Navy SEAL Survival (4 page)

“Happen to get their names?”

Natalie shook her head. “No. They stayed at the table the entire time.”

Lance fast-forwarded the video, stopping on an image of Melody and a man dancing.

Her heart came to a hard stop in her chest and Natalie sucked in her breath. Her gaze caught on Melody, laughing, dancing and flirting. She was so happy and carefree.

When her heart started pumping again, it raced, anger pushing blood through it faster and faster.

Natalie leaned toward the screen, trying to see the man with her, only getting the back of his head. “Can you see his face anywhere in the video?”

Lance shook his head. “No matter how many times I replay, I can't get a clear shot of his facial features.”

“Melody is five feet two inches tall and, based on what she's wearing, she's probably got on at least three-inch heels, making her five feet five. He's at least another five to six inches taller than her. That would put him right around six feet tall. And he has dark hair.” She straightened. “Anything else?”

“Several men in the lobby of the hotel. Some of them with women who appeared to be girlfriends or wives. Others were alone.” He clicked on the touch pad and another view popped up on the screen. “This is the lobby.”

Lance took her through several minutes of video he'd tagged as potential. When they were done, Natalie didn't feel any closer to finding her sister than before. “Tomorrow morning, I'm scheduled to go on the dive boat Melody and her friends sailed with.”

Lance's brows dipped. “Stay with your dive buddy in case you run into trouble.”

She snorted. “What are the chances the people who took Melody will hit the same dive boat two times in a single week?”

“Slim to none. If these creeps are smart enough to kidnap three women without raising a red flag with the local authorities, they won't go after someone on that dive boat.”

Natalie sighed. “I know it's a reach, but maybe I'll get some information out of the crew. Perhaps one of them is in cahoots with the operation.”

Lance clicked another button on the computer and a GPS tracker screen appeared. “Either way, I've got you covered. Get some sleep tonight and be careful down there tomorrow.”

“I don't hold out hope on sleep.” Natalie crossed to the door. “I can only imagine what Melody is going through.”

“Yeah, it's gotta be tough when it's your sister. She's not my sister, and I can hardly wait to catch the bastards.”

Natalie smiled. “Thanks for your help, Lance. It's nice to know SOS is backing me.”

“We miss having you around. Nobody quite equals our best sharpshooter.”

Warmth stole through her. They might not be blood relatives, but the members of the SOS team had been like family.

She opened the door and checked to make certain the coast was clear. A light breeze stirred the air. The moon shone bright through the gently undulating palm fronds, stirring shadows. But nothing else moved.

Natalie left the bungalow and headed toward the beach.

She passed another bungalow and was about to cut across to the more direct path leading through some bougainvillea bushes when the snap of a twig sounded behind her.

She spun, ready to face an attacker. Again, nothing moved in the shadows except the shadows themselves.

A shiver rippled across her skin in the balmy night air. Rather than cut through the thick bushes, she continued on the pebbled concrete path toward the beach. Once on the sand, she'd be in the open. Unless whoever was following her had a gun and planned to shoot her, she'd have half a chance at defending herself.

Natalie picked up the pace, stretching her long legs, trying to put distance between her and whoever or whatever was following her. By now she heard footsteps behind her.

Whenever she turned, she saw nothing. Trained to survive in hand-to-hand combat, she knew her limitations. She was better with a gun. A large man could subdue her, if he knew what he was doing.

Once out in the open, she could face her adversary head-on. No more hiding in the shadows. By the time she burst out of the palm tree shadows onto the beach, she'd gone past powerwalking, skipped jogging and was running all-out.

She turned to look over her shoulder and ran into a solid wall. Arms wrapped around her, holding her so tightly she couldn't move.

She tried to scream but a hand clamped over her mouth.

Chapter Four

Duff wasn't ready to call it a night. Though tired from traveling, his thoughts spun, going over and over the dance with the beautiful Natalia. She'd been in a hurry to end their time together but then made time to dance with other men. Not that Duff had any right to tell her who she could or couldn't dance with. Heck, he'd only just met the woman. Okay, so they'd survived a riptide together, but that didn't mean they were a couple.

Too wound up to lie down in his cabin, Duff had headed for the beach. The sound of the ocean washing up on the sand soothing him like nothing else.

He'd walked a mile along the beach and back, finally ready to call it a night when a woman burst out of the shadows. Still hurtling forward, she'd spun to look behind her, unaware of Duff on the sand. When she hit him in the chest, he reached an arm around her middle and clamped the other one over her mouth, sure she'd scream at being caught.

Not in the mood to fend off questions by anyone wandering past, Duff held on.

Her elbow jabbed backward, slamming into his ribs.

Duff grunted but maintained his hold. “I'm not going to hurt you.”

She squirmed against him, her body slim and curvy beneath his hands.

“I'll let go of you if you promise not to scream,” he said. “Do you?”

She stopped moving and nodded.

Duff released her and stepped backward.

The woman flung herself out of his reach and spun to face him.

Her wild-eyed stare registered with Duff. “Natalia?”

“Yes, it's me.” She shot a glance toward the path leading to the resort. “Are you by yourself?”

“Yes.” His gaze followed hers. “Why?”

“You weren't expecting anyone, were you?”

“No.” He stepped up beside her.

Natalia was breathing hard, her fists clenched, her knees bent, ready for fight or flight.

“What's wrong?” Duff asked.

She stared into the shadows for a long moment before her body relaxed. “Nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

When she stepped closer and stared back the way she'd come, Duff could tell she'd been frightened by something.

He eased an arm around her waist and pulled her against him, still staring at the path leading toward the resort. A strong desire to protect this woman washed over him and he found his free hand curling into a tight knot. “Did someone try to hurt you?”

“No.” She leaned into him for a moment. “I think I got spooked by the shadows.”

The warmth of her body next to his reminded him of why he was out walking along the beach. Natalia stirred him as no woman had in a while. Back-to-back missions left little time to develop relationships. Not that he had any intention of starting anything lasting. He was on vacation. A lighthearted fling might be the only thing he could engage in. Then she'd go back to her life and he'd go back to his. If she was even willing to consider a fling.

Natalia pushed away from his side and stood in front of him. “I'd better get back to my room.”

As she turned to walk away Duff realized he didn't want her to go. He reached for her hand and snagged it. “Don't go.”

She paused, her brows pulling together. “It's late.”

He tipped his head toward the sky. “Going in now would waste all those stars.”

She lifted her chin, her hair cascading down her back. “They are beautiful.”

“Gorgeous,” he agreed, although he wasn't looking at the sky. He was staring at the woman in front of him. “Walk with me.”

She hesitated for a moment, her gaze slipping to the path from which she'd emerged. Natalia sighed. “Okay.”

As they fell in step Duff maintained his grip on her hand. Before they'd gone too far, Natalia slipped out of her sandals and looped them over her fingers. Her toes dug into the sand. “Never could wear shoes in the sand.”

“Me neither.” He lifted a foot, exposing his own bare feet. “I feel more at home by the sea than anywhere else. What about you? Where's home for you?”

She hesitated and then answered, “Oxford.”

“I had the opportunity to visit Oxford two years ago.”

Natalia stiffened beside him. “Did you?”

“I had a three-day layover while the plane we were traveling on was being repaired. I managed to get a little R & R in. I spent an entire day in Oxford.”

“That's great.” Her fingers tightened in his.

“What's your favorite place in Oxford?”

She stepped toward the water until the waves gently caressed her toes. “I don't know. They're all pretty great.”

Her vague answer set off a sharp nudge of suspicion. He changed tactics and fed her a lie to see if she'd fall for it. “I loved visiting the Angels Church and the Old Fort Museum.”

“Yeah. The Angels Church is pretty,” Natalia said.

Duff stood beside her, his feet sinking into the wet sand. She'd just fallen for his lie. He'd bet she'd never been to Oxford and that she wasn't even English. Too many times she'd slipped up and lost the English accent. Why would she put up a front with him?

That she was hiding something didn't make him want to ditch her. Instead it intrigued him even more. He played her game, letting her think he fell for her line of bull. If it was an act of self-preservation, she might open up to him if she learned to trust him.

With the urge to smile tugging at his lips, he went along with her charade. “My favorite is the Bridge of Sighs. There's something hopelessly romantic about the name and the beauty of the bridge itself.” The bridge in Oxford was one of the most beautiful bridges he'd seen in all of his travels.

Natalia tilted her head to stare up at Duff, her lips twitching on the corners. “I would never have taken you for a romantic.”

He puffed out his chest. “I can be as romantic as the next guy.” Even though he killed terrorists as part of his job. Perhaps that was what kept him grounded. He noticed the beauty all around him, even in the worst places he'd been.

And the woman in front of him was truly beautiful with her blond hair and perfect figure. So what if she was lying? What did it matter? He wasn't planning on marrying her. As long as he kept a close eye on his wallet and made sure she wasn't hiding a knife beneath her skirt, he would be all right.

“I really should get back to the hotel,” she said. When she tried to step away, the sand and sea kept her feet anchored. She lifted one foot, took a single step and the other foot refused to break the suction of the sand. Natalia—if that was her real name—teetered to one side and almost fell.

Duff swooped in and caught her in his arms, crushing her to his chest. “Are you all right?”

“Of course. I'm perfectly fine.” She laid her hands on his chest but she didn't push against him. Her fingers curled into his shirt, her gaze focusing on the material bunched in her fist.

Duff might have been all right if Natalia had been old and ugly. But her beautiful body pressed against his length, her hips brushing his, was almost his undoing.

Her breathing grew shallow and rapid. “I really should go,” she whispered with less conviction.

“You really should stay. The weatherman said there'd be a meteor shower in—” he glanced down at his watch “—twenty minutes.”

“No, that wouldn't be advisable. I have a lot to do tomorrow. I need sleep.” She didn't make a move to leave.

Raising his hand, Duff touched her cheek. “Stars weren't meant to be viewed alone.”

“You have your buddies.”

He chuckled. “Wouldn't be the same.” Duff lowered his head. “There's something about a beautiful woman, a starlit night and the sound of the waves lapping the shore...”

“There's that poet again...” As Duff closed in on her lips, Natalia lifted her chin.

Their mouths joined, sending a spark of electricity shooting through Duff, the charge spreading throughout his body, culminating in his groin.

He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue along the seam of her lips until they parted, opening to him.

Duff slid his hand down her neck, over her shoulder and around to the small of her back. At the same time his tongue slipped between her teeth and caressed hers in a long, slow glide.

The slender fingers lying against his chest climbed up around his neck and threaded through his hair. A soft moan rose up her throat, the breath it escaped on filling his mouth, warm and sexy.

When at last he lifted his head, he stared down into Natalia's eyes. “You bewitch me.” He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ears. “When can I see you again?”

She blinked, her glazed eyes seeming to focus at last. “I... I'm sorry...this shouldn't have happened. I have to go.”

Though he wanted to take the kiss to the next level, he figured he would be pushing her too fast. If she didn't trust him enough to let him know who she really was, she certainly wouldn't trust him enough to make love to him.

He would make love to her before he left Cancun and she'd want to as badly as he wanted to.

She stepped away, but not before he captured her hand in his. “At least let me walk you back to the resort.”

Her gaze darted toward the path she'd emerged on. “Okay.”

With her hand in his, Duff walked her to the main hotel. Once they reached the entrance, she stopped. “You don't have to take me farther. I can manage on my own.”

He tugged on her hand, pulling her up against him. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

Natalia shook her head. “I don't know.”

“I'll find you.”

“Really, I... We...shouldn't.”

“You're probably right.” He smiled and touched her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. “But I can't seem to resist.” Duff bent and stole a kiss, intending a swift brushing of his lips. As soon as his mouth touched hers, he couldn't hold back. He circled his arms around her and crushed her to him, taking her mouth and her tongue in a soul-satisfying kiss.

When he let go, she swayed and touched her fingers to her lips. “Good night,” she muttered and ran into the building.

* * *

N
ATALIE
JABBED
HER
finger at the elevator button, her vision blurred, her limbs trembling and her lips tingling from Duff's kiss.

What was she thinking? She wasn't in Cancun to make love to a stranger. She was there to find her missing sister. If she hadn't run into Duff on the beach, whoever had been following her on the shadowy path might have caught up with her, revealing himself. Damn. It might have been her only chance to connect with one of the persons responsible for taking her sister.

The elevator door slid open and she stepped in. She punched the number for her floor and watched as the door slid closed.

A hand jutted through, stopping the door before it could close all the way.

Natalie's heart leaped into her throat. For a brief moment she thought it might be Duff, following her into the elevator for another of those earth-moving kisses.

A man—not Duff—stepped in.

Trained to observe, Natalie noted he was tall with dark hair, dark eyes and swarthy skin. He wore a white guayabera shirt, unbuttoned at the neck, with a gold chain around his throat. Dark trousers and polished black shoes completed his outfit. By the lay of the fabric of his trousers, she'd guess they were expensive and the thick gold ring on his right hand with the flashing white diamond marked him as a man with money.

She moved to the corner of the elevator.

The man started to touch a button on the elevator and dropped his hand without selecting a floor. The doors closed and the elevator rose.

A trickle of apprehension rippled through her. As far as Natalie was concerned, any man or woman at the resort could have had something to do with Melody's disappearance. Her gut instinct was to tackle the man and hold a gun to his head. But she couldn't do that to everyone she met. She'd be hauled off, thrown into a Mexican jail and left to rot.

Natalie knew that the sooner she found her sister the better. Time allowed the abductors the opportunity to move her to an undisclosed location or to sell her to the highest bidder, shipping her to who knew where.

On the edge, with every instinct telling her to slam the man against the elevator wall, Natalie clenched her fists and waited for the car to reach her floor.

The ping of the elevator bell announced their arrival. She was curious to see if the man got off the elevator or rode it up farther. Natalie stepped out and turned the opposite direction of her room, watching the elevator door in her peripheral vision.

The man's gaze remained on her as he leaned forward and punched a button. The doors slid closed and Natalie let go of the breath she'd been holding.

So he wasn't getting off at her floor or planning to attack her. It paid to be suspicious, but was she getting paranoid?

She stood for a moment in the hallway, watching the display above the closed elevator. The number changed from the eight to nine and paused.

What did that prove? Only that the man might have gotten off one floor above hers.

Shrugging, Natalie pulled her key card from her pocket and walked to her door.

The day had been long and she was tired. Her thoughts returned to her sister. Deep in her heart, Natalie knew her sister hadn't drowned or been eaten by a shark. She wouldn't give up until she either found Melody alive or... She gulped. Or she found her body.

* * *

S
TRIPPING
OUT
OF
her clothes, Natalie stepped into the shower and let the water run over her face and hair. The warm liquid caressed her skin, trickling down her body, over her breasts and lower to the juncture of her thighs. If her sister wasn't in danger, if Natalie was really there on vacation, she'd have stayed longer on the beach, kissing Duff. She might even have spent the night making love to him. She wasn't a prude and she recognized chemistry when it hit her square in the chest. Or rather, when she hit him square in the chest.