by Raine Hughes
* * *
An official letter came soon after Christmas. Jasmine watched as Noah tore open the British Columbia Ministry correspondence. The eagerness drained from his face.
“The letter, it is bad?” she asked anxiously.
“Totally.” Noah jumped to his feet and stormed from one side of the room to the other and back, adding wild hand gestures as he spoke. “Seems the Minister of Highways and Transportation wants me to move my ship before spring thaw. They’re worried about the roads handling the weight.” He spun when he reached the far wall again.
“With the ground frozen in winter, it will mean the pavement won’t break up. I can’t say that I blame them, but from my perspective, it also means delays due to bad weather and poor travel conditions, which in turn means increased expenses. Winter travel will increase the risk factor considerably, too.”
“But, Noah, will it not be just as easy with my help?”
Noah halted in front of her. His features softened as did his voice. “I suspect that your magic will be hindered sufficiently by the cold that you won’t be able to do much at all, Jasmine.”
He reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. “This turn of events changes everything; not your fault, Princess. After all, this is something that I always planned to conquer without supernatural intervention. I know you need to prove your worth to your people, but I’d say even an experienced Djinni like your father would have a hard time handling this one under such extreme conditions. His magic, too, would be hindered by our cold weather. I have to give this more thought, maybe abandon the idea altogether.” She felt the weight of despair creep over him as his body seemed to droop.
Despite his disappointment, Jasmine realized Noah was more concerned about her loss of a reinstating task than about his own setback. The dejection in his voice nearly quelled her own spirit. She wouldn’t let it. While she had no idea how difficult the move would be coming through the mountains at any time, obviously it must be even more difficult during the winter.
He absently wound his fingers through her hair, his chin resting lighter on the top of her head as if the action somehow soothed him. It felt good to be in Noah’s arms but she very much doubted he even realized she was. He had called her Princess again. He was doing that more and more often, but the way he said it, softly, tenderly, made her believe he was not using the term as a title, but rather as an endearment, similar to the way Herman D’Ark had sometimes called his wife Love.
Her heart fluttered as she freed herself. “Tell me how your plan was to transport the ferry, so I may understand why it is more difficult now.”
Noah hesitated, but after a heavy sigh, he went to pull a map from a drawer. He laid it out on the kitchen table. “The old ferry is presently sitting in the waters of Lake Okanagan, in British Columbia.” He stabbed at the map then used his finger as a pointer as he traced the route. “From there, it was to come by truck to Kamloops on this double-wide toll road, the Coquihalla. Then it would have continued to head north, to come through the mountains through the Yellowhead Pass. From there it would have been easy going through Alberta right on down to where we live further south, here. It’s about a six-hundred-mile trip.”
She noticed he phrased everything with would have. “Why does your route wiggle on the map so much?”
“There are no roads straight through the mountains, Jasmine, and any of the other passes are much more difficult for a wide and heavy load. The Yellowhead route is known for its easier curves and lesser hills. Still, traffic would have to be detained while we passed because there would be little room for other vehicles.”
He sighed again. “Unfortunately, in winter, snowfall and temperatures are extreme, making the whole trip impossible.” With a final shake of his head, he released the stiff map to roll itself up while he went to stare out the window.
Taking Noah’s word for the difficulty of the move, the task would be formidable, just as he said, with her junior magic. It would be a challenge worthy of a Djinni. However, might it also be a challenge beyond a young Djinni’s powers, specifically a Djinni who had a history of botching things?
No! She would not fail! She needed this task almost more than Noah needed the British Columbia ferry for his tourist attraction, so his greatest dejection was for her loss. She so wanted to do this for him, because he was a master like no other, and a man unparalleled with his generosity for her yearnings and needs.
Ever since Noah had placed the Mouse Guy watch on her wrist, her mistakes had been reduced considerably. Any errors that had occurred were still a result of her misunderstandings or of impatience—when she forgot to ensure she had her arms crossed correctly. She would not let impatience rule any aspect of the job that needed to be done!
“You cannot give up. I can make it work, Noah.”
* * *
Noah blinked and dragged his concentration away from the renewed falling snow. He heard the determination in her voice, but it wouldn’t be enough. “No offense, Jasmine, but in the mountains, in a storm with the temperatures and wind chill factor, even I would grow chilled in the course of a few minutes. Then there are unforeseen whiteout conditions, getting stuck at the bottom of a grade, avalanches.” He shook his head. “It’s no use, Jasmine. I won’t endanger the lives of scores of people for a foolish dream.”
“Foolish dream!” Jasmine plunked her hands on her hips like a defiant Amazon warrior. “It is a very magnificent dream.”
“Yes, but you’re…” Thankfully Jasmine’s powers didn’t include mind reading. He recalled how he’d thought she was lacking in the brain department when he’d discovered her half naked and frozen. Then, later he’d thought she was an escaped lunatic. When he discovered she came from smoke and fire, a mythical figure, he didn’t know what to think.
And now?
Now he knew he was more than halfway in love with her and it didn’t matter what she was, which was why he wouldn’t risk allowing her to attempt the task. If she failed, not only would her people regard her as an unworthy Djinni, but so would she of herself. He had no idea what would happen to her then. He might lose her, but worse, her own people might alienate her. He dare not think of the worst punishment. This was a place where people were stoned to death for crimes, or had their thumbs cut off. He shuddered.
“I can do this, Noah. The three of us can do this. I know we can!”
She was standing before him ready to do battle for him. He never would have thought anyone would back the idea of his ark so determinedly, and here was one such woman, a woman of his dreams. But he was puzzled by her declaration. “Three of us, Jasmine?”
She held her arm up. “You, me and Mouse Guy!” She gave him a determined nod. “I believe in your dream, Noah, because I believe you can do exactly what you say you will do. I will overcome the cold to help you.”
Noah settled an amused gaze on her. Maybe he should command her to stop thinking of the plans they’d discussed extensively for his ark. Seeing the will set on her face, he doubted his command would stop her. He should remind her that a good Djinni did as she was told, not that it would do much good with the female rebel before him. He’d pressed her into thinking and acting for herself, to take command of certain situations.
“This is exactly the challenge of my powers that will reinstate me.”
“It could be the challenge that will ruin you,” he countered. “I can’t let that happen.”
Jasmine shrugged as if it didn’t matter. He knew otherwise.
He dropped his gaze so he wouldn’t see the disappointment in her eyes as he spoke. “I don’t know why I even agreed to let you get involved in this hair-brained scheme of mine to start with. I know it’s a crazy idea. I thought of it when I was a kid, for heaven’s sake. What does a kid know?” He turned to renew his study of the white scene outside the window, feeling lower than a snow snake for casting her enthusiasm aside.
Noah didn’t know how long he stood staring out at th
e mesmerizing snowflakes drifting from the skies. He hadn’t even been thinking about the ark. As usual, Jasmine was the source of his thoughts so he wasn’t startled when she suddenly appeared before him. Noah stared at her a long moment before his brain told him that she was wearing an authentic Eskimo parka. “Is that real seal skin?” was all he could think to ask, then, “forget it, Jasmine. I said it is impossible and I won’t let you tackle it.”
Jasmine shook her head like a disobedient child as she magically removed the warm seal skin parka. “If I am warm, I can make happen anything I set my mind to, now that I have my little clock. It will take a challenge of significance to reinstate me in Djinn favor. To disallow my help… Master, I—”
“Stop calling me Master!” he literally barked, succeeding in making her cringe, a glimmer of tears on her eyelashes. “It’s sheer madness to embark on such a difficult and insurmountable task!” When she continued looking at him with those pleading eyes, he choked out a less formidable, “Good Lord, girl, you’re even crazier than I am!”
That apparently took the sting out of his earlier outburst for her eyes cleared and she grew determined again. “I know I can do it, Noah.”
A helpless resignation flowed over him. Jasmine was determined. Who was he to take away that spunk? He’d once heard a great spokesman say that nothing was impossible; only by not attempting a task, did it become impossible. “Why didn’t I meet you years ago, when I was young and believed anything could be done?”
“I need this challenging task of yours, Noah. You need my help. Together, we can do it. We are a team, as you have said.”
Why did she choose to take his words so seriously now? It was hard to resist Jasmine’s spirited confidence as he stood meeting her gaze head on. Why couldn’t this beautiful, generous, eager-to-please woman have entered his life years before?
Well, that might not have worked out; he’d been impetuous and maybe selfish in his younger years. He might have been like those other masters, eager to better himself. Now that he was older, those things held no importance to him. The ark project was about getting the floating menagerie up and running as a tool to bring God’s word to others, to help them realize they weren’t alone.
The fire had showed him and Carol that they could never be satisfied opposing each other’s dreams. Now he had someone who wanted to share his dream. Just maybe he and Jasmine could pull it off. He groaned over the battle of wills that he’d lost, yet won, a very contradictory turn of events he fervently prayed wouldn’t come back to haunt him.
Sensing his capitulation, Jasmine flung her arms around him. “Many thanks to you, Noah. Thank you. I will not let you fail.”
The roiling of his blood quickly sent a flood of heat through his body until he felt like a million candles had been lit inside him. And he didn’t want to let a single one flicker out. As if kissing her would prevent that, he slanted his mouth across hers and held on for all he was worth, disregarding anything but making this woman happy.
“I keep expecting to be smitten by an invisible arm from Mt. Kaf, coming to inflict punishment on me for kissing one of their princesses,” he said with a gasp as they came up for air. “If not for that, then they certainly will when they find out that I’ve created a willful female who won’t take no for an answer!” She would shake up the order of things on the mountain! “I don’t know if I could stand another kiss like that one, Jasmine. When you light a fire within, you really set a blazing inferno!”
“Are you afraid?”
Heck yes! Could he survive the passions of a supernatural being? He was just an ordinary mortal, but then he already suspected he had some sort of power over Jasmine or she wouldn’t be sharing kisses with him. The least he could do was find out if he was truly equal to the task, prove his passion could match hers.
Or discover it couldn’t.
“Yeah,” he admitted as he dipped his head once more and slanted his lips across hers anyway. With deliberation, he took his time tasting and feeling. Her mouth was hot and welcoming; no, it was cool and soothing, minty. He couldn’t decide which, so he tasted her over and over again.
Under his roaming hands, her skin was silken, buttery warm—and he could never get enough of touching her, just as he couldn’t get enough of running his hands through the silky strands of her hair. He still marveled at her strangely flowing tresses, free of knots even when he was finished pushing his hands through it. She had amazing hair, but then Jasmine was an amazing lady. He sampled her thoroughly.
Then the role of investigator switched. He didn’t mind. Jasmine’s tongue was wildly erotic as she challenged his invasion. The slow examination deepened and their tongues danced together, twining and tangling delightfully. Jasmine’s legs were suddenly wrapped around his waist and he molded her sweet, pliant body to his heat.
Now was the time to exercise control, but it was as if some force was pushing him to disregard what was right in face of what felt right.
He staggered into the next room, sank down onto the sofa, Jasmine under him. Now his hands were free to explore as freely as his tongue had. He pressed fevered kisses on her neck as she exposed the creamy soft flesh for his lips. Her throat vibrated with her hungry growl. He found her breasts and massaged their plumpness. Noah gently nipped the exposed flesh at the vee opening of her lapels as he considered access to her fiery flesh.
His turgid manhood pressed against the juncture of her material-covered legs, the motion prompting little meowing sounds in her throat, like a kitten, innocent and pure. The sound was like a knife-edged reminder of the madness driving him. With a ragged gasp, he pulled away and sanity slowly returned. He had to take several deep breaths, and focused on the doorway to the kitchen. “Where is that infernal cat when I need her?”
“Noah?”
“I was getting carried away.”
“The floor did not fall.”
He snorted. “Maybe it should have, Jasmine. Maybe it should have because I want you. I think about it constantly when we’re together. Heck, I think about you when we’re apart, too!” Noah shook his head in an effort to clear his passion-crazed brain. “I always thought knowing this kind of right from wrong would make life easy. It isn’t.”
Finally he met her gaze. “I want you and I know that acting on that without the sanctity of marriage is wrong. Even though men and women of many societies and cultures look on this differently today, I have always kept more stringent values for myself.” He snorted, before dropping his gaze and adding, “So do our gods, remember?”
Jasmine took one of his big hands in both of hers and folded her fingers around him. “It is expected that Djinni royalty remain strong against temptation, too,” she said with a soft sigh. “I think that is mostly because there is not a man quite so exciting to be tempted by!”
“No?” This time he did not look away. “I don’t believe that.”
Jasmine giggled. “I think I am not cut out to be a dull and boring Djinni!” She succeeded in gaining his laughter as they both remembered the reversed conversation. “Promise you will not let me become an uninteresting Djinni, Noah.”
“You’ll never be that, Princess.” With that he removed himself from temptation.
Chapter 14
The trucks moved slowly ahead of them, back wheels moving independently from the wheels under the front of the vessel. The retired ferry was flat on the bottom and wide across the middle, the perfect Noah’s Ark. But while it had appeared insignificant in the water, it looked very much like a lumbering giant as it perched on the flat deck. The big tractor unit in front belched diesel exhaust as the driver found a lower gear.
Noah looked in the mirror and grinned. “We’re being followed by television crews and a bunch of newspapermen, which is just what we need for publicity. This will make national news, maybe even gain worldwide attention,” he said with satisfaction as they followed the procession around a sharp curve and on up a steep grade.
Jasmine bounced excitedly on the seat beside him
. She’d barely been able to contain herself since they began. He kept his thoughts positive, telling himself the moving of the ferry to Mystery Lake would be a success, that nothing would go wrong. He owed Jasmine that concession and he refused to let negative thoughts get him down.
Noah glanced up at the still-clear sky. “So far, the weather is unseasonably mild, but I don’t expect that to last. That would be like asking for a miracle and I doubt God can spare one for this crazy project.”
Jasmine slapped Noah’s arm and shook her head firmly at his negativity.
“Maybe that’s why He sent you,” he teased, “divine intervention.” He laughed as she made show of polishing her nails on the shoulder of her coat then blew the dust off, just like she’d seen on some macho TV show.
“That’s me,” she quipped.
Noah chuckled at her immodesty and let himself reflect on what she’d done so far. While the ferry was being winched out of the water, a cable had snapped, resulting in a ripple reaction of snapping restraints. Everyone had been astonished that the final cable held while the rest were spliced and reattached.
That’s when Noah discovered Jasmine hidden from view, her arms folded, her gaze fixed on the remaining cable that held the ferry from sliding back into the water.
Then when the long load couldn’t get turned in a sharp intersection, the two truck units obligingly skidded sideways on bare pavement. That was attributed to the sheer sideways stress put onto the wheels by the load. When he’d looked Jasmine’s way, she’d given him an ever-so-slight nod to go with the grin she returned.
They were on the way now, free of the city and his mind naturally strayed to the energetic woman beside him. Her perfume was intoxicating. It was light and barely noticeable, but it nevertheless prompted him to take a deeply satisfying breath. To have the woman he loved beside him through this adventure—or misadventure, he amended—had its merits despite wreaking havoc on his senses.