by Anna Hackett
She sighed. She sucked at lying to herself.
“Okay, people, we need to get moving.” Cal patted the hood of his four-wheel-drive. “It’ll take us a couple of hours to get to Phnom Kulen. Sam will drive this vehicle, and most of you can go with him. My vehicle’s filled with the extra supplies we need, so I only have room for one passenger.”
“Oh, I’ll ride with you, Cal,” Gemma said.
Dani hitched her backpack up on her shoulder, her jaw tight, and started down the steps.
Sam pushed forward. “Gemma, I wanted to discuss some of the scans with you on the drive.”
The female archeologist’s smile faded and she huffed out a breath. “Oh…fine.” She winked at Cal. “Sorry. Next time, I’m all yours.”
By the time Dani reached the cars, the rest of the team had filled Sam’s four-wheel-drive. That left her with Cal.
She opened the passenger-side door.
Cal grinned at her from across the car. “Sleep well?”
“Like a baby.”
“I’ve always gotten the impression babies cried a lot and woke up frequently.”
She arched her brow. “How many babies have you been around?”
She saw a slightly panicked look cross his face. “Ah…not many.”
Dani slid into the car. As she settled her camera in her lap and dumped her bag on the floor, Cal climbed into the driver’s seat. She glanced over her shoulder and studied the neatly stacked boxes and bags.
Cal started the vehicle. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
They traveled slowly through the just-waking Siem Reap. Every now and then, Dani snapped a shot of something that took her interest, but the light wasn’t bright enough yet for her to be able to get anything good. Soon, they were out of the city, surrounded by fields. The sun rose fully, casting a golden light on clusters of coconut trees, spindly wooden huts, and sodden rice paddies.
Cal’s hands gripped the steering wheel with ease, driving with a lazy confidence. They were strong hands, decorated with a few nicks and scars. Dani had always appreciated hands that showed a life well lived.
“That’s Phnom Kulen in the distance,” Cal said.
Dani saw the long, blue shadow of the mountain range in the distance. “So is this what most of your jobs are like? Heading off on an adventure, trekking through jungles and deserts?”
He turned his head. “Mostly. We do security for museum exhibits as well, so sometimes I get jobs in civilization. But my skills are most suited to trips like these.”
“Your secret Navy SEAL skills?”
A flash of white teeth. “Yep. Can’t tell you what they are, though, or then I’d have to kill you. They’re classified.”
She rolled her eyes. “That cliché has been done to death. Do the ladies still fall for that one?”
“Contrary to your belief, I don’t spend all my time trolling bars to pick up women. When I’m not on a mission, I’m usually in Denver. I like rock-climbing, skydiving, any sort of extreme sport.”
“So you’re an adrenaline junkie as well.”
He grinned. “I like to go fast. And if I meet a woman who’s looking to enjoy some time together, I take her up on that. I’m upfront about the fact that I’m not looking for a long-term relationship. That’s honesty, Dani. Would you prefer I lie to a woman?”
Dani shifted in her seat. “I think that’s just an excuse commitment-phobic men use to avoid entanglements.”
“I have entanglements. I have a family who is always in my business. I work with them, so they’re really hard to avoid sometimes.”
Dani tilted her head. She heard the warmth and affection in his voice. “You’re close to your family?”
“Yes. My brother and sister are co-owners of Treasure Hunter Security with me, so I see them almost every day. We’re all close with our parents as well.”
Dani couldn’t imagine it. “Must be nice.”
He snorted. “Oh, sure, especially when they are giving me hell for something. Personal boundaries mean nothing to my mother or my sister. They are both more than happy to let me know what they think, all of the time.”
Dani wondered what it would have been like to have a mother who didn’t mostly forget about her. “Still sounds nice. Your mom is certainly…unique.”
He laughed. “That’s one word for her. Luckily, my dad is the calm, patient type. They balance each other out.”
“He’s a professor, right?”
Cal nodded. “Dr. Oliver Ward. Professor of History at the University of Denver. They’ve been married for almost forty years, have raised three kids, are still dedicated to their careers, and are crazy in love.”
Dani couldn’t quite believe it. “But that’s not something you want?”
“One day, maybe.” He glanced her way again. “So, you’re on the road a lot?”
She nodded. “I love traveling. All the different countries, cultures, people. I’m happiest with my camera in my hand and a beautiful temple in front of me.”
“Doesn’t it get lonely sometimes?”
“How can I be lonely with so many people around me?” She looked out the window. She wasn’t going to admit to those times, lost in a crowd, when it seemed like no one even saw her.
“It’s easy to get lost in the crowd.” Fingers brushed at Dani’s ear and cheek.
She shot him a cool look. “Keep your hands to yourself, Ward.”
He held his hand up. “I bet you use that cool, vaguely-pissed-off look to get the guys to back off. I kind of like it.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Saw that.” He grinned at her, then took a deep breath. “Damn, I like the way you smell, too. Spicy, sexy, lush…it’s so at odds with your thorny exterior. Gives me ideas.”
Dani pressed her head back against the headrest and vowed to change her perfume. “All right…let’s just get it out there. We’re attracted to each other.”
“Dani, attracted is a really mild word for it.”
She turned to look at him, and wished he didn’t have to look so sexy with that scruff on his face, his blue eyes glinting. “It would be a mistake to act on it. I’m here to take photos. You’re here to do your security thing. We don’t have time for this.”
“I kind of like making mistakes. Especially when they feel so good.”
She sighed. The guy was incorrigible.
“In these situations, my friend Marty used to always say to just sit back and enjoy the ride.”
“Where’s Marty now?”
Cal’s smile dissolved, his hands flexing on the wheel.
She felt the painful throb of grief in the close confines of the vehicle. She lowered her voice. “Cal—?”
“Dead. He’s dead.”
Since his tone warned her he didn’t want to talk about it, she lifted her camera and started to take some photos of the scenery.
As Phnom Kulen got closer, the roads got narrower and bumpier. They left the fields behind, and the road became a dirt track lined by lush, green grass. As they headed up the mountain, the jungle closed in around them, and the number of cracks and pot-holes in the path increased.
After an hour, Cal pulled off the road onto another. The trees grew tall here, vines hanging down from them, filling the area with dappled light. A flat space opened up ahead, and Cal pulled the vehicle to a stop. “We’re here.”
“Where is ‘here’, exactly?”
“Srah Damrei, also called Elephant Pond. A srah or a baray was a Khmer construction. A rectangular reservoir of water.”
“I don’t see any water.”
“Not anymore. But look.” He pointed through the windshield.
It was then Dani noticed them. The giant carvings of an elephant and several lions, rising up from the jungle floor.
“Wow.” She gripped her camera, and with her other hand, pushed open her door.
Cal grabbed her arm. “Don’t wander off too far. This is a tourist spot, so you probably don’t have to worry about landmines…b
ut there are other dangers.”
She tossed him a salute. “You got it, General.”
“It was Commander.” He grabbed her wrist and moved her hand until her fingers almost touched her brow. “This is how you do a proper salute.”
He leaned across the car, their bodies close. He took up far too much of the space. His callused fingers brushed her skin, causing her heart to skip a beat.
He went still. “Dani…you don’t want to look at me that way.”
She huffed out a breath. “Dammit, I can’t seem to help but look at you.”
His eyes flashed, his hand sliding down to cup her jaw.
Air whistled between her teeth. “Yesterday, I could blame my attraction on adrenaline.”
“You always tell the truth?”
“Yes. I hate lies and pretenses.”
His fingers tightened on her “I won’t lie to you, Dani.” His mouth moved closer, hovering over hers. “Now, let’s make a really big mistake.”
She tried to fight it, but desire, need, and want were making her mindless. “Dammit to hell.” She cupped the back of his head and yanked his mouth to hers.
God. It was exactly how she’d imagined it, what she wanted. Fierce, edgy and hungry.
His firm lips moved over hers, his tongue sliding in to command her mouth. Blood was roaring through her head, desire a hot, sharp burn through her belly. She threw everything into the kiss, her hand sliding into his hair.
He groaned, his hands flexing on her skin. Then he pulled back. “Jesus.”
They stared at each other for a second, and it was then the other Jeep pulled in beside them.
“Hell of a mistake, Navarro,” Cal said.
“Yeah.”
He touched her hair. “I really want to see this loose, tangled in my hands as I fuck you.”
She let out a shaky breath. “The others are getting out of the car.”
Cal still didn’t release her. They stayed there, staring into each other’s eyes.
It was only the roar of engines that made him let her go and sit back. Dani glanced through the window and saw motorbikes tearing into the parking lot.
Dani climbed out and watched as Cal went to shake hands with the local guides. Damn the man was so potent. So dangerous.
She looked around until her gaze snagged on the nearby stone elephant. It was near life-sized, covered in moss. He was gorgeous in the dappled light. She lifted her camera and got to work.
Soon, her emotions evened out, along with her pulse. She felt steady again, even in the soupy heat of the jungle. She took several shots of the elephant, and then the lions nearby.
They looked amazing, rising out of the green of the jungle. What other wonders were waiting for them on this trip?
She sensed someone beside her and spotted Cal. He was watching her, hands on his hips, a faint smile on his mouth.
“You go somewhere else when you’re taking photos.”
She nodded. “Especially when I have such great subjects.” She gently touched the cool stone of the elephant. “He’s gorgeous.”
“Bikes are almost all loaded with our supplies. We’re ready to head off.”
As the others moved closer, Cal turned to address the group. “Okay, let me introduce our guides.” He went through the introductions, Sakada doing most of the translation. A few of the guides spoke some broken English. “We’re going to split everyone up,” Cal added. “Each of you will be on the back of a bike with a guide.”
“Thank the lord,” Gemma said. “I didn’t want to be riding one of these things myself.”
Dani studied the simple motorbikes and then saw Cal pulling his own bike off the back of the Jeep. She glanced at the assembled group. “There are only five guides.” And the rest of the team was climbing onto the bikes with them.
Cal smiled at her. “You’re with me.”
***
Cal climbed onto the motorbike and started the engine. He glanced over his shoulder at Dani.
The look on her face as she stared at the bike almost made him smile. “I promise I’m a good rider.”
With a resigned sigh, she slipped the strap of her camera around her neck and climbed on between the supplies and him. “Why am I not surprised?” She looked around. “What am I supposed to hold on to?”
“Me.”
He heard her mumble something under her breath, and then her arms wrapped around his waist. She shifted, getting comfortable, and Cal had to admit, having Dani Navarro pressed up against him really wasn’t a bad thing. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Cal checked on the others, and saw the guides had loaded the last of the gear. He signaled the lead guide, a man named Arn. Then Cal revved the engine and they set off.
At first, the track they followed was well-used, winding through the jungle trees. Golden light filtered down between the trees above.
They whizzed along, and soon the track turned bumpier. They crossed rickety wooden bridges, and a few times, the jungle gave way to small farms. One moment, a bright burst of sunlight would blind them, then they’d be swallowed again by the jungle.
As Dani adjusted to the bike, Cal felt her relaxing behind him. Soon, she was only holding on to him with one hand, the other lifting her camera to try and take pictures. He shook his head. No surprise there.
As they crossed through another small farm, he spotted a small mound of dirt ahead. Deciding she was comfortable enough, he aimed for it. “Hold on,” he shouted.
Both her arms wrapped tight around him. He shot over the mound, and they jumped into the air, landing with a bounce.
Behind him, Dani laughed. Her mouth brushed his ear. “Again.”
Soon, the track got wilder and more overgrown. This was a place few people ventured. Cal signaled to Arn for them to take a break.
The bikes pulled to a stop. Cal set his boots on the ground. “We’ll stop here for a short rest. Grab a drink and a snack. Stretch your legs.”
Dr. Oakley climbed off his bike and pressed his hands into his lower back. He arched backward with a groan. “I might be getting too old for this.”
“You want to discover the temple, right?” Jean-Luc nudged the other man with a smile.
Oakley nodded. “Yes. Yes.”
Cal saw that same eager, hungry look in all the archeologists’ eyes that he saw on every expedition he went on. The ones that worked in the field were adventurers at heart.
In moments, the others were fishing in their backpacks, pulling out water bottles and granola bars. The local guides sat down, eating their own food.
Dani, of course, was taking photographs.
He wandered closer to her. “Take the chance to grab a snack.”
“Yes, Commander.” This time she gave him a perfect salute.
“You’re a quick learner.”
She sat down under a tree, opening her pack. “And don’t you forget it.”
On a fallen branch nearby, Cal spotted a flash of movement. Something green.
His instincts kicked in. He dived forward, tackling Dani to the ground. A second later he was on his feet, pulling her with him.
“What the hell?” she gasped.
He spun her, keeping her in the confines of his arms. “Look.”
When she saw the bright-green snake, she gasped.
It slithered off the branch it had been resting on, its bright-yellow eyes looking in their direction. Then it disappeared into the jungle undergrowth.
“Greentree pit viper,” Cal said. “Highly venomous. Pit vipers are responsible for a hell of a lot of deaths in Cambodia. You need to be more careful out here.”
Dani raised a shaky hand and pushed her hair back off her face. “You got it. Snakes are not my favorite thing.” A look flowed over her face. “Wish I’d gotten a picture of it, though.”
Cal rolled his eyes. He’d never met a woman like Dani Navarro before.
Soon, everyone was back on the bikes, bouncing along the jungle track. Slowly, the track
s got narrower and more overgrown, causing them to travel much more slowly. Vines slapped at their faces, and in a few places, Cal and the guides had to stop to cut a way through with machetes.
Cal kept consulting Sam’s map to the temple site. They were heading in the right direction.
Moments later, Cal heard shouts and saw Dr. Oakley waving wildly in his direction. Cal pulled the bike to a stop.
Oakley had already slid off, and was hurrying over to what looked like a pile of rocks in the trees.
That’s when Cal realized it was ruins.
“Check for snakes first,” he called out.
The team crouched around, studying the moss-covered rubble. Cal decided it had probably been the base of a tower or statue. The archeologists took notes and conferred with each other. Dani circled them, taking pictures.
“There are ruins like this all over the mountain,” Dr. Oakley said. “Remnants of Mahendraparvata—unmarked and never explored.” He stroked a hand over one of the stones. “It’s hard to tell what this once was…now it belongs to the jungle.”
Sam held up his tablet, the map showing on the screen. “Well, the Temple of the Sacred Linga is one piece of history we’re going to claim back.”
Gemma bumped a shoulder against the man. “Okay, Indiana Jones.”
“Let’s keep moving,” Cal said.
They climbed on the bikes again. Cal waited until Dani’s arm was wrapped around him tight and they moved on.
She pressed against him, leaning forward so her mouth was pressed to his ear. “I’m getting used to the bike. When do I get to drive?”
“Never,” he called back.
“It’s a man thing, right?”
“No, it’s a Cal thing. I’m pretty happy sitting here with your thighs wrapped around me.”
He heard her snort.
But he’d told her the truth. Feeling her pressed up against him, her hands resting on his abdomen…he liked it a lot.
The track got harder to travel. The trees were thick and the vines thicker. Soon the guides pulled to a stop. They had a spirited conversation in Cambodian.
Cal looked at Sakada. The archeologist was frowning. He shot a few questions at the guide before shaking his head. “They say they won’t go any farther. The tracks are very overgrown, hard even for the motorbikes.” The man’s frown deepened. “But on top of that, they say it is a cursed area beyond here. There are bad spirits, and no one should go in.”
