Fire and Desire. Brenda Jackson

stretch of beach the cell phones haven't worked since day one, and there's no place we can go to for help that's close by.”

      He sighed deeply. “We're wasting time. You need to change out of what you have on and put on something else. Wear something dark, and put on a pair of comfortable shoes. And you're going to have to get the items out of your closet without turning on the lights.”

      It suddenly hit Corinthians that she was dressed in her sleepwear. But at the moment, being modest was the last thing on her mind as she quickly moved to her closet. She couldn't worry about Trevor seeing her dressed in her short, silk nightshirt. There wasn't much light in the room for him to see too much and besides, he'd once seen her in a whole lot less.

      No woman's body should be that perfectly shaped, Trevor thought as he watched Corinthians rush to the closet and begin pulling items off hangers. And no woman's body should feel that soft. He couldn't help but remember how she'd felt against him a few moments ago when he had pulled her out of bed. His hand hadn't been what he'd wanted to use to cover her mouth. The deep desire he always felt around her had tempted him to cover her mouth with his own, and again taste her passion and her fire. What he had wanted to do with his hand was to run it over her body, to feel her softness while he continued to kiss her, and elicit from her that sweet, deep, throaty moan he'd gotten out of her last night while kissing her.

      He mentally chastised himself for letting his mind concentrate on seducing her and not on the important matter at hand, which was getting them to safety. “While you're getting dressed I'm going to throw a few things we might need in a bag,” he whispered, glancing around the room. He needed to look at anything in the room but at her right now, especially her legs and thighs that were exposed from underneath her short nightshirt.

      “I packed that bag earlier tonight to take with me to Buzios,” Corinthians said, pointing to her overnight bag next to the bed. “Everything I might need is in it. We'll be able to return to the hotel in a couple of hours, won't we?”

      Trevor wished he could answer yes to that question, but he wasn't sure. “I hope so,” he said leaning down and picking up her bag. He frowned. It was heavy, way too heavy.

      “Where are we going?” Corinthians asked, tossing the items that she had taken out of the closet on the bed.

      “In the jungle. We'll hang out there until the authorities get things back under control here.”

      She nodded. “How did you get into my room?” she asked, after reaching down for her shoes and socks.

      “I picked the lock,” he answered absently. He couldn't keep his gaze off her legs.

      When Corinthians dashed off into the bathroom to change, Trevor sucked in a deep breath to regain control of his senses before quickly walking through the connecting door and into his room to get his own overnight bag. They would have to combine their stuff into one bag, preferably his since it appeared to be the sturdier of the two.

      Going back into Corinthians's room, he opened her night bag and began going through it, only taking out the things he thought were necessary and packing them in his. His hand trembled when it came in contact with silky and lacy material. He took a deep breath when he pulled out a pair of lacy underwear and a matching bra. He put them back inside her bag.

      Corinthians came out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of dark-colored jeans and a black top. She had on a pair of sneakers.

      “We can only take one bag, so I'm putting our stuff together and using mine,” Trevor said, turning to her.

      She nodded. “Did you get everything I need?” she asked as she watched him zip up the bag.

      Trevor thought about her underthings he hadn't placed in his bag. “I took out everything I'm letting you take. Too much stuff will slow us down and we don't need that.”

      He tossed her wallet to her. “Keep this on you at all times. You may need your passport.”

      Corinthians nodded, stuffing her wallet into her back pocket. “How are we going to get out of here?”

      “Just follow me and do what I tell you to.”

      Corinthians took offense with the bossiness of his tone of voice. She glared up at him. “I'll do what you tell me to do as long as it makes sense.”

      “I won't do it, Trevor. It doesn't make sense. There has to be another way,” Corinthians said moments later as they stood on the balcony of her hotel room.

      Trevor turned and met her gaze. “What do you suggest that we do? Use the elevators or the stairs to get down?” His voice was low and agitated. He was beginning to lose his patience. “This is the only way we can make it down without being seen. It's not as bad as it looks.”

      Corinthians wasn't convinced of that, as she looked down over the balcony's railing to the ground that was five stories below. She then looked at the fire escape ladder that over the years had grown covered with trails of burgeoned vines. Evidently periodic safety inspections weren't required here. “I disagree. I think it's as bad as it looks.”

      Trevor frowned. “Then suit yourself. You can stay here if that's what you're inclined to do. But I'm going down using that ladder. I suggest you do the same and follow. Believe me, the last thing you'd want is to stay behind. Female hostages, especially the ones who're attractive as you are, don't fare well with terrorists. I'm sure you know what I mean.”

      Corinthians shuddered. She knew exactly what he meant. Last year the newspapers had reported how an American businessman and his wife, who had been vacationing in Central America, had been abducted by a group of revolutionaries. The man had been killed and his wife had been gang raped before she'd been left for dead.

      She took a deep breath. Revolutionaries or terrorists, they were all the same in her book. Both groups had causes and beliefs they were willing to die for; causes and beliefs they would do just about anything to draw worldwide attention to.

      Corinthians glanced again at the ladder. It didn't look like it could hold one person's weight, let alone two. “I might fall,” she finally said softly in a shaky voice.

      Trevor saw the fear in her eyes, and he heard it in her voice. A part of him wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms and soothe her, reassure her. “You won't fall. I won't let you. Trust me.”

      Their eyes met for a moment, then Corinthians nodded. She would trust him. For some reason she believed he would get them to safety.

      “Come on, Corinthians. We need to get a move on, and the fire escape is our only way. I'll go first and you follow. With me ahead of you, I'll be between you and the ground.”

      Corinthians nodded and watched Trevor. With the overnight bag in one hand, he hefted his body over the side railing. After getting the proper footing, he reached out and grasped the vine-covered ladder with his free hand.

      He glanced back at her. “Just follow me down.”

      Trevor had gone down the rungs a few feet before looking up at Corinthians. She hadn't moved from her spot on the balcony. “Come on, baby, you can do it.”