Lindy’s childhood affections for him hadn’t been a huge secret. His reaction when she professed her love for him also hadn’t gone without notice. He had humiliated her. “Well shit,” he mumbled.
“What’s wrong?” Lindy stretched.
“It’s time to get moving.”
She sat up slowly. “Okay. I’ll wake Nick.”
She moved slowly, quietly. “Nick, it’s time to go.”
The professor failed to move.
“Get your ass up or I’ll leave you here,” Andrew barked. He didn’t have time for theatrics. Lindy was attempting to function normally without her morning jolt of caffeine; the professor could do the same.
“You will do no such thing,” Lindy snapped.
“As I said, he’s not my responsibility.”
“No. He’s mine and I’m not going anywhere without him.”
Andrew’s shoulders stiffened, his face hardened and his voice was nothing less than serious when he said, “If I have to knock you out and drag your sweet little ass along I will.”
They stood; their eyes locked in battle until Lindy said, “Nick, get up. It’s time to go.” Lindy turned back to face Andrew. “I thought I was the one who needed caffeine in the morning. What bug crawled up your butt while I was sleeping?”
He mumbled a few swear words under his breath before surveying Lindy’s arm. “We should change that.”
“It’s not bleeding anymore. It should wait.”
“I don’t want to risk infection. It’ll just take a minute. We can do that while the professor packs up.” Nick wouldn’t have needed to pack up if he had listed when Andrew told him not to get too comfortable. Common sense should have told the professor not to unload while they were on the run, but for some reason, unknown to Andrew, the professor felt the need to unpack every water bottle in his bag, his spare change of clothes and all of his protein bars. The guy was an idiot in Andrew’s book. How he earned two PhD’s was a mystery. Then again, maybe two doctoral degrees made a person become an idiot. What had Lindy ever seen in the professor? Was it the sex? God, he hoped not. Just thinking about the professor and Lindy made his blood boil.
Andrew bandaged Lindy’s arm and they abandoned camp. It didn’t take long for the professor to start complaining. Lindy had tried to settle him with comforting words, but it wasn’t working.
“Seriously, they’re probably harassing somebody else by now.”
Andrew’s hands curled into tight balls, making a set of fists he was so close to using. “Pirates don’t just walk away,” he managed to say through gritted teeth. “They’re still behind us so pick up the pace.”
“They wanted the boat and the boat is back there.”
Andrew turned so sharply he nearly knocked Lindy down. He stepped back, maybe an inch. “You think they’re going to lose face. We took out a few of their men. That won’t go unpunished.”
“I’m sure they’re reasonable.”
“No, they’re not. Besides we have something they want.” He looked at Lindy. He could tell from the “oh shit” expression on her face that she understood. The pirates wanted their heads and Lindy’s body. While he didn’t much care what happened to the professor, he wasn’t ready to be headless and there was no way in hell any man was getting near Lindy’s body.
“Let’s give them what they want.”
Dumb as a door post, maybe dumber if that were possible. Lindy must have known Andrew was ready to knock the professor on his ass because she intervened.
“That’s not an option, Nick.”
“I’m here because of you!”
“Yes, I know that. I’m extremely sorry about that. Right now, I’m trying to keep you safe so shut your mouth and move your feet.” She didn’t bother to wait for a response before turning back to Andrew. “Lead the way, Captain.”
For the second time she called him captain; only this time there was no sign of flirtation in her tone. This time, she was letting him know that he was in charge—no arguments involved.
“Where are we going?”
“Wherever he leads us,” Lindy mumbled.
Andrew appreciated her faith in him, but he wanted to reassure her he had a plan. “There’s a remote village about twenty to twenty-five miles north.”
“Friend or foe?” Lindy asked softly.
“Friend,” at least he hoped they still were. “I got lost here about twelve years ago. I ran into the Miainii tribe and they helped me get back to the beach.” He had gone hiking on the island. The day had been perfect until he fell down a steep hill and broke his compass. He was lucky the compass was the only thing he had broken. The Miainii tribe had given him a hot meal and a good place to sleep before having a guide take him back to his boat. As a thank you, he gave them a spare radio from his boat. If they still had it, he could call for help. They had the beacon, but he would feel better if he placed the call himself.
The Miainii were mostly peaceful, good hunters, but no match for bullets. Leading pirates to the village wasn’t his plan. He would need to cover his tracks as much as possible.
They walked for hours, taking minimal breaks to drink water. They couldn’t stop for long. Fortunately the professor didn’t seem to be complaining about the physical activity. In fact, the professor seemed to be competing, as if he were trying to redeem himself in Lindy’s eyes by outlasting Andrew. Lindy, on the other hand, was starting to fall behind.
“We’ll rest here.”
“Are they resting?” Lindy pushed past him. He gently grabbed the strap on her pack to stop her.
“You’re not going to make it much farther if we don’t stop.”
“I’ll be fine.”
She wasn’t going to be fine. She had lost a significant amount of blood for somebody who shouldn’t have lost any. They were getting higher in elevation and she wasn’t in any condition for the next stretch of their hike.
“If you pass out I’m going to have to ditch the packs to carry you and I don’t particularly feel like leaving the beacon behind.”
“The beacon’s in Nick’s pack. I didn’t have room in ours.”
Andrew scowled at her. “Humor me,” he said.
“Fine,” she sat down on a nearby rock. She didn’t bother to remove her pack. Andrew figured she probably didn’t think she would get it back on if she took it off.
“The beacon was in my pack?”
“Is in your pack,” Lindy corrected. “Big, yellow, cylinder shaped thing with a blinking red light.”
“I took it out. I didn’t think we needed it.”
“You have to be kidding me.” Lindy shook her head in disbelief. For the first time, Andrew completely forgot about being captain when he drew back his fist and punched the professor square in the nose.
“That might have been our only chance for help!”
“Go back for it.”
“Do you seriously think they wouldn’t have destroyed it the moment they saw it?”
Lindy took her pack off her back and started digging through it feverishly.
“Lindy?”
She blew out a huge swoosh of air. “Well you’re going to think we’re both idiots.”
“Did you forget the bullets?” He was half joking, half serious.
“No. I left my meds.”
“Shit.”
“This just keeps getting better.”
“Can you go without?”
“I’ll have to.”
That wasn’t his question. He stood, towering over her.
“Normally I would say yes.”
“But?”
“But normally I eat enough of the right stuff to get the iron I should have. The pills give an extra one hundred fifty percent per day, which is how I got my count back up in the first place. Now I’m not eating what I should. I’m not getting it either way and I lose iron a lot faster than I build it up.”
She looked worried, really worried, and that worried him. Lindy was the only person he knew that could have her head in the
toilet puking up yesterday’s dinner and still mange a convincible “I’m fine.”
“What do we do?” If she needed him to go back to the boat he would stash her some place safe and risk it all to do it.
“We keep moving.” She stood, slipping her pack on her back and wincing slightly when the strap hit her arm.
“Hey,” he gently placed his hands on her arms being careful not to cause her any pain.
“This is all my fault.”
“It’s not.” He could see the tears welling up in her eyes. “Stay with me.”
She stiffened, blinked back her tears and said, “there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” She forced a smile. “Let’s move people we don’t have all day.”
“Bossy, aren’t you?” He laughed.
“Well I am the boss.”
He looked at her. “Low iron affect your memory too?”
“No. I remember perfectly that you’re the boss on the boat and I’m the boss on land.”
He tried to remain serious, but serious wasn’t possible at this point. He laughed. “New rule, I’m the boss until I get you back home. Then you be boss…well on occasion.” He winked.
Chapter Seven
What had he meant, “on occasion,” and why had he winked at her? She spent most of the afternoon hike wondering, imagining what he was insinuating and boy did her imagination run wild. When they finally settled in for the evening she thought she just might find out, but once again, Andrew was purely business. They had settled not too far from a small waterfall. They could freshen up at least. There wasn’t a need to refill the water bottles. Lindy had suggested they use water sparingly. Her suggestion was for Nick’s benefit not Andrew’s since she was certain he already knew to conserve. Fortunately, Nick had listened and so they only used one bottle each.
“If it’s okay I’d like to go first.” Lindy unzipped a small pocket on the side of her pack and pulled out a bar of soap.
“You’re going to share that, right?” Andrew pointed to her soap. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head no. “Use your own.” She pointed to the left pocket on his pack. “I packed one for everybody.”
“You’re one hell of a packer.”
“I try.” She pulled a fresh pair of panties from her bag along with a pair of hiking pants, sleeping tank shirt and sweater.
“I’ll keep watch;” he motioned for her to go clean up.
Andrew hadn’t bothered to find a place suitable for her to conceal herself. She probably wouldn’t have concealed herself anyway. She planned to give him just enough to entice, but not enough to give him the entire show.
Lindy undressed with skill, keeping her back to him and the towel wrapped snugly around her body. She checked to see if he were watching her before she slipped the towel off. Satisfied that he was being a gentleman she slowly eased into the river and began to clean up. Occasionally she would turn just enough for him to get a glimpse of the side of her breasts. He was watching; she knew he was. He wasn’t watching in the obvious, “look your feel” way. No, it was the subtle glances and the out the corner of the eye looks that gave him away.
She bathed much quicker than she would have at home. She wanted Andrew to have a chance since Nick had decided not to be a gentleman and let her have the river alone. Of course, he had stayed a safe distance.
“Your turn,” she took the rifle from his hand. “What’s wrong now?” She noted the scowl on his face.
“He was watching you.”
She looked back at Nick. She wasn’t surprised. Nick always did what he wanted. “Well,” she shrugged.
“What the hell do you mean, “well”?”
“Andrew, he’s seen me naked before.”
He stood abruptly, almost knocking her over. “And that makes it okay?”
“No. But…never mind. Go wash up before it gets too late.”
Surprisingly he did as she said. She gave him the same courtesy he gave her, rewarding herself with casual glances. He was beautiful. His body was firm from his daily work, but not over muscular. His shoulders were broad and his arms, he had arms a woman would want to spend a lifetime in. The golden, sun kissed tan accentuated every curve, every muscle. He lifted his arms to wash his hair and the muscles in his back flexed. She thought she might melt.
Soon her casual glances turned into lingering stares. She wanted him. She could feel the heat rising in her belly and spreading through her body, down between her legs. She needed to break the moment, to stop torturing herself, but that would mean looking away and she didn’t want to miss a second.
“Enjoying the view?” Nick sat down beside her.
Absolutely was the word on her lips, but she refrained. “Are you feeling better?” She knew she didn’t need to elaborate. His behavior thus far had been less than respectable. She understood his fear; she just hadn’t expected him to react the way he had.
“This sucks.”
“I’m sorry, Nick. That’s all I can say.”
“You didn’t plan the pirates.”
“No, I didn’t. You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.”
“You can make it up to me.” He placed his hand on her thigh. She knocked it off. “You used to like for me to touch you.”
“I’m in love with him.”
“You used to be in love with me.”
“We were never in love, Nick. We were comfortable. I want more than that.” She thought he would bow out peacefully, but the man she thought she knew wasn’t the man in front of her. He grabbed her wrist nearly crushing it beneath his grip.
“The only reason I let you go the first time was because I needed to protect my career.”
“I left,” she tried to remove her wrist from his hand, but he tightened his grip.
“No, Babe, I let you walk out because a scandal could have ruined me. I’m not afraid of that anymore.”
“You’re hurting me,” she said in a stern voice as if that would secure her release.
“Let her go.”
Lindy saw Andrew standing beside them. When had he gotten out of the river, and when had he put on his clothes? None of that mattered now. Nick obviously had sized up the competition enough to know he wouldn’t win in a fair fight because he released Lindy’s wrist, put up his hands in surrender and moved cautiously away.
Andrew kept a close watch on the professor. “You okay?”
“Yes.”
“What was that about?”
“Poor judgment and bad decisions,” she said. She was thankful he didn’t press the issue.
“Your bandage is wet. We should change it.”
“I think I’m using up the first aid kit.” She laughed; he didn’t. He studied her closely. “Of course it is rather big so I guess…” she felt that peculiar melting feeling she had read about in books. “That is I guess there’s enough to last.”
“Lasting’s not a problem.” He grinned. “You know, I at least gave you a little privacy while you washed.”
She laughed. “No you didn’t. You peeked.”
His lips curled upward. “You did more than peek.”
“It’s your fault.”
“My fault?” His tone was incredulous.
“You were enticing me. I had no choice.”
“Well I guess you’ll just have to return the favor. Once we’re safe I fully expect a look at your breasts.”
“Not a chance. All I saw was your back.” Regretfully. She wondered if the rest of his body was as well developed as the upper half.
“So you’re telling me if I show you mine you’ll show me yours.”
There was that grin again, the one that made her go weak in the knees. Just when had the roles been reversed? She was the one pursuing and now he was taking over the chase. That is what she wanted. The problem now was how long was she supposed to wait before giving in to the chase?
“Not a chance. I’m not showing you anything.”
“Hmm…” he purred. “You already are, Honey.”
She f
ollowed his gaze to her breasts. Her nipples were clearly erect and practically pushing through the thin fabric. He looked as if he wanted to press his mouth to one and enjoy the taste. She wanted him to. It took all her reserve not to pull her top over her head and let him feel her.
“I thought you were going to change my bandage.” Her voice was husky from her arousal.
“Damn. I wish we were alone.”
“And not being chased…”
“Yeah,” he mumbled before taking the rifle from her. “We should make camp for the night.”
Settling in for the night was a good idea. She needed to close her eyes and sleep even if only for a few hours. “I can take first watch.” Nick was already down for the night. He hadn’t offered to keep watch; he simply stretched out on the ground, turned his back to them and went to sleep. At least she assumed he was asleep. He had decided to sleep closer to them than the previous night.
“No, you get some rest. I’ll take first watch.”
She settled in close to him. “Do you think they’re still behind us?”
“Yes.”
“No chance they gave up?”
“No.”
“How do you know they stopped for the night?”
“I don’t. I’m assuming they’re smart enough not to navigate an unfamiliar island at night.” He looked into her yes. “These aren’t the type of men to intentionally leave anybody alive. They’ve obviously teamed up, which is odd and ominous. If we can get to the village I can get you safe and then lead them away.”
“I won’t leave you.”
“I can do this, but I need to know you’re safe.”
“You have no idea how many of them are out there. You can’t do this alone.”
Pirate's Treasure Page 5
