by Bobbi Smith
Giving up without a struggle, Mitch closed his eyes. "Thanks. I could sure use something; my head is pounding."
"I'll be right back." Espri hurried from the hut to get her father's bottle of kava. After mixing a goodly portion of the potent liquor with cool water, she returned to Mitch's side and, raising his head, urged him to drink the soothing, numbing brew.
He drank obediently, frowning slightly at the unfamiliar taste. "That's not bourbon. What is it?"
"It's called kava," she explained softly. "It will help to ease your pain."
Kava . . . Fifi . . . the heated pain that tormented every part of his body . . . Mitch disliked not being in complete control of himself, and once more he tried to get up—to get away. "I really should go. Have my horse brought around front. I'll be fine once I get home."
There was more strength behind his effort this time, and Espri panicked slightly as he brushed her aside. "Mitch. Listen to me," she pleaded, knowing that he might injure himself further if he got to his feet. "You're not drunk. You've been injured."
"Injured?" He paused in his attempt to leave, his tone hardening at this new information that did not make any sense to him. How could he have been injured at Madame Sauvigne's?
"Your head . . . you have a bad cut on your forehead," she explained, hoping against hope that he was lucid enough to understand.
"Everything is blurred," he told her as he lifted a hand to his brow and gingerly touched the wound.
"It will pass. You'll be fine," she assured him. "But you must relax and try to rest."
"I'll try," he agreed, suddenly exhausted.
"I need to bind the cut again. It will heal faster that way," she explained as she lowered him back to the mat.
He nodded, tense now. Espri understood what he was going through, but to stop the fever the poison must be drawn from the wound.
"This may hurt, but it's important that I do it," Espri said as she cut several more of the limes.
"That's all right," Mitch replied. "I'll hold still."
Trembling at the thought that she would be causing him pain, Espri quickly squeezed the fresh, astringent juice directly into the vivid gash. Though his jaw tensed as the bitter fluid seared the wound, Mitch remained stoically passive as she carefully cleansed away the excess and pressed purau leaves to the injury.
"The wrapping will hold the medicine in place," she said softly. "I know it will be difficult for you, not being able to see for a while, but I'll be right here if you need anything." Then, taking the wrapping that he'd discarded earlier, Espri efficiently bound his head and eyes. "Try to sleep now." She touched his arm lightly as she started to move away.
But Mitch's senses had been sharpened by the caustic, biting sting of the lime juice, and in a brief moment of clarity, he wondered why Fifi, of all people, would be nursing him. Hadn't it been years since he'd last visited Madame Sauvigne's? Reaching out quickly, he managed to snare her forearm and pull her back to him.
"Fifi? Where am I? This certainly isn't the Château of Pleasure."
"No, it's not, but you are safe here. I'll explain everything to you later, when you're feeling stronger." Espri felt an odd thrill as she stared at the large, tanned hand resting possessively on her arm.
The softness of her exotically accented voice mesmerized Mitch, and he sighed in resignation as a great weariness stole over him. "All right, but first . . ." With a gentle urging, he drew her closer to him, his lips seeking hers in an infinitely tender caress. "Thank you, Fifi."
A shiver of exhilaration raced through Espri as his mouth found hers, and she was stunned by the force of her response to his kiss.
As she pondered her reaction in silence, Mitch settled back, and giving up the fight to remain awake, he slipped off into the oblivion of sleep, the kava having dulled his embattled senses.
"Be gone, woman," Konga ordered brusquely, trying to extricate himself from Tana's clinging embrace. "I have much work to do."
Tana laughed throatily as she pulled his head down to her for another passionate kiss. "I will go, Konga, if you really want me to." Boldly, she ground her full hips erotically against his, feeling his need for her grow. "Are you certain that your 'work' can't wait?"
Konga submitted to her teasing ways for just a moment longer before rudely pushing her from him. He dismissed the dark-haired beauty curtly. "I have stayed with you too long already."
"But you've enjoyed that time, have you not?" Tana asked archly, as she faced him squarely, hands on her hips, her ample breasts thrust forward in invitation.
"You pride yourself too much, Tana. Any number of women on the island would willingly take what I offer and not demand more of me," Konga told her arrogantly. He was sure of himself for he was the most powerful, unmarried man on the island.
Stung by his rejection, Tana smiled slyly as she returned his barb. "What of Espri? Does she long for your favors?"
Konga scowled, his expression turning thunderous. "You would do well to hold your tongue."
"Why? Because you cannot bear to hear the truth?" she challenged. "I love you, Konga. I want to be the one to give you strong handsome sons. You're a fool to desire Espri."
"Espri has no hold on me!'" he denied heatedly.
"Do you think me stupid, Konga?" Tana sneered. "I see how your eyes follow her whenever she is near. I know how her innocence intrigues you, but I tell you this: I am the woman who will make you happy, not Espri!" Infuriated by his refusal to admit the truth, she turned on her heel and stalked away.
Tana was livid as she stormed back to her home. Espri! Espri! Espri! Ever since she could remember, Espri had been the cause of all her troubles. When they were children, as the granddaughter of Chief Luatu, Espri had always been the favored one whose praises were sung at every opportunity. Tana's envy of her had begun then and had only grown stronger through the years.
Unencumbered by the cultural restraints of white societies, the lifestyle on Malika was open and free. Youthful natives enjoyed one another to the fullest before settling into marriages that were arranged strictly for profit, but Espri did not fit into the normal pattern of this life. On Malika, it was a rare woman who went to her marriage bed untouched, but Tana had no doubt that Espri fitted into that category. Not one of the men on the island had been able to win her heart. She discouraged all attempts to woo her, yet her aloofness enticed the males all the more. It was that way with Konga. Espri had become an obsession to him. He wanted only her, no matter how Tana tried to convince him that she, herself, was the woman he truly needed.
Though Tana understood Konga's behavior, her awareness did not lessen her hatred for Espri, and as she neared her home, she was disgusted to find that Jacques Duchant was talking with her mother Anuitua. Wanting to avoid him if possible, for she was in no mood to be pleasant to her archrival's father, Tana slowed her progress. Only after she'd watched Jacques bid Anuitua good-bye did she join her mother.
"What did Jacques want?" she asked casually enough.
"He was asking about the stranger who was found on the beach."
"Why was he asking?" Being more interested in searching out Konga, Tana had paid little attention to the young white man who'd been brought to their hut, unconscious, earlier that morning.
"It seems that the white man we saved was not the only one rescued from the wrath of Moana," Anuitua answered cryptically.
"What do you mean?"
"Espri found another man on the beach by their home. She is with him now."
"Espri is staying with a white man?" Tana's eyes lit with an inner glow. What would Konga say when he learned that?
Anuitua frowned at her daughter's tone. "I'm sure the man must be injured or Jacques would have brought him to the village."
"What else did he tell you?" she probed, interested in finding out what Espri was doing.
"Nothing."
Irritated, Tana was determined to find out more. She had to convince Konga that Espri did not love him! "I will be back later. I thin
k I will go see this other white man."
Very aware of her daughter's feelings toward Espri, Anuitua glanced at her sharply. "Do not create trouble where there is none, Daughter."
Feigning an innocent look, Tana answered, "I will cause no trouble, Mother. I only want to see the man."
"But why? He is just a man, most probably a sailor."
"Maybe so," Tana agreed. "But perhaps there is something in this situation that I can use to win Konga for my own."
Leaving her mother perplexed by her reasoning, Tana hurried off toward Espri's hut.
As the hours passed, Espri sat by Mitch's side, noticing with increasing distress that his fever was worsening. His breathing had grown strained and rapid, and his features, once so pale, were now flushed due to the inner heat that was consuming him.
Knowing that the crisis could come any time, Espri disregarded her father's firm directive and threw off the light covering that lay over Mitch's hips so that she might bathe him with cool water. Over and over, she drew her soft, damp cloth across the planes of his manly body, but her efforts seemed to be having no positive effect.
Mitch felt the coolness of someone's gentle touch and he wanted to thank that person, but he could only manage a low, guttural groan. The sound of a woman's voice, soft and slightly foreign, came to him, calling his name and encouraging him to fight the illness that was draining his strength. Semiconscious, he was vaguely aware of someone, possibly the woman who was speaking, sponging him down, and he groaned again as each soft stroke of the cool, wet cloth brought him blessed relief.
Though Mitch struggled against the fever, his efforts were in vain, for the infection grew more intense, driving his temperature to more threatening heights and robbing him of awareness. His mind raced from the effects of the fever, and his thoughts grew tormented. Twisted visions of his shanghaiing and of the long, grueling months at sea haunted him.
What had been quiet sleep became tortured delirium, as Mitch tossed fitfully on the mat and delivered a continuous litany of incoherent, yet despondent, mumblings. Until this moment, when she watched Mitch worsen before her eyes, Espri had not seriously thought that he might not recover. But now, she realized his death was a very real possibility. Renewing her efforts to somehow lower his body temperature, she wet her cloth again and sponged the broad width of his chest, praying all the while that he would have enough resistance to fight against the fever's debilitating power.
Letting her eyes caress him as she bathed him, Espri sensed that there was something very special about Mitch. Reliving in her mind the embrace they had shared, she felt a sensual heat flood through her. This man, even in his delirium, had the power to arouse her. No other man had had such an effect on her. Color stained her cheeks as she thought of her body's abandoned response to his caresses. She scolded herself. It was ridiculous! Why, he didn't even know who she was! He thought she was someone named Fifi! Espri felt desperation for a moment when she suddenly became aware that Mitch might remember what had occurred between them. Embarrassed by that thought, she silently prayed that he would have no recollection of what had passed between them while he'd been feverish.
A sudden dimming of the light in the hut surprised her, and she glanced up to find Tana standing in the doorway, a knowing smirk on her face.
"Tana?" Her surprise evident in her voice, Espri paused in her ministrations to look questioningly at the other woman.
"Hello, Espri." Tana walked brazenly into the hut.
"What are you doing here?" Espri asked cautiously, for she was well aware of Tana's attitude toward her.
"Your father told us you'd rescued a man. He said you might be needing some help. Is there anything I can do?" Actually Tana was hoping that Espri would turn her down, and she was pleased when the other woman did so.
"No. Not right now. Mitch is very ill." Espri suddenly wished that she'd kept the cover over his lower body, for Tana's bold gaze was sweeping over his rugged, masculine form with avid interest.
"His name is Mitch?"
Espri nodded curtly.
"He certainly is an upalu kane." Tana's gaze lingered boldly on Mitch's lower body.
A flare of irritation surged through Espri when Tana praised Mitch's good looks, and she glared up at her.
"There really is no point in your staying. If I need help, I will send for you."
But Tana was not so easily put off. Kneeling down on the opposite side of Mitch, she shamelessly reached out to caress his chest. "Hemakana ka Moana!" Her words were thick with sensual meaning as she stared down at him appreciatively.
"He was no gift from the sea, Tana," Espri declared. "He is just a very sick man who may not live through the day."
"It would be a loss to all womankind if he were to die, Espri," Tana taunted. "Though I cannot see all of his face, I am certain that he must be the most handsome man on the island."
"He may be dying and all you can think about is how handsome he is!"
Espri's intense reaction told Tana that she did have feelings for this white man. Thrilled with the power that knowledge gave her, she smiled broadly.
"You mean you have not noticed?" she asked audaciously.
"I have been too busy caring for him to be concerned about such things!"
"Your innocence is amusing." Tana hoped to pique Espri's interest in this man even more. "You don't even know what it is you're missing."
"I don't feel that I'm 'missing' anything, Tana."
"Oh? Well, then, I'll come back later when your Mitch might better appreciate my company." She left no doubt as to her intentions. "By then he might be interested in coming to stay at my home, for, after all, that is where his friend will be staying."
"Friend?"
"You haven't heard?"
"Heard what?"
"Another man was saved from the sea this morning."
"And he's alive?"
"Yes, although he's not yet conscious. But I'm sure by the time Mitch is recovered, the man who's staying with us will be well, too. It might prove interesting"—she purred the word—"to have both of the white men living with me and my family."
Unbidden and surprising anger surged through Espri. While she understood the sexual attitudes of those on the island, the thought of Tana making love with Mitch greatly annoyed her.
"He will be free to do as he pleases," she responded as coolly as she could, averting her eyes from Tana's mocking gaze.
"I know," Tana said throatily. "And I hope he 'pleases' me."
With that, she turned and left, a victorious smile playing about her sensuous lips.
Chapter 4
Konga's expression was ominous as he stalked up the long trail through the island's forest to Espri's home in a sheltered glade that overlooked the sea. The news that a shipwrecked white man was staying with Espri and her father had angered him greatly, and he was now on his way to discover exactly what was going on.
Although she has refused to acknowledge it publicly as yet, Espri is mine, Konga thought with fierce possessiveness. He did not want her to be alone with any other man. As he trudged on through the dense tropical foliage, he made a concerted effort to bring his temper under control, but it was not an easy task. He wanted Espri for his wife, yet she treated him, the bravest, most fearsome of the Malikan warriors, with the same indifference she showed all the other island men who pursued her.
Konga was finding it increasingly difficult to remain unperturbed in the face of Espri's continued aloofness. Lately he'd almost been driven to take her in his arms and force some reaction from her. But, knowing what a spirited woman Espri was, Konga had decided to bide his time and wait for the right opportunity to claim her as his own. Someday very soon, he vowed silently to himself, she is going to be my wife. The thought brought a lusty smile to his scowling face and soothed his still-ragged temper.
He stood undetected at the edge of the forest, watching Espri emerge slowly from the shaded seclusion of the hut. Stretching wearily, she savored the warmth of the af
ternoon sun, and closing her eyes, she lifted her face to the soothing heat of its caress.
Time had passed slowly since Tana's unwelcome visit so it seemed much later to Espri than midafternoon. Mitch had shown no improvement during the long, plodding hours. His fever still raged uncontrollably although she had bathed him constantly. She had tried to get him to drink more of the kava and water, but in his delirium he had refused her attempts. Frustrated, and becoming more worried by the minute, she wondered if anything further could be done to help him.
As Espri arched her body in seeming reverence to the sun, Konga's gaze traveled over her supple curves and he felt the all too familiar stirring in his loins at the mere thought of touching her satin flesh. The knowledge that her father was in the village, that they were alone save for the mysterious white man, sent his desire surging until he gritted his teeth against the power of his passion. It was not an easy victory for him, but he finally managed to bring his craving for Espri under control, and holding his emotions tightly in check, he ventured forth from the concealing protection of the trees.
"Espri!"
Thinking herself alone, Espri was startled by Konga's call. She groaned inwardly when she saw the warrior coming across the clearing toward her. While it was true that Konga was the richest and most powerful of the eligible men on the island, she had no interest in him. Love and marriage were not for her so she had constantly refused his advances during the long months of his avid pursuit. But, despite her rejection, he had not lost heart, and the thought of having to fend off Konga again left Espri greatly irritated. She returned his greeting coolly.
"It is good to see that you are well," he remarked as he joined her before the hut, his eyes lingering overlong on the thrust of her bosom against the whiteness of her sarong.
She frowned at his statement and, growing uncomfortable under his intense gaze, defensively crossed her arms over her breasts.
"Why would I not be?"
"The storm last night was a vicious one and I worried that you might have been injured." Though it was not his main reason for seeking her out, he had, in truth, been concerned about her safety during the night.
