He shushed her, nodding to the serpent. It had a distinctive triangular head and heat sensing pits between its eyes and nostrils which gave it a formidable appearance. His gorgeous travel companion sucked in a sharp breath. Neither of them moved. The amount of potent, very poisonous venom in the highly aggressive snake didn’t bode well if either of them got bit.
Without antivenom, death was a certainty.
While contemplating the best course of action, the snake began to move again. It slithered right over the backpack and headed straight toward his wide-eyedseñorita.
Chapter seven
Too terrified to move, knowing it would mean an attack of venom-filled fangs, Essie watched as the very deadly, extremely aggressive pit viper closed in. It had blended in perfectly with the forest floor. Now, as it glided nearly silently across her bag, she could see the dark hourglass-shaped patterns on its back. And she was directly in its predatory path.
Dying in the jungle from a snake bite hadn’t been on her agenda. If she dared move—hell, breathe—it would strike. Her only option was to stay frozen in place and pray it would move along. But the damn thing was wriggling straight toward her, as though on a mission.
She held her breath, immobilized by fear, when movement in her periphery stalled her heart. In a fraction of a second, the man grabbed the snake’s tail and whipped it into a patch of undergrowth.
“Ohmygod!” Essie scrambled up and stumbled forward, tripping over her own feet in an attempt to get as far away from the deadly predator as quickly as possible. Her protector caughther before her knees hit the ground and hauled her up against his chest.
Yep, his chest was just as firm as she remembered. His arms held her close and his warmth surrounded her as she struggled to control her breathing.
“Are you okay?” His deep, concerned voice made his chest rumble against her cheek.
Pulling back, she looked up past his bearded jawline and into the most spectacular dark blue eyes she’d ever seen. This close, she saw each nuance in his irises. The electric blue swirls, the midnight-black stripes and dark outer edges. The intensity of his attention directed squarely at her.
With a shaky nod, she clutched onto his raggedy shirt. Even though she’d originally discouraged any kind of personal sharing, the overwhelming need to know more about the man who just saved her life made her ask, “What’s your name?” It came out so low and breathy, she was surprised he even heard.
His lips quirked. “Xander Hawke.”
What a cool name.He sounded like a superhero, or an action star.
“Is that your real name?” she teased, and the smirk faded. “I’m just kidding.” Her fingers tightened on his shirt. “Thank you, Xander. That could’ve ended very badly.”
“You’re welcome.” Rough. Yet sincere.
“I’ve never seen anyone move that fast. Like lightning.” They continued to stare at each other, neither letting go.
“I have good reflexes.”
A nervous chuckle burst from her mouth. “I’d say so.”
His gaze searched her face for a moment, as though he wanted to make sure she was truly okay. Then he locked in on her eyes, holding them hostage. The way he looked at her, so intently, as though he were trying to peer into her very soul, made herswallow hard. “Are you going to tell me your name?” he finally asked.
“Essie,” she whispered.
Why am I still holding onto him?
She was also holding her breath. Her attention dropped to his mouth. His lips were surrounded by a very dark beard with a few silver hairs sprinkled throughout, and she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Wondered what those rough-looking bristles would feel like scraping against her cheek. She’d never experienced a proper kiss. Just a quick sloppy one from one of José’s friends years ago.
Snap out of it, Essie. You are not kissing this man.
Yet she couldn’t seem to let go of his black T-shirt.
“That’s pretty,” he murmured. Before she could muster up a response—and far sooner than she was ready—he unwound his arms from her, stepped back and cleared his throat. “We need to get out of the jungle. I figure we’ve got about three more hours until we reach the nearest town.”
“Three hours?” Her shoulders sank. Weariness filled her limbs and all she wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep. “I was hoping you’d say three minutes.”
The edge of his mouth lifted in a half-grin. “Sorry, Peaches. We still have a ways to go.”
With a heavy sigh, she straightened up. Before she could reach for the backpack, he scooped it up.
“I’ll lead,” he stated, slinging the backpack over his shoulder, “and keep an eye out for any dangerous critters. Stay close, and step where I step, okay?”
