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“Help!” she screamed.
He released one of her hands, shoved a hand over her mouth, kicked her legs out from under her, and slammed her to the sand. All the breath rushed out of her in a loud pop. Her attacker was splayed on top of her, his weight suffocating her and his hand over her mouth making it even harder to breathe.
“No one will help you,” he said. “My guards will make certain of that.”
Chalisa screamed against his hand, but a muffled whimper was all that escaped. She squirmed and flailed and kicked at him, but she couldn’t get her hands free or move an inch with him pressing her into the sand.
“Now you have a choice to make.” He looked over her face and his creepy smile grew. “You can come back to my suite with me, be pampered and spoiled and enjoy the rest of the week in luxury and by my side. Then you can return to California and brag about your vacation and your fling with a handsome Mexican billionaire. Or … you can fight me, I’ll enjoy every moment with you, and maybe your body will wash ashore someday.”
Chalisa could not breathe. She didn’t want to process the horrifying words coming out of his mouth. Pretend to like him or be murdered by him? Either way, he would rape her.
“What will it be, mi belleza?”
He removed his hand. Chalisa drew in a deep breath of oxygen and screamed, “Death!”
He startled, and then he grinned. “Muy bien.”
“Help!” Chalisa screamed, flailing underneath him as he shoved his lips against hers.
She was going to die. If she was lucky, he’d smother her to death before he could …
Oh, please help me, was the only coherent prayer she could manage.
She heard a weird smack and the man suddenly went limp on top of her, his mouth sliding off of hers.
“Help,” she panted.
“It is your lucky day, because helping beautiful and endangered ladies is what I was created for,” a jaunty male voice replied.
What on earth?
Her attacker’s weight was lifted off of her and dropped unceremoniously to the sand. Chalisa caught a full breath and blinked up at her rescuer.
He was tall and lean in fitted black clothing. She could see the shadow of a beard on his jaw highlighting an appealing mouth with a bowed upper lip and full lower lip. He wore sunglasses and a baseball cap.
Wrenching her attacker’s hands behind him, he slapped zip ties around his wrists and then yanked a length of duct tape off and covered the unconscious billionaire’s mouth. He shoved the duct tape back into a small backpack.
“That’ll buy us at least a few minutes.” His voice was happy and unconcerned. Everything about this man reassured her, but he didn’t feel real. It was like an avenging angel had swooped down to rescue her.
Gently wrapping his arms around her waist, he lifted her to her feet and smiled gallantly. “All right then?”
“I … I think so. Thank you,” she managed, wanting to gush about him being her angel or her knight in shining black clothing and a baseball cap. He’d rescued her from a fate worse than death. His warm touch reassured her he was, in fact, a man. An extremely handsome and appealing man.
“Saving you is my pleasure, believe me.” He grinned. “But now we’ve got to move or my cover will be completely blown.”
He slid one strong arm around her waist, cupping her hip. His scent was a delicious mix of peppermint and musk. His touch was a stark contrast to her attacker’s. This man made her feel supported and warm, as if he was touching her to unselfishly lift and inspire her.
He ushered her across the sand, away from the ocean. Chalisa wanted to collapse against the safety he represented, but she kept her feet under her and kept pace with him.
“Cover?” she managed, peering deeper into his sunglasses and getting nothing.
“Though I would happily brag to you about how brilliant and impressive I am, there is no time to explain my purposes here and my illustrious career right now. I am too well-known to show the scum Jorge my handsome face until the ideal moment. His last moment as a free man.”
Chalisa felt cloudy and confused. She loved the way he spoke, his innate confidence, and most of all the strength and protection he represented for her.
They reached the sidewalk that ran north to south the length of the resort, separating the beach from the pool areas. He slowed their pace but kept her firmly in the circle of his strong arm. Now that she wasn’t in mortal peril, it was impossible not to notice the tingles he stirred in her with the simple pressure of his hand cupping her waist and hip through her thin sundress.
“Pretend we’re a couple enjoying our vacation together,” he said as they approached two middle-aged couples sauntering toward them holding hands.
