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  She only had time to gasp before she felt her hair flying around her face and the wind jolting from her lungs as he grabbed her and tossed her onto the bed, pinning her with his leg.

  His voice remained level, but there was ice in his tone. “She didn’t leave me because the sex was bad. She left because she wasn’t getting it often enough.”

  He was grinning, but Ali heard self-deprecation in his words, no matter how big his grin. He had just admitted he had failed life’s hardest test. Being married. Still, that didn’t excuse his horse’s-rear attitude toward her.

  “You’re bragging again.” There was no grin on his face now. The pitch black of his gaze was unreadable, like the set of his chiseled lips.

  “You like me, Donavon.” His mouth curved into a half-smile. “But, don’t.”

  Her lips quivered in a maddening show of nerves. “No need to take that attitude. You don’t meet my standards.”

  She didn’t like being pinned and quickly freed herself from his leg hold, pressing him down with her body. He laughed and spanked her ass, making her growl with resentment. She stopped struggling when he whispered against her cheek.

  “It’s okay. You can like me.” He caught her face in his hands and covered her lips in a deep, hungry kiss. She barely heard his next words. “Just don’t count on me for anything past this job.”

  Ali couldn’t avoid the hard slam to her gut, that sick, cold feeling of losing something you love. No, oh, no. That wasn’t what she felt for him. He made her mad as hell, insulted her, made her laugh, and was a phenomenal lover. But, no, she couldn’t feel anything else for him. Gun had no place in her life after Colombia was history. Okay, so right now she was in bed with her partner. Nothing that hadn’t happened a million times before. Just not to her.

  He didn’t try to stop her as she sat up and tugged on his arms, trying to get him in a sitting position. He eyed her with some suspicion.

  “You going to try to hurt me, chili pepper?”

  “Shut up and enjoy it while you can.”

  His big, strong hands caught her waist and pulled her close to his beautiful, scarred chest. “Do whatever you want, baby. I’m ready.”

  She relaxed against his warm body, hugging his strong neck so hard, he pushed her away a little to look at her face. To cover her feelings of unwarranted emotion, she bit his earlobe and tightened her grip again.

  No, God. She couldn’t love a guy like this. He would be off and running in another week, in another country with another woman and she would be wearing sackcloth and ashes if she didn’t get hold of her runaway heart.

  She caught his earlobe in her teeth, gently sucking and nursing until he squeezed her breasts. The quickening in her body flashed through her like wildfire, and she couldn’t force herself to be demure, not when he mouthed her nipples and worked his fingers inside her, sliding them in and out until she raised her hips in response. Her murmur was urgent. “Gun, fill me and I’ll ride.”

  “Up a little higher, Donavon. I’m not that damned long.”

  She heard a grin in his voice and lifted her hips more, nearly bolting through the ceiling as the head of his cock touched the sensitive folds around her clit. Losing control was a new experience for her, and she gave all credit to Gun. He just knew all the best areas of her body and caressed and licked them all.

  The silly little moan she heard had been hers, and she clung to his warmth and strength as if she were drowning. He filled her arms and her body, making her foolishly think it could last forever. She opened her eyes and found him staring at her. “What?” Her voice had been a miserable croak.

  “You really do like me, don’t you, Donavon?”

  “Shut up and make me happy.” She strained against him, taking him in, gripping with all her might. He clasped her thighs and rocked into her, finding the most sensitive spot of her neck to suck voraciously until she cried out in her release.

  While she struggled to catch her breath, he smiled at her. Ali knew he hadn’t climaxed, but she was too tired to offer any help. He wasn’t tired, nibbling little kisses along her neck.

  One last sniggle of need made her accept some more physical exertion. “Let’s do it another way.”

  He stopped his movement and laughed. “Is there one we haven’t tried?”

  “Standing up is good.” She toyed with his flat nipple. “Come on, lazy boy. I want it.” She made that clear, hanging on to him like a sex-starved idiot.

  He grinned and pulled her close. “You think I can’t do it. Right?”

  The thought had not occurred to her, but she went along with the idea. “Well. Can you?”

  “Hell, yes. I can fuck standing on my head.”

  Her gaze touched and kissed his lips as he yawned. He was stubborn and proud. “I’m glad to hear you are so talented.”

  “I’ll show you that one later.” He got off the bed, pulling her with him. “One standing fuck ... coming right up.”

  * * * *

  Ali would never challenge Gun again. The stand-up, as he had called it, had been a physically demanding, loud affair, starting against the bedroom wall. It had moved out to the tall potted plants on the balcony and back to the bedroom. He had the strength of two men in his legs, holding her up on his cock with no problem. For the time being, she was sexually satisfied.

  Two hours after the start of Gun’s party, Ali crawled back onto the bed with him. She remembered their neighbor banging on the wall in protest of their noisy lovemaking. Lovemaking? Gun had been right. They fucked that time. Nothing fancy, just raw, physical going at each other.

  He looked wiped out after their long shower together, sprawled in apparent relaxation, eyes closed, squeaky clean and smelling sexy as hell. She lay close to him and yawned. Nothing like a warm, clean, lean man to help her sleep.

  He hooked his arm over her waist and groaned. She lifted her head to look at him. “What?”

  He grinned at her. “Talk to me.”

  She flopped back down. “You’re kidding.”

  “Okay. You don’t want to talk.” He stroked his palm over her hip a few times before saying anything else. “You hold your own damn good.”

  Praise from this guy? She covered her surprise with humor. “I do my best.”

  “You know that bad-ass trick with the coke you played on Gomorra? Don’t do anything like that again.” He pulled her close and breathed deeply against her hair. “We’ll work our way out of trouble together from now on.”

  She was too weary to answer, but stayed awake long enough to lock her fingers with his.

  Chapter 14

  The rain had stopped, leaving behind steaming humidity thick enough to choke on. Gun couldn’t believe how long they’d slept. He glanced over his shoulder at Ali and scowled. Damn, she had whipped his ass, and that bothered him. As long as she didn’t know that, he didn’t have to explain why he did things the way he did, or tell her when he was going to do them.

  Man, take it easy. You’re talking to yourself and answering, too. You have to get back to the real world as soon as possible.

  “Donavon, let’s speed it up.” He had intended to sound aggravated. Her look of surprise hit him in the gut. He wanted to soften his attitude. But, no. Goddamn it. He would defend her with his life, but she could not cling to him. No Goddamn way.

  “Hold that lovely expression, Gun.” She averted her face and slung a fringed white silk shawl around her hips, tying it in a knot under her belly button. The sheer pink blouse and pair of low-riding white hip-huggers she had on missed covering her skin by a mile.

  Why the hell did she always have to be half-naked? “We’re going to miss Rance if you don’t move your ass.”

  Son-of-a-bitch. She gave him the finger.

  “I’m ready.” Ali shoved past him and opened the door, stomping into the hallway. She stomped all the way to the Jeep, speaking only to Ramón as he helped her into her seat.

  The wall she’d raised between them would probably last until he made an effo
rt to apologize. Cold day in hell would come before he did that. He had to admit, her nice Southern accent was easy on the ears, but he wasn’t going to hear it for a while. Just one more thing he couldn’t take a liking to.

  Her attitude abruptly changed when a small dog ran out in the street and he swerved to miss it. He looked at her, catching her look of relief and tears brimming in her eyes. “Hell, Donavon. I missed the little bastard.” Damned glad, too.

  Ignoring her was a challenge. Soft-looking, with her sheer pink blouse that took his gaze right to her nipples, plus her pink lips and curly hairdo. He knew there was the same kind of soft curls around her pussy.

  Okay, she was hot to look at and a great lay, but that was as far as his interest went. His head was splitting, and he remembered the threads of an old nightmare. Had he given away his suffocating pain while he slept? If he had, Donavon hadn’t questioned him.

  The market was crowded and parking scarce. Gun found a space next to a wagon loaded with flowers and fruit. They would have to walk a ways to get in the main area, but he needed to work some kinks out. He inhaled and stifled a groan. The scent of decaying vegetation and discarded rotten fruit hung thick in the damp air, bringing up the nightmare he’d tried to obliterate from his brain.

  Ali seemed to lighten up as she walked through the rows of junk the vendors offered. She chatted with them and fawned over a heavily embroidered blouse from one. Her eyes were smiling as she turned to speak to him.

  “This would make a great Christmas gift for my niece.” She was a beauty when she smiled.

  “Yeah, that’s real nice.” He did well to force himself to visit his family at Christmas. They expected too much, expected him to find some nice little girl and get married again. Fat fucking chance.

  Donavon hadn’t stopped smiling when she touched his arm to get his attention. “There’s Rance. Over by that fruit vendors’ hut.”

  She was right. Rance was either drunk or putting on a hell of a show for the girl laughing at him. “Okay. Let’s go see what the hell’s going on.”

  Donavon looked over her shoulder.

  “Gun, I keep seeing the same guy everywhere we go. Tall, thick-set, with a paunch.” Her hand went into her purse. “You think he’s a watchdog for our Colombian friend?”

  “Could be, but more like a local cop. He’s too fat to be a cokehead and run his ass off in the jungle for our new friend.”

  She nodded. “You’re probably right.” She laughed then, holding on to his arm and looking at him with a flirtatious smile. She was back in Bambi mode again.

  Gun noticed a new sense of urgency in Rance’s attitude when he spotted them walking toward him. He waved goodbye to the young woman that he apparently had told to move on and leaned against a soft-drink vending machine.

  “Hey. You got a light, man?” He staggered a little for effect. “Too much food and drink.” His grin was wide and sloppy.

  Gun flipped his lighter open and fired up Rance’s fat cigar. “Yeah, you gotta watch your diet, man.” He grinned. “One way or another, you’re gonna be in the john all night.”

  “You’re right on the button, fella,” Rance said over a huge hiccup. “Let me buy you nice folks a drink at that little cantina over there.”

  Rance took Donavon’s arm while they chose a table away from the crowd, eyeing Gun like her big brother probably did after every date she had. The reason for his curiosity was plain enough. Hickies on Donavon’s neck and a beard burn that would take days to fade, plus the nice big bite on his lip.

  Gun wondered what Donavon was thinking about at that moment. Her lids looked a little puffy, and her lips reminded him of ready-to-split ripe cherries. He grinned, remembering their sex had been a lot like an undeclared war. He hadn’t had that much fun ever.

  Rance hailed a waiter and ordered three scotches on the rocks. Donavon hid a yawn behind her hand, and Gun leaned back to gaze at her. As much as he trusted her ability to handle any situation, he didn’t want to take her into the Armondez pit. He turned over several possibilities of going in without her.

  Rance interrupted him. “There’s been a little change in pick-up time.”

  “That’s really great news, Rance.” Sarcasm etched Gun’s comment. “How long have we got?”

  Ali sat forward and tapped Gun’s arm. “Tell him what you set up. That might have to be changed.”

  He caught her fingers in a light squeeze. “Won’t change a thing. I’m going.”

  Rance lifted a brow in question. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle. I’m going to the site to figure out his routine, his habits. The best spot to be when I take him out.”

  “I think Gun meant to say we’re going to the site.” Ali smiled, quieting until the waiter set their drinks down and left. “He can’t do it without me.”

  “That’s the plan, Gunnison. Don’t get too crazy on us.” Rance swallowed most of his drink. “We’re not leaving anyone this time.”

  Cold rage threatened to swallow Gun, drown him in his own anger and remorse. Didn’t he have to live with those five minutes everyday of his life? Five minutes of everything turning upside down and ending life as he knew it. And now, his partner was staring at him for an answer.

  “Rance is a prick. Don’t let him scare you.”

  She nodded and sipped her drink. That nod was as good as a touch. She trusted him.

  Rance snarled. “She’s not scared. I’m not so sure about you.”

  Pure fury radiated from Gun. He gripped the heavy glass in his fist as if he wanted to crush it. Animosity between the two men flowed hot and thick. Gun had looked at her as if he expected her to question his reliability.

  She set her glass down, brushing her fingers against his white knuckles. “Mind telling me what this is about?”

  Gun leaned closer to her, his gaze capturing hers in its midnight snare. “He’s trying to tell you I’m a coward.”

  “You’re a what?” Maybe she hadn’t heard him correctly. “What’s going on, guys?”

  “Later, Donavon. I’ll fill you in on everything later.”

  “Everything?”

  “Later.” He finished his drink and smiled sardonically at Rance. “Anything new from Hamm? If not, we’re leaving.”

  “Listen, Gunnison. Take chances with your hide, but you’re not in this alone.”

  “If you mean Donavon, she can take care of herself.” Gun leaned over to tap her arm. “Tell him how you can kill a man in one minute flat.”

  “Shut up, Gun.” Ali recognized the old, sick feeling welling up in her stomach. Men at war over nothing. “You, too, Rance.”

  “You want to get the job done, or fight your way out of this hole because of this guy?” Rance eyed her with a slight scowl. “Why did we go over all those maps, pictures, timetables, and shit if it wasn’t to get you two out on time? Have you even talked about getting to the extraction site? This is serious.”

  “Enough.” She pushed her drink aside and grimaced. “So what if we make a few changes? Nothing is written in blood. We’ll make our hit and get out.”

  “Don’t bet on it.” Rance stood up. “Get on that chopper, Donavon. No matter what. Fourteen hundred hours is the new extraction time.”

  “We’ll both be there, Rance.” Why the hell did she not feel as sure as she sounded? “We’ll see you back in St. Louis.”

  Gun didn’t look quite so angry now. A hint of a grin tugged at his lips. “Thanks for worrying about us, Rance.” His gaze traveled over the lush array of flowers on a nearby table. “But, no need. We both went to the Agents-r-Us school.”

  “Smart son-of-a-bitch to the end, right, Gunnison?” In a surprise move, Rance hugged Ali, kissing her cheek in a quick, gruff show of affection. “Didn’t do you any good, though, did it? Just don’t get Donavon killed because you can’t resist being a hard-nosed prick.” He patted her arm. “Don’t miss your flight.”

  Ali wanted to scream at them to shut up, to stop the fighting over Go
d only knew what. She damn well intended to find out the source of the anger. Right now, she could only dread tomorrow and being in The Anaconda’s private pit. The numbers she’d drummed into her brain added to her worry. One hour less to get the mission completed.

  Damn, she was getting to be superstitious. Her bayou upbringing made her susceptible to the possibility of spells and hexes. But it wasn’t superstition hissing in her ear. She shuddered, jumping when Gun spoke to her.

  “We do need to get our gear ready to bail out of here.” He didn’t look worried, just sexy as hell, luring her with his daredevil smile.

  “Maybe Rance would like to have dinner with us.” She admired the tough-as-nails guy who had been her partner, even if he’d given her a rough time. “You game, Rance?”

  He gave her his trademark crooked smile. “Naw. I have to catch a flight out of here in an hour.” He touched her shoulder. “You take care. Keep your head down, and listen to the sounds. I’ll see you.”

  He barely nodded in Gun’s direction, walking away, looking at his watch. Time was of the essence to them. She absently looked at her wristwatch. The crazy squeeze in her stomach muscles was nothing but loneliness. Damn, she was losing it.

  “Gun, let’s go have something to eat. Now.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He clasped her hand and took his sweet time moving along the aisles, stopping once they were outside. “Just a minute, Bambi.” He went to the nearest flower cart and picked up a bunch of white flowers, grinning at her after he paid the vendor.

  Ali didn’t know how to react. She chose sarcasm. “Those go perfect with your outfit.”

  He thrust the fragrant bouquet of carnations toward her. “Don’t get too excited, Donavon. It’s all for show, not because I like you.”

  “Umm, okay.” She brought the spicy blooms to her nose and sniffed before leveling her serious gaze on his face. “I would like to know why you and Rance want to rip each other’s throats out.”

  “I said I’d tell you everything.”

  “Don’t worry about it. This is not the place for it.”