“Lainey, wake up.”

Gideon’s voice was close, his hand very warm on her bare shoulder. The room was still hot and stuffy. She must have fallen asleep during their conversation.

“I accept your apology.” She mumbled the words, patting his hand.

He laughed briefly. “That’s good. Thanks. But it’s time to get up. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”

Lainey opened her eyes. Dull gray light filled the windowless room. The curtain over the door was pulled aside, the space beyond only slightly brighter. She looked up to see Gideon leaning over her.

“Awake?” His eyes were fixed on hers, darker green in the subdued light. She nodded and he took his hand away. “Get dressed. We leave in fifteen minutes.”

He turned and she watched him leave the room. Her blanket had been tossed aside again sometime during the night, leaving half of her curvy frame uncovered. She wondered how long he’d stood there before he woke her. The anger she wanted to feel at the liberty he took wasn’t there. Instead, a tiny tingling ran up her spine, and confused her.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her clothes were still in a pile on the floor and she stared at them for a minute. They were all she had and she cringed at the thought of wearing day old clothes. But it was her own damn fault for not paying attention. She decided it probably wasn’t a good idea to ask Gideon if there was any place she could wash her clothes.

Lainey found Gideon outside, loading the ever-present duffel bag into the back of the Rover. It looked bulkier and as he set it down, it landed with a very distinct clanking noise that hadn’t been present yesterday. He glanced at her as she approached.

“Ready? I’ve got fruit, water, and a loaf of bread for you. You can eat on the way.” He closed the back door of the Rover. When he turned to her, his face was serious.

“I’ve got a pretty solid lead on where your brother is being held and who has him. It’s not drug traffickers; it’s a small group of local bandits. It’s not clear why they took him, other than they could. If he had a camera, they might have pegged him as a rich tourist. At any rate, Francesca gave me the general area where he’s being held. They might move him, but I doubt it. They’re not that organized from what she’s been told.”

“So what now? How do…what’s it even called? Rescue? Extraction? How do we get him back?”

Gideon smiled briefly. “You’ve been reading too many thriller novels. And it’s me getting him back, not we. If I had my way…you’d still be in Atlanta. Or I’d leave you here with Francesca. Don’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind, to just drive off without you this morning.”

Lainey scowled, lifting her chin to glare up at Gideon, lips parted, ready with angry words. But he surprised her with a low laugh, leaning against the Rover. He reached out, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, gently tipping her face down.

“You can put your chin back down and get that belligerent look off your face. I said I thought about it. I didn’t do it. For one thing, Francesca would kill me.”

She jerked her head, pulling away from his grasp. He let go, arms folded across his chest.

“What’s new? You’ve been trying to get rid of me ever since we met.” She resisted the urge to thrust her chin at him. It was such an automatic gesture.

His eyes held hers, a smile lifting the corner of his mouth, the gleam she’d seen before lighting his eyes. “You’re growing on me.”

With feline grace, he straightened, moving half a step toward her, closing the small distance between them. As he reached out, his hand cupping the side of her face, a voice in her mind said he was going to kiss her. She thought she should pull away, but her body moved toward him, toward his warmth and toward the undeniable charisma he possessed.

“I thought you apologized last night for being out of line.” Her voice was a bit shaky, her breath catching in her throat. His fingers worked into her hair, gently tangling the strands.

“I did.” The pressure of his hand increased as he pulled her toward him. His voice dropped, the growl becoming a purr.

“And then I regretted it.”

He moved closer, his head tilted, lips parted.

“I thought you didn’t like me. I’m an encumbrance. I’m crazy.” Her words were barely audible, heart fluttering in her chest. He looked down at her, eyes hooded, dark gray in the dawn light.

“You are. Both. But right now, you’re far too talkative.”

He kissed her, more gently than she would have ever thought possible. And far more gently than she decided she wanted. But beneath the soft touch she felt a barely restrained intensity, the panther crouched, muscles tensed, waiting to pounce. She wasn’t sure why the image of a panther had come to her, but it felt right.

Lainey’s hands rose to Gideon’s chest, his body hard and warm beneath her touch. As her fingers grazed his hard nipples he shuddered briefly, the kiss deepening for a moment. His fingers pulled her that much closer, the only part of him touching her except for his lips.

But those lips were doing amazing things to her, a surprising ache blooming deep within. Just as she leaned in, parting her lips for more, Gideon drew back, breaking the kiss. He rested his forehead against hers as she strained upward, lips parted, seeking to renew contact.

“We have to go. It’s late.” His voice was husky and he released her, casting one last smoldering look at her. She nodded, speechless.

Lainey walked to her side of the Rover on shaky legs. What the hell just happened? The man confused her. He’d been trying to get rid of her ever since they met. And then he kissed her.

Her mind was in turmoil, her body no less distressed. As much as she might want to deny the effect of the kiss, the effects still coursed through her. Something she’d thought was long dormant – dormant since Scott – had been awakened.

She wanted to brush it off as just a physical reaction to a handsome guy kissing her, but she couldn’t quite buy into that. Something unexpected had happened to her in that kiss. Whether or not it had affected Gideon the same way was the question. She couldn’t get a read on him at all.

Gideon had turned the Range Rover around and they were heading back down the rutted track. She snuck a glance at him, but he was focused on avoiding the worst of the ruts and holes in the road.

“So, now what?” She held her breath, wondering if he’d open up in any way about his feelings.

He kept his eyes on the road. “Best scenario, I can get in, get him out, and no one will notice. But chances are that won’t happen.”

“Oh. I didn’t mean…but yeah. Okay.” She straightened in her seat. Gideon was back to business, whatever had just happened between them shoved aside. Sighing, she decided her imagination was getting the better of her. He was a mercenary, apparently as a profession and probably with women as well. Maybe that’s what Scott knew, what he’d been trying to protect her from.

“So what’s the worst-case scenario?” It probably involved weapons and she shuddered at the thought of the clear danger Shane was in.

“It all goes sideways and I go in, guns blazing. And hope I come out with Shane and neither of us have any holes in us.”

He’d confirmed her worst fear. She sank down in her seat, leaning against the door. After a few minutes of silence, Gideon reached over and patted her knee.

“Worry only makes you lose focus. If you’re here, I need you here. Not imagining the worst.”

Lainey turned to stare at Gideon, but he didn’t return her look. He kept his eyes ahead, focused on the rutted road.