Free Danger in Paradise by Katie Reus Page A

dress me?”
    He sat on the edge of the chair. “Yes, but are you sure you’re okay?” Worry lines etched around his dark eyes.
    “I think so. What happened?” He didn’t even seem fazed that he’d dressed her. She got all hot and bothered at the sight of him without a shirt on and he didn’t care that he’d seen her naked. Ouch.
    “You were hit by a coconut.”
    When he said coconut, she remembered the plane and the jostling and…“I remember now.”
    “You’ll probably be sore today. You might have a concussion, but I doubt it. I woke you up a few times and you were fine.”
    “You did?” Her memory was fuzzy around the edges.
    “You don’t remember?” His frown deepened as he stared at her.
    Now that he said something she had vague snatches of him sitting next to her on a bed, rubbing her hair back from her face and saying gentle words. “Kind of.”
    “Listen, earlier, I’m sorry if I accused you—”
    “It’s fine. Do you have a computer?” She was sure he had questions, but chances were she couldn’t answer any of them, and she needed to look up Richard Taylor.
    “Yes, and I’m already one step ahead of you.” He shifted along the seat, moving a few inches closer.
    She swallowed hard as his intoxicating, spicy scent twined around her. Probably not what she should be focusing on. “You are?”
    “I’ve pulled up everything I could find on him, but you need to eat, first.”
    She didn’t like people ordering her around, but his ‘order’ sounded more like a plea so she didn’t argue. Besides, her stomach was growling.
    He stood and held out a hand to help her to her feet. Normally standing didn’t require effort, but her body felt as if it had been through a blender. As they walked across the perfectly manicured lawn, she asked, “Why are you being so nice?”
    “Guilt.” His answer was quick. Maybe he’d been expecting her question.
    “Oh.”
    “I was an ass. You were just as surprised by that attack as I was, but I was too stubborn to admit it. I was taken off guard…and that rarely happens.”
    She was silent as he held open the door leading to the kitchen.
    He continued, almost reluctantly. “And, I was embarrassed.”
    Her head whipped up. “Why?”
    “I should have protected you better. It’s what I do for a living,” he muttered as faint redness crept up his neck.
    “No one could have predicted what happened. Hell, I still don’t believe what happened and I was there.” She placed a light hand on his arm. When his muscles flexed under her grasp, she immediately let go.
    “We’ll figure it out. Apparently we’ve got three days to kill.” He popped two bagel halves in the toaster, and she took a seat at the glass-top kitchen table.
    “Who were you talking to earlier?”
    He pulled cream cheese and jelly from the refrigerator as he answered. “My partner. He thinks we should come back to Miami.”
    “And you don’t?” She’d wondered what his plan was. She couldn’t blame him for contacting his partner because she planned to contact Mac as soon as she figured out a few more things.
    “No. I was pissed at first–well, I’m still pissed—but the more I think about it, I think those guys work for the government. And I think we should do exactly as they said. We’re supposed to be gone for a couple weeks anyway so no one is going to miss us. I bet in three days we’re going to see Richard Taylor on the news for a big bust of some kind.”
    “Wait a minute, when you say government, you mean our government?” She couldn’t keep the disbelief out of her voice.
    He shrugged as he pulled out plates and utensils. “They knew too much about us and they let us go. Once we figure out who Richard Taylor is, I think we’ll have our answers.”
    “What happens if we don’t hear anything in three days?”
    “Then we head back to Florida and we’ll figure something out. No matter what, I’ll make sure you have protection.”
    She stared out one of the