“Maren, open your eyes.”
She blinked several times.
“Can you hear me?” he asked. “Focus, Maren.”
“I’m… I’m…” She batted at his hand. Couldn’t seem to make her arm work. “I’m…okay. Di-dizzy.”
Her eyes were dilated. Her skin, still too cold. “That’s because we didn’t decompress. I was afraid if we did, we’d run out of air.” Her eyes slid closed. “Maren?” Panic clawed its way back up his chest, and memories of Colin’s limp body lying on the edge of that cenote threatened to consume him, but he fought them back. “No, dammit. Keep your eyes open and look at me.”
Her lashes fluttered. And this time when she lifted her hand, she connected with his bicep. “I’m…okay. I’m…just tired.”
Tired was good. Tired he could deal with. So long as she didn’t black out on him again. “What else? Keep talking, baby, tell me where it hurts.”
“My… My back and…shoulder. That stala… The stalactite hit my tanks. I think that’s why it hurts.”
“What about your joints? Any pain there? Any pain in your chest? Any numbness or tingling in your arms and legs?” She was disoriented; he just didn’t know how disoriented. Joints hurting was no big deal—just the bends—it would go away. Lungs burning excessively could mean respiratory distress. Severe tingling in the limbs could lead to paralysis...
She pressed her fingers to her temples. “My… My joints hurt a little. My chest is okay.” She shook her head. “No, the rest, no. I…I think I’m okay. Just fuzzy.”
Thad breathed a little easier. “Okay. Fuzzy I can deal with. Okay.” Rubbing a shaky hand over his face, he tried to steady his emotions. That had been way too close. He shouldn’t have let her dive after her odd behavior the other day.
He suddenly remembered the aspirin he kept in the thigh pocket of his wet suit. After fishing two out of his pocket, he cupped fresh water in his hands from the cenote for her to drink, then sank behind her on the rocks and wrapped his arms around her so she could lean back against him.
She was okay. They were okay. They’d made it out alive. She just needed some time to find her balance again, and so did he. The fear that had tightened his chest like a vise when he thought she wasn’t going to make it eased, just a touch.
He closed his eyes. “Scared me, Blondie. Don’t do that again.”
“I’m not going back down there.” Her voice was small and quiet, but he didn’t care. She was talking, and that was a good sign. “Fuck Patrick and his stupid obsession. Nothing’s worth that.”
He chuckled, because he was suddenly thinking the same thing.
Her chest rose and fell as she breathed deep. Even through their wet suits, her body heat seeped into him, warming places he thought had gone cold.
“Thad?”
God, he liked the feel of her against him like this. Relaxing into him. Leaning on him. He could do without the whole near-death experience, but this… Yeah, he liked this. “Hmm?”
“We weren’t alone down there.”
All that warmth felt like it was pushed out by an icy wave. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw another diver through the tunnel just before everything collapsed. That’s why I grabbed your arm. Someone else was down there with us.”
“I didn’t see anything.”
“I’m not making it up. I saw them.”
The lift to her voice told him she was getting agitated, which was the last thing he wanted for her. “I believe you.” He ran his hand down her arm, hoping to soothe her. “Tell me what you saw.”
She blew out a slow breath. “It was just for a split second. Through the tunnel. I saw a diver’s silhouette; then they swam off. And seconds later, the ceiling came down. That wasn’t an earthquake or an accident. That was some kind of explosion.”
Thad’s mind spun, and in the silence, his heart rate ticked up. “Who knew we were exploring this cenote besides Patrick and the team?”
“Only Patrick and the team. Of which there are several new faces.”
Including Drummer.
She didn’t say the words, but she didn’t need to. His conversation with Lisa on the boat ran back through his mind. Years ago, when Colin had been killed, it had been because one of the grunts Patrick had hired had filtered information to Declan. The treasure hunter had sent in his own team of divers to head them off, thinking they were close to locating La Malinche, and when one of them had tried to grab the bag off Maren’s hip, Colin had gotten in his way.
“We’re not close to finding La Malinche this time,” he said quietly.
“I know,” she answered.
But they could be. They were both thinking it.
His pulse was a roar in his ears, and his mind was churning a mile a minute, but when she turned onto her side and rested her cheek against his chest, everything else slid to the wayside.
“I’m tired,” she whispered.
He looked down at her wet eyelashes, already sliding shut. At the damp hair matted against her head. At her fingers, curling into the fabric of his wet suit. Brushing a lock away from her temple, he realized he should have taken the constricting garment off so he could feel her breath warming his skin, but he wasn’t moving her now. She felt too damn good against him, and he was still too keyed up by what had happened beneath the surface to let her go.
“Just breathe, Blondie. Rest.” He stroked her hair. “We’ll figure everything out later.”
Slowly, she drifted to sleep. And as his pulse slowly came down, relief eased the anxiety. He’d been scared underwater before, but never like this. Even when Colin had been injured, he hadn’t been as afraid as he’d been today, and he didn’t want to think too much about what that meant.
“Just breathe,” he whispered again, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.
He just wasn’t sure if the words were meant for her ears or his own.
The sound of lapping roused Maren from a deep sleep.
Thad’s wet suit lay propped under her head, but the cold, rugged inflexibility of the rocks pressing against her aching back shot pain through every inch of her torso.
She sat up and rubbed her shoulder, surprised to find herself alone. She knew Thad hadn’t gone far, but she wondered how long he’d been gone. Wondered even more how long she’d been out.
She glanced around, for the first time taking survey of her surroundings. The cenote was large and sheltered, a narrow opening letting the dim light of day slide into the cavern. Stalactites hung down, even in here.
The water itself looked only like a pond, lapping gently against the solid stones. You’d never know there were tunnels and caves down there; that a watery tomb lurked, ready to pull you under, draw you down, hypnotize you into believing you were safe.
Get a grip, Maren.
She shook her head to clear the stupid thoughts and rubbed her throbbing temple. She’d made it out. She was safe. She had to remember that.
Leaves rustled, and she glanced toward the cave opening. Seconds later, Thad appeared and ducked under the ledge, a bright smile spreading across his face when he saw she was awake. “Hey there, sleeping beauty. How are you feeling?”
“Um. Okay.” Relief was swift and ignited a swarm of butterflies in her belly. She rubbed her head, averting her gaze from the tanned skin of his bare chest and the blue swim shorts he’d worn under his wet suit. The ones that were riding dangerously low on his hips and making her think about other—more enjoyable ways—to celebrate being alive. “What’s that?”
“Dinner, or as close as I could find.” He set the bunch of bananas next to her on the rocks and sat beside her. She was still in her wet suit, hot and sweaty, and his body heat so close seemed to amp hers a good ten degrees. Dragging the zipper down, she wiggled her torso out of the suit and let the rest hang around her waist.
His gaze rested on the locket against her chest, and her adrenaline spiked.
Shit… Too late now. Would he say something abo
ut it? Would he even remember? Her stomach tensed.
His gaze drifted to her shoulder. “Ouch.”
When she realized he was staring at her back, she breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t noticed. He just thought it was a random necklace. Tragedy averted, for now.
His soft fingers brushed her shoulder blade, and she fought to keep from flinching. “That explains why I hurt so much.”
“You got hit pretty hard.”
She had, but, oh, man…his touch felt like heaven. She tried to focus on the pain lingering in her muscles, not the way his skin was sliding over hers so delicately. “I’m lucky it didn’t knock me out.”
He didn’t answer, just went on lightly touching her back with that worried look in his usually confident eyes, and she felt the urge to change the subject. Memories of their time below the surface were almost too much to deal with right now. “What time is it?”
“About eight, I think.”
That sounded about right. She could tell the light was fading and that the cave was darker than it had been when they’d emerged from the water. “Any idea where we are?”
He dropped his hand, looked away, and in the silence, she knew he didn’t want to say. He’d done that years ago—tried to protect her—but she was older, wiser, and a helluva lot stronger than she’d been then. And she didn’t need anyone to take care of her. “Come on, Leighton.”
He sighed. “Not a clue. We swam for quite a while down there. I’d guess we’re probably several miles from the dive site. In which direction, though, I can’t tell you. I walked around a bit. It’s pretty desolate. No villages, no signs of civilization. Just jungle as far as the eye can see. I’m not sure if we’re farther inland or closer to the coast.”
Maren nodded and took a deep breath. She should feel thankful they were alive. But being stranded in the jungle didn’t sound so appealing right now either.
“We’ve got a couple of options,” he said, turning to look her way. “It’s getting dark now. We can hang out here for the night. We’ve got shelter. That’s a plus. Odds are they’re looking for us.”
“Odds are they think we’re still underwater.”
“That’s a definite possibility, but Patrick would have sent others down right away to find us.”
“Not if he felt that explosion. He’d think earthquake, not bomb. And he’d never risk another diver’s safety with those kind of odds stacked against him.” She knew her father’s rigid practicality. “And if he did send someone down, once they discovered the guideline was blocked, they’d focus all their time trying to find an alternate route in, not searching out here for us. Odds are it’ll be days before they start looking at other cenotes.”
He frowned and rested his arms on his updrawn knees. “You’re a breath of fresh air, you know that?”
She smiled, not because what he’d said was funny but because it eased the knot forming in her chest. “I’m a realist.”
He glanced around the cave. “Realist or not, we’ve got no shoes, no idea where we are, and no clue how far it is to the nearest village. Not to mention the food and water problem.”
Food and water was a biggie, but not so massive when Maren was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact someone had tried to kill them. “Looks like you solved the food problem. Any chance we can fill your tanks with water and carry one with us?”
“You wanna try to hike out of here barefoot?”
“We can use your dive knife and cut off the flippers, just wear the rest. Not perfect, but better than going barefoot. Unless you have a better idea?”
“No, I don’t.” He let out a deep breath. “I’ve got my compass. I figure east is our best bet. If nothing else, it’ll take us toward the Caribbean. We hit that, we can make our way up the coast and find a village.”
She nodded. “Okay, it’s settled.”
“Not tonight. There’s no sense heading out into the jungle when it’s already getting dark. I don’t think we want to casually come across a crocodile. And there’s a fresh scraping on a Zapote tree not far from here. My guess is jaguar. I think it’s best for us to just hang out here, get some sleep, start fresh in the morning.”
His logic made sense, even if she was itching to get going. But hanging out here with him meant being alone—at night—with the biggest temptation on the planet.
Her nerves jumped, and she wrapped her arms around her knees, working for calm and cool, when all that she could think about was how good he looked in those shorts. “So, um…bananas. You think that’s going to sustain me?”
One side of his lips curled. “I had a bead on a coconut, but I wasn’t agile enough to scale the tree.”
She sighed and looked down at her toes. “Too bad. For a coconut, you could have been my hero.”
“I still can be, Blondie.” He leaned in close, so close her head came up in surprise. Her breath caught, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. But he didn’t. He just grinned wider. Sexier. A thousand times more seductively. “This little excursion isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”
Those butterflies flapped furiously in her belly, and heat rolled all across her skin, sending sparks of electricity straight between her thighs. Her gaze strayed to his lips, so soft and masculine. So close. And the urge to kiss him overwhelmed her.
His eyes sparked, and slowly he eased back. And before she could think of something to say, he pushed to his feet.
“Wh-where are you going?”
Holy hell, she sounded aroused, desperate. And God, but she was.
He grinned down at her. “To get you that coconut.”
“But you said there were crocodiles out there. And jaguars.”
“Worried about me?”
Yes! “No,” she sputtered.
His grin widened. “To regain my hero status with you, it’s worth the risk. I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
Hero…
She’d called him her hero way back when… When she’d been young and in love and he’d been all she could see. Why she’d used the word now, she’d never know. The only thing she knew as she stared after him, unable to move—unable to think—was that her situation had not improved.
And if they didn’t get back to camp soon, she didn’t trust herself not to make things even worse.
Maren stirred where she’d been sleeping against Thad’s chest and licked her lips.
Faint rays of early morning light spilled into the cave, highlighting the strands in her hair and the bruises along her temple Thad hadn’t noticed last night. Something in his chest tightened as he watched her, but he didn’t move, waiting to see if she’d fall back asleep. When she lifted her head and peered up at him with sleepy, sexy eyes, he forced a smile he didn’t feel.
“Wh-what time is it?”
Her voice was raspy, sultry, everything he didn’t need to hear after lying awake most of the night with a massive boner. And every time he looked at that locket around her neck that she’d worn under her wet suit…something inside him tightened. “Early. The sun just came up.”
A tiny line formed between her brows. “Didn’t you sleep?”
He’d tried. At first he hadn’t been able to because he’d been racking his brain, trying to figure out what the hell she’d seen down there in that cenote, but when she’d curled into him and drifted off, her heat had warmed him to the point where he could barely breathe, let alone think. And forget sleeping when all he could see were her breasts rising and falling beneath that thin black bikini top, teasing him to find out if they were as soft as he remembered. “A little.”
She pushed a hand against his chest and sat up, blinking and running her fingers through her long hair. On a yawn, she arched her back and lifted her arms above her head, the movement only accentuating her delectable breasts. “I’d give my left arm for coffee right now.”
Forget coffee. He wanted her. And if he didn’t get away from her fast, he was going to take her, right here against these cold, hard rocks.
He pushed his way out from under her and stood, cringing at the pain in his groin. “In a few minutes, you’ll be wishing you had mosquito repellent too.”
“Don’t remind me.”
He wanted to take a dunk in the cenote to cool himself off but settled for splashing cool water on his face. When he turned back to gather the tanks he’d filled with water the night before, Maren was standing with her arms over her head, tying her hair back into a ponytail.
Light from the cave opening fell over her bare skin, highlighting the muscles and angles of her trim body. Wearing only the tiny black bikini, she looked like a model ready for a sultry photo shoot, not a woman about to hike through the jungle.
And it was all Thad could do not to groan thinking about walking behind her perfect ass all day long.
He cleared his throat and hefted the tanks onto his back. “Let’s get moving before it gets too hot.”
Sunlight speared though the trees like fireworks, blinding them the second they stepped out of the cave. Thad squinted and pulled the vines back for Maren, then pointed east and fell into step behind her.
They picked their way through the jungle flora, watching their steps with care. Trees rose thirty to fifty feet above, curling tendrils of vines sweeping down around them. Variations of palms littered the floor of the jungle, from wide-leaf plants to majestic ferns with tender leaves caressing their bare legs as they walked. Bright flowering plants popped out in the trees here and there, splashing color against a dense green canvas, but it wasn’t all beauty.
Prickly spears jabbed into his skin from different angles, and the bugs were already ferocious, even early in the day. Thad grimaced as he took the lead and picked his way through the overgrown jungle, wishing like hell he had a machete. Luckily, he couldn’t see Maren’s fine ass from his vantage, but he noticed her movements from every angle, and the tiny gasps and groans she kept making were enough to send his libido into overdrive, even out here in the sweltering heat.
The only plus was that they were alone. When he’d scouted the area last night, he hadn’t seen anyone, nor had he heard anyone today besides the howler monkeys who followed them in the trees. Whoever or whatever Maren had seen in that cenote could very well be a figment of her imagination. He knew how the mind could play tricks on a person underwater, and she’d definitely already been acting a little strange. And though rare, earthquakes did happen in the Yucatan.