Free In Too Deep by Sherryl Woods Page A

attached. No commitments. Do you even remember their names? Would you remember mine?”
    â€œHow could I forget? It’s on my paycheck.”
    Cara drew back her hand to hit him, but he caught her arm in midswing. “Don’t even think about it, princess.”
    â€œI’m thinking much worse.”
    â€œThen it’s a good thing I’m stronger than you are, isn’t it?”
    â€œLet me go, damn you.”
    To her surprise, he released his painful grip on her arm. But before she could run or scream—or get in one good punch—he’d grabbed her around the middle like a sack of meal and tossed her over his shoulder. Indignation and humiliation swept through her. She pounded her fists uselessly against his back.
    â€œPut me down, you miserable, macho ogre!”
    â€œNot until you’re safely on that plane.”
    She drew back her foot and tried to angle a well-placed kick, but it missed its mark and drew only a mild grunt.
    â€œTry that again, short stuff, and you’ll have a hell of a time sitting down on that plane ride.”
    Cara froze. “You wouldn’t dare.”
    â€œDon’t tempt me.”
    There was an undertone in his voice that warned her he wasn’t kidding. She sagged against him, letting herself become deadweight. If he was going to behave like an arrogant jerk, she’d make him pay for the right. It was a hot, tiring walk to the airstrip. She was going to make sure he knew just how long that walk was.
    The plan, of course, went wildly awry. Apparently, Rod never tired. He was whistling cheerfully the whole way. She wanted to strangle him. And with every step he took she grew increasingly aware of him—his heat, his scent, his strength. She was torn between indignation and the desire to slide down his body until she could feel the brand of every inch of it.
    They reached the clearing in far less time than it had taken her to make the same trip coming in. Still, it was nearly two o’clock in the afternoon. She’d told Carlos she would meet him at noon. If Rod was right about the pilot, he wouldn’t be waiting. For that matter, according to him, Carlos would never have shown up in the first place.
    As they stepped out into the open, where Cara had a clear view of the airstrip, it brought her enormous satisfaction to see that the plane was sitting there, exactly as she’d said it would be. Not that she had any intention of leaving on it, of course.
    Before she could even indulge in a few gloating remarks, Rod said, “Well, princess, it looks as though you were right about your pal Carlos.”
    It took the wind right out of her sails. She couldn’t very well lord her superior understanding of human nature over a man who’d already conceded it.
    â€œDo you suppose you could put me down now?” she inquired with great dignity.
    â€œEmbarrassed?”
    â€œLet’s just say I prefer more conventional modes of transportation.”
    â€œIn that case, you should be ecstatic to be getting on that plane.”
    There was no point in explaining to him yet again that she had no intention of being on that plane when it took off. Especially since she heard the engines revving up. Carlos, it appeared, had grown tired of waiting.
    Rod heard the same cough and sputter she heard. He took off at a run. Unfortunately—from his point of view—they were behind the plane. Carlos apparently never even saw Rod’s frantic race down the airstrip with Cara bouncing over his shoulder. When the plane was in the air and out of sight, the only sounds besides the shriek of birds were Rod’s muttered oaths. His range was even more colorful than she’d realized. She tried very hard to suppress a smile.
    â€œI don’t suppose you gave him any instructions about what to do if you weren’t here today,” he said, plunking her unceremoniously on her feet. She wobbled unsteadily and had to grab his arm