so I’m more boxy, and I’m wearing a wig. I’ve penciled my brows heavier and darker to disguise my face a bit more.
They even got me reading glasses to disguise my eyes, an ugly green pair that look like they belong to an ancient, unstylish librarian. They even have a dangly golden chain. And I’ve got orthopedic shoes to boot.
It’s the world’s unsexiest getup. Or at least, it should be, except Rafe keeps kissing me on the mouth and watching me with those intense eyes of his.
“I hate this,” I tell him one last time. “I’m scared. They’re going to look at me and figure me out.”
“Baby, you’re tearing me up,” he murmurs. Rafe rubs my arms up and down. “You know I’m going to be right next door. They’re not going to look at you. They don’t know we’re here. No one pays attention to staff. I promise. All you have to do is sneak in and switch it out.” When I hesitate, he leans in and kisses me on my nose. “If I thought you were in danger, I wouldn’t let you go.”
I snort. “That’s a lie.”
His mouth quirks up in a half smile. “Okay. It is a lie, but it’s the only option we’ve got. And I know you’re brave. You went swimming with piranhas, remember?”
I nod and suck in a breath. Really, walking into a bungalow filled with a few shitheads isn’t the worst thing that’s happened to me in the last few days. The Amazon jungle had been a nightmare full of snakes and jaguars, and bugs the size of my hand. This was just a hotel bungalow.
I walk in, pretend a little, walk back out.
I can do this.
“You should wear these.” Rafe lays a pair of plastic yellow gloves in my lap.
He’s right. My bad wrist is purple and yellow on the underside and still hurts like a bitch. On the good side, the swelling is almost completely gone and I’m nearly fully functional again. It remains to be seen whether there will be any permanent damage. Even Rafe’s eye patch is gone. We’re better, so . . .
All this should be okay. It should go perfectly.
But I’m not lucky, and I worry something will go wrong. It always seems to. So I nod and lean in for one last kiss before I go. His hand grips the back of my neck, cradling my head as he leans in and possesses my mouth. His tongue slicks against mine, until we’re gasping and clinging to each other, mouths mating wildly. For a man that’s eschewed sex for thirty-five years, he’s a damn good kisser. Either that, or a fast learner. If this is him rusty and out of practice, he’s going to make me melt into a puddle when he’s skilled.
And oh God, I really want to be around to see that.
I cling to him and reluctantly break the kiss. “Hey, Rafe?”
“Mmm?” He leans in and nips at my lower lip, sucking it into his mouth.
I fight a moan. God, he’s all handsy now. God, I love that. “After this, what about you and me? What happens to us?”
That stops the playful kissing. He pulls back and looks at me. He’s got that intense, possessive look in his eyes, but he pushes me away. “We’ll worry about that afterward, okay? Let’s just get through today.”