TWICE A HERO By Susan Krinard

“Do you expect to be defending it soon, Mac?” he asked.

“I guess that depends, doesn’t it?” She threw herself into the image of what she must try to be from now on—the shameless hussy he’d always claimed she was. “I can’t think of too many temptations. There are only so many good men in the world.”

“And less who’d fall for your wiles.”

“You think so? But then again, you never did finish what you started in the jungle, so you’ll probably never know.”

His steps faltered and he caught himself, muttering an apology to the couple they’d nearly collided with. Mac felt real hope then—hope that she’d awakened something in him, if only uncertainty—enough uncertainty to set him off course, to delay his plans for one more day…

But his mouth hardened. “It won’t matter,” he said. “Not when this dance is over.”

“Wrong, Liam,” she said softly. “I think you need a bit of reminding.”

With a tug and a wrench she took the lead, turning them toward the edge of the ballroom. There was a convenient row of decorative pillars close to one wall. Mac maneuvered Liam behind one of them and shoved him against it.

“As I said,” she purred, “it’s time for a few reminders.”

And she kissed him for all she was worth, hard, pulling his head down to hers. He was stiff for about half a second, then crushed the breath out of her as if he were a human corset. His lips ground on hers, and his tongue pushed inside with potent force.

It was just as it had been in the jungle—as wild, as crazy, as overwhelming. It was challenge given and accepted, a battle royal between two people determined to claim victory. Until something changed. Mac almost lost the memory of her purpose, almost melted, almost let the kiss last far too long.

But she heard the music stop somewhere very far away, and that was enough. She pulled back, meeting his unguarded gaze with naked triumph.

“Was it like that with Caroline? Can you live the rest of your life married to a girl who’ll never give you what I just did?”

He grabbed for her, intent on prolonging their tête-à-tête. “You brazen—”

“There you are!”

Mac and Liam snapped apart like two halves of a wishbone. Caroline was standing beside the column, a fixed smile on her lovely face. “I have been searching all over for you, Rose. You keep disappearing… it is really too bad of you!” She flashed a bright glance at Liam. “How lucky you are to have Liam take care of you.”

Mac did her best to appear nonchalant. Maybe Caroline hadn’t seen anything. Maybe she wasn’t actually glaring at Mac behind that pretty smile…

Liam quickly offered his arm to Caroline, who hesitated just ail instant before taking it. “I’m sure there are others who would be happy to dance with you, Rose,” she said sweetly.

“Thank you,” Mac murmured. But Caroline had already dismissed her with a toss of her head.

“Won’t you ask me to dance, Liam?” she cooed.

“With pleasure,” Liam said—for Mac’s benefit, she felt sure. But as he led Caroline away he threw Mac a look of hot challenge that made her glad she had skirts to cover her wobbly knees.

The music was beginning again, and Liam was with Caroline as if nothing had happened between him and Mac. He could be getting ready to make his proposal at this very moment. Mac watched the couples take their positions on the dance floor; Liam’s features were unreadable as he gazed down at his ward.

His expression remained so when Biggs suddenly materialized at his elbow, conveying some message that stole his attention from Caroline. Mac saw Biggs retreat, Liam speak to Caroline as the other couples began to dance, Caroline’s angry response. Liam took her hand and she snatched it free.

Liam said a final brief sentence, bowed and turned away, following in Biggs’s wake. Caroline’s stare pursued him until an attractive young man took Liam’s place. With overstated cheerfulness she accepted his partnership, and they began to dance.

Mac tracked Liam’s progress across the ballroom and out of it. Through the back doors again; she caught a glimpse of another man standing with him—Chen, she recognized, before the door closed.