So she’d edited Alex from the story she told the officials at the embassy. That didn’t mean he was out of her thoughts; far from it. Even when her situation was still unsettled, she’d thought of nothing except Alex. But she didn’t see him, or even talk to him, for a day and a half. She had no way to get in touch with him. For her own sake, Alex said, he wouldn’t reveal his whereabouts. He would come to her.
While she had no idea where he was, Dana had her suspicions about what he was doing—putting out feelers to sell the elephant.
When he finally called, it was with plans for their farewell dinner. She was eager to see him but didn’t mention their rescue or her spontaneous declarations of love in the ravine. As she got dressed for their date, Dana promised herself she wouldn’t mention the episode if he didn’t. And she knew he wouldn’t. After all, it had been a wild and crazy thing. But the truth was, she’d meant every word. She could never admit that to him; she had trouble admitting it even to herself.
Dana slipped off her robe and thoughtfully pulled on her panties and bra. She wasn’t sorry, she decided, about telling Alex she loved him. But it didn’t matter anyway because after tonight they’d never see each other again.
* * *
ALEX ARRIVED on time, carrying a bouquet of flowers. That surprised her, but no more than the gaily wrapped package he presented next. She held it gingerly in her hand as he kissed her on the cheek.
“You look beautiful,” he told her. “No one would guess you’d been to hell and back.”
Dana felt shy as she stood there holding the flowers in one hand and the present in the other. It seemed strange to be having a first date with a man she’d slept with so many nights. And once made love to.
She put the gift on the bedside table but still held on to the flowers. “You look—beautiful, too,” she blurted out.
He was wearing beige trousers of a rough linen weave and a dark blue silk shirt. He looked thinner and tougher but just as handsome—and just as dangerous—as the first time she’d seen him.
He brushed his chin with a casual stroke of his hand. “Nice to have the beard off. I feel more like my old self.”
There was an awkward silence, which Dana finally broke. “I’ll put the flowers in water.” She filled a pitcher and carefully arranged the flowers in it. “Thank you, Alex.”
“I wanted to do something special for our last night together in Nairobi.”
Dana blinked back tears. The last-night remark verified her feelings of what was to come. But she vowed not to get all maudlin and weepy about it.
She kept her voice steady and upbeat as she asked, “Have you thought any more about the plot against us? I mean Yassif and Millie, their determination to track us down and get the elephant.”
“I haven’t given it a moment’s thought,” Alex said, placing two fingers gently on her lips. “And I don’t believe we should spend any of our time together discussing it.”
Dana sank into the soft cushions of the sofa. “I feel guilty about it, though, Alex.”
“For God’s sake, why?
“I saw Millie and Yassif talking together more than once on the Congo Queen. I thought it was all very innocent, but I should have realized that something was going on.”
“Would you have figured out the truth—that those two were planning to go after the prize?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then don’t worry about it. They were plotting thieves. And Millicent was a murderer.”
“I wonder if Millie wasn’t a little in love with Yassif—”
“The man made his living off women.”
“Yes, but love can do strange things to people,” Dana mused. Thinking of herself, she felt a blush rise to her cheeks and looked away quickly. “It’s still difficult to imagine her going off the deep end about Yassif.”
“It was the elephant, Dana.”
“Yes, that damned elephant.”
“She wanted it, and so did Yassif. They needed each other, her brain, his brawn.”
“Did you hear what she told me at the mission? That she spied on Louis and saw him steal the elephant? I wonder if she was suspicious of Louis before the party? Or was it simply chance that she saw him?”
Alex shrugged. “We’ll never know. God, what a chain reaction the elephant set off. Millie followed Louis, hooked Yassif into the plot and they came after us—”
“And the Egyptian hired Longongo, who hired Mac to lead him through the jungle,” Dana finished.
“Longongo.” Alex laughed softly. “He’s probably still out there wandering around, looking for Mac and the elephant. And worrying that someday he has to face the Egyptian with empty hands. That’s more than he bargained for, I’ll guarantee.” Alex sat down beside her. “Of course, I got more than I bargained for, too.”
“More than the elephant?” she asked.
“I’m not thinking about the damned elephant now Dana. I thinking about my other prize, my partner.” He kissed her lightly. “Whom I’m going to miss.” He kissed her again, a little more seriously. “Very much.”
With a little sigh she returned his kiss. “I don’t want to think about leaving.”
“Then don’t.”
His next kiss was much more familiar, warm, hungry. His tongue found hers, and their breaths mingled. Dana closed her eyes and opened herself to him. She knew that what was happening between them was inevitable. She also knew it would make leaving him much more difficult.
But that would be later. Now she could only think of being in his arms. It seemed to Dana exactly where she belonged.
“Your new dress is very pretty,” he said. “Too bad.”
She looked up at him, puzzled.
“Because I’m going to strip it off of you right now, and we’re going to make love like never before.”
“Right here?” she asked teasingly.
“Oh, no. In bed, a real bed this time,” he murmured after another kiss. “And there’ll be another difference, too. We’ll be chasing no one. No one will be going after us. We’ll take our time, slowly,” he said with another kiss. “All night long until...”
“Until my plane leaves for Tangiers.”
“Don’t think about that now. It’s a long time away.”
* * *
THE BED was soft and wide, the sheets cool against their naked bodies. But their coolness didn’t lower the temperature of her hot, fevered skin. It burned with need for him. And his lips were like a flame, igniting her wherever they touched, beginning with her breasts.
Dana moaned with pleasure as he sucked hungrily on her swollen nipple. And when he bit down, nibbling with his teeth, she felt a shimmer of heat cascade across her damp, flushed skin. Moving upward, he left a trail of hot kisses along her collarbone, her neck, her chin.
And then she came to life, reaching for him, kissing him long and hard. She held him tightly in her arms and rubbed her breasts sensuously against his hard chest, moved her hips and pelvis rhythmically, closer and closer, until she felt the hardness of him against her abdomen.
After that, the wave of anticipation that overcame her made Dana forget what the future held for her and Alex, forget their past problems, forget everything except the moment.
It was a passion-filled moment that freed her to give of herself completely, doing things she’d never thought to do before, never even imagined. She sucked and nibbled just as he’d done, first his mouth, then his earlobe, his flat brown nipple that responded to her teeth and tongue, hardening at her touch. And all the while her fingers stroked the shaft of his manhood. She looked at him, her chin resting on his chest, and watched through narrowed eyes the look of ecstasy that lit his face.
He closed his eyes and smiled. “I’m in heaven, Dana. Please don’t stop.”
“I’ve only just begun,” she whispered, following her words with actions as she moved her lips downward to his abdomen, tasting his salty skin, and farther, to the hard line of his hipbone.
Alex moaned in p
leasure, and Dana’s heart almost exploded with joy at the sound. “Oh, God, Dana, I need you so much,” he cried.
“And I need you, Alex.”
That was enough for him. Almost roughly, he reached down and pulled her up and over the length of his body until her face was next to his. He cupped her chin gently in his hand and looked at her, his eyes hot with passion.
They turned over slowly, languidly, until he was on top and they were joined. As he entered her welcoming warmth, a tremor of desire pulsed through Alex that was as exciting as it was unexpected. He thought he knew what it would be like when they were together again, but this was more than he dreamed.
He lost control. Desire took over, shutting out the past, the future, time and place. Everywhere but here, everyone but Dana. He moved with her, breathed with her. Their hearts beat in rhythm. He was part of her and she of him. They were one.
* * *
DANA LAY CURLED in the warmth of Alex’s body.
“I don’t want to say goodbye,” she told him in a whisper.
“Neither do I.” He stroked her damp hair lovingly. “But you have a job, a life in Colorado. Not to mention two brothers who would beat the hell out of me if they knew what we’d been doing. Besides, I have a hot elephant on my hands.”
Dana frowned. She didn’t want to talk about the elephant but there was no way to avoid the subject. It dominated their lives.
“And the Egyptian has long arms,” she said. “I remember.”
“Yes. He’s going to make it tough for me to dispose of the prize. And getting out of Kenya won’t be easy, either, since I’m not a favorite of the customs officers, but I’ll find a way.”
She moved slightly, and he adjusted his body so that she fit into it perfectly.
“You wouldn’t have those problems if you’d give it back, Alex.”
“Give the elephant back? Never.”
“I should have known better than to offer advice.”
“Dana,” he said, holding her closer. “Any advice from you is welcomed. But the elephant is a thing apart. You know that.”
She nodded wordlessly.
“So let the elephant be. He’s mine, and I’ll do with him as I wish. Just as you’ll do whatever you wish about your possessions in spite of my advice.”
“What possessions?” she asked.
“Your notes, your tapes. When you write your book about the Pygmies, I hope that you’ll do it for yourself. Not for your father. That’s my advice.”
“It’s advice I’ll take, Alex,” she said. “Thank you.”
“You deserve more, Dana. You’re an incredible woman, and there’s nothing you can’t do. I’ve never known— Hell, you know how I feel.”
Dana looked at him, smoothed his dark hair and kissed his forehead. “Tell me. Say it, Alex,” she whispered. “I have my tickets. I’m on that plane tomorrow. So tell me what you feel. You don’t have to be afraid.”
“All right, I’ll tell you what I feel.” He took her hand and held it tightly. His eyes met hers squarely. “I love you, Dana.”
She felt her heart lurch, but she didn’t say anything, not yet.
“I’ve never said that to any other woman. You’ve been my partner, a thorn in my side, my perfect lover, my savior, my conscience. I’ve never shared with any other woman what I’ve shared with you.”
He pulled her up onto his chest where she settled comfortably. “You know everything about me, and you still love me. Do you know how special that makes me feel?”
“And I’ve never been as close to anyone,” she told him. “But we still have problems, Alex. We disagree about the elephant, and we live on opposite sides of the world.”
“You’re the one who told me that long-distance relationships don’t work.”
“I know. It’s true, even though I hate to admit it.” Cuddling close, Dana realized how much she would miss him—and the sense of adventure he’d given her. “When I met you, I was a law-abiding, conservative professor,” Dana reminded him. “You turned me into a daredevil adventuress who has broken laws in three countries without a twinge of conscience.”
“Now, Dana—”
“Well, maybe a twinge, but it wasn’t heeded. Not when you were there to give me a secret life.”
“That secret part of you was always there, Dana. I just unleashed it...for a while.” He kissed her gently. “The law-abiding Dana is still inside of you. And I love and respect her, too.”
“The law-abiding Dana wishes the Elephant d’Or didn’t exist,” she blurted.
“But it does, my love. I know you can’t live under the shadow of illegality.”
“No, Alex, I can’t. It’s not right, and nothing will ever make it right.”
Alex nodded. “That’s where we disagree, Dana. It’s the difference between us. I could never live in your world. Middle-class morality doesn’t fit my life-style.”
“I know,” she said softly.
“But we have the rest of tonight.” He touched her cheek and let his fingers drift along her arm. “Later, we’ll have that dinner I promised—in bed—and then breakfast—in bed. And between meals, I have a feeling you want what I want.”
Dana kissed his hand. “I do. There’s no doubt about it. For tonight at least,” she said, “I’m yours.”
“Then if you’re mine, open my present.”
“Oh, I forgot.” She reached for the package on the bedside table.
Alex urged her on. “But hurry. I have an even better surprise waiting for you under the covers.”
Dana grinned impishly and tore off the wrappings.
Alex put his hands behind his neck, leaned back against the headboard and watched her. The soft light from the bathroom bathed her nakedness in a golden sheen. Simply looking at her gave him a thrill of pleasure. She was like a child tearing off the ribbons, tossing the papers on the floor. She’d be gone in less than twenty-four hours. Alex had adjusted to that fact, or thought he had. But suddenly losing her was more painful than he’d imagined.
“No, I don’t believe it—an elephant,” she said, falling in laughter against his chest. She held up a statue carved from teak and decorated with bits of silk cloth and pieces of shiny red, blue and green glass.
“I thought maybe you’d put it by your bed and think of me now and then. And what better symbol?”
Dana ran her fingers along the smooth wood of the teak figurine. “The damned elephant,” she said with a laugh, “I’ll never get away from it. And when I look at it, believe me, I’ll think of you!” She put the statue on the bedside table and kissed Alex. “I’ll never see life the same again.”
“I hope not,” he said softly, kissing her neck.
“From now on, life will always be more vivid and alive and filled with excitement. I’ll never take anything for granted, and if I have to break the rules now and then, I won’t be afraid. You’ve given me that,” she said, “and because of it, I think I can handle anything now.”
Alex felt that funny little spasm near his heart again. He pulled Dana to him and held her tightly. His body cried out for her, and so did his heart. “I want to make love to you again, Dana,” he whispered.
His kiss was filled with desperate longing, which she responded to completely. “And pretend,” she whispered.
“Yes, pretend that we’ll never have to say goodbye.”
Epilogue
Institut de Langue
Tangiers, Morocco
Moving languidly in the afternoon heat, Dana put the last of her clothes into her suitcase. The summer session at the institute was officially over. Tomorrow she’d catch the plane back to Colorado, her family, her job.
She didn’t want to go.
Dana sank down onto the bed and stared into space. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but her old life held no appeal, not after the excitement of her adventure with Alex. She wanted more of that. She wanted him.
But he was a criminal. Her background, her upbringing, her sense of morality told
her she was right in leaving him. Two such diverse life-styles could never meld, not unless one of them gave in. Could she be the one? Could she forgive, even forget Alex’s involvement in the elephant episode? She leaned back on the pillows, her mind whirling. Maybe he was right. If the elephant had no real owner, it belonged to the man who had it at the moment.
A shadow blocked the sunlight streaming through the open door. Dana looked up, startled, and then surged off the bed in one fluid movement.
“Alex! Oh, Alex.”
She flung herself at him, not really believing he was there until she felt his arms around her, his lips on hers. Dana knew then she wanted him, no matter what he’d done in the past, no matter what he might do in the future.
“What—” she managed between kisses “—what are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to find you. What else?” He hugged her close.
“That’s good,” she said, “because I’ve been waiting for you—all my life.” Dana laughed with sheer happiness, thinking how far they’d come since that first day in Porte Ivoire. She stepped back from his arms, her hand touching his face, still not really believing he was there. “How did you get out of Nairobi with the elephant?”
He grinned, the cocky smile she remembered—and loved—so well. “No problem,” he said. “Because I didn’t have the elephant.”
“You sold it?”
He strode to her bedside table and picked up the teak statue he’d given her in Nairobi. “Has this little fellow made you think of me?” He ran his hand over the polished surface.
“I didn’t need him for that. I’ve been thinking of you all the time, every minute of the day. But what about the Elephant d’Or?”
With another grin, he cracked the statue against the edge of the table. Its husk fell in pieces to the floor. “Well, well, look at that.”
Dana gave a gasp as she saw what he held in his hand, a golden, jewel-encrusted treasure. “The Elephant d’Or,” she said. “Inside my elephant!” Suddenly the impact of what he’d done hit her like a lightning bolt, and her joy erupted into rage.
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