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“She went for a night out with some of her old school friends. I was home with my grandmother apparently—a couple of months old. Mum stumbled into the street and was run down. They never found the driver.”

Suspicious . “Could have been an accident.”

“Could have been murder.” Row’s expression turned faraway.

They crested the ridge using a game trail and keeping low to the ground even though they were surrounded by thick bushes. Over the rise, he stopped in a small clearing.

“Let’s change here. Nothing we can do about your boots, but I have dry wool socks. Do you want some privacy?”

She snorted and started stripping off her gear. “You’ve already seen more of me than any other human outside my GP.”

He frowned. Did that mean she was shy? Or not? As she tugged the wet fleece and T-shirt from her body and wrung it out, he figured that was a no.

He dug for her clothes while she sat gingerly on a log and eased off her boots, then peeled off her damp jeans and panties. She sat there shivering and naked, and he shook himself out of his distraction and located her dry clothes. Handed them across and tried to keep his gaze above her mouth.

She tugged on the sports bra and shimmied into panties that were plain black but just as awesome as that red lace from last night—apparently, his gaze had wandered.

Then she pulled on the pair of pants he’d picked up yesterday and a wool undershirt.

He didn’t have a spare fleece for her, but he had one of his own, so he handed it over.

“Thank you.” The socks came last, and she grimaced as she slipped her feet back into the wet boots.

“The wool should dry as the boots do.”

She shook out her hair and redid the braid, rapid style. Frowned up at him. “You aren’t getting changed?”

He shook his head. “I want to find a place to wash up first.”

He indicated the blood smeared on his shirt.

She nodded. Her expression grew serious. “You’re sure you weren’t seriously hurt?”

He stuffed her wet things into a plastic bag he’d taken from the hotel that morning, using his injured arm to prove a point. Tucked the gun into his waistband and the knife in the side of the pack. “A scratch. Hopefully we can find some antibiotics or alcohol today.”

“Well, I could certainly use a drink.”

He laughed. “For that too.”

She climbed to her feet, and he offered her a bottle of water which she drank from and handed back.

“I thought we’d be safe once we crossed the border,” she admitted quietly.

His eyes held hers. “So did I.”

She twisted her lips. “I lost my passport in the river.”

He’d figured she probably had. Thankfully, neither of them were flying out of Africa on a commercial airliner.

He set off through the forest.

“What’s the plan?” She hurried after him.

“We head to Beira. It’s a bit of a shithole for various reasons and therefore dangerous. It was hammered by a hurricane. As the city is a stronghold for the official opposition, the government didn’t give it any money for repairs afterwards.”

“Seriously? Is that how democracy is supposed to work?”

Kurt shrugged. “It’s not uncommon. Why worry about making the people who will never vote for you happy?”

“I can never figure out why people get into politics if it’s not to help society in general, but I suppose that shows my naivety.” She shrugged.

“Right now, we have other things to worry about.” Too many things.

“Why Beira?”

“It’s closer than Maputo by several hundred miles and has a major port. If I can contact my people, they can hopefully arrange a boat. We just have to get there.”

“We’re in deep shit, aren’t we?”

“Seriously deep shit,” he admitted.

“If they are after you and not me, what will they do with me if they catch us?”

Kurt glanced at her sideways, unwilling to paint the picture with ugly words.

She didn’t need him to. “They’ll rape then kill me.” She swallowed. “Well, at least my first sexual experience was wonderful and positive. I’ll hang on to that if things get bad.”

He frowned, caught her arm. “What?”

She averted her head. “Let’s keep going.”

He held on to her as she tried to move past him. “Row?”

He stared into those changeable eyes that looked slightly embarrassed now.

“You seriously couldn’t tell?”

“Tell what?” Shock sank into his bones. “No.”

He let her go, and she strode on ahead of him. He shook himself out of his stupor and the unexpected but all-consuming guilt.

“You should have told me. ”

“Why?” she countered. “You’d probably have stopped.”

“Damned right I would have stopped.” Not a lot surprised him, but this cut him off at the knees. He’d known she was way too young and inexperienced for him, but he’d never imagined… “Your first time is supposed to be special.”

“It was special.” She turned and those brows sank into a fierce frown. “I don’t know what it meant to you, but it was special to me. Better than fumbling around with some jerk in my college dorm. A jerk who told his friends he’d already had sex with me even when it wasn’t true.”

Kurt narrowed his gaze and clenched his jaw. “Give me his name, and I’ll make sure he never walks again.”

She shot a feral grin over her shoulder as she walked away.

He kicked his own ass and caught up with her. Swung her around. Put a hand on each of her upper arms to keep her in one place and stared down into those suddenly wary eyes. “It was special to me too, very special. But I’m hardly?—”

She threw her arms up in dismay, breaking his hold.

“If you’re going to go on about how old you are and how your horrible, wrinkled body shouldn’t be touching my young, nubile virgin one, I might scream.

” She hissed it instead. Keeping the volume low because they were still on the run from violent men who wanted them dead.

He laughed at her words and her pissy response. “My body isn’t wrinkly.”

“I know !”

“It enjoyed the hell out of touching your young nubile one.” He refused to think about the virgin part.

She laughed. “I know that too.”

Had he hurt her? He tried to remember any telltale signs or indications but couldn’t recall anything that wasn’t pleasure. The sex had been good. He frowned. For him anyway. And she’d definitely orgasmed more than once and had taken the lead both times.

Because she wanted to lose her virginity ?

He chewed on his lip. It was her business who she let touch her. But he felt as if it was something he should have known before they’d messed around. Except when was the last time it had even crossed his mind to ask?

“How could you possibly still be a virgin?”

She tilted her head. Tone frosty. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the guys in England must be fucking blind not to be knocking on your door and begging to date you and then treating you like a fucking princess.”

“I know , right?” She grinned and touched his face, rising up on tiptoes to kiss him unexpectedly. It was so carefree it took him completely out of the moment, out of their situation.

He kissed her back, deeply, before he reminded himself where he was and what they were running from.

Maybe he was being an idiot and needed to chill.

Not take things so damned seriously. It wasn’t as if this thing between them was going to lead anywhere.

They’d been thrown together by fate, and if they escaped unscathed, they’d be torn apart by reality.

As much as he liked her, the idea of a long-distance relationship didn’t appeal.

He was too old for that shit.

But he did really like her, this virgin-turned-siren who’d turned his world on its head, not to mention saving his life. For now, he wanted to enjoy whatever they could salvage out of their time together.

It was no one else’s business anyway.

He scanned the forest around them as they walked on.

Antelope tracks in the dirt and plenty of different bird species flitting around the trees.

He needed to keep up his awareness so they didn’t walk headlong into another group of mercenaries coming from the other direction.

Bush was growing thicker, and he figured the most obvious direction they’d take would be northeast to the major road then south to Maputo.

He’d bet money there would be some sort of settlement or farm if they cut straight east. Perhaps someone would have a car they could borrow. Or steal. Or they could simply walk out, as long as they didn’t meet any hostiles along the way.

Mozambique was dangerous in places, but he was pretty sure this area was relatively safe and stable, and he was armed now. It was a hell of a long walk to Beira. They could be on the road for days—but it might be better than getting stopped by the cops.

“Hey, Row.”

“Yes, Kurt?”

His name sounded good on her lips. He turned to meet her amused gaze. “After we get out of this alive…”

She cocked her head to one side. Cute as a fucking button.

“I’d like to take you to bed again and make you scream. In a good way.”

Those eyes widened and lashes blinked as her lips tried unsuccessfully to suppress a smile. “Well now.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

“Deal.” She grinned.