“ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?” Cat stared at her reflection speculatively in the full-length mirror that hung on the guest room wall at Javier Barrera’s compound.
“You look absolutely ravishing,” Cody assured her.
“My butt looks big,” she persisted, twisting to look at the offending body part.
“I plead the fifth,” Jack smirked.
Ella joined Cat at the mirror. “I have no breasts.”
“Again, I plead the fifth.” Jack earned a pair of glares cast his way.
“At least they fit,” Ella offered optimistically.
“What’s to fit?” David pointed out bluntly. “It’s a loincloth, or whatever they call the female version.”
“True.” Cat continued to study herself. When Cody had suggested she and Ella slip into the compound as “gifts” from the playboy senator, Cat had thought it sounded like a good idea. What she hadn’t thought about were the costumes she’d be forced to wear. One thing was for sure: Barrera’s mind wouldn’t be on her mental powers.
“I think I’ll stick with the harem girl look tonight,” Ella finally decided. “It shows less skin.”
“You’re supposed to be a stripper,” Cody reminded her, amused by the bashfulness of these two “strippers.”
“Exotic dancer, thank you very much,” Cat retorted. “And Ella has the right idea.”
“Just make up your mind.” Jack rolled his eyes. “Dinner’s in an hour.”
“I’d better have a drink with our host before he wonders what we’re up to.” Cody winked at Cat and sauntered to the door. “Anyone care to join me?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Cat made a beeline for the door.
Cody blocked her path. “Sorry. You stay here until someone comes for you.”
Cat pouted but returned to her wardrobe. The men retreated to the safety of the bar, leaving the women alone for the first time since arriving at the compound that morning. Javier Barrera had been a perfect gentleman who had welcomed Cody and his guests with open arms. Cat almost felt guilty.
“So what happened?” Ella finally demanded when she realized Cat wasn’t going to volunteer the information.
Cat poured her heart out to her best friend over Diet Coke and makeup. Ella wasn’t always responsible or practical. Sometimes she was annoyingly indecisive. She couldn’t, or wouldn’t, fight. But she had a quiet strength Cat depended on more than she cared to admit. Ella always knew how to soothe her temper, make her laugh through tears, or lend a silent comfort. Her problems weren’t quite as impossible after she shared them with Ella.
“So we have to bring stud-boy to his knees,” Ella decided.
“Which one?”
“Both, for good measure.”
“I like the way you think, but the question is how,” Cat agreed, deftly twisting Ella’s long hair into a French roll.
“Same as any other man.” Ella shrugged.
“Cover your face; I need to spray this,” Cat ordered.
A sharp knock at the door signaled it was time to go.
Cat gave Ella a quick hug. “Remember, just close your eyes and picture making love to some incredibly beautiful man.”
“What if I have a headache?” Ella groaned, fastening her headdress and veil into place.
“Then follow my lead.” Cat adjusted her own costume and pulled Ella out the door.
Silence prevailed as the two women followed the man sent to escort them. Every eye was on them as they stepped into the half-light of the smoky bar. Men lined the walls. Every chair was occupied. Cat and Ella swallowed in union, wishing they could wring Cody’s neck for suggesting this in the first place. They stood alone in the center of the room. An expectant hush fell over the crowd.
Cat raised an eyebrow and smirked in amusement. Ella sent a nervous prayer to her maker. The music began. Cat closed her eyes and began a slow dance of seduction.
***
Galloway was tired and irritable. He hadn’t slept since Cat had cold-cocked him. He’d persuaded Ryan to take him to the jungle, but he didn’t trust the man enough to close his eyes around him. It had been humbling to admit to Ryan that he hadn’t checked in because he had been handcuffed to a bed. Unfortunately, that had been the only way to win back his trust—and the only way he could think of to gain entrance to the compound.
It was ironic. He would be somewhat safe now that they had reached Barrera’s home. Strangely, no one had greeted them at the gate except for a lone guard. He had muttered something in Spanish about entertainment and waved them on. The main house had again been empty save a single guard who had pointed them in the direction of the bar and gone back to his post. He wondered vaguely what sort of entertainment was in store as the music reached his ears.
She looked nothing like the woman he knew, yet he recognized her instantly. Her hair was black and piled loosely atop her head. Sheer silver material shimmered against her dark skin. The opaque skirt swayed enticingly, showing a mere hint of her shapely legs. Her eyes were closed and her head tilted back as she freed her hair from its bindings. It flowed tantalizingly down her back as she slowly unlaced the ties of her skirt, allowing it to drop to the floor to reveal the scrap of clothing she wore underneath.
In her mind, Cat could see Cody clearly. She took herself to a place in her heart that did not remember betrayals—that still loved freely—and she danced for him. With each seductive sway of her body, she told him of her love.
Jack couldn’t keep his eyes off Ella. No longer shy, she seemed to be enjoying herself as she moved in a way he hadn’t thought possible for her. As she swayed with eyes closed and a smile upon her face, Jack wondered just what Ella saw in her mind.
The music stopped and the blush that stole Ella’s face when their eyes locked made him smile. He knew. Her sweet shyness told him who she made love to in her dreams. The raucous applause ended his smile as he realized how fully these men could see his woman. Scowling, he handed Ella her skirt and demanded she clothe herself.
Cat laughed outright at her brother’s possessiveness as she re-laced the ribbons of her own skirt. She picked up the headdress and turned to find Cody but bumped into Barrera instead. He steadied her with a gentle touch.
“Hello.” Cat smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome.” He returned the smile. “Would you like to take a walk?”
“I’d love to,” Cat beamed, eager to familiarize herself with the layout of the compound up close.
Galloway devoured her with his eyes until she was gone, then discreetly followed.
Cat enjoyed the sounds of the jungle at night. Tree frogs and birds chattered; the leaves rustled somewhere in the distance. Humidity clung to her skin as they ambled down a covered path.
Her escort had flawless manners as he showed her his home. Javier’s demeanor told Cat he was sizing her up, but for what she wasn’t sure. She showed no outward signs of interest to anything save the big cats. She couldn’t conceal her awe of the magnificent creatures that stared at her through their cages. Not quite starving, the lean animals paced to and fro. Growls of warning rumbled deep within their throats as they glared at Barrera. A glance at the bullwhip on the wall told her why hatred glowed from their eyes. Shoving aside her renewed distaste for her companion, Cat smiled sweetly at him.
“I think I should get some beauty sleep.”
His eyes flickered across her face before a slow smile spread across his. “Of course. I’ll show you to your room.”
“Thanks. I think I’d get lost if I tried to find it on my own.”
Their idle chit-chat continued as he led her through the winding corridors. Half of her mind was on their conversation while the other half took mental notes. She turned to face him as they reached her door.
“Thank you again.” Cat lowered her eyes demurely.
A look of consternation crossed his face before he gave a slight nod. He bid her goodnight and left her in the hallway while the wheels in his mind turned. Despite his desire to possess her, he couldn’t shake the feeling she was more than she seemed. He was determined to find Ryan and demand some answers.
Cat stepped into her room and immediately sensed she wasn’t alone in the darkness. Something moved to her left; it was definitely a man. He moved closer. With lightning speed, Cat lashed out, grabbing him by the throat and pinning him against the wall.
Before he could react, the door flew open. Cody, Jack, and Ella burst into the room. Cody stopped abruptly, causing a pileup.
“Ow,” Ella grunted.
“Watch it,” Jack snapped.
“Would somebody turn on the damned light?” Cody sighed heavily.
“Is it safe to come in?” David peeked in and flipped on the light switch.
“Galloway.” Cat abruptly released him.
“You are determined to put me in the hospital.” He rubbed his throat.
“What the hell were you doing hiding in my room?”
“I was hiding in case you brought Barrera in with you,” he defended himself.
“Oh, please.” Cat scowled. “Give me some credit.”
Galloway raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“I give up. Bad guys, come and get me.” Cat let out an exasperated cry and plopped down on her bed. “David, will you please close the door before we raise any more suspicion than we already have?”
“Anything else, master?” David bowed mockingly.
“A soda would be nice.”
“Why don’t we just pump that stuff straight into your veins and save us all a lot of trouble?” David smirked.
“A-ha. Cute.”
“No Diet Coke, I’ve already scoured the place.” Ella situated herself at the foot of the bed.
“Great.” Cat stared at the ceiling. “Somebody please tell me their night has been more productive than mine.”
Silence greeted her.
“They have Splenda here,” David finally offered.
Cat laughed. “Woo-hoo. Let’s all go home now.”
“Hey, I was excited. Cody never has Splenda. Just plain old sugar. It’s appalling, really.” David shrugged.
“I know,” Cat agreed emphatically. “Cheap ass never buys the stuff.”
“Are you sure it was Splenda?” Jack mused.
“Why?” David asked nervously.
“I don’t know that I’d trust any white powdery stuff I found here,” Jack explained his joke.
Ella shook her head. “Like they’re going to put drugs into little sugar packets.”
“Actually, that would be a rather ingenious way to smuggle the stuff,” Cat considered. “If not time-consuming.”
“This is a productive conversation,” Cody drawled.
“No, but it is fun.” Cat smiled. “Do you ever have fun, Lion?”
“Actually, just the other night I—” Cody smiled wickedly.
“Never mind,” Cat interrupted. “Anybody else care to contribute?”
Galloway noticed the look Cody was giving Cat. The more he thought about it, the surer he was that Cody’s eyes hadn’t left Cat all night. Stranger still, she had been pointedly avoiding his gaze. Suddenly he was jealous of his friend’s history with her and a little worried that his jealousy was founded.
“If nobody has anything to report, then why don’t you all just go to bed? I’ll see what I can find tonight,” Cat insisted when no one answered, waving them off.
“You’re right,” Cody agreed. “Let’s meet tomorrow.”
With that, Ella kissed Jack on the cheek and set about finding her pajamas. David said his goodnights and let himself out. Galloway lingered outside the open door, eager to talk to Cody alone.
Cody walked over and stood above Cat. She shot up when she saw him, knocking a pile of clothes onto the floor in the process.
“Damn,” she cursed, nervously cleaning up her mess. Cody sat down beside her and stilled her hands by covering them with his own.
“Are you okay, kitten?” he questioned softly, concern shining brightly in his eyes.
“I’m fine.” Cat steeled her voice and stared intently at their hands.
“You’ll tell me when you’re ready to talk?” he prodded.
“What’s to talk about?” She met his gaze defiantly, willing her heart back into her chest. “Nothing has changed.”
“Do you really believe that?” he doubted.
“You’ve always been good in bed; of course, you’ve had enough practice. How’s a girl to resist?” she tossed back.
“Kitten....” he started.
“Save it.” She pulled her hands back. “We’ll be stateside soon enough. I’m sure you can find someone else to amuse yourself there. Maybe Julie will take you back... Oh wait, she finally married the schmuck, didn’t she?”
“Fine,” he gave up. “Goodnight.”
Cody stood to leave and Cat followed suit, trying desperately to hold onto her composure. He took two steps away then turned back, pulling her roughly against him. He wrapped one hand around the back of her neck and devoured her mouth with his, kissing her as if he could somehow erase her hardheadedness with the strength of his desire.
Ella emerged from the bathroom, coughing uncomfortably when neither noticed her presence. Cody reluctantly pulled away.
“Go,” Cat insisted, resisting the urge to slap him. He slowly released her and turned to go, only to find Galloway leaning against the door jamb, scowling.
“Aw, hell,” Cody muttered and walked past him.
“We need to talk.” Galloway stopped Cody in the hall.
“I guess we do,” Cody consented.
When she was sure he was gone, Cat flung herself into the pillow and let the tears flow silently down her cheeks. She had cried more in the past week than she had in all her years prior. Damn that man.
Ella sat on the bed beside her friend, asking gently, “What happened to destroying him?”
“All of my life, I have wanted a man to love me. Dad, all of the jerks I dated as a teenager. I was so eager to love and be loved. They made a fool of me. All of them did, and I let them.” Cat sniffled forlornly before continuing. “Then along came Cody, and I loved him so much. And he made such an ass out of me. Actually, I guess I’m the one who did that, floating around and believing I was in love. He just encouraged it. When he went back to that woman, I swore I’d never let it happen again.”
“I know.” Ella frowned.
“The thing is,” Cat shook her head. “I don’t hate Cody. I hate myself when I’m around him. I’m weak. All these years, and I still act like a schoolgirl when I see him.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Ella pointed out. “I think it says something that after this long you still have passion.”
“That’s not the point.” Cat stood to change clothes. “He broke my heart, used me, tossed me aside for another woman—who was engaged to another man, no less—and stole my dignity. It has taken me a long time to regain it. I’m not about to just hand it over to him again. ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.’”
“I think he loves you.”
“You also think Jack doesn’t love you,” Cat pointed out, silencing Ella. She pulled a T-shirt over her head and tucked it into her jeans, then sat on the bed to pull on her boots.
“Get some sleep, Ella.” Cat smiled at her friend, her emotional outburst passing as quickly as it had come. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
***
Cat treaded silently through the hallway, all personal thoughts shoved aside as she concentrated on a mental map of squeaky stairs. Like her namesake, she moved effortlessly through the dark mansion. Upon reaching the office door, Cat produced the small case of tools she’d found in Galloway’s coat. Once the door opened, Cat pulled the cover off the alarm to expose the wiring beneath and clip the bypass into place. It was a nifty little gadget, even if she didn’t have the faintest idea how it worked. The flashing red light immediately switched to green, and she was free to move about the office.
Cat closed the door and began searching for anything that would link the president to Barrera.
A slight scraping caught Cat’s attention. She flattened against the wall as the door opened. A shadowy figure stepped into the room.
“Cat,” Jack whispered harshly.
“Jack.” Cat frowned, stepping forward. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to help,” he offered.
“Close the door,” Cat accepted.
They worked in silence until bird chatter signaled the approach of dawn. Cat stuffed her tiny camera in her boot.
They carefully replaced everything, and Cat left Jack to return the alarm system to its normal state.
Cat gave him a quick hug as he slipped out the door. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now get some sleep,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir.” Cat stifled a yawn. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”
The pair noiselessly climbed the stairs before going their separate ways. Ella was still snoring soundly when Cat drifted off to sleep.
***
“Hit me.” Cody stuck his head out.
Caitlyn frowned. “I don’t want to hit you. I could hurt you.”
“I doubt that,” he laughed as they circled each other on the large mat. “C’mon, hit me.”
She swung a punch that he easily parried.
“Reverse punch to the ribs,” he instructed.
Caitlyn barely tapped him.
“You call that a hit?” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her glove to him. “Hit me hard.”
“I’ll try.” She threw the punch, terrified she’d hurt him.
“Harder,” he commanded. She tried, and he laughed. “Why don’t we work on something else?”
“Thank you.” Caitlyn breathed a sigh of relief, pulling her gloves off and tossing them aside. She hated sparring with him.
“Come here.” He stood in the middle of the gym and faced the mirrors. Caitlyn obliged and went to stand beside him.
“Okay, here’s the move... You be the attacker.” He positioned her in front of him. “I'll demonstrate, then you can try.”
“Mm-hmmm.” Cat bit her lip as he bent over and placed the top of his head on her stomach.
“Now put your arms around me like this.” He wrapped her arms around him.
Caitlyn gulped.
“Now I’ll reach up behind you like this.” His fingers left a trail of fire up her back. “Then I’ll grab your hair and pull your head back. That will throw you off balance and expose your windpipe for the other arm to attack.”
“Sounds simple,” she lied, wishing she’d paid more attention to the move and less to the man.
He twisted her into the hold and she tried to do as he had.
“Your hair’s too short,” she protested.
“Pretend.” He held his head back.
“So if someone with short hair does this to me I’m basically screwed,” she surmised from her prone position.
“Stop stalling,” he chuckled.
“Fine.” She quickly completed the move. “I did it!” She jumped up and cheered proudly.
“Excellent.” He smiled and hugged her. They grew serious, their eyes meeting. Time seemed to freeze for Caitlyn as she searched for some emotion in him—something, anything to tell her she’d been wrong. She so desperately wanted to be wrong. The phone rang.
“Julie!” he shouted. “I forgot we have a date tonight.”
“Go.” Caitlyn stepped back and watched him leave.
She stood in the middle of the gym alone, reminding herself they were through. Then she walked over to her discarded gloves and put them back on.
“Uph!” She hit the punching bag with all of her strength. She threw a reverse punch then launched into a spinning wheel kick. She punished that bag for every hurt, for her lost pride, for the whole damned mess. When she was too tired to go on, she practically crawled to her room and cried herself to sleep while clutching her pillow.
She had left Cody’s home the next morning for six months of intensive training with her brother and best friend in the Louisiana bayou.
Cat stretched lazily, a yawn escaping her lips. At least she could thank Julie for making her a good fighter. She’d spent the next six months picturing that woman’s cute little face and beating the hell out of a punching bag every night.
Someone tapped on the door, interrupting her leisurely wakening.
“Just a second,” she called softly, sliding on a pair of sweat shorts and padding over to the door.
“Look what I turned up.” David held a Diet Coke out to her. “Did I wake you?”
“No. Come in.” Cat gratefully accepted the soda and stood aside. “What can I do for you?”
“Cody said I should talk to you because you were the first to join Chameleon,” he explained.
“That’s not entirely true,” she corrected. “Come on. I’ll start from the beginning.”
“That’s usually the best place to start. That’s why they call it the beginning.” He followed her to the balcony.
“Smart ass.” She grinned and held up the soda he’d brought her. “But you came prepared, so I forgive you.”
“Cody warned me that if I planned on waking you up, I’d better have plenty of caffeine on hand.”
“Smart man,” Cat agreed, plopping down in one of the cushy balcony chairs.
“So if you weren’t the first, who was? Mind if I record this?” he asked as he produced a small Dictaphone.
“Be my guest. The first operative was a man named Atlas. He was supposedly a real James Bond type, a handsome ladies’ man who was good at anything he did.” She paused, her eyes following a black shadow in the distance. She couldn’t quite make out what it was, but her gaze never left it as it skulked along the outside wall.
“Anyway, he apparently wasn’t good enough, because we believe he was captured recently. No one has heard from him in months. He’s been assumed dead.”
“He’s the one you’re after now, isn’t he?”
Cat nodded. “As to your first question, I don’t know exactly. I do know, off the record, that a man named Nathaniel Drake owns a company called Drake Corporations, which doubles as a cover for Chameleon.”
“Why didn’t Cody just tell me that?” David asked.
Cat shrugged and walked over to her nightstand to grab her knife, unable to shake the ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Cody told me most of the operatives don’t have any kind of family. What about you, other than Jack?” he continued when she returned.
“My dad died when I was a teenager. He went on what was supposed to be a short tour of duty and never came back. His chopper was shot down over hostile territory. Of course, we didn’t know where. We never knew where he was. Catherine O’Rourke, my mother, died just as Caitlyn and Jack did,” she eluded, deciding he’d just have to figure it out beyond that.
“Why did you go get your knife?” he asked uneasily.
“Just a precaution.” She nodded in the direction of the shadowy figure, which had taken on the form of a half-grown lion.
“I think we’re safe up here,” he assured her.
“Not every member of my team is up here,” she pointed out.
***
Cody, Jack, Galloway, and Ryan were using every ounce of restraint they had to be civil to one another as they ate lunch. Javier watched them with a smirk, wondering how long the game would last before they gave themselves away. Perhaps he could flush out the Cat today. Oh, he could just kill them all and be done with it, but where was the fun in that? He had purposefully let out one of his cats this morning. It would be interesting to see who saved whom. A scream pierced the air, and he knew he was about to get his wish.
***
“Aw, hell.” Cat was on her feet the second Ella’s scream broke the silence. She watched with dread as the lion bounded toward the origin of the sound. Rolling her eyes heavenward, Cat held her knife between her teeth and hopped up on the ledge of the balcony.
“Where are you going?” David jumped up.
Cat winked in response and was gone. He rushed to the balcony’s edge and peered over. Cat was running across the roof of the garage as if it were an everyday occurrence.
Sick with dread, the men moved at once, rushing toward the sound. They skidded to a halt at the glass doors to the yard.
“I wouldn’t go out there,” Javier advised, wondering which man would ignore him first. “She killed herself the second she opened her mouth.”
“No,” Jack bellowed, following Galloway out the door.
“If that lion doesn’t kill her, this one will,” Cody muttered, racing after them.
They arrived just in time to watch Cat drop from the garage, her body perfectly absorbing the jolt before tearing across the yard toward Ella.
The lion roared. Ella screamed again. It lunged for her and was tackled mid-flight by Cat. They hit the ground with a thud, and the fight began in earnest.
“Are you okay?” Jack grabbed Ella and hauled her out of the way.
Cat gritted her teeth, controlling the cry of pain that seared through her body as the lion’s teeth grazed her skin. Her muscles burned with the effort of holding the enraged beast away from her throat. She shifted, trying to position her feet under the animal.
His deafening roar was met with one of her own. Using the powerful muscles in her legs, she thrust the animal off of her and jumped to her feet. And then something went terribly wrong. The lion shifted his gaze from Cat to a new opponent. Galloway had placed himself in between her and the lion.
“Go back to the house,” he ordered.
“Get out of the way,” she growled.
“That’s a hell of a way to talk to your knight in shining armor,” he scowled.
“I was winning,” she argued.
Galloway opened his mouth to retort when the lion lunged for him. Cat let out a bellow of rage and lifted herself off the ground with a spinning wheel kick that caught the animal in the head; he roared in confusion. Cat’s own growl rumbled low in her throat. A whistle shot past Cat and the lion roared once again, lunging for her. Galloway threw himself on top of her, his body taking the last punishing blow before the lion dropped to the ground.
“Excellent performance.” Javier beamed with amusement. “I have never met such a talented stripper.”
“I had a brother,” came Cat’s muffled reply from beneath Galloway.
Cody motioned toward the lion with the tranquilizer gun he held. “I believe you lost something.”
“It appears so,” Javier acknowledged. “Thank you for retrieving him.”
“Not a problem,” Cat quipped, trying in vain to shove Galloway off of her.
“Shall we continue our lunch?” Cody suggested, tempering his gut reaction lest they draw even more attention to Cat.
Galloway braced his weight off of Cat with his arms. “Go on without me.”
“Are you planning on letting me up?” Cat frowned up at him.
“In a minute,” he conceded. “First we need to talk.”
“So talk.”
“I have a pretty good idea why you left.” He never took his eyes off of her face. “But why didn’t you talk to me? Maybe give me a chance to explain.”
“How were you planning to hand me over to Ryan?” Cat asked pointedly. “After a nice heart-to-heart, or were you just going to put a big red bow on me?”
“You don’t honestly believe that.” He tried hard to look serious.
“What’s so funny?”
He burst into laughter. “I’m sorry. You’re cute when you’re offended.”
“I’m glad you’re amused.”
“I wasn’t going to hand you over to anybody, especially Ryan.” His eyes grew serious. “You should have trusted me.”
“Why?” she asked honestly.
“Because I’d never hurt you,” he whispered.
“How was I supposed to know that?”
“I trusted you.” He cupped her face in his hands.
“Did you? Is that why you took matters into your own hands?” She waited for his response.
“Cat….” He was too exasperated to say anything else.
“Galloway—” She bit her lip, unsure how to continue. “We have to talk.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“Ugh,” Cat groaned. “Would you listen?”
“Okay, I’m listening.” He slid over to sit on the grass beside her.
“You are a beautiful man,” she started, sitting up as she spoke. “And I so dearly want us to be more than just a flirtation....”
“But....” he supplied for her.
“I’m just so confused,” Cat admitted. “Cody and I....”
“I know.” His gaze dropped. “We talked.”
“What?” Her temper flared.
“I was standing in the doorway last night,” he explained. “I felt he owed me an explanation.”
“Are you going to tell me what he said?” Cat asked.
“No,” Galloway answered simply.
“I don’t know exactly how I feel about him,” Cat told him. “But until I get that sorted out, I can’t be fair to you.”
“That’s understandable,” Galloway conceded. “But I’m still going to flirt.”
“Deal,” Cat smiled and hugged him. He sucked in his breath and winced.
“You’re hurt!” she exclaimed. “Come with me.”
She pulled him up and draped his arm over her shoulders.
“My legs weren’t affected,” he informed her. “I can walk.”
“Humor me,” she smiled sweetly, refusing to let go of him as she led him to her room.
“Yes, ma’am.” He gave up trying to protest and allowed her to fuss over him like a mother hen.
In the blink of an eye, the warrior was gone, replaced by a gentle woman who cleaned and wrapped his wounds.
“Just rest here until dinner,” she spoke softly, helping him settle against the pillows.
“What if I get lonely?” He grabbed for her hand.
“You’ll live,” she assured him, deftly dodging his grasp.
“Thanks,” he said dryly.
“Anytime.” Her laughter lingered even after she was gone.
***
“Surely you didn’t believe I wouldn’t know what was going on.” Javier rounded on Ryan, his dark eyes glowing with controlled rage.
“The president didn’t want to upset you with minor inconveniences.”
“The Cat is in my home with every intention of killing me and taking everything I have worked for, and you consider this a minor inconvenience?”
“What I meant was....” Ryan searched futilely for the words to appease Javier’s temper.
“I would have paid no attention to Cody’s visit. He’s been promising to come down all winter,” Javier started calmly. “I didn’t think twice about his little entourage either, because he always has half a dozen people following him. But when you showed up hot on his heels, it made me wonder. You hate the jungle. So I ‘accidentally’ let Zeus out this morning, and what do you know, the Cat made a rather dashing rescue.”
“What now?” Ryan asked nervously.
“I’ll let her dance for me tonight, and then I’ll kill her,” Javier informed Ryan, rather pleased with himself.
“No offense, but that‘s easier said than done.” Ryan shifted uneasily in his seat.
“I noticed your face.” Javier pointed out the bruises that marred Ryan’s physical beauty. “Gift from the Cat?”
“She’s not quite the genteel flower she lets on,” he admitted.
“So I’ve noticed,” Javier conceded. “But I know her weakness.”