Chapter Six

Images of Kate played across the backs of Donovan's lids as he rested peacefully. Well, as peacefully as possible considering he was surrounded by a jungle full of chirping, slithering and stalking wild animals. Damn, the entire day had been a complete shit show…until he'd met her.

Kate Halloran caught him off guard in a refreshing way. Despite being in the middle of nowhere, surviving a plane crash and being shot at by bad guys—a typical day at the office for a former Navy SEAL—she seemed surprisingly at ease. She wasn't only gorgeous, she was resilient.

Donovan liked that. A lot. Fiercely independent with a smart head on her shoulders trumped good looks every time for him. But, Kate was also blessed with beauty. No doubt about it, the woman was a ten in his book.

And now here they were, lying beside each other. The last thing on his mind should be sex, yet he couldn't stop imagining what it would be like to kiss those full lips of hers. Find out how she tasted, how amazing it would be to touch those tempting curves. He'd gotten an eyeful after they'd climbed out of the river. Tantalizing images of the way her clothes had clung to her curves had burned themselves into his mind.

Letting out a low breath, he listened to the sounds of the jungle. He didn't plan on getting any real sleep and he wanted to stay aware of their surroundings as they dozed. The last thing he needed was to get attacked by a damn jaguar in the middle of a wet dream about Kate.

And, at this rate, he wouldn't be surprised.

Eventually, it was his turn to keep watch and he hoped Kate might be able to get some real sleep. As he kept guard, his thoughts kept returning to the men who had shown up and began shooting. The passengers had scattered and Donovan hoped no one had been injured. They'd most likely been rebels who'd seen the crash and decided to ransack the downed plane for valuables. But, in the back of his mind, a part of him wondered if there might be more to it.

The memory of his computer getting hacked left him on edge. The timing of it seemed…well, suspicious. Right before he was set to meet his billionaire investor, some asshole tries to steal his most important files? And then the plane he's in goes down? It felt off in every way.

Maybe it was all just a big coincidence, he told himself. But, Donovan didn't believe in coincidences. He believed in facts, coding and hard drives. And maybe a little bit in the gorgeous park ranger sleeping soundly beside him.

His attention zeroed in on the dusting of freckles across her nose then drifted down to her slightly-parted lips. Lazily following the slender column of her throat, continuing lower, he paused on her chest which rose and fell with even breaths. Shit. Her white shirt was still plastered to her breasts and there was no missing the lacy goodness not-so-hidden on the other side. And just beyond that thin, delicate lace…

Donovan clenched his back molars and forced himself to look away. Don't be a creep, D. His job was to get them to Rio unscathed and without further incident. Protecting Kate, not perving over her, along with avoiding any more run-ins with rebels, soldiers and the cartels was his main objective. Then they would part ways and he'd go dazzle his potential financier. And, hopefully, track down the asshole who'd hacked him.

It had been a long time since Donovan had been in protector mode, but Kate brought it out of him hardcore. Even though he hadn't used his SEAL skills in forever, he was grateful he had them. Truth be told, he didn't mind rescuing a damsel in distress. Even though she might argue that point.

His mouth edged up. Beneath her carefully-constructed facade, he had a feeling the little park ranger possessed some serious sass. He'd gotten a glimpse of it earlier and he wouldn't mind seeing more. There was no doubt in his mind Kate Halloran had a feisty side, and he wanted to see it in action.

Probably wouldn't happen, though. Once they found a way out of the jungle, they'd go their separate ways. And that would be the end of it. Just the thought made his stomach clench. He didn't like the idea of saying goodbye to Kate so soon after meeting her.

The lull of the jungle sounds turned soothing, and at some point, Donovan closed his eyes, planning to rest them briefly. He wasn't sure how long had passed when a voice near his ear hissed his name.

Donovan's eyes popped open and the first thing he noticed was the look of fear on Kate's pretty face. She'd moved closer during the night and the length of her body pressed to his. "What is it?" he asked in a low voice, sitting up and pulling away from her warmth.

Without a word, she gave a sharp downward nod. Donvan's attention tracked down her face and slender neck, skimming quickly over her luscious curves and still damp clothes, and zeroed in on the large, hairy tarantula crawling up her leg.

"Oh, shit," he murmured, sliding back, searching the ground for something he could use to brush it away. "Hang on."

"I know it's not poisonous, but it's freaking me out." Her voice rose a notch as one of the largest spiders in the world continued moving up her denim-clad thigh.

Donovan grabbed a large, rotted branch and used it to maneuver the hairy beast to the side. "Don't worry. It's just a gentle giant."

"Yeah, well, it needs to get off me. Now."

"I got it." He turned the wood, encouraging it to crawl up, and they watched as the giant spider slowly made its way onto the stick. When Donovan lifted it away from Kate, she popped up off the ground and brushed her clothes off as though there were more creepy crawlies on her.

Donovan carefully laid the branch and tarantula in some undergrowth further away and returned to Kate. She was shaking and, without thinking, he pulled her into his arms. "You're okay. It didn't hurt you."

She pressed her body into his and buried her face against his chest. "I hate spiders. There's just something about them…"

"I got you. He's gone." Donovan ran a hand down her back, trying to comfort her. He didn't miss how her curves fit his body perfectly, as though they were made for each other. Aww, hell.

After a long moment, Kate pulled back and looked up at him. When her hazel eyes dipped to his mouth, Donovan swallowed hard and felt himself lean in. Don't do it, a little voice whispered. A muscle flexed in his cheek and his hands dropped lower on her back, precariously close to her ass. The temptation to round his palms over her denim-clad cheeks and squeeze was nearly his undoing.

As the little voice warned him to back off, he squashed it with a succinct, mental "shut the fuck up" before his mind shut down and his body took over. Yanking Kate up onto her toes, his mouth collided with hers as she pushed up, meeting him halfway.

Kate's lips were just as soft as he'd imagined and he tried not to be too demanding. But when her mouth opened for him, greed took over and he swept his tongue inside, meeting hers. And it was a meeting of epic fucking proportion. With a soft moan, she melted into him as he drank deeply. Tasting and exploring, allowing his hands to continue south where they slid over her ass and squeezed.

Ah, damn, she felt good. And his body was responding like a starving man who'd just been given a feast. He hadn't kissed or touched a woman since Olivia, but that had been so different. Kate was open and vulnerable in his arms. Utterly lost in the moment. Olivia had always been more restrained and worried about how she looked rather than surrendering to the sensation and pleasure.

Right now, Donovan wanted to give Kate a lot of pleasure. He wanted to figure out what she liked and the sounds she made when it became all too much. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to see the look of ecstasy on her face when she came hard because of his touch. When his name rushed from her lips, a breathless rasp of pure delight.

The chemistry between them sizzled and she lifted her leg, wrapping it around his calf, tilting her hips and urging him closer. Desire heated his blood and every last drop headed straight down to his throbbing dick. He continued to kiss her with abandon, losing himself in the moment.

And for a level-headed tech geek who believed in facts first and foremost, it was a new sensation. Soaking up every aspect of Kate left him slightly dizzy and need pulsed through his body, fast and furious. Something about her made his control dissolve and, right at that moment, there was nowhere else on Earth he'd rather be.

Without warning, Kate pulled back with a soft gasp.

"What's wrong?"

"Something just ran up my pant leg!" She immediately jumped back and started doing a crazy dance as she hurriedly undid her jeans, tearing them off with a shriek.

Donovan grabbed her arms to steady her. "You okay?"

But, she didn't answer, just bent over and checked her legs.

Donovan crouched down in front of her, skimming a hand up her leg and over her calf, holding the back of her knee and searching for any red marks. "Did you get bit? Stung?"

"Right here," she murmured and turned her leg slightly to expose her inner thigh. "And here."

And that's the moment Donovan realized he was eye level with a very sexy pair of pale pink lace panties. Swallowing hard, he forced his attention down to the red bumps swelling up on the inside of her thigh.

Donovan circled the pad of his finger around one of the growing welts. "Do they hurt? Any dizziness or numbness?" His mind zoomed back to his military days as he tried to recall all of the things he'd learned about harmful snake and insect bites.

"Just stings," she murmured, hands on his shoulders. "I hope it wasn't venomous. Whatever it was."

Although if there was venom involved, he'd gladly volunteer to suck it out. Ah, shit. Giving his head a shake, Donovan released her leg and slowly stood back up. "Let's check your jeans."

Walking over, he carefully picked up the denim and shook it. After a few more shakes, a centipede fell out. "Yeah, that's what I guessed. A giant centipede. Although this one is still a baby."

Kate wrapped her arms around herself and took a step back. "That's a baby?"

"Yeah, considering they grow up to a foot long."

"Eww."

"Want me to step on him?" Although he was half-joking, he would do it if she asked. Hell, right now, he was ready to do anything she wanted.

"Um, no, that's okay. This is his home, not mine. And, I swear, I'm usually much more comfortable in the wild. I'm an outdoorsy kind of girl who spends most of her time hiking."

"Not many giant centipedes or tarantulas where you're from, huh?" he asked.

"No," she murmured. "I'm more used to running into foxes, deer, raccoons and the occasional black bear back home in Tennessee."

"Bears? That would have me running for the hills," he admitted, handing her jeans back.

She took them, her face turning scarlet. "Thanks."

"I'll, ah, wait for you over there." Giving her some privacy, he walked ahead a little and rounded a large tree, grabbing his t-shirt and pulling it on. If that damn centipede hadn't interrupted them, he might've been the one in her pants. Lucky little bastard.

Focus, D.

Reaching into his bag, he plucked the flash drive out and placed it in a secure section of his wallet. Just to be safe. He tucked the wallet back in his jeans, crossed his arms and sighed. His meeting was tomorrow morning. Bright and early. Yeah, it was Saturday, but billionaires and hackers didn't stop working just because it was the weekend or Carnival. If they didn't find a village or bus and get to Rio within the next twenty-four hours, Donovan was going to miss it. Which wouldn't impress Kent Warren, his potential investor.

Donovan pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't screw this up, but he was currently lost in the middle of the jungle. If he could find a phone and explain the situation, maybe Mr. Warren might consider rescheduling. Hell, it wasn't Donovan's fault his plane crashed. But a man like Warren might not be available to meet for another month or two. That was the best-case scenario. More than likely, he'd tell Donovan to forget it. Billionaires were hard enough to pin down for one meeting and ask for money, much less two.

"Shit," Donovan hissed under his breath.

"Everything okay?" Kate moved up beside him. "Find a centipede in your pants, too?" she joked.

"No." He couldn't help but chuckle. But maybe an anaconda, he thought wickedly. Then he sighed again and ran his hands over his face. "It's just…I'm supposed to have a big meeting tomorrow and I'm pretty sure I'm going to miss it."

"What kind of meeting?"

"One with a guy who could potentially fund my entire project."

"Then we better get walking," she stated, and Donovan watched as she marched forward, an extra swivel in her hips.

Which he secretly hoped was just for him.