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I love you. Since when?
Squashing conflicting emotions and ignoring her tight chest, River searched for the correct baggage carousel. So much luggage. So many people. Most of them speaking languages she didn’t understand. She felt a little overwhelmed. No, a lot overwhelmed. Maybe that’s why it was difficult to breathe. Maybe she was gearing up for a panic attack. She’d had them before. Whenever she felt lost. Only she wasn’t lost. She was at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport. And she certainly wasn’t alone. If she needed help, all she had to do was ask. Preferably someone who looked like they spoke English.
Like the man coming straight toward her.
European or American. Late thirties or early forties. Hard to tell from this distance. But his stride and posture telegraphed the confidence of a mature man. A sexy, secure man.
Wow.
Cropped sandy-brown hair and vivid green eyes contrasted greatly with his sun-bronzed skin. His mouth was…to die for. And the crinkles around his eyes suggested he smiled often, sort of like now.
Good Lord. Was he smiling at her?
He was still a few feet away and she was fuzzy around the edges. Even so…he looked familiar. If he wasn’t a male model, an actor or a rock star, he should be. Tall, fit and rugged. Even his cargo pants and baggy layered T-shirts couldn’t disguise his muscled physique. Maybe he was a sports celebrity.
She’d seen him before. Where, dammit? A magazine? A commercial?
If she could move, she’d nab her 35mm from her rolling bag. Her fingers itched to photograph male perfection.
River blushed head to toe. Or maybe she was feverish. She was definitely woozy. The visceral attraction nearly brought her to her knees.
He was the most handsome, most virile, most charismatic man she’d ever seen in the flesh.
She knew him from…somewhere….
The edges of her vision blurred as she struggled to catch her breath. Dizziness. Disorientation.
Oh, God.
Those green eyes twinkled. “River Kane?”
His deep voice both soothed and ignited her soul. How strange. And scary. How does he know my name? she wondered, just before the world went black.
“SHIT.” SPENSER caught the swaying woman just as her eyes rolled back in her pretty little head. Kylie hadn’t been exaggerating. River Kane wouldn’t make it one day in the jungle. Hell, she hadn’t even gotten out of the airport without fainting. Not only that, she wasn’t even in the right airport. If her boyfriend was in Peru, why the hell had she landed in Ecuador? He’d only learned her actual destination when he’d tried to check her arrival status. The information she’d given Kylie didn’t line up with any of the incoming flights to Lima. He’d had to ask a favor of a flight attendant he’d been “friendly” with in order to track the woman.
He’d tracked her to Quito. What the hell? Bad enough he’d promised his sister he’d look out for the vulnerable photographer, but it had meant flying to fucking Ecuador, a country he’d sworn he’d never set foot in again. Not that they’d be here long. Still. Fuck.
Enlisting a security guard to follow him with River’s rolling bag, Spenser easily carried the young woman to a row of padded seats. He guessed her at five one, weighing less than one hundred fifteen. A strong Andean wind would blow this little bit over a ledge. She wasn’t bone skinny, just petite. And ghostly pale.
“Should I call a doctor, señor?” the guard asked in accented English.
“No need. We’re fine.” She was already coming around. Spenser smoothed baby-soft curls from her damp forehead as her thick lashes fluttered open. He was appreciating her flawless skin and pretty features when she nailed him with eyes as large and green as the legendary Maximilian Emerald.
His heart ricocheted off his ribs. Christ, she was beautiful, in a frail, angelic way. According to Kylie, she was also smart and sweet, though intensely private. One thing was certain. She brought out the protector in him. Hell, she probably had that effect on most men, except for the ones who took advantage of her. No doubt her waiflike aura attracted the best and worst of people.
“Who are you?” she whispered.
The question took him by surprise. Most people recognized him right away. Into the Wild had been a top-rated show for five years. He still couldn’t believe Necktie Nate had him and Gordo, who was presently a hundred bucks richer, on ice. “Working on details,” Necktie had said this morning. “Cool your heels while I do some fancy footwork. By the way, have you been immunized for yellow fever?”
Regardless of Gordo’s Twitter campaign, Spenser had a bad feeling about the future of their show, similar to the feeling he was starting to get about River. Being sexually attracted and protective of a woman who was intent on winning back her fiancé was definitely bad.
“How do you know my name?” she asked, still gazing up at him in confusion.
“My sister told me.”
River’s Kewpie doll mouth curved into a dazed smile and suddenly all Spenser could think about was kissing. Oh, hell.
“Oh, good,” she said, moistening those plump lips. “You speak English.” But then she frowned. “Your sister? Wait. You can’t be… Please. Tell me you are not Spenser McGraw. You are!” she blasted before he could answer. “The billboard,” she rasped.
She’d gone from pliant to rigid in his arms. Spenser was beginning to tense himself.
“I knew I’d seen you before. That stupid billboard on Route Thirty-one. The one Eden posted last year right before the Apple Festival, featuring the booked talent and highlighting a promo shot of you. As if you’d really show up,” she muttered under her breath.
What the hell was that supposed to mean? “I never promised—”
“No wonder I didn’t recognize you right off,” she rushed on in a brittle voice. “That photo was airbrushed.”
Stunned by the unprovoked insult, Spenser merely raised a brow and stared. The studio had been digitally manipulating his publicity shots for over a year now, erasing crow’s feet and smile brackets, whitening his teeth, enlarging his already muscled biceps. He wasn’t happy about it, but figured it went with the territory. Nature of the beast, he’d told himself. The entertainment industry obsessed on sex and youth. He got that and usually he took it in stride. However, he was still smarting from Necktie Nate’s “over-the-hill” reference. And now this woman, this impossibly attractive, young woman, just implied he was a disappointment in the flesh. Well, hell.
Visibly mortified by his silent regard, River bolted upright and squirmed off his lap onto the adjacent seat. “I just meant…” Cheeks flushed, she looked away. “That photo didn’t do you justice.”
His lip twitched. “Apology accepted.”
“You’re not supposed to be here,” she said with a weary sigh. “You’re supposed to be in Peru.”
“So are you.”
“What? Oh, right. How did you know I was here?”
“I’m resourceful.”
“I told Kylie I didn’t want to impose.”
“You’re not.” Although the sooner they got out of Ecuador, the happier he’d be.
“I’m sorry you came all this way, Mr. McGraw—”
“Spenser.”
“—but, I don’t need you.”
A lie on multiple levels, but he admired her independence. “You sure as hell need someone, angel. You’re ill.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You fainted.”
“I’m exhausted. I haven’t slept in thirty-eight…” she squinted at her watch “…thirty-nine hours. I haven’t eaten much either. Then there’s the jet lag.”
“You’re massaging your chest.”
“I’m short of breath. Stress, I guess.”
He got it then. “It’s the altitude.”
“But we’re not in the mountains.”
“Ecuador is a high-altitude country. You went from below one thousand feet to above nine thousand feet in less than a day. Some people bear it better than others.”
“I can bear it,” she said, looking annoyed. “I’ll get used to it. Right?”
Why the hell was she mad? “Eventually.” He snagged a bottle of water from the side pouch of his backpack. “Drink this. You need to hydrate.”
She used the end of her sleeve to wipe down the nozzle. “Kylie was right about you,” she said after draining a quarter of the bottle. “You’re bossy.”
Ah, the complexities of a big brother–little sister relationship. He grinned. “Huh. I call it helpful.” He gestured to the bottle in her hand. “Drink more.”
“I don’t—”
“If you know what’s good for you, River, you’ll listen to me.”
Her pale skin flushed red. Frowning, she glanced at her trekking boots, then back at him. “Good thing you’re sitting down.”
“What?”
Glaring, she polished off the rest of the water, then handed him back the bottle. “Thank you for your concern and the information. Feel free to return to whatever it was you were doing.”
The words were polite. Her tone wasn’t. She was pissed. At him. Which chafed, because, dammit, he was doing her a huge favor. Or rather a huge favor for his sister.
Spenser rolled back his shoulders and kept his voice light. “Kylie would ream me out if I didn’t help you find your boyfriend.”
“Fiancé.”
“Ex-fiancé. From what I understand, David had second thoughts.” Okay. That was cold. But, dammit, her stubborn streak was grating.
“Most relationships are not without problems, Mr. McGraw—”
“Spenser.”
“It boils down to how far you’re willing to go to make things work,” she said, pushing unsteadily to her feet.
“And you’re willing to venture into the Amazon rain forest.”
She readjusted the strap of her pack. “I’m not as delicate as I look.”
He raised a brow. “Maybe not. But you’re in a foreign land. You don’t know the language or the customs. You sure as hell don’t know your way around.”
She reached down and gripped the handle of her rolling bag. “I’ll manage.”
He stood and adjusted his own backpack. “According to Kylie, David is on an extreme tour in Peru. You’re in Ecuador.”
“I know where I am.”
“Did you book a private puddle jumper?”
“I’m taking the bus.”
“Why? If you fly, you can be in Lima in two hours. The bus will take—”
“I’ve never been to South America. I want to soak up the scenery. Once again, sorry for the inconvenience. Have a safe trip back.” She turned and wheeled her bag toward a horde of people pulling their luggage from the loaded carousel.
Unbelievable. Either the altitude sickness was affecting her judgment or she was a loon. He didn’t know whether to shake her or scoop her up and take her to the nearest hospital. He caught up to her in three long strides. “You’re not going to see much, traveling through the night,” he said, pointing out the obvious.
“I’m not leaving until tomorrow.”
“Where are you staying tonight?”
“I booked a hotel near the city’s center. I’ll taxi over, get a good night’s sleep, acclimate to the altitude and set off first thing in the morning. I even know where the bus station is, and that I should take a tour bus as they’re the most comfortable and have the least problems with pickpockets.” She stopped at the carousel and turned to face him. “I did my research, Mr. McGraw. You don’t have to worry about me. Honestly.”
He almost believed her. Captivated by those earnest green eyes, he’d take her word on anything. But then she glanced away and he knew she was lying. He trusted she’d done her research. Kylie had described River as smart. A smart woman wouldn’t wing a trip like this. But he didn’t buy that scenic route business. Nor the part about not needing to worry about her. He realized suddenly that he’d misread River Kane. She wasn’t stubborn, she was desperate. Desperate to get rid of him.
Why?
Never one to resist a mystery and a challenge, Spenser reassessed the situation.
“There’s my duffel,” she said.
“I’ll get it.”
“I can—”
“I know.” He hefted the rolling duffel that doubled as a backpack off the carousel. “You can fend for yourself. Thing is, I have old-fashioned sensibilities. Sorry, angel.”
The starch went out of her spine as he set the duffel at her feet. For a second, he wondered if she was going to faint again, but then he realized that she simply was no longer angry.
“Don’t apologize for being courteous,” she said, looking contrite. “If anyone should apologize it’s me. You greeted me, revived me, stated concern for my safety…. I’ve been rude. I’m sorry. I’m not at my best right now. It’s just…” She nailed him again with that earnest gaze, only this time she didn’t look away. “I need to do this on my own.”
Desperate, vulnerable and determined. Those three qualities added up to disaster in Spenser’s book. Even if he hadn’t promised his sister, no way would he let this lamb circulate in the wild without a shepherd. He wouldn’t rest easy until he saw her in David’s arms, and even then he wouldn’t be happy. It was insane. But he was pretty sure he’d fallen in love with River Kane the moment she’d fallen into his arms.
He quirked his most persuasive smile. “Okay. Here’s the deal. I won’t force my company on you, but allow me to escort you to your hotel. It’s late. You’re exhausted. At the very least I could tell my sister that we spoke and I saw you safely into the city.”
She moistened her lips and again he thought about kissing. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this hard for a freaking kiss.
“So, you’d just see me to my hotel and then you’d be on your way?”
“Mmm.”
She blew out a weary breath. “Okay.”
