“Oh crap.”She looked distressed.“I left my kayak in plain sight on the beach, right beside their Zodiac.It didn’t even occur to me to try and hide it.They can’t miss it.”
I cast a look of sympathy toward her.“It’s probably gone, then, or scuttled.They must have gotten a good look at you when they took a shot at you.They’ll make damn sure your ride is in no condition to get you off the island, and given the lack of traffic to and from this place they might figure stranding you is as good as shooting you.Better, actually.If anyone finds your corpse it would just be another case of a kayaker who didn’t stick to the buddy system.”
She shot me a look that would have felled a lesser man.“Wow.Aren’t you a glass half empty kind of guy.Maybe they were in a hurry and didn’t bother with my kayak.”
A low relentless throbbing held the nerves in my arm hostage, and the last thing I wanted to do was antagonize the woman.“Let’s go have a look then, but you stay behind me and do exactly what I say.”
She arched one of those lovely brows.“Seriously?Do I look like I’m good at following orders?Why would I do what you tell me?”
I shot her a look calculated to give her chills.Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be having that effect.“Because if we’re both wrong and those guys are still here on the island, then I’m your best bet to keep you alive.”
“Oh.”She didn’t look suitably chastised, but she glanced at my gun, visible in the shoulder holster, and refrained from saying anything else.She gestured to the dog who fell in beside her and the two of them looked at me expectantly.
“This way.”I turned and started to make my way up the hill.
“Isn’t the beach the other way?”
I had to give her credit for making the question sound like a bland inquiry instead of an accusation.“Yes, but this path circles back there eventually.If the poachers are on the beach, they’re going to expect you to come back down the same path that you went up.People tend to stick to what they know, especially if they’re feeling spooked or scared.So, we’re going to take the long route.There’s an offshoot to this path that leads to a cliff overlooking the beach.I want to make sure it’s clear before we show ourselves.”
That impressed look on her face did wonders for my self-esteem.Now if I could just keep us both alive long enough, maybe she’d agree to go out with me.
Where the hell had that thought come from?
I was a loner.Sure, I occasionally spent the night with a female, but it was just that, a meaningless night of sex we could both walk away from in the morning.No expectations.No regrets.I wasn’t the kind of guy women dreamed about settling down with.I’d seen and done way too much to settle into society as a normal guy with a wife, a couple of kids, and the inevitable minivan.I’d learned to keep my emotions under strict control, and I never, ever let myself care too deeply about anyone except the members of my team.They were my family.
So how did this woman, this slip of a female, manage to get under my skin so easily?
“I have to admit that makes sense.”Kimberly fell into step behind me, and I was impressed with her ability to glide through the forest without making a sound.The dog padded at her side, his ears constantly swiveling back and forth.
I nodded at Diego.“Is he trained as a guard dog or something?He looks like he’s on alert, searching for the enemy.”
“Heavens no.”Kimberly glanced fondly at the dog.“He was a stray that no one claimed.My ex picked him up from a shelter, although I’m not sure why.He didn’t think twice about abandoning him when we split.I think Diego feels it’s his duty to protect me, and frankly he’s more dependable than the ex ever was.He’s easier to get along with too.He eats whatever I give him, and he doesn’t complain about my housekeeping skills.”
I smothered a smile at the picture of Diego dutifully ignoring a giant dust bunny as it lurked under the bed.I’d be happy to ignore them too, if she invited me into her bedroom.“Okay, there’s a clearing up ahead and we’re going to skirt around it, just in case.No point in getting caught in the open.”
“Right behind you, boss.”
When I turned my head to give her a sharp look, Kimberly smiled innocently.Oh, this one could be trouble.Didn’t she realize what a badass guy I was?She had absolutely no sense of self-preservation.If she kept up with the attitude, I was going to be forced to do something.
Like what, a little voice in my head asked.Take her over your knee and kiss her until she agreed to knock it off?That would go well, now, wouldn’t it?
I glared at her.“This is serious.”
“I know.I said I was right behind you.”
Yeah, right.Her innocent act wasn’t fooling me one bit.
The bushes off to the left rustled and I immediately dropped to a low crouch, motioning Kimberly to do the same.
* * *
Kimberly
I didn’t hesitate, following his lead and hitting the dirt with uncomfortable speed.I had a feeling I was going to sport more than one bruise when I finally managed to make it home.Diego dropped to his belly, crawling slightly forward to place his bulk between me and the noise.
We lay there for what seemed like an eternity, watching the tall grass sway to and fro.Something or someone was making its way through the bush.
I wished I’d thought to bring my binoculars with me, but unfortunately, they were safely stowed in one of the dry hatches in my kayak.I hadn’t planned on doing any bird watching today.It could just be an animal over there, but until we got a clear view, there was no way to tell for sure.
