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didn't exactly exude confidence. And why should she? As far as she was concerned he didn't know one end of a gun from another. Eleven years in a private army guaranteed he knew how to use the MP5. He also knew some interesting, and painful, tricks with a machete.
    "But what'll happen if you're bitten by a snake?" she continued, slightly breathless now that she was on a roll. "Or eaten by a lion?"
    Jesus. "Odds are against it." He better stay hale and hearty. She stood zero chance of survival alone in
    the jungle. Less than zero if she was returned toNkemidilm's compound and the man who waited there.
    He used the muzzle of the MP5 to flip a curious, and highly poisonous, bush viper hanging from a limb in their path. It landed almost noiselessly in a thicket of vines before slithering into the underbrush. There'd be time to think about Beth's delectable body later. Right now he had to get them both the hell out of Dodge beforeThadiwe's men caught up.
    "How much longer?"
    "Couple of hours." Give or take. He could almost hear her brain working as she digested the information.
    "Don't you think I'd be better off going back and waiting for you to bring in some help?"
    He heard her nervousness. So much for trust. "No, Beth, I don't." Sam made sure his barely a whisper was implacable. "We're meeting a guy with a boat. Don't worry. I'll get you out of here in one piece, I promise."
    He stopped, and she stepped right against his back letting out a little huff of surprise. "There's a three-foot high log in our path. I'll go first then help you over."
    Sam flung a leg over the mossy trunk and dropped down on the other side. Beth's breathing was a little fractured. Fear. Tucking the machete into the sheath strapped to his thigh, he leaned over the log, extending his hand. Not that she could see it in the crack under dark. "Give me your hand."
    Blindly she held it out. Grabbing hold of her wrist, Sam gave a little tug. "Up and over. Straddle the log, then slide down on this side."
    Her cold fingers felt ridiculously small in his. Her chilled, sweaty skin told him she was scared out of her mind. Despite that, she was keeping up and not falling apart. Not yet anyway.
    He gave a little tug to help her up, then watched as she flung both legs over to his side. "Right here," he told her when she hesitated.
    She slid into his arms. "Tha—What's that?
    She was pressed against his semi-erection. "Don't worry," he told her dryly. "I'm not going to have my wicked way with you. Not here anyway."
    She smothered a laugh. "Not that. That !'
    That. "It's an MP5 submachine gun."
    She put her hand on his chest, the smile still tilting the corners of her mouth. Sam wanted to kiss her in the worst way. This time he resisted.
    Not the time. Not the place.
    "Do you know how to use it?"
    He huffed out a laugh. "Yeah." The fact that her body was still flush with his didn't exactly make his
    thinking process crystal clear. Taking her hand, he stepped back. "Know that outfit just outside of town?"
    "That private military place?"
    "Counterterrorist training site, yeah. I work for them."
    "You— work for them? I thought you were a teacher?"
    "Tactical instructor. I train special ops in weaponry for high-risk environments."
    "Thank God," Beth gave a small laugh, her relief evident and heartfelt. "Better than I'd hoped. My highest expectation was that you excelled at playing paintball."
    "I wouldn't trust your safety to anyone less than one hundred percent competent. If I didn't think I could handle the situation, rest assured, I would have sent in someone who could."
    "Oh, God, Sam. I'm terrified out of my mind."
    "It's warranted, sweetheart. You're in a bad spot. But this time tomorrow you'll be on your way home, I promise."
    "Adventure isn't all it's cracked up to be." Beth slid a hand around his waist and leaned into him. "I couldn't have made it past the guards. And frankly, since I have zero sense of direction, I'm not sure how far I would have gotten if I'd