21
At sunrise, they made their way down the river, looking for the safest location to cross. The Congo River wasn’t like any of the ones she’d seen across America. It didn’t have small cliffs or sandy shores. It was like the jungle had paused before picking up on the other side.
She spotted more than one snake meandering lazily through the water before ducking underneath and disappearing from sight. In that murky, zero-visibility sludge were some of the most venomous snakes in the world.
“Hey, you look like someone killed your dog. What’s going on in that head of yours?” Mack’s teasing tone freed her from her panicked thoughts about falling into a nest of snakes.
Something in him had changed after last night. He’d been ten times more attentive and caring this morning, not letting her out of sight for a second. It was as if he’d opened up some part of himself he’d been holding back.
Mack’s gray eyes were deeper with emotion than the day before and guilt threatened to choke her. He trusted her and now she was thinking of betraying that trust.
She swallowed past the ten-ton rock that had formed in her throat and looked away. Another swimming snake passed by with its nose raised out of the water, the rest of its body was camouflaged in the sludge. “I’m thinking about having to get in the water with one of those.”
Mack circled his arm around her waist and snuggled his nose against her neck. “Want me to carry you on my shoulders?”
“Mack, don’t be ridiculous. We both know that water is deep. We’ll have to swim.”
He nipped at her sensitive skin, and despite the guilt poisoning her veins, chills raced across her shoulders. God, this man made her feel so much. In the space of a day, he had turned her into a sex-craving nymph.
“I’ll protect you. Do you trust me?”
“Of course I trust you to protect me.”But you can’t trust me to protect you.
“All right, no more stalling. We’ll cross there.” Mack swatted her ass and strode off, his confidence stabbing a wound in her heart.
Marley rubbed her stinging derrière and grudgingly followed him to the edge of the river. It was the only reasonable spot to cross. A long limb jutted out halfway over the water and the river pulled together like an hourglass before flaring out again about twenty feet ahead. No matter how much she wanted to scream and run, she knew Mack was right. They had to cross the river.
Unfortunately, fear wasn’t schooled by reason. “How exactly are you going to protect me from what you can’t see?”
“With my knife. If those little boogers get too aggressive, I’ll take them out. And if they’re big enough, we can have them for lunch.”
No way. No freaking way. “I’d rather eat tree bark.” She handed over the knife anyway. “Just kill them.”
Mack chuckled and flipped the blade open. “Now, honey, you and I are going to have to have a serious talk when we get out of here. I don’t know if I can date a vegetarian.”
Marley stared at him incredulously. “You’re looking forward to this, aren’t you?” He actuallywantedto cross this aqua deathtrap.
Mack let out a bark of laughter and scooped her into his arms. “Of course I’m looking forward to this.” He gave her butt a tight squeeze. “I’m looking forward to enjoying this every single day.”
Her heart flipped over in her chest, but she slapped his hand away, “That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it, you crazy man.”
“Oh, you mean that?” Mack gestured to the river with the knife, which looked, for all the world, like a natural extension of his arm.
“Yes, I’m talking about the possibility that we’ll be eaten alive within the next minute.”
“I’ll eat it first.” Mack bared his teeth in a feral smile.
Marley gasped. “You are an adrenaline junkie.”
He dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Guilty as charged.”
She tried to keep her stern mommy-face look in place, but Mack’s eyes were twinkling and a handsome smile was playing on his sexy lips. God, this man would be the death of her.
“And you like it.” He gave her another hard kiss. “Now, come on, quit making excuses. I can’t wait to get you out of here and into a proper bed.”
Mack propelled her toward the tree limb and Marley leaned back, resisting. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Just grab onto the limb, shimmy out to the end, and drop in. It’s only about a ten-foot swim to the other bank from that point. It’s the best spot I’ve seen so far. We could walk another five miles and not find one as good as this.”
