Navy SEAL Survival (9 page)

Natalie smiled. “He saved Lisa's life, didn't he?”

Kylie nodded. “I guess he is a good guy. But be careful, will ya?”

“I will.” Natalie touched Kylie's arm. “Stay here with the others while we check the bathroom and the other usual places.”

Damn.
She'd let one of them slip out of her eyesight.

Dear God, she hoped Chelsea was okay.

Duff took her hand and led her toward the bathrooms behind the bar. “It's going to be okay.”

How? She had no idea where her sister was. Now she'd lost one of Melody's friends.

Chapter Eight

Duff went with Natalie to the bathroom. When she came out, shaking her head, he took her hand and led her back into the bar.

Sawyer spotted him and raised his chin as if to ask if all was okay.

Duff gave a slight shake of his head and tipped it toward the exit, leading out to the pool and the beach beyond.

Sawyer rose from his bar stool and stretched, turning to his teammates to pass the word. One of them would stay at the bar, keeping a close watch on the four women still there.

With his friends covering his six, Duff left the bar, following Natalie out to the pool. A couple lay on one of the lounge chairs kissing, their bodies entwined, completely unaware of anything other than the pheromones and lust driving them.

Natalie hurried past and down the steps to the narrow boardwalk leading through the palms to the beach beyond.

“I think I see someone ahead,” Natalie said.

A muted scream penetrated the darkness over the sound of the waves washing up on the sand.

Natalie kicked off her high heels and ran toward the sound.

A woman ran along the beach, heading toward them.

A man chased after her.

When she reached Natalie, she crashed into her arms.

Natalie staggered backward, absorbing the impact. “Chelsea, honey, what's wrong?”

“I was...walking...on the beach...with Rolf...” Chelsea gulped back a sob. “And I was attacked.”

Rolf ran and stumbled across the beach toward them.

Duff lunged past Natalie, fists clenched, ready to take on the man.

“Wait!” Chelsea turned toward Duff and Rolf. “What are you doing?”

“I'm going to wipe the beach with this man's face,” Duff said.

Rolf ground to a stop and dropped to his knees in the sand, blood dripping down the side of his face from a gash on his cheekbone.

“
Rolf
didn't attack me. A couple of men did.” Chelsea dropped to her knees beside the handsome man. “Oh, God. They hurt you.” She reached out to touch his cheek.

Rolf flinched away. “I'm okay. Are you?” He rose to his feet and held out a hand to her.

She took it and let him pull her up. “I'm okay. He only knocked me down.”

Sawyer and Quentin skidded to a stop on the sand, their fists raised, ready for anything.

“What's going on?” Sawyer asked.

Duff nodded toward Chelsea. “The girl was attacked.”

Sawyer stepped toward Rolf. “Do we need to take care of business?”

Quentin moved up beside Sawyer.

“Not yet,” Duff said. “Seems someone else did the attacking. This guy fought them off.”

Sawyer and Quentin didn't back down, placing their bulk between Rolf and Chelsea.

“Chelsea, why did you leave the others?” Natalie glared at the man who'd taken her out to the beach.

“I needed some air. All of a sudden everything got to me and I had to get outside. Rolf was good enough to follow me to make sure I would be all right.”

“I wasn't sure what was wrong or why Chelsea felt a need to be outside,” Rolf said. “But it's not safe for a woman to walk the trails or the beach alone at night.”

Duff nodded, not willing to give the man the full benefit of a doubt. For all he knew Rolf could have been part of a scheme to take Chelsea but had been bested by someone with the same idea.

“Come on, Chelsea, let's get you back to the hotel.” Natalie slipped an arm around the girl. Chelsea let Natalie lead her back to the others.

The four girls waiting at the bar surrounded their friend and left for the hotel.

Natalie hesitated, her gaze swinging to Rolf. “You should have one of the hotel staff see to that cut.”

“I can manage.” He raised a hand to the injury and winced. He made a move to follow the five young women. “After I make sure Chelsea makes it to her room.”

Duff, Quentin, Montana and Sawyer stepped in the man's way.

“We'll see to it,” Duff said.

Rolf's eyes narrowed and he straightened. “Okay.” Then he performed a smart about-face and marched away.

Duff's gaze followed the man for a moment. “I'm not sure I trust that man.”

“Me neither.” Natalie glanced up at Duff. “I'm going to follow the girls to their room.”

“I'm coming.”

She shook her head. “That's not necessary. We'll be in the hotel with all security cameras.”

He held up a hand. “Humor me, will ya?”

She nodded, a smile slipping across her pretty lips. “Okay.” She glanced around the bar, wondering if being with Duff would keep the abductor from targeting her. At the same time, she didn't care. She liked having him close.

“What do you want us to do?” Sawyer asked.

“Keep your eyes open and have another beer.” Duff left his buddies in the bar and hurried after Natalie and the bevy of females. Whatever the hell was happening was getting entirely too close to Natalie and her sister's friends. He'd have to stay a lot closer to them to protect them. His bungalow was too far away. Perhaps he could have the reservation desk move him to the same floor.

Making a mental note to check on his way back to the bar, he stepped into the elevator with the women and rode up to the eighth floor.

Chelsea pulled her key card from her purse and slipped it through the lock. When she reached for the door handle, Duff brushed her hand aside. “Let me check first.”

Chelsea stepped back and let Duff enter ahead of them. He walked through the small room, stepping over suitcases, discarded clothes and cosmetic cases. After he'd made certain there weren't any bogeymen hiding in the closet or bathroom, he held the door open for the women to enter, stepping outside before he was completely overwhelmed with estrogen. He held the door open a moment longer. “Do you ladies need anything before I leave you?”

Natalie nodded toward one of the girls. “We need to get Kylie's things moved in with her friends. I don't think she wants to be alone tonight.”

“I don't,” Kylie agreed.

Duff helped move Kylie's things into the room with the other girls. “Kylie, if you'll give me your key, I'll stay on this floor. If you need anything, I'll be less than a shout away.” He held out his hand. “If you trust me.”

Kylie held her key card clutched in her fingers, staring from Duff to Natalie.

Natalie nodded. “I'm on the same floor, too.”

Kylie handed over the key card. “Are you going on the excursion to Chichén Itzá, tomorrow?”

Duff glanced from Natalie to Kylie and back. “What excursion?”

“Kylie and the rest of the girls had planned a visit to the Mayan ruins, before their friend went missing. Their reservations were nonrefundable.” Natalie gave Duff a slight smile. “I told them they might as well go. It beats sitting in their rooms all day.” She chewed on her lip. “But after what happened to Chelsea...I'm not sure it's a good idea.”

“My guys mentioned wanting to see the ruins. What if we went along?”

Kylie frowned. “We have three extra paid slots from Melody, Lisa and Jodie's tickets.”

“I'll go,” Natalie volunteered.

“I will, too.” The thought of Natalie and the other young women going off into the Mexican jungle didn't sit well with him. “If you think we can take your friends' places on the tour, I'll go, and bring one of my buddies along.”

Sawyer would come. If the other two wanted to join them, they could follow in the rental car.

Kylie nodded. “Okay, then. I guess we'll go.” She gave them a weak smile. “Thank you for being there for us. I can't imagine our troubles are making your vacation better.”

“Don't you worry about it. We'll have a nice time seeing things we wanted to see anyway.” Natalie hugged Kylie. “Only with better company.”

Kylie entered the shared room with her friends and closed the door behind her.

Natalie's smile slipped from her lips. “I don't know what's going on.” She glanced up at Duff. “Should I advise the girls to stay in their rooms until their flights leave the day after tomorrow?”

“They should be all right, as long as they stick together.”

“You don't have to come along, you know.”

He touched her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. “Neither do you.”

“I couldn't stand it if something happened to them.”

“In the meantime, what's your plan?”

“I'm going back to the bar. If I'm not watching out for the others, I'll have time to study the patrons.”

Duff's brows knit together. “I'll go with you.”

“I'm not sure that's a good idea.”

“I don't care if it's a good idea. Someone tried to take you once already.”

She smiled. “Under water. And I'm capable of taking care of myself.”

He shrugged. “Then I'll move my things into Kylie's room, in case they need help tonight.”

“Thank you.”

“And about tomorrow—”

“You and your friends don't have to go,” she said.

“I know. But after what happened on the dive and then the attack on Chelsea, I think those girls need all the protection they can get.”

“What's in it for you?”

He chuckled and brushed her mouth with his thumb. “The pleasure of your company.”

Natalie snorted softly. “Please.”

“That's right. That's what I wanted to hear.” He bent and brushed his lips across her. When she didn't slap his face he slipped an arm around her waist and dragged her body up against his.

If she'd pushed him away, he would have stopped immediately. Instead her fingers curled into his shirt and she leaned up on her toes to deepen the kiss.

His blood thrummed through his veins, searing his insides with a desire so potent he struggled to keep it at just a kiss. He slid his tongue across the seam of her lips.

Natalie opened to him, her tongue meeting his, twisting and gliding along the length of his. Her fingers crept upward, locking behind his neck, bringing him closer. Her breasts pressed against him and a slim leg curled around the back of his calf.

Duff's groin tightened. If he didn't break it off soon...

With herculean effort, he dragged his lips free and rested his forehead against hers. “Definitely the pleasure of your company.”

She let her hands slide away from his neck and down to his chest. “We probably shouldn't do that again.”

“Why?”

Natalie sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I'm here to find my sister. You're—” her eyes narrowed as she gazed up at him “—a distraction.”

He grinned and grazed her cheek with his lips. “I'll take that as a compliment. Now, I'd better get my toothbrush and shaving kit. And you'd better go check out the bar for potential kidnappers.”

They stepped into the elevator at the same time and the doors closed.

If Natalie made one move toward him, Duff would be completely helpless to resist.

* * *

N
ATALIE
WATCHED
THE
doors slide closed, trapping her in the small, intimate space with Duff. Her lips tingled and her core throbbed with the prospect of what could have happened had he not stopped kissing her when he did. She shifted, her shoulder bumping against his.

He reached for her hand.

She let him take it, her fingers curling around his, her pulse speeding as the elevator car started downward. “Really, we shouldn't—”

He tugged her hand and turned at the same time, his other arm slipping around her. “I know. You made that perfectly clear.” With her body clamped against his, she couldn't move, was powerless to resist when his lips crashed down onto hers.

She met him with the passion roiling up inside, threatening to consume her.

When the bell dinged, indicating they'd reached the ground floor, she stepped back and dragged the back of her hand across her lips. This was not how an SOS agent acted. Twice now she'd lost control with this man.

He turned to face the doors as they slid open. “Sweetheart, you're as much of a distraction as you claim I am.” He swept his hand forward. “After you. And I'll do my best to help you stay focused. I get it that you're here for your sister.”

Natalie hurried past him, careful not to touch him. Afraid, if she did, they'd end up in another mind-bending, soul-stealing embrace.

He stepped out of the elevator behind her and stopped.

Natalie glanced over her shoulder, her gaze questioning.

“I'll let you have a head start.” He gave her a strained smile, his trousers fitting tightly over a telltale bulge.

A surge of something akin to power burned through her. She'd had that effect on him. As she strode across the lobby, her step was lighter, her body still sizzling with the desire he'd inspired. The man was a huge distraction.

Back in the cabana bar, the crowd had thinned. Duff's friends sat at a table away from the dance floor, their heads together, each with a hand wrapped around a bottle of beer. They spotted her as she entered and turned toward her.

She dipped her head slightly and headed for the bar, slipping onto an empty stool.

Two men sat on stools farther down. One of them turned and tipped his head toward her. Natalie recognized the blond hair and the bandaged cut on his cheek.

“Is Chelsea all right?” Rolf asked.

“She's a little shaken, but fine.” Natalie nodded toward his cheek. “I see you got that taken care of.”

“Had bandages in my shaving kit.” He stood and moved closer, taking the stool at her side. “I wouldn't have let her walk out on the beach had I known this area was that dangerous.”

“She was pretty distraught. I'll bet she'd have walked out there with or without you.” Natalie motioned for the bartender.

“Could I buy you a drink?” Rolf asked.

“Thank you.” She ordered a glass of wine. When the bartender set it on the counter, she lifted it. “To interesting vacations.”