Volcano Read Free

glasses were picture perfect. He bet if she let down that thick knot of ebony hair, she would almost look like a real woman.
    Charlie ignored the stirring of anticipation in his pants as he practically threw the recalcitrant female into the waiting van. She felt good in his hands, slim and incredibly soft. She smelled good too, some old-fashioned flowery fragrance that aroused images of warm southern nights. A good jolly-rogering right now would suit him more than fine, but he wanted out of Vieux Fort first. Business Suit here wasn’t the kind of female he would normally choose for a good time—hell, she was the kind he ran from faster than a crazed bull—but kidnapping a family of tourists hadn’t appealed to his baser instincts.
    â€œWhat in the world do you think you’re doing?” she hissed as he shoved her over on the seat and climbed in beside her. The driver had already thrown her bags on top of Charlie’s backpack and was closing the van doors.
    â€œGetting you out of there,” he hissed back. “You want those soldiers seeing us take off in different cars?”
    That silenced her long enough for the van driver to climb into his seat and start the engine. Charlie wished he could make the man move faster, but in the islands, time was irrelevant. The driver would leave when he felt so inclined.
    â€œI don’t mean to be rude, but you’ll go away when we’re out of sight?” Business Suit asked anxiously as the cab joined the line of other vehicles inching from the airport.
    He admired her control. Her hands trembled and her lips had lost their color, but she didn’t give in to the usual hysterical female dramatics. Instead, she held her cool and spoke coherently, although he was wary of whatever female weapon she fingered in her pocket. Damned uptight career women thought every man they met wanted under their skirts. Of course, in the case of this particular female, she was probably right.
    â€œJust think of me as the local chamber of commerce welcoming committee, assuring your visit to St. Lucia is safe and trouble free.” Charlie glanced over his shoulder at the traffic behind him: all taxis and rental cars. Jacobsen hadn’t seen him and had probably already left the airport. That didn’t mean someone else hadn’t seen through his disguise. Word spread quickly in small towns.
    â€œI’m not a drug dealer,” she asserted. “I never saw that bag of white stuff before.”
    â€œYeah, yeah, that’s what they all say.” He ought to feel guilty for his little prank of asking Alonzo to plant that bag, but he didn’t. Raul was more important than the princess.
    â€œI thank you for your assistance,” she said stiffly, obviously offended by his rudeness. “I’m sure I could have straightened it out eventually on my own. I don’t wish to keep you from your duties any longer. I must insist the driver let you out wherever it’s convenient for you.”
    Charlie turned his head and glared at her in disbelief. Her wide round glasses framed unblinking brown eyes rimmed with thick black lashes. He would wonder what world she came from, but unfortunately, he knew. “Do you have any idea what the Vieux Fort jail looks like?” he asked.
    Charlie didn’t think she could turn any paler, but she did.
    â€œI’m sure it wouldn’t have come to that,” she replied as stiffly as before. “I’m an American citizen. They would have called the consulate or whoever is in charge of these matters. It probably wasn’t even drugs, just someone’s bath powder.”
    â€œThey wouldn’t have bothered testing before they threw your sweet little tail in jail and forgot about you. They do things in their own time and their own way around here,” he said without repentance. “They haven’t had a magistrate in six months and cases are backed up the wazoo. The inmates are a bit