“It was more the view of your ass and leg muscles as you climbed up there.”
“That’s… odd.”
“Men are odd. Never ask. We get turned on by the stupidest shit.”
“Shouldn’t have said that. Now I don’t just want to know, I need to know. What else turns you on?”
“Seriously? You want to discuss what makes my dick hard while we’re being chased through the jungle?”
“Well, if you’re too embarrassed to admit what you like…”
“I didn’t say I was embarrassed. Just think the timing is off. I’d much rather be discussing it in my luxury sheets with you, naked, wrapped around me, totally sleepy and blissed out.”
Help. There was an image. She shouldn’t push the conversation. “So…?”
Yeah. She went there anyway.
He sighed. “Why are we discussing thisuncomfortabletopic?”
A giggle escaped her. “Aw, did I make this conversationhardfor you?”
“Little spy, you’re begging for a spanking.”
“I’ll take the odds. C’mon. Give it up.”
“And that didn’t sound like a boy trying to cajole his prom date into the back seat,” he groused. “If you really must know?—”
“Oh, I really must.”
“Raspy voices.”
“We’ve discussed that one.”
“Black clothing with mint-green or hot pink trim. East End British accents.”
“Those are oddly specific.”
“You asked.” The night was pitch black, and she heard him shift his position. “What about you? It’s only fair that you share your turn-ons.”
“I don’t really know. I’m not being difficult or anything. Boys were never on my radar when I was young. I tried dating in college, but guys gave up quickly when I kept getting called away on emergencies for Joey. Never really had a chance to figure out what I liked. Then suddenly I was with Guillermo.”
“What are you attracted to?”
“Apparently, bossy men with little-boy smiles, bright blue eyes, and bad jokes.”
He was silent for a long while. When he finally spoke, he quietly said, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now get some sleep.”
* * *
As the sky lightened,she kept her ears open to the jungle around her, but her eyes drifted often to the man asleep below. He was a puzzle she desperately wanted to put together.
Outwardly, nothing seemed to faze him. Their plans went horrifically awry with the ambush at the port, yet instead of panicking, he methodically assessed the situation, proposed solutions, and took care of whatever was needed. Their first day had been a slog through jungle terrain with no paths, hiking through knee-high vegetation, slicing through it as best they could, and also trying to avoid pissing off dangerous wildlife. Of course, there was also the concern that Guillermo’s men would catch up to them, as they were still, relatively speaking, close to the edge of the gap.
On very little rest, they’d spent the bulk of that second day in the gap, crossing several rivers, from mere streams to others with currents strong enough to sweep them away with one wrong step. With each step, they moved further north, but they’d hit rising elevations yesterday, late in the day, and that was taxing on a whole other level.
Today would be their third day, and now they had a choice to make—the left path, which was more traveled, or the right path, which was less traveled.
