sister like I am with Mark.”
“We’re twins. It’s uncanny how at times one of us can tell what the other is thinking.”
“You don’t think Mark is alive, do you?” Silence seemed to make the humid air even thicker, more oppressive. Samantha held her breath, waiting for his answer.
“The longer he’s missing…” He lifted his shoulders in a shrug.
“You haven’t answered my question.”
His gaze swerved to her and pinned her in a relentless hold. “No, Sam, I don’t.”
Samantha closed her eyes, wanting to deny the possible truth in Brock’s words. He touched her shoulder, and she allowed him to draw her to his chest.
“It’s not important what I think. I’ve been wrong in the past, and I hope I’m wrong about this.”
“You have to be,” she whispered against his bare chest, the heat of his body warding off the chill she suddenly felt.
Brock lounged back against the headboard, cradling Samantha against him, his hand caressing her arm. “We have a long day ahead of us. Try to get some sleep,” he murmured against the top of her head.
She listened to his steady heartbeat, its soothing rhythm lulling her with its sense of peace, security. Her eyelids drifted closed. Did she imagine him kissing her hair? she wondered as sleep descended.
* * *
Sunlight poured in through the balcony door, heating the room to a stifling temperature only an hour after dawn. With her body sprawled face down on the bed, Samantha felt the warmth of the sun on her left cheek and forced herself to open her eyes, though her whole being protested the rude awakening.
It took a moment for her to remember where she was, but one glimpse of the shabby room, and she instantly recalled everything about the night before—Brock’s kiss, the man peering in through the window, her nightmare, Brock’s arms about her as she fell asleep a second time.
She shot up in bed and looked around for Brock, who to her relief was sleeping soundly on the floor. Sighing, she sank back down onto the mattress and gave herself some time to fully awaken. At home it always took a good thirty minutes before her mind began to function in the morning.
“Good morning, Sam.”
She gasped and twisted her head toward Brock, who towered over her. She hadn’t even heard him move.
When she didn’t say anything, his mouth slowly curved into a positively sexy smile that no man should have a right to own.
“This is morning, I believe,” he glanced out the balcony door, “and if we’re successful and find what your brother hid, it will be a good day.”
“Hello, how are you?” What a ridiculous thing to say after spending the night with him in the same room. But that was what happened when she only had five minutes to awaken.
His smile broadened. “Fine. We’d better get a move on. There’s a lot that has to be done before we leave. I’ll need to make those calls to the hospitals as well as my friend. Pack light for a couple of days in the jungle. What kind of clothes did you bring?”
Samantha stared wide-eyed at him. He was clicking off things to do so fast she was having a hard time keeping up, even as organized as she usually was.
“Clothes, Sam?” The gleam in his eyes brightened.
“Oh! Uh, a few sundresses, sandals, a pair of jeans, and a short-sleeve shirt. And shorts.”
“In your suitcase?”
She nodded. She hadn’t had time to unpack the day before.
Before she realized his intention he had her suitcase on the bed and was starting to open it. She scrambled to a kneeling position and banged it closed, nearly smashing his fingers.
He glanced up at her with amusement in his eyes. “Sam, we have very little time if we want to get to the mission by dark. From your description it sounds as though you have nothing appropriate for the jungle. Rio, maybe, but not here.”
“Do you always take charge without asking?”
“Since I’m taking you to the mission, yes. Since I’ve traveled in the jungle and you
“We’re twins. It’s uncanny how at times one of us can tell what the other is thinking.”
“You don’t think Mark is alive, do you?” Silence seemed to make the humid air even thicker, more oppressive. Samantha held her breath, waiting for his answer.
“The longer he’s missing…” He lifted his shoulders in a shrug.
“You haven’t answered my question.”
His gaze swerved to her and pinned her in a relentless hold. “No, Sam, I don’t.”
Samantha closed her eyes, wanting to deny the possible truth in Brock’s words. He touched her shoulder, and she allowed him to draw her to his chest.
“It’s not important what I think. I’ve been wrong in the past, and I hope I’m wrong about this.”
“You have to be,” she whispered against his bare chest, the heat of his body warding off the chill she suddenly felt.
Brock lounged back against the headboard, cradling Samantha against him, his hand caressing her arm. “We have a long day ahead of us. Try to get some sleep,” he murmured against the top of her head.
She listened to his steady heartbeat, its soothing rhythm lulling her with its sense of peace, security. Her eyelids drifted closed. Did she imagine him kissing her hair? she wondered as sleep descended.
* * *
Sunlight poured in through the balcony door, heating the room to a stifling temperature only an hour after dawn. With her body sprawled face down on the bed, Samantha felt the warmth of the sun on her left cheek and forced herself to open her eyes, though her whole being protested the rude awakening.
It took a moment for her to remember where she was, but one glimpse of the shabby room, and she instantly recalled everything about the night before—Brock’s kiss, the man peering in through the window, her nightmare, Brock’s arms about her as she fell asleep a second time.
She shot up in bed and looked around for Brock, who to her relief was sleeping soundly on the floor. Sighing, she sank back down onto the mattress and gave herself some time to fully awaken. At home it always took a good thirty minutes before her mind began to function in the morning.
“Good morning, Sam.”
She gasped and twisted her head toward Brock, who towered over her. She hadn’t even heard him move.
When she didn’t say anything, his mouth slowly curved into a positively sexy smile that no man should have a right to own.
“This is morning, I believe,” he glanced out the balcony door, “and if we’re successful and find what your brother hid, it will be a good day.”
“Hello, how are you?” What a ridiculous thing to say after spending the night with him in the same room. But that was what happened when she only had five minutes to awaken.
His smile broadened. “Fine. We’d better get a move on. There’s a lot that has to be done before we leave. I’ll need to make those calls to the hospitals as well as my friend. Pack light for a couple of days in the jungle. What kind of clothes did you bring?”
Samantha stared wide-eyed at him. He was clicking off things to do so fast she was having a hard time keeping up, even as organized as she usually was.
“Clothes, Sam?” The gleam in his eyes brightened.
“Oh! Uh, a few sundresses, sandals, a pair of jeans, and a short-sleeve shirt. And shorts.”
“In your suitcase?”
She nodded. She hadn’t had time to unpack the day before.
Before she realized his intention he had her suitcase on the bed and was starting to open it. She scrambled to a kneeling position and banged it closed, nearly smashing his fingers.
He glanced up at her with amusement in his eyes. “Sam, we have very little time if we want to get to the mission by dark. From your description it sounds as though you have nothing appropriate for the jungle. Rio, maybe, but not here.”
“Do you always take charge without asking?”
“Since I’m taking you to the mission, yes. Since I’ve traveled in the jungle and you
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