Into the Fray (Daring Escapes #3) - Margaret Daley Page 0,16

have to stay in the village near the dig tonight. By the time we arrive, it will be mid-afternoon. There won’t be enough time to make it to your site in the light of day.”

"There's no hotel in the village," Tory said, aware he was changing the subject. She had lost that round with him, but she hadn't given up. She hadn't gotten where she was by giving up at the first obstacle.

"I avoid climbing a mountain at night, especially one covered with a rainforest. Besides, I know someone who will put us up." He slanted her another measuring look. "Of course, we'll have to share a room."

Share a room? The atmosphere in the Jeep seemed to heat up at the thought. All the windows were down, and the wind was flowing past her, but a stifling heat encased her. She couldn't share anything with him! She didn't trust herself. There was something about him that drew her. This was so uncharacteristic of her.

"I don't have to have a room by myself. I can sleep anywhere,” she finally said.

"You won't have a room by yourself. You hired me to protect you.”

“Not me, but the dig site.”

His survey of her face was brief but potent. "You and I will be sharing as I said.”

"But—"

The look he shot her now was cutting. “That must be your favorite word. Do I have to remind you of our agreement—yet again?"

She drew in sharply, filling her lungs with hot, humid air. "No. I'm aware of our agreement. I just don't see why we need to share a room.” Was that her voice that sounded desperate, frantic?

“How can I protect you if I'm in one room and you're in another?"

Good point, but she wasn't going to tell him that. “As I said before, you were hired to protect the project.”

"Lady, from all that's happened, you need more protecting than the project. And since you pay my fee, I'll protect my interest."

She swallowed several times. Her throat was dry and nothing she did alleviated the sensation. What had she gotten herself into? “Let's make something clear right now. At the dig, you'll have your own tent. You'll get paid whether something happens to me or not. I'll make sure of that."

He slammed on the brakes, bringing the Jeep to a halt in the middle of the narrow road. Tory braced herself for the sudden stop then turned toward him. She started to say something when she finally registered the fury in his eyes, dark as night, cold as a glacier. Her anger died on her lips.

"If I think it's necessary for us to share a tent, then we will. Sharing a tent is all we will do. Don’t forget someone is after you.” He twisted back around and threw the Jeep into gear.

It was impossible to forget that two men were sent most likely to kidnap her or worse, murder her. She was here today because of Guerrero.

For the next couple of hours, she let the silence stretch between them. There was no way she would have broken it even if a snake—the only creature in the jungle that petrified her—was crawling up her leg, preparing to strike her. When her stomach began to growl, Guerrero pulled the Jeep off the road and parked under a large shade tree.

"Late lunch time," he announced.

Tory welcomed the brief respite, stretching her cramped muscles while he retrieved the bag of food from the back of the Jeep. With no breeze as relief, the heat of midday curled about her, leaving a layer of sweat instantly on her skin. Wiping her face with a handkerchief she always carried with her in a humid climate, she walked to where Guerrero was preparing lunch.

"Can I help?"

Shaking his head, he handed her some bread, cheese, and a mango, then sat back against the tree and started eating. The silence was beginning to bother her again. Sitting on the ground opposite him, she chewed her food while taking sips of water between bites. She tried to think of something to talk about that wouldn't end up with both of them angry.

"Tell me about what you have discovered so far?" he asked, then bit into a lush mango.

For a few seconds Tory’s attention riveted to watching him chew the fruit, a small amount of juice on his lips. She fought the urge to lean close and wipe the liquid away. When the corners of his mouth quirked upward, she was jerked back to reality.

"At the dig?"