The Pleasures of Winter (8 page)

She moaned, a tiny sound at the back of her throat, and it was like a flame to tinder. His control exploded. He
plunged his tongue into her mouth, dominating her, giving her no room to retreat. She was his; he had won her by right of conquest. And when Abbie touched her tongue tentatively to his, he was lost.

He slid his hand from her back around to cup the fullness of her breast. She was so soft. Shoving his fingers under her shirt, he could feel the silkiness of her skin. He would never get enough of this.

He kneaded her breast gently and ran his thumb over her nipple. It tightened to a hard point that grazed his palm. She moaned again, twisting to press it more firmly into his hands. Oh god, she was as aroused as he was. He shifted, allowing her to feel his erection. Her hips bumped eagerly against his.

‘Hey, Jack?’ Kev’s voice in the darkness was like being doused with cold water. ‘Do those big snakes of yours climb trees?’

Abbie stiffened.

It was a moment before Jack could force his vocal cords to work, and collect his thoughts enough to answer. ‘Not as far as I know.’

‘As far as you know? Man, you don’t know that they can’t? Oh fuck!’ Even Zeke managed a drowsy protest.

The moment was ruined. Abbie had moved as far away from him as she could get in a hammock. With a bit of coaxing, Jack thought that he could bring back that passionate woman who had kissed him so eagerly, but the interruption had given him a chance to remember why that would be a really bad idea. She might kiss like a dream and smell like distilled sex, but Abbie Marshall was still a reporter. He mustn’t forget that.

She turned her back on him and clung to the edge of the hammock for the rest of the night. It was just as well.

I kissed Jack Winter. Oh sweet god, I can’t believe I actually did that. Not only that, but I started it.
That was one headline she definitely didn’t want to see. She took a deep breath. It was a one-off. She was traumatized by the killer snake. She would have kissed anyone, and it wouldn’t matter. The kiss could almost be considered medicinal.

She tried to ignore the small teasing voice that reminded her that she hadn’t kissed Kevin or Zeke. Who was she trying to fool? Since the moment she had laid eyes on him, Abbie hadn’t been able to ignore the sexual magnetism of Jack Winter. She had never felt anything like it.

She was a journalist – used to staying detached in extreme situations – so she had tried to treat him as an interesting phenomenon, worthy of study but not important to her. And she had tried to distract herself with the hour-by-hour struggle to get through the jungle. She had even tried to channel every feisty, independent heroine she could think of – from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Veronica Mars. But in the end, there was always one man that got through the defences of the feisty heroine.

Abbie rolled over, trying not to wake him. The stubble shadowing his cheeks made him look dangerous and even more striking. It wasn’t fair. She looked filthy and smelled rank. If she didn’t find some way of washing soon, she would go crazy.

Abbie slithered out of the hammock and went to fetch her rucksack. The laptop was still safe in its waterproof
cover. The battery hadn’t died yet. Once they got to somewhere half civilized, she would get to work on the story.

‘Morning, Abbie.’ Kevin stretched and yawned. ‘I don’t suppose you have anything edible in that bag?’

‘I wish.’ She smiled ruefully. Abbie was struck by a sudden memory of the airport at Toncontín. She had broken a five-hundred lempira banknote to get change for the phone. She patted the front pouch of the bag. Please let it be there. She gave a small whoop of triumph when her hand fastened on the packet of gum.

She handed a stick of gum to Kevin.

He took it eagerly. ‘Abbie Marshall, I love you and I want you to have my babies.’

Abbie batted her eyelashes. ‘Why, Mr O’Malley, I didn’t know you cared. Just how many little rug rats are we talking about?’

Kevin gave her an impish grin. ‘About a dozen. I like big families. Of course we’d have to practise a lot, but I’d have no problem with that.’

‘I would.’ Jack’s comment was almost a snarl.

Abbie glanced at him and then quickly back to Kevin. If anything, Jack looked even more dangerous than the night before and she didn’t like the thunderous expression on his face. She offered him a stick of gum and said nothing.

Following a breakfast of berries and chewing gum, they set out on their way. Kevin took point, slashing his way through the undergrowth, whistling as he worked. Jack fell into step beside her. ‘Cheerful bastard, isn’t he?’

‘And you’re not?’ She couldn’t resist snapping back at him.

He slid an arm around her waist. ‘Baby, if that’s what does it for you, I can do cheerful.’

Abbie slapped his hand away. ‘Please don’t bother on my account. I wouldn’t want you to get a pain in the face.’

Jack patted the rucksack. ‘What the hell have you got in that thing?’

‘Nothing. Just some water.’

Up ahead, Kevin stopped to catch his breath. ‘Your turn, buddy.’

Abbie breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow she knew that Jack Winter wouldn’t be a bit happy if he discovered that she had ignored his order to leave the laptop behind on the plane.

Within a couple of hours her shoulders were aching. She hadn’t realized how much the straps of her bra had protected her shoulders. Sweat rolled down her back. Could it possibly get any hotter?

Jack’s shirt was dark with sweat. ‘OK, water break.’

Abbie kicked at the undergrowth to check for creatures before sitting on a fallen tree. She eased the rucksack from her shoulders, pulled out a water bottle and handed it to Jack.

‘Good girl, thanks, I could do with that.’

Who the hell did he think he was?
Good girl, my ass
. She was sick of the jungle, sick of him and sick of being addressed like some kind of pet. ‘Will you stop with the good girl thing, what do you think I am? A dog?’

Jack stopped drinking and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘What’s up with you? I only said thanks.’

‘Keep your patronizing comments for your fans. I’m sure that they don’t mind when you call them girl or pet.’

Jack moved closer, until he was towering over her. ‘I seem to remember that you didn’t complain last night.’

Kevin and Zeke were watching so Abbie resisted the urge to slap him. Bloody hell, if it got out that she had been up close and personal in a hammock with Jack Winter, she would never live it down. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Really?’ His blue eyes blazed with annoyance and a hint of something else. ‘Would you like me to refresh your memory?’

Abbie stood up and smiled sweetly at him. ‘No thanks, I’d rather have a date with the snake.’

They pressed on for another hour. Eventually Jack called a halt for lunch. Everyone was starving and even Zeke didn’t complain about the prospect of another meal of cold snake. It was better than larvae. Abbie groaned as she pulled the rucksack off her shoulders. Jack caught her wincing and came over to her.

‘OK, what’s in the bag?’

‘Nothing. I told you –’

Jack grabbed the rucksack and tipped the contents on to the ground. One bottle of water. One packet of water-purifying tablets. A small washbag. A plastic bag with used underwear. A Kindle, her cell phone and the heavy rubber case that protected her precious laptop. The digital recorder slid from the bag and landed at Jack’s feet. He picked it up and shoved it into his pocket.

Abbie stared at the ground. She couldn’t meet Jack’s eyes, but she could feel the anger radiating from him as he loomed over her. ‘What did I tell you?’

His tone was deadly calm and somehow that was worse than if he had yelled.

‘Abbie.’ His hand snaked out and he grasped her chin, tilting her head back. She had no choice but to stare at him.

‘It is my laptop. I’m carrying it and it’s none of your business.’

His grim expression told her that was the wrong answer.

‘Hey, Jack, leave Abbie alone. If she wants to carry her –’

Jack silenced Kevin with a look and turned his attention back to her. The hand that caressed her neck was gentle. He brushed her hair away from her neck and, before she could protest, he had opened two buttons of her shirt and eased it off her shoulder. Her skin was raw where the strap of the bag had chaffed her.

‘Look at me, Abbie.’

She raised her eyes to meet his piercing blue ones.

‘Even a minor injury in this terrain can turn nasty very quickly. A laptop can be replaced, you can’t. If you disobey me again there will be consequences. Do you understand?’

Abbie swallowed and nodded.

‘You can have it back when we get out of here.’ Jack released her, repacked the bag and walked away with it.

Abbie started after him. The nerve of him. Who did he think he was to take her bag and threaten her? Consequences indeed. She would show him consequences when they got back to civilization. ‘Arrogant bastard …’ she muttered under her breath.

Kevin smirked but she couldn’t respond to his smile.
Mixed up with her anger was an annoying and confusing sense of hurt. Jack was disappointed with her. She had let him down. She hadn’t felt so wretched since she’d accidentally broken a window in sixth grade.

Abbie ate a miserable lunch in silence. She could barely choke down the roasted larvae and even Kevin’s handful of berries didn’t cheer her up. Jack took point and they followed his path, moving steadily through the intermittent rain. After a couple of miles, the usual sounds of the jungle were replaced by something else. Falling water.

Kevin’s face lit up. ‘Do you hear that?’

Even the taciturn Zeke managed a smile. ‘I vote that we investigate.’

‘Seconded.’ Abbie raised her arm, caught the scent of unwashed flesh and quickly lowered it.

‘Hey, Jack,’ Kevin called after him. ‘We’re going to take a detour.’

They diverted off the rough trail and followed a narrow meandering path through the forest. As the sound of the water grew louder, Abbie’s spirits rose.

They broke through the cover of trees into the open area and a lagoon beyond. ‘Oh wow.’ Kevin began to unbutton his shirt.

Zeke sat down. ‘I think I’m going to need a hand to get undressed.’ He looked at Abbie.

‘Not a chance,’ she said, with a meaningful glance at his arm, still strapped up with her bra. ‘You’ve exhausted my goodwill as far as clothing is concerned.’

She checked around her. Despite the enforced intimacy of their living arrangements over the last couple of days, she had no intention of stripping off in front of the men.
She struck out on her own, following the edge of the lagoon.

‘Abbie, don’t go too far,’ Jack called after her. ‘And be careful where you bathe.’

Abbie ignored him. She heard Kevin’s whoop of joy followed by a loud splash. Seconds later Zeke roared his disapproval when he was splashed. Jack was silent.

The shallow pool was several feet away from the main lagoon. The water was crystal clear. Abbie looked behind her. She could still hear the guys horsing around in the water. There was plenty of time to have a quick dip.

She pulled off her trousers and boots quickly and dipped her foot in the water. It was warm, almost as warm as a bath. The temptation was too much. Abbie pulled her shirt over her head and pulled off her panties. If she was quick, she could rinse her clothing and leave it to dry on the rocks while she took a bath.

Within minutes she had washed everything and laid it out to dry. She stepped into the pool. The water was like silk against her skin. Abbie lay back and closed her eyes. God, it felt better than a flotation tank. She submerged and rinsed her hair. In the distance she could hear the shouts of the others.

‘Just a few more minutes,’ she murmured to herself.

The sun was warm against her skin and, supported by the buoyant water, Abbie drifted peacefully.

A shout from Jack roused her. ‘Abbie, where are you?’

She floundered, desperately scrambling out of the pool. ‘I’m fine. I’m fine. Don’t come up here. I’m just getting dressed.’

Jack’s low laugh was audible.

Abbie grabbed her panties. They were soaking wet; she couldn’t put them back on yet. She brushed her skin and her fingers came into contact with a slimy protrusion. She slapped it away in panic, but it clung on.

‘Ouch, ouch!’ Abbie tried again but it felt like it was biting her. Her back and legs felt like they were on fire. Something moved in her hair and she screamed.

‘Abbie?’ She could hear the concern in Jack’s roar.

‘Don’t come. Don’t come up here.’ But it was hard to keep the panic out of her voice. The things were biting her.

Jack slammed through the curtain of greenery. She yelped and tried to cover herself.

He approached slowly, palms upward. ‘It’s OK, Abbie. It’s OK. I’m here now.’

Abbie couldn’t stifle a whimper of pain.

‘Turn round, baby, and let me see what the problem is.’

She felt a bewildering mix of fear and relief that he wasn’t angry with her.

‘Leeches,’ he said and she cringed.

‘Get them off me. Please, Jack, get them off me.’

Abbie heard a match striking and the acrid smell of cigarette smoke.

‘Do you trust me, Abbie?’

She did trust him. Overbearing as he was, she did trust him. ‘Yes.’ The word came out in a pathetic wheeze.

‘Good. Hold on to that thought. This is going to hurt them a lot more than it will hurt you.’

Abbie felt the heat of the cigarette tip as it neared her skin and heard the sizzle as it touched the leeches. The smell was sickening. One by one they fell to the ground.

How could she have been so stupid as to ignore Rules of the Jungle 101 – thou shalt not bathe in a pool with leeches. Now she was standing here, naked, while Jack burned them off her. She heard another hiss as Jack removed one from her thigh. God, he must be staring at her butt. ‘Can’t you go any faster?’

‘I could, but it wouldn’t be as much fun. Hold still.’

The heat of the cigarette made her flinch, even as another one dropped.

‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’