The Renegade Billionaire Read Online Free PDF Page B

collided with Stavros, who was also standing, and he wrapped her in his strong arms.
    â€œDon’t make a sound.” This time his lips brushed her cheek while he whispered. Instantly rivulets of desire coursed through her bloodstream.
    While she stood there locked against his well-honed frame, there was more noise, a little louder than before. Whatever made the sound was getting closer to them. Stavros must have been holding his flashlight because he turned it on in time to see a ferret scurry away.
    Andrea relaxed against him, but Stavros still held on to her. No longer whispering, he said, “It’s past eleven o’clock. If Darren had planned to come here tonight, he would have arrived by now, don’t you think?”
    She eased out of his arms and turned on her flashlight so he couldn’t tell how much his nearness had turned her body to mush.
    â€œI do.” Until she got herself under control, Andrea wasn’t capable of saying anything else.
    â€œSince the lieutenant hasn’t phoned me with news yet, that means Darren’s still out there, but I doubt he’ll do any more hiking before first light.” He scooped up the blanket and folded it. “Since he’s not here, it’s possible he took the trail leading away from the quarry that eventually goes down the mountain. There are firebreaks that crisscross it. We’ll take one, then another. Hopefully we’ll locate him.”
    â€œThat sounds like a good plan.” Together they left and made their way back to the Jeep. The slightly warmer air outside the dank cave felt good, but she kept the parka on. Once they’d climbed inside, he started it up and they took off at a clip. He turned on his brights to help them in their search. Andrea drank some of her water, thankful he knew where to drive.
    â€œAre you hungry, Stavros?”
    â€œAnother gyro sounds good.”
    She turned around and got another one out of the hamper and handed it to him. He’d also packed some plums, so she took one for herself and settled back to eat. “Seeing Thassos Island in the dazzling light of day isn’t anything like driving through this forest at night.”
    â€œNot so benign, is it?”
    A shiver passed through her. “No. Wherever our runaway is, he couldn’t be feeling as comfortable about his plan right now. My boss checked with the American consulate. Darren has never been issued a passport before. Since this is his first trip to Europe, it’s amazing he’d be willing to run away from the tour in a place so foreign to him. He has to be desperate.”
    â€œOr adventurous and headstrong,” Stavros suggested, “and too spoiled to realize how hard this has to be on his parents or anyone who cares about him.”
    She had a hunch he was talking about his younger self. “We have to find him before the press turns his disappearance into an international incident.”
    â€œYou took the words out of my mouth.” His voice sounded an octave lower and resonated to the marrow of her bones.
    At the first crossroads they came to, he braked and turned right. “While I drive slowly, shine the big flashlight into the trees. We’ll take turns calling out his name. If he’s hurt and needs help, he might show himself.”
    â€œThat’s a good idea, but if he wants to stay hidden—”
    â€œThen the sound of our voices will make him nervous that people are looking for him,” Stavros supplied. “Hopefully he’ll try to run and in the process give himself away.”
    For the next half hour, he drove them over one rough firebreak, then another. “There doesn’t seem to be any sign of him, Stavros. Do you think it’s possible he hid himself in one of the employees’ vehicles while no one was paying attention? Maybe the back of a truck or the trunk of a car?”
    Andrea noted the grim expression marring his arresting features.