"What the hell?" Lorelei couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.

"Someone removed the beacon. Surgically and precisely enough to fool the computer on my pre-taxi check. And what's worse, I found holes drilled in my wings with bits of some sort of plug still in them. Flakes of paint on them match their color exactly to the wing. This was a deliberate attempt to kill us."

Taron showed her the tiny bits of of material in his hand.

Lorelei sank to her knees. Her stomach roiling, she gasped for breath. Tears dripped down her cheeks and Taron dropped beside her, pulling her back onto his lap and cradling her head as she sobbed.

She struggled for control, and her voice cracked as she apologized, "I'm so sorry. I dragged you into this. It's my fault." Little hiccups broke her words into an almost unintelligible mumble. Strong arms pulled her tighter against his chest and she drew in a deep breath trying to control herself. This was worse than the stage fright at her first stadium concert.

"Come on Lore, just breathe. In and hold it and then let it out slow. We're alive. And I have a satellite phone. We're going to get out of here," Taron crooned. "I always have a backup to the backup plan. We're going to be okay, Lore."

Somehow his nickname for her gave Lorelei something to focus on. The strong thighs under hers flexed as he shifted, and she wondered how they would feel between hers.

What am I thinking? He's almost twenty years younger than me. We're stranded. Get your priorities straight.

Drawing in another deep lungful of air, she noted spicy floral scents in it, and other elusive notes under them. There must be some sort of fruit trees in the jungle like forest behind them. She dug her fingers into a loose fold of Taron's golf shirt drawing in the faint musk of male sweat. The merest hint of Ivory soap tickled her nose.

Lifting her face toward his she thanked him the only way she knew how, raising a hand to stroke his lightly stubbled cheek. His head came down and she hesitated for a brief second caught like a deer in headlights. Then those gorgeous silvery grey eyes closed, and her lips brushed his.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Is she really going to kiss me?

He dipped his chin down to get a better look, and she froze for a split second. Was that fear he sensed? He stopped breathing as his eyes closed then drew in the cinnamon tinged musk of her perfume as her lips brushed over his. Gentle, kind, and quietly sweet, they slid to one side of his mouth before she nipped his lower lip, taking them from benediction to heat before he took his next breath.

Time stopped. He drew back to let his thundering heart slow and shifted uncomfortably as his boxers tightened. Lorelei's whiskey gold eyes fluttered open, and she snuggled into his chest silent for a long moment.

What do I say? I've been watching her move through her concert tour from the pilot's seat for over two years. I haven't had a date or even a hook up in the last eighteen months. I haven't even dared to think about this, but everything changed today. And I can't let anything happen to her before I know where it will go.

"Don't say anything, yet." Her husky voice interrupted his thoughts. "Thank you. This isn't the best time to start something, but I'm so grateful to be alive, and I dragged you into a mess. We'll talk about that file pouch and you can decide whether you want to get involved or not. It's scary and messy."

"Whatever it is you uncovered in Heckleson's office, it put you in danger. I get that. But this isn't just him, or if it is, someone powerful is working with him. Who benefits from your will? Sorry to be so blunt, but I need to know. I don't want to tip off the wrong person when I make the rescue call later. And then there's the footprints you found."

He felt her nod against his left pec, and she pushed away from him.

"I'll show them to you. The heel makes me think it was a woman's dress boot, but you can judge for yourself." She pressed up from where she steadied herself in a deep squat, and he scrambled to his feet. When she swayed a bit, he grabbed her hand, and she squeezed his fingers hard.

Leaving Gus and her shoes behind them, she tugged him toward a narrow opening in the trees.

"See." Lore pointed toward the ground.

"You're right. That seems to be a woman's dress boot. No tread to speak of." He knelt down to brush a few of the rotting leaves away. "It went right through the humus into the soil."

"I wonder if she saw us crash?"

"It looks pretty fresh, and it would explain the silence when we opened the door."

"Yeah, I hear the birds starting to sing and flutter now."

"This island isn't huge, but I think it's big enough to have a water source. There's a dormant volcano on the other side of it. I never noticed any structures, but then again, I was assessing for a landing spot. Kind of took priority."

"Why don't I remember anything out here in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico?"

"Because maps and sea charts are still notoriously inaccurate at times," Taron said.

"We were cutting across from Austin to Tampa. My agent was expecting me. She'll publicize my disappearance in a few hours. I was going to take a break, and she was the only one who knew I was planning to disappear for a few months. The concert in Austin was the last one on the tour." Lore sounded like she was thinking out loud. "It's home base after all."

"I know, it's the one airport where we have a private hangar. You didn't mention the break." He studied her face waiting for her to answer.

"It wasn't public. And I didn't want a flight plan filed to give my destination away. My fans are rabid at times."

"Okay, then I don't know who to trust just now. I have a couple of friends who I can count on. But what about you?" Taron turned her to face him and grasped her upper arms, forcing her to look at him.

She shook her head. "There are a lot of people who I can consider enemies, but the one who stands out, is Nicky. My nephew. My will spreads the estate out between my sister and her three children."

"Then the rumor isn't true."

"Which one?"

"That you have a secret child hidden away somewhere. It's a constant in the tabloids."

Lorelei growled. "They just never liked the truth. My career is busy and not fair to a child. I never had one."

"Good to know. So back to your will."

"The girls are sweethearts and their husbands, well, good men there. Nicky has problems though. Gambling, drugs, two rape charges that almost stuck except he was young enough, and I sprung for a lawyer and kept him to juvenile status. They were removed from his record when he reached twenty-one."

"How old is he now?"

"Almost thirty five. I made sure he knew he wasn't going to get a red cent. He's wild, willful, and completely unrepentant. No one like that deserves any good fortune." She winced as she spoke.

"Any exes?" Taron held his breath. Even though he didn't notice anyone hanging around Lore, it didn't mean he hadn't missed something. Something about Lore's sister tugged at his memory.

She smiled brilliantly. "Lucky there. They're both happily married now. One to the boyfriend he was absolutely truthful about the entire time we were dating and the other to his best friend from high school. She does all my promotional flyers and album covers etcetera."

"Okay, Nicky is another one to add to our list of suspects. What about your sister?"

"Once she booted her no good husband out of her life, things settled down."

Taron sighed. "Her ex is a problem as well then."

"Not unless he's out of prison. He's was six years into a twenty year sentence for first degree fraud. Complicated with aggravated assault and more. Can't keep out of trouble in there either." The rude grunt she let out spoke far more eloquently than her words, and she pointed at the footprint before she continued, "Do you want to follow this trail? It might lead us to them."

Taron squinted up at the sun and reminded himself to find his sunglasses. They had to be somewhere in the cockpit.

"I don't think we have more than three or four hours of daylight left. I think we'll go back to the plane and get a shelter ready. Fire would be a nice plus, considering we have a jungle out there. We have no idea what kind of predators are in there." He turned toward the line of footprints they left in the sand.

"Probably better that way. I hope she's friendly."

"We have no idea. I'll retrieve the pistol in my go bag too. I've got a couple of clips of ammunition. Never thought I'd need it."

Lorelei tugged his hand to get his attention.

"Thanks again. I had no idea how right I was to hire you."

He felt his cheeks heating. "Part of the job, Lore. You aren't exactly a nobody. And by the way, remember, nothing about this is your fault."