Marie Higgins

by Amazon Sunset

  She peeked down. “Why are they knocking into the barge?”

  “Because they are hungry.” He met her gaze again and grinned. “Like I’d mentioned before, they will follow us to see if we drop anything.”

  “Um, yes, you did say that.” She licked her dry lips.

  Not knowing where she found the strength, she stepped away, breaking the spell that had somehow come over both of them. He straightened and raked his fingers through his hair while she collected her wits—since she had somehow lost them while bantering with him moments ago.

  “As I just showed you, the only time I will be in physical contact with you is when I need to protect you.” He cleared his throat and folded his arms, glowering at her sharply. “But you are not allowed to lay a hand on me or the other men. Is that clear?”

  “Crys-tal.”

  His gaze moved around the deck, not really resting anywhere. “Why don’t you see to preparing our lunch with the cook?” He nodded toward the burly man standing by some large crates. “That’s Manuel. I’m certain he and his wife will appreciate the help.”

  Felix dismissed her and walked away. He now acted like their brief encounter a moment ago hadn’t even affected him. She took a deep, cleansing breath. Well, two could play that game. From now on, she would act like nothing he did affected her.

  If only she could convince her body to play along.

  Chapter Four

  Felix had to admit that Miss Landon helped his dear friends, Manuel and Suzette, more than he had expected. Of course, he wouldn’t admit that to Miss Landon’s face. It seemed Manuel enjoyed the company of such a lovely lady, however, and that worried Felix. He didn’t need Suzette getting upset the way jealous wives could.

  Two hours had passed since they’d eaten, and although Felix didn’t want to, he kept his eyes on the spoiled rich girl. She meandered around the vessel and talked to the other men. Irritation built inside him. Hadn’t he warned her not to try charming his men? He really didn’t want to talk to her about this subject again, but he would. At least she wasn’t touching them.

  And speaking of touching… Inwardly, he groaned. It was pure foolishness on his part for preaching to her about no physical contact only to have him grab a hold of her the way he had when the crocs had bumped into the barge. Of all things, he hated feeling stupid in front of women. For some reason, he was feeling this way around Miss Landon more than he wanted.

  As Felix strolled closer, he overheard bits and pieces of the conversation between her and his crew. From what he could tell, they were warming up to her quickly. He gnashed his teeth. Of course they were. She was very lovely and extremely charming. He was certain there was a class for wealthy girls to attend that taught them how to woo a man.

  Even though he knew what kind of woman she was, it had been hard to resist her a little while ago when they talked against the railing. The way her lips moved as her voice stroked each word, and her eyes softened as she looked at him made emotions inside of him come alive. When she’d swept the moisture off her neck and throat, he’d wanted to help her so badly it became almost painful not to reach his hand out and caress her hot skin. He cursed himself for making her wear men’s clothes, especially when they molded to her body so well.

  Then when he had caught her from falling, it was quite a struggle not to kiss her passionately, but he was relieved he didn’t give into temptation. Being near was such heavenly torture, and he didn’t dare experience it again.

  It had been ten years since he’d learned his lesson about rich women, and he’d made it a rule not to court any of them ever again. They were too fake and cared very little for anyone but themselves. Knowing he’d return to England and meet plenty of that type of woman made him physically ill. If only he could encounter a sweet, kind-hearted, and loving woman. But he feared he wouldn’t find her amongst those being put on display during the London Season. The perfect woman for him was out there somewhere, and he wouldn’t wed until he was truly in love.

  A group of his men helped pack the supplies for the trek ahead of them, a task that assisted in taking Felix’s mind off the very seductive woman in their midst. That is, except for when her laughter floated through the air. Every time he heard the angelic sound, he swung his head in her direction, wondering what had caused her to laugh that time.

  As the day wore on, a few of his men napped on the vessel, which was what he should do as well. Yet he dared not close his eyes for fear his lustful mind would take over and create images in his head he didn’t want there. Instead, he needed to keep busy.

  Katrina sat next to a tall crate that blocked her from the sun. A sketchpad lay on her bent knees as she drew. Eyes focused on her hand, she worked her bottom lip with her teeth. Every once in a while, she lifted her gaze and looked across the river before returning to her drawing.

  Curiosity got the better of him, and pulled him away from his packing to walk toward her. On his way, he picked up a bottle of quinine, which was necessary for their trip. It was a treatment for malaria and could also be used as a muscle relaxant. He neared, waiting for her to raise her head and meet his stare. She didn’t. So engrossed in her drawing, she obviously didn’t hear him even when he stopped in front of her. He dropped his gaze to her sketch and was surprised. She’d drawn the river and trees so perfectly he thought he could jump right into the illustration.

  He cleared his throat. Startled, she jerked her head up. When their gazes met, her eyes widened and she pulled the sketchpad to her chest.

  “Mr. Knightly. Forgive me for not realizing you were there.”

  “No need to apologize.” He pointed to the pad in her hand. “I think your drawing is very good.”

  She shrugged as pink colored her cheeks. “I love drawing scenery. The river is so beautiful. So serene. I wanted to capture it on paper.”

  “Will you show me more of your work?” He crouched to her level.

  She nodded and placed the pad of paper on her lap. He didn’t want to take his focus off her flushed face, but he did to peek at her sketches as she slowly flipped each page. Shocked, he blinked in awe. Her drawings weren’t just passively good; they were nearly perfect.

  “Miss Landon, you have exceptional talent.” He wished the tone of his voice hadn’t deepened just then.

  “Thank you.”

  Her face flamed brighter as she looked everywhere else but at him. Finally, when she met his stare, her green eyes darkened. She was breathtaking.

  “Here.” He handed her a bottle of quinine. “This is for you to take only if you get jungle fever. All you need to do is drink a couple swallows of this, and within hours, you’ll feel better.”

  “Will I be able to know if I have jungle fever?” she asked.

  “Yes. You start hallucinating and you’re extremely ill. But don’t worry. I’ll be able to tell if you do.”

  Nodding, she closed her fingers around the bottle. Their fingers brushing against each other caused his insides to burn. Perhaps he’d already caught the fever. Why else would he get so warm every time they were close?

  A gentle smile broke across her face as she turned to her pack beside her and set the bottle inside. Her gaze moved across his face, stirring desire in him he wished hadn’t taken root. When her attention was drawn to something over his shoulder, he was relieved. Confusion wrinkled her brow and she pointed at something in the distance.

  “What is that?” She stood and shaded her hand over her eyes, squinting. “Why do those trees look strange?”

  Felix swung around to see what she was pointing at. His heart sank as panic consumed him. Howler monkeys hung from the tall trees; all of them still as they watched the group on the boat move closer. These wild animals were easily agitated and could make their journey miserable, especially because the boat was nearly underneath these trees, slowly moving nearer.

  He glanced at Katrina’s wide, curious eyes. He needed to protect her, but where could he hide her here on the barge?

  He prayed she didn
’t do anything to irritate the untamed creatures.

  * * * *

  When Felix didn’t answer Katrina right away, she looked at him. Worry etched his expression as his mouth grew tight. Although his stare was fixed on the trees, he crept closer to her. In fact, everyone on the boat seemed to move as slowly as turtles, heading toward their weapons.

  “Mr. Knightly?” she whispered only for his ears. “What is wrong?”

  He turned toward her and grasped her wrist. His hold wasn’t tight, but his actions still worried her.

  “What you see in those trees are howler monkeys,” he spoke in a low tone.

  His voice was calm, yet his expression didn’t match the tone. “Howler monkeys?” she asked. “That’s an odd name for them.”

  Extremely hairy and mostly brown in color, they were odd looking primates, but it was their heads that had her really studying the creatures, because their faces appeared almost…orange. At first she wondered if they had all been slapped with orange paint, but then she realized that was what they were supposed to look like. Their tails were longer than their bodies, and were the very things keeping them attached to the tree branches, while their hands and feet clutched different branches—almost forming a spider web. Dozens of them filled one tree alone, yet all the trees held about the same amount of monkeys.

  “I’ve never seen anything quite like it before,” she continued. “I suppose they are cute in an odd sort of way—”

  “Listen closely,” he cut her off with a slow but steady voice. “Do not make any sudden movements. You might think they are cute, but they are easily irritated. Making them upset is not wise, because they have been known to attack.”

  A surprised gasp stuck in her throat. They would attack? They looked harmless. But as she watched his crew cautiously prepare for the battle they thought could possibly happen, she realized she’d better follow Felix’s warning this time. “Attack?” her voice squeaked out.

  “Mostly they will urinate or fling their um…waste…on us. However, there have been a few times I’ve witnessed them springing out of the trees and physically beating a person to death.”

  “Oh, dear.”

  He loosened his grip on her arm. “Stay by me and I’ll protect you. We don’t want to do anything to agitate these wild primates.”

  “All right,” she whispered as fear slowly seeped into her body.

  One of Felix’s crew members slowly approached him and passed him a machete. He gripped the handle and stepped closer to Katrina. All talking—and even whispering—on the small vessel stopped as the barge crept underneath the trees. Panic knotted in her throat as she switched her attention from one monkey to the next, trying to study their eyes. They all appeared to be watching her and the rest of the crew with great intent, and she prayed they could pass beneath the trees without any disturbance. Even the thought of them flinging their…unmentionables…on her or urinating made her want to gag.

  Her heart hammered, and she tried not to get too frightened. Felix promised he’d protect her, so she must trust him.

  He took careful steps, shifting even closer to her. “Katrina,” he whispered, “you’re breathing too loudly. Try to calm down.”

  Silently she groaned. How in heaven’s name could she calm down when everyone around her was on guard for a battle to the death?

  From one of the trees, a monkey rose higher than the others as if the animal was ready to pounce. She held her breath. Oh, please don’t! The grip Felix had on her wrist tightened. He, too, must be preparing for something to happen.

  Without being able to stop it, a small peep escaped her throat as fear consumed her.

  “Shh…” he said softly.

  The barge inched its way underneath the watchful monkeys. They only needed to pass two more trees before they were out of harm’s way.

  Her body shook, and for the life of her, she couldn’t control it. Felix released her wrist and gently slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his frame. The warmth from his body brought a strange sense of comfort to her.

  “We’re almost there…” he said.

  She held her breath again, saying a silent prayer they could get past without any difficulty. After a few—but very long—minutes, relieved sighs from Felix and the others swept over the stillness. Her sigh echoed theirs as her legs threatened to collapse. If she didn’t find someplace to sit soon, she’d be on the floor by Felix’s feet.

  Katrina waited for the others to start moving before her wobbly legs carried her to a crate and she sank on the wooden top. For some reason, the tips of her fingers were throbbing painfully. She glanced down and realized she had been clutching the tablet to her chest, wrinkling the pages. Shifting her attention, she glanced back at the trees and monkeys. A cold chill ran through her when remembering Felix’s words about how dangerous they were.

  What were the odds that this was the most dangerous thing she would encounter during their journey? Would she have to worry about being attacked again? Oh, Father…why did you put me in danger?

  At this moment, she didn’t want her father’s inheritance. He could take his wealth with him to hades for all she cared!

  A shadow passed by and she blinked at the vision. Felix stood in front of her with his arms folded over his wide chest.

  “Are you all right, Miss Landon?”

  “Y—yes, I think so. I’m just a little shaken, that’s all.”

  “Well, you can relax now. In a few more hours we will be at the point in the river where we’ll stop and continue the rest of the journey on foot.”

  “Why on foot? I had heard the river reaches most main roads.”

  “They do, unless of course the rivers are clogged.”

  “Oh.” Nodding, she cleared her throat. “I understand. I’m just relieved we were able to get by those monkeys. I would rather not see them again.”

  “Actually, Miss Landon, I’m afraid we might see them again in the jungle. There won’t be as many, but there might be times when we will cross them.”

  She held her breath again as she studied his face. Was he serious? She’d not forgive him if he was teasing. “Then I suggest you teach me how to shoot or use a sword so I can defend myself.” She shrugged. “Or just give me a dagger and I’ll protect myself just fine.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Indeed. You know how to use a knife? Were you given lessons of blade-throwing before or after your etiquette lessons?”

  Silently, she groaned. She didn’t mean for that to slip. For some reason he thought she had always been a pampered wealthy girl, so she must let him continue to believe such a lie since it was so entertaining. She would enjoy seeing his shock when she proved to him how much she actually knew about survival. “Mr. Knightly, I have never had lessons, but I’m quite sure it would be easy to handle such a sharp object, especially when my life is threatened.”

  It didn’t take long before the corners of his mouth stretched upward. Although not a full smile, she realized he was even better looking when he was relaxed.

  “You don’t say,” he said with sarcastic humor in his tone. “As it is, I’ll be the one protecting you, and giving you a knife is almost as dangerous as having howler monkeys in my tent. Knives are very sharp, you know, and since we are out here in the wild now, I won’t be able to rush you to a physician to have him stitch you up if you accidentally slice your own leg.”

  She scowled. “Do not worry, Mr. Knightly. I assure you, I won’t cut myself or need stitches.”

  “I know you won’t, since I’ll be guarding you.” His smile disappeared as his cocky attitude returned. “But as I said before, please rest up until we reach land. From there we’ll be walking, and I’m sure you’ve never had to be on your feet for so long, especially in men’s boots.”

  “Really? Try wearing heeled shoes for several hours and dancing all night.” Even though she’d never been to a dance, she wore heeled shoes at the tavern, so she knew exactly how uncomfortable they were. She lifted her chin haughti
ly. “I can assure you, women know the pain of sore feet.”

  He mocked a bow. “If you say so, my lady.”

  As he turned and walked away she grimaced. She’d like to shove those words down his throat. Apparently, the only way to prove to him that she knew what she was talking about was to show him.

  Suddenly, the stress from what just happened with the monkeys vanished and she looked forward to proving him wrong…and letting him know it at every turn!

  * * * *

  Felix wanted to lead the way as they traipsed through the jungles, but he didn’t dare leave Miss Landon too far behind. He was eager to get her to their destination without any setbacks. The sooner he got her to her father, the sooner the job was done and he could be out of her presence. She was a nuisance to be sure, and at times, he couldn’t decide whether to strangle her…or wrap her in his embrace just to hear her pleasurable sigh. Because of the confused emotions rolling through him, the best course of action would be not to get close to her. Unfortunately, he had to in order to protect her.

  They’d been walking about two hours, and so far Miss Landon didn’t show any signs of fatigue. In fact, some of his men looked wearier than she did. Then again, his men were helping to carry supplies whereas Miss Landon didn’t carry anything. Perhaps Felix should strap something to her back tomorrow so she could help with the load. He didn’t want her thinking this was a walk through the park.

  It also surprised him she wasn’t limping or acting like her feet were sore. Deep down inside, he knew she was trying to prove to him that she could walk in men’s boots—only because he’d told her she couldn’t. That blasted woman defied him at every turn, and she enjoyed doing it, he was certain.

  She seemed to have made friends with Manuel’s wife, Suzette. The slightly older woman had shown Katrina how to wrap her hair in a coil that lifted the hair away from her face, and bring a little more circulation to her skin. Here in the jungle, surrounded by trees and bushes, there was no wind as they’d briefly had while on the boat. Beads of moisture lined Katrina’s face and neck, but then everyone in this group suffered from the suffocating humidity. Every once in a while Katrina used her canteen to drip water on her head, but thankfully, she didn’t use too much. He was relieved to know she had listened to him and followed his instructions about saving water.