The Treasure (14 page)

Brody swallowed hard and tried not to stare at her slender body and soft curves as Amelia turned her back to the spray, let it slide down her body, dip into places he wanted to taste with his tongue. A woman’s body was full of magical places no man could resist discovering. He wanted to discover Amelia’s. The small of her back. The hollow of her neck. The area behind her knees. The triangle between her legs.

Ah, hell.

He dropped the clothes on the vanity and drew in a deep breath. Then watched some more. He couldn’t help it. She was so damn perfect.

“Brody?” she asked, hesitant, going still. “That’s you, right?”

“It’s me,” he answered, his voice guttural. Wanting. Needing.

“Can … can you see me?”

Not as much as he wanted to. What did he say? “Yes” would imply he was looking. “No” would be a lie.

“Your clothes are on the table.” He turned on a heel and beat it out of there, making sure she heard the door close behind him.

Amelia sighed.
Infuriating man.
It had taken guts for her to ask him if he could see her. And she had been hoping for a different answer. Disappointed, she turned off the shower, wrapped herself in a lush yellow towel and stepped out of the stall. On a better note, she felt much better. Clean. Refreshed. Amazing what a simple thing like a shower could do after a couple days in the jungle without one.

Only one thing was missing. The man who retreated as if his feet were on fire. Brody Kern was not a coward, but she was tempted to call him one. She had seen his attraction for her in his eyes. Oh, he tried to hide it, deny it, but she saw the truth. He wanted her. And when she looked at him through the glass she saw how much he wanted her. His heated expression had given her strength to ask the question. If he said yes, she would have asked him to join her.

The cad had high tailed it out of there.

Never considering herself an overly sexual woman, heat crept up her neck as she considered taking care of things herself. But, deep down, she knew it wouldn’t take care of the ache burning inside her.

Darn the man for being so stubborn.

With a sigh, she tried to ignore the restless energy pulsing through her. It was a new sensation for her. She dated attractive men before, but never had she been turned on like this. Her insides were ready to explode if the pressure wasn’t relieved. It was relentless, constant. And thinking about Brody only made it worse.

So she thought about something else. Well, she tried. She reached for the clothes Mr. Garcia had given her and quickly slipped into the ankle-length red peasant skirt and fitted white cotton blouse with red designs woven around the scooped neckline. There was a gap between the waist of the skirt and the hemline of the blouse, showing her flat belly. She liked how the fabric weighed on her hips and swirled around her ankles. The flat-soled slippers fit perfectly, cuddling her feet in soft satin.

Finger-combing her hair she let it fall naturally around her shoulders, wishing she had some makeup with her. That was silly. She was in the jungle. Makeup would only run down her face. Since when did she want to look her best for Brody Kern? The man that said she wasn’t his type.

If she wasn’t his type, then why had he looked at her with hunger that made all her womanly parts tighten and tingle?

Feeling feminine and sexy, Amelia opened the door and walked into the bedroom. A flush spread from her head to her toes when Brody’s eyes perused slowly over her, lingering on her breasts that jutted out of the neckline of the blouse.

When he visibly swallowed and averted his eyes before stalking into the bathroom and practically slamming the door, she had to smile. That was as close to a compliment she could get from him. He thought himself immune, but he wasn’t.

The knowledge made her giddy with power. To have a man like Brody Kern attracted to her, despite his insistence she wasn’t his type. Butterflies erupted low in her belly. Her smile widened. Maybe she was crazy, but making love to Brody seemed more exciting than finding
Paraíso
.

Behind the closed door, she heard the shower turn on. Images of Brody standing naked beneath the spray, water sluicing down his hard, muscled body swirled through her head. Now was probably not the time to let her thoughts stray. Focus was what she needed. Focus on getting out of there and not turned into a mule.

Lest she forget, they might be in danger. The thought sobered her, chased away the erotic thoughts.

Looking around the expensively decorated room, she saw a phone sitting on the nightstand next to the bed. She rushed over and picked up the handset. Instead of a dial tone, she got a heavily accented male voice. “How may I help you, señorita?”

Uneasy that he knew it was her on the phone she said, “Could I trouble Mr. Garcia with a call to my sisters in the states? I will pay the charges.”

“Un momento.” She was put on hold for a few seconds, and then the voice came back on. “Señor Garcia has granted you permission. A gift. You must first hit number nine for an outside line. The international access code for the United States is ‘1’. Dial that, then the number with the area code first.”

“Thank you.”

It seemed like forever to place the call. She longed to hear the sound of her sisters’ voices. After what seemed an eternity her sister picked up with a professional, “Sawyer Bed and Breakfast. Caroline speaking. How may I help you?”

Tears filled her eyes before she could stop them. The familiarity of home wrapped around her and made her immediately homesick. “Caroline?” she said, forcing the tears out of her voice. If Caroline knew she was crying she would demand she come home right now. And she wasn’t ready to go home.

“Amelia? Is that you? Where are you? The connection isn’t that good.”

“Yes, it’s me. I’m still in South America. I just wanted to check in and let you and Brit know I’m doing fine.”

“I’m glad you finally called. Did you find what you were looking for?”

Straight to the point, that was Caroline. Expressing emotions was hard for her, Amelia knew that, but it didn’t erase the fact she wished her sister wouldn’t be so clinical. The bathroom door opened and Brody walked out, wearing a pair of black trousers and billowy white shirt, open at the neck. His damp hair was tousled, his jaw stubbled. He looked like a pirate, dangerous and sexy.

“Not yet,” she said, distracted by Brody. “But I’m very close.”

“So you’re going to keep chasing this pipe dream?” Disappointment colored her sister’s tone.

She watched Brody pick up his pack and rifle through it. “Oh, yes.”

“Amelia … ”

“I’m fine, Caroline. Everything is fine. Please, don’t worry about me. I should be home soon.”

Brody knocked a vase off the table on accident. When it hit his bare foot, he cursed.

“Who was that?” Caroline demanded.

Amelia threw him a dark look. “That was the guide Aunt Pan sent me to. Brody Kern.” Lying to her sisters was not something she had ever done. She wasn’t about to start now.

Tense silence. “You are in a strange country with a man Aunt Pan sent you to? Have you lost your mind? That woman was crazy. Do you know how dangerous it is to trust a complete stranger? Did you pay him?”

Turning her back so Brody wouldn’t hear she said, “No, I haven’t paid him. And he’s trustworthy.” She couldn’t tell Caroline how she knew that because her sisters would worry too much if they knew what she’d been through. No one would benefit from that. She wanted them to see her as an adult who made the right decisions instead of the wrong ones. “He’s not after my money.”

“You better be certain about that. Keep your money on you at all times. Stuff it down your bra if you have to.”

“I will. Please, don’t worry about me. I didn’t call to make you worry.”

“This is an imprudent decision.”

“But I’m fine. Brody is a competent guide. We should find
Paraíso
in the next day or so.”

“Brody? You’re on a first name basis with this man?”

Amelia knotted her fist against her forehead. “Not usually, no,” she admitted. “Look, I’m fine, everything is okay here. How is everything there?”

“I want to know more about this man.”

Amelia glanced over her shoulder to see Brody studying her with a small frown. “He’s a pilot. Retired Air Force fighter pilot. He’s a good guy, Caroline. He would never do anything to hurt me.”

Silence. Brody turned his attention back to his search, a grave expression on his face. She didn’t know what he was searching for or know why he all of a sudden looked solemn, but she knew she wanted to see that heat in his eyes again.

“Are you sleeping with him?”

“No.” The denial came too hard, too fast, and she immediately quieted her voice. “No,” she repeated. “I’m not Brit.”

Brit went through men like she went through outfits. Well, maybe that was unfair. She was what she called a modern woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. Amelia had always envied that ability, that confidence. Longed to be able to just let go and take action. Grab the brass ring and run with it. What would it feel like to be so sure, so confident?

If she were more like her sister, she would have marched into the bathroom, climbed into the shower with Brody, and made the first move. Excitement zinged through her veins at the prospect. She’d always wanted shower sex. Secretly, of course. Or maybe she just never found the right man to do it with.

“Listen to me, Amelia. You’re in way over your head. Come home. Give up this foolishness before something happens.”

Amelia smiled sadly. Her oldest sister would never understand why she had to do this. Caroline had always been successful. Just as Brit. They both had the capability to go after what they wanted and it worked out for them, Caroline even more so than Brit. Brit tended to flit around, live the life of a jet setter, but she always met her goals. Caroline simply went after it with planning and focused drive.

“I can’t,” she said softly.

“Darn it, Amelia. I don’t like this. You’re too far away. I can’t reach you. All I can do is sit by the phone waiting for your call. If something happens who is going to let me know?”

“Nothing is going to happen to me. I told you, Mr. Kern is a responsible guide. Military trained.”

“Then what’s he doing as a jungle guide?”

Good question.
Brody gave her the edited version of his life. All he had told her was he retired from the military, came down here and started a charter business. A logical solution for a pilot, she supposed, but what was the rest of the story?

“He’s a bush pilot, Caroline. What better place to be than here?”

“I’ll accept that for now. But I want you to call more frequently and get out of there if anything feels even remotely wrong. Got it?”

Amelia smiled. “Got it.”

“Good. Brit wants to talk to you.”

“She’s there? Yes, put her on.”

The phone exchanged hands and a second later Brit came on. “Hey, little sis. I heard most of the conversation, so who’s the guy and is he gorgeous?”

Amelia cast a glance at Brody. He wasn’t looking at her but she knew he was listening. “I’m doing fine, Brit, thanks for asking.”

“He’s listening, then? You’re off the hook for now, but later — I want details.”

“There aren’t any.”

“You’re in the jungle with a retired air force dude and you’re telling me there are no details? No way. Want my advice?”

“No,” Amelia said, knowing she was going to get it anyway.

“I say, if he’s hot, throw caution to the wind and go for it. You only live once.”

And there was the standard Brittany lived by. It was bold and daring and she would die without regrets. Unlike Amelia, who had plenty. She heard Caroline muttering in the background, followed by Brit’s reply through a hand-covered speaker and she imagined them bickering over Brit’s hard and fast “advice.” Caroline never threw caution to the wind. Spontaneity was not in her vocabulary. Every time Amelia tried it, she ended up in the emergency room.

“Look, Mel,” Brit said, coming back on the line. “I get what you’re trying to do. So, go, climb your mountain. And when you’re done, come home, and promise to never do anything like this again. Okay? I worry too much. And so does Caroline, even though she stubbornly won’t say it.”

Murmurs in the background. Amelia blinked tears from her eyes. Despite their over-protective faults, she loved her sisters more than anything. Brit did understand her and would appease Caroline until she returned home.

“I will,” she agreed. That wouldn’t be so tough. This adventure was enough to last her a lifetime.

“Good. Now, before we run up huge charges, tell me again you’re fine.”

“I’m fine.”

“Good girl. Now, go, have that adventure. And, remember, protect yourself.”

Amelia blushed at the innuendo. “Thanks, Brit. I love you guys.”

“Love ya, baby sis.”

Amelia listened to the dial tone for a few seconds before slowly putting the phone back on the hook. She thought she heard another click, as if someone else was on the line, but couldn’t be sure.

The thought reminded her of the danger they might be in. She turned to see Brody pull a deadly looking knife from his pack and tuck it into his boot. So that was what he’d been looking for. Guards must have missed it when they searched him.

He straightened and met her eyes. “Sisters?”

“Yes. Mr. Garcia was kind enough to allow me use of his phone. Brody, do you think he knows about the map?”

“Maybe. We can’t rule it out.”

“I didn’t say anything about the map, but I mentioned us finding
Paraíso
in the next couple of days. And I think someone was listening to my conversation.”

Brody went still, his eyes dark pools of amber. “Then I guess you have the answer to your question. Damn it, Amelia, what were you thinking?”

Chastised and guilty, she wrung her hands together. “I didn’t know anyone was listening,” she said in defense. “I’m no good at all this clandestine stuff.” Tears filled her eyes and she swiped them away. “How was I supposed to know?”

“Don’t cry,” he warned.