Somebody's Hero

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Somebody’s Hero ISBN # 1-4199-0833-2 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Somebody’s Hero Copyright© 2006 Jodi Lynn Copeland Edited by Lesia Ward. Cover art by Syneca. Electronic book Publication: November 2006 This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 443103502. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

Content Advisory: S – ENSUOUS E – ROTIC X - TREME Ellora’s Cave Publishing offers three levels of Romantica™ reading entertainment: S (S-ensuous), E (Erotic), and X (X-treme). The following material contains graphic sexual content meant for mature readers. This story has been rated E–rotic. S-ensuous love scenes are explicit and leave nothing to the imagination. E-rotic love scenes are explicit, leave nothing to the imagination, and are high in volume per the overall word count. E-rated titles might contain material that some readers find objectionable—in other words, almost anything goes, sexually. E-rated titles are the most graphic titles we carry in terms of both sexual language and descriptiveness in these works of literature. X-treme titles differ from E-rated titles only in plot premise and storyline execution. Stories designated with the letter X tend to contain difficult or controversial subject matter not for the faint of heart.

SOMEBODY’S HERO

Jodi Lynn Copeland

Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Animal Planet: Discovery Communications, Inc. eBay: Nick Heimlich

Somebody’s Hero

Chapter One “Oh, God…if he dies.” Sobs accompanied the heart-wrenching words. Dexter Travis wished he hadn’t chosen that moment to walk into his sister Carolyn’s home. Elaina Margolas was there, and by the sound of things, her son’s condition had grown worse since the last time Dexter had heard from Carolyn. Corbin had taken ill just after Thanksgiving, nearly eight months ago. Elaina had emptied out her savings account to get Corbin in with the best specialists in the country. Not one could provide an answer as to what was wrong with him. The boy had looked like any other eight year old the last time Dexter had seen him. But, according to Carolyn’s letters, fever and weakness were beginning to take their toll on his young body. He’d lost considerable weight and rarely smiled. With a heart, heavy with sorrow, Dexter stepped back toward the kitchen door, intending to leave the women alone. The floor creaked, and they looked in his direction. Despite being seven months pregnant, Carolyn came to her feet swiftly and rushed to gather Dexter as close as her protruding belly would allow. “Oh, Dex, it’s so good to have you home.” She pulled back. “The last letter was…what, six weeks ago?” Tears gathered in the cornflower blue eyes shared by the siblings. Her voice quavered as she swatted his arm. “You had me worried.” As much as he loved his job as an archeologist whose work concentrated on field studies and digs in some of the remotest areas of the world, there were parts of it he hated. Being away from his family for so long for one, and the way his career choice added to the nerd label he’d earned early on in life for another. He pulled Carolyn back to him, checking his smile over her tears. She’d been a fierce tomboy all of her life. Crying was something she only did when the hormones of pregnancy jetted through her body. 5

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“The only one you should be worried about—” he released her to glance at her belly, “—is my niece. She’s getting big.” “Much bigger than her brother was at this point,” Carolyn agreed. They shared a smile at the memory of Carolyn’s pregnancy with her son two years before. The smiles faded as she returned to her seat at the table. Elaina sat across from her. She no longer sobbed but, as she glanced up at Dexter, a haunted look filled her eyes that said another crying jag wasn’t far off. At least she wasn’t looking at him like Carolyn’s nerdy older brother for once. It was a selfish thought but one that Dexter couldn’t stop. He’d spent the last nine years half in love and completely in lust with the petite, Mexican beauty. Not that, with his boring brown hair, which he never had the time to style, and his preference to talk work over sports, he stood a chance of getting anywhere with her. She favored men like Jayson Higbee, Corbin’s loser father—the blond, bronzed god-type who spouted sports stats and guzzled beer like water. If the truth be told, thanks to Jayson sweeping Elaina off her feet long enough to get her pregnant and then run, not even the blond, bronzed god-type stood a chance these days. Her heart was jaded on relationships, and with every passing day, she was becoming as cynical about the rest of life. She needed the impossible to happen before it was too late in order to reclaim the confident, carefree woman he remembered. She needed…hell, a hero. A man who could find an answer to Corbin’s condition and the key to unlocking Elaina’s distrusting heart. Trust him she might, but Dexter was nobody’s hero. He was a geek who got his kicks from communing with third-world tribes and playing in the dirt with his trowel and dustpan. More than once, he’d developed an erection upon finding a century-old artifact or previously undiscovered hieroglyphics. Accepting what he could never change, Dexter crossed to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. He reached across the table to give Elaina’s hand a reassuring squeeze. As always happened when he touched her, frissions of heat sizzled up the 6

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length of his arm. He ignored the sensation to offer a weak smile. “I haven’t heard an update on his status in awhile, but he isn’t going to die, Elaina. Corbin has your strength. Whatever’s wrong with him, sooner or later, he’s going to beat it.” Elaina managed to return his smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes, lighting up the lovely terra cotta shade of brown in the way that never ceased to make his heart pound and his pants feel too tight in the crotch. “I hope so, Dex, but I don’t know anymore. He’s getting worse. There’s a rash…” A sob broke loose. She choked it back to finish unsteadily, “It’s spreading so fast and itches so badly. Nothing seems to relieve it. And Corb’s losing faith. He used to talk about when he’d get to come home and play with his friends. The last few weeks all he talks about is what Heaven will be like.” She looked away and silent sobs shook her small frame. “Oh, God…if he dies.” Hearing the bleak words the first time was hard. Hearing them a second time tore at Dexter’s heart. He glanced at his sister with a look that said “say something”. Like nearly all of the sports he’d attempted, Dexter wasn’t good with consoling disheartened women. All he ever accomplished when he tried was saying things he had no way of seeing realized, regardless of how badly he wanted to do so. Things like telling Elaina that Corbin would eventually beat his illness. Carolyn gave a helpless shrug, reminding him the consolation gene hadn’t been passed on to her, either. “How about some tea?” She came to her feet. “I have chamomile. It’s supposed to soothe what ails you.” “Thanks, but I don’t think tea can help this.” Pulling her dark, shoulder-length, curly hair back from her face with one hand, Elaina wiped at her tear-streaked face with the other. She stood. “I need to get home.” Dexter shot to his feet with the knee-jerk reaction to convince her to stay awhile longer. He didn’t want her going home alone to her tiny, all-but-barren apartment in her current state of mind. Hell, he didn’t want her going home alone period. Maybe he should offer to sleep on her couch during his visit to the States, in case she awoke from a bad dream in need of a comforting embrace.

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His cock stirred to attention with the thought of a sleep-tousled Elaina. He’d conjured the image numerous times, often as a sleep aid during his travels—and just as often, as a visual aid to bring himself to climax. She was always naked, of course. Naked and warm and seeking the kind of physical comfort that started with a kiss and ended with him buried firmly inside her slick, hot sheath. Shifting in a way he hoped looked awkward and not like he was readjusting his briefs to better accommodate his fast-growing erection, Dexter snorted to himself. Yeah, he was some consoler all right. She was in need of a shoulder and all he could think about was getting her undressed. Pervert was a better word to describe him. A pervert that should leave so she would stay. “Don’t go on my account. I just dropped in to say a quick hi to Carolyn and the guys before I check into the hotel.” Elaina’s smile grew, bringing a familiar gleam into her eyes. “You know I would never do that, Dex. It’s late and I told Corb I would be back at the hospital first thing tomorrow. I want to get at least a few hours of transcription in before that.” Dexter’s cock gave a happy little twitch over the effect of her widened smile. He wore knee-length cargo shorts, but the material was thin to accommodate the early July humidity. Feeling as though that twitch had been witnessed by all, he attempted to draw attention to his face by pushing his glasses up his nose. “Right. Carolyn told me about your new job. How’s that working out?” She shrugged. “It’s a job. The money isn’t much, but it keeps the utilities paid and food on the table.” And the medical bill collectors at bay. She hadn’t voiced that last part, but he could guess she was thinking it by the way her smile flattened. If only she would accept money from him… His digs were financed by the government, as well as independent investors. Both paid decently and, since he rarely took more than a few days off from work at a time, he had plenty of money in the bank. He would gladly give every dollar to Elaina. Only he knew better than to think she would take it. She had to do it all on her own, from being both mother and father to Corbin to footing every bill that came her way, no matter the 8

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cost of next to no sleep and far too much stress. Elaina grabbed her keys from the table. Dexter opened his mouth, but then closed it again. Regardless of what he said, he wasn’t going to be able to keep her any longer. Behind him, Carolyn asked, “How long are you home for, Dex?” Elaina cocked an eyebrow, as if anxious for the answer. He’d only planned to stay his typical three or four days—particularly since he’d be visiting again as soon as his niece was born. Seeing that raised eyebrow, his plans changed. “Not sure yet. A few weeks.” Maybe forever, if only to coax a daily smile from Elaina’s soft, full lips. He’d left a dig crew behind, one who would need direction soon, but some things were more important than work. A touch of light returned to Elaina’s eyes. “Good. There’ll be plenty of time for you to regale me with your latest exploits.” Damn, but he loved that light. Maybe he wasn’t a pervert after all. Maybe he was just a super-sized fool to never stop wanting a woman who was so obviously unavailable. “Whenever you’re ready, just let me know.” She turned and started for the door. His gaze drifted automatically to her compact rear end in a pair of cutoff jeans. In all of his travels, he’d never seen an ass as sweet as hers. And there went his mind again, right back to the proverbial gutter. Wrenching his attention to the back of her head, he added quickly, “I’d like to stop in and see Corbin tomorrow, if that’s okay with you.” “Sure. Just call ahead. Depending on how he’s doing, they might not be letting visitors in outside of immediate family.” Her voice quieted on the last words and, though she hadn’t looked back, he could tell her sorrow was fast returning. Dexter ached to pull her into his arms for a goodbye hug—better yet—a kiss. With his cock still raging from his earlier thoughts and that completely immoral glance at her curvy bottom, tugging her against him was out of the question. He settled on, “Night, Elaina. Hold onto your faith.” Without looking back, she nodded mutely and stepped out into the night. 9

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“You know damned well her faith is all but shot. Having an honorable guy in her life at a time like this could go a long ways to rebuilding it, though.” Dexter was ready to say goodnight to Carolyn and head out for the hotel, when his sister’s words caught up with him. He swiveled back to eye her uncertainly. What exactly was she implying? “I agree,” he said, wishing he could place more conviction in his words. Elaina deserved a hero, but the thought of some other man entering her life and heart and becoming Corbin’s new father in the process twisted his gut. “I’d hoped she would find someone when I was away this time.” She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Like you honestly believe she’ll date someone new as long as Corb’s sick, or for that matter even when he’s better.” Moving to the cupboard, she reached for a coffee mug and a box of decaffeinated tea. She filled the mug with hot water from the faucet and placed it into the microwave before glancing at Dexter. “I wasn’t talking about anyone new. I was talking about you.” His heart missed a beat with the astute look in his sister’s eyes and the knowing that seemed to fill her words. Had he been that obvious in his ogling of Elaina tonight, or when had Carolyn put the pieces together? He snorted, hoping to play the concept off as humorous. “Right. As if I could ever be her type, or her mine for that matter.” She pressed the minute button on the microwave twice, then leaned back against the counter with a smile. “Give me a break, Dex. I have eyes. I see the way your attention zooms to her the moment she enters a room. As for Elaina, she’s changed a lot the last years. Grown a lot. You know as well as I do she’s never going to be swayed by a pretty face again. And I’m not saying you don’t have a pretty face, either. It’s very pretty. Make that manly, which is exactly what she and Corbin need. A real man. One who isn’t going to run just because something unexpected comes his way.” Dexter would have laughed at her assessment of him if he wasn’t still trying to accept the idea his sister knew about his infatuation with her best friend. “Nice to know you think of me as manly, but Elaina will never see me that way. To her I’ll always be 10

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your older brother—the nerd—and Corbin’s surrogate uncle.” “What, did you forget the manly thing already? Manly men cannot be nerds. It’s like an unwritten law.” He sent her a “quit screwing with me” look, and she added, “Okay, so I admit I made a lot of dork cracks when we were younger, but I was wrong. You’re actually a very well-off hottie who just happens to have a mile-high IQ and too much going on in life to worry over how he dresses.” Him a hottie? Now, that was too much not to laugh over. He chuckled, sobering quickly to give her an assessing once-over. “Is there something I should know about? Like maybe you’re overdosing on prenatal vitamins and it’s seriously distorting your vision?” She pushed off from the cupboard and, hand at her hip, struck her lifelong pose of exasperation. “I’m speaking the honest-to-God truth. You’re a great catch and, whether she’s admitted it aloud yet or not, in her heart, Elaina knows it. “Think about it, Dex. As much as she has on her mind, she always finds time to ask about you. Then there’s the way her attitude changes the second she sees you. You weren’t looking at her right then, but she stopped crying long enough to smile when she realized you were here. She cares about you. Call it female intuition or hormonal insight, but the first time the two of you are alone together and she’s able to put Corbin’s sickness from her mind for a few minutes, you’ll see her feelings are anything but sisterly.”

***** Elaina settled at her small kitchen table with the laptop Carolyn had helped her locate on eBay. It was aged and the screen had a habit of blinking when she typed, but the price had been right and it served its purpose. Stepping down on the foot pedal of the playback machine, she set her fingers to the typing position. She’d managed a page and a half of translation when her fingers stilled and her mind began to drift.

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She loved Carolyn like a sister, but their visits were becoming few and far between. Seeing her friend glowing with happiness over the baby she would bring into the world when Elaina’s baby’s life could soon be over was just too hard. Seeing Dexter was almost as difficult, but for entirely different reasons. He was a great guy and through the years had become the uncle that Corbin never had. At the same time, his presence brought her past mistakes to the forefront. He’d warned her about getting involved with Jayson, about the fact he didn’t seem the type to stick around. Elaina had believed the words were derived from jealousy. She’d known for years about the crush Dexter had on her. Pre-Jayson, she’d had her nose stuck so far in the air she’d believed Dexter nowhere near to her type. Now…now, she didn’t know what her type was and had neither the time nor the inclination to find out. She also didn’t have the time to sit here and wish for what might have been. Yet, here she was, entertaining the fantasy she’d had numerous times throughout the years, hundreds of times in the last months alone. If only she’d dropped her high and mighty act long enough to give Dexter a try, penchant for geekiness and all, she might never have met Jayson. Dexter could be Corbin’s father. Her husband. That Dexter would have married her had he gotten her pregnant was a given. He would be here now, forcing smiles and laughs and helping her get through the bad times. He would be at her side in the hospital on a daily basis, granting his strength in reassuring hand squeezes and hugs and promises that Corbin would be okay. If Dexter was her husband, she sure as heck wouldn’t be sitting in this dingy apartment she could barely afford to decorate, even from the secondhand store, hating the direction her life had taken and crying over all those things she couldn’t change. Fresh tears leaked down her cheeks. She sniffed them back. Damn, she hated crying. Every day, she vowed to be the strong woman of her past, to be both the mother and father Corbin deserved. Everyday, she grew a bit weaker instead. Maybe that wouldn’t be true tomorrow, though. Dexter might not be in her life 12

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on a full-time basis, but he was home for a while. Maybe tomorrow, with him by her side, she could be both brave and faithful, at least in the face she showed to the world.

***** “Master Crockett to the rescue!” Dexter crawled into Corbin’s hospital room, his arm extended in the air “flying” the action figure. He cleared his throat before continuing in a shoddy imitation of the superhero. “I’ve heard there’s a boy in need of my help. He’s lost his smile to the evil Zenarth. Suffer no longer, boy, for I’ll find that smile and bring it home to you.” “Hi, Uncle Dex.” Dexter frowned at Corbin’s low, indifferent tone. Crawling on the hard floor might be playing hell with his knees and back, but he wasn’t done with the impression yet. Not until Corbin was laughing. “I’m not Uncle Dex. I’m Master Crock—” “Knock it off, Dex. Master Crockett can’t fly, and besides, I don’t wanna play with that stupid thing.” Stupid thing? Had Corbin aged so much in the last few months that he no longer liked Master Crockett? Tossing aside the action figure, Dexter came to his feet. As Carolyn had forewarned, the boy had lost a great deal of weight. His face was gaunt and his skin sallow, aside from where vivid, red splotches covered his body. A rash, Dexter remembered. He forced a smile while, inside, his guts tightened for the pain the poor kid had gone through already and would undoubtedly continue to suffer. “How you feeling, bud?” Biting his tongue, Dexter winced. So much for the genius IQ. If he could have asked a dumber question, he didn’t know what it was. Corbin shifted on the hospital bed and glanced out the window. Rain had arrived this morning, combating the humidity of late. The dreariness of the clouds that hovered along the Atlanta skyline seemed to reflect in his voice. “The nurse says I look better today, but I know she’s fibbing. I’m dying. I can feel it.” 13

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Emotion rose up in Dexter’s throat with the hopelessness of his words. He swallowed it back and struggled to keep his voice even. “What does it feel like?” “It hurts. My whole body hurts. I don’t want Mom coming to see me anymore. She keeps saying I’m gonna get better, but I know she’s fibbing. I wish she’d just stay away so I can die.” Corbin looked back at him, clarity far too strong for someone his age filling his eyes. “Make her stay away, Uncle Dex. Help me die in peace.”

***** Elaina entered the fifth floor visitor’s area on trembling legs and fell into a rustcolored, chair with metal arms and legs. Shallow cries broke from her throat. She brought a hand to her mouth in an attempt to muffle the sounds. A gray-haired woman slept curled up on a couch several feet away, a sleeping bag covering her and stacks of magazines and empty food cartons surrounding her. She’d obviously been here awhile, afraid to leave for fear whomever she was visiting would die the moment she did. Elaina’s cries turned to sobs that slipped loudly past her hand. She didn’t want to think of death. Didn’t want to accept she’d truly overheard Corbin all but begging Dexter to take her away from the hospital permanently, so that he could die in peace. It wasn’t the first time he’d hinted at not wanting to see her anymore, but it was the first time he’d come right out and spoken the words. Today she was supposed to be stronger. She’d even felt stronger driving into the hospital this morning knowing Dexter would be there. Now, she didn’t feel strong in the least. Now, she felt utterly defeated. She’d failed Corbin, as both a mother and a father. She’d failed to nourish his faith enough to keep him believing no matter what. She’d failed to find him a doctor who could provide answers instead of just more questions on his condition. Before he’d walked out, Jayson claimed she didn’t have what it took to be a good mother any more than he did to be a decent father. Nine years ago, Elaina had told herself he was wrong, that he was an unfeeling bastard who didn’t deserve her or their

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unborn child. Now, she accepted the truth. He was an unfeeling bastard, but an accurate one. She didn’t have what it took to be a good mother, just as she didn’t have what it took to save her dying son. As much as Dexter’s return had renewed her hope, not even his presence could brighten the future. Nothing could, save for a miracle.

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Chapter Two Dexter made up his mind that death was not an option for Corbin. Not only did the thought of the playful, joking boy Dexter once knew and would always love being gone forever sicken him, but if he died, Elaina would never recover. She would slip into a shell and die herself, if not literally, then in spirit, heart. “There has got to be a damned answer.” Blowing out a frustrated breath, Dexter sank down on the hotel room bed and opened his laptop. The past few years he’d spent so little time in the States, he’d opted to sell his home and stay in a hotel or with his sister and her family during return trips. With the renovations going on at Carolyn’s house, in preparation for the new baby, he’d figured the hotel a better option. The laptop powered up, the monitor gleaming to life to showcase a wallpaper image of the current dig site in southeastern Asia. He clicked on the Internet icon, appeased when it connected. Wireless connections rarely worked in the field. “Now, where the hell to start?” When the nurse’s backs had been turned, he’d pulled Corbin’s file from the door holder outside his room and scanned it. The file was over an inch thick, and for once, Dexter was thankful for his nerdiness. His photographic mind allowed him to remember the bulk of the folder’s contents. He began entering keywords to Corbin’s condition in the search engine window, recalling the top string search techniques he’d learned through the years. Hours passed. Night fell, darkening the interior of the hotel room, so only the light from the laptop monitor kept it from being pitch-black. His stomach growled its frustration over his decision to skip dinner to continue on the hunt for information. And maybe that hunt was about to pay off. 16

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Dexter shut out the darkness and the hunger pangs to read a field medical report on a nine-year-old girl. The girl had lived in Mardisena, a small village in central Africa and, overnight, had taken sick with an illness that had since affected more children in the area. The symptoms sounded nearly identical to Corbin’s. At that time, there had been neither prior cases nor known treatment and the girl had grown progressively worse until dying nearly a year later. Autopsy unearthed an infection in her brain not seen by x-rays or MRI. An infection originated from insects feeding off of polluted water and spread by the parasites that consumed those insects and the people who came into contact with them. Dexter’s gut knotted painfully as reality sank in. If Corbin had contracted this infection, there could only be one person responsible, one carrier. Dexter himself. He’d been to Africa many times for work, his most recent trip last fall. He’d flown back to the States on Thanksgiving Day and had gone straight to Carolyn’s, where her family was sharing the holiday dinner with Elaina and Corbin. He’d meant it as a surprise visit. Instead it had been the beginning of a nightmare. Dexter scanned the rest of the article. Guilt eating at him, making him too nauseous for food, he bookmarked the website and slammed the laptop closed. He’d thought Jayson’s actions had harmed Elaina in a way that would take a veritable miracle to undo. Those actions were nothing compared to what Dexter had done. He would fix this. The remainder of the article had discussed a potential antidote in the form of the liquid from the root of a Canniper plant. The plant grew in one of the most savage regions of the African jungle, where danger lurked at every turn and even the locals were hesitant to venture. The risk didn’t matter. If it meant walking into a panther’s lair, Dexter would set things right. He owed his life to see Corbin cured.

***** “I’m going.” In the center of her small living room, Elaina stuck her hands on her hips and shot Dexter her best “don’t mess with me” look. She hadn’t had the energy to

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impose the intimidating nature passed down from her mama on anyone in months. It felt incredibly good. Everything suddenly felt good and hopeful now that Dexter had found her miracle. A miracle he was trying to stop her from going after. He gave his head a shake, making his overly-long, straight brown hair stand up in wayward spikes. “For the last time, you’re not going.” So much for intimidation. Not only was he eight inches taller than she was, but she recalled now he’d outgrown her brand of bullying long ago. Well, damn it, she had to think of something. Corbin was her son, her responsibility. The gift of his life was in her reach, if only she could find this miracle plant Dexter believed could be the answer to his illness. Yesterday, she’d caved to self-pity and the idea she was a bad mother, a failure. Today, she knew better. She wasn’t a failure. Not yet. And she wouldn’t be. She would get the “yes” she had to have from Dexter, no matter the price. Finding Dexter’s price. That had to be the solution. Everyone had a price, and guessing at his wasn’t that hard. He’d wanted one thing for years. Her. Elaina shivered over the idea of physical involvement. She hadn’t thought about sex in ages. If there was a guy to break her near decade-long celibacy streak with, then he was a safe one. She trusted him, cared about him. Attraction…maybe that was there. She honestly didn’t know. And it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter if sex with Dex was the most amazing experience of her life, or the most forgettable. The only thing that mattered was securing a trip to Africa with him as her personal tour guide. That and obtaining the money to make the journey. She’d burned through her savings trying to find a doctor who could diagnose Corbin. While her parents were quite well-off, they were also highly old-fashioned Catholics, who hadn’t spoken more than a few words to her since the day they found out she was knocked up by a man who had no intention of marrying her. They’d never even met their grandson, despite her attempts to get them to include Corbin in their lives. That left her with little choice but to forget pride and seek financing from Dexter. 18

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She would pay him back. Until every last penny was accounted for, she would do whatever it took to see he was happy. Starting now. Lifting her hands from her hips, Elaina crossed her arms loosely behind her back and thrust her breasts forward. It had been years since she’d flirted. Judging by the way Dexter’s gaze shot to the vee of her gray tank top where her cleavage pressed snugly, the move was about as subtle as asking him outright to exchange a trip with him for sex with her. His eyes widened, the blue shade darkening with arousal. He quickly looked away. She sighed. What was she thinking? This was Dexter, a guy who was probably convinced she regarded him as a geeky, older brother type—and for good reason, since that was exactly how she used to refer to him. Never would he take her up on actions alone. He likely wouldn’t even believe she was serious upon voicing her offer. Elaina wasn’t the brash girl of her past any longer, and boldness to speak the words directly eluded her. Settling on an easier course, she brought her arms back in front of her and reached out to give his shoulder a stroke. He looked at her, and she batted her lashes. “Tell me, Dex, what’ll it take to get a yes out of you?” She dropped her tone a few notches to what she hoped was sultry. “I’m willing to do anything.” She licked her lower lip slowly. “Anything at all.” His gaze fixed on her mouth. His Adam’s apple bobbed. Elaina couldn’t be certain with her attention on his face, but she swore that she saw some movement at the front of his shorts. Dexter looked away again. He crossed to the lone living room window and stared out at the rainy night. The slight hobble to his gait ensured she hadn’t been mistaken about the shorts action. Thank you, God. His mind might not be convinced to accept her offer yet, but his cock was on her side. “If the slim odds of this infection being what’s wrong with Corbin and the plant working aren’t enough for you…” he started in a rough voice. He cleared his throat before continuing. “Then consider what you would be going into. We’re talking about 19

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one of the most dangerous areas of the rainforest.” He spun back around. “There’s more than a hungry leopard or panther to worry about. Tribes live there, Elaina. And not the civilized kind that trade with others. These people don’t want visitors.” A shiver snaked through her with his ominous tone. She pushed aside the urge to hug her arms around herself. Danger was another reason she had to make the journey. This plant could be Corbin’s only hope, but she would never risk putting Dexter in a life-threatening situation to find it. She would get him to lead her as far as the tribal camp and then leave him there in safety’s way. The people he spoke of harshly now, clearly for the sake of scaring her into staying home, were the same ones he’d discussed in the past like they were family. “Animals don’t frighten me.” At least, not as much as the idea of losing her son. “And the people there like you. I’ve heard you talk about them.” “I speak their language and, for all intents, am part of them.” “Then I’ll become a part, too.” Dexter let out a loud breath. After a moment, he gave his head a shake and smiled. “I appreciate your drive, but you can’t. I did so through an initiation ritual. Women can’t go through it.” His smile disappeared. “I’m sorry, Elaina, but the answer’s no. It’s just not safe for you. Even if it was, Corbin needs you here.” “No, he doesn’t!” All attempts at brazenness died as Corbin’s heartbreaking words the previous night flashed through Elaina’s mind. Tears stung the backs of her eyes. Pulling her hair into one hand, she fidgeted with the ends the way she always did when she was upset or nervous. “Corbin doesn’t want to see me anymore. He hates it when I come to visit. He says he wants to die in peace. By that he means when I’m not around to disturb him.” Dexter eyed her sorrowfully. He took a few steps toward her, arms outstretched as if he intended to pull her into them. He stopped suddenly and let his arms fall back at his sides. “He told you that?” Elaina smiled thinly, guessing he’d stopped where he had because his shaft was still 20

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hard from her poor attempt at seduction. “No.” But he did you. She urged the smile to stay in place, for weakness not to get the best of her. “He doesn’t have to say the words. He’s my son. I know what’s going through his mind. He’s given up hope. It’s my fault for not being a good enough mother…” Her voice broke and her smile slipped away. She balled her hands into fists, fighting for strength. Corbin’s illness was not her fault. His cure could be her doing, though. In order to find that potential cure, she had to get past her tears. Dexter would never take an emotional basket case into the wilds with him. “If there’s even a chance this plant can heal him, then I have to find it. I need to do this, Dex. I’m all Corbin has. If the worst should happen…I pray to God it doesn’t…but if it should, I need him to know I did everything I could. I need to know that myself if I’m ever to move on.” Behind gold-framed, wire-rimmed glasses, Dexter’s gaze narrowed. He ran a hand through his hair, further messing it. Seconds ticked past. A full minute. She waited with held breath for another refusal. Finally, he said, “All right. You can go. But on the condition you allow me to pay your way, at least temporarily. I know better than to think you would accept free money in the long run.” Elaina’s heart sped with relief. She smiled hugely. Not a failure. A good mom, who would bring back Corbin’s health and faith. A good woman, who would stick to her vow to pay Dexter back, first physically and later financially. “Oh, God, Dex—” “And remember what I said,” he cut her off with a stern voice, but a look that was closer to happiness for her. “We’re heading into a tropical jungle. That means no showers, no outhouses. If we’re lucky, I might be able to convince Marte, one of the tribal elders, to let us use a hut. Then there’s the risk—” “I’m ready to face whatever we have to.” Before he could attempt to cut her off a second time, she hurried to him and wrapped him in a hug. Rising on tiptoe, she pulled his head down and brushed a kiss across his mouth. “Thank you. I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me.” 21

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Movement against her belly had her pulling back. A blush stained his cheeks and the source of that movement became obvious. Dexter excused himself. He claimed to use her phone to call the airport and see about adding a second seat to his itinerary, but the way she caught him adjusting as he moved into the kitchen belied those words. Her seduction attempts might have failed this afternoon, but they wouldn’t for long. Soon, she would begin working off the interest on her debt. If the tingling of her lips left behind from that kiss was a sign, the task might even prove a nice experience.

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Chapter Three Elaina was out of her mind. How was she supposed to go an entire week, or however long it took to find this Canniper plant, without seeing Corbin, when she’d barely been able to survive the plane trip to Africa? Dexter had made the ride tolerable. He should have been the first to say “I told you to stay home” each time her thoughts drifted to Corbin and she wasn’t quite able to stanch her heartache and the ensuing tears. Instead, he’d taken her hand and offered a reassuring smile. He’d said everything would be okay, that if the plant didn’t pay off, they would just keep looking until they found a cure. She should have told him there was no “they” about it. Corbin was her responsibility alone. Any other man who made that offer she would have denied. With Dexter, she knew how sincere his intentions were and that he wouldn’t push her to take any more of his help than what she was comfortable accepting. As for her, she probably shouldn’t have pushed him to hold her Femme Fatale emblazoned pink carry-on bag—a leftover from her snooty phase—while she used the pay phone. Clearly, it went well beyond his comfort level. Elaina gave into a much-needed laugh over his anxious expression and how his attention darted around the busy airport. From the way he was dressed, in wrinkled khakis, an untucked, equally wrinkled polo shirt, and his signature gold-framed, wirerimmed glasses and messy hairdo, he didn’t seem the type to care what others thought. Obviously he did care, though. Obviously he was afraid any number of tourists and locals alike were passing by, wondering over his sexuality. They weren’t alone on that one. While Elaina hadn’t pondered his sexuality in the past, the fifteen-hour plane trip had given her lots of thinking time and not all of the thoughts focused on Corbin. She’d made clear her offer of sex several more times to 23

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Dexter during the trip and each time he’d refused. That she’d been wrong about his crush and that he was, in fact, gay had seemed a very real possibility—she couldn’t remember him having a girlfriend or, for that matter, a date. But then she’d recalled the erection he’d developed from that surface kiss two nights ago. Definitely not a gay man. And that had led her to his feet. They were massive. Nine years ago she would probably have thought of them as dorky clown feet to go with an even dorkier guy. As she studied his feet on the plane all she’d been able to think of was that old saying about a guy’s feet being an indicator of the size of his cock. If it were true, he had a huge one. And she was going to experience it firsthand. Warmth coiled in her belly. Sensual warmth she hadn’t felt in years. Without thought, her attention drifted to his crotch. He hung to the left. If she wasn’t staring, she would never have noticed that. She was staring and Dexter knew it because his shaft grew under her gaze, bulging beneath his trousers. Dry heat swamped her mouth as his cock continued to expand. Moisture settled between her thighs and her heart thudded against her ribs. How big was he going to get? Really, there was big and then there was B-I-G. “Ma’am? Are you going to use the phone?” The accented, feminine voice pulled Elaina out of her stupor. Her surroundings came back to her, as did the reason she was standing next to the pay phone. What the heck was wrong with her? She hadn’t even considered sex in years and now here she was, forgetting to check up on Corbin because she was fantasizing about the size of Dexter’s cock. Maybe she was a bad mother, after all. Elaina turned to the young woman, whose skin was a shade darker than her own honey-brown complexion. She sent her an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I was just trying to remember the number.” Quickly, she punched in Carolyn’s number. Her friend’s “hello” came through the receiver, chasing off Elaina’s smile and any lingering remnants of fantasy-induced warmth. Carolyn sounded so far away.

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Elaina steeled her voice. This was only day one of their journey and she needed to at least pretend to be strong. “Carolyn, it’s me. We made it here, though I’m not sure about the luggage yet. I wanted to call and check on Corbin as soon as possible.” “His condition’s the same as when you left. The doctors said it shouldn’t change much in a week’s time, remember?” “I know, just…” Just right now seven days sounded more like a lifetime. “He’s your son and you’re thousands of miles away,” Carolyn said knowingly. “I understand, Elaina, but you’re doing the right thing. If you hadn’t gone, you’d never have forgiven yourself.” She smiled weakly at her friend’s insight into her character. “You’re right.” “Of course, I am,” Carolyn returned cockily. Her tone softened as she continued, “You know if I could I’d be checking in on Corbin myself. Since I can’t, he’s in the next best hands possible with David.” Elaina nodded into the mouthpiece. She’d been wrong the other day when she’d told Dexter that she was all Corbin had. She and her son had the love and support of Carolyn and her family. Regardless of Elaina’s claim that she didn’t need help, they’d seen her through Jayson’s leaving, the falling-out with her parents, and the trials of being a single mother. Now, Dexter was playing tour guide on a trip halfway around the world. Meanwhile, since the doctors had advised against Carolyn spending time with Corbin, her friend’s husband was stopping in to regularly visit Corbin. Her hope soared at the thought of David’s dry wit. He’d always been able to make Corbin laugh. “If anyone can get him smiling, it’s your hubby.” Silence filled the phone line and Elaina’s hope fled. If David’s humor was working, Carolyn would have said so. Several long seconds passed and finally Carolyn said in a quiet voice, “Corb asked about you this morning.” The weight of her friend’s words squeezed at her heart. Carolyn was emotionally charged from her pregnancy, and still Elaina had never heard her sound so morose. “He’s scared because I wasn’t by, isn’t he?” 25

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“Not exactly,” she admitted, then added in a softer tone, “He said to thank Uncle Dex for granting his wish of making you stay away. I’m sorry, hon.” The squeezing turned painful with the words. Elaina valued her friend’s no bullshit approach to life, but still, at times, the woman’s candid honesty really sucked. She swallowed the bubble of emotion that rose up in her throat. “Don’t be. I already knew he felt that way. That’s why I’m here. Corb’s faith is gone. His only chance at ever getting it back is my finding a cure. With Dexter as my guide, I believe I can do that.” “How is my brother?” Her mood lightened some as she glanced at Dexter. Standing several feet away with his back was to her, likely so she couldn’t stare at his crotch anymore, and the pink bag was hefted over his shoulder. “Having a homophobe moment. Apparently he’s too much of a man to hold a pink bag with a Femme Fatale logo.” Carolyn’s laughter rolled through the pay phone’s earpiece. “Now, that I would like to see.” She sobered to add, “You know he’s not the kind of guy you’d expect it of outright, but Dexter’s definitely a man’s man.” Elaina did a double take of the guy in question. Dexter? A man’s man? She would give him the pink bag looked out of place dangling over his shoulder, but still… “Um, okay.” “You don’t think so? I mean he was sort of a nerd when we were younger, but he’s really come around with age. Not with his wardrobe maybe, but otherwise.” “I guess I never gave it all that much thought.” “From the sounds of things, plenty of others have. The way Dex was talking at breakfast yesterday, he can’t get women to leave him alone around the dig site. He said Josie, his student intern, teases that whenever he takes his shirt off the pheromones ooze for miles around. I’m not sure when it happened but my brother has become quite the hottie.” A hottie? Pheromones oozing? Admittedly her own had been heating up a short while

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ago, but…but, hell, what if he had a girlfriend? It would explain his rebuttal of her advances, and present a major problem. How would she pay off the interest she owed him when he was committed to another? Sex was all that she had to give at the moment. Unless she was jumping the gun. “Is he sleeping with any of them?” Elaina bit her lips over the blurted words. “I mean, not that I care, but since you brought it up…” “Ew! Call me strange, but sex is generally something I avoid talking about with my brother. Then again, he did bring one woman up several times. She has a son, and you know what a sucker Dex is for kids.” Not just a potential girlfriend, but one with a child. The thought of Dexter playing Daddy to some kid other than Corbin shouldn’t have bothered her, but it did. That was her secret fantasy. “He would have made a great father.” “I wouldn’t neuter him yet.” Carolyn sounded amused. “He’s only thirty-two.” “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant—” That her mind had seriously strayed and she had to get it back on what mattered ASAP. “Listen, I need to go, but I’ll call again as soon as possible. I know Corb will say he doesn’t want it, but have David give him a hug for me. And a kiss. And tell him to make sure he knows I love him and miss him, and that I’ll be back soon. Tell him to—” “I promise David will see to his welfare, Elaina,” Carolyn cut into her rambling. “In the meanwhile, make sure you see to my big brother’s. Don’t be letting one of those tribal women catch him with his shirt off and his ’to die for’ torso hanging out—Josie’s words again—and drag him back to her hut for some personal sex slave time. The way the cultures are over there, he’s liable to find himself hitched.” Dex? With a wife? The idea was a hundred times more incredible than a girlfriend and twisted Elaina’s belly in a way she couldn’t begin to understand. Yes, she’d always had that secret fantasy of him being Corbin’s father, but that wasn’t reality. She didn’t deep down want Dexter in her life on a day-to-day, personal basis. She couldn’t, because she 27

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didn’t want any man that way ever again. Weariness from the long flight was clearly giving her crazy thoughts. Nothing a little sleep wouldn’t fix. She hoped.

***** Twenty minutes into the rainforest and Dexter already regretted saying “yes” to Elaina. Back in the States, the temperature was in the nineties. Here, it felt closer to a hundred and twenty. Late afternoon sun baked down from above as he used a machete to hack through the foliage and find the path kept up by the Taramies, the tribe that called this area home. Elaina had opted to combat the heat by removing her clothes. Okay, so not all of her clothes, but more than enough to have Dexter’s imagination soaring and his cock so hard it made walking damned near impossible The last time he’d looked back, she was down to a thin white bra and tiny jean shorts. Mosquitoes and black flies had to be feasting on her sweat-slicked body by the droves. Lucky bugs. Not that he couldn’t have a taste of Elaina if he wanted. She’d told him more than once on the plane ride over that she owed him for allowing her to come along. She’d vowed to pay him back financially. While she’d never come right out and said the words, it was obvious she thought the best way to cover the interest accrued until she could afford to do so was with sex. The notches on his bed post—fictional as they were—might only total four, but that didn’t mean he needed or wanted obligation sex. He didn’t. And as much as he knew Elaina would never accept his money for free, he didn’t want her feeling indebted. He’d financed her half of the trip and allowed her to come along as far as the tribal camp—he wasn’t about to put her life in jeopardy by taking her into more savage terrain—for two reasons. One, because he knew how accurate she’d been about Corbin losing faith and no longer wanting to see her. And, two, because she believed the boy her responsibility alone and that she was failing him. The hopelessness in her eyes when she’d voiced her fear had Dexter slipping about

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the Canniper plant—he’d then been stuck explaining about the infection, though he’d kept his theory on how Corbin had contracted it quiet. Elaina had been instantly determined to set out and find the antidote herself, to prove she was a good mother. She was a far better mother than most. Speaking the words would never be enough to rebuild her confidence in that fact. And so here they were, traipsing through the jungle, wearing next to nothing. Dexter groaned with the reminder of her half-dressed state. His heart was already fast from the exertion of the hike, and still it managed to beat harder with the image of his scantily clad companion. Pushing the thought from his mind, he stopped short to chop at a thick area of growth. Elaina slammed into him with a squeak. Automatically, he dropped the knife and spun to stabilize her. He managed to grab a breast and an arm. Her lips pulled into an “O” of a surprise that quickly faded to a smile. “Oops… I guess my mind was on Corbin and not where I was going.” And his mind was on the feel of her nipple beaded against his palm. Dexter looked down. His mouth watered at the sight of her half-bared breasts, glistening and heaving from the effort of their trek. That had to be the reason her nipple was hard, too, because it couldn’t be reacting to his touch. Carolyn could claim he was a manly man or a hottie all that she wanted. He knew better. Realizing he still held Elaina’s breast, he jerked his hand free. He adjusted the backpack straps on his shoulders in an attempt to forget his blunder. “Sorry. I just, uh…” Yeah, he knew better than to think he was anything but the geek he was acting like. What he ought to be doing is taking advantage of her words, the same way he should have on the plane ride each time he saw the shine of her barely restrained tears. “If you want to head back, now’s the time to do it.” “I don’t.” Elaina’s smile wobbled. “I miss Corbin like crazy, but this is where I need to be. With you.” Dexter swallowed hard. If only she meant that the way it sounded… 29

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Her brown eyes lightened. Her smile once again steady, she closed the short distance between them and leaned into his body. Rising on tiptoe, so that the sticky skin of her upper breasts dragged tauntingly against his naked chest, she smoothed away the hair that clung to his forehead. Her fingers moved down the side of his face to toy with the shell of his ear. “I meant finding this plant with you,” she said in a silky tone, “but I’d like to be with you in other ways, too, Dex. Unless there’s something stopping you, I’m here for you. Whenever, however, you want me.” Out of an obligation she wouldn’t even feel if it weren’t for his making her son ill in the first place, Dexter reminded himself sternly, while his cock strained against his zipper. No matter what Carolyn alleged, Elaina could never want him for any other reason. She didn’t want any man, hadn’t since Jayson did his number on her. He lifted her hand away and stepped back. “I told you to stop worrying about expenses. You’ll pay me back ‘monetarily’ when you can.” He turned around before he could take another look at her breasts, or worse give in to his lust and toss her to the ground and fuck her right there on the jungle floor. “We’d best get moving if we hope to find the Taramie camp by dark.” “All right. I promise to pay better attention.” Good. At least that way one of them would be. Now that he’d thought of it, he couldn’t get his mind off the idea of having Elaina on the forest floor. Her light brown skin shimmered with perspiration and he could easily imagine parting her thighs to find her pussy damp, as well. It would only grow that much wetter when he buried his face against her sex and inhaled her musky scent. Cream would gush from her cunt as forcefully as the river they’d just crossed a short while ago. He would have her panting, screaming, begging him to push his tongue into her hot, dripping pussy and lick her to a body-blistering climax. Dexter’s cock throbbed. He grunted under his breath as he picked up the machete and gave the cluster of vines that had caused Elaina to run into him a savage thwack. 30

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Given where they were headed and the eager woman who would be awaiting him when they arrived, fantasizing about Elaina was the last thing he should be doing. Then again, maybe Natanne wouldn’t be awaiting him. For all he knew, she was married by now. He hoped to God not. Spending time in the beauty’s arms had to be the perfect solution to make him stop thinking about being in Elaina’s.

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Chapter Four The heat was getting to her, Elaina told herself for the tenth time in the last half hour. Either that or it was Carolyn’s startling words about Dexter having turned into a hottie to blame for the way her body responded when he’d cupped her breast. It had been more than her nipple going erect—a basic response she could have handled. What she felt hadn’t been basic, or even nice the way she’d thought of the tingling left behind from the surface kiss they’d shared earlier in the week. It had been primal, needy. She’d been wet for him, hot for a kiss that went well beyond the surface and eager to feel the impressively long, thick cock—his shoe size lived up to its promise and then some—that had pressed against her belly sinking into her sheath. Yeah, it had to be one of those two things to blame. It just wasn’t possible that she could want a man so badly after going so long without one. Ethical was a better word. Not only was the potential of him having a girlfriend still there, but she’d come here to save Corbin’s life. Her son’s health should be the only thing on her mind. True, in the name of interest payment, she had planned to sleep with Dexter before this trip was over—still planned to if he proved single. That didn’t make it okay for her to be anticipating the event. It didn’t make it right at all to be trailing along behind him, ogling the play of his tight ass in his shorts. Had he had that ass nine years ago? And what about that torso? When he’d hoisted his backpack aside and taken off his shirt to reveal a tanned, muscular back and lean, corded forearms, she’d nearly passed out with shock. And then when he’d turned around… Josie had been wrong. His chest wasn’t just “to die for”. It was, hands down, the most mouthwatering display of the male torso she had ever seen. Elaina admitted to herself neither the heat nor the bug Carolyn put in her ear could 32

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have brought about Dexter’s transformation from gifted nerd to rugged, manly man. Long hours spent toiling over his digs would be the logical source. Logic that was not at play in her head as he lifted the machete in the air and brought it down soundly on a thick tangle of vines. The plants gave way, clearing the next few feet of jungle. Her heart sped while her pussy warmed with a gush of fresh juice. God, she’d never thought of him as strong. Never even considered he could be so capable. So virile. Or herself so immoral. Unethical thoughts or not, Elaina couldn’t stop them from coming, or her body’s continued response. Her nipples beaded anew against the damp cotton of her bra. She’d never seen him with dark brown stubble dusting his jaw. It worked well with his straight nose, giving his lips a sensual backdrop. The image of those lips filled her mind. How would he taste? Would his mouth be gentle or demanding as it he pulled her nipple in and sucked? What noises would he make as she rode him to the lightning edge of climax? “Tired?” Elaina came to a jerking halt at the sound of Dexter’s voice. He stood a foot away, eyeing her. She blinked. When had he turned around? More importantly, were her thoughts obvious? If they weren’t, her nipples tenting against her bra had to be. His attention didn’t stray from her face as he nodded. “Yeah, you are. Tired and overheated by the looks of things.” She bit back a harsh laugh. She was overheated all right. Dexter swiveled back and returned to his chopping. “I know where we are. There’s a lake coming up soon. We’ll stop to rest and refuel. I have granola bars and water bottles in my pack.” “Is the lake water safe?” She was going to need more than a bottle of water to calm her stimulated body. Her pussy seemed to be somehow connected with that knife. Every whack had her panties a little wetter. And that was incredibly wrong.

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“Not for drinking, but you can take a dip if that’s what you have in mind.” Thank God. Whatever ailed her, sun overexposure, loss of common sense or something else entirely, the lake water would surely cure her. It had to or else she would live up to Jayson’s claim of her being a bad mother by giving in to her inappropriate urges and jumping Dexter where he stood.

***** It wasn’t right for a woman’s ass to be so scrumptious looking. Dexter groaned as Elaina took off at a sprint for the lake ahead. Her butt cheeks stuck out from beneath the frayed hem of her jean shorts, jiggling with her movements. He groaned louder when she reached the bank and continued onward, into the lake until she was neck-deep. Having her tempting body out of his view should be a good thing. It would be if not for the fact that in a few minutes they were going to need to move on. And that meant she would be coming out of the water with her bra nearly translucent from being soaked through. Trying to forget her nipples when they were tented against her bra but not visible was difficult. Trying to forget them when they were stabbing through the thin material, as if they might be as anxious to get into his mouth as he was to get them there, would be impossible. Shit. He had to stop thinking like a pervert and focus on the guilt he experienced each time he thought of Corbin suffering. Or at the very least, since he couldn’t seem to escape his libido, move his heated thoughts off Elaina and on to Natanne. Elaina laughed as she splashed around. “Aren’t you coming in? The water’s great.” It was damned good to hear her laugh, to see her lovely terra firma brown eyes free from shadows if only for a short while. He wanted to join her in the lake so badly it hurt. That ache was the reason he stayed where he was. His painfully hard cock would be obvious with his shorts drenched. He couldn’t risk her witnessing his erection. She was liable to throw herself at him, and he was liable to lose all judgment. He shook his head. “I’m going to check out the perimeter. We shouldn’t be far from 34

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the tribe’s path, but the Taramies are a nomadic people. Depending on how the jungle ahead has survived the loggers, they might not be living where they were when I was through here last. This section of forest has taken a huge hit from the log…” He droned off. The area’s deforestation problem was a far better topic than sex, but he doubted Elaina wanted an in-depth lecture on it. “Mmm…okay. I’ll be here—” “Whenever, however, I want you. Right.” Actually Elaina had been going to say she would be here if Dexter needed help with anything. Not that she thought he would—he was at incredible ease in this rugged environment—but it was safer than speaking what was really on her mind. The lake was just below bathwater temperature and sated her heated body from the effects of the sun. It didn’t begin to touch the heat that thoughts of Dexter’s mouth on her breasts had created. She’d come into the lake in the hopes of moving past those thoughts and getting her focus back on Corbin. She couldn’t do that. She could only recall how well the length and girth of Dexter’s fingers corresponded with his feet and wonder how his fingers would feel sliding into her body and petting her pussy lips. Her sex pulsed. She considered calling Dexter back to the lake from wherever he’d disappeared and saying the bold words she’d yet to work up the courage to speak. Would he please fuck this unexpected need for him from her mind once and for all? If she could say those words, get him to agree to the act, surely she could focus on being the good mother Corbin deserved. It was too big of an “if”. Girlfriend or not, Dexter had already denied her too many times to think he would give in simply because she talked dirty. If this sexual pang was going to be relieved, it would be by her own hands. Elaina hadn’t masturbated in years. Still, her fingers seemed to know just what to do as they pushed her shorts and panties down her thighs and found her clit. She gasped with the first touch. She was more aroused than what she’d realized. Sliding a finger into her sheath, the muscles of her sex gripped hungrily and jolts of 35

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pleasure rocketed to her core. God, how she needed this. Needed to not only remove the expectation of sleeping with Dexter from her mind, but alleviate at least a fraction of the stress that had been eating at her for far too long. Refusing to feel guilty over this stolen moment, she closed her eyes and let her mind drift as she fingered her pussy. She was only mildly surprised when Dexter’s face materialized. A little more surprised when his naked body accompanied it. Oh, yum. His torso had nothing on the rest of his body. The lean muscles of his chest tapered down to a narrow waist. A trail of curly brown hair trailed lower, thickening as it neared his erection. His cock stood sturdy and tall, jutting from a springy thatch of hair. Pre-cum seeped from the plump purple head of his penis. She licked the air impulsively, suddenly desperate to know the taste of his cum. Her tongue failed to find the taste she savored. Moaning her displeasure, she pulled her fingers from her aching pussy and brought them to her lips. Greedily she licked at her juices. It wasn’t the same as sucking back Dexter’s seed and still, the action had her clit tingling and liquid desire coursing through her veins. With a last lick, Elaina skimmed her hands down her body, pausing to pluck at her stiff nipples through the wet cotton of her bra. Carnal sensation jetted from the straining tips to her cunt and she hurried to dip a finger past her pubic curls. Her clit was inflamed, throbbing with need. She bit her lower lip to stop from crying out as she stroked her index finger over the sensitized pearl and worked another finger against her pussy lips. Four furious strokes and lust curled tightly in her belly, licked hotly at her womb. Heat sizzled through her, igniting tremors that started in her sex and ended at her curled pinkie toes. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Thank God she was in the water. If her legs chose to give out, she wouldn’t risk injury. She forgot all about gratitude then, as orgasm sliced through her in a dizzying rush. It had been too long since she’d taken the time for pleasure, far too long judging by the strength of her climax and the plethora of hot cream that poured from her body 36

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to mingle with the lake water. Shivering with the magnitude of her release, Elaina opened her eyes. And screamed. Someone was in the water with her. She couldn’t see them now, but she’d seen the person’s dark head as they ducked below the surface. They’d been watching her masturbate, she realized, torn between embarrassment, further arousal and fear. The fear won out when the water bubbled five feet from her. She attempted to make a break for the shore, only to find her legs frozen with panic. The bubbles came again, closer. Her pulse thudded. She tried to move a second time, but remained rooted in place. Damn it, she was so tired of being weak. Hated having to rely on others because of that failing. But now she had no choice. “Dexter!” Within seconds, he came charging out of jungle, wielding the machete like some modern day glasses-wearing Tarzan. “Elaina? What’s the matter?” “Someone’s in the water.” Her voice shook. “They were watching me…” He frowned. “Watching you what?” Heat suffused her cheeks. How did she expect to ask him to fuck her when she couldn’t even tell him she’d been masturbating? “Just, uh, watching me.” The water bubbled again, three feet away, reminding her of the direness of the situation. “I can’t move, Dex!” she said, unable to keep the horror from her voice. His gaze followed hers. His own voice unsteady, he shot back, “You have to. That isn’t a person, Elaina. People don’t stay under the water that long. Now, move!” She’d told him she wasn’t afraid of animals when she’d been trying to earn a trip to Africa. Now, she realized what a terrible lie that was. “Not a p-person. B-but then, whwhat is it?” “Maybe nothing bad. Maybe a crocodile.” She shrieked and the water bubbled again, this time two feet away. She couldn’t

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move. Couldn’t budge. She was going to be eaten alive. Without having the chance to say goodbye to Corbin, to tell him a last time how much she loved him. She was a bad mother, who’d caved to her hormones. The failure Jayson had accused her of being. The thing moved closer. Elaina felt the blood drain from her face. “Oh, God…” This was it. Goodbye Corb. Goodbye Carolyn. Bye Dex. “Son of a…!” Dropping the machete, Dexter dashed into the water and scooped her into his arms. He was lying on the bank, with her sprawled face down over him before she could take another breath. Thought returned slowly. She considered how good it felt to be held. She hadn’t been this close to a man in years, hadn’t wanted to be. Jayson had left her skeptical on relationships, fearful of trusting another man. Lying in Dexter’s arms, she realized how much she’d missed out on. Nothing could top the all-consuming feel of a man’s strong arms around you, of his breath in your ear, ragged with the desire to make love to you. Nothing could match the press of his erection against your belly. The feel of his hands rubbing your ass. The breath halted in her throat as those caresses gained speed. It wasn’t just thoughts filling her head. Dexter was rubbing her ass. No clothing separated his hands from her bottom, just skin on amazing feeling skin. Her shorts and panties must have fallen father down her legs when he’d lifted her into his arms and out of the water. His cock jerked against her stomach and her pussy gushed with cream. The way she was lying over him, her juices would be soaking right through his shorts. She should care. And Elaina would if his touch didn’t feel so incredible and long in the coming. One of Dexter’s hands moved down her crack to tease the opening of her sex from behind. Her mew was automatic, as was the gyration of her hips. A lone, long finger eased into her cunt. “Hell, you’re so wet.” The words were a rough whisper. She wanted to respond aloud, but feared doing so would destroy the moment. 38

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Instead she placed her hands on the ground, tipped back her head, and lifted herself up to his mouth. She caught the flicker of wariness in his aroused blue eyes. Before he could voice whatever thoughts were running through his mind, she pressed her lips against his, plunged her tongue inside and savored his warm, masculine taste. The finger within her ceased its movement. She feared again he would stop, but then he moved his tongue, stroking hers with urgent flicks. A second finger moved into her sex. Together they loved her body, sliding in and out, stroking the sensitive inner walls and igniting a waterfall of wet need. His tongue moved harder against hers, licking past the boundaries of finesse, demanding no less than total control. Her body responded to that animalistic move, her pussy clamping around his fingers with the urge to climax again so soon. Just as she’d never imagined him as sexy before this day, never in her wildest thoughts had Elaina believed Dexter the type to kiss this way, to handle a woman with such raw abandonment and yet masterful skill. With a growl, he lifted from her lips and teased bites along her neck. Blowing at her hot, damp flesh, he pulled from her sheath to finger her clit. Wild erotic sensation tumbled through Elaina. Heat chased through her body, licking up her torso and flaming her face. He caught her ear between his teeth and nibbled. Orgasm teetered on the precarious edge of taking her over. She wanted that, wanted to fall over that edge at his amazingly talented hands. “Yes,” she breathed. “Oh, yes, Dexter! Please don’t stop.” His mouth stilled its magical torment, and she nearly whimpered. Then with another growl, this one as feral as any wolf’s, he pulled his fingers from her body and flipped her onto her back in the lush jungle grass. Large hands palming her upper legs, he buried his head between her thighs. The rough scrape of day-old beard against her clit had Elaina flying over the edge of orgasm in a blind rush. Cream gushed from her body. She panted for air as her mind rocked with wonder and ecstasy. He lapped eagerly, licking her pussy lips from front to 39

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rear and back again, not stopping until every last bit of juice was consumed. Too soon, he moved away. Without pausing to share a smile or even a glance, he turned and sat with his back to her, looking out at the lake, soundlessly. Elaina fought to regain normal breathing, uncertain what to say or how to take his behavior. Was the magic of the moment past? Did he already regret what he’d done? She didn’t. Could never. He was so much more than she’d ever realized. Not the nerd she’d once labeled him, but a man of great intelligence, of drive, of a dynamite body and a secret sensuality that gripped her to the core. “It was a hippo.” She jolted upright at the low sound of Dexter’s voice. “What?” “Your lake companion was a hippo,” he clarified louder, without looking back. Having forgotten about the animal in the wake of Dexter’s loving, she followed the direction of his gaze to a hippopotamus, now grazing on flora, hip-deep in the water. How odd. She had a hippo to thank for this enlightening moment. Dexter stood and started back to the section of jungle he’d come running from. “I dropped my backpack when I heard you scream. I’m going to grab it, so we can get going. Even if the tribe hasn’t moved, it’s still a ways to their camp.” Elaina flinched with the curt dismissal. He couldn’t mean to leave without so much as a word to what they’d just done. “Dex—” “It was a heat of the moment thing. Forget about it.” He hadn’t turned back, but she could hear the testiness in his typically calm voice and it squeezed her heart raw with understanding. There was only one reason he would act this way. He had a girlfriend. A girlfriend he’d just proven unfaithful to and was now feeling regret because of. If he was another guy, she wouldn’t feel sorrow for him. He wasn’t another guy, he was kind, caring Dexter and she felt both sorrow and blame. He might have made the first move by stroking her bare bottom, but she’d been the one

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to take things to the next level. The one to kiss him and encourage him to do much more than that when he’d shown signs of stopping. She was the guilty one here. As Elaina put on fresh panties and shorts, she vowed never again. No matter how alive Elaina had felt in his arms, she wouldn’t attempt to give or get sex from him. She would find another way to pay off the interest on her loan. And she wouldn’t have that stupid fantasy where he was Corbin’s father ever again either. Her son didn’t have a father and he didn’t need one. Just as she didn’t need a man to make her happy— emotionally, physically or otherwise.

***** “Dex-ter!” The unmistakable feminine cry came the moment Dexter and Elaina stepped into the outskirts of the Taramie village. The owner of that husky voice dashed barefoot along the well-trodden path that centered twin rows of dirt and grass huts toward Dexter. Natanne’s coal-black eyes shimmered with happiness and her naked breasts jiggled a merry welcome. Eight months ago those dark, plentiful breasts would have hardened his body on sight. As the young woman came into his arms and the full mounds pressed against his bare chest, he didn’t even get a little excited. He could only see the shock in Elaina’s eyes before she masked it to ask calmly, “I thought you said they don’t speak English?” He gave Natanne a squeeze and, with a kiss on each cheek, set her back. He felt guilty as hell over what had happened at the lake—he’d done exactly what he said he wouldn’t and buried his tongue in Elaina’s sweet body at the first opportunity. He hadn’t even been able to get an apology out. Mainly because he wasn’t sorry. Elaina might not want him for anything except debt repayment, but the eager way her body responded to his touch suggested she’d needed the nerve-settling release orgasm provided. He hadn’t done her a favor exactly, but he hadn’t done anything completely unforgivable either. And he wouldn’t. Judging by her welcome, Natanne wasn’t married. As set forth by his initiation to this tribe, so long as she remained

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unmarried, whenever he was within the limits of this village she was his woman. Dexter planned to use that designation to the fullest. Reliving the sensual bliss he’d once found in the Natanne’s arms would have to erase his raging desire for Elaina long enough to finish out this trip. More importantly, it would show Elaina he was serious when he said he didn’t want sex from her as payment for interest on his loan. “Most of them don’t.” His intentions here might be for the right reasons, but still his guilt increased over what he was about to do. “I taught her some basic stuff.” To Natanne, he spoke in the tribal tongue—a serious of clicks and pops—explaining he needed to see his friend settled into a hut and then he would join her in hers. Natanne’s joyous smile brightened. She flung herself back into his arms and pressed her lips firmly to his. Her tongue slipped out, rimming his lips with eager little licks. And he felt nothing. No spark. No awareness. No restless urge to be inside her warm, wet body, the way he’d always experienced in the past. Grinning, she pulled back. After whispering words about getting ready for their reunion night, she hurried to her hut. She wore a traditional green-dyed wrap around her lower half. Her black butt cheeks peeked tauntingly from beneath the sheath as she went. All Dexter could think about was Elaina’s ass. About the feel of her firm behind in his hands. About plowing into that honey hole and loving her long and hard. His cock stiffened, throbbing behind his zipper. Apparently he would be able to rise to the occasion of his reunion night with Natanne. It was a simple matter of pretending it was Elaina he held in his arms. “Why did you teach her English?” The question sounded irritable, as if Elaina had asked it several times. She probably thought he’d been too wrapped up in thoughts of Natanne to hear. Good. That was what he wanted her to believe. Okay, so maybe not what he wanted, but it was for the best. A growing number of female members of the tribe emerged from huts, greeting Dexter with smiles and Elaina with curious, somewhat cautious looks. This time of day, 42

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just before nightfall, the men would be on their way back from hunting. He could leave Elaina with the women while he went to meet the hunting party. It would be the perfect excuse to avoid fully answering her question. Only, he wouldn’t leave Elaina with strangers any more than an excuse. Sooner or later, he had to speak the truth. It might as well be now. “Natanne was part of my initiation into the tribe. Had I been a normal member of the group, we would be married.” “Oh.” The shock returned to her eyes, followed quickly by disappointment. She masked it, shrugging. “If you want to stay in her hut, it won’t hurt my feelings.” Dexter’s gut hollowed out with the response. A foolish part of him had hoped for her anger over the idea he’d given her an orgasm when he knew he would be spending the night with another. Elaina showed no anger, no sign she was jealous of Natanne, just a fleeting look of discontent he well understood. She hated relying on others, hated being in debt even more, and he’d just vanquished her method of interest payment. He forced a smile. “I would like that. As much as we don’t see each other, I care about Natanne a great deal. I’ve missed her more than I realized.” “That’s nice, Dex.” She looked skyward and added softly, “I’m glad you have someone you feel that way about. As for me, I’ll be fine sleeping outside. They have stars in Africa, right?” He struggled to keep his smile intact. Where she wasn’t jealous of his relationship with Natanne, she sounded wistful for one of her own. Was it possible she was finally ready to move past Jayson’s betrayal and try again? If so, could Dexter be the friend she needed and help her find her much-needed hero? He silently cursed as the hollow sensation became a stabbing in his gut. What Elaina lacked in jealousy, he made up for in spades. He had to say goodbye to his envy for the man who would eventually enter Elaina’s life and become Corbin’s new father. Had to appreciate what a damned lucky guy he was to have Natanne. In any other culture, a nerd like him would never stand a chance with a beauty like her.

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“There are stars,” he said, trying not to sound forlorn the way he felt, “but you won’t be sleeping outside. As soon as Marte—the tribal elder I told you about—gets back, I’ll see about getting you a hut. I know I said they might be hard to come by, but Natanne is Marte’s daughter. He’ll do whatever it takes to see her happy, including inviting his son’s family into his hut, so you can use theirs for a night or two.” “Just so long as you’re happy, Dex. That’s all I care about.” He’d just told himself what a lucky guy he was, and still he had to lie. “I couldn’t be happier now that I’m back with Natanne. Dorky as it sounds, I feel like I’ve found my soul mate in her. I hope one day you can trust enough again to find the same.”

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Chapter Five “I don’t want a damned soul mate.” Elaina punched the mat beneath her, wincing as her fist slammed into the hut’s dirt floor though the thin weaving. She rolled over and, through a canopy of mosquito netting, stared up at the dark ceiling and cursed. She wasn’t just immoral for wanting sex when all that should be on her mind was Corbin. She was full of shit. Despite every vow that she didn’t need or want a man in her and Corbin’s lives, she did want a man. And she wanted that man to be Dexter. Dexter who she’d always believed was a nice guy. Dexter who had, in fact, turned out to be every bit as much the unreliable jerk as all the other men in her life. Dexter who was even now fucking some other woman. Her stomach clenched as sounds drifted in from the neighboring huts. Moans of ecstasy. Cries of feminine bliss as Dexter pushed his huge cock into Natanne’s perfect, pert, “untouched by the effects of motherhood” body and told her how much he cared for her, how much he wanted her in his life on a permanent basis. How he was so wrapped up in seeing her again he hadn’t even heard Elaina speaking. Damn it, that had hurt. It hurt all the more acknowledging Dexter would never be her man. Carolyn had been wrong about his liking a single mother. All his affections were for Natanne. Elaina had been able to hide her feelings in front of Dexter. Alone in this hut, she couldn’t evade her jealousy for an instant. A week ago she’d believed her secret fantasy of him to be nothing more than that. Now, she knew it was a dream she’d longed for years to see become a reality. And it was too late. Once again she’d failed. Loneliness swept through her, bringing salty tears to her eyes. She swiped them away. No more tears. No more self-pity. No more making vows she couldn’t keep. 45

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Regardless of anything that had happened today, Dexter was a valued friend. She would be happy for him and whatever woman he chose to spend his life with.

***** Natanne stood in the center of the hut, her lithe body outlined by the flicker of the torch behind her. She’d oiled her dark skin and it glistened in the firelight, inviting Dexter to rise from the mat he lay on and touch. With a siren’s smile, she untied the single knot that held her wrap together and allowed it to fall to the dirt floor. The breath hitched in Dexter’s throat. His cock was still hard from thoughts of Elaina and it jerked as he looked upon Natanne’s shaved mound. Rimming her full lips with her tongue, she traveled her hand down the shallow rise of her belly to her sex. She pulled the lips of her pussy apart, exposing her aroused clit and the cream already drenching her cunt. “You’re beautiful,” he said in her native tongue. “I’d forgotten how much.” “Yours,” she returned in rough English. Dexter sat up and opened his arms to her. She was his. She’d become his four years ago, when he’d been initiated into the Taramie tribe. And he cared for her. Maybe not as strongly as what he’d led Elaina to believe, but enough. “Mine.” She shook her head at his arms. Coming to her knees at the end of the mat, she nodded at the bulge of his cock beneath his shorts. “Touch yourself.” He stood and pushed his shorts and underwear down his legs. He’d forgotten that Natanne wasn’t a woman who took things fast, immediately coming into his arms. Instead she liked to watch him masturbate, while she fingered herself to climax. Is that what Elaina had been doing when the hippo interrupted her? Dexter’s thoughts returned to the lake this afternoon. Fear had been in her eyes when he’d come upon her, but so had arousal. Her breath had come in tight pants that sounded nowhere near to panic. Then there were her shorts and panties. They couldn’t

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have fallen down to her ankles from the simple force of being pulled out of the water. They had to have already been down. She’d been masturbating in that lake. His shaft pulsed in his hand at the memory of pushing his tongue into her pussy, of her hot taste exploding over his senses. He wanted to make her come again and again. Wanted to bury his cock inside her and love her all day and night. Throaty feminine moans reached his ears. He opened his eyes, expecting to find Elaina’s eyes near black with passion. It was Natanne who looked back at him. Natanne who pumped her fingers inside her spasming pussy and cried out with her climax. Watching her come should have sent his need to the breaking point. Instead it brought gut-knotting guilt cruising through him. Shit. He couldn’t do this. Forgoing spending the night with Natanne was bound to have Elaina believing she could still repay the interest on his loan with sex. If it meant turning down her advances a hundred times, he would deal with it. Elaina might not be upset about his moving on to another so fast, but she wouldn’t respect him for it either. He cared about her too much to lose her respect. Just as he cared about Natanne too much to use her. Dexter stood, fumbling his erection into the too tight confines of his shorts and briefs as he eyed Natanne sympathetically. “I’m sorry.” She frowned. “Sorry?” Her voice dripped with desire and made him feel that much guiltier. He was worse than the pervert he’d accused himself of being earlier in the week. He was a bastard for allowing things to go so far. Aware he couldn’t take back what he’d done, he clarified his meaning in Taramie. “I can’t do this, Natanne. You’re incredibly beautiful and I care for you. But there’s someone I care about more. The odds she’ll ever want me for real…” That wasn’t a subject he’d meant to consider, let alone share. “I’m sorry.”

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She stood and came toward him, stopping less than a foot away to gesture the length of his body. “How could she not want a man such as you?” Dexter smiled. He’d always known Natanne was special. That she now chose compliments over fury proved it. At least, he assumed she was complimenting him. “What kind of man is that?” A playful grin curved her lips. “Smart. Amusing. Sexy.” His stomach tightened with the sincerity that seemed to fill her words. His smile fell away as Carolyn’s words about him being a hottie returned. Had she been serious? Could Natanne truly believe it, as well? And Elaina—was it even feasible that what had happened at the lake wasn’t behavior based out of obligation on her part, but honest-to-God desire? He wasn’t supposed to have the thought, shouldn’t consider anything even remotely sensual about Elaina. But the thought was running rampant through his head, searching for a morsel of hope. “You think I’m sexy?” “You are very sexy. Not in a boastful way like some men. In a much better way.” The kind of way that Elaina would appreciate, that would make her regard him as a manly man who was anything but a nerdy brother or uncle figure? Only, if that were the case, why hadn’t she seemed upset about his going off with Natanne? Whatever the answer, one thing was clear—he had to get out of this hut. “Thank you for understanding.” He kissed Natanne’s cheek and hurried to the door. “Dexter,” she said when he would have moved through it. He turned back to find her hands caressing her bare breasts and her smile returned to its salacious state. “If she can’t see how lucky she is to have your affections, I’ll be here.”

***** Elaina jerked upright on her mat with the sweep of the hut’s grass door. Someone had come inside. Panic stiffened her body for the second time tonight. This time, she 48

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was thankful to be able to move and crept quickly and soundlessly against a dark wall. Maybe her unwanted visitor would go away if they believed the hut was empty. Or maybe the visitor wasn’t human but the kind of animal with night vision and razor-sharp fangs. Her heart thumped wildly against her ribs with the prospect. “Elaina?” She closed her eyes on a relieved breath as she recognized Dexter’s voice. That relief quickly faded to shame. How could have she compared him to the other men in her life by calling him an unreliable jerk? He should be making love with his soul mate and instead he’d come to check on her. Damn it, he was just too thoughtful. He would have been so good to her, so perfect as Corbin’s father. If only she hadn’t been such a snob… If only she’d given Dexter a chance years ago… If only… The tears she promised herself not to cry broke free. Lack of sleep, stress overload, Corbin fighting for his life thousands of miles away, and now this. It was all too much to keep the dam from breaking. Loudly. She covered her mouth with her hands, attempting to muffle the noise. Failing from his worried-sounding, “Elaina? Are you okay?” No. She had never been more un-okay. Nothing in her life was right. Not one damned thing. “Fine. Go back to Natanne.” She waited for the sweep of the door as Dexter exited. The sound never came, and truthfully she’d never expected him to leave. Just as she’d never expected him to cross the hut and sink down in front of her. But he was there, inches away. She could feel his presence, his heat. The urge to reach out for him was like a living thing. She resisted it, just barely. He didn’t resist. Large, warm fingers settled on her bare lower leg, quickly moving their way upward. There was no finesse in the action and there didn’t need to be. Shivers racked

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through her as he grazed the nearly naked swell of her hip. Shivers that chased away her tears and became that much more intense as his fingers journeyed higher to brush along a breast through the thin cotton of her bra. Elaina sucked in a hard breath. Her nipples tented, wanting, needing to feel his touch with a desire that gripped her to the core. But she wouldn’t. His behavior might seem like seduction but, in reality, all he was doing was searching out her face in the dark, likely to wipe away the remnants of her tears. He would follow the action up with words meant to console but they would only cause more heartache. Dexter’s hand reached her jaw, newly formed calluses caressing her skin as he spread his fingers to cup her chin. His knees brushed against hers. Warm breath fanned into her face. She could smell the rich berry scent of the tribal greeting drink on his breath. So close. Close enough to touch. To taste. To grab hold of and not let go until he was buried inside her, where he belonged. Why couldn’t he see Natanne wasn’t the right woman for him? His knees shifted. His naked chest, with that amazing torso known to get the pheromones oozing for miles around, rubbed across the peaks of her nipples. His breathing heightened. Hers picked up in response. White-hot need tingled between her thighs, making her clit ache with awareness. Elaina’s breath caught. This didn’t feel like consoling. This felt like a real seduction. Dexter’s chest slid against hers again, and then his lips found her forehead, kissing gently before pulling quickly away. But not quickly enough to stop her audible inhale. She’d expected—rather, hoped for—a mouth kiss, but the subtle caress affected her every bit as strongly. Her pussy pulsed and she had to bite back her whimper for more. The hot press of his chest left her. His fingers remained, his thumb idly stroking her jaw. No doubt able to feel her pulse hammering. “I was wrong about Natanne being my soul mate. She’s not.” Why?

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The brash Elaina of old would have shouted the word, demanded an answer to his behavior. She wasn’t that Elaina anymore and so long as she didn’t ask the question she could hold out hope he’d returned to the hut not just because he didn’t want Natanne, but because his sister was right and he truly did care for a single mother. Not one in Asia as Elaina had assumed either, but the one with him now. Dexter lingered another few seconds and then moved away. For an instant, she felt cold despite the humid night. Then she heard the whisper of material against skin and a firestorm of lust coiled thick in her belly. She curled her fingers into fists with the knowledge that he’d undressed. He was naked, lying on a mat not five feet away. Waiting for her? What if he was? What if he wasn’t? Either way, she should ignore his presence and move back to her own mat. Forget lust and focus on priorities, on being a good mother. She would need to wake extra early if she was to be well on her way to finding the Canniper plant before Dexter noticed her absence. Rest was essential. Only, she couldn’t rest. Couldn’t ignore the raw desire that clawed at her like a caged beast screaming to be let out. Would it make her such a bad mother to give in to that beast, just for a short while? Rest was essential, but the odds she would sleep tonight were next to zero. No matter how much she pretended otherwise, the odds she and Dexter could get back to their platonic friendship were nearly as slim. She might as well voyage into what could be the final frontier of their relationship and speak her mind. Heart slamming against her ribs, Elaina said a quick prayer that success would for once be on her side. She dragged in a courage-fortifying breath, letting it out quickly. “It wasn’t a heat of the moment thing.” No response. Not even a sigh. She couldn’t fail at this. She wouldn’t. “Dex? Did you hear me?” “Yeah.”

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The lone word held the rough edge of arousal. It was enough to send hope barreling through her. Before her nerve could wane, she forged on, crawling through the dark, across the hut’s dirt-packed floor, not stopping until her hand found a bare, hairy leg that tensed beneath her touch. She felt her way up his body, thrilling in the play of each sinewy muscle. Her hope soared and she smiled hugely when her fingers encountered the swollen length of his impressive cock. Wetness filled her sex with the thought of taking him into her mouth and sucking him dry. How she’d been aching to do that very thing for hours. For Dexter’s sake, she moved on until her hands met with his scruffy jaw. She would get her chance to savor every inch of him, as soon as she made him see how badly she wanted him and that it had nothing to do with obligation. She traced his lips with her fingertips. “It wasn’t a heat of the moment thing, Dex. I wanted you for real.” He caught her hand in his and lifted it away. “You just think you did. You feel obligated to me for bringing you here.” “We both know I do, but that had nothing to do with it. Obligation wouldn’t have had me crazy with jealousy over the idea of your sleeping with Natanne. I hid my feelings before, but I can’t anymore. I won’t. This trip has given me a whole different impression of you. You’re not the man I thought you were.” “What? I’m an even bigger nerd?” His tone wasn’t self-deprecating, but serious. Somehow she had to make him lose the somber note, to make his physical stimulation extend to the rest of him. “I haven’t thought of you as a nerd in years. Okay, I admit I have thought it, but I was wrong. You aren’t. Out here, you’re really in your element. It’s hot, Dex. It makes me hot to watch you.” He sighed. “You’re tired, from the long flight, the hike. From all the nights you’ve lain awake worrying about Corbin when you should have been sleeping. Get some sleep, Elaina. Everything will be clearer in the morning.” 52

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“I don’t think I can. Not when my body’s on fire for you.” If there was ever a time to reclaim the brash Elaina of old, it was now. Letting desire rule her, she leaned forward and brushed his whiskered cheek with her fingers. When he didn’t lift her hand away, she lowered her lips to inches from his mouth, let the warmth of her breath affect him the same way his had her. “From nearly the moment we stepped into this rainforest, my pussy’s been so wet for you I feel like my own personal water faucet. The orgasm you gave me at the lake was incredible, but still not enough. I need the real thing.” She brushed his mouth with hers, tingling with even that subtle contact. “Make love with me, Dexter. Please.” “Elaina…” He was tingling, too, itching with the need to pull her into his arms. She could taste his restraint, just past the sweet flavor of berries and the virile tang of man. “I swear this has nothing to do with debt. This is about you and me, and the fact that I want you so badly it hurts.” Brushing his lips once more, this time a bit harder, she reached for his groin. Gently, she took his cock into her hand and stroked. He sucked in a hard breath. She smiled against his lips, lengthening her strokes. “That’s feels good, doesn’t it? Don’t deny it. You’ve wanted me for years. I’ve always known and for a long time I thought it was sweet. Now, I don’t think it’s sweet. I think it’s exactly what I want, too. Fuck me, Dexter. Help me clear my mind of everything but the two of us and how good you’ll feel inside me. Make me remember how wonderful it is to be a woman.”

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Chapter Six Dexter swore under his breath as every bit of his self-restraint drained away. He’d brought this situation on himself. He’d told himself he would return to Elaina’s hut and sleep next to her; in doing so, earn back her respect. From the second he entered the hut and heard her crying, he’d been in trouble. From the instant he slid his hands along her delectable curves and felt her body’s stimulated response, he’d been a goner. Then when he’d gotten naked, he’d been screwed. His rationale had been that it was too hot to sleep with clothes on. But the truth was there was nothing rational about his behavior. He’d stripped because he was a lovesick fool who, at the first sign of real desire from Elaina, had sunk in well over his head. He should acknowledge her words, that it was the jungle setting that had her hot for him. He should remember why they were here and that it was very likely Corbin was sick because of him. Telling Elaina the truth would be more effective than any cold shower or cruel words. Only, Dexter couldn’t get the truth out. Not when she lay over him, begging for the one thing he’d spent years fantasizing about. He could only gather her lush, warm body close and give her everything she asked for. “I swore I wouldn’t do this…” He brought her under him on the mat, cutting his words off with an open-mouthed kiss as savage as the jungle that surrounded them. He couldn’t kiss her any other way, couldn’t stop the franticness of his hands as they tugged down the cups of her bra to gather her breasts. Nearly a decade’s worth of lust raged through his body, making his cock throb for release. In the past, it had only taken thoughts of Elaina’s sweet body to find that release, generally by his own hand. Tonight, he wouldn’t be climaxing until he was buried inside her.

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His body thrumming, Dexter suckled at her tongue, reveling in her taste. All natural. She’d changed in that way over the last few years. She used to dress up and wear makeup, spritz her body with perfume. She’d looked and smelled damned good, and still he preferred her natural, just the honey-skinned beauty she was. He pulled back, nibbling on her full lower lip, before moving his mouth to her breasts. “I want you,” he admitted, his voice rough. He rolled an erect nipple between his teeth, applying pressure when she arched up. Moaning, she gathered his hair in her hands and tugged. Every strand seemed somehow connected to his groin. His shaft pulsed. His balls tightened. The primal urge to sink his teeth into her flesh and mark her as his own rioted through him. He’d never felt less like a nerd and more like a manly man in his life. “God, how I want you, Elaina.” “Yes.” She used her grip on his hair to press his mouth more firmly against her breast. “I want this, too. I want you inside me now. Please don’t make me wait a moment longer.” “Not a chance.” Laving her nipple, he teased his hands down her sides. She trembled when his fingertips grazed the indentions at her waist and he smiled against her sweaty flesh. Hypersensitive. All the better. His fingers journeyed on, encountering two lacy strings at her hips that made it clear she’d removed her shorts for sleeping. Just a flimsy pair of panties separated him from nirvana. Thanking the good Lord for making those dig tools a lot heavier than they looked, Dexter curled his fingers under the sides of the straps and jerked. The sound of ripping material filled the hut. Elaina’s rapid breathing followed. Glorying in that sound, he pushed a finger through her curls to find her pussy dripping. He grinned, unable to stop from feeling smug. All these years he’d craved her. All these years he’d been falling for her. And finally he was getting her, no obligation attached.

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“See…” Her breath came out as wheezes as he worked his finger in and out of her juicy cunt. “The Dexter I thought you were would never do that. He would carefully remove my panties, fold them, and then set them aside.” He snorted a laugh. Hell, she’d thought he was the geekiest of geeks ever. “The folding thing’s a bit much, but the rest of it is me. Usually it is.” He placed damp kisses on her belly, working his way down. The scent of her arousal filled his senses and brought back the urge to brand her as his own. “You make me lose control, Elaina. You make me want to fuck you just by smiling at me.” “Dex.” Her fingers slid back into his hair, yanking his head up so they would be face-to-face. “You can’t tell in the dark, but I’m smiling.” “And I’m fucking you, honey.” He slid into her with a hard thrust that had them both crying out. The shouts died as their lips met, tangling in a frantic possession their bodies mimicked. She was so warm, so wet, so wanting in a way he’d never imagined possible. Dexter rolled them over, until she rode him from above. He unhooked her bra and cupped her breasts. He would prefer to have light, so he could see the supple mounds filling his palms. He didn’t have light, but he could imagine well. Just as he could imagine her glistening pussy, milking his cock as he pumped into her. Elaina’s hands found his, gripping onto his fingers. Repeatedly, she rubbed the hard ridge of her mound against the base of his cock. Orgasm came swiftly, washing over her like a tidal wave. He could feel it in the snug way her sex hugged his, hear it in the tautness of her voice as she screamed, “Oh, yes, Dex! Don’t ever stop.” And, as he gave into his own soul-bending climax, he could envision it on her lovely face. He could easily see her eyes dark and shining with pleasure and her lips deep red and swollen from his kisses. Dexter wanted to keep both expressions on her face forever, but he had two big strikes against him. First, there was the source of Corbin’s illness. And second, the reality that Elaina only wanted the man he’d been since entering the jungle. The one she 56

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claimed to get hot and wet just watching. Sometimes he was that man, but more often he spent his days writing and reading technical reports, and digging for hidden treasure. Despite what Carolyn claimed, those weren’t the sort of actions that marked him a manly man, but a true nerd. Could Elaina ever want a guy like that on a permanent basis? Could she love him the way he loved her?

***** She was sore, in all the best places. With a satiated smile, Elaina opened her eyes. Sunlight bled through the minute cracks in the hut’s walls. The light, coupled with the lack of Dexter’s strong arms around her, had her smile caving to instant panic. She shot up from the mat into a sitting position, only to have her fear realized. She was alone and it was well past dawn. After dressing quickly in yesterday’s shorts and a fresh tank top from her backpack, she dashed out the hut’s door. Women and kids milled about the camp, but there wasn’t a man to be seen. Including Dexter. “He is gone.” Elaina turned with the thickly accented words to find Natanne sitting a few feet away. Naked again from the waist up, she mashed a large, round block into a rough wooden bowl, making some sort of white paste. Another time, Elaina would have been uncomfortable around the woman after what happened last night. Now, all she could think was that she’d failed Corbin yet again. In Dexter’s arms, sleep had come easily. Too easily. And obviously too soundly. She should have been well on her way to finding her son’s cure by now. But maybe all wasn’t lost yet. If Dexter was gone, she could still set out without his knowledge. “Dexter’s gone?” Natanne nodded, but didn’t bother to look up from her work. Just as well, since Elaina didn’t care to meet her eyes. “He say, ‘Do not worry’.” 57

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The panic Elaina had known upon waking to find Dex gone returned, stiffening her spine. He was amazing with his machete. What possible reason could he have for thinking she would worry? “He went hunting, right?” Another nod. “For plant.” For plant? No. That wasn’t possible. Natanne couldn’t mean Dexter had set off after the Canniper plant. Without her. He wouldn’t do that. He knew how important it was that she be the one to find it. Or at least help him to find it. Only, he would do that. He was just the type to leave her safely sleeping while he went out and risked life and limb. Damn it, she did not want a hero. Fear and anger tangled in Elaina’s belly. “Which way did he go?” Natanne pointed towards the far side of camp where the clearing quickly turned to a riot of vines and underbrush. “Father take. He is safe.” Dexter probably was safe, but all Elaina could think of was his warning about the dangers of the area he currently traipsed through. He’d said even locals veered away because it was such savage land. She was the only one who should be out there. Only, in the light of day, she realized that wasn’t possible—she needed someone who knew the area and what the plant looked like to guide her. That someone wouldn’t be Dexter. As soon as she caught up with the search party, she would demand Dexter and all but one of the tribal members return to camp. Elaina went back into the hut long enough to pull on her hiking boots and then started in the direction Natanne had indicated. “He not be happy if you hurt,” Natanne called after her. Elaina’s heart squeezed over the implication in the words. Natanne would never say them unless Dexter had shared his feelings for Elaina with her. What were those feelings? Lust? Affection? Love? Now wasn’t the time for wistfulness. She had to find her man immediately. “Then I’ll be sure to be careful,” she tossed over her shoulder and hurried on with the trek.

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Twenty minutes later, Elaina realized how impossible it was to be careful while walking through the jungle copse. Only walking wasn’t the word for the herky-jerky steps she took. Without Dexter’s machete to clear the way, she was forced to use her bare hands on the tangled foliage and to go around those clusters of vines and brush that wouldn’t be swayed. Natanne had said the men had come this way, but if they had, their path was already overgrown. Unless the woman had lied for the purpose of getting Elaina permanently lost so Dexter would return to her bed. Given Natanne’s parting words, the idea seemed unlikely. Still, it twisted Elaina’s belly and had her moving on at a pace too fast for the surroundings. To heck with her numerous scratches and cuts and the soreness of her throat, which reminded her she’d set out without thought to water. Her body would heal and she would either catch up with the men or return to camp before dehydration set in. Elaina continued on for over an hour when branches snapped in the near distance. She jerked to a halt with what sounded like the familiar clicks and pops of the Taramie people. Wiping grimy sweat from her face, she squinted to make out something that resembled human life through the nonstop bramble. A patch of dark brown flashed thirty yards away and sweet relief cruised through her. Dex’s hair. Thank God. Forgetting to bring water had moved from an oversight to a purely idiotic move, and she felt like she was literally dying for a drink. Newfound strength urging her on, she hurried to catch up with the group of men. But they just kept moving in the other direction. She was never going to make enough progress. There was only one way to reach him. “Dexter!” Elaina’s throat ached its protest, but she gave in to another yell. A yell that worked. The brown patch stopped. It started up again, moving toward her. She sighed loudly and just resisted the urge to give in to her fatigue and plop down on the jungle floor. All that would do was add more scrapes to a growing plethora of them. Not to mention, prove to Dexter how right he’d been in leaving her behind. He could think she was insane for forgetting water, but there was no way she would admit to her weariness.

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Truthfully, she wasn’t even that tired. A little water and she would be as good as new. Ready to give Dexter the chewing out he deserved. Or not, Elaina thought seconds later as the brown patch came into clearer view. The breath caught in her throat while her heart galloped. She curled her fingernails against her palms as terror gripped her. Not Dexter’s hair. Not a human at all. But a razor-fanged leopard that even from twenty feet away and separated by undergrowth looked ready to swallow her whole. The twenty feet became ten in a flash. Then the cat was in front of her, behind her, circling so fast it made her dizzy. Or maybe that was the humidity. Or the idea she was about to die because she was an idiot. She hadn’t thought it possible for an animal to find its way through the thicket. She’d decided that Dexter’s talk of the area being so savage had been just another ruse to keep her home. Now, she knew better. Now, she wished she would have let Dexter play the hero and waited to give him his tongue-lashing when he returned to camp. The leopard circled back in front of her. Came to a standstill. A low-pitched growl rolled from his mouth. Corbin was a huge fan of Animal Planet and she’d watched the show with him enough to know what happened next. She became lunch. Elaina wouldn’t go down that easily. She had to run. Or maybe leopards were like bears and she was better off playing dead. The choice was made for her when she attempted to move and realized she was frozen in the same panicked state she’d been in at the lake. God, she wasn’t just a failure, she was pathetic. The cat came closer, nostrils flaring, mouth open wide to emit strings of drool and a toxic-smelling odor that gathered bile at the back of her throat. The killing glare in the animal’s yellow eyes suggested it wasn’t fooled by her stoic state. It knew she was alive and had every intention of making her its next meal. The leopard reared back on its haunches. She tried to get her feet moving again in vain. All that was left to do now was pray Dexter came through for Corbin and, for herself, a quick death. She closed her eyes against the impending attack. 60

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Enraged shouts and the crashing of something big into the twisted plant life interrupted what Elaina hoped would be a peaceful demise. The thump of something heavy meeting with the ground quickly followed. Her pulse racing, she opened her eyes. And nearly wept. The cat lay motionless on the ground. Dexter squatted over the animal’s still body, machete raised and ready. Blood oozed from the knife’s blade and splattered his face, glasses and T-shirt. She’d never been a fan of gore, but now it was the most beautiful sight she could imagine and it brought tears to her eyes. Words issued in Taramie to Dexter’s right had Elaina realizing they weren’t alone. Marte and his sons were with them. With a nod over his shoulder at Marte, Dexter stood. He righted his semi-askew glasses, came to her and hauled her up against him. Comfort came and then went the instant she looked up at his face. The murderous gleam in his eyes sent her tears scurrying for shelter while her body trembled. He looked savage, incensed. Nothing like the gentle-hearted Dexter she knew. “Are you okay?” His words rolled through gritted teeth. “No. Yes. I am now. You killed him.” She realized he still held the machete in a death grip, the side of the blade staining her tank top with blood. Her tremors grew. He followed the direction of her gaze, quickly dropping the knife, but not softening his look. “He was going to kill you.” “I know. I couldn’t—” “Move. Like yesterday. At the lake.” Dexter set her back from him to shove a hand through his sweat-matted hair. “Fuck, Elaina, you shouldn’t be here. I should never have agreed to bring you to Africa in the first place.” She tensed with his crude tone. He’d never spoken to her so harshly. She wanted to lash out at him in return, but she couldn’t because he was right. “How did you know where I was?” He snorted. “As loudly as you move, I think most the animals in the jungle know

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where you are. Probably half of them are waiting for their chance at lunch.” He was right, but that didn’t give him a license to ridicule her. It turned his selfless act of saving her life on its ear and made it seem he’d suddenly stepped into Jayson’s shoes, making her see what a failure she was at yet another thing. Only she was through with thoughts of Jayson and past through with being a failure. Anger replaced the remnants of Elaina’s fear. Planting her hands at her hips, she met Dexter’s glare with her own. “I know what I did was stupid, but it’s over with and so is your trip.” She looked to the handful of tribal men, then back at Dexter. “You should never have sneaked off this morning. You shouldn’t be out here at all, risking your lives for my son.” She squatted and grabbed the machete. Blood rolled down the blade onto her fingers, making her stomach turn over, but she refused to acknowledge the queasy sensation. Standing, she fisted the knife the way she’d seen Dexter holding it. “I have protection now. Go back to camp.” She looked to the rest of the men. “I can’t deny that I need one of you as a guide, but the rest of you go with Dexter.” Crossing his arms, Dexter shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere but after that plant. Corbin may be your responsibility, but it’s my job to see he’s cured.” “Why? I never asked you to be a hero. No one did.” Hurt flashed through his eyes. “I know damned well what I am and that I don’t have what it takes to be a hero. That isn’t what this is about.” Elaina’s anger burned out with his look and words. She hadn’t exactly thanked him for saving her life, but he had to know what a heroic thing he’d done. Later she would take it up with him. “Then what?” He drew in a breath, looked around them, then back at her. All trace of his fury was gone, replaced with a guilt that seemed etched into every inch of his body. “I’m the reason he’s sick, Elaina.” She took a step back with the words. “What?” “It’s the truth. If Corbin has this infection, I’m the one who gave it to him. I was in Africa right before I came home for Thanksgiving last year. I carried the virus to him.” 62

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His voice quieted with regret. “I’m sorry.” It wasn’t possible. Was it? Elaina hugged her arms around herself as thoughts spun through her head. “That doesn’t make any sense. If you were a carrier, why didn’t I get it? Why didn’t anyone in your sister’s family?” “It only infects kids. Why my nephew didn’t get it, I have no idea.” He smiled weakly. “Just lucky, I guess.” It was possible. Dexter’s self-loathing expression said it was so, and he was too smart to be wrong. He wasn’t nearly smart enough to know she could never place blame on him. Anyone else she would likely have hated simply for their bad luck. Dexter might have been pulling a Jayson routine a few seconds ago, but he was still Dexter and she could never hate him. Almost never. If Corbin had this infection and the antidote failed… No. She wouldn’t consider that as an option. He did have the infection and the antidote would work and soon he would be the happy, smiling boy of a year ago. This time she would be a success. And once Corbin was cured, she would be successful in other ways, too. Elaina smiled reassuringly at the man she wanted to be successful at a lasting relationship with. “It isn’t your fault, Dex. You had no way of knowing.” “No. But I do now. I need to find this plant.” Offering her hand to him, she nodded. “So do I.” “I wish you would go back,” he said sternly. Softening his tone, he took her hand and pulled her to his side. “But I know you won’t. Stick close to me, Elaina. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

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not for Elaina, his mind wouldn’t be racing with pointless hope. She had forgiven him for the part he potentially played in Corbin’s illness. That didn’t mean things between them were ready to progress to some level other than the physical, or even that he should allow the physical to happen again. Elaina wanted the manly man he was out here in the jungle. And that man would be gone the day after tomorrow when their plane landed in the States. He would be a nerd again. And he was fine with that. He was happy with who he was. If she wasn’t, too bad. Life would go on and he would go back to the dig in Asia, no better or worse than when he’d left. Right. And maybe Africa would freeze over tonight. Dexter escaped the depths of the lie by donning the traditional garb of grass skirt and halo and joining in with the other men as the tribal progenitor led them in a healing dance around a high burning fire. Clothed in a robe of vivid yellows and reds, the elderly woman raised her arms to the night sky and chanted a song of revival to the Great Spirit of the rainforest. No other woman was allowed to take part in the ritual dances, so they stood outside the ring of dancers and chanted quietly. For the next twenty minutes, Dexter concentrated on the purpose of this night, the healing dances and songs meant to aid in Corbin’s recovery. Along with the other men, he ceased his moves as the songs ended with a prayer of healing and the release of a Guala bird. The white-bodied, blue-winged bird was said to be magical. Defying the laws of both time and medicine, it carried the progenitor’s words of health to the sick person and brought with it newfound faith and wellness. He prayed that the legend was accurate. A look at Elaina’s hope-filled face as she watched the bird disappear into the night sky suggested her mind was occupied by prayer, too. He’d done well in ignoring her since returning to camp. He couldn’t ignore her now, as she turned a smile on him. She’d stripped off her tank top upon exiting the tangled underbrush. Firelight danced across her light brown skin, drawing out the lush curves of her breasts over top of the cups of her bra and the length of her shapely legs beneath snug cotton shorts. Her eyes looked rich as gold in the light.

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His cock hardened at the memory of caressing every inch of her, and the lie he’d managed to escape through dancing returned to grab him by the throat. He couldn’t return to the dig site unchanged. He could never be unchanged after loving Elaina. A new song began, capturing Dexter’s full attention. The lyrics were lively, rowdy by American standards, and growing in strength with each new Taramie who sang along. Around him, the men danced, their arms raised skyward while their pelvises thrust toward him. His cock hardened further at the thought of what was to come. It was no healing song they chanted now. No revival dance that had their hips thrusting with blatant carnality. It was the dance that followed an especially successful hunt. The dance played after wedding ceremonies and new births. The dance he’d been led into by Natanne following his initiation rite into the tribe. The dance of wild lovers. He looked from the men to Elaina. He already knew what to expect and still his heart went out to her as a half dozen women grabbed hold of her and pushed her toward the fire. Elaina’s smile fell. Horror filled her eyes to mimic her expression when she’d been faced with the leopard. She probably thought she was being given to the fire as a sacrifice. Someone was being given as a sacrifice, but it wasn’t her. It was him. Singing loudly, hedonistic smiles painting their dark faces, the women continued to push her toward the fire. They stopped feet away, where Dexter stood in front of the blazing flames. Relief visibly settled over Elaina. Still, she grabbed for her hair, fiddling with the ends, the way she always did when nervous. “What’s going on?” Something he shouldn’t allow. He should make the tribe stop the ritual. Making love with Elaina again would only make saying goodbye to her that much harder when she remembered the man he was outside of the jungle. Dexter couldn’t say the words. His body ached to feel the soft glide of her warm skin against his—for his cock to bury into the deliciously wet folds of her pussy. His fingers to palm the full golden globes of her breasts. No matter how much he lived to regret it, so long as she wanted him in return, tonight he would have her. 65

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She stood inches from him, close enough that a single step would have her body cradled against his. That was exactly where the Taramies expected her to be, so he reached out, grabbed her around waist, and pulled her to him. Elated shouts went up around them. Elaina eyed him wildly. Before she could repeat her question, he whispered in her ear, “They’ve given Corbin all they can in the way of renewal. And now they’re giving you something, too. Me.” Shivering with the response, she rose on tiptoe to question, “Why?” Every nerve in Dexter’s body came to life with the heat of her breath teasing his ear. His hips shoved forward automatically. He was naked beneath the grass skirt and his erection pushed past the long, thick blades to rub against her bare belly. Elaina looked down, her mouth curving hungrily as she spied the pre-cum glistening on her skin. She licked her lips seductively, and the head of his cock leaked more silky fluid. He growled in the back of his throat. Shit, how she affected him made him want to act untamed and completely out of control. His blood sizzled with the need to push between her thighs and fuck her this very minute. “It’s one of their rituals.” He slid his hands up her back and found the clasp of her bra. From the lust reflected in her eyes to the steady rise and fall of her breasts, it was clear she wanted him. A lifetime of ethics made him give her an out. “We don’t have to do anything beyond undressing each other.” Her nostrils flared as he unhooked the clasp. The bra fell to the ground to reveal hard nipples centering dark areolas. Excitement dilated her pupils. “We’re going to get completely naked? In front of them?” She didn’t sound turned off by the idea. The opposite, in fact, and it stimulated him all the more. Blood pumping loudly in his ears, Dexter slid his hands down her back to cup the sweetest little ass he’d ever laid eyes on. He pleasured in the softness of her buttocks and then made quick work of her zipper. “The human body should always be naked in their minds,” he said roughly as he tugged the shorts and panties down her legs, exposing her intimately to the night and 66

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the eyes of all those who surrounded them. The dark curls of her sex shone with the juices of arousal in the firelight. The musky sweet scent of her excitement filled his nostrils. His hands shook as the urge to lean forward and spear her pussy with his tongue stole through him. Elaina’s hands came to his shoulders, her small palms curving over his bare skin. She questioned in a throaty voice, “What happens when we’re naked?” He returned to undressing her, until her shorts and panties lay in a heap next to their feet. Slowly, he worked his way back up her body, pausing to admire what he hadn’t taken the time for at the lake and couldn’t see last night—dimpled knees and a small white scar on the inside of one thigh. And cuts. Lots and lots of them. All fresh. Her dark skin, darkened more with her tan, camouflaged them from a distance. Up close, he couldn’t miss them or mistake where they’d come from. He shouldn’t have left her this morning. They’d made love until the small hours of the morning and he thought, as a result, she would sleep until the search party returned to camp. He should have known better. Should have known that lasting sleep was a thing of fiction for Elaina since Corbin had taken ill and that the second she discovered Dexter missing, she would be hot on his trail with the need to find her son’s cure herself. She would have died if he hadn’t been out there. Dexter’s gut clenched. He closed his eyes on the vision of the leopard leaping at her, its mouth open, teeth ready to tear into her flesh, rip her limb from limb. He opened his eyes to escape the gruesome scene and the clenching in his gut turned from pain to pleasure, while his balls hugged his body tight. Elaina’s thighs were parted inches from his face. Her pussy lay open, her golden brown folds glistening with her cream. Her clit distended and puffy. Giving him his own private pleasure. The Taramies could see her beautiful body, but not the juices that welled within. “They’ll expect us to have sex,” he said thickly, fisting his hands to stop from 67

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pumping his fingers inside her. “Once we start, they’ll join in.” Her grip tightened on his shoulders, her nails pressing into his flesh. “They expect us to have an orgy?” “No. They’ll have sex around us, not with us. But we don’t have to do it in front of them. We can pretend like we’re going to—the way we are now—and once they’re distracted with pleasuring each other, we can go back to the hut.” She cocked her head to the side, eyeing him through narrowed eyes as she gave her lower lip a slow, lusty lick. He grunted. Damn, but he wanted to be the one doing the licking. “Then what? What are we supposed to do after we go back to the hut and we’re naked and aroused and wanting each other. Are we supposed to go to sleep?” “We can. Probably should. I don’t want to.” “Me either.” What Elaina wanted was the very desires she could see in Dexter’s eyes. To feel his fingers petting her slick folds while his tongue pierced her cunt. She wanted to take him into her mouth in return, run her tongue over the veins of his cock and suck him dry. She wanted to fuck him here and now. She might not be the brazen Elaina of old anymore, but she wasn’t the Elaina she’d been a week ago either. That woman was scared, weak, faithless, all the things she couldn’t afford to be. Fisting her hand in his hair, she urged his mouth toward her pussy. “Lick me, Dex. Tell me how I taste.” Dexter moved his head back far enough to glance around them. She followed his gaze. The Taramies were seeing to their own pleasure. Some men stripped away the meager clothes they and their partners wore, while others were already touching, palming their lover’s breasts, or watching with heavy-lidded satisfaction as their women sucked their long, thick black cocks between their lips. Lyrics were replaced with shouts, cries of pleasure and ecstasy. A particularly loud cry, followed by words Elaina couldn’t understand brought her attention to Natanne. She hadn’t thought much of the young woman since leaving camp this morning. Now, she couldn’t help but stare. Natanne was completely naked to reveal a shaved mound 68

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that gleamed in the firelight as a skirt-wearing Taramie lowered her to her knees in the grass. He spoke, again words Elaina couldn’t understand, but clearly he was asking Natanne to fuck him with her mouth, as the girl found his erection through the grass of his skirt, palming his rigid cock and taking the head between her lips. Her tongue licked the length of his massive shaft, and Elaina’s pussy pulsed with a flood of wetness. That wetness became a deluge as another man fell to his knees behind Natanne. This one naked, his bald head and the pre-cum that coated the meaty tip of his cock glistened. Elaina sucked in a breath as the man fingered Natanne’s crack. He pushed two fingers into her asshole and her eyes rounded. Her mouth worked faster on the other man, as if the ministrations of one fueled her to give greater pleasure to the other. “We don’t have to do this here.” Her breath coming hard, Elaina looked back at Dexter. He still kneeled before her, his mouth inches from her seeping pussy. The idea he didn’t want to watch his ex-lover having sex with other men entered her mind and then quickly left again. He wasn’t even looking at Natanne, but eyeing Elaina’s cunt as if he couldn’t wait to feast on it. The very thought had sizzling heat racing from her womb to her breasts and her pussy shivering on the verge of climax. “I want it here, Dex. I want you now.” His hands wrapped around her ankles, slowly working their way up her legs. She trembled with his light touch and unhurried pace—please, please hurry—then nearly screamed when he stilled his hands to ask, “You’re sure?” “Yes! Please fuck me before I explode!” Her voice was frantic with her ever increasing need. She jerkily nodded at Natanne. The man behind Natanne had replaced his fingers with his cock, thrusting hard into her ass, filling her so completely her face contorted. With each slam of his cock into her asshole, shrill grunts of pleasure lit the night. “Like that,” Elaina said breathlessly, anticipation for her own orgasm reaching a fever pitch. Dexter glanced at Natanne then back at Elaina. Wildness sizzled in his eyes, yet his 69

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Adam’s apple bobbed. Damn it, she had to slow down and remember who she was with. He might look like an Adonis these days, but obviously he didn’t use his rock solid body to lure women into his bed for anal sex. She hadn’t been taken that way before and, even if the thought of being so had her cunt exploding with ecstatic, little mini-spasms, she didn’t need to be tonight. Only, before she could tell him so, Dexter’s hands were at her waist. The mini-spasms of her sex intensified as he turned her around and lowered her to her hands and knees on the lush forest floor. One big finger probed her crack. The sensations that touch evoked were nothing compared to the carnal pleasure that sliced through her as his tongue came down upon her buttocks, trailing quickly downward to lick the sensitized skin around her asshole. Orgasm gripped her hard with that first lick, fisting her fingers in the foliage beneath them. The exquisitely delicious tremors only grew when he lifted his tongue away to vow in voice gone with lust and desire, “You have the sweetest ass.” Elaina attempted to form words, to tell him her ass had nothing on his tongue, but all that came out was a barely comprehensible cry for more. This time he moved without hesitation, slipping his finger shallowly into her hole. The shudders of her orgasm had subsided, but another built with each new centimeter his finger moved within her asshole and her sphincter muscles relaxed reflexively. Dexter came over her then, pressing his sweaty, muscled chest against her back and his mouth to her ear. He whispered hotly, “So firm. Tight.” His finger sank a little farther inside, calluses spreading new tremors of erotic pleasure and further relaxing her tight passage. “Wet.” He moved deeper again, then yet again, until finally his finger reached its limit, and then he fondled her asshole with the circling brush of his fingertip. And just like that her pussy was throbbing again. Contracting again. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve dreamed of fucking you like this?” he spoke harshly. The words were more powerful than any carnal caress of his fingertip, or even the 70

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lusty swipe of his tongue could be. Elaina’s cunt flooded with the juices of her orgasm and she cried out once more, this time the sound more similar to the primal language of the Taramie than her own native English. Sighing heavily in her ear, Dexter coated his shaft with the shower of her cream, and then turned her shouts to mindless as he pulled his finger from her asshole and eased his cock inside. Oh. My. God. So deep. So full. So… Her eyes watered until she could barely see Natanne and her lovers. And then she couldn’t seem them at all, as her eyes shut against tears of exquisite pleasure and ecstasy. But she could speak—for the first time in a long while, she could—and there was only one thing she wanted to say, “Oh, God, Dex! Yes! Fuck me just like that!” As if the words set free the carefully caged wild man within him, he grasped her breasts in his hands and thrust hard inside her ass. Plucking at her nipples, he slammed into her again and again. His balls drummed against her pussy from behind, coaxing forth more juices and the building pressure of a third orgasm. “So good, Elaina,” he rasped near her ear. “You feel so Goddamned good.” His mouth took her ear, ravaging it with his tongue, his lips and his teeth. Climax spun recklessly through her and with those love bites, he took her over completely. She screamed as the most incredible release of her life pounded through her. His own elated shout followed as he thrust hard into her ass and filled her with the hot rush of his cum. Long seconds passed as Elaina drank in the moment, the feel of Dexter’s warm and silky seed inside her, the pleasure being had by the Taramies all around them, and then weakness took its toll. When she felt her hands and knees would give out and she would sink to the jungle floor, Dexter was there, supporting her. Pulling from her body, he stood with her in his arms and moved toward their hut. Only, he didn’t stop at the hut, but kept walking on past. She opened her mouth to ask where he was going. He shushed her with a finger to her lips and kept moving on to a 71

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narrow path through the underbrush that surrounded the camp. Several hundred feet down the path, a lake seemed to rise up out of nowhere, the moon reflecting on the water’s still surface. Dexter broke that stillness, wading them both into the water. He didn’t set her down until he reached the far shore and then he didn’t set her in the water, but onto a table rock that met with the water’s edge. Grinning in a way that said the savage man still had hold of him, and yet the sweet man was in there, too, he looked up. “Does that answer your question?” Elaina frowned. “What question?” “You asked me if there were stars in Africa.” She had asked that, when she’d been struggling to accept he would be spending the night, and quite likely the rest of his life, in Natanne’s arms. Only, he wasn’t in Natanne’s arms. He was in hers, or at least he would be again soon. Elaina took nearly a full minute to gaze upon the breathtaking night sky—more than the moon shone through the canvas of treetops above, nearly every constellation appeared visible—and then she spread her legs and lifted her arms out to Dexter. Chest-deep in the water, he moved into the vee of her thighs. Lifting her just barely off the rock, he moved her hips to the edge, so that her pussy brushed up against his chest hair and had her clit standing on end with awareness all over again. He looked up into her face and she could see his was once more gone with desire. Keeping his eyes locked on hers, he bathed her sex and inner thighs with the warm lake water. And then he bent his head and he bathed her pussy far more sensuously with the lazy lick of his tongue. Her fingers grasped his hair with the heart-pounding and totally unexpected move. Her hips shot forward greedily, thrusting against his face, already demanding more. He didn’t disappoint, but licked and sucked and blew on every inch of her sex, from her quickly swelling folds to her wondrously tender clit, and then he shoved his tongue inside of her and pushed her over the edge once again. Dexter lapped at Elaina’s sex, until the cream was cleaned from her body and she felt bone-weary in a way she couldn’t remember feeling before. He moved his head 72

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from between her thighs and straightened with a sexy, sweet smile she so desperately hoped was laden with his heart. “You asked me how you taste,” he said languorously. “Just like heaven.” The sentimental words squeezed at her heart and had her wanting to believe even more that he could love her as she now knew beyond a doubt she loved him. Just in case it wasn’t his heart she saw in his smile, she kept her wonder to herself and slid into the water to discover the heavenly taste of Dexter’s cock. Soon, his cum filled her mouth and slid deliciously down her throat.

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Chapter Seven The night from Heaven had become the day from Hell. Yesterday, she’d been convinced she was a changed woman, stronger, sure of herself and her abilities. Last night, she’d voyaged to the stars and back with the man she loved. Today, there were no stars. Today, Elaina struggled to fight off tears and screams of denial over the horrific turn things had just taken. The morning had been bad enough. She’d awakened to find Dexter gone from the hut, this time hunting. She didn’t see him until it was time to hike out of the rainforest. He’d been moody on the walk, staving off her attempts at conversation. He wasn’t the passionate man who’d held her last night. Wasn’t even the kindhearted man she’d viewed him as before coming to Africa. He’d become a stranger with the light of day—a man whose actions made it seem he not only didn’t love her but that he once more regretted making love with her. Five minutes ago, his behavior had been foremost on her mind. Then she’d used an airport phone to call Carolyn and heard the most horrifying words of her life. Corbin was dying. It wasn’t just him saying he was anymore, his doctor had confirmed it. Past broken sobs, Carolyn had told her he would be lucky to make it through the night. Lucky to make it long enough for Elaina to say a last goodbye. To see the life fade from her baby’s eyes forever. To tell him one last time how much she loved him. That she would never forget him. That she would see him in Heaven someday. “Oh, God…” The phone fell, forgotten from Elaina’s hand, clanking against the metal base that supported it as she lost the fight to her tears.

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Cold, hard reality set in, racking her body with sobs. It no longer mattered if the Canniper plant could cure Corbin. She wasn’t going to make it home on time. She was never going to see her son alive again. The remnants of fight she’d held onto these last months left her in a whooshing breath. Her legs gave out, sending her body crumpling to the terminal floor. Strong arms captured her before she could hit the hard tiling. “Elaina?” Dexter’s worried faced filled her blurred vision. He plopped down in front of the phone pedestal with her on his lap. With the pressure of his thumb under her chin, he forced her to look at him. “What’s the matter? Is it Corbin? Has he gotten sicker?” She opened her mouth to speak. Emotion clogged her throat, made breathing almost impossible. A single shaky word made it out. “Dead.” The blood rushed from Dexter’s face, flooding his tanned skin with pallor. “No!” His body vibrated with the magnitude of his roar. “He can’t be dead. We can’t be too late.” Elaina gave her head a hard shake. She had to find her voice, form words, explain. “He’s not dead yet, Dex,” she whispered. She ran a hand along his whiskered jaw, needing to give reassurance and at the same time steal strength from his solidarity. “But he’s not going to make the night. I failed him.” Unshed tears shimmered in his eyes, fading the typically vivid shade of cornflower blue. Within seconds, those tears morphed into a resolute expression of encouragement. “If someone failed here, it was me by making Corbin sick in the first place. But that doesn’t matter anymore, because he’s not going to die, Elaina. Carolyn’s going to tell him we’re on the way home with a cure. He’s going to live a long happy life with the most wonderful mother a boy could ask for. A woman who has been a huge success at raising a son all on her own. Anyone who knows Corbin would agree.” With the worst upon them, she should hate Dexter, knowing he was quite likely the cause of it. But even with that worst upon them, she could never hate him. 75

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A weak smile blossomed with the conviction in his voice. She’d always clung to his promises, no matter how improbable his ability to see them through. This was one vow she shouldn’t allow herself to believe in, but she had to believe in it. The words were the only thing keeping her from unraveling completely.

***** The shrill wail of an alarm rang from the other end of the hospital’s fifth floor hallway. Staff, garbed in brightly colored scrubs, rushed toward the telling sound. A worker in white charged past Elaina, pushing a crash cart toward the angry wailing. Someone was dying. Would die unless a higher power was on the staff’s side. Someone at the end of the hall. Elaina’s belly cramped with the knowledge Corbin’s room was down there, in the vicinity of where the medical team loomed. How close were they to his room? Inside? Even now slapping paddles to his young body in an attempt to pump life back into it? No. It wasn’t his room they were in. Fate wouldn’t be that cruel to her. She and Dexter had arrived back in the States less than an hour ago. She couldn’t bring herself to call Carolyn for the latest update. Couldn’t stomach the thought of learning of her son’s death over the phone. She’d insisted that Dexter bring her directly to the hospital. News of Corbin’s decline had erased the aloof way Dexter had acted yesterday morning, reemerging the kindhearted man she’d always known. He stood off to the side of the long hallway with her now, waiting for the remainder of the response crew to clear the hall before they continued toward Corbin’s room. Without words, they started walking again. Elaina’s heart beat faster with each step. Foreboding ate at her belly, making the already painful cramps almost unbearable. Halfway down the hall, they reached the floor reception area. She kept her face averted, not wanting someone to recognize her and share their condolences in a way that would dissolve any chance Corbin had of being both alive and cognizant.

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“Ms. Margolas?” A man’s deep, professional-sounding voice pushed past her struggle to shut out her surroundings. The appearance of Corbin’s doctor directly in front of her gave her no choice but to stop and acknowledge them. Through tired eyes, she met his gaze. Anger raged through her that he could look so calm and put together. His graying blond hair was combed perfectly into place, his face showed only the lines of time, no trace of heartache over the impending—please, God, let it be impending—loss of a young boy’s life. And why should it? To him, this was just another day at the office. “What?” She couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice. “I’m sorry, I know you just returned and have to be exhausted, but if you have a few seconds…” He let the words dangle with a smile. Where his calmness stirred her anger, his smile made her want to do him bodily harm. How could he call himself a doctor, someone who vowed to see to the welfare of others, when he stood there and boldly acted happy while her world was crashing down? Elaina glanced down the hallway. The alarm no longer sounded, but the medical team hadn’t left the hospital room either. Not that it mattered, since it wasn’t Corbin’s. Couldn’t be. He was still alive. Would last another few minutes. No, he would last another eighty or ninety years. She forced determination into her words. “Okay.” “We can talk in one of the empty patient rooms.” The doctor gestured toward an open door just down the hallway. Elaina started walking. Dexter’s voice stopped her. “I’ll wait out here.” Her feigned determination left her. They hadn’t exchanged words since entering the hospital, but his presence had been there. She couldn’t take another step without his presence. Couldn’t walk into Corbin’s hospital room, not knowing what to expect without Dexter there to catch her should she fall. She didn’t look at him, was afraid to meet his eyes for fear they held as much grief as she felt. She refused to cry again until she knew her son’s fate. Looking at Dexter was 77

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a sure way to get her sobbing. Blindly, she grabbed for his hand. Warmth and solidarity exuded from his firm grip. She gripped back hard, uncaring if her fingernails bit into his skin. “I need you with me.” “You know I’m always here for you.” As always, she clung to his words as she moved into the vacant room. The doctor closed the door and turned back with that same lighthearted smile in place. “Your son has taken a drastic turn—” “Oh God.” If he’d spoken with sorrow, maybe she could have handled hearing this news, but not with that damned smile. “I can’t do this. I have to see him now.” She jerked on Dexter’s hand, attempting to tug him toward the door. “One last time,” she added on a sniff when he remained rooted in place. “Corbin isn’t dying, Ms. Margolas.” The man’s sudden frown reflected in his voice and had her turning back to him. “He’s healing. His recovery has been remarkable. Yesterday, the chances of his making it even another day weren’t good. Today, I have no doubt he’ll be leaving the hospital within the next week or two.” Elaina blinked as the man’s smile slid back into place. Blinked again as she attempted to digest his words. Corbin. Wasn’t. Dying. “He’s…” No. It was too incredible to believe. Someone was playing a terrible, horrible joke on her. She’d already begun to accept what she couldn’t change, that her life was destined to be filled with heartache and misery. Beeping filled the sudden silence. The doctor looked down, pulling aside the flap of his white jacket to glance at the pager hooked to his belt. He looked back up. “I have to take this. Your son is going to be fine, Ms. Margolas. I’ll be back later to discuss his progress with you in detail, until then go see for yourself.” “Elaina? Are you okay?” Dexter asked following the doctor’s exit.

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He sounded as stunned as she felt. It gave her hope that she wasn’t having a dreamcum-nightmare the second she awoke. That Corbin was going to live. He squeezed her hand and she looked up at him. He wore a smile similar to the doctor’s, but so much wider, so much better looking. It shone with truth. Told her this was no dream. She trembled with stark reality. Sniffed her own smile to the surface and squeezed his hand back, loving that he was here for her, just as she’d always secretly dream he would be. Loving him with all her heart and soul. “Maybe. Yes. I think I am.” “Can you move?” She laughed, actually laughed at that. “Yes. This time I think I can.” “Then get going. Corbin’s waiting for you.” Her smile evaporated, cold anxiety gripping her belly as a question she didn’t want to consider came out. “What if he isn’t, Dex?” “He is. If he wanted you out of his life before, it was only to end both of your suffering.” He pulled his hand from hers, explaining when she frowned. “Corbin might jump to the wrong conclusion.” And what conclusion was that? Now wasn’t the time to wonder over their future, and if Dexter could love her even half as much as she loved him, so she accepted his answer and hurried down the hall. Her heart gave a sympathetic bump to the person the medical staff still worked on in the room two doors down from Corbin’s. Then she opened her son’s door, slipped into the room, and froze. Twenty hours ago, Elaina had been on the verge of losing her baby. Now, he sat in the bed, smiling at her. Just like a normal eight year old. Just like the carefree son she remembered. A river of tears streamed down her face while she smiled so widely it hurt. She wanted to run to him, throw her arms around him, hold him tight and never let go. But for the third time this week, she was trapped in place, frozen this time by a mixture of elation and shock.

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“Looking good, bud.” Dexter’s cheery voice came from behind her. His arms came next, moving around her waist. Lifting her a few inches from the floor, he walked her to her son’s bedside. A shade of her maniacal smile went from her son to Dexter. He recognized her frozen state and, against his better judgment not to give Corbin the wrong idea by invading Elaina’s personal space, he did what he had to do to save her from her immobility. That had to be a sign of how deeply he felt for her. It had to mean she would soon be living her fantasy of the three of them together as a family. “I feel better, Uncle Dex,” Corbin said, pulling Elaina’s thoughts back to her son. “Just like Chully promised.” “Chully?” Dexter asked. “Remember, the magic bird you sent me? He took away my pain, Mom. He told me I’d feel better soon and he wasn’t fibbing. I’m not gonna die.” The bird. The healing Guala bird the Taramies had sent to him two nights ago. Was such a thing possible? Could the bird have somehow magically defied the laws of time and medicine to arrive in her son’s hospital room and heal him so quickly? It didn’t matter if it had or not, her son was back. Her smiling, happy, healthy son. She came unfrozen with that reality, diving onto the side of his bed to pull him into her arms. He’d been so thin when she’d left, his skin tormented with rash. Now all trace of the rash was gone and he felt nearly as hardy as the boy he’d been a year ago. It was a miracle. One she would never have realized on her own. Jayson’s deceit had left her scarred for years, or maybe the right word was scared. Afraid to put her trust in another. Placing her faith in Dexter and accepting his help against her every desire not to do so was the lone reason she could be here now, holding tight to a son who had nearly his entire life ahead of him. Feeling whole for the first time in years, Elaina brushed aside Corbin’s bangs and kissed his forehead. He made a disgusted face and wiped his hand across his forehead. “Awww, Mom.” 80

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She laughed at his behavior, something any boy his age would do. “Oh, Corb. I missed you so much, sweetie.” His disgust vanished to a heart-melting smile and, despite his response to her kiss, he kissed her back on the cheek. “I missed you bunches, but I’m happy you went away. You saved me, Mom. I don’t need Master Crockett to be my hero anymore. I got you.” Elaina’s heart swelled and she had to contain a sniff. She’d vowed to be stronger and she meant it. No matter what she was up against in the future, she wouldn’t lose her faith or shrink to thoughts of failure. Or revert to the idea she had to be everything for Corbin. Not even both mother and father. She hoped. “Dexter’s the real hero. If not for him, I might not have made it home.” She looked back to show Dexter how sincere the words were, that while she hadn’t wanted a hero or to rely on another person, he’d been her hero in many ways and she was ready to rely on him completely. But Dexter was gone. Forever? Of course not forever—he was Carolyn’s brother after all. Still, the thought needled at her menacingly, along with his words on giving Corbin the wrong impression by holding her hand. Her smile vanished with the twisting of her belly. Looking back at Corbin, she forced the sensation aside and a fresh smile to her lips. Now was the time for happiness. Later she would find Dexter and make him see what she did, that she was his soul mate and he was her hero, the only man she would ever want or love.

***** “I guess you’ll be heading back to Asia soon.” Dexter glanced across the car at Elaina as he pulled into a parking spot in front of her apartment complex. They’d stayed at the hospital until well after visiting hours. Darkness had long ago settled, taking with it his chances of reading Elaina’s expression beyond what the soft glow of the dash lights offered. She should be feeling nothing but happiness tonight but she sounded apprehensive. In truth, she’d looked concerned

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from the moment he’d returned to Corbin’s hospital room after giving mother and son a half-hour of family time. With a slow roil, his gut acknowledged his restless desire to be part of their family. For that reason, he hadn’t wanted to go back to Corbin’s room. He’d done so to mix the liquid from the Canniper plant with the boy’s dinner. While the healing words and dances and the arrival of the Guala bird might have been enough to cure Corbin, Dexter wouldn’t take chances. He also wouldn’t take chances by allowing Elaina to believe there was something between them that would last beyond her realizing he wasn’t the guy from the jungle. The manly man she’d fallen in lust with. The roiling of his gut turned to a hollow ache with the want for her feelings to be more. For her to love him, geekiness and all. But he was a realist as much as a nerd, so he kept his feelings inside and nodded. “I should have been back by now.” With her guilty frown, Dexter realized how the words sounded and amended, “But I’m glad that I wasn’t. I belonged with you. In Africa.” For the sake of helping to find the Canniper plant. Why had he made it sound like he’d meant more than that? “I’m glad, too, Dex.” Her words came out low, throaty. Sensual. Before he could fully digest the change in her tone, Elaina reached across the center console and rested her hand on his thigh where it was bared beneath the hem of his shorts. Heat radiated from the soft skin of her palm all the way to his veins. His cock stirred to life in a heartbeat. Damn it, why couldn’t he control himself around her? Why did he have to act like a lovesick fool? “And not just because Corbin’s finally getting his life back,” she continued in a smoky tone that had him imagining her eyes hazed over from the stunning shade of terra firma brown to a deep, dark chocolate he would stand no chance of resisting if he could actually see them. “What we shared over there opened my eyes. It made me see I don’t have to be alone. There are good men out there, trustworthy men.” Her hand 82

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traveled up his thigh, fingers skirting dangerously close to his growing erection. He just made out the swipe of her tongue across her lips. Luscious. Lusty. Like the woman herself. “One good, trustworthy man in particular.” A lone finger met with his cock, snaking along its swollen length, petting him through his clothes. Dexter’s groin throbbed. His pulse leapt into overdrive. He drew in a long, steadying breath. “Elaina…” The warning sounded more like a red flag of desire to continue, so he captured her hand in his. Lifting it away, he cleared his throat and tried again. “I love you and Corbin. You’re like part of my family.” “Just not the part that lives in the same house.” Elaina’s smoky tone was replaced with dryness. He should be glad for that. He wasn’t, but made himself forge on. “I don’t even live in a house most of the time. Dorms, huts, tents. Whatever happens to be available close to the current dig site. It’s not the kind of life you and Corbin deserve.” “It sounds perfect to me. And Corbin would love it. You know how he hangs on your every word when you tell him about your latest travels and everything you see and do along the way.” “What about his education? He has years of schooling ahead of him.” “He’s been homeschooled for the better part of the year and he’s doing great with it.” She hesitated a few seconds, sighing loud enough to be heard, and then said quietly, “This isn’t about not living in a house or Corbin’s education or anything else like that, is it? It’s about you not wanting to be committed to one woman. Josie was right about the pheromones oozing.” Dexter’s head jerked back with the unexpected and laughable words. Josie, his student intern, had never looked at him as anything more than a boss. They had certainly never discussed oozing pheromones. “What are you talking about?”

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“Carolyn told me how you said that Josie’s always teasing you because the pheromones ooze for miles around whenever you take your shirt off. You have all the women you could want over there. Corb and I would ruin that for you.” This time he did almost laugh. The envy in Elaina’s words and the ache of his heart stopped him. “Carolyn told you a lie. I never said anything like that because it isn’t true. I don’t have women over there. I’ve dated here and there, but never seriously. I’m not the guy from the jungle, Elaina. I’m a nerd. I get off by playing in the dirt. The only women who want a nerd are the ones who are equally nerdy.” “Then I must be nerdy.” He sighed, wishing she would quit pushing things. It made him want to say to hell with it and accept all that she offered. “You could never be nerdy. You’re beautiful and there are thousands of non-nerdy guys out there waiting to tell you that.” Elaina’s hand returned to his side of the car, this time finding and twining with his. “I used to have this fantasy that you were Corbin’s father. That we were married.” The quiet admission sent a sucker punch to Dexter’s good intentions. He should tell her the conversation was over and that he had to leave, morning would soon be here and he had an early flight to catch. He couldn’t speak the words, he had to hear more, had to know if she was serious, that she’d wanted him in her life well before seeing his more primitive side. “When did you stop having it?” “In the jungle, when I thought there was a chance of it becoming a reality. You were a different guy out there than what I’d seen in the past, but that isn’t what made me fall for you. That guy out there just made me realize how long I’d been waiting for my fantasy to come to life.” Her hand jerked from his and then she was there, inches away, straddling the center console, so that she was close enough he could read her expression. See the honest-to-God love shining in her eyes. “I love you, Dex. I love hearing your stories. I love the way you blush when you get aroused over me and think you shouldn’t be. I love the smart version of you and the manly man version from the jungle. And I don’t 84

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have to tell you how much Corb loves you. We don’t need a house. Having you in our lives is enough to make any place feel like home.” Taking his head between her hands, she brushed his lips with the softness of her own and then took him deep, parting his mouth with subtle pressure and slipping her tongue inside. She coaxed him with little flicks, raised his blood pressure with bold caresses and destroyed any chance he had of denying her when she slipped one hand between his legs and found him hot and hard and aching. Elaina ended the kiss and her fondling. She sat back far enough to allow Dexter to make the next move. For once, it was him who was frozen, in disbelief. “Say something. Anything,” she urged when a full minute of silence passed. Finally, he came unfrozen. A manly man would have taken the moment to gain control of the situation, show her how much he wanted and loved her in return, not with words but actions of the kind where he started with kissing her and ended by burying his cock inside her warm body. But he wasn’t a manly man, at least not at the moment, so he settled on pinching himself. “What are you doing?” Elaina asked. “Making sure this is really happening. You aren’t the only one who’s harbored fantasies of the three of us being a family for years.” She laughed, the sound a mixture of humor, relief and desire. “It’s happening.” Dexter’s heart sped with her words, but it was the desire in her voice that he responded to. His inner manly man barreled to the surface, grabbing Elaina by the shoulders and tugging her onto his lap. He didn’t bother taking her face between his hands or brushing her lips softly, the way she had done to him. But filled his hands with the bounty of her breasts and pushed his tongue into her mouth to plunder. He kissed her long and hard, his hands moving madly over her body, savoring the curves that would be his from this day forward and for reasons that had nothing to with debt or obligation, but pure, unadulterated love, not stopping until they were both winded.

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“Thank God,” he slid his fingers beneath the right leg of her shorts, then on past her panties to find her feminine curls already damp with her juices, “because I have a lot more fantasies than just those.” He coaxed the length of her slit and she wriggled on his lap. “The kind that happen when Corbin’s asleep or off playing with his friends.” He found her clit, puffy with arousal, and pinched it between his fingers. “The kind that involve getting us both naked and sweaty.” Elaina writhed in his lap, grinding her lush ass on his cock, making him wish they were already inside her apartment, so he could fuck her the right way. Maybe he could accomplish that in the cramped front seat of the rental sedan, if he figured the dynamics right. He flushed thoughts of dynamics from his head immediately, recognizing them as nerd thoughts, to focus purely on her pleasure. He pinched her clit a second time and was rewarded with a squeak and the increased tempo of her breathing. “Oh, God, Dex… Are you sure you aren’t the guy from the jungle?” He would never have thought so before, but his primal side was in full control now, releasing her clit to shove two fingers into her dripping pussy, loving her with firm, sure strokes meant to get her off fast. “When it comes to making love to you, I just might be.” Without giving her time to respond, he crushed his mouth to hers and increased the pace of his fingers, driving them into her sex, petting the slick walls, using his thumb on her distended clit. Orgasm came swiftly, rushing through her as a building crescendo she felt all the way to her core. She cried out as her cunt spasmed around his fingers, cream flooding his hand and igniting the air with the rich, heady scent of her climax. Dexter kept his fingers within her, letting her ride them until the last of the tremors passed. He pulled his hand from her shorts then and licked the sticky sweet juices from his fingers. “I can’t get enough of you, honey.” Her breathing still intense from her climax, Elaina asked, “Does that mean you’ll take me and Corbin with you to Asia?” 86

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Even with the bulk of the blood far south of his brain, he knew he couldn’t do what she asked. It would be a long, lonely month. He would get through it, likely with a lot of cold showers and hand jobs. “I have to leave in the morning. Corbin won’t be ready and neither will you. But when I return for the birth of Carolyn’s baby, I promise it will be with two extra plane tickets. Tickets that I’ll be paying for.” He managed a semistern look. “You don’t owe me a thing, Elaina. My money is yours.” He seriously expected a denial. Instead she bridged her fingers together and looked Heavenward. “What are you doing?” “Praying for an early delivery. You’ve reminded me how good sex feels, showed me how amazingly better it is when it’s with someone you truly love. I don’t think I can last a whole month without your touch.” He laughed. Elaina joined in, then abruptly let the sound die as she grabbed him by the hair and pulled his mouth to hers for a kiss. A hungry, deep, wet one that tasted of her juices and their shared love and that promised a long night ahead filled with hours of ecstasy devoted to getting them both through until they could be together again, living out their fantasies in the flesh.

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About the Author Jodi Lynn Copeland discovered her love for writing at an early age and soon after that came an even greater love for the hot, steamy romance—some riddled with humor and fun, others shock full of enough dark and emotional baggage to sink a ship. Jodi is married to her real life hero and has more than a dozen children, though only one of them is human and two-legged. Jodi is an all-around tomboy at heart, which you can often see shades of in her writing. When she isn't writing or spending time at the day job she likes to pretend she really doesn’t have, Jodi can be found in the great outdoors, scrapbooking, watching the discovery channel, CSI or 24, or on any given Sunday sacked out on the couch with her husband and stepson, taking in the latest NASCAR race.

Jodi Lynn Copeland welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Also by Jodi Lynn Copeland Gold, Frankincense and Myrhh anthology Lions and Tigers and Bears anthology Naughty Mistress Nita Sons of Solaris: Aries Sons of Solaris: Taurus Uncharted Waters Wild Hearts: One Wild Weekend Wild Hearts: Wild By Night

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

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