Ana felt his growl reverberate through her like rumbling thunder chasing a bolt of lightning. There was a roiling, writhing storm within her hotly glowing body as she moved against him to create even more pleasure for Jake. The tension in his face, the way his lips lifted away from his clenched teeth, the strength of his hands upon her hips all told her how great was his pleasure as his life flowed into her welcoming body.
Ana whispered his name like a fervent prayer and fell across him, her legs tangling with his in the aftermath. They lay in one another’s arms, their bodies slick and heated. Nuzzling his jaw, she placed tiny kisses along it and closed her eyes, exhausted. Just the way Jake weakly caressed her back made her smile. The bed was soft and comfortable. Jake was hard and male, and Ana reveled in their differences. Together, they made a complete whole.
Breathing raggedly, Ana whispered, “You are Inti, the sun, and I am K’uychi, your rainbow.”
She felt so giving and sustaining within Jake’s arms. Easing onto his side and bringing Ana against him, he rose up on his elbow, her black hair a coverlet across it. Caressing her damp cheek, he rasped, “I like how you see us. And I like the world you live in, Ana. It’s close to nature, like us.”
She gazed tenderly into his stormy blue eyes. “We are a part of nature. Wild and free—” she ran her fingers across his unmarred brow “—like Father Sun and Mother Moon.”
“I like you being my rainbow, because you really are, you know….” And Jake leaned down and kissed her soft, parted lips, once more drinking Ana into his heart and soul.
Jake awoke slowly. He had no idea what time it was. In addition to the exhausting flight, the tension and worry about Ana and how she would respond to him had taken a massive emotional toll on him. He lay on his back with Ana snuggled against his length. Turning his head, he saw there was no longer any light coming through the panels at the window. Lifting his wrist, he looked at his watch. It was 9:00 p.m.
Ana stirred in his arms, made a small sound resembling a moan and began to stretch her full length like an awakening jaguar.
Jake wondered if he’d woken her. They lay with the thick quilt across them. “Go back to sleep,” he rasped.
“Mmm…what time is it?”
“Twenty-one hundred hours,” he said, dropping into military time for her. She felt so warm and alive in his arms. Jake luxuriated in the feel of her strong body against his. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on Ana, and he realized the stress and strain of her job as an assault gunship pilot had a lot to do with that. Maybe, with them living together, he could add a good ten pounds to her frame. She needed it, he realized, as he ran his fingers down her rib cage and settled his hand on her hip.
“I’m hungry….” Ana whispered wickedly, and she opened her eyes to meet his gaze. As she sat up, her eyes glimmered. Jake was grinning at her, his face deeply shadowed. He hadn’t shaved and now his beard made him look even more dangerous and alluring. “Well…” she said drowsily, “let me amend that—I’m hungry for you and for some food.”
“So am I.”
Laughing softly, Ana tilted her head, leaned down and kissed him lingeringly upon his smiling mouth. “Which one first?” she asked against his lips. Absorbing his tender touch as he ran his hand across her back and down her arm, Ana drowned in his lambent gaze. This was how she wanted to awaken every morning for the rest of her life—with Jake.
“Well,” he murmured, giving her a slight poke in the ribs, “you are way too skinny, sweetheart. I think a big Peruvian meal of pink trout is what you need first.”
“And dessert?”
He met her merry look. “You’re my dessert.”
With a lilting laugh, Ana sat up and stretched languidly. “You always say the right thing to make me feel happy!”
Jake slowly sat up in turn, the quilt falling away from him. “No,” he told her wryly, “I’m sure there’s going to be plenty of times when I put my foot in my mouth with you.” He reached out and slid a strand of her silky hair between his thumb and index finger. Ana’s face grew sultry with invitation. Already his body was responding once more to that smoldering look in her large cinnamon eyes. “I can only hope you’ll sit down with me and we’ll talk it out. If we talk, we’ll avoid a lot of problems.”
Ana caught his hand and kissed each of his fingertips. “We’ll talk—a lot. I promise.” Releasing Jake’s hand, she poked his ribs. “You’re skinny, too, you know. You’ve lost weight, Jake.”
Nodding, he said, “The last three months have been hell on me emotionally, Ana. I didn’t have much of an appetite.” He eased off the bed and went to the bathroom where he turned on the taps of the huge bathtub on brass claw feet. When he returned, he enjoyed watching Ana slip off the bed and walk toward him. There was such sureness and confidence in her step, in the way she moved and carried herself. She was proud, beautiful and courageous.
“Let’s bathe one another,” she said, “and then let’s go down to India Feliz Restaurant. Patrick’s staff catches the trout right out of the Urubamba River on the other side of town.”
Jake liked the idea of sliding into a tub of hot water with Ana. As she moved past him, she lifted her hair off her shoulders and quickly wound it into a thick braid atop her head. Her every movement was like a small miracle to him. She was graceful, her fingers slender and feminine. Fingers that had loved him, had made his body harden and sing, just hours before.
His stomach growled. Ana looked over at him. “I think we need to feed you.”
Later, as they lingered over mocha lattes at a table on the second floor of the India Feliz, Jake blocked out the murmurs of the many patrons who now filled Patrick’s very popular establishment. After consuming a huge meal of trucha, trout, served with the most delicious potatoes he’d ever eaten, he felt completely sated. Across from him, Ana’s soft smile made his heart throb with desire for her all over again. She sat with her elbows on the pale pink linen tablecloth, a delicate china cup decorated with flowers in her hands. The look on her features told Jake everything. For the first time, he was seeing Ana truly relaxed. She’d eaten almost half of her dinner, far more than she would have ordinarily, she told him. Jake was sure her appetite was because of their enthusiastic lovemaking earlier.
“You know what I’d like to do tomorrow morning?” Ana asked, a wistful note in her voice.
“Name it,” Jake said. He picked up his cup and finished off the rich chocolate drink.
“Let’s take the civilian helicopter to Rainbow Valley,” Ana murmured in a low tone, because she didn’t want patrons who sat nearby to overhear them. She saw the surprise and then the question in Jake’s eyes. Setting the cup down, she said, “I want you to meet my parents, Jake. In the tradition of my people, I must present you to them. If you’ll wear my chalina tomorrow, they’ll know.” Her smile increased. “I know my parents will approve of you…of us. They know all about you, so I’m sure they’ll be happy to finally meet you.”
Nodding, Jake said, “That’s fine. I’d like to meet the two people who made such a beautiful daughter.” He reached out and slid his hand into hers.
Ana’s eyes glistened with love for him. “I know my parents will want to hold a feast in our honor, later. All my relations will be invited.” Her voice became filled with excitement. “You’ll get to meet my mother’s side of the family, the campesino side, and all my father’s relations from Cusco and Lima. It will be a wonderful all-day, and all-night celebration. We’ll dance. We’ll sing. We’ll laugh. We’ll cry. It will be a time you’ll never forget.” She smiled longingly into his eyes.
Giving her hand a squeeze, Jake asked, “And can I invite my parents down here? And ask Tal to attend?”
She smiled. “Of course! It is tradition that both sets of parents of a couple meet and approve of their relationship.”
“Good.” The joy in Ana’s eyes matched how Jake felt in his heart. “I think Tal will be happy for us. She kept needling me while I was home with her in Iowa, about you—us—and
how I felt about you.”
“She knew,” Ana said quietly. “As much as she was suffering, Tal could see your love for me.”
Mouth quirking, Jake tightened his fingers around Ana’s momentarily. “Yes, and she saw your love for me, as well. Tal isn’t dumb by a long shot. Maybe…well, maybe this coming celebration will help her heal. I hope it does.”
“People in love always spread their joy to those around them,” Ana said simply. “Perhaps it will start a healing process within Tal. We can only hope.”
Patrick, dressed in white pants, white apron and shirt as befitting his rank as a French chef, came over to them. In his hand, he held out a delicious-looking dessert of strawberries and whipping cream with thick yellow Bavarian pudding surrounding it, sprinkled with slivers of almond. On top was a small puff pastry decorated in pink and white icing resembling tiny flowers.
“For you, mon chérie,” he told Ana in broken English. “And for your young man here. To celebrate.” Patrick smiled, his narrow face and dark eyes sparkling as he straightened after setting the dessert between them. He pointed to the chalina that Jake wore around his neck. “I see you have chosen, Ana. Congratulations to you both.” And he held out his slender hand to Jake.
Jake shook his hand and thanked him. He didn’t know French, but wished he did now as Patrick, who was in his early forties, his black hair short and shining beneath the lamps above, tried his best to convey his heartfelt sentiments in English.
Ana was thrilled. “Merci, Patrick. This is a wonderful celebration gift!”
Patrick stood there, his hands on his hips, his face filled with pride. “Oui, mon chérie. I know how you love my desserts. When I saw this norteamericano come in wearing your chalina, I knew.” His mouth curved faintly. “I knew you had chosen. We must celebrate your coming together, eh? Soon? Perhaps Maya will attend? Oui?”
“Oui,” Ana said, touched. Reaching out, she squeezed Patrick’s arm. “You are so wonderful to all of us. We’re so lucky to have you here in Agua Caliente.” Sharing a warm look with Jake, Ana added, “And yes, let’s plan a wonderful celebration for Jake and me. Probably half the people I know will come.” Ana knew that Patrick was aware of their secret base, but he never said anything to anyone about it. He’d been living in Agua Caliente for years, knew the lay of the land and had opened his establishment as a home away from home to those who lived at the base.
Patrick bowed deeply. “It will be my honor, Ana.” As he straightened he pointed energetically at the dessert. “I would suggest you open the puff pastry.”
Ana gave him a quizzical look, her fork suspended over the dessert. “Oh?”
“Oui,” Patrick said sagely, his black eyebrows arching with authority. “Please, open it—carefully, however…”
Puzzled, Ana gave Jake a quizzical look, shrugged and, with her fingers and the help of the fork, pried open the four-cornered puff pastry. Then she gasped.
“Jake!”
Patrick chuckled and slapped his thigh.
Ana’s eyes grew huge as she saw the gold ring with a single diamond solitaire sitting in the middle of the pastry on a small satin cushion. Her gaze shot across the table. Jake was grinning up at Patrick, and they were congratulating one another heartily.
“Oh…” Ana whispered, in shock as she carefully removed the ring from the pink satin cushion. As she held it up to the light, the diamond solitaire sparkled with fire in its depths. Tears jammed her eyes as she looked up at Jake, who was smiling tenderly at her, hope burning in his eyes.
“Do you like it?” he asked, his voice off-key with emotion.
Patrick clapped his hands. “Of course she likes it! What woman would not like such a gift?” He leaned over and kissed each of Ana’s cheeks, then he shook Jake’s hand once more. “A very good plan you had,” he exclaimed enthusiastically. Then he gestured discreetly to one of his waiters, a young Que’ro who hurried over with a bottle of champagne in a bucket and two champagne glasses.
“To celebrate your good fortune,” Patrick told them. “The meal, everything, is on the house tonight, for both of you. Enjoy!” And he left, smiling grandly.
In shock, Ana barely could speak as the waiter, Isidro, carefully popped the champagne cork and slowly poured the golden, bubbly liquid into the glasses. Smiling shyly at them, he bowed slightly and left them alone.
“Oh, Jake…” Ana whispered. “I—I’m in shock! I never expected…”
Grinning from ear to ear, Jake took the ring from her and picked up her left hand. “Let’s see if it fits?” His heart beat hard in his chest. Ana’s cheeks were pink, her eyes sparkling with tears and her beautiful mouth parted breathlessly with happiness.
Holding her left hand across the table, Jake eased the ring onto it. The diamond glinted like a fiery rainbow as she raised it and showed it off to him. “It fits perfectly, Jake.”
Catching her hand, he pressed a warm kiss to the back of it. “Do you like it?”
“Like it? I love it!” Ana caressed the stone, her lower lip trembling.
Her reaction made Jake feel so good. Handing her one glass, he said, “Let’s drink to our lives—together, Ana.”
Touched, Ana nodded. The glasses clinked pleasantly together and she drank a small amount of the bubbly liquid. The look in Jake’s eyes told her everything. Her hand tingled where the ring touched it. She was stunned by his planning.
“Patrick must have loved your romantic idea,” she said accusingly as she set the champagne glass down on the table.
Giving her a proud look, Jake said, “Yeah, he liked the idea, although I had a helluva time trying to explain it to him, not knowing any French. And he doesn’t know much English. I drew a lot of sketches for him and he got it,” Jake chuckled.
Laughing, Ana nodded. “Patrick knows French, Spanish and Quechua. English is a distant—very distant—fourth language for him, and he really struggles with it. Bless his heart, though. Look what he did for us.” Ana gazed at Jake and saw the joy in his eyes. “You’re such a wonderful person, Jake.” Reaching across the table, she whispered, “And I love you so much….”
As their fingers touched and Jake grasped her slender hand with his, he vowed huskily, “And I’ll love you forever, Ana. Forever…”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4392-1
MAN WITH A MISSION
Copyright © 2001 by Lindsay McKenna
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*Kincaid trilogy
†Love and Glory
**Women of Glory
††Moments of Glory trilogy
‡Morgan’s Mercenaries
°Men of Courage
‡‡Morgan’s Mercenaries: Love and Danger
◊Cowboys of the Southwest
ΔMorgan’s Mercenaries: The Hunters
§Morgan’s Mercenaries: Maverick Hearts
on Archive.
Man with a Mission Page 19
