Jungle Lover

by Sally Heywood

  Anna gave her a strange look. 'She is of Garcia Montada,' she said, surprised. 'Didn't you know?'

  Chrissy nodded dumbly. That hadn't been what she meant—she didn't need to be told she was the wife of Garcia Montada, but Anna's words, confirming her earlier guesswork, made any other questions superfluous.

  'You looked lovely last night, Chrissy,' Anna was going on. 'I envy you your blonde hair. The men couldn't take their eyes off you!'

  Chrissy managed to force a teasing glance then, determined to put Rodrigo Garcia Montada right out of her mind, went on, 'You'd get a lot of looks in England,' she said, 'English men go wild over dark, Latin looks like yours!'

  'Everybody likes something a little exotic, I suppose!' Anna laughed. 'I myself would love to meet some of your Englishmen, though my poor husband would be most put out to hear me talk like this!'

  Anna's words sent a knife wound through Chrissy's heart—for suddenly she saw things from what would undoubtedly be Rod's point of view. He had said he wanted her. Now she believed it. But it was with the avid desire of the collector he wanted her—the addition of a blonde to the collection. She was a fool to pine for him. She gave a grimacing smile. 'You must visit me when I go back home.'

  Anna nodded. 'Yes,' and added, 'If Rodrigo will ever let you go!'

  Chrissy gulped. 'I'm not a prisoner here,' she said, clutching on to the side of the desk. But she was, she knew she was, if only a prisoner of love. And then she thought, I'm a prisoner in other ways too, for I can't just get up and walk out. I'm completely dependent on Rod's goodwill in the matter of leaving here.

  'He is a jealous and passionate man, as I expect you have discovered,' probed Anna gently. 'You will have to put up quite a fight to get away.'

  Chrissy got up. Anna, quite unintentionally she was sure, was probing too near the bone. 'I think I've already made it clear to him that my work comes first,' she said firmly. 'As soon as I finish here I have to go back to continue the research I was engaged on at home.' That was, she thought fiercely, if Cavendish didn't make things difficult. But surely by the time she went back things would have blown over and his interest would be engaged by someone more amenable to his jaded charm?

  'Men,' she said abruptly. 'I thought I would be untroubled out here --'

  'In Latin America!' Anna threw her head back. 'Very innocent of you, I must say!' She leaned against the side of the desk. 'Listen, I came to ask you if you would like to come out to the coast with us this weekend? A group of us will go, taking the children. It will give you a break from all this work. Maybe we get to dance, have a beach party. What do you say?'

  Anna had scarcely been gone more than twenty minutes when Chrissy happened to lift her head from her notes to see Rodrigo himself striding round the edge of the pool. He had evidently just come back from exercising the horses and was wearing a tight-fitting black polo shirt and equally figure-moulding white jodhpurs. She had seen him at a distance in this gear but now, as he strode towards her in his perfectly cut black boots, she felt her breath stop.

  He came to a halt outside her window and leaned in. 'Are you busy? Can you afford to take this evening off?' he asked without offering any greeting. Considering that the last time they had spoken had been in the courtyard last night when he had momentarily lost control and held her in a heated embrace, he was looking remarkably cool now.

  His cobalt eyes flickered over her flushed face. 'You look ravishing. But you can come like that as we shall be well chaperoned and I give you my word I won't lay even the tip of one finger on you. Well?'

  The muscles of his neck glistened and her glance ran helplessly over the contours of his shoulders, so broad and well-developed, suggesting a blatant animal power, exacting superhuman effort to resist. He flexed his muscles as if impatient for an answer.

  'Take time off?' she repeated stupidly.

  'I have to go into the city. You can come. Potter round at company headquarters while I do some business. Then we'll eat at a good restaurant and fly back after that. One of my managers and his wife will be with us at all times. Well?' he repeated briskly. 'Yes or no?'

  'I don't know...' She glanced down at her notes wondering how much she dared trust him—or herself if it came to that.

  'You need a break from all that damned stuff,' he told her, impatiently glancing at her work, 'and you haven't seen much of the country. We are quite civilised, you know. It's not all untamed forest. We have other things to recommend us!'

  'I'm sure you have.' She smiled faintly. 'I should warn you though that, if I do say yes, it won't mean I'm going to say yes to any other suggestions.'

  He put one of his hands on top of the window-frame and hung there, grinning down at her. He was momentarily boyish again, a side of him she had glimpsed when they had sported in the pool the other day but which was usually well hidden. 'I know,' he said, 'I promise to behave like an English gentleman. I shall be so full of ice and correctness you will wish for me to be back to my old self.'

  'On those terms,' she smiled, unable to help herself, 'I can't help but say v-.'

  Her heart was singing as he turned to go. She knew she was playing with fire, but it sounded innocent enough—a manager and his wife as constant chaperons and a straight promise to behave like a gentlemen. How could she resist that?

  As soon as lunch was over she was introduced to Isidor and his wife Elena and the four of them made their way across the paddock towards the glistening black helicopter. A surreptitious glance had shown her that neither of the other two had any luggage with them so they were obviously intending to return that night. So far so good, she thought. It was impossible not to feel a qualm or two. But he had given his word. Something told her any doubts would be ill-founded.

  Another enthralling ride over the forest canopy followed, with the two men pointing out different things of interest—the rubber plantation, distant hills on which the coffee beans were grown, the looping, lizard-brown river that grew ever wider as it crossed and recrossed beneath their steady westerly flight-line.

  An air-conditioned limousine was waiting for them at the landing-pad on the outskirts of the city and they were soon being conveyed along wide tree-lined boulevards towards the centre. It was exciting to see such busy streets, full of brightly clad people and hooting, bustling downtown traffic, after nearly three weeks of forest living with the very different sound, the raucous backdrop of the untamed wilderness in her ears.

  It was an old colonial city of elegant white buildings, cool balconies, and long shuttered windows. Banners from some recent feast day were fluttering across the streets, and there were sophisticated cafés and bars, and fashionable boutiques.

  'You like it?' asked Rod, swivelling in his position beside the uniformed chauffeur.

  'It's lovely.' There was no need to say more because her eyes were alight already.

  'I'm afraid we shall have to spend some time at headquarters, but there are kept the archives and other things. You will learn more about the family firm if you wish.' He was watching her carefully. Was it important to him that she express an interest in his company? He was trying to impress her perhaps? But he already knew there was no point. Surely he was convinced by now that she wouldn't be swayed by anything, and certainly not by further proof of his wealth and power.

  When they reached the imposing entrance to one of the several skyscrapers downtown she followed everyone up a flight of steps that glinted with black quartzite, only noticing at the last minute the tiny, scrolled name in gold of 'Garcia Montada SA' on the smoked glass of a side panel. Obviously the company was too well known to require a more blatant advertisement.

  Determined not to be overawed, she followed the other three inside. Rod's presence seemed to send a frisson through the entire building. He was at once surrounded by aides who dogged his every step. He turned when they reached the lift and ushered her in ahead of everyone else. As she passed him he whispered in her ear, 'Enough chaperons even for you?'

  Her startled gla
nce made him laugh. She tried to avoid his eye when he stood deliberately close as if only attempting to make room for everyone else in the lift. His cologne, that familiar aroma of vanilla, drifted around her and she was glad there were so many others present so she could indulge the moment without fear of the consequences.

  Before he went along to his meeting he got out with her on one of the lower floors and handed her over to a man in a white coat. 'This is the director of our newly opened laboratories,' he told her. 'I think you'll find you have plenty in common.'

  Surprised, she watched him step back inside the lift, then the doors closed on his humorous expression and the man beside her was already ushering her down the corridor to a room at the end.

  'Why didn't you tell me you had already started a programme of research into medicinal plants?' she asked him later when they were all sitting down to dinner in a roof-top restaurant. There was a breathtaking-view over the city which now, at nearly midnight, was agleam with lights like an overturned jewel-box.

  'It is all so very new,' he answered her question. 'The paint is scarcely dry on the walls. It is hardly something I wish to broadcast to the world until we have unpacked the equipment from its boxes!'

  'It's got an exciting future.'

  'I hope so. But who can tell? No one really knows what is a blind alley and what will lead to a financial return. Pharmaceuticals are a relatively new field for us. It has only been in the last fifty years that we have become involved.'

  Fifty years seemed a long time to Chrissy, but she could understand that in the time-scale regarded by Garcia Montada it was fairly short. As well as being shown round the lab she had visited the company archives where the history of the company was kept in numerous documents dating from the sixteenth century.

  'More wine?' She was jerked back to the present by the quizzical expression in the silver-cobalt eyes looking at her from across the table. He had placed her opposite him, with Elena on his right and Isidor to his left. It meant that their eyes need never leave each other's. Or that they played cat-and-mouse again...

  She declined the offer of more wine and pretended to study the carpet of jewels stretched out below them. An aircraft, its red and green lights like ruby and emerald, seemed to float against the velvety backdrop, then it sank lower until it merged with the scattered diamonds on the ground.

  'You like cities?' asked Isidor when he heard her sigh with pleasure.

  'I like this city from what I've seen of it,' she admitted. 'But I like the rain forest too. It really is so beautiful.' Her heart was filled with momentary regret that she would be leaving all this in twenty-five days more.

  'But you must stay,' said Elena, with a quick glance at Rod. She touched Chrissy impulsively on the wrist, 'We would like you to stay.'

  As she raised her glance she caught sight of Rod's eyes watching her and for a moment she wondered if this was all part of a plot to persuade her to surrender. He was wasting his time if he thought he could get her to change her mind about their relationship. She gave him a rueful smile. He must know what he was doing. He was too astute not to know. Her glance fell to the gold ring on his finger. The memory of how he had touched her the previous night, gently but possessively, sensitively yet with full knowledge of what effect he was having caused her lips to tremble. Twenty-five days. It was like a life-line, a litany to ward off evil.

  There was dancing later and Isidor took a turn around the floor with his wife. Chrissy expected Rod to take the opportunity to get her on the floor and legitimately into his arms, but he appeared to be far away, leaning back in his chair and letting his glance idle over the dancers as if he had forgotten her existence. She followed his example and they exchanged not a single word while the other two were on the floor. When they returned Isidor looked surprised to see them still sitting at the table and at once offered Chrissy his arm. She was taken aback to see Rod immediately invite Elena up. They were laughing a lot and chatting like old friends, weaving expertly in and out of the dancing couples.

  'Time to break up the party, friends,' he announced when they arrived back at their table just as she and Isidor returned.

  The chauffeur was out in the street as if primed to the second to be waiting. Then they were back in the suburbs within a few minutes and drawing up at the landing-pad in the eerie light of the sodium flares. Chrissy was sleepy and climbed into the by now familiar back seat of the helicopter. But Rod reached out a hand, jerking it away before his fingers made contact, with a gruff, 'Let Elena and Isidor sit at the back. You come in the front with me.'

  'But the pilot --' she began, knowing there was only one passenger seat at the front.

  'I'm flying us back.' He climbed into the cockpit and buckled on his seatbelt then began all the departure procedures. Chrissy told herself not to be surprised he had taken over. There was far more to Rodrigo Garcia Montada than she had first guessed when he had imperiously ordered them to break their siesta on that first, seemingly long ago, afternoon. She had even suspected he was a bandit of some sort! Now she knew he was a man of honour too: he had kept scrupulously to his promise not to lay even the tip of one finger on her.

  She slept later than usual next morning, finally dragging herself down to her study and continuing automatically with some further drawings that demanded a lot of patience but little else.

  She had fallen asleep on the flight, lulled by the rhythmic turning of the engines and by the contentment that being close to Rodrigo seemed to bring. But now her senses were tuned to a fine pitch of expectation as the longing to see him took over. Now she knew she could trust him she felt there was less need for the vigilance that had made her keep him at a distance yesterday and the very thought of catching a glimpse of him revitalised every fibre of her being.

  So the minute she saw him appear in the doorway on the other side of the pool she went to her office window and leaned out.

  'Good morning, Rod!'

  He gave an answering wave. 'I've been looking for you everywhere. Stop work and grab a bush-hat!' He started to walk round the pool towards her. She was smiling when he reached her and longed to stretch out her arm and run her fingers through his thick mane of night-black hair, but knowing it was forbidden she contented herself by letting her glance trail helplessly over it instead.

  'Come on, jump to it, Miss Baker. I don't have all day. In fact,' he glanced at his watch, 'I have a meeting back here at eleven-thirty, so we'll have to get a move on.'

  'What? Another helicopter ride?' Her eyes widened with pleasure.

  'Just the opposite,' he replied mysteriously. He stepped back and gave her a lop-sided grin. 'Well? Are you coming or not?'

  'But where to?' she asked with a swoop of pleasure at the thought of spending a few hours with him.

  'Don't ask questions. It's a mystery trip!'

  'Goody!' With a childlike clap of her hands she spun from the window and ran outside to him. For a split second he looked as if he was about to take her by the hand but, apparently thinking better of it, drew back just as she herself froze at the prospect of his touch.

  He swivelled abruptly, saying over his shoulder, 'The Jeep's at the front. Come on!'

  Obediently she hurried after him, through the cool marble hall to the drive at the front of the hacienda. Already the sun was blazing out of a cloudless sky.

  When he swung up into the driver's seat, he opened the passenger door and she scrambled in beside him. 'Do tell me where we're going?' she asked as the Jeep growled to life.

  'I've told you. It's a mystery trip. Don't you like mysteries?'

  She smiled. 'Sometimes. But only if they're nice.'

  'I can assure you this is the nicest mystery you'll get today.' He looked at the sky. 'Think of the most perfect place this side of heaven.'

  She closed her eyes. She couldn't say so, but the most perfect place was right here, by his side.

  Within ten minutes they were bumping along a track beside the river and in another few minutes Rodrigo brough
t the Jeep to a halt. 'Now for stage two. Get out.'

  Still puzzled as to their destination, she climbed down and, seeing him head for a wooden landing-stage screened by overhanging trees, followed at his heels.

  There was a canoe moored below, a mysterious wicker basket at one end, an awning shading the stern thwart. 'You sit there.. .unless you'd rather paddle us upstream?'

  'I won't fight you over it!' Giggling, she stepped down into the rocking boat, being careful to avoid taking Rod's helping hand. When she was settled he climbed in with his back to her and took up the paddle.

  Soon they were gliding upstream, propelled by the powerful thrusts of Rod's movements. Chrissy felt free to let her eyes dwell on the supple, rhythmic motion of his body, his muscles expanding and tightening with each downward thrust. Longing for time to stop right there, she could almost believe it had done so as they glided along in a vast green cavern of over-arching trees. All around came the relentless echo of unfamiliar shrieks, of parrots and monkeys and a multitude of other unnameable creatures. It was another world, strange, and primitive, dangerous and wildly beautiful.

  She could understand Rodrigo's love for it.

  Her heart soared with joy and she told herself it was the magic of the place and nothing else that made her feel like this.

  They travelled for a short distance through the more open primary jungle, but soon came to a part that had been cleared and begun to grow back in a wild tangle of vegetation close to the bank. There was a profusion of blossoms, ruby, garnet and sapphire, nature's jewels in a rich, green setting.

  Rodrigo soon brought the craft skilfully into a half-hidden mooring and helped her out. He went back to the canoe and returned with the basket under one arm. 'We used to come out here when I was a boy,' he explained. 'The entire household. It would be quite a party. We kids would swim in the pool I'm going to show you.'