The Mercenary by Cherry Adair Read Free Book Online Page A

movie. I can’t remember what it’s like to be dry.” Her bright eyes peered up at him. “And
    I think I swallowed my gum.”
    Marc chuckled and she pushed at his chest. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Another wave crashed on deck a few feet away and he used it as an excuse to pull her closer. She fit
    rather well against him, despite the bulky slicker encasing her. “We spies just live for adventure.” The
    corners of his mouth tilted in a reluctant grin.
    Marc saw the pulse beat in her throat. Her dark lashes were spiky, her long hair slicked back, exposing
    a bruise and a bump on her forehead. She’d regained a little color and her lips were a pale petal pink.
    My God, he thought in amazement. She’s gorgeous.
    She was still staring up at him, her arms wrapped around his waist as he dropped his mouth to hers.
    Tory pushed him away with both hands against his chest. “Are you out of yourmind? ”
    “Apparently.”
    “Were you trying tokiss me?” she asked with unflattering disgust.
    “Hey, you two!”
    Tory flushed, stepping away from Marc as Angelo shouted again. “Land ho!” She looked over the side of the heaving boat. “Land ho—where?” All she could see in any direction
    were mountains of churning gray water beneath hills of black clouds.
    She gripped the slick railing with one hand as Marc and Angelo gathered their things together. Angelo
    helped Marc shrug into the A.L.I.C.E. pack and then handed him several mysteriously wrapped
    packages, which Marc tucked into his belt.
    He stripped off the slicker and bundled it into another pouch clipped to his belt. His jeans were black
    with water and the heavy cable-knit sweater sagged as he slipped off his shoes and used the laces to tie
    those to his belt, too.
    Tory gave him a wary look as he made his way barefoot across the tilted deck toward her. Her lips still
    throbbed from anticipating that kiss. She could almost imagine her heated body sizzling as water
    drenched her from head to toe.
    “Now you, princess. Off with that slicker.” He started unbuttoning it and Tory tried to bat his hands
    away. She spat her hair out of her mouth as the wind lashed it around her, but she unbuttoned her coat
    one-handed, and gave it to him. Marc stuffed her water-repellent coat in with his own.
    “Now your shoes.” The wind and rain cut straight through Tory’s thick sweater and borrowed jeans and
    froze her to the marrow as she struggled with the laces, eventually handing her shoes over. When he
    didn’t respond with more than a grunt, Tory said with a giant shiver, “I don’t have to tell you why I prefer
    hanging out with accountants. They never make me do things like this.” Marc checked over the supplies one last time. “I’ll keep that in mind. Let’s go.”
    “Go where?” She looked around for a dinghy. There was nothing in the choppy waves.
    Realization came
    too late. “Oh, no! No, I can’t…”
    “Hold your breath, sweet pea. Here we go.” Marc took her hand and pulled her over the railing.
    She’d no idea which end was up. The pressure of the black water came at her from all sides.Don’t
    panic, don’t panic. Water filled her nose and she panicked. Arms and legs flailing, she swallowed a
    mouthful of saltwater and somehow managed to bob to the surface.
    She gagged, treading water as best she could. She didn’t want to think of what a tasty meal her bare
    pink toes would make for some creature of the deep. Her right arm was useless. The most she could do
    was try to float it in the plastic bag. Okay, so she could swim for it—wherever “it” was.
    Everything looked the same metallic gray as she scanned the water for Marc. She only had the cast on
    her arm to worry about. Marc was loaded down with equipment. Where was he?
    A giant wave knocked her to the side, and a few seconds later she was underwater again, one-handedly
    trying to get the hair out of her face. It clung like seaweed. Her heart was pounding double time as