woman.
She looked down, knowing he was right, 'Do you think I should go with him?'
'It's not a decision I can make for you ' Darcy said.
'You're with the American consulate. I thought you were supposed to protect American citizens abroad.'
'Technically, I protect the consulate and its personnel'
'So I'm on my own.'
'If you're uncomfortable accepting Heller's offer-'
'It sounded more like an order than an offer.'
He smiled at that. 'I'll be the first to agree that Maddox Heller is an unmitigated pain in the ass. But he does have experience working security. You could do much worse were you to hire a local bodyguard '
'You're saying he's trustworthy?'
Darcy's smile faded. 'I'm saying that he may be the best option available on the island if you truly feel the need to have someone watching out for your safety.'
It wasn't exactly a glowing recommendation, but he didn't seem to think Maddox posed any threat to her. Apparently, neither did she considered how easily she'd given in to his earth-shattering kiss. Heat rose in her cheeks at the memory.
She tamped down the memory of his body against hers, the warm island spice smell of him filling her lungs, the taste of him on her tongue. If she was going to spend the next couple of days with Maddox Heller, the last thing she needed to do was dwell on that kiss.
Maddox sat in his Jeep and stared at the revolving red light on the fire truck in the hotel's emergency lane, his heart in his throat.
What the hell was Darcy thinking, suggesting that he take Iris Browning to his home to protect her?
Darcy, of all people, should know just how unfit he was to guard anything more vulnerable than a building or a parking lot. If he screwed that up, what was lost? A car? A big-screen TV?
If he screwed up protecting Iris Browning, she could end up as dead as Celia Shore.
Or Teresa Miles.
He rubbed his gritty eyes with the heels of his palms, taking slow, deep breaths to ward off his rising panic. He was tempted to put the Jeep in gear and drive as far from here as possible. Let Darcy figure out what to do with Iris. Surely the RSO wouldn't just leave her there undefended.
But Darcy wouldn't have a choice. Babysitting pretty American tourists wasn't part of the man's job description. His duty was to protect the consulate. He'd have to go back there sooner or later. And Iris would be alone and vulnerable again.
Buck up, Maddox. You stuck your nose in her business. That makes her your responsibility. He forced himself out of the vehicle, his heart pounding.
You've saved lives before, he reminded himself. But he'd lost lives, as well.
The ride from the Hotel St.George into the thickening rain forest at the center of the island passed in relative silence. Iris told herself she was glad for it. The quiet of the Jeep's interior, broken only by the steady rumble of its motor and the splatter of approaching rain, soothed away some of the lingering pain from her eventful day.
The darkness emanating from Maddox remained, along with the occasional twinges of pain coming from his battered body, but both sensations had quieted to a dull throbbing buried somewhere deep inside her. She was glad that he was under control enough that she could put off asking any questions until the morning. Right now, she just wanted to crawl into bed, pull the covers over her head and sleep for a week.
'Home, sweet home.' Maddox murmured a few minutes later, pulling her back from the edge of light doze.
The Jeep slowed to a stop, and he turned off the engine. She peered through the sheets of rain at the single- story bungalow nestled amid palms, bougainvillea and a dozen other trees and vines she didn't immediately recognize.
She didn't know that much about real estate in Mariposa, but she knew it couldn't be cheap. Being this far from the beach, the rent or mortgage payment for a home could be prohibitive. She'd expected him to take her to some shabby, characterless apartment complex on the edge of town.
'Nice house ' she murmured as he opened the driver's door.
His lips curved but he didn't respond to her comment. Instead, he got out of the Jeep and came around to her side of the vehicle to open the door for her, limping a bit. He handed her an umbrella he pulled from behind the seat. 'Watch your step-the yard is a little uneven.'
She felt the damp ground drop beneath her feet before he'd gotten the words out of his mouth. His hand shot out, catching her elbow to keep her from stumbling.
He let go quickly as she gasped at the sudden rush of pain his touch created. His knee was killing him, and the rest of his injuries were joining in the mayhem.
'Let me get your bags.' he said.
She started to protest, but he gritted his teeth and ignored her, hauling her two suitcases from the trunk and nodding for her to walk ahead of him to the house.
He labored up the steps behind her, a soft groan escaping his lips as he reached the concrete landing of the narrow front stoop. He unlocked his front door and flicked on a light. 'Make yourself comfortable.'
The front door led directly into an airy central room. She could see all the way to the back, where a trio of French doors lined the entire wall. Beyond, there was mostly darkness, but she'd caught a glimpse of Mount Stanley behind the house as they'd arrived. He must have an incredible view from those doors.
A leather sofa and a pair of matching armchairs faced each other across a low teak coffee table. A couple of books lay on the table-paperbacks, not pricey picture books. Iris picked up the top one. Black Hawk Down, by Mark Bowden. The one beneath was a Stephen King novel. Peppy reading, she thought, laying the book down.
Maddox crossed to a door in the wall to her left, 'The bedroom's in here. There's a bathroom in there, too, so you can shower when you want'
'I don't want to take your bed.' she protested. 'The couch looks comfortable.'
'It is. I sleep there most nights anyway.' He opened the bedroom door and slid her bags inside. 'The kitchen's there.' He waved to his right, where a half wall separated the kitchen from the main room. 'Not that much in the fridge, but you can probably find some frozen dinners or something'
'What will you do for a bathroom?'
'There's a half bath off the kitchen.' He gestured toward the open bedroom door, 'Go on and lie down, Iris, You look tired. I'll just lock up ' He crossed the room to check the locks on the French doors.
Iris watched him a moment, trepidation squeezing her heart. What was she thinking, agreeing to this? No matter how familiar Maddox Heller might seem, he was still a stranger to her. She was insane to have come here with him. He was insane to have suggested it.
But it was done. And she was exhausted. There was a bed waiting behind that half-opened door where her bags sat. She entered the bedroom, tugging her bags out of the doorway so she could close the door. It latched with a click, plunging her into rainy afternoon gloom.
She stood there a moment, swallowed by gray, her rapid breathing the only sound in the void. 'What am I doing here?' she asked the silence.
'Good question.' a whispery voice replied, just before a hand clapped over her mouth.
Chapter Ten
Maddox checked the locks on the French doors. He didn't normally lock up, his house was secluded from his nearest neighbors, and he had little anyone would want to take.
He'd gotten lax since leaving his former life behind. Now he had to relearn everything he'd forgotten-and fast. He sat on the sofa and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the rain forest. Insects singing in the jungle beyond the French doors. The whisper of the ceiling fan as it stirred the humid air. Rain tapping on the glass panes of the doors and windows. The pounding cadence of his heart.
