She shook her head.
“Not enough? What about the fact that you have Hu Chang to ramrod the security? He’s both wise and ingenious. He wouldn’t permit anything to happen while you’re gone.”
“He might not be able to help it.” She grimaced. “I’m being negative. You’re right, they’re as safe as they can be.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I think that the pressure will be diverted by our going after Montez. Montez is important to Santos, and he might consider him a threat if we got hold of him. He’ll be concerned about what you’re doing and how to stop you.”
“Unless he decides to stop me by hitting at someone else close to me.”
His expression turned thoughtful. “It’s always possible. But I’d bet that the action will be aimed at us. The only exception might be if you frighten or anger Santos enough to make him strike out.”
“Great.” She headed toward the bathroom. “And the chances are that I’ll do both before this is over. Something I won’t be able to avoid—”
She inhaled sharply. He had reached out as she’d passed him and grasped her forearm.
Electricity.
She looked down at his strong, hard, beautifully shaped hand against her softness.
His fingers on her wrist, his thumb rubbing her forearm. “But maybe not in Guatemala.” His lips brushed the hollow of her elbow. “We might be able to get back before you piss him off.”
His tongue on the softness of her flesh …
“Let me go, Cameron.”
“In a minute. I’ve been very good. Do you know how much I’ve wanted to do this?”
She only knew how much she’d wanted him to touch her.
“Or how often I thought of you in the summerhouse with your legs wrapped around me. It sent me into a fever, and all I wanted to do was drop everything and come back to you.”
“But you didn’t come back.” Her breasts were swelling, tightening. The muscles of her stomach were clenching. She had to get away from him. She jerked her arm free. “And you shouldn’t have come back. There’s nothing here for you. I told you that when you left me.” She moved toward the bathroom. Walk, don’t run. Don’t look back. “I’ll be dressed in ten minutes. Providing you still want to go with me.”
He chuckled. “Catherine, of course I want to go with you. I’ll do my best to be good. Sex is at the top of the list of the things I want to do with you. But followed closely behind it is fighting the bad guys with you. It’s very exhilarating.” His smile faded. “And I find I can’t bear the thought of Santos taking either one of those pleasures away from me.” He turned and headed for the door. “Ten minutes. I’ve arranged for a plane and pilot to be waiting at the airport. I’ll be downstairs in the foyer.”
PEDRO AMADOS AIRPORT
OUTSIDE GUATEMALA CITY
“We’re landing.” Cameron came out of the cockpit and handed her a manila envelope. “Documents. You’re Narda Seldano. Memorize the rest of the info before we get on the ground.”
“Not much time,” Catherine said. “If you had these documents before we got on this plane, why didn’t you give them to me before this?”
“I’m sure you’re a quick study. I had to make sure that they were authentic and not traceable. I told Dario to verify and get back to me before we landed. He came through just in the nick of time.”
“Dario?”
“Rafael Dario. He runs the group that is going to spearhead our search for Montez.”
“Well, it was more of a close shave than the nick of time.” She was already scanning the documents. They seemed fairly good, including the passport photo and driver’s license. “I’m not sure I’d have much faith in Dario.”
“He’s a good man.” He was buckling his seat belt. “A little unusual, but nothing wrong with that. I’d rather he take his time than give me bad service.”
“And no one can say that you’re not a little unusual yourself,” she said dryly. “No wonder you’re comfortable with him.”
“You’ll be comfortable, too.” He was looking out the window as the Gulfstream’s wheels touched down. “I see him waiting by that hangar. See how reliable he is?” His eyes widened as he saw the tall man he’d just indicated was now running across the tarmac toward the plane. “Maybe…” He tore off his seat belt and ran toward the passenger door and called to the pilot in the cockpit. “Stop the damn plane!” The plane had barely stopped moving when Cameron threw the door open. “What the hell are you doing, Dario?”
“Being inventive and brilliant.” Dario threw himself into the plane. “And trying to save the life of the beautiful Catherine Ling. You can take care of yourself, Cameron, but it would hurt me to see her go down. Get this plane back in the air.” He was breathing hard. “Not a safe airport, Cameron.” He got to his feet. “And if you’d gotten off the plane at that hangar, anyone would have been able to get a shot at you from those foothills. Right here, the plane is out of range of any sniper bullet. At the hangar, you’d be vulnerable. And my information is that a shot would have a 92 percent chance of occurring at present. Someone knows that you’re in town and doesn’t like you.”
Cameron headed for the cockpit. “You told me this would be a safe airport, dammit. What changed?”