Line of Fire by Cindy Dees Read Free Book Online Page B

don’t you do your Daniel Boone thing and find us some clean water.” She crossed her arms over her chest for good measure.
    His gaze narrowed into a dangerous calm she was beginning to recognize as a bout of bull-headed, testosterone induced, macho mad. “You need water, and you need it now,” he growled.
    “Not on your life.”
    “Look, Miss High and Mighty. I’m responsible for your welfare, and I’m ordering you to drink that!” He pointed at the mud puddle.
    “Sorry,” she answered breezily. “I’m a civilian. I don’t take orders from soldiers.”
    The muscles in his jaw rippled and suddenly he seemed to grow taller and broader. Uh-oh. He looked just like he had at the firing range when he’d gotten ready to kill something. He loomed dangerously close. She took a step back. And another.
    He stalked after her. He finally spoke low and silky. It positively made her skin crawl. “Am I going to have to kiss you half senseless again to get you to drink some water?”
    Again…She stopped retreating indignantly. Was he implying that he’d kissed her before only to get her up that hillside? How dare he?
    “Half senseless…me… again? You lout!” Fury boiled up in her gut, and somewhere very deep inside her, a kernel of hurt formed. That kiss had blown his socks off. She knew it as surely as she was standing here. He could deny it all he wanted, but she wasn’t buying it for a second. “You didn’t kiss me to coerce me into climbing that hill and you know it,” she accused.
    He lifted a skeptical eyebrow and gave her a cool-as-cucumber look. “Do you need me to prove the point?” he drawled, his leering gaze locked on her mouth.
    “Don’t even think about it, mister!”
    He laughed and took a step forward.
    “If you lay a hand on me, I’ll…I’ll…”
    “You’ll what?” he challenged.
    She stared at him, her mind a blank. What did you threaten a commando with when you were temporarily stranded in the middle of a jungle with him? “I’ll make you admit that kissing me completely blew you away!”
    That set him back on his heels. His gaze narrowed ominously.
    She glared right back.
    Finally he sighed and looked away. “We don’t have time for this foolishness, but I’ll make you a deal. If you’ll drink some of this water, I’ll filter it for you and get most of the dirt out first. It won’t be sterile, but it’ll look better.”
    Part of her wanted to tell him to go suck an egg. But the other part reluctantly had to admit that he was right. Her head throbbed and her lips were cracked and parched. “Is that really the only water available to drink?” she asked thinly.
    “It really is,” he answered quietly.
    “Okay.” She gave in with ill grace.
    He walked a few yards away and tore off several gigantic leaves from a plant. He dug a depression in the ground with the heel of his boot and lined it with the leaves. Then he pulled out the red felt beret and scooped up a hatful of the water. He held it over the shallow hole.
    Nothing happened at first. But then water started dripping steadily out of the hat. As it collected in the basin it was clear, the sediments trapped by the hat’s felt, more like drinking water was supposed to be.
    After he’d strained a good half gallon of water, he handed her a thin reed she’d seen him pick a while earlier.
    She looked at the stick blankly. It wasn’t thick enough to whack him over the head with like she’d like to.
    “It’s hollow,” Tex explained. “Like a straw.”
    Ah. She poked the end of the reed in the makeshift basin and drank. The water was warm and tasted terrible, but she couldn’t remember the last time anything felt so good going down her throat.
    Tex drank, as well, using another reed. He strained water until both their thirsts were slaked.
    He stood up. “Come on. I’ve got to build a shelter before it gets full dark.”
    She’d expected him to lead her to a nice little clearing, build a cheerful fire and maybe find