Wild Orchids by Karen Robards

Author:Karen Robards [Robards, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Suspense
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2001-03-15T04:00:00+00:00

XIV

“You all right?” Max hunkered down beside her, keeping a wary eye on DiAngelo while at the same time managing to spare her a glance of concern. His hand just touched her arm—and there it was, the jolt of electricity. Lora shivered. With all that had happened, she had almost forgotten the physical chemistry that ignited between them at the slightest touch. Or hoped that, now that she was no longer precisely his captive, it was a thing of the past. Stockholm Syndrome should no longer apply. . . .

Max felt her shiver and looked down at her, frowning. Lora met his eyes with a dazed look in her own. All her life, she had dreamed of a man who could make her bones turn to mush just by touching her. It was, she supposed, the ultimate female fantasy. But not this man! Please, not this man!

“Lora!”

Something in her expression must have alarmed him, because his hand moved up to her face and he lightly touched her cheek with his fingers. And there it was again, that frisson of pure animal attraction. Lora stared up into those eyes that were blacker than the night, at the harshly carved features and tough masculine mouth, and despaired.

“Boss! Look out!”

Tunafish’s warning shout made Max jerk to attention. The pistol snapped up as his eyes sought DiAngelo, who had taken advantage of that moment of inattention to bolt for the hole. It was already too late. DiAngelo was at the hole, and there was no way that Max could stop him—except shoot. He raised the gun, aiming.

“Max, no!” Lora cried, horrified, and Max hesitated for that crucial split second. Then it was too late.

DiAngelo was gone. Max stared at a panorama of jungle that was all that was visible in the space where DiAngelo had just stood, his expression as unreadable as stone. Then, slowly, he turned his eyes back to Lora as he lowered the gun. The look he gave her was unfathomable. The black eyes were as impenetrable as the jungle itself.

“Cripes, boss, you let him get away!”

Lora was vaguely aware of Tunafish shaking his head in disgust as she stared back at Max. He returned her look for a long moment, unspeaking, then got abruptly to his feet.

“Are you all right?” he asked almost formally, his eyes hooded as he looked down at her where she knelt at his feet.

Lora was taken aback at the cold remoteness of his expression. He was looking at her as if she were a stranger, and one that he didn’t particularly want to get to know. She stared into those unreadable eyes, and slowly nodded.

“I’m fine. It was just—the excitement, I think.” At her words, something flared briefly in his eyes. They burned down into hers for a second, and then he turned abruptly away.

“You shoulda shot him.” Tunafish was still bemoaning DiAngelo’s escape as Max dropped to his knees beside him. “He and that bastard Minelli will be up to God knows what out there.

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