Free In Too Deep by Sherryl Woods Page B

for support. The already tensed muscle quivered at her touch.
    â€œAfraid not,” she said without the slightest display of regret. “I guess you’re stuck with me.”
    â€œYou seem to find this amusing.”
    â€œI wouldn’t go that far.”
    â€œGood, because with Diablo dead there’s not a damn thing funny about it. That plane was our only way out of here.”
    Something in the quiet, ominous tone of his voice frightened her even more effectively than finding the dead donkey had. Her heart lurched. “You mean we really are stuck here?”
    â€œBingo, princess.”
    â€œNot forever,” she said, but her bluster was beginning to fail her. Her voice shook. Rod might bear a resemblance to Tarzan, but she was no Jane. This jungle was not her natural habitat and she had no intention of spending the rest of her days in it.
    Rod shrugged, showing no mercy. “Who knows? At the moment, I don’t have another suitable method of transportation in mind. Do you?”
    Something clicked in her brain. Her expression brightened. “Canoe. We could go by canoe.”
    â€œThen you’d better get busy carving one out of a tree trunk. I don’t have one.”
    â€œThe Lacandones do. You said so.”
    â€œThat’s nice for them. It doesn’t help us.”
    â€œYou can buy one.”
    â€œFor a lady who was determined to stay, suddenly you seem awfully anxious to leave.”
    Something in his voice nagged at her. She looked into his eyes and caught the glint of amusement before he could hide it. Her own gaze narrowed. “We’re not in as much trouble as you want me to believe, are we?”
    â€œOh, we are definitely in danger. Diablo is proof enough of that.”
    â€œBut we’re not stranded?”
    He appeared ever-so-slightly guilty. “Not exactly.”
    â€œWhat exactly?”
    â€œI’ve chartered a plane to come back for me.”
    She refused to admit to the tiniest smidgen of relief. “What makes you think your pilot will come?” she taunted airily.
    â€œHe’d better come, or I’ll see to it that he’s fired. He works for WHS.”
    She took the announcement in stride. “Then we don’t have a problem, do we?”
    â€œNot unless you hoped to be back in New York before the end of the month.”
    â€œThe end of the month?” she repeated slowly, as his words sank in.
    â€œYep,” he said, turning toward the jungle.
    She stared after him. Two more weeks alone with Rod. Two more weeks with some cowardly, trigger-happy maniac stalking them. Her heart thumped uneasily.
    Worse, she wasn’t exactly sure which prospect disturbed her more.

CHAPTER FIVE
    B y sunset Rod had been worn down by Cara’s unusually agreeable if slightly silent demeanor. He’d been waiting for more badgering, but it hadn’t come. Instead, to his complete bafflement, it seemed she’d all but forgotten about the archaeological site that had been so all-fired important to her only a few hours earlier.
    She’d taken a solitary swim when they’d returned to camp, then left her spare set of clothes dangling provocatively from tree branches to dry. He’d had to avert his gaze from the lacy bra and skimpy panties to keep his desire in check. He had the darkest suspicion it was a deliberate taunt, but her reserved behavior had mocked his thoughts.
    She had helped with dinner, but said no more than was necessary, although she had jumped and averted her eyes each time their hands had brushed accidentally. By the time they’d eaten and settled back with coffee, his own nerves were stretched so tightly they would have snapped at the slightest touch. As evening fell, he was forced to bow to her impressive skill at psychological warfare.
    She hadn’t pouted or yelled or argued. She knew by then that he was fully aware of her position about seeing the archaeologists. She had waited with