Page 35 of Trapped With the Secret Agent

“Can you carry this?” he asked, handing her the water flask.

“Yes.”

Peter stepped in close, looking down into her gaze. Tension narrowed her eyes and furrowed her forehead. Her lips quivered, drawing his gaze, and when she broke eye contact and bit down on her plump bottom lip, it was all he could do to not kiss her.

The muscles in his gut tightened. She wasn’t as calm about this as she let on, but she didn’t want him to know.

She was trying to be brave, again, and damn if he didn’t like it way too much.

“Good. I want you to follow me no closer than one step, but no farther than three steps behind me. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“If anyone stops us or speaks to us. Don’t say anything, just look at the ground and stay close to me.”

“Ok.”

He put one hand under her chin and tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes. There was fear there, but determination, too.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Her eyes widened a little at his statement, like she was surprised to hear him say it. “I—I know.”

Her words settled something inside him. A part of him he normally kept locked down. The part that had no problem fighting three armed men less than an hour ago to protect her. He nodded and released her with reluctant hands. If hand holding with a woman weren’t such a cultural taboo in this part of the world, he wouldn’t have let go.

Going to the door, he felt rather than heard her move in behind him. He opened the door and peered out. Nothing. He slipped outside, with Georgia right behind him. Two shadows sliding through the vegetation and darkness.

Chapter Eight

Peter navigated thedark, grim streets using an incomplete mental map. But, as long as they kept heading east, they were going the right way.

Georgia dogged his heels and uttered no complaints.

There was only the barest sliver of a moon in the cloudless sky. Not enough light to brighten the night to any extent, which was good for them. As long as it stayed dark, no one could tell that the homeless couple looking for an alcove to sleep in was a Caucasian man and woman attempting to escape the city.

They could use all the help they could get.

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