Chapter Nine
Knowing he shouldn’t watch, but unable to help himself, Eli went to the window. After brushing away a few dead bugs and spiderwebs, he leaned his elbows on the rough wooden sill, his attention glued to Ray’s every movement. Brilliant stars and a fat moon lit the sky over the small clearing the stream made. Everything seemed softer at night, the forest lending black shadows to the surroundings. The air was only slightly cooler, still unbearably humid, and smelled of the dense foliage all around. Animals called quietly to each other, as if saying good night.
Eli was so horny, he could barely think straight.
Then Ray lifted her shirt over her head. Spellbound, he couldn’t look away, didn’t even want to try. She sat on a rock and worked her boots off, then stood and unfastened her pants. They fell to her ankles and Eli was given a breathtaking view of her backside, clad only in a pair of panties. Her skin looked opalescent in the moonlight, her hair liquid.
She didn’t climb into the star-dappled water as Eli expected her to do, but instead stepped out onto a large flat rock midway in the stream and sat down. Her long legs stretched out before her and she cupped the water, splashing her body until she was thoroughly wet. She lathered her palms with the soap and began washing with a leisurely, lazy thoroughness.
She was so naturally graceful, her every movement utterly feminine despite a lifestyle that stifled feminine inclinations. She cupped more water, rinsing, until all the soap was removed.
Eli felt the wild thudding of his heart when Ray lifted her hips and skimmed her panties down her legs. He could see the smooth line of her back and the heart-shaped contours of her ass. She faced away from him, but he knew she used the tiny scrap of material as a cloth, finishing her bath—washing between her legs.
His body reacted to what he couldn’t see, envisioning her hands where he wanted his hands, his mouth, his cock to be. His breath grew shallow with his imagination.
Ray looked over her shoulder then, suddenly aware of Eli’s attention. Given the darkness and the shadows of the hut, he wasn’t sure she could see him. He waited, his chest tight, but then she looked away, her head dropping forward.
With a muffled curse, Eli moved away from the window, belatedly giving her the privacy she deserved. Strung tight with lust, he was unable to sit still. He paced the cabin until she came in. She stopped in the doorway, damp, flushed, staring at him.
The urge to grab her close clawed at him. Never in his life had he suffered such a powerful craving. Without a word, he went past her, ready for his own dousing.
It wasn’t cleanliness he had in mind, but rather a cold dunk in the stream to help suppress his unbearable need. He pulled his clothes off as he walked, and by the time his feet were on the bank of the stream, he was naked.
He made a loud splash when he stomped in, needing to exert some form of physical energy. The bottom of the stream was covered with smooth pebbles, and he sat down, trying to get as much cold water on his overheated body as possible.
He was surprised when Ray, silent as a ghost, suddenly appeared. She stood on the bank with her hands on her hips, wearing only the pajamas she’d bought at his store.
Did she intend to join him? Was she finally ready to accept him?
She cleared her throat. “Eli?”
He couldn’t speak, but he turned his face toward her. She’d picked up his clothes and had them bundled in her arms.
“Did you happen to notice how I bathed?”
His muscles almost went into spasms. For the rest of his life, the sight of her bathing would torment him. He remained perfectly still in the water, not daring to move. “I noticed.”
“Did you see me get all the way into the stream?”
“No. You sat there on that goddamn rock where I could see every inch of you under the moonlight.” Why did she want to torment him now?
“You wanna know why?”
The water only reached his waist. Eli leaned back, dipping his body farther into the chilly stream, giving Ray an aggrieved frown. “You’re obviously dying to tell me.”
“I thought you might appreciate it if I did.”
“So do I have to pry it out of you, or what?”
He knew by her tone of voice she was smiling. “Are you familiar with the red piranha?”
His heart nearly stopped. “Red piranha?” he repeated on a strangled breath.
“They mostly eat fish, you know. But since this stream is cut off from the main river, the piranha could be especially hungry, and none too particular about their diets. I suggest you hustle your sexy bod out of there before something takes a nibble.”
Eli was cursing long and loud as he splashed out of the stream, stirring the water enough to send anything inhabiting it into hiding, including red piranha. Ray’s laughter died the second she saw him naked, but that didn’t stop Eli from feeling like an idiot. With the heat of Ray’s gaze on his backside, he stormed into the cabin. Ray had left a utility light on, sending a small glow around the interior.
Jesus, no wonder she thought he was a fool. Around her, he continually acted like one. Red piranha. He shook his head.
More subdued, Ray strolled in behind him. She didn’t say a word as he pulled on boxers—and nothing more.
In silent agreement, they prepared for bed. Eli hung one of his shirts in front of the window, using rocks to keep it firmly in place, hoping to discourage the bats from returning. Killer fish and insects were enough. He didn’t need bats feeding off him. Satisfied with his makeshift curtain, he went outside to pound the dust out of the mattress before hauling it back in. It smelled better, but was far from clean.
They used water from the canteen to brush their teeth and less than fifteen minutes later, they lay spooned on the extremely narrow mattress.
Though neither of them had said much, their bodies were pressed together, the air was quiet, and Eli was hard. He didn’t want to be, but around Ray it seemed he had no control at all.
The seconds ticked by with the impact of a drumbeat. The surrounding jungle was so silent, Eli could hear himself breathing. His muscles were strained enough to crack.
He suffered a riot of mixed emotions. The urge to retrieve his brother had amplified now that they were so close. Family was more important to him than most, probably because he hadn’t always had one, and could never take it for granted. He wanted Jeremy home, safe and sound.
But underlying that was the driving, pulsing urge to tie Ray to him before it was too late. He’d learned early on to take what he really wanted in life. Regardless of what Ray thought, no one had ever handed him a damn thing, not money, not family, and definitely not love.
He’d found her, he wanted her, but she was an enigma, doing everything she could to maintain a distance from him. One minute it would infuriate him, but the next he felt such compassion, understanding her need to remain emotionally isolated. He’d felt that way himself once, long ago. He nearly smothered with the heartache of knowing what she suffered.
She considered this it, that once the mission ended, so would their time together. He wasn’t giving her up that easily, but for now, he wouldn’t push the issue. For now, he wanted her to learn to trust him a little.
Ray hadn’t spoken a single word once they’d gotten into bed. She was stiff, painfully silent, and somehow distant.
“It’s damned hot tonight, isn’t it?”
Eli raised up slightly to look at Ray. Her voice had trembled as she’d spoken, giving testimony to her own turbulent emotions.
She turned her head to face him. Her eyes looked big and soft in the darkness. “This humidity is stifling.”
Eli’s testicles drew tight and blood rushed into his cock, thickening his boner, making him hurt. Ray couldn’t know how just the sound of her voice ignited him. He could barely make out her features in the darkness, but in every masculine fiber of his being he was aware of her nearness. He could feel her heat, smell the light, healthy fragrance of her body.
He labored for breath.
“The air is almost . . . sticky.”
Sticky, humid, hot—to Eli’s lust-fogged brain, they sounded like provoking sex words. His groan erupted from his throat with explosive force. “Ray.”
She rolled to face him and Eli moved over her, then groaned again, the sound raw and deep, this time from the feel of Ray’s breasts, belly, and thighs moving against him. There were few clothes in his way now, and Ray showed no reservations.
Her legs stirred, tangling with his own. Eli immediately took advantage. He used his knee to force her thighs farther apart and settled himself against her. God, it felt good.
With his body surrounded, invaded by the smell and feel of Ray, he couldn’t think. A roaring filled his ears with an urgency that kept rational thought at bay.
Rocking against her, feeling close to the exploding point already, Eli fought for common sense. “Ray, sweetheart, I can’t protect you.”
“I’ll protect you,” she murmured, kissing his chin, his throat.
Touched by her misguided sincerity, Eli said, “No, sweetheart. That’s not what I mean.” He drew a breath. “I don’t have anything with me. I hadn’t thought . . .”
She pressed her fingertips to his mouth. “It’s okay, Eli. Sarita gave me a condom.”
“She did?”
He felt her barely there nod. “She knew I wanted you.”
God bless Ray, she’d finally admitted it. “I’m glad.”
“That she gave me a condom?”
“That you want me. And yeah, about the rubber, too.” Then he thought to add, “Only one?”
Her warm breath touched his throat. “Sorry.”
“That’s all right.” And in a teasing threat, “I’ll make it last.” Contrary to that, Eli wanted them both naked, now. He stripped Ray’s shirt up and over her head, pausing to feel her breasts and stroke her nipples.
“Eli . . .”
He shoved her pajama bottoms down her long legs. His palms brushed the silky skin of her hips, ass, and thighs. “I want to feel all of you against me.”
“Yes.” Ray helped him strip, but her enthusiasm left his boxers ripped. He almost laughed over that, until her hand circled his cock in a firm, careful grip. Oh no. No, if she started that, he’d never last.
He kissed the curve of her breast while pulling her hand away, and moving it up beside her head. It was the sweetest torture being wanted so much by Ray. Coming up on one elbow, he wished like hell he could see her better, but he’d manage in the dark. First, he wanted her as hot, as turned on, as he was. With that thought in mind, Eli went about arousing her.
Despite Ray’s efforts to hurry him, he feasted off her mouth; his kiss was languid, wet, deep, and thorough. He forgot about her lightning reflexes, though. Before he realized what she was doing, she caught his hand and pressed his palm to her breast. “Enough playing around, Eli.”
“All right,” Eli soothed, bringing up his other hand so that he held both breasts. “Is this better?”
For an answer, she arched into his palms.
He cuddled her, carefully shaping, caressing. Ray’s breathing labored, mingled with soft sighs and small gasps, so different from her usually decisive, commanding tone. Using just his fingertips, Eli fanned her sensitive nipples, lightly pinched, tugged. Ray’s body bowed in pleasure and Eli couldn’t wait a second more. He dipped his head to search out one straining nipple.
Damn, she tasted good. He rubbed with his tongue, teased, and softly, wetly sucked. Ray went wild; her hands clutched at him, moved down his back to his hips, over his ass. He felt her fingers digging in, trying to drag him closer.
Knowing what she wanted, what she needed, Eli trailed his hand over her waist to her belly—and lower, to the crisp curls shielding her sex. The moment he touched her, Ray went still, even her breathing suspended. With one finger he pressed in, pushing past the soft, plump folds, and found her swollen and hot, slick with moisture. Perfect.
He fingered her gently, shallow little explorations that only excited her more. “I’ve wanted you forever, Ray.”
Ray shook her head, the only denial she seemed capable of at the moment.
“Yes, Ray.” Using only that one finger, Eli played with her, petting her inner lips until they opened, gliding up and down maddeningly close to her *oris without touching her, going just inside, shallow and slow, then retreating. She tried twisting, moving her hips, but Eli followed her movements, keeping just out of reach.
“Eli—”
“Shhh.” He slid three fingers deep, stopping at the sound of her long, drawn out moan. He held her there, feeling her fast breath on his face, the tightness of her body. Slowly out—back in again.
Her hips rose to meet him and she shuddered in rising need. The feel of her, wet and snug and slick, filled him with satisfaction.
“I’ve been looking for you at least a lifetime, Ray.” Eli hadn’t realized she was what he wanted until he found her.
With his fingers still working her, Eli licked her ribs, forged a path down her taut midriff. He took a soft love bite of her waist, her belly. She was all womanly grace and supple strength, sleek and smooth and soft. Her body arched sinuously with each touch of his mouth on her heated skin. The sounds of their breathing swelled, heavy and thick with desire.
Ray shivered, saying his name in urgent demand. Encouraging her, Eli moved his fingers in and out, thrilled with the way she tightened around him, trying to hold him, to keep him deep. When he felt she was ready to come, when her legs stiffened and her breath caught, he used his thumb to tease her pulsing *oris.
“Oh, God. Eli, please . . .”
He looked up at her with lust and love. He had one arm around her hips, his other hand between her legs, fingers buried deep. “That’s it, Ray, that’s it. Come for me now.” She gave a high cry and Eli’s blood pulsed with hers. “Yes.”
Her heels dug into the mattress and she threw back her head, crying out, trembling. Eli held her, keeping the rhythm of his fingers steady to give her more pleasure. When she finally quieted, he squeezed her close. Words of love crowded his throat, but he swallowed them down, forcing himself to be content with the sounds of her labored breathing, the scent of her heated body and excitement. She went limp.
He was far from finished, but he allowed her a few moments to regain her breath, to calm her racing heart. While she did so, he stroked her skin, touching her everywhere, kissing her in select places.
He bit her belly again, loving the taste of her, wanting to eat every inch of her.
“Eli?” Her limp hand lifted to his head and her fingers threaded gently through his hair in what Eli chose to see as a loving caress. “That was . . .” She sighed without finishing.
“Just a start.” He raised up, gave her a long look, then kissed her long and deep. “I could spend years loving you, Ray.”
She started a bit at that, but Eli didn’t give her a chance to protest. He kissed her mouth again, then her throat, her shoulder, and her left breast. Lazily, he suckled her nipples, aware of the moment Ray responded with renewed interest. Her body was no longer so languid and her hands began their own exploration. Eli allowed her a few minutes to touch him, relishing the feel of her hot little hands skimming up and down his body. She tried to wedge a hand under him, wanting his cock, but Eli scooted down her body instead. He had a feeling this might be the only place where he could keep control.
She started to protest, until he licked over her ribs, then her hipbones and down. He dipped his tongue into her navel, pushed her legs wide apart, and kissed the delicate spot where her thigh met her groin. Ray caught her breath in anticipation of what he would do.
Not about to disappoint her, Eli nuzzled his face between her open thighs. His nostrils flared at the hot, spicy scent of her lust. Her pubic hair was already damp, making him anxious to taste her. He used both thumbs to open her more, leaving her *oris exposed, ripe and tender. She was still slightly swollen from her earlier release, and Eli couldn’t wait. He closed his mouth over her, drawing gently, flicking with his rough tongue, and Ray screamed in excitement.
Putting his fingers back inside her, Eli teased with devastating intent, stroking, sucking, treating her to a delicious tongue f*ck meant to drive her mad.
This time Ray was totally uncontrolled in her climax. Her body quaked in small spasms, her cries were low and raw and filled with the same need Eli suffered. He could feel the strong contractions of her inner muscles gripping his fingers and he could taste her arousal as she came in long, delicious waves. He didn’t want it to ever end, but eventually her body sank into the mattress.
She was crying.
Not sobs, but silent tears that left her cheeks wet and salty. Eli wasn’t alarmed. She’d been so tense over so many things, the sexual release had probably released other emotions as well. He was glad.
Moving up to lie over her, Eli held her to his heart. That Ray would break down and cry with him told him everything he needed to know. She cared, no matter what she told herself. But if he made a big deal of this, she’d hate him for it. And he’d rather die than hurt her.
Kissing away the closest tear, he whispered, “You are so beautiful, Ray.”
She shook her head. “I’m not.”
Argumentative to the bitter end. Eli managed a weak, strained chuckle. His words were hoarse when he told her playfully, “You’re also the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.”
“No, I—”
“Where’s the rubber?” he asked, just to keep her on track. If he didn’t get inside her soon, he’d be coming without her and that wouldn’t do.
She sniffed, twisted to reach under the cot. “If you ever tell anyone—”
“What? That you’re a sexual dynamo? That you taste so f*cking good I almost came just from eating you?” He growled, ready to taste her again. “That you—”
“That I cried.”
His heart swelled at the pitiful, embarrassed way she whispered that. “I swear to God, Ray, I will never hurt you.” He took the condom from her and levered up to take care of business.
“I don’t know why I’m sniveling. I’m not sad.”
“I know, honey.”
“I’m not worried or afraid, either.”
Eli said nothing to that.
“It’s just that you’re so . . .”
“I understand.”
She laughed. “Maybe I should say vain?” Ray sniffed again, then touched his chest. “I love how you feel, Eli.” Her hands moved over his nipples, down his sides to again clutch his butt.
“All sweaty?” With the condom on, Eli lowered himself back into her arms.
“All heaving and horny and hard.”
Closing his eyes, Eli struggled for control. It wasn’t easy, but he managed to keep his entrance slow. After two orgasms, Ray was so wet and soft that he sank into her easily.
Once he was buried deep, he paused to kiss her brow, her ear, the tip of her nose. He loved kissing Ray and could have spent hours doing just that.
“You’re a part of me, Ray.” He cupped her chin and pressed deeper, touching her womb to emphasize his claim. “I won’t ever let you push me away again. And I won’t ever let you go.”
With a heartfelt, uncertain groan, Ray tried to turn her face away—but she couldn’t do it. Eli knew it wasn’t his hold on her chin, but rather his hold on her heart that she rebelled against. Physical bonds she could break, but when was the last time someone had loved her?
Ray closed her eyes and her voice sounded with humiliation and despair. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Eli.”
No, she just didn’t want to believe what he said. “Don’t be afraid of me, honey.”
She thumped him in the ribs, but it was a weak attack, awkward from her position, making him smile. He was a part of her, body and heart, and even Ray’s stubbornness couldn’t blind her to that fact.
Still, long ingrained pride made her grumble, “I’m not afraid of anyone,” at the same time her legs slowly twined around his hips and she locked her ankles at the small of his back.
“You feel good wrapped around me, honey.” He began moving in a metered pace. He forced himself to go slow, enjoying the sweet friction, the wet glide, the gentle conquest of Ray Vereker, his own little mercenary.
Unappreciative of his efforts, Ray cursed him.
“So impatient,” Eli murmured. His cock throbbed and pulsed, hugged by her hot velvet sheath. With each steady thrust, he felt her pubic hair, her smooth belly on his, her pointed nipples against his chest. “I’ve waited too long to hurry, Ray. Just relax and enjoy.”
Instead, she dug her heels into the small of his back and strained against him. Damp from the heat and humidity, they rocked together, finding a rhythm that came to them easily, as if they’d been making love for years.
Eli slid his hands beneath her, cradling her ass, kneading and holding her close. His control began slipping so he raised her high for more powerful thrusts, each growing harder and deeper. Her strong legs squeezed him tight in her pleasure. Her hands held him as if she’d never let him go.
The urgency was back, worse than ever. His body pounded with heat, his heart thundered, and his muscles went rigid with the effort of restraint. He didn’t think he could wait much longer, everything about Ray driving him past his control.
Then Ray said, “I want you with me this time,” on a high wail, and it was enough. Eli exploded. His own shout was harsh and filled with satisfaction. He pressed his face into Ray’s neck, filling himself with the scent of her, holding her as close as he could manage without hurting her.
It wasn’t close enough.
He didn’t know if he could ever be close enough. He only knew she was his now, and he would never let her forget that.
Ray hated to admit it, but she was afraid.
Last night had been pure, unadulterated, all-consuming bliss, far more than she’d counted on when she decided to give in to the attraction. Attraction? Ha! What a wimpy word for how she felt, for how Eli could make her feel.
She’d never imagined sex could be that way, both powerful and tender, mind-blowing and healing. Eli had the means to make her whole, content and fulfilled, which meant he also had the means to hurt her.
He didn’t really know her, or he wouldn’t keep talking about relationships and the future. She didn’t fit in, not in her own world, and definitely not in his.
The bigger problem though, was that she no longer knew herself, not when she was with him, not with how he made her feel.
Last night was a memory she’d cherish. But it should never have happened. She’d given in, and in the process she’d made herself too vulnerable for comfort.
Usually she had no problem keeping her mind on what she was doing, using an internal clock to keep to her schedule. But after last night, she’d conked out for the duration. Even her concerns for the job hadn’t been enough to rouse her this morning. It’d taken the noisy howler monkeys to jerk her awake. Now she was running behind, and as she shoved on her pants and tucked in her shirt, she stared at Eli, still sleeping.
He was a beautiful man. And not just in appearance, though God knew he had her panting for his body. He was intelligent and proud and almost as dangerous as she was. She’d misjudged him badly in the beginning. But now she knew Eli Conners could hold his own in any battle, be it a boardroom debate or a physical struggle in the middle of Central America.
But even putting those truths aside, he was still from the social elite. Other than a few admitted prejudices, Ray didn’t know the first thing about the life of the rich and powerful. She’d hired herself out to them, doing their dirty work, but she didn’t know what motivated them. What did they think when they got up in the morning? What did they discuss over lunch? She didn’t know, would never know, and that was the crux of the problem.
Fully dressed, Ray walked to the bed. They had about five minutes before they needed to move out. She’d deliberately waited to wake Eli so he couldn’t start hashing out the proverbial morning-after awkwardness.
Ray reached out to shake him awake, but hesitated. He was naked as a jaybird, and she liked it. Boy, did she like it. One muscled arm rested behind his head, and she stared at his biceps, pronounced even in sleep. The tuft of dark, fine hair beneath his arm was a strangely appealing sight, masculine and naturally sexy. So was the way his heavy brows relaxed in sleep, the rumpled lay of his hair, the soft soughing of his breath.
Looking at him made her suffer with regret, but also filled her with warmth. She stared at his sex, remembering how she’d touched him there, how she’d tasted him, how he’d slid deep and filled her up.
He wasn’t hard now, but was nestled softly in dark, crisp hair. It amazed her that a man’s body could change so rapidly and so completely. It amazed her that Eli’s body changed for her.
She wanted to touch him again, and found herself seriously considering it. Eli stirred, becoming erect right before her eyes. Her gaze shot to his face and she found him watching her, those hazel eyes hot and filled with such intensity that the impact of his stare sank deep into her heart. From the first, he’d possessed the power to see too much.
Eli slowly reached for her, but she stepped away. “We’re late. We overslept. You’ve got”—she glanced at her watch—“four minutes.”
Eli came out of the bed as if he’d been awake for hours, as if he hadn’t spent most of the night making love to her. But he had. The lack of condoms hadn’t stopped him. No, he just hadn’t come inside her again, but he’d given her so much pleasure . . .
He stepped into his pants as he said, “I’m sorry. You should have awakened me sooner.”
Ray cleared her throat. “No big deal, as long as you’re ready to leave when I am. We want to catch them soon after they’ve eaten, when the effect of the drug is strongest.”
Eli tugged on his boots, rummaged through the bag, then went outside. Ray peeked out the window. He relieved himself, then went to the stream to splash his face and brush his teeth. She shook her head. It would have been better if he’d been grouchy this morning. Then she could have convinced herself that he wasn’t as wonderful as he seemed.
God, she was a fraud, damn near a coward. She almost hated herself.
He was back in the shack, ready to leave, and he hadn’t even used a whole three minutes.
Forcing herself to think of the job at hand, Ray readied her ammo in case things didn’t go as planned. She did it by rote, the familiarity of it just what she needed to soothe her frazzled thoughts.
“You look like a female Rambo.” Eli made a sound of disgust. “Christ, I hate this, Ray.”
Pretending confusion, she cocked a brow. “This?”
“Knowing the risks you take.”
She shrugged. “It’s what you hired me for.”
Her cavalier attitude set him off. “That has nothing to do with here and now.”
Ray was ready for a fight, needed one, in fact. It’d clear the air and remind her, and him, of where they stood.
Which was not together.
“Be honest with yourself about who and what I am, Eli. That hasn’t changed just because sex got thrown in as a bonus.”
His jaw locked. “Don’t push me, Ray. What happened last night doesn’t have a f*cking thing to do with our arrangement.”
His foul language didn’t impress her. “No? Our reasons for being here haven’t changed. I haven’t changed.”
In a show of frustration, Eli ran a hand through his hair. He looked disreputable and dangerous with his scraggly beard and glowing eyes. Then he tilted his head back to stare at the rotting ceiling. Ray watched his chest heave.
When he again looked at her, that turbulent emotion had been banked while the intensity remained. Eli looked at her mouth. “I’m sorry about being so . . . insatiable last night.”
Her eyes flared at that low, intimate tone. Unfair! He couldn’t go from mad to tender in a heartbeat, not when she’d expected more arguments, more anger. Damn it, she wasn’t ready for concern, especially over that.
Knowing her face had gone hot, Ray considered tossing him out the window. “No. Big. Deal,” she assured him through her teeth, letting him know she wanted it dropped.
“I should have let you rest.” He took a step closer so that she had to look up at him. “The second time I woke you . . . I don’t know, Ray. You’d curled up against me in your sleep, and I woke up hard . . .”
Oh Lord. “Forget about it.” Please.
“But that third time was entirely uncalled for. I’ve never been that excessive before.” His gaze searched her face, sending new heat to pool in her lower body. “I hope I didn’t offend you, making love that way.”
Offend her? The pleasure had been so sharp, she’d screamed like a banshee. Images of Eli rousing her from sleep, his mouth at her nipple, his hand already pressing between her thighs, warm and rough and unrelenting, made her breathing labor and her skin burn.
With their one and only rubber already used, Eli had become inventive, holding back his own release to make certain she climaxed again and again. But that third time, he’d lost it, and she could still remember the thick, hot feel of his cum on her stomach. The look on his face as he’d exploded made her want to crawl right back in bed with him now. Ray closed her eyes in self-defense, but it didn’t help.
She drew a shaky breath before daring to face him again. As usual, he saw too much, more than she’d ever let any other man see.
“We have to go. Now.”
Eli hesitated a heartbeat, reluctant to give up, before finally nodding. “I’m ready.”
Ray knew he’d only put his questions on hold. He wanted to know what last night meant to her, but she didn’t really know, so how could she explain it to him? She was usually so confident, feeling uncertainty and weakness just sucked.
Unfortunately, the day got worse instead of better.
When they neared the camp, it was to see half a dozen men tossing their cookies with the verve of a pie-throwing contest. Some half stood, others were rolled into balls on the ground. They had their hands clapped to their mouths, around their middles, and in some cases holding their noses.
“Good God, it’s like the plague.” Ray resisted the urge to cover her nose. “Sarita overdid it.”
“I’ll say.” Eli curled his lip at the sounds the men made. “Hell, just watching them is about to turn my stomach.”
“Wimp,” she taunted, then had to pinch her lips together to hold down the orange she’d had for breakfast.
At that moment, they spotted Jeremy. He tottered over to the edge of camp, so green he blended with the jungle vegetation. He fell to his knees, wavered a moment, then began to heave violently.
“Huh. Montezuma’s been busy with his revenge.”
“Goddamn it, he must’ve eaten with the guerillas,” Eli growled.
“And they told us he bitched about the food. Imagine how he’ll feel now.” Ray would rather have faced three armed men than a yard full of vomit. She hated nausea. “This is just friggin’ great. Now I’ll have to contend with him being sick on top of executing a rescue.”
“You’re all heart, Ray, you know that?”
Jeremy fell to his side with a groan that rivaled the others’ combined. Ray did feel sorry for him, but merely shrugged. She had other things to contend with. “See the guard standing beside the ammunition shed, keeping out of reach of the sick men? He looks a little shaky himself, but I’d say he hasn’t eaten yet.”
“I’d say he won’t eat for hours now.”
Miguel stood at the other end of the compound, his hands on his head, his eyes wild with shock while his men fell like flies. He shouted and cursed at them in Spanish, to no avail. Either he hadn’t eaten as much as his men, or he had a stronger constitution.
“Two men still standing,” Ray said, “and the ape is Miguel. There’re two jeeps parked behind that ammunition shed. That’s your job, Eli. Ready one jeep for us to take. You can temporarily disable the other to give us a head start, but don’t kill it completely. They need it to survive.”
“And what’ll you do?”
“I’ll take care of the men.”
Eli didn’t like that. “You promised Sarita you wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
She glared at him for standing in her way. “Lucky for you, huh?”
Eli made a face. Ray was beginning to think he didn’t take her seriously anymore. ’Course, why would he when he knew damn good and well she didn’t want to hurt him?
They were hidden behind a line of trees, a thick layer of moss and dead leaves silencing their movements—as if anyone could hear over that awful retching racket anyway. Ray could guess what Eli would think of her plan, but she’d used the ploy before and it worked.
It’d be easier to get him out of the way first, so she ordered, “Slip around to the back of the shed. When I signal you, come in and grab your brother. I could do it myself, but since you’re bigger, you’d be faster, and if he tosses his cookies . . . well, he’s your brother.”
Ray waited for Eli to move, but instead he asked, “What are you going to do?”
“Save your brother. That’s the plan, right?”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
Both tired and disgustingly emotional this morning, the last thing Ray wanted or needed was an excess of protectiveness from Eli. Leaning close so that their noses touched, she hissed, “I’m trying to get us the hell out of here with as little trouble as possible. Now. While everyone is still preoccupied barfing. So cut the bull, Eli. Can you carry your brother or not?”
“I can carry him. No problem.”
“Perfect. Give me a few minutes, then after you’ve taken care of the jeep, circle around and be ready.”
Eli nodded, now silent. But he still didn’t move.
She kicked out, catching Miguel in the ribs, forcing him back a pace or two. Just as quickly, she twisted and caught the other man in the thigh. His leg collapsed, landing him on his knees in the dirt. Ray brought her knee up into his chin. His head snapped back and he fell unconscious to the ground. Ray spared him a glance and saw he was breathing just fine. If anything, he was better off. Maybe he’d sleep until the sickness wore off.
She faced Miguel just as he charged toward her again. Grinning with a surge of exhilaration, Ray said, “You’re up.”
He gave a battle cry of outrage. Ray ducked around him, chopped fast, and hit him twice in the back. Miguel staggered forward, almost losing his balance. He spun around to face her, aware that she only toyed with him and not liking it a bit.
“Puta,” he snapped and lunged at her. Ray dodged his meaty fist while delivering a chopping blow to his ribs again, then his stomach, making him huff.
He slowly straightened up, saw her stepping toward him yet again, and covered his crotch with both hands.
Laughing, Ray clipped him in the side of the neck just behind his ear. He went down face first—thankfully well away from the nauseous remains of his men. The whole thing had lasted less than thirty seconds.
Ray knelt to check him, saw he was okay, and started to raise her hand to signal Eli.
He was already sprinting across the compound toward her.
And wow, he looked pissed. His eyes were lit with an angry fire discernible even from a distance. Ray slowly came to her feet, then propped her hands on her hips, trying to quiet herself from the rush of adrenaline. “Everything go okay?”
Eli charged right up to her and shouted, the words practically spit at her, “What the hell kind of plan was that?”