Chapter Four

 

 

 

Why did she do it? Why did she always have to go and piss him off then totally throw him off balance by being so damn sexy? There was one thing for sure—being around Magda was never boring.

And she was probably the most fuckable woman he knew.

Just watching her swing those hips as she overtook him on the path back to the hut got him all hot and bothered. She’d taken off the Islamic disguise and now it flapped carelessly in the breeze as it hung discarded over her shoulder. It reminded him of the trouble it was for her to stay in character. Nope, she wasn’t the submissive type at all, although from memory…she didn’t mind at all when a man took charge in the sack, as long as they got to switch every now and then.

She turned her head and gave him a cheeky grin. “What are you smiling about, Stone? I’m kicking your butt out here in the jungle, you wimp! Pick up the pace why don’t you, or it’ll be dark before we get back to the hut.”

He chuckled to himself as the memories stirred his cock to life. He shouldn’t be enjoying himself so much when they were in such deep shit, but he couldn’t help it.

“Not everyone can be a jungle warrior woman like you, Mags, but put me in my favored environment and I am the Master.”

She stopped and turned to face him, hands on her hips and a big grin on her beautiful face. “Favored environment? Where would that be? In a kiddies’ playground?”

Moving quickly, he reached her, grabbed her shirt and pulled her close to him, their lips so close he could feel her sweet little breaths teasing his mouth. “Playground is right, Mags, but no kids are allowed where I am talking about. Strictly ‘Adults Only’.”

She gasped, and he saw that cute little nervous tic at the side of her mouth just begging to be kissed, but he hesitated, waiting to see what she would do next.

“You sound pretty sure of yourself, Stone. That’s very arrogant of you,” she whispered, her voice catching in her throat.

“Not at all,” he breathed back, moving his free hand to the small of her neck and gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. “I’m very good at what I do, and I’m not afraid to prove it.”

She moaned softly and that was all the encouragement he needed. His mouth covered hers and demanded entrance. She tasted of the tangy mangosteens they’d eaten for breakfast as his tongue explored her mouth, thrusting slowly in and out, exactly how he wanted to fuck her.

Right now.

Right here.

Slow and easy, and making it last until their bodies exploded. He let go of her shirt and slid his hand inside, covering her bare breast with his palm. She kept her arms by her side, but her nipple pebbled hard in his hand and he couldn’t resist rolling it between his thumb and forefinger.

“Oh God,” she gasped as she broke away, leaning her head to the side allowing him to trail his mouth over the softness of her beautiful neck. He could feel the heat rising on her skin as her breathing became more ragged the more he touched her. Jeezus, she was on fire!

He moved his hand from her shirt and slid it under the waistband of her shorts, slowly inching toward her gorgeous pussy. His cock leaped for joy when his index finger entered her body.

“Jeezus, Mags, you’re so wet.”

Her body stiffened, and he felt her withdraw from him, physically and emotionally. Shit, he’d fucked up again. Carefully, he removed his hands and took a step back from her, his breathing uneven and coming in short spurts.

Magda stared at his face, her beautiful green eyes shimmering with unshed tears and full of confusion. “We can’t do this, Vincent,” she whispered.

Aw shit…you’re a fucking idiot, Vince!

“I’m sorry, Mags. I know we shouldn’t be doing this, but you don’t know what you do to me.”

A hint of a smile came over her lips. “Yes, I do, Vincent. Me and every other woman who crosses your path.”

Ouch.

“I guess after the way we ended I deserved that, but I mean it when I say, despite what you think, what we had was something very special. But I know how you feel about me. I’m sorry for leading you on, and I’ll try and keep my hands to myself next time.”

Moving past her, he took the lead down the path and walked quickly, not stopping until his cock had returned to a more acceptable condition and he’d reached the hut.

 

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Why had she let that happen? She was supposed to be keeping her distance and here she was, giving in to her insatiable desire for this man. This man who had the power to crush her heart all over again, if she let him. And just when she thought she was safe with her heart all locked up tight, she let him get close again. How stupid was that?

Standing still on the track, Magda sucked in a large breath and let it out slowly, willing herself to calm down. Her heart had other ideas as it continued to beat a pounding rhythm hard against her chest as she watched the object of her desire almost run away from her and disappear from view.

Fuck, anyone would think he was pissed with her or something, when everyone knew he went through women like underwear. She jolted out of her temporary stupor and followed him down the track, walking briskly to try to catch him.

Hang on a minute!

She stopped again, shaking her head as a brightly colored moth hovered around her face.

What we had together was very special. Had she heard that right? Did he really mean that? Given the way they’d broken up, he sure had a funny way of showing it.

Continuing down the path, she gave up on catching up to Vincent and concentrated on figuring out what was up with him instead. Remembering the size of his dick pressing in to her groin during that kiss, she laughed to herself. What was up with him, besides the obvious, of course? He’d been acting weird ever since they’d hooked up. On the surface, he was the same old Vince. The smart-mouthed jock always on the lookout for a quick fuck. But underneath that there was something else. She hadn’t thought about it until now, but he was acting more serious than usual. And more protective than ever before. In the past when they’d worked together, he’d treated her as one of the guys. Even when they’d been fucking like rabbits, work had always been separate. What had changed now? Dare she hope for some deeper feelings from him?

She wandered along the path slowly making her way forward to the hut, but her mind was still back in the clearing and how it felt in Vincent’s arms. No one else felt so right. No one else kissed her the way he did. Why did it feel so right, when she knew he was such a rat? But maybe he just wanted her to believe he was a rat, although for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why he would possibly do that.

She swore, smacking her forehead with the palm of her hand. She had to stop trying to convince herself Vincent was redeemable. In the long run, she was setting herself up for a shitload of pain. She couldn’t trust him one iota. If she gave in to this overwhelming need to believe he’d changed, then she would lose her heart all over again, and she wasn’t sure she would recover this time.

Nope…back to the original plan. Keep aloof, do the job, get the fuck out of there, and back to the LAW mansion to find herself a boy toy to satisfy her sexual needs. Maybe that cute pool guy again? He was always up for a fuck buddies session and he didn’t expect anything in return. Good plan.

Yep. That was what she would do. That was what her girlfriends would do and it sure as hell was what they would be telling her to do, instead of wasting her time pining over something that she knew in her heart wasn’t meant to be.

 

* * * *

 

It seemed like an eternity before Magda reached the hut. What the fuck was taking her so long?

Vincent attempted to shove the guilt aside that he felt from running off half cocked. He wasn’t her keeper. She was more than capable of looking after herself. He had no reason to feel guilty.

He started pacing. Walking back and forth in front of the hut was an exercise in balance, given the dozens of potholes in the dirt, no doubt the result of the frequent tropical rainstorms. Good thing he’d had a lot of practice as a kid, walking the top of the front fence on his family’s property.

He stopped and held his hand up to cover the glare and squinted, trying to get a better view of the track he expected her to emerge from at any minute. His conscience pricked again, weaving that guilt deeper and deeper into his head. Shit, he’d never worried about her before. She wouldn’t want him to either, so he didn’t need to start acting like he had a right to think anything personal about her. Nope, he was a free agent. No relationship. No guilt.

He looked over again at that empty path and ran his fingers through his hair, pulling on the ends until he felt the roots straining to keep them attached to his scalp.

Damn. It wasn’t working. Might as well accept it, he was feeling more protective of Mags now than he ever had when they were sleeping together. Weird and pretty darned inconvenient, since he knew himself and relationships were never going to happen.

What the fuck was he doing thinking like that? Geez, when this was over, he needed to find a willing woman and fuck her brains out. Maybe that blonde he’d met a few weeks ago at that club in Sydney. The one with the big tits and the IQ in double digits. What was her name again? Emma? Allie? Whatever her name was, that was what he needed. Some mindless, no-strings sex would help get this shit off his back and free him up to get on with his life.

He’d almost convinced himself when Magda came into sight and his heart stopped. Thank bloody Christ she was okay! He ignored the fact that he really shouldn’t be getting so bent out of shape by this woman and strode toward her, reaching her in seconds and grabbing her arms.

“What the fuck took you so long, Mags?”

Magda squirmed under the pressure of his hands and tried unsuccessfully to break free. “Let me go, you big bully! Can’t a girl take some time to smell the roses?”

“Is that what you were doing?” He laughed, trying to keep the incredulous tone from his voice. “Smelling the flowers?”

Managing to break free, Magda pushed Vincent away from her and stepped back a couple of feet, her eyes blazing and her stance telling him she was ready for a fight.

“Fuck off, Stone. Stop with the caveman act, will you? Not that it’s any business of yours, but I answered a call of nature and wanted some privacy, so get the hell off my case.”

The relief he felt to hear the spitfire Mags he knew and loved yelling at him was overwhelming. He reached for her again and gathered her to his chest, squeezing her hard before she had a chance to protest. Her scent filled his nostrils as he buried his face in her hair. Her heart beat at a hundred miles an hour against his chest. Why did it seem like this is where she belonged?

“Stone,” she said in a muffled voice. “I can’t breathe.”

“Huh?”

She wriggled in his arms and he loosened his grip slightly.

“I. Said. I. Can’t. Breathe!”

Oh shit. He released her slowly, his hands running over her arms, reluctant to give up contact with her body. “Sorry, Mags. After the last two days, I was worried the bad guys had hijacked you on the path. I’m just relieved you’re all right.”

“Yeah, right. You’re acting weird, Stone. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Fucked if I know. “What the fuck would I be keeping from you? We’re in this together, Mags. Until it’s over.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “Until it’s over.”

Real smooth, Vincent. Change the subject or she’ll be thinking too much about it.

He walked over to a large log in front of the hut and sat. “So do you want to hear what I found out from the village elder?”

That got her attention. She walked over to him and sat on the other log on the other side of the hut door, crossing her legs and leaning forward on her knees. “Fine. What did you find out?”

Taking in a breath of relief, he blew it out slowly. “I asked him about Sultan Abdullah.”

“And?”

“Apparently there is a small shrine to him somewhere near on the island, but he was reluctant to tell me where it is. I figure we can find someone to bribe to take us there if we go back to the city.”

“I disagree. If we go back to the Georgetown now, it’ll put us at a greater risk. We’ll be sitting ducks for whoever is after us. I say we stick to the jungle and find a native from a village to take us, or at least draw us a map. I’m pretty handy with a compass. You do know what a compass is, don’t you, Stone? It’s one of those circular magnetic things with an arrow pointing north.”

If the sarcasm was anything to go by, she certainly wasn’t dwelling on his stupid behavior a few minutes ago, and anyway, he didn’t really think she would fall for that tactic so he could get her out of the way and safe from these bastards who were after them. You have to admire her spunk, he thought as he grinned at her. Even if her barbs were a bit sharp sometimes.

“Well, do you? And why the hell are you smiling like a wide-mouthed frog at me for?”

His belly contracted painfully as he stifled the laugh that threatened to overtake him. They really needed to find this bloody relic and get the fuck out of here, but shit, she made him laugh like no other woman. “Just smiling at your rapier wit, Mags. I should remember to wear my flak jacket when I’m around you. You’re sharp.”

She screwed up her eyes, and made that cute little sigh that got his dick twitching. “Too much?”

“S’okay Mags, I can take anything you can dish out. I forgot how much fun it was.”

Her face cleared, those turquoise eyes sparkling. “What can I say? You bring out the best sarcasm in me, Stone. Okay, enough levity. Back to business.”

Down, boy! He shifted on the log, placing his hands out in front so his elbows hid the tent in his shorts. This woman was going to be the death of him before they got back to civilization. She didn’t have to do anything. Her scent, her words, her facial expressions—the whole package got him hotter than the steam tent of a jungle they were in, and if he didn’t get a grip, he’d do something stupid. He reminded himself of all the reasons he’d broken it off with her two years ago. Not wanting to be tied down. Knowing how unfair it would be to expect her to put up with his frequent missions. Nope, she deserved better than a part-time man, and that’s all he would be.

“Stone? Have you heard a word I’ve said?”

Shit. Caught again. “Of course I have, Mags. You were saying we need a plan. You want to go back to the village and bribe someone.”

“Not exactly. What I said was, we head toward the village, but wait to catch one of the villagers by themselves. That way we won’t attract attention to ourselves again.”

“Not a bad idea. It could work.”

“Off course it will work,” she said, winking at him. “And I can take this hot and itchy costume off at last, thank God.”

“Okay, we should prepare first. We need some water and food. I’ll get the water bottles we salvaged from the jeep and fill them and you can go pick some more of that fruit.”

Magda grimaced. “Ack! I wish we’d eaten back at the village market. I am so over fruit, and so is my stomach,” she said, rubbing her hand across her belly as she walked toward the narrow track she’d found their last meal.

 

* * * *

 

It was late afternoon and after a couple of hours of waiting, and a couple of unsuccessful attempts before finally bribing a villager for information, they trudged up another seemingly endless track toward God knew where.

Magda stopped for a few seconds taking a swig from the now warm water bottle. She splashed a few drops on her face and let it dribble down her neck to the valley between her breasts. The air was so thick it felt like heated cotton wool wrapped around her body almost stifling her breathing in the moisture laden air, and the ensuing exhaustion took its toll.

“This heat sucks,” she whispered to herself.

“It’s not the heat, Mags, it’s the damned humidity. It wipes us out.”

“Yeah, well, it wouldn’t be so bloody humid if it wasn’t so fucking hot!”

“Always a pleasure to travel with such a good-humored companion.”

“Fuck off, Stone,” she hissed as she picked up the pace and turned the small bend in the track and stopped dead in her place. “Shit! What the heck is that?”

Before her eyes was a clearing that appeared to be paved with roughly hewn rock. In the center was the broken torso of a statue, the head and shoulders lying on its side on the ground. Dozens of the rock bricks had been dug out and thrown roughly around the area. It looked like some sort of explosive device had been let off, but from the color of the moist dirt, this was a recent event. If explosives had been used, they would have heard them for sure.

Vincent caught up with her in seconds and placed his hand protectively on her shoulder. It felt good there, but she shrugged him off, moving forward to inspect the devastation they saw before them.

“It looks like we found our shrine,” said Vincent from behind her.

She didn’t bother turning back to him. “And the bad guys beat us to it.”

“Let’s check it out anyway, in case they missed something. At least we now know what Sultan Abdullah looks like.” Leaning over, he turned the stone head over. “Ugly mug, though.”

Magda laughed. “I am sure his many wives thought he was attractive enough.”

“I’m sure his coffers of gold and jewels were the attraction, and remember, in his time daughters were ordered to marry sultans for political gain. I’m sure they didn’t have much say in it at the time.”

Shuddering at the thought of being sold into marriage, Magda moved to the other side of the clearing, searching for something that might lead them to the relic. She scanned each rock one by one with no luck until a glint of sunlight drew her eyes to something on the ground in front of her. Bending over, she brushed the dirt away from a smooth piece of rock exposing a symbol. She stood, excited, wanting to tell Vince what she’d found, when a hand grabbed her body from behind and a wad of material covered over her mouth. She gagged as the filthy rag sent a sickeningly sweet smell through her nostrils.

Then everything went black.