Free Enemy Mine by Lindsay McKenna Page B

she climbed into the copilot’s seat of the Bell helicopter at the Jorge Chávez Airport in Lima. Her surprise was that the man sitting behind the controls on the right side was an American. Teres had shuffled her into the seat, thrown her luggage in the rear and slid the door shut. As he backed off, the ground crew slid the chocks away from the helo’s three wheels. Teres looked as if he wanted to get rid of her once and for all.
    “I’m Mac Coulter,” the pilot said, turning and giving her his hand. There wasn’t anything he didn’t like about this woman. To his surprise, she was nearly six feet tall! And he could see she was no wimp. Her extended hand was medium-boned and had calluses built up on her knuckles, which meant she knew more than a little karate. A nanny with muscle.
    “Katherine Lincoln, Mr. Coulter.” Kathy tried to ignore the firm warmth of his hand as she shook it. She liked his low, modulated voice. He wore aviator sunglasses so she couldn’t see his eyes, but his mouth drew her female attention. It was sensually shaped, with a boyish smile. What a kissable mouth! Snorting silently to herself, Katherine figured this was the wrong place and time to be drawn to a man. Any man.
    Mac liked her firm but gentle grip. Just touching her hand sent an unexpected ache through him. It had been a long time since he’d touched a woman. And this was one he wanted to touch. Not today, dude. Releasing her hand, Mac busied himself with the controls, switching on the engines and waiting for the crewmen to clear the helo so he could engage the blades.
    “I assume you’re here for the job of nanny?”
    “Yes, I’m applying for the position,” Kathy said, trying not to look too interested in the cockpit display. She had to pretend she didn’t know a thing about helicopters. It was a tough act.
    “Great to hear.” He flipped a salute to the man who stood on the asphalt twirling his finger above his head. That meant engage rotors, and Mac did. The Bell helo began to sway and vibrate as the blades moved, sluggishly at first and then faster. Soon, Mac saw they were up to the rpms necessary for liftoff, and he called the tower over his headset for clearance. Lima sat close to sea level, very near the Pacific Ocean. Where they were going—up to thirteen thousand feet and then back down across the Inca Trail system to Agua Caliente, situated in the jungle at sixty-five hundred feet—would test the helo’s abilities.
    Before lifting off, he pulled a pair of earphones off a hook above him and handed them to the woman. He liked her flawless turquoise eyes framed with thick blond lashes. In his estimation, the black ring around her irises gave her a look more of a hunter than a nanny. That and those callused knuckles. This was no city chick, that was for sure. Yet she was elegant in her trim gray suit and pale pink blouse. The white pearl earrings and necklace she wore emphasized her femininity.
    “Put these on,” he yelled over the roar of the rotor. She nodded, took them and smoothly settled them over her head, positioning the microphone close to her full lips.
    Mac hesitated fractionally. Her movements were unexpected. Out of place, maybe. She handled the earphones and mike as if she’d put a set on a thousand times before. Was she ex-military, maybe? That would fit. He was burning to ask her, but they didn’t have much time and he damn well wanted her to survive the tests. One way or another, Tiki was getting this provocative and interesting new nanny, so he wouldn’t have to shadow Sophie so much. He had had so little time to himself that he was suffering from a lack of sleep. And to be a spy and stay on top of the game, sleep was essential. Still, little Sophie deserved his protection—as much as he could give her under these terrible circumstances.

CHAPTER SIX
    K ATHY REMINDED HERSELF that Mac Coulter was in bed with a drug dealer. He was being paid by Garcia, and she bet he was running drugs for him. As