The hell of it was that while he should keep his distance, he also wanted to keep tabs on her until she left. Like dribbling water on a parched man's tongue.
Another drop beaded from her hair, down her brow, falling, catching and holding on her lips.
Better not think about water. "Sure. And it's not like either of us has a flexible work schedule while we're here."
"Absolutely, and back home I'm TDY all over the world two-thirds of the year," she answered, jumping all over the line of excuses.
Too bad he still wanted to jump all over her. "I'm always in class, in the lab or on the road."
"Real workaholic." She backed along the dirt path.
"So I've been told." He picked up her lead, following with his words as well as his steps.
"Hey, that's how it is when you love your job."
"Uh-huh." He reached to swipe a drooping branch out of her way. The lean brought him too close. A couple inches farther and he would taste Darcy and the lingering salt of the sea and her sunflower seeds.
"This is a critical time for you."
"Right."
"You don't need distractions."
"You said it." With those legs wrapped around his waist, he would definitely be distracted.
"And neither do I."
"I don't even like sunflower seeds." Liar. He liked the taste just fine on her lips.
"Well then." Her grin lit her face as well as her eyes. "You're history, pal."
Her feet danced back inches from stepping off the path into a tangle of vines.
"Watch out!" Max grabbed her shoulders, soft shoulders in spite of all the toned muscle flexing beneath his touch. His thumbs stroked of their own volition.
They both stood, the plush ground giving beneath their feet like a feather bed. Her pupils widened. The humidity in the air upped, at least it must have since every breath felt thicker. Their newfound ease evaporated in a snap.
Damn.
A great big distraction and her legs weren't anywhere near his waist.
Darcy licked the drop from her lips. "I need to go."
Bugs hummed in the trees as neither of them moved. A foot-long lizard scuttled past.
She opened her mouth again as if to say something else, then shook her head, shrugging from under his hands. "Goodbye, Max."
"Good night," he answered to her retreating back, wondering why he couldn't let her just keep walking right on out of his life. She wasn't his responsibility, especially not since he'd just assigned Lurch to tail her. Besides, she could protect herself with the training she'd received, compliments of Uncle Sam. Darcy Renshaw did not need Max's protection.
Darcy jogged up the path, her flexing calves offering a too-enticing view. He allowed himself the pleasure of watching until she slipped around a thatch of trees and out of sight.
She might not need him, but that wouldn't stop him from checking. Max swacked a branch aside and headed back for the beach. Darcy couldn't run far enough for his peace of mind on a water-locked island where too many vermin scuttled under every rock.
Reaching into her flight bag, Darcy searched by touch for her lunch during their final approach to Guam. The past week of hauling everything from bulldozers to food rations into Taiwan had left her with little time for sleeping. Forget about regular meals.
Worse yet, today's mission off-loading medical supplies had been too turbulence-ridden for her to scarf down even a sandwich. She planned to make the most of the ten minutes before transition, touch-and-go landings.
Darcy fished out an apple and polished it on the leg of her flight suit. Max had been right. They were both too busy to breathe, much less indulge in a wild, fantasy-worthy fling on a sandy beach.