her.
The jaguar gave one final growl, then turned and leisurely walked away, as if she didn’t interest him in the least. For a long time she stood rigid, holding both torches up, her gaze glued to the spot where she had last seen the black cat before it was swallowed up by the darkness.
“Thanks for lighting a beacon for me, even though it probably isn’t too wise with them looking for us. We’ll have to make sure the fire stays small,” Slade said as he sauntered into the small clearing as though he had not a care in the world.
“Where have you been?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be gone so long. I got caught pretty far away when it became dark.”
The tension siphoned out of Ellie, and she sank to her knees, her grasp still locked about the torches. The trembling began in her hands and quickly spread throughout her body.
“I see you got the fire going without any trouble.” He knelt, putting down the coconuts he had gathered. “I wish I could have found something more. That’s why I was gone for so long. The pickings are slim. The shelves bare.” Finally his gaze lifted and connected with hers across the fire. “Did something happen while I was gone?”
“We had a visitor,” she said slowly, dragging her attention from Slade in order to find a place to drop the torches. Her hands ached from clenching the wood so tightly.
“Who?” Slade shot to his feet, alert.
She was so cold. Ellie hugged her arms to her, shock finally setting in. “A jaguar, but I think he’s gone now.” Her voice cracked on the last word. She couldn’t believe she had actually fought off a wild animal with pieces of wood no more than two feet long.
Slade was instantly beside her, drawing her against him, his arms a comforting shield. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
“You should have seen those eyes. I don’t know if I will ever forget them.” Ellie shuddered again and nestled closer into Slade’s embrace.
For the past few days she had been on an emotional roller coaster. Until this happened to her, she had thought of herself as self-assured. Now though, she felt very vulnerable and had since the moment she had overheard Mr. Martinez plotting to overthrow the government and she had realized she was in over her head. Her confidence was definitely shaken by the events that had snowballed her life into one of high danger.
She pulled back, acknowledging to herself that it would be easy to stay in the comfort of Slade’s arms. But she needed to get her life back under her control, and that certainly didn’t mean getting involved romantically with him. “Oh, my, I got your shirt all dirty. I forgot about the mud on my face. What a fright I must be! Worse than the witch I was that Halloween.” Brushing at his shirt, she placed some distance between them. “If the truth be known, that jaguar probably took one good look at me and decided he could surely find a better, more appetizing meal somewhere else. I mean not only is my face a sight, but this hair feels like a rat made its nest in it.” She combed her quivering fingers through the tangles and scooted farther away from Slade.
He sat watching her with amusement deep in his eyes. “Under the circumstances, you look wonderful.”
“Wonderful? I knew it. That bump on your head did something to you. You’re not thinking straight.”
“Probably the first time in a long while I’m seeing the truth of the matter.”
Ellie frowned, not sure what he meant, not sure she wanted to know.
“The truth is, I don’t like being alone.” Slade went on to explain, “I’m glad you’re stuck here with me. Or else, right about now I would be carrying on a conversation with myself.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“I’ve been alone for some time. I didn’t realize how alone until recently, though.”
“Why?” One part of her didn’t want to know any more personal information about the man; the other part wanted to know everything.
“I suppose when a person is
The jaguar gave one final growl, then turned and leisurely walked away, as if she didn’t interest him in the least. For a long time she stood rigid, holding both torches up, her gaze glued to the spot where she had last seen the black cat before it was swallowed up by the darkness.
“Thanks for lighting a beacon for me, even though it probably isn’t too wise with them looking for us. We’ll have to make sure the fire stays small,” Slade said as he sauntered into the small clearing as though he had not a care in the world.
“Where have you been?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be gone so long. I got caught pretty far away when it became dark.”
The tension siphoned out of Ellie, and she sank to her knees, her grasp still locked about the torches. The trembling began in her hands and quickly spread throughout her body.
“I see you got the fire going without any trouble.” He knelt, putting down the coconuts he had gathered. “I wish I could have found something more. That’s why I was gone for so long. The pickings are slim. The shelves bare.” Finally his gaze lifted and connected with hers across the fire. “Did something happen while I was gone?”
“We had a visitor,” she said slowly, dragging her attention from Slade in order to find a place to drop the torches. Her hands ached from clenching the wood so tightly.
“Who?” Slade shot to his feet, alert.
She was so cold. Ellie hugged her arms to her, shock finally setting in. “A jaguar, but I think he’s gone now.” Her voice cracked on the last word. She couldn’t believe she had actually fought off a wild animal with pieces of wood no more than two feet long.
Slade was instantly beside her, drawing her against him, his arms a comforting shield. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
“You should have seen those eyes. I don’t know if I will ever forget them.” Ellie shuddered again and nestled closer into Slade’s embrace.
For the past few days she had been on an emotional roller coaster. Until this happened to her, she had thought of herself as self-assured. Now though, she felt very vulnerable and had since the moment she had overheard Mr. Martinez plotting to overthrow the government and she had realized she was in over her head. Her confidence was definitely shaken by the events that had snowballed her life into one of high danger.
She pulled back, acknowledging to herself that it would be easy to stay in the comfort of Slade’s arms. But she needed to get her life back under her control, and that certainly didn’t mean getting involved romantically with him. “Oh, my, I got your shirt all dirty. I forgot about the mud on my face. What a fright I must be! Worse than the witch I was that Halloween.” Brushing at his shirt, she placed some distance between them. “If the truth be known, that jaguar probably took one good look at me and decided he could surely find a better, more appetizing meal somewhere else. I mean not only is my face a sight, but this hair feels like a rat made its nest in it.” She combed her quivering fingers through the tangles and scooted farther away from Slade.
He sat watching her with amusement deep in his eyes. “Under the circumstances, you look wonderful.”
“Wonderful? I knew it. That bump on your head did something to you. You’re not thinking straight.”
“Probably the first time in a long while I’m seeing the truth of the matter.”
Ellie frowned, not sure what he meant, not sure she wanted to know.
“The truth is, I don’t like being alone.” Slade went on to explain, “I’m glad you’re stuck here with me. Or else, right about now I would be carrying on a conversation with myself.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“I’ve been alone for some time. I didn’t realize how alone until recently, though.”
“Why?” One part of her didn’t want to know any more personal information about the man; the other part wanted to know everything.
“I suppose when a person is
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