His belated advice made her feel numb. Shed probably never see that reef again. Im sorry for running away in the alley earlier, she said, twisting her hands in her lap. I feel bad about leaving you with the body.
He wasnt dead.
She perked up. Really?
They took him away in an ambulance, so he must have been alive. The police wouldnt say how he was. In any case, I appreciate you coming back. I dont think those guys had a friendly conversation in mind.
No, she agreed, warmed by his gratitude. She began putting away her first aid supplies, self-conscious.
Wait, he said, reaching for the antibiotic ointment. He squeezed a small amount onto his thumb and brushed it over her cheek, soothing the scrape.
Isabels skin tingled with sensation. She was heartened by the reminder that Carranzas man had struck her first, and glad shed been able to help Brandon fend off his attackers. She was also terrified by her response to him. Over the past two years, shed relied only on herself. Staying away from people had kept her safe.
He made her ache for all the things shed been missing.
His hand lingered on her jaw, framing it the way a man did before he stole a kiss. She felt her eyelids grow heavy and pulse throb. The temptation to part her lips and tilt her head back was almost irresistible.
Somehow, she found the strength to pull away. When he dropped his hand, she shoved her first aid supplies into the case and rose to her feet.
What are your plans? he asked.
Get some sleep. No easy task, with him in the bed.
Tomorrow, I mean.
She shrugged, stashing the kit in her messenger bag. Her best recourse was probably to stay in Oaxaca, lying low.
Come to Guatemala with me.
Her gaze flew back to his, startled. Youre going there?
I was considering it, yeah.
Since when?
Yesterday. I saw an ad for a surfing tour.
Her mind raced with possibilities. It wasnt a bad idea. Brandon was strong, he cared about her safety and he could handle himself in a fight. With his height and looks, he wouldnt be inconspicuous, but traveling couples were much more common than single women. He also had money, or access to money. Wealthy Americans were welcome everywhere in Mexico. They might be able to cross the border together.
This was her chance to escape. Should she take it?
Those men wont give up, she warned. Staying with me will be dangerous.
He didnt seem worried. I assess risk for a living.
She pegged him as a controlled adrenaline junkieand knew she could do worse. You have a head injury.
He fingered the bandage by his left eye, deliberating. We dont need to decide now. Lets sleep on it.
Making a tacit agreement to revisit the topic in the morning, Isabel killed the lights, settling in beside him. He didnt try to touch her again, which only increased her frustration. She was lying next to a hot gentleman, her body humming with desire. Sex was out of the question, of course, no matter how badly she wanted it. He was nursing a possible concussion, and she had to stay focused on survival.
They couldnt afford to get sidetracked.
Tomorrow night, if she decided to accompany him to Guatemala, shed try to secure a room with two beds.
After a few minutes, his breaths came deep and even, signaling that he was asleep. Isabel relaxed slightly, her thoughts drifting. She felt safe with Brandon. Not comfortable, exactly. Their physical chemistry kept her nerves on edge, but she didnt think hed harm her.
She also wondered why hed offer his assistance, beyond chivalry. A man like him could have his pick of women. Those two European girls had given him the go-signal. Why would he trouble himself with a knife-wielding fugitive instead? Some guys had a thing for surfer girls; others enjoyed the chase. Many extreme sports enthusiasts were addicted to risk. Maybe Brandon was a thrill-seeker and an exotic female was icing on his cake.
It didnt matter, as long as he kept his distance.
She was still pondering his motives, and replaying the feel of his hand on her cheek, when exhaustion took over.
Brandon waited until Isabel fell asleep and rose from the bed, moving to the single window to stand guard.
Through the bars, he watched the dark, empty street. In a few hours, the sun would peek over the edge of the horizon, and most of the citys residents would rise for another long workday. Now, the night was quiet and peaceful.
His head didnt ache as much as it had earlier, and the nausea had passed. Judging by his blurred vision, motion sickness and general disorientation, hed suffered a mild concussion. He should take care not to reinjure himself in the next few weeksgetting knocked out again could be disastrous. Although he didnt really assess risk for a living, hed played enough football to know that brain damage was no joke.
He glanced back at Isabel, acknowledging that this assignment was rife with risk. Even from across the room, she tempted him. Her figure was a shadowy outline on the bed, her dark hair spilling across the pillow, chest rising with soft, even breaths. His fingers itched to sink into her hair, to skim along her slender curves. Worse, a strange tenderness welled up inside him at the sight of her peaceful slumber.
He tore his gaze away, clenching his bandaged hand into a fist. Seducing her wasnt one of his objectives. Inappropriate contact with a target was grounds for dismissal, in fact. All of his previous assignments had involved men, so that hadnt been a problem before. It shouldnt be a problem now. Hed never had trouble abstaining from sex on the job, or finding an appropriate partner during his downtime. Right now, he had no patience for abstinence and zero interest in other women. For whatever reason, he felt a very specific, intensely focused desire for Isabel. Maybe he wanted her because he couldnt have her. Or maybe he just wanted her.
Either way, he needed to get a grip.
This was a complication he hadnt anticipated. Sure, hed admired her sexy photosand he didnt dare conjure a mental image of the more explicit ones now, when he was feeling vulnerablebut he wasnt a horny teenager anymore. A beautiful woman with a bad personality didnt appeal to him. As far as he knew, Izzy Sanborn was a hot mess. He avoided spoiled brats and drama queens like the plague.
Isabel Sanchez was a far cry from the hard-partying socialite hed researched, however. She was smart, and resourceful, and he liked her.
Hed been trained to feel nothing for his targets, positive or negative. Hate could be as great a liability as sympathy, and he wasnt supposed to damage the merchandise. It didnt matter if they were innocent or guilty, just that they were fugitives. He didnt evaluate evidence. His instructions were to make contact, plan and execute a capture, and deliver the target unharmed.
What happened after that was none of his business.
Perhaps because Isabel was a woman, he worried about her fate. He considered the punishment she would face, and whether or not she deserved it. Questioning an assignment wasnt like him. Usually, he felt good about what he did and proud of the services rendered. Hed caught sexual predators, ruthless drug dealers, hard-core criminals. None of these men had inspired tender feelings.
Isabel wasnt a typical target, not by a long shot. Her behavior was flighty and irresponsible, but she didnt seem cruel. There were two sides to every story, and he wanted to know hers. He could tell she hadnt enjoyed stabbing a stranger, or braining a man with a brick. She wasnt a sociopath.
Isabel wasnt a typical target, not by a long shot. Her behavior was flighty and irresponsible, but she didnt seem cruel. There were two sides to every story, and he wanted to know hers. He could tell she hadnt enjoyed stabbing a stranger, or braining a man with a brick. She wasnt a sociopath.
For the first time, he felt conflicted about his job. He should be going after those bastards in La Familia, not Isabel.
Frowning, he tested the bars on the window, which were impenetrable. The security measure was a fire hazard, and it cut off this avenue of escape. The bathroom window, facing the alleyway, was small but would do in a pinch. He wouldnt have chosen this hotel, or this particular room, if there had been others available. It was too confined.
Turning, he leaned his back against the wall, watching Isabel sleep. He studied her relaxed face, the soft sweep of her eyelashes, her slightly parted lips. Maybe he was romanticizing her situation, proscribing motives that didnt exist.
What if his instincts were off?
Hed promised his boss that an assignment was an assignment. He had no qualms about taking down a dangerous female. The deadlier the better. And backing out at this stage of the game wasnt an option.
Determined to steel himself against her allure, he vowed to collect as much information about her as possible. She was fiercely independent, a capable warrior. Although he got the impression that she didnt let anyone touch her these days, shed seemed tempted by him tonight. If the attraction between them wasnt one-sided, he could use it to his advantageas long as he stayed strong. He couldnt sleep with her, under any circumstances, but if he feigned disinterest, he might lose her altogether.
Walking that tightrope would be tricky, possibly torturous.
He stared at her for a long time, praying hed be able to maintain a professional distance, wondering if shed been wrongly accused.
She didnt look like a murderer.