Free To the Brink by Cindy Gerard

Less strength. Making soothing sounds, Darcy eased her painfully fragile body to a sitting position and held her close; held the woman's face against her breasts as she would a child, absorbing her almost inhuman sounds of pain.
     
    And when the fighting finally stopped and the trembling began, Darcy just held on tighter.
     
    "It's okay. It's okay," she whispered over and over again. "You're going to be okay. You have a friend now. You have me. Hold on. Just hold on to me. We're going to get through this. We're going to get through this together."
     
    She lied. She knew she lied. She didn't know any such thing. But a lie was much less painful than the truth this woman had lived.
     
    So Darcy lied for her. To ease her mind. To quiet her. To convince her of something Darcy was no longer sure she believed herself.
     
    And she lied for herself because the alternative was too horrible to contemplate, let alone believe.
     
    Finally, finally, the poor soul fell silent. Fell asleep—or passed out—in Darcy's arms.
     
    Thank you, God.
     
    Darcy let out a relieved breath. And continued to hold her. No matter that her arms ached and her hands were going to sleep. She held on.
     
    And that's how they stayed. Darcy was not going to let her go. Because the truth was, Darcy needed this woman almost as much as she was needed by her. After too many hours of uncertainty, Darcy needed something to think about other than herself.
     
    Exhausted, she let her cheek rest on the woman's dirty hair. Darcy closed her eyes ... and tried to think about anything but where they were, what would happen to them, and the sad truth that the only plan she had was staying alive until Ethan found her.
     
    If Ethan found her.
     
    If he found them.
     
    She'd been so certain that he would. But the longer this went on and the more feral the arguments among her captors, the less certain she was that Ethan could even locate her, let alone rescue her.
     
    To combat those thoughts, she mentally pictured Ethan slinking through the jungle at this very moment, searching for her. But mostly, she simply thought of him. Of the husband she'd never stopped loving long after love had ceased to be enough to keep them together.
     
     
    Chapter 7
     
    LIMA,   PERU
    EIGHT YEARS EARLIER
     
    Darcy wasn't a total innocent. But neither was she a player. She'd had relationships. And they'd been important to her. She never engaged in sex with a man just for sex's sake. Had never slept with a man without knowing him, liking him, and respecting him, either.
     
    At least she hadn't until she met Ethan Garrett.
     
    Yet here she was. Half-dressed and horizontal with a man she had met less than three hours ago at a formal embassy dinner party. A man who had wanted her with an urgency that had thrilled and excited her and left her breathless.
     
    Above the thrill, though, beyond the rush, a curious and warming tenderness was far and above the reaction that took hold in the aftermath of the stealth in which he'd just taken her.
     
    My God, had the man taken her. In truth, he'd lost control. His need had been huge. For her. It was humbling and empowering. Yeah. She had the power at the moment, and considering the will of the warrior lying beside her, that was the biggest surprise of all.
     
    The only thing she clearly understood was his embarrassment. Well, we just couldn't have that.
     
    "So, Rocketman ... is there more where that came from?'
     
    And just like that things were okay. The look in his eyes shifted from mortified to "all was right with his world."
     
    He undressed her slowly then. And made her tremble. He had such a soft touch for a man with such big scarred and calloused hands. And he had such a fine smile.
     
    Between silly, sexy banter and deep, drugging kisses, he laid her back down. And taught her things about sensual pleasure she'd never known she was capable of feeling.
     
    "Here?" he whispered, his mouth making love to her breast while his fingers