The Adventurer (11 page)

“Hold it!”

The truck stopped. Rope Man glanced up apologetically. “Sorry, ma’am, but I’d feel a whole lot better if you’d move back out of the way. ” “Oh.. of course. ” Licking her lips, Jessica stumbled over to her rock and sat down, hugging her knees. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the sounds of activity around the pit. A metallic taste of fear flooded her mouth. Feeling ill, she lowered her head and repeatedly told herself that everything would be all right. Minutes ticked by. She waited. Her jittery muscles ached. Her skin itched.

Her head throbbed.

Just when she thought the torture would never end, Rope Man shouted, “

“Pull em up!”

The truck engine revved. Jessica peeled her eyelids open and angled a wary glance toward the shaft. The rope was moving again. This time, it was coming up, inch by painful inch. She held her breath until her lungs ached. The other three men gathered around the opening, blocking her view but she was glued to the rock and couldn’t move. Suddenly there was a flurry of activity. A dirty head emerged from the hole, then another. Jessica was on her feet, sick with relief as both men were hauled onto solid ground. After unbuckling the belts he’d used to lash himself to the injured man, Devon sat up and brushed sand from his hair. The entire group surrounded the victim and, ignoring his shaken rescuer, dragged the moaning man a safe distance from the shaft. Jessica’s attention, however, was riveted on Devon, who was struggling to un knot the rope while uncontrollable tremors rendered his fingers useless for the task. He was caked with mud and soaked to his thighs. His clothes were filthy, his hair gritty and beneath a cloak of smeared mud, his chalky complexion gave mute testimony to the horror he must have experienced down in that deadly pit. Forcing her leaden limbs into motion, she went over and knelt beside him, capturing his quivering fingers between her palms. “Let me do it. “

Offering no resistance, he dropped his hands limply into his lap.

Jessica quickly undid the knot and flung the rope as if it were a snake. Devon covered his face with his hands. He took several shuddering breaths trying to compose himself. When he finally looked up, a startling vulnerability in his eyes took her breath away. The brash daredevil who’d dodged speeding traffic to drag a ladder off the freeway had been replaced by a man at war with himself, a man who needed a tender touch, a reassuring word. A man who needed her The transformation touched Jessica deeply. Her fingers grazed his smeared forehead. “Are you all right? ” When no sound emerged from his parted lips, he lowered his gaze and issued a jerky nod. Yielding to a strange compulsion to verify that for herself , she gently probed the muscles of his shoulders then slid her hands down his arms until her fingers slipped into a ragged rip in his sleeve. She stared at the lacerated fabric. “You’ve torn your jacket He didn’t spare it a glance. “I never liked it anyway. ” Unduly upset by the wounded garment, she started to tremble. “It could have been your arm, you know. Or your leg. Or your throat. You could have died down there!” Alerted by the rising panic in her voice, Devon offered a conciliatory hand. “It’s okay, honey. I’m all right. Larry’s all right. Everything turned out fine. ” She pulled away, holding her palms up like twin shields. “It’s not all right! You’ve just played Russian roulette with your life and that’s not all right at all!” “Shh. ” He captured her wrists, pulling her into his arms. “I didn’t mean to worry you. ” ‘ She gave herself to his comforting embrace, pressing her face into the curve of his shoulder and clinging to him with shocking desperation. She’d been more than worried; she’d been terrified to the bone. When she’d watched Devon disappear into that horrible hole, part of her had gone with him. She didn’t understand that and didn’t want to understand it. All she knew was that something inside her had cracked. Instinctively she realized that she would never be the same. Slowly the haze of terror lifted and she realized that Devon was murmuring reassuring platitudes and rocking her like she was a frightened child.

Embarrassed, she pulled away.

He tucked a thumb under her chin, urging her gaze upward His eyes crinkled kindly. “Does this sweet concern mean that you’d actually miss me if I were gone? ” A slow heat spread up from her throat. “Of course. And so would your father. If he finds out what you did today, he’ll probably have another attack. “

The glow faded from his eyes. “Then perhaps we shouldn’t mention it. “

She studied his clouded expression. Ordinarily, she’d have considered withholding such information as a distasteful breech of ethics. Part of her insisted that Crandall was entitled to know that his son was a hero, albeit a foolish one. Deep down, however, she realized that Devon wouldn’t be pleased by the attention such a magnanimous title would garner. So she reluctantly agreed to remain silent. “All right. Crandall won’t hear about this from me. “

“Thank you. ” His sad smile plucked at her heartstrings.

Sighing, she removed her head scarf and wiped a dirty smudge from his cheek.

“I don’t understand this compulsion you have to test fate. “

He allowed her to clean his face as though it were the most natural thing in the world. “It wasn’t that big a deal. ” “Turn your head.. a little more.. there. ” She used the scarf to scour caked mud from the side of his neck. “

“You’d have thought differently if the shaft had collapsed. “

“I figured if that hole had been stable for a hundred years, odds were that it would last a few more hours. Besides , we took every possible precaution. ” “If you had so much confidence in those precautions, why were you shaking so violently that you couldn’t even untie the rope? ” Avoiding her gaze, he blew out a breath and glanced toward the area where the rest of the group were clustered around their fallen comrade.

“I have a thing about being confined in dark places, that’s all. “

Jessica stared in disbelief. “You’re claustrophobic? “

“I wouldn’t say that, exactly. ” His eyes glazed with a faraway look. “

“It’s just that when I was a kid, there was this place, a concrete room so small that you couldn’t even lay down. It was dark, cold.. like a tomb.

I hated it. We all did. “

Something in his eyes made her blood run cold. “Good Lord, what were you doing in a place like that? ” “Hmm? ” He blinked and the wariness returned to his eyes. ” It was a long time ago. Old stuff, best forgotten. “

“But I don’t understand-” She was interrupted by the drone of an engine.

Seeming relieved, Devon gazed past her shoulder. “Here comes the ranger. “He stood quickly and helped Jessica to her feet. After indicating that he’d be back in a moment, he strode over to the green truck and spoke to the uniformed man behind the wheel. Jessica watched quietly, lost in the abyss of her own confusion Under the best of circumstances, Devon’s reaction to the crisis had taken great courage but for a man terrified by enclosed spaces, the act had been one of unbelievable valor. She could only imagine the emotional torment he must have endured yet he’d seemed obsessed by a need to confront his hidden demons, regardless of the cost. That baffled and frightened her, because she feared that someday that dangerous compulsion would demand the ultimate price-his precious life.

Jessica twisted her key in the lock. “I’ll put on a pot of coffee. “

“That sounds good. ” Devon followed her inside carrying the plastic bag containing her empty thermos and coffee mugs. “Where should I put this? “Hmm? ” Jessica draped her jacket on a chair and flipped on the kitchen light. “Oh. Just set it on the table She glanced over her shoulder as Devon stepped over a heaping laundry basket and warily eyed the cluttered dinette Since there wasn’t an inch of table that hadn’t been piled with magazines, bank statements and junk mail, he looked up in confusion. “What’s your second choice? ” A quick peek at the kitchen reminded her that she hadn’t gotten around to the dishes for a couple of days. The dishwasher was full and so was the counter. She took the bag from him. “I’ll take care of it. ” ‘ Silently vowing to shovel the place out next week, she propped the bag on a stack of plates in the kitchen sink, retrieved a coffee bag from the cupboard and measured the aromatic granules into her immaculate coffeemaker. Although embarrassed by the surface mess, she took some comfort in knowing that the kitchen itself was scrupulously clean. Except for a few dishes, of course. Still, she yearned for the day when her body would be back to normal and she’d have enough energy to indulge the nesting instinct that she’d once taken for granted. After setting the coffee to brew, she found Devon standing in the living room eyeing the floor as though trying to decide the safest place for his next step. She grabbed her briefcase, scooped scattered newspapers from the sofa and tucked a pair of slippers under her arm. “Have a seat. Before complying, he slid a prudent glance at the sofa to ascertain that the coast was clear. Jessica tossed the armload of clutter into her bedroom and slammed the door. When she spun around, her cheerful smile froze when she saw Devon extract a purple sweat sock from between the cushions. “So that’s where it went. ” She hurriedly retrieved the item and offered a limp explanation’ Sometime I watch television while I fold laundry” He nodded as though finding hosiery in the couch was the most normal thing in the world. She could have kissed him. Instead, she tossed the orphan sock into the laundry basket and sat down with a contented sigh.

“Despite all the excitement , this really has been a lovely day. “

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. ” Pulling up one knee, he twisted to face her.

“Of course, you’re not the one who had to bathe in an icy creek. “

“That’s because I’m not the one who was covered with muck. ” She chuckled at the memory. After wading fully clothed into the rushing creek, the poor guy had ducked beneath the frigid water, remained submerged for about thirty seconds then exploded through the surface like a frozen carp. His teeth had chattered for half an hour. Then they’d dined on peanut butter sandwiches while the sun had dried his clothes and warmed his blood. Afterwards they’d spent the rest of the afternoon walking the creek bed in silent communion. Jessica hadn’t wanted to leave. But as the sun dipped toward the horizon, a cold wind had slid in from the north and she’d accepted the sad fact that the day was over. Unfortunately , it had probably been just as well. Although her spirit had been willing to continue the adventure, her body had grown increasingly fatigued. Now, however, after having napped during the two-hour trip home, she felt rested and refreshed. She was also excruciatingly aware that Devon, who was sprawled comfortably beside her, continued to study her disparate decor with disarming interest.

She cleared her throat. “Not the ambience you’re used to, is it? “

Startled, he glanced down at her. “What do you mean? ” “After being raised in a mansion, I imagine my place seems a bit, well, common. “

“You think I’m a snob? “

“Uh… not exactly. ” “Yes, you do. ” He regarded her with undisguised amusement. “I suppose there’s a poetic justice in being hoist with my own petard, so to speak. She pulled back a bit, eyeing him with perplexed curiosity’ Should I understand what you’re talking about? ” Propping an elbow on the back of the sofa, he leaned his chin on his folded hand. “

“The truth is that I considered you to be the snob. “

“Me? ” She didn’t know whether to be shocked or angry. “Why? What on earth have I ever done to make you think that? ” He smiled indulgently. “For one thing, you’re just too damned good-looking. ” ‘ The unexpected compliment knocked the starch out of her sails. Speechless, she could do nothing but stare in astonishment while he cheerfully expanded on the defective rationale “Of course, I also considered your expensive sports car and this fancy, uptown condo but the clincher-and this is the good part-was that when we first met, you ignored me. I mean, what was I supposed to think? Obviously any woman able to resist my considerable charms must have a fatal flaw. “

“And you judged my flaw to be snobbery? “

He shrugged. “Why not? My ego needed an explanation and that was as good as any. ” Shaking her head, Jessica smothered a guilty chuckle. “I should be annoyed as the dickens with you. “

“But you’re not? “

“No. ” She slid him a mischievous glance. “Because you’re not the only one who jumped to the wrong conclusions The fact is that I did deliberately ignore you. ” ‘ “Because I’d prejudged you as irresponsible, selfindulgent and emotionally immature. ” “Ouch. ” Flinching, he pulled an invisible dagger from his heart. ” The truth hurts more than I thought it would. “

She sobered instantly. “It’s not the truth, Devon. I was wrong. “

His eyes warmed. “So was I. About you, that is. ” A peculiar heat warmed her from the inside out. “Am I to assume that a messy apartment turned the tide in my favor ?”

“That was a definite plus. I’ve always preferred a homey, lived-in look.

“Is that a fair description of your place? ” “My place? ” A perplexed crease furrowed his brow. “You mean the flat in Manhattan? “

“That’s where you live, isn’t it? “

“Sometimes. Mainly it’s a convenient mail drop. ” Leaning back into the soft cushions, he stretched his arm across the back and hooked an ankle over his knee. “Living out of a suitcase and being shuffled between hotel rooms is a hazard of the profession. After a joint commiseration about being homeless, some of my colleagues and I decided to lease a place for use when we’re in the States. “

“So you have roommates? “

“Only six. ” He grinned at her astonished expression. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Because we’re all subject to long-term overseas assignments, there’s rarely more than two of us around at the same time. She shook her head. “It seems so.. transient. I could never live like that. ” “No, ” he murmured, reaching out to stroke her cheek. “I don’t suppose you could. ” There was a smoldering intensity in his eyes, an intimacy in his gentle caress that made her heart race. She was paralyzed by his touch, barely able to breathe as his thumb grazed an erotic path along her jaw and down to the pounding pulse at the base of her throat. He lowered his head slowly, allowing her time to withdraw. She couldn’t.