Free In Enemy Hands by Michelle Perry Page A

woods.
    “It’s a waterfall,” she said, staring up at him with those jungle eyes. “Not a big one, but it’s still amazing. The most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen.”
    Dante squeezed her fingers. “Somehow, I doubt that.”
    Her cheeks flushed, impossibly rendering her even more beautiful. She was such a strange combination of seduction and innocence, woman and child. He didn’t know what to make of her, but he knew he liked her. Liked her a lot.
    If he lived to be a hundred, would he ever hold another woman without seeing Nadia’s face?
    I don’t feel much of anything, but when you touch me … I feel you
.
    He’d had women tell him they loved him—one or two of them might have even meant it—but none of their declarations had affected him like that one simple statement. He wanted to believe it was just something physical—that’s all it could be, right? But looking down at her, he thought,
I could love you
.
    Man, he was seriously losing it.
    They stepped into a clearing. Nadia released his hand and wandered over to an old bridge. He stared at her back, finding even her the jut of shoulder blades exciting.
    “The main road used to run through here,” Ronnie explained, drawing Dante’s attention to the faded gray road with weeds growing through the cracked asphalt. “But then they added the interstate a couple miles north of here and bisected this section out.” He leaned to peer around Dante. “Hey, Nadia, get down from there.”
    Dante glanced back to see her climbing onto the metal guardrail. Her shorts, shoes, and bottle of Coppertone lay in a pile near her feet.
    “Relax, Grandma,” Nadia said, and began walking the rail heel to toe like it was a tightrope. She staggered once and threw her arms out to balance herself. “Whew!” she said, and shot Ronnie a triumphant grin.
    “Nadia!” Ronnie said sharply. “I’m not kidding. Quit screwing around and get down from there.”
    She jerked her hand up to salute him, and lost her footing. Dante’s heart did a crazy dance while she flapped her arms wildly, struggling to regain her balance. Before he could move, she screamed and fell over the side.
    Dante ran to the rail and stared down. He barely registered the flash of Ronnie’s camera as he stared at the creek some thirty feet below. For a moment, he saw nothing. Then Nadia bobbed to the surface like a cork and waved at him.
    “Hey, Ronnie. How was it?” she shouted.
    “Not bad,” Ronnie yelled back. Looking at the screen on his digital camera, he said, “Not as good as Waynie’s, but still … not too shabby.”
    Dante stared at him open-mouthed. “You mean … you did that on purpose!”
    Ronnie grinned. “
She
did that on purpose. All I can tell you is the girl’s got a messed up sense of humor. She nearly made Waynie cry doing that.”
    Dante scowled down at Nadia. “How deep is that water, Ronnie?” he asked.
    “Deep enough. Waynie jumped off there day before yesterday and didn’t touch bottom, so you’ll be okay. Just keep to the center.”
    “Ready or not, princess, here I come,” Dante yelled down to her, and took off his shoes. After he climbed on the rail, he looked at Ronnie. “You coming?”
    “I don’t dive,” Ronnie said. “Not when there’s a perfectly good trail over there.” He shook his head and scooped up their things. Walking off, he muttered, “You and Nadia need to switch to decaf.”
    Dante stared into the crystal blue water below. Nadia butterflied backward, giving him plenty of room.
    He jumped.
    Wind roared in his ears and adrenaline surged through his veins like electricity. He sliced through the cold water and managed to keep himself from bobbing to the top. Propelling himself through the water, he scanned the surface above him, searching for Nadia.
    When he thought he was going to have to give up and come to the surface for a breath, he saw her. Her lovely legs treaded the water to his left, looking unnaturally white in the dark water. He