Chapter 23
Ellie forced her leaden arms to keep moving. Thank heavens for the buoyancy aid. Without it, she’d never have made it this far. When there was a lull in the waves, she could see the calm, mirror-like surface of the bay beyond.
Come on, keep swimming.
One last kick through a frenzied peak and trough, choking on a mouthful of salty seawater—and she was over the worst. The water stilled, the reef beneath them disappeared, replaced by the sandy bottom. It was like swimming through a lagoon.
Catching her breath, Ellie turned onto her back and floated for a while. The sky was a cloudless blue, the color of Phoenix’s eyes.
They’d made it.
Ellie felt a squishy thing touch her leg, then a jolt of pain spread through her limbs.
“Ouch,” she yelped.
Her first thought was the shark, but when she looked down, she realized it wouldn’t be. Phoenix had said they didn’t venture over the jagged reef.
“You okay?” He swam up beside her.
“Something stung me.” She bit her lip against the pain. Damn, just as she’d been enjoying their victory.
“Don’t worry. It’s probably a jellyfish, but they aren’t poisonous. They’ll just give you a nasty rash.”
Phew! That was a relief, although a rash didn’t sound good.
On any other day she’d have panicked at the thought of being stung by a jellyfish, but after being shot at, sinking, and almost being attacked by a shark—it somehow didn’t feel that bad. She nearly laughed at the thought. How far she’d come from that fearful, anxious woman he’d tackled on her first day on the rig.
“Are you able to swim?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Her leg ached, but it seemed localized, and her other limbs were working fine. Phoenix switched to a leisurely breaststroke. A strong swimmer, he seemed so at ease in the water. Ellie glanced across at him. “Did you do a lot of this type of thing in the Navy?”
He gave that secretive smile. “All the time.”
“So, this is just another day at the office for you?”
A dry chuckle. “Not quite. I’ve never been that close to an IED before, or come face to face with a tiger shark, but don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She managed a weak smile. “I know you won’t.”
His expression softened, but then he turned away and nodded toward the crescent strip of sand ahead. “We’re there.”
They clambered out of the lagoon onto the finest, softest sand Ellie had ever felt. She collapsed, spent, and lay on her back enjoying the warmth and the stability of being on dry land. Apart from the sting on her leg, she felt like she could lie here, perfectly content, forever. “I can’t believe we made it.”
He lay down beside her and squeezed his eyes shut. “I knew we could do it.”
What he meant was, he knew she could do it. His faith in her was astounding. A week ago she wouldn’t have believed she’d been capable of this. “How’s your head?”
“Okay.” He forced a smile, but she didn’t miss the tension in his jaw or the deep crease in his forehead. He was in pain but wasn’t telling her.
“Can we rest here for a while?” she asked, unclipping her life vest and slipping it off. “I don’t think I can go any further right now.”
“Sure.” He sounded relieved. She lay her head back in the warm sand, while he took off his vest and did the same.
They lay in an exhausted silence for a while, listening to the waves crashing on the distant reef, the whispering palm trees, and the seagulls as they flew overhead. It was kind of idyllic. Under different circumstances, this would be a beautiful place to take a vacation or explore on a day off. Now they were here, being chased by men who wanted to kill them.
“I think Henderson is involved,” she said softly, once she’d regained some of her strength.
He glanced over at her. “What makes you say that?”
“He hired me,” she admitted, still feeling the crushing embarrassment of being played. “I think he did so expecting me to be too young and inexperienced to lead this project.”
“You’re perfectly capable—” Phoenix said.
“No, I’m really not. My only other role on a rig has been as part of a large team. I thought it was strange at the time, but it was good for my career, so I jumped at the chance.” She bit her lip. “Meanwhile, he was using me because he thought I’d do my job and not ask too many questions. A more experienced engineer would have realized something was off with the survey reports long before I did.”
Phoenix was silent for a moment, processing what she’d said. “Do you think he was the one who cut the railing, and tried to harm you during the storm?”
“It’s possible. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and he could have staged the accident to get me and Suzi up on deck. It was right after I’d voiced my concerns to him.”
Phoenix shook his head angrily. The violent spark in his gaze made her catch her breath. He looked so dangerous in that moment, so lethal, with his granite expression and menacing stillness. She almost felt sorry for Henderson. Almost, but not quite.
“He may have set off the IED,” Phoenix muttered. “Could it have been him you saw in the speedboat?”
“It could be, yeah. The man I saw had a similar height and build, now that you mention it.”
“I think I know what happened.” Phoenix’s whole body bristled. “Henderson detonated the bomb, hoping to take out the rig, then he sped off to a waiting yacht when he saw you coming back. He informed the people he’s working for, and they ordered two hired mercs to come after us. I’ll bet they were there to tie up any loose ends.”
“That’s terrible,” Ellie whispered, shocked at the extent of the scam. “What about the survivors? Do you think they made it to the Discoverer?”
He gave a grim nod. “I’m sure they did. We distracted the bad guys for long enough for Billy to get the others to safety.”
“Thank goodness for that.” She shivered, but not because she was cold. She couldn’t believe someone would resort to such extreme measures for pure greed.
“When you’re ready, we should try to find the ranger’s station.” Phoenix glanced up at the multicolored sky. The sun was setting, turning it into a rainbow of pinks, oranges and yellows. “It would be good to find shelter before it gets dark.”
Ellie groaned and pushed herself up. Exhausted didn’t even begin to cover it. Every tendon, every muscle in her body was aching. She wasn’t even sure she could get to her feet.
“Let me take a look at your leg,” he said, rising effortlessly. Even with a concussion, he was in better shape than she was.
His torso was pumped up from the swim, muscles bulging and rippling under tanned skin still glistening with saltwater. Years of intense training had sculpted his body into a work of art, all hard planes and ridges of muscle without an ounce of extra fat. His shoulders were broad, tapering down to a trim waist and abs you could grate cheese on. A trail of dark hair started below his navel and disappeared tantalizingly into the waistband of his shorts.
Ellie swallowed hard as he inspected her leg, her exhausted body suddenly flushing with heat that had nothing to do with the warm sand beneath them. She dragged her gaze back up to his face, trying to focus but finding it difficult. The man was built like a Greek god, for heaven’s sake.
“Yep, that’s a jellyfish sting. Is it very painful?”
“No,” she said truthfully.
He smiled. “I’ve had plenty. I know it stings like hell.”
She made to protest, but he held up a hand. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
“Wait! Where are you going?”
He disappeared into the bank of trees flanking the beach and was back before she had a chance to react. “Here, let’s rub some of this on it.”
She looked at the succulent green plant in his hand. “What’s that?”
“Aloe vera. Its sap is brilliant for stings and bites. We often use it for bluebottle stings and the like in the Navy.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of aloe vera before. I didn’t know it grew here.”
“It grows on most tropical beaches.” He squeezed the juice onto her leg and rubbed it in. His fingers were gentle, caressing her leg like it was the most natural thing in the world. Then he stopped, but his fingers lingered.
The heat in his gaze was unmistakable. Ellie held her breath, unsure what was happening. She felt a deep connection to this man and wanted… Hell, she didn’t know what she wanted and just stared at him, at a loss for how to deal with the yearning in her heart.
He cleared his throat. “That should help ease the pain and take some of the heat out of it.”
"Thanks." Her skin prickled where he'd touched it, almost like he'd scorched it with his fingers.
A heavy pause stretched between them, the air electric.
"Ellie, I—" he didn't finish. Shaking his head, he made to move away.
She grabbed his arm. "Don't go just yet."
He hesitated but stayed where he was, with her hand wrapped around his forearm. She felt the muscle flex beneath his skin. Her heart pounded, threatened to jump right out of her chest, but she couldn't move. Not with his gaze, dark and questioning, locked on hers.
"Hold me," she whispered. She couldn't explain it, maybe it was the sheer exhaustion, or the realization that she’d nearly lost him today, but she needed to feel his arms around her, needed to know he was still there. "Please?"
Just for a moment, then they could go back to reality, to the explosion and the bad guys with guns chasing them.
Phoenix must have understood, because he nodded and enveloped her in his embrace, crushing her to him as if he'd never let her go. Closing her eyes, she absorbed his strength, his solidness, his body heat, letting all of it seep into her very bones. For the first time since she'd left the oil rig that morning, she felt truly safe. Wrapped in his arms was the only place she wanted to be. If only the world would disappear and leave them like this, cocooned in each other, forever.
"It's okay," he murmured against her ear, his voice husky and deep. "I've got you."
Tears welled, the sting of salt behind her lids, but she blinked them away. Now wasn't the time to give in to the emotion of the last few days, but damn, how she wanted to. If she'd been alone, she would have sobbed her heart out, but right now, she drew on his calm confidence and took some steadying breaths. She opened her eyes, met his gaze, and hoped he didn't see her longing.
"It's going to be okay. You know that, right?" He held her at arm's length. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
His words slayed her, piercing straight through to her battered heart. No one had ever said that to her before, let alone with such conviction, such unflinching certainty.
She believed him. She'd seen the rage in his eyes when she'd told him about Henderson. He would kill for her, she knew that. But she didn't know how to process it.
"I know," she whispered.
Slowly, he leaned in, his eyes dropping to her parted lips. Her breath hitched, her heart raced, as he drew closer, the heat of him searing her skin. She could feel his breath on her face, ragged and uneven.
She longed to kiss him, to be consumed by him, to have him chase away the ugliness, fear, and anxiety with the sheer force of his passion. Only he could do that for her. Only he could make her feel whole again.
She strained forward, her lips opening. His arms were still around her, holding her close against his broad chest. His heart beat fast and steady, in time with hers. But then he froze, his body going rigid.
Her eyes flew open, confused. What she saw in him made her catch her breath. Concern, mixed with something else, something she couldn't put her finger on. Was it fear? No. That wasn't it. Anger, maybe? Was he angry with her for reaching out, for needing him?
She swallowed and blinked as he pulled away, the loss of his touch a physical ache. The air began circulating between their bodies, cool and unwelcome.
With a flash of regret, he released her. "We should get going. It's getting dark."
The sun had set. She hadn't noticed.
Phoenix rose in one fluid motion, while she pushed herself to her hands and knees, unsure whether her legs would support her weight. They did, barely. He handed her shoes, his fingers brushing hers with a jolt of electricity. "You'd better put these on."
Wordlessly, she took them from him and slipped her feet into them. He did the same. Her head was swirling with need, embarrassment, regret.
"Ready?"
She nodded, aware he wasn't looking at her. His gaze was fixed on the line of trees up ahead, and the dark jungle beyond.
"Then let's go."