Caught in the Crosshair Read Online Free Page B

yeah. Why? I thought your people were planning to pick us up.”
    “We’re going to ditch this dead weight and swim ashore.”
    Lauren glanced around and didn’t see any sign of land. A loud crack of thunder unhitched her nerves. She let out a yelp. “In this? Wouldn’t it be safer to stay right here and wait?”
    “No choice. There’s a boat heading this way and it’s not mine.”
    “Could be Coast Guard. It’s probably someone coming to help.” She folded her arms.
    “It’s not. The US Coast Guard doesn’t wander around the Caribbean. If it was my agency, they’d be signaling by now.”
    “Are you sure?”
    Impatience shot from his glare. “Every other boat is heading to shore to get away from the storm, which leads me to believe the men who tried to kidnap you probably found one of their own by now and picked up our distress signal. Unless kidnapping you was part of
your
plan.”
    Lauren couldn’t stop herself from staring at the gun tucked in the waistband of his jeans as he rumbled around picking through equipment. She had no choice but to do what he said.
    He gathered up a pile of equipment and set it in the middle of the deck.
    “Find a wet suit and some gear.”
    Fear seized her. She shook her head furiously. “I can’t.”
    “Do it anyway,” he ground out. “Now.”
    The edge to his voice sounded more like a warning than a threat. He’d barked, but he wouldn’t bite.
    She scanned his face for a moment, for some emotion that would give her a clue as to what he was really thinking, something that might reveal his agenda. His stone-cold features gave away nothing.
    “Why did you save me back there?” she asked, moving toward the pile of supplies.
    “It was part of my mission.”
    “Are you going to use me to get to them?”
    “No. But you just found a new best friend.”
    “How’s that?”
    “A guy I knew is lying dead back there on the beach. You’re the connection. I plan to find out why.”
    She located a shorty — a suit made for warm water dives. She looked up in time to see Jaden unzipping his jeans, shedding them not more than a second later.
    Her heart stuttered, heat climbed up her throat. She diverted her gaze to the pile of equipment in front of her, ignoring the impulses heightening all her senses.
    “I don’t have a bathing suit,” she said quickly. A little too quickly.
    “You have the next best thing.”
    Surely this complete stranger didn’t think she’d strip down to her bra and panties right in front of him? “I don’t think so.”
    “In the water, your clothes will turn to lead weights in a matter of minutes. I have no idea how long we’ll be swimming. But I’m certain of two things. Stay here and you’ll die. Wear those and you’ll drown.”
    His shirt was crumpled on the floor. His muscled chest glistened from the light rain.
    “Fine. Then turn around at least,” she said stiffly, before turning to face opposite him as she heard a zip.
    “Nothing I haven’t seen before, sweetheart.”
    Feeling more vulnerable than she wanted to admit, she slipped off her pale green tank top. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck pricked as she slid her skirt down past her hips and turned just in time to catch Jaden boldly staring at her.
    The breath stalled in her throat as she stepped out of her skirt. Her heart thudded against her ribs. Not just because of the unexpectedly provocative stare, but because of the way he looked at her, like she was Helen and he’d just won the Trojan War. She’d never seen a gaze so full of secrets and promises, never seen eyes turn that dark. They’d deepened practically to the color of a night sky.
    “I told you not to look.”
    He grinned a devastating little grin, said nothing.
    “Besides, how do I know you’re not working for one of those jerks who’s trying to get my brother killed for his territory?”
    He stepped closer, using his body to crowd her against the side of the boat. “You really think I’m the kind of