seemed to be there simply because they were part of the bargain that came with using the navy helicopters that would be part of the exercise, didn’t seem to appreciate being involved in the operation. And both groups looked down their noses at the odd team supposedly from Homeland Security. They probably thought Kendra and the guys were CIA spies. The local police officers wouldn’t talk to anyone, clearly wishing they didn’t have to be included in an exercise that had apparently devolved into more of a political hot potato than useful training.
Kendra glanced at Declan as they trudged through the undergrowth. She knew he was upset about her tagging along, but he hadn’t said two words to her since they’d gotten to Costa Rica. Figures. The moment she decided to give Declan a shot, he didn’t so much as notice her anymore.
Did she have luck with men or what?
She’d wasted years fixating on Clayne, only to discover there was absolutely zero chemistry between them. The worst part? Her damn compatibility software had told her she and Clayne weren’t a match years ago. Instead, it had correctly identified Danica as the woman he was supposed to be with. But did she pay attention to her own damn matchmaking program? No. She only wished she’d realized they were so completely incompatible before they’d slept together. Fortunately, Clayne was just as eager to forget the indiscretion as she was, and they’d sworn to never tell a soul about it. Well, Ivy knew, but that didn’t count.
As Kendra climbed over a huge fallen tree, she looked for Declan and realized he’d disappeared again. For a big guy, he could move like a ghost. She had no idea where he went, but he’d been slipping off like this the entire day. Recon, she guessed, though she didn’t know what he was looking for. Other than about a million monkeys, sloths, birds, and reptiles of every variety, they hadn’t seen another soul out here.
No surprise there. Not only was La Amistad a pristine nature preserve, but their training exercise had taken them into the very deepest, most inhospitable sections of the park, close to the border with Panama. Plus, it turned out that November was the rainiest time of the year for this part of the country. Not exactly the peak of the ecotourism season. That meant they had the whole jungle to wander around in without worrying about running into another person. And considering what Tate had told her about the government being a little uncomfortable with their presence, the timing and location for this exercise probably wasn’t an accident.
But if that was the case, why did Declan disappear every thirty minutes or so?
Kendra searched the surrounding forest again and caught sight of the bear shifter jogging into the clearing. She sighed as he brushed past her to catch up with Tate. Now that she’d started looking at Declan as something more than a coworker, she couldn’t help but notice he was a lot more attractive than she’d realized. Last night, she’d seen him in nothing but his uniform pants as he’d rinsed off in a stream after they’d stopped to make camp, and damn, he was scrumptious. Why hadn’t she ever noticed how hunky that body of his was?
She was starting to think she was really slow when it came to seeing what was right in front of her face.
They spent the next fifteen minutes skirting a rocky ridge that was too steep to go over. Even going around it was hard work and everyone was breathing heavy by the time the group leader—a gruff DEA agent named Carmichael—called for a break. Kendra opened her canteen and took a long drink. She had no idea this part of the world had such rough country. One second they were climbing up the side of a five-hundred-foot ridgeline, the next, they found themselves slopping their way through swampy marshes. And the moment they dragged themselves out of the mud, they’d be in the middle of a thick jungle where it seemed like the foliage clung to them every step they took. It was beautiful, but it was hard not being intimidated by the sheer wildness of it all.
At least it wasn’t hot. Even though she’d read all the weather profiles for Costa Rica, some part of her still thought the jungle would be hot and steamy—like in the movies. But it hardly ever got much warmer than seventy during the day, and at night it