Bring It On (12 page)

Apparently, they did.

At least the phone’s display told him what time it was. Later than he’d hoped but earlier than he’d feared.

Scraping her hair away from her face, Lena said, “What now, Boy Scout?”

“We might be able to hike out of here. If we can get to the waterfall, the jungle won’t be as dense. There’s still enough light that if we find the path back to the resort we’ll be fine.”

“And if we don’t?”

“Then I guess we sleep outside.”

Lena’s mouth twisted into a grimace but she didn’t protest. Instead she gestured forward. “Lead the way, Lewis.”

“Lewis?”

“If we’re going to be forging our way through the jungle I get to be Clark.”

Colt just shook his head. Most of the women he’d dated would be having hysterics by now. Not Lena. Nope, hysterics were a waste of time.

“I don’t suppose you have a flashlight in there.” She gestured to the pack he’d thrown across his shoulder. Lifting his hand, he showed her that he’d already pulled it out.

“What about a four-course meal?”

“Sorry, out of luck. But I promise to feed you the minute we get back to civilization.”

“You’d better.” She mock-glared.

Grasping her hand, he pulled her directly behind him. “Stay one step back. The darker it becomes the easier it’ll be to get separated.”

“Why do you get to go first? What if I want to lead?”

“Who’s the Boy Scout?”

Her mouth crunched into a straight line. Her eyes blazed with indignation. Colt cut off the argument he could see coming. “Besides, this way you won’t get hit with any stray branches.”

And he’d be able to tackle any danger head-on, protecting her the best he could. If anyone was going to step off a cliff or startle a wild animal it was going to be him. He’d gotten them into this mess and if anything happened to her…

His chest constricted. His lungs fought to pull in enough air. Something seriously close to panic suffused his entire body. Clenching his hands into fists, Colt deliberately banned the thought from his mind.

They were fine.

8

THEY WERE LOST.

Darkness settled well and truly around them. The space that had seemed enchanting, lush and romantic just hours before quickly took on a sinister cast. Gone was the gentle sunlight filtering through the canopy of the trees. Instead, dim moonlight barely broke through, only to completely disappear before touching the ground.

Lena was cold, tired and hungry. The jungle was supposed to be hot, but apparently not at night. She fervently wished for the sun, not only for light but also for warmth. Wrapping her arms around her body, she really wished she’d worn longer shorts.

They walked silently, the only sound between them the rustling of the dry leaves and branches beneath their feet.

Something startled beside them. The bush to Lena’s right erupted and a large bird, its multicolored feathers muted by the darkness, flew straight at her.

She screamed—it was a reflex she wasn’t proud of, but there it was—and ducked. The thing almost grazed the top of her head, her hair swirling in the wake of its passing. Angry sounds echoed back as it settled into the branches of another tree behind them.

Lena’s hand covered her chest, hoping that the pressure would keep her heart from escaping along with the bird.

Colt was there beside her, his hands running over her body looking for any sign of damage.

“I’m fine,” she croaked through a tight throat. Frowning, she tried again, “I’m fine, just startled,” and was happy to hear no hesitation in the words this time.

Although her legs still felt a bit wobbly. Colt wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up. Lena was grateful for the support, but knew it couldn’t last. Locking her knees, she said, “Look, admit it, we’re stuck out here for the night. We need to find some shelter and stop wandering around aimlessly over unfamiliar terrain.”

The flashlight Colt had trained towards the ground bounced up to hit his face at an eerie angle. It highlighted the sharp contours of his jaw and cheekbones, leaving large sections of his face in shadow. It made him look…austere, a word she never would have used to describe him before now.

“No, the path has to be close. If we can find it we can follow it out.”

The flashlight between them flickered ominously.

Lena looked pointedly down. “We need to conserve battery power.”

Colt’s face tightened. “It isn’t safe out here. I need to get you back to the resort before something terrible happens.”

Lena frowned. What the hell was wrong with him? Colt was usually the most levelheaded person in a crisis. Driving one-twenty down a country road might have been the stupidest thing the man had ever done, but getting himself out of the car, calling 911 and then applying his own tourniquet to his broken and bleeding leg before he passed out had taken nerves of steel.

Colt was a problem solver. A Boy Scout for heaven’s sake.

Maybe she wasn’t the only one who’d been scared out of her skull by that bird.

“Don’t they teach you to stay put when you get lost? Besides, the only thing I’m in danger of is twisting my ankle because I can’t see where I’m walking. It’s late, Colt. I’m tired. We need to find someplace to sleep and then hike out in the morning.”

She watched as his eyes roamed her face. No question, he wasn’t happy, but even before he opened his mouth she knew she’d gotten through to him.

“All right. I remember seeing a cave behind the waterfall. I’ve been hearing the rumbling for the past few minutes. We’ll find the cave, make camp and then leave at first light.”

Lena’s eyebrows beetled. She didn’t hear anything. Taking a step sideways, she moved out of the shelter of Colt’s body and finally heard it. His tall frame had apparently been blocking the sound.

“Great. Lead on.”

Twenty minutes later they broke through the line of trees surrounding the pool. Somewhere along the way they’d circled around, coming out about thirty feet closer to the falls than where they’d both left the clearing. No doubt they’d spent some of the past few hours walking parallel to the falls instead of directly toward them.

“Remind me to give you a compass for Christmas,” she quipped. “You can keep it with your stash of condoms.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll have one delivered from the mainland tomorrow.”

“Why? We coming back out here?”

Colt spun suddenly on his heel. Lena collided with him. His arms steadied her even as they pulled her closer.

“Not on your life.” His eyes blazed, not with passion but with determination and fire. His fingers gripped her upper arms, digging almost painfully into her skin. She tried to move, but realized she couldn’t even wiggle. “Promise me you’ll never do something like this again.”

“Like what? Go hiking? Have a picnic? Get lost? I can promise you I’ll try.”

Colt’s jaw worked back and forth, his molars grinding tightly against each other.

Lena took a slow step closer and said quietly, “Colt, let go. You’re hurting me.”

His hands burst away from her body. She rocked slightly, surprised by the sudden loss of his support.

Spinning away, he raked his hands through his hair, leaving it disheveled and standing on end. “I’m sorry,” he said, still facing away. “I’m just…worried. I can’t believe I let this happen!” he roared.

She was finally beginning to understand.

“You let this happen?” she asked slowly. “I don’t remember you being the only adult in this situation. Why are you to blame for us getting lost?”

Spinning back to her, he barked, “Because you’re my responsibility.”

That had her back up within seconds. “No, I’m not. I’m responsible for myself and have been for years, you idiot.” Lena stalked closer, jabbing a finger into his chest. With each step she took forward, he took one back. “I don’t remember blaming you for this predicament. Or wailing like some helpless female.”

“I didn’t mean…” he sputtered, backtracking nice and fast…straight into the water. One second he was standing in front of her, the next he was sprawled in knee-deep water, his eyes round and bright with surprise.

Lena’s first reaction was to jump in after him. Uncaring that her shoes were now soaking wet, she splashed into the water and crouched down beside him. “Are you okay?”

She reached for him, tugging uselessly at the weight of his body. Instead of answering, he reached beneath her arms and toppled her into the water beside him. The water was shockingly warm, the pool shallow enough to have heated through from the sun.

They grappled in the water, each trying to get the upper hand. She knew it was useless, but refused to give up without a fight. After several minutes, Colt ended up above her, her legs pinned down by the weight of his hips and her arms held loosely in his hands.

He grinned down at her, wicked and mischievous.

“Great, now my clothes are soaked. I don’t suppose you have a spare set in the pack?”

“Sure,” he said. “For me.”

“You’re going to have to share. I’m already cold, and wet clothes won’t help.”

He ground his hips slowly against her, making a warm ribbon of need wind slowly through her body.

“I’m sure we can come up with a better way to keep you warm.”

“Oh, yeah,” she countered, arching her back and pressing the wet globes of her breasts against the warm expanse of his chest.

Desire, strong and hard, zinged between them. She wanted him again. She wanted to feel him moving inside her, stretching her body and filling her up. She wanted to touch him, taste him and learn what she could do to make those little growling noises erupt from his throat again.

And here was as good a place as any. Reaching between them, she wiggled her hand closer to the burgeoning ridge of his cock. But she didn’t get there in time.

Instead, Colt pushed away from her. Drops of water rained down around her as he stood, reaching to help her up after him.

“I was talking about building a fire,” he said, a teasing grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

“Bastard,” she grumbled, suppressing her own smile.

She took a step away, but Colt pulled her back, jerking her into his arms and stealing her breath with a kiss. She went under, happily, letting him take whatever he wanted. Opening herself, body, mind, soul to him.

The clearing around them was quiet. And while the jungle they’d hiked through had seemed dark and dangerous, the waterfall and pool somehow held a tinge of magic. Even the massive roar of the water as it crashed over the edge only reminded her what the power of letting go could provide—deep, reverberating pleasure.

Maybe being lost wasn’t so bad after all. Not if she was lost with Colt.

Lena was all ready for round two. Who needed an emergency blanket when the sandy shore beneath their feet was available? She tried to wiggle away from Colt, to work her hands between them enough so that she could fill her palms with the rolling waves of muscle that crossed his tight abs.

But instead of reacting to her touch, Colt stilled. It was unnatural, his sudden and complete lack of motion. Even his lungs stopped sucking in air.

Lena looked up into his face. “Colt?” His arms tightened, but his gaze was no longer focused on her.

Turning her head slowly, Lena followed his line of sight and nearly screamed.

“Don’t move,” he whispered.

A large cat, black as the center of the jungle, crouched across from them.

“What is that?” she whispered.

“Jaguar. I think.”

It was lapping up water from the pool, somehow managing to never take its stalking, steady gaze off them. It paused, the whites of its eyes flashing as if realizing it was no longer the only one watching.

Even from this distance, Lena could see the powerful muscles of its flanks. They quivered, as if gathered in readiness to spring at any moment.

“I wonder if it’s hungry,” she whispered wryly.

It stared at them. Lena could count the seconds by the racing thud of Colt’s heartbeat next to her own. The cat’s dark pink tongue licked, lightning-fast, over its maw.