She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Raul.” When she moved back, her brow puckered. “Will you be all right?”
He nodded. “I have friends in Costa Rica where I can stay for a day or two before I return to Panama City.” Raul lifted his chin toward the plane. “It is time for you to go.” He kissed her cheek and stepped back.
The pilot reached them. “Jack Bailey?”
Crusher nodded and held out his hand.
“Hank Patterson said I’d find you and a young woman here. Glad you made it.” He nodded at Marta. “I’m to take you to Mexico City. If you’re ready, we can go. I’ve already filed my flight plan.”
Crusher glanced down at Marta. “Ready?”
Marta nodded. “I am.” With one last smile back at Raul, she turned toward the plane.
Crusher hooked Marta’s arm as they followed the pilot.
Not until they were in the air did Marta allow herself to take a deep breath.
“Are you okay?” Crusher asked over the roar of the jet engines.
Marta shook her head. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay. It took a lot to get this far, and we still haven’t gotten to the real problem.”
Crusher took her hand and squeezed gently. “We’ll get there. Have faith.”
She hoped they did.
The lives of millions were at stake.
Chapter 9
The flight to Mexico City took nearly four hours. Crusher didn’t like being idle, but there was nothing he could do otherwise, so he settled back, determined to rest to be ready for whatever awaited them in Mexico City and then Miami.
Once they were up in the air and the aircraft had leveled out, Marta insisted on using the first aid kit on the plane to clean his scuffed knuckles and a cut on his chin. Her hands were gentle and efficient.
With her so close, the temptation to lean in and kiss her was so strong, it took all his control to fight it. But then she touched an alcohol pad to the cut on his chin.
“Geez!” He pulled back sharply.
Her lips twisted. “Don’t be such a baby. I need to clean the wound of germs. You don’t want it to get infected.”
He gritted his teeth as she touched the pad to his chin again. The sting wasn’t as bad this time, and it meant she was close enough the scent of the shampoo she’d used wafted around him.
She’d removed the hat as soon as they’d climbed aboard, letting her auburn hair fall around her shoulders.
Marta pressed a bandage over the cut and smiled. “There. That should hold until your next fight.”
When she started to move away, he gripped her elbow and pulled her close. “Thank you.” Before he could think better, he cupped the back of her neck, leaned forward and kissed her full on the lips.
She’d been leaning over him as she’d taken care of his cuts and scuffs. Once his lips touched hers, she sank into him.
What started as a quick, spontaneous kiss changed. She opened to him, and he thrust past her teeth into her mouth, caressing her tongue with his. Marta descended onto his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave as good as she got, melting against them as if they could become one.
Her body warmed him, making him feel more alive than he’d felt in a very long time. Blood coursed through his veins, sending fire into his soul and hope into his heart. What was she doing to him?
He didn’t know. Didn’t care. As long as she kept doing it.
They finally broke off to breathe, and she blinked up at him. “When you jumped out of the van...” She shook her head. “I was so scared.”
“We weren’t going to leave you.” He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, loving how silky soft the curls were.
