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She sighed. “And now they’re worried.”

“Of course they’re worried.” Tanner tipped her face up to his. “But not for long, sweetheart. I’ll have you home before you know it.” He smiled. “Chay says this house is supposed to be pretty nice.”

“Anything that gets us out of this rain would be nice.”

As if in response, the water from the swollen river suddenly surged around their ankles. Tanner clasped Alessandra’s shoulders.

“Keep an eye out for snakes.”

“Okay.”

“And stay with me no matter what. If I go too fast, just say so. Got that?”

“Got it,” she said, and this time, it was she who leaned in and kissed him.

CHAPTER NINE

Moving through a tropical swamp of any kind was never easy. There was always the constant threat of snakes, insects and, depending on where you were, alligators or caimans or crocodiles lying in wait.

Mangrove swamps had the added danger of the tangled tree roots that could end in a sprained or broken ankle, and that would be absolute disaster.

Tanner was already among the walking wounded. His entire leg throbbed like a son of a bitch. So far, at least, he could still put weight on it and he didn’t feel feverish, but he knew he wasn’t one hundred percent, either.

He had to be one hundred percent for Alessandra,

She matched him stride for stride. No complaining. No asking for a break. She kept walking, her hand in his, but he knew she was exhausted.

Where in hell was that beach house? Not that he was expecting anything even close to a beach house. Forget what Alessandra’s brother or his billionaire pal had said. The odds on the place being anything more than a shack were, he figured, zero to none.

Alessandra stumbled over a mangrove root. She said something swift and musical in Italian, but he had the feeling there was nothing musical about its meaning.

Tanner lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Whatever you just said goes double for me.”

“How many times can I be stupid enough to trip over these things? I mean, I know they’re there…”

“Easy.”

He drew her into his arms.

She let out a long, deep sigh and leaned against him.

“You’re limping,” she said, “but I’m the one doing the complaining.”

“You’re not complaining. And I’m not limping.”

She tilted her head back and looked at him.

“You are.”

“I’m not. I’m just exercising my feet. You know, put one down for a little longer than usual, lift the other a little faster than usual…”

She laughed. He raised her face to his and kissed her lightly on the mouth. Then he took her hand and they began walking again.

A few minutes went by.

“I can see daylight through the trees,” Tanner said. “Well, what passes for daylight in a storm like this. I think we’re almost out of the swamp.”

“And then?”