The Unseen (15 page)

“It feels pretty amazing, actually.” Rebecca looked so proud of herself standing up in the tree, hands on hips, head held high.
I could go for a sexy, determined, in-control woman like her.
Rich did his best to quash the surfacing emotions.
I’m too much of a loner to ever go beyond the one-night-stand.

“Okay, so if you ingest the stuff and hold it in your hand at the same time, you become invisible and an acrobat?” Rich asked.

“It would seem so,” said Kent.

Rich turned toward Amanda and gave her a nod of approval. “Good thinking, by the way. I bet you were right about those men jumping up into the trees. That probably explains why their tracks disappeared. We heard sounds high up in the trees and thought they were monkeys.”

“So now what?” Kent wiped sweat from his brow.

Night had fallen and scant slivers of moonlight shone through the trees. Rich scratched his chin before speaking. “As much as I’d like to pursue them, it’s too risky. Let’s march toward the cave for a few hours and then camp for the night. But no talking. We can’t chance having those men sneak up on us.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” said Kent. “You lead the way.”

An evil smile broke over Larry’s face as he watched Winston and Bunny frolic on the beach.
It’s going to be too easy.
That top-notch security Winston had spent months installing wouldn’t do him a bit of good.
The man is way too pussy-whipped to have his head on straight. Sooner or later, he’ll let down his guard.

He let out a guttural laugh. He looked through the scope on his rifle and sited on Bunny’s breasts. “Boom,” he said, instead of firing. He couldn’t hit her anyway—she was way out of range and since only grass grew on the sand and dirt dunes, he knew he couldn’t sneak up on them unnoticed.
But if they decide to go for a moonlight swim, it’ll be cake.

Larry thrived on the hunt more than anything—planning to kill people when they had no inkling they were about to breathe their last breath. He loved seeing peoples’ eyes widen with fear, hearing them sputter and beg for their lives to be spared. Sometimes he pretended to have a change of heart. And his victims always looked so grateful. And so surprised that moment he shot them between the eyes.

* * * *

Bunny and Winston strode toward the house from the beach, talking and laughing, their shoulders occasionally touching. Each skin-to-skin contact launched tremors of heat through Bunny’s body. Winston’s fiery blue gaze set her off, too. Craving his touch, she imagined his hands wandering over her body.

She sensed he wanted to be intimate with her, but for what? A one night stand? She wasn’t sure that would be a good idea at all. That’s why she’d ducked his kiss. If she didn’t feel something beyond mere attraction, a mindless affair could work, but there was more.

As much as she drooled over his adorable blond curls, his glittering blue eyes and his hunky physique, his personality lured her in the most. He listened so attentively to every word she said, spoke intelligently, and made her laugh.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d released a full-bellied laugh until recently. Being around Winston felt freeing.

She wanted to just run with the attraction.
If only . . .
But her stomach clenched at the thought of saying goodbye to him after they’d been intimate. What if she slipped out from the sheet warmed by his body to hear, “It looks like you’re safe now. Would you like a lift to the airport?”

Bunny didn’t think she could feign she was fine with it when her insides were a tangled web of emotions. He’d made too much of an impression on her already, one that had burrowed inside her chest.

But why would Winston want anything beyond a quick fling? He’d left a stable job at a prestigious University behind for a laid back life in the tropics. A long-term relationship couldn’t be part of his plan. She’d be less likely to get hurt and cause him grief if she left before her attachment intensified.

The new Bunny didn’t make trouble for others—she acted responsively and appropriately, she told herself. But her amped-up libido didn’t like the plan at all.

Winston’s blond curls shone in the sunlight as he pulled open the front door and waited for Bunny to step inside. “So why don’t we shower up? Then we can enjoy a bottle of wine while I fix dinner.”

“That sounds just marvelous.” A sudden plan popped in her head. She glanced away from Winston, worried that looking him in the eye would weaken her will. It’s the best solution for both of us, she thought.
While Winston’s in the shower, I’ll call a taxi, write a nice note, and head to the airport.

“Before you head upstairs, why don’t you select the wine? Then I can have a glass ready for you when you come down.” He motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen.

Bunny’s chest burned from fighting to bury her feelings. It would be so relaxing to sit down and enjoy a glass of wine with him.
No, absolutely not. One glass of wine and your inhibitions will be vapor.
“I’m sure whatever you serve will be fine.”

Winston walked over and gave her a playful pinch on the waist. “Hey, don’t act so bothered. It’s no trouble at all. Do you prefer white or red?”

His touch incited a rush of wetness between her thighs. She took a step back, wanting to stop her sex-crazed body from craving his intimacy. “White sounds good.”

“I’ve got a bottle of Chardonnay and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in the refrigerator. What’s your pleasure?” He raised his eyebrow in a way that made Bunny suspect his mind was as far from wine as hers.

The twinkle in Winston’s blue eyes made her want to abandon her plan to run. Bunny’s heart rate quickened. The man drove her mad. She had to get away from him and fast. “Winston, let’s go with the Chardonnay. That will be fine, really. All this ceremony and going out of your way for me makes me feel guilty. You never even knew me until this morning and you’re treating me like a longtime friend.”

“Guilty? Well, please don’t feel like that—I just want you to feel at home here. And I’m finding it quite delightful to have a beautiful woman like you around.”

That wasn’t the answer Bunny needed to hear now.
He probably doesn’t mean it. Men say whatever they think you want to hear to get you into bed.
She drew in a deep breath. “Well I’m off for a shower.” She practically sprinted for the stairs.

Winston called out after her. “You should have everything you need in your room. But if I forgot anything, come on up to my room and knock.”

“Thanks, Winston.” Bunny wished he would say something obnoxious so she’d have one reason to dislike him.

She gritted her teeth and shut the door to her room, pressing her ear against it until she heard him walk past her room and shut his door. Peeking outside to make sure the coast was clear, she dashed down the stairs and opened and closed drawers, searching for a phone book.
It would probably all be in Vietnamese anyway. I’m running out of time. I hate to do this, but . . .
She grabbed his car keys, scrawled out a goodbye note and flung open the front door.

* * * *

Winston peeled off his swimsuit and stepped into the shower, hoping the cool water would restore his intellect. As he lathered up his washcloth, his thoughts jumped back to Bunny. Seeing that transparent black swimsuit clinging to every curve of her body had scrambled his brains.

During their swim, he’d barely been able to think about anything other than ways to get her out of the suit. She’d seemed so into him until after their deflected kiss. Since then, she’d barely made eye contact with him. Something was eating her. He wondered if she was scared he’d hurt her. He wasn’t sure why her feelings mattered so much, but they did. Until she felt more relaxed, he vowed to reign in his impulses.

After rinsing, he stepped from the shower and reached for a towel. Startled to hear the sound of an engine, he ran to the window just in time to see his truck roar off down the road.

Winston threw up his hands, completely flabbergasted. “Blimey.” He knew the woman had been through hell with her jerk boyfriend, Jason, but still. He’d never heard of women using car-theft as post-relationship therapy.

Winston raced around, wriggling into a long-sleeve shirt and pants. He didn’t know how to feel. Angry? Annoyed? Confused? He felt all of three at the same time. One thing he knew for sure—despite his annoyance over her behavior, he was bloody worried about her. She could get into trouble on a normal day in Vietnam, and with killers on the loose, she didn’t stand a chance.
Especially if she’s driving around in that swimsuit.

One way or another, he had to stop thinking about her sexy body filling out that damn black swimsuit. And the succulent warm flesh hidden underneath it. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to picture her wearing a potato sack to stay focused.

He sprinted down the stairs, pulled open a drawer and reached for his Glock, stuffing it a front pants pocket. Since Bunny had taken his truck, his only option was the dirt bike he kept outside the house. “I’ll be back soon, Tas,” he said. The dog stretched a leg out in front and gave him a side-eyed look, leaning toward him for a pat on the head.

As Winston pulled the front door shut, he saw his black truck coming toward him, splattering mud in every direction.
Now what?
The car weaved wildly from side to side as if the driver had lost control of the vehicle.

He squinted, trying to get a better look.
Son of a bitch.
Someone’s on top of the car.
Before he could kick start his dirt bike, the dark shape flew off of the top of the car. She was still several hundred feet from the house. Bunny zoomed up in the driveway, slammed on the brakes, and turned off the ignition. She jumped out of the car, breathless. “Wow—for a minute there, I didn’t think I was going to get away from that man. But he flew so far in the air, I don’t think he’ll be getting up anytime soon. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken off in your car. I thought what was happening was a really bad idea and so I got panicky and reacted without thinking.”

Winston winced at the sight of the smashed windshield and dented body of his truck. He sighed and glanced down the muddy road to see if he could spot the man who’d flown off the car. But he saw no signs of movement. “What was a bad idea? Stealing my truck or something else?”

Bunny sauntered toward him, her eyes looking remorseful. “I wanted to call a taxi, but I couldn’t find a phone book.”

Anger surged up inside of him. He’d been foolish enough to imagine she was attracted to him when all this time, she couldn’t wait to leave. “I’m sorry you found my company so oppressive. I would have given you a ride if you had asked.”

Bunny’s brown eyes widened with emotion and her shoulders slumped in frustration. “Oh, but I loved being with you. Too much . . .” Her voice trailed off.

Winston scratched his head, perplexed. Usually if folks enjoyed your company, they didn’t jump in the first available vehicle and make a break for it. But there was no explaining female behavior sometimes. “Okay, so I’m confused. You wanted to stay so badly you left?”

Conflict registered in Bunny’s brown eyes. “I only left because I was afraid of what was happening between us.”

Winston wanted to reassure her that no matter what, she wouldn’t get hurt. But he also knew it was a promise he might not be able to keep. He glanced down the muddy road and frowned. “All right. I want to talk about this more. But first, let’s get inside before that nutter finds his way here.”

Bunny gazed at the ground and followed him toward the house. “That’s probably a good idea.”

Winston held the door open for Bunny and they stepped inside. “I have to say, I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by the attraction myself. But I didn’t bring you here to get you in bed. I brought you here because I wanted to protect you from those blokes. If you don’t want to get involved, that’s okay. But you’re a very attractive woman, Bunny. And you haven’t exactly been shooting platonic signals my way.”

Bunny hung her head. “I know. I shouldn’t have tempted you like that. All this is my fault, Winston.”

Winston raised his hands in the air and let them flop against his side. “Oh, why in God’s name would you say that? It’s not a question of blame. It’s a question of figuring out where we want to go with this so no one gets hurt.”

“As much as I wanted to give into my feelings, I worried getting involved would complicate things too much. So I decided I better leave before my impulses took over.”

Winston couldn’t help smiling at Bunny’s twisted logic. “So you had no choice other than to steal my car?”

Bunny raised her lowered chin slightly and looked up at him with her big brown eyes. “That’s right. I guess you understand then?”

“Let’s just say I’m trying. I understand why you were afraid, but not so much why you took off with my truck. But anyway, maybe you could explain why there was a man hanging off the top of the car.”

Bunny pursed her lips in a pout and jutted one hip out to the side. “Oh, that. I got lost and slowed down, hoping I’d see someone to ask for directions.”

Winston wished he could have been a fly on the wall for that scene. “So I guess your Vietnamese is pretty good?”

Bunny folded her arms across her chest. “Very funny.”

“I’m being perfectly serious. That’s the only language people speak in this neighborhood.”

Bunny angled her body away from him. “So do you want to know what happened or not?”

“Yes, Bunny, I want to know. But I also want you to see that what you did wasn’t wise so you don’t try anything like that again.”

“When I rolled down the window to speak to a woman, one of those men we saw at the hotel jumped out from behind a tree and ran toward the car. I tried to drive away, but he leaped on top of the car before I could accelerate. He was trying to gun butt the window and when that didn’t work, he fired through the windshield.”

Winston sighed. “Yeah, my truck did look like it’s seen better days.”