Three Redeemable Rogues

by Tanya Anne Crosby

  Maria had brought him chocolate-covered cockroaches.

  Jack didn’t know whether to be grateful or offended.

  Jose had brought his sons along, as well as Maria, and Jack was uncertain whether it was simply because he wanted to do the best job for Sophie’s money, or whether it was an added warning for Jack to keep his hands off Jose’s daughter. In either case, her father and brothers didn’t seem the least displeased with Maria’s immediate attention.

  He kept studying the four of them, trying to determine whether a bowlful of chocolate-covered insects was a normal thing for them, or whether it was their idea of some sick joke at his expense.

  It didn’t appear to be the latter.

  It seemed they didn’t give the bowl of delicacies a second thought. Only Maria seemed to be eagerly anticipating his verdict.

  Damn... he cringed at the sight of the bugs—all those little charred legs. He knew damned well it would hurt her feelings if he didn’t try one... but he just couldn’t bring himself to put deuced insects into his mouth. He looked about at his men... at how they choked and sputtered on Sophie’s cooking ... eyes watering and nostrils flaring ... and longed to be eating beside them.

  Some of his men ran for water, others were determined to sit tough. Jack marveled at how they tried so hard for Sophie’s sake to appear as though they loved her breakfast. She had them all—including him—in her spell.

  He glanced down at his bowl of food and spied a bristly leg poking up from the creamy chocolate covering, and nearly spewed his guts where he sat. First the rotting meat, now this...

  Somehow, he managed to smile up at Maria.

  Never again would he malign Sophie’s cooking. May God strike him dead the instant he considered it!

  Gad! He couldn’t stand the sight of his dinner. He would have long ago set the bowl down and walked away but Maria continued to stare at him expectantly.

  He swallowed convulsively, trying to talk himself into swallowing his pride along with a bug. It wasn’t so bad, he assured himself... just one... big... crunchy bite... and it would be all over.

  Bile rose in his throat.

  “Te gusta?” Maria asked him, nodding hopefully.

  He lifted his brows as he looked at her, wishing she’d turn away and give him two seconds to shove a leaf into his mouth so he could pretend to chew one.

  “Yes?” she persisted.

  Jack prayed to God—any God—that the bowl would suddenly burst into flames. He forced himself to nod and smile appreciatively.

  He glanced over at Sophie and saw her with Kell, their heads together in conversation, and wished he were there beside her.

  What were they talking about? What was Kell saying?

  Did his friend appreciate the scent of her hair the way Jack did? Jack’s brow furrowed. Damn it, it seemed he did, as close as Kell was leaning into her, and Jack’s gut churned violently, but it had nothing to do with the dish in his hand.

  Damn … what he wouldn’t give to be sitting beside her... eating her blackened eggs and ham.

  He heard her laugh and it made his heart jump. Her smile made his belly flutter. Her scent made him want to kiss her ... and her eyes ... he could look into them a lifetime and never have it be long enough.

  She stood suddenly, looking saddened, and Jack’s heart twisted for her.

  Was she disheartened by her cooking efforts? Had someone said something to hurt her? Jack would skin the bugger, whoever he was!

  She slipped into the woods, and he waited a few moments to see if she would return.

  She didn’t, and he set the bowl down at once, apologizing hastily to Maria, and went after Sophie.

  The woods were lush and cool.

  Sophie couldn’t bear to sit and watch Jack with Maria any longer. She’d tried to be a big girl about it, but the sight of the two together had been much too painful. No matter that Kell had been kind enough to keep her company, she couldn’t bear it, and she’d retreated like a coward into the sanctuary of the woods.

  She hadn’t intended to go far, but somehow she lost herself in thought and wandered deep enough to lose her direction.

  Everywhere she looked now she found the same thick vines and bush. Still, there was no need to panic, she told herself. Camp must be somewhere very near. She could still smell the scent of charred food.

  Or maybe it was her imagination. Good lord, this was all she needed... to lose herself in the woods. Wouldn’t that be a perfect addition to her long list of catastrophes?

  Barely, she could make out a path in the bracken, and she followed it, hoping it would lead back to camp.

  It ended abruptly at the edge of a deep chasm.

  She gasped in awe at the miracle of nature she had stumbled on.

  Mesmerized, she moved carefully to the edge to peer down below and found the chasm filled with crystal-clear water. It was incredible, almost surreal. Magical even. Ten feet below the surface, silvery fish darted in schools among the thick, dark tree roots. Beams of light pierced the green canopy above and stabbed deeply into the pool like airy icicles. They formed a prism of sorts below the water’s surface. Color radiated from them, painting fish as they passed through the watery rainbow.

  Entranced by the sight, Sophie knelt at the edge of the chasm. Pebbles rolled from beneath her into the pool below, startling fish.

  She had never seen such a beautiful sight. Her fingers itched to draw it. Sucking in a breath, she knelt there on the brink and stared in fascination, imagining how she would capture it.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  Starting at the voice, Sophie turned to find Jack watching her. Her heart leaped a little at the sight of him, both in relief and something more. “Yes,” she said on an exhale. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it!”

  It left her breathless.

  So did Jack.

  She peered down again as he came to stand at her side, enthralled by her discovery.

  “It’s called a dzonot,” he told her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. Sophie felt it and her breath caught. “They’re created when cave ceilings collapse.”

  Sophie peered up at him.

  “The Maya believed these were doors to the watery underworld which were inhabited by rain gods and jaguar spirits. There are many of these types of pools here. The land is riddled with them, but this one is particularly beautiful.”

  “It’s...” She peered down once more into the pool. It was so clear she could see every pebble at its bottom. “There are no words to describe it.”

  He squeezed her shoulder. “I was going to bring you here later to show you, but seems you found it on your own.”

  She turned to smile up at him. “You were going to bring me here?”

  The thought that he intended to share something so incredible with her warmed her beyond words. When was the last time anyone had taken the time to bring her into his world? To share with her the things that pleased him? Fascinated him? She couldn’t remember.

  He sat beside her. More pebbles scattered into the pool below as he boldly hung his legs off the edge.

  Sophie smiled and sat as well, sliding her legs over the chasm’s edge.

  He looked at her then, giving her a particularly wicked glance. “There is a Mayan legend about an evil princess named Hechicera, who couldn’t marry the man she loved. It’s said when lovers come too close to the dzonot, Hechicera seizes them and drags them into her cave where she turns them into aluxob.” He arched a brow suggestively, and said, “We’re pretty close to the edge.”

  Sophie blushed at the implication.

  Indeed, they were indeed lovers now.

  She didn’t want to forget a single moment she’d spent in his arms. As scandalous as the thought was, she didn’t have a single regret.

  Sophie’s breath quickened. She wished he’d kiss her again … right now... brush her hair aside as he was inclined to do. “What is an Aluxob?”

  Jack nodded. “Little people like leprechauns.”


  Sophie lifted her brows. “And what does she do with these unfortunate lovers?”

  His brows knit. “Well, I’m not certain exactly, but small huts are built in cornfields after each harvest. And the first ears of corn are left there to feed the aluxob.”

  He went quiet, staring at her like that again... as though he wanted to kiss her.

  Sophie held her breath. “Why?” she asked, when he didn’t.

  His voice was seductively soft as he told her, “For the farmers who honor them, the aluxob will push up their corn plants and rock their hammocks at night.”

  Sophie thought about it a moment, picturing herself in a hammock with Jack, while little leprechauns rocked them beneath the stars. “That’s a lovely legend.”

  His eyes sparkled as they watched her. “It is,” he agreed.

  “They must have been a wonderful, benevolent people!”

  He shrugged. “I’ve a suspicion they weren’t as benevolent as some wish to believe.”

  “Why not?” Sophie asked, truly curious. He was so filled with knowledge. She wanted him to teach her everything he knew.

  He looked down into the pool, nodding. “For one... there is a place called Chichen Itza.” The name means ‘mouth of the well of the Itzas.’”

  “Itzas?”

  “Water wizards,” Jack explained. “Some believe the pyramid there was erected as a sacrificial altar.”

  Sophie made a face. “As in Abraham and his son?”

  Jack shrugged. “Anyway, this particular pool measures almost two hundred feet across. Below the surface of that green scum you see are also the remains of countless sacrifices and offerings... animals and sometimes humans, along with gold and jade jewelry.”

  Sophie shuddered at the thought. “You mean they just threw people inside ... and let them die?”

  “That or they were already dead.”

  “How terrible!”

  “That’s nothing next to some of their rituals.”

  “I want to know the things you know!” Sophie exclaimed.

  Sophie wished she could stay at his side forever and discover things with him. She wished she could spend quiet moments in his company just sitting and reading. She wished she knew as much as he did. But right now, she wished more than anything that he would shut up and kiss her.

  Her face warmed under his scrutiny.

  Silence fell between them... except for the trickle of water falling somewhere down below. It was a beautiful, musical sound.

  “What are you thinking, Sophia?” His voice was as soft as a caress and her stomach fluttered at the sound of it.

  “I was thinking...” She blinked as she stared longingly at his mouth. “... that I love...”

  You, she wanted to finish.

  His hand reached out suddenly, touching her face, startling her, and she swallowed her words.

  Jack held his breath, waiting for her to speak.

  “Yes,” he prompted when she didn’t continue.

  She blinked, and he could tell she was struggling. “That I love... how you know these things.”

  Disappointment slithered through him.

  He caressed her chin with his thumb. “I love ... your curiosity, Sophia.”

  Her eyes seemed to reveal an inner battle. Jack waited, hoping she would speak those three words he so longed to hear from her.

  “And… I really, really love...” she began again, her brows twitching a bit with what seemed to be confusion. “I love …”

  “What is it you love?” he asked her, his heart hammering fiercely.

  She swallowed visibly. “That you are so willing to share your knowledge with me!”

  His thumb touched her lower lip, rested there, and she blinked. “And I really ... really love your beautiful smile, Sophia.” Her lip trembled just a bit, and he teased it, willing her with his eyes to speak those three little words. He encouraged her, telling her also, “And I love the sound of your voice... and the way you laugh…” He leaned close to her, his nostrils flaring. “And the way you smell.” He took a deep breath, craving the taste of her.

  Sophie closed her eyes and lifted her face into a ray of sun, and Jack sat there staring at her, mesmerized, his heart swelling with joy at simply being in her presence.

  Never in his life had he felt so at peace with someone, so connected... so alive.

  He bent to kiss her, finally, touching his lips tentatively to hers. His hand moved down to her throat, and he felt her swallow once more. But she didn’t stop him, and he deepened the kiss, wanting nothing more than to crawl into her body, to be at one with her.

  He wanted all of her, body and soul.

  He wanted her mind, wanted her heart.

  Torn between his desire to show her that her body was not all he wanted of her, that he respected her and loved her spirit and her mind as well, and wanting to make love to her again and again, to take her for his own, he hesitated, and drew away.

  “Sophie,” he began.

  There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn’t know where to begin. He didn’t want her to go back to Harlan, didn’t want to lose her, but he wanted her to do whatever made her happy. If in fact Harlan did that for her—made her happy—then he wanted that for her, too, even if it would kill him to see them together. But he hoped she didn’t love the jackass still. He really couldn’t bear to see them together... to know that he would touch her... kiss her... make love to her...

  The thought of it made his gut turn.

  The words caught in his throat.

  She stared up at him, her golden eyes wide, looking far too vulnerable. “Yes, Jack?”

  Jack swallowed his words, unsure how to voice them. He’d never spoken those three words to anyone in his entire life, not a soul. He’d never felt for anyone the way he did for Sophia.

  If there was just one thing he’d learned from his studies—a lesson to be carried into his own life—it was that nothing lasted forever. Nothing. His studies and excavations were proof enough of that fact; societies came and went. He hadn’t ever intended to put his heart at risk for something so fleeting as love. But he didn’t care any longer...

  Sophie was worth it … and suddenly it was clear to him that the only thing that lasted, long after the flesh decayed … was love.

  He wanted Sophie at his side always, to share his journey through life.

  But who was he to ask her to give up her own life on a whim... to follow him blindly? What did he really have to offer a woman of her station?

  His brows knit as he struggled with his thoughts.

  What was the right thing to do?

  Did she love Harlan Penn?

  She desired Jack, that was true enough, but desire and love were two different things.

  In the end, it came down to just one thing: She had to follow her heart. He couldn’t put words into her mouth, or feelings into her heart.

  He sighed heavily and looking down into her beautiful face, he smiled and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

  “You wouldn’t happen to have any eggs ’n’ peppers left?” he asked.

  “Eggs and peppers?” She blinked up at him. “You’re still hungry?”

  If she only knew. “Starved,” he confessed.

  Her brows knit. “What about the meal Maria brought you ... didn’t you eat?” She pulled his hand away from her face, and averted her gaze. “You really don’t have to eat my breakfast just to make me feel good, you know! I’m well-aware that it was awful!”

  Jack laughed suddenly. “Are you kidding? I’d rather eat pure poison than eat what Maria brought me!”

  Sophie gave him an annoyed look. “You’re just saying that!” she accused him.

  He gave her a sheepish glance. “Uh, no!”

  “Truly?” She tilted him a curious look. “What did she bring you?”

  Jack shook his head, disgusted all over again merely by the thought. He grimaced and said, “Chocolate-covered roaches!”

  Her eyes went wide and
her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my!”

  “Swear to God!” he told her, still grimacing as his hand went protectively to his belly.

  She shrieked with laughter.

  Deeply offended by her lack of concern for his delicate stomach, Jack was forced to tickle her. He tickled her until their limbs were tangled and her cheeks were aching with her laughter, until one of her boots flew off and across the pool, and landed in the water with a hearty splash.

  “Oops,” he said, and stopped suddenly, looking into her eyes. “There went your shoe,” he said.

  Sophie grinned up at him. “I guess you’ll just have to go down and get it, won’t you?”

  He grinned back, poking at her chest. “If I go, you go,” he said.

  Sophie held her breath as his finger slid down between her breasts, teasing her.

  “Says who?” she asked a little breathlessly.

  His gaze followed his finger. “I’m bigger than you are,” he reminded her.

  That much was true.

  “But I could scream,” Sophie assured him.

  His gaze met hers and he arched a brow in challenge. “Who would come? We’ve wandered too far for anyone to hear us.”

  Sophie shrugged. “Hechicera.”

  His smile was wicked. “Then let her,” he said, flaunting danger. “I could think of worse things than to be stranded here forever with you.” He kissed her then, a sweet, gentle kiss that made Sophie’s heart swell with love.

  A knot formed in her throat. She wanted to make love to him. She wanted to give him her body once more. She wanted him to know how she felt through her touch.

  Without a word, Sophie boldly unbuttoned her shirt, reveling in the way he watched her.

  “Are you sure?” he whispered against her cheek, kissing her softly.

  Sophie lifted her face to him, kissing his lips. “Quite sure,” she murmured, and he joined her, undressing her eagerly, hunger burning in his eyes.

  His hands explored her body with such sweet tenderness that Sophie wanted to weep with joy.

  She closed her eyes.

  More than anything she wanted to tell him how she felt, but was afraid to open her heart completely... afraid he wouldn’t love her back... afraid to speak the words aloud... afraid to be a fool… again.