As she exited from behind the stage, she was assailed by parents and students alike. It seemed like every single person in the hall wanted to talk to her. Except for Drake. Every time she glanced over to him, standing with Carlos and Anita, she caught him devouring her with his eyes. And yet he didn’t come over to say hello.
While she wanted to be near to him, touch him, and kiss him, she was grateful that he kept his distance. Having him by her side would only distract her. It was difficult enough to ignore the butterflies in her stomach even as he stood thirty feet away.
After what seemed like an hour, the crowd of parents and students thinned out and she caught a glimpse of Drake sauntering in her direction. Her stomach did a double flip-flop.
“Hello, beautiful. I learned something tonight,” he said with the most sensational grin.
“Oh, yeah. What did you learn tonight?” Roxie raised a brow.
He leaned closer and whispered, “You are the most beautiful woman here. And the most wanted. Everyone wanted to talk to you.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t have time for you.” Roxie looked up at him, expecting to see jealousy in his gaze, but all she saw was acceptance and pride. It was so refreshing. Her ex would have complained that she wasn’t paying him enough attention.
“No worries. This is your job and I didn’t mind waiting. They can talk to you all they want, as long as I’m the one to get my hands on you tonight,” he whispered and winked at her.
Roxie felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She’d been dreaming about a repeat since they left the mountain. To hide her arousal, she laughed.
“Miss Ellison, we did a good job tonight, yes?” Javier came running over with his parents right behind him.
“You did an excellent job tonight, Javier,” she said with a smile.
“The program was amazing. It’s obvious the students like you and they have learned so much in such a small amount of time.” Carlos looked at his son. “Javier was very proud to be part of the performance.”
“He should be. The kids all worked very hard to make it happen,” Roxie answered.
Carlos started to reply, but his cell phone rang and he excused himself to answer it. Roxie, Anita, Drake, and Javier stood awkwardly nearby as Carlos’ voice became louder. The call didn’t last long, and Carlos face had turned into a grimace when he hung up.
“Who was that?” Drake asked him quietly.
Carlos gave them all an apologetic look before answering. “That was the Ministry of Environment. My boss. There’s an emergency on the coast and he assigned me to handle it. I leave first thing Monday morning and could be gone a while.”
Anita and Javier took the news in stride, but Roxie watched disbelief and uncertainty wash over Drake’s face.
“Drake, I’m sorry, but my vacation was revoked,” Carlos said.
Roxie looked between the two men, until it dawned on her. They’d been planning to hike Cotopaxi together. Without Carlos, Drake would be at a severe disadvantage.
“Yeah, I gathered that,” Drake said with a sigh. “I can’t say I like the idea of hiking that mountain alone. It’ll be only half the fun, and much more tedious.”
“Especially with your awful Spanish,” Anita added, imitating Drake’s thick accent.
“Of course, you’re taking delight in my misfortune,” Drake teased Anita, and when she giggled he added, “Maybe you should take Carlos’ place and be my guide?”
Anita toppled over giggling and held on to her husband. Roxie had no idea what was so funny about that suggestion. She looked between the three of them and blurted out, “I can go with you.”
Everyone turned and it became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The three adults stared at her and Roxie worried that she’d overstepped her bounds. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. She nodded and smiled. “I can go with Drake. School’s out and I speak fluent Spanish. I can be his interpreter on the hike.”
Drake shook his head and Carlos looked at her like he’d never seen her before.
“You’re not serious,” Drake told her.
“Yes, I believe she is,” Anita said after giving Roxie a long glance.
Drake fixed his impossibly blue eyes on Roxie and she could see the questions and doubts swirling in them. He wanted a committed relationship. She didn’t.
Maybe going on another hike with him wasn’t such a good idea.
“Or, maybe I could ask around and see if one of the other teachers knows of anyone…” She tried to back out.
“No! Don’t do that.” Anita jumped into the conversation. “I think it’s a great idea for Roxie to go with you Drake. She speaks excellent Spanish, and she’s already proven she can handle the hiking and the altitude.”
When silence dragged on for endless moments, Anita elbowed her husband.
“It’s perfectly doable. I can arrange for the permits she needs; it might take a week or two at the most,” Carlos said, giving Roxie a scrutinizing glance-over.
“She’s an unseasoned hiker and Cotopaxi is an extremely difficult climb. Besides, I don’t want to wait for two weeks,” Drake protested.
Carlos nodded at his wife, and Anita gathered Javier and strode off. Roxie wondered what would happen next.
“It’ll give you more time to adjust to the altitude. And there’s no need to rush the climb. Cotopaxi won’t go away. It’s been in the same place for thousands of years,” Carlos said.
Drake scoffed.
“I’ll leave you two alone to discuss this. I think it’s an excellent idea,” Carlos said and followed his wife and son.
“You have no idea what you just volunteered for, do you?” Drake asked. The moment he fixated on her with his piercing blue eyes, fire rushed through her veins and she would have agreed to anything, just to be near him.
“No, but you do. It’s not Mount Everest.”
“This idea is crazy. Irresponsible. There are so many things that could go wrong on a hike like this. This is not the Pichincha. This is serious climbing. At least three days ascending and two days descent. You don’t even like the cold, and we’ll encounter plenty of snow up there. Then you’ll have to carry your share of the instruments.” Drake talked himself into a rage.
“I can handle it,” Roxie answered, although she wasn’t completely convinced.
“No, you can’t. I would never forgive myself if I got you into a dangerous situation.” Drake ran his hands through his tousled hair and sent her a desperate look, pleading for understanding.
But Roxie was done with understanding.
“I’m old enough to decide what I can or can’t do,” She said in a low voice, despite the fact that she was boiling inside. “And you’re nothing more than a patronizing...”
“…asshole?” Drake completed her sentence.
“I would have used another word, but yes,” she said and put her hands on her hips. “Asshole fits.”
“I’m sorry.” He made a contrite face and reached for her. “I have no business telling you what you can or can’t do. It’s just that I’m worried about you. I have this overwhelming need to protect you. Keep you safe. Cotopaxi is not a place for a novice.”
Roxie’s heart melted, but she turned her face away, when he wanted to kiss her. This was not the time to turn into a puddle at his feet.
“I’m sure I can handle it and you’ll be there to take care of me.” She tilted her head. “Besides, you need me to interpret for you.”
Drake opened his mouth, but closed it again and scrutinized her. Roxie felt exposed under his assessing glance and instinctively squared her shoulders. A smile tugged at his lips and he relented.
“Fine. We’ll go together. Under one condition.” His face was earnest, determined.
“What kind of condition?” she queried, wondering where he was going with this.
“I’m the boss. End of story. You do exactly what I say, at all times. Even if I say we return.”
Roxie’s immediate response was refusal. Who the hell does he think he i
s? But before she could voice her objections, he laid a hand on her arm and met her eyes. In his, she didn’t see control only sincerity.
“This is non-negotiable. If you want to climb Cotopaxi with me, I’ll make sure we both get up and down safely, but you have to follow my instructions.”
“Fine, you’re in charge while we’re hiking,” Roxie agreed.
“No. I’m in charge the minute we begin this excursion. Until we get back home. At all times.”
“Fine. You’re the boss,” Roxie said and extended her hand.
Drake shook her hand, and then sealed the deal with a passionate kiss. Until someone cleared his throat.
“I see you two came to an agreement,” Carlos said.
“Yes. We’ll climb Cotopaxi together.” Roxie beamed. This was the adventure she’d been longing for and she’d spend time with the man who was quickly stealing her heart.
“Congratulations!” Carlos said and looked from one to another. “Drake, we’re leaving now. You coming?”
“Actually, Roxie and I wanted to discuss some details for the excursion. You mind if I come later?” Drake asked and gave his friend an apologetic look.
“Sure. Have fun,” Carlos said and turned to leave.
Roxie shuddered under Drake’s stare when he turned back to look at her. Although devour would be a better word.
“Come on. It’s about time I got my hands on you,” he said with a hoarse voice.
Chapter 20
The next morning, Drake snuck into Carlos’ house, hoping nobody would notice. But off course, his friend was already sitting in the dining room, reading the newspaper.
“Good morning, Drake. You had quite a lot to discuss with Roxie?” Carlos teased him.
“Hmm. Yes. Can I have some coffee?” Drake sat down next to Carlos and sure enough, within moments, the maid Gloria arrived with a steaming mug of coffee.
“Don Drake, que quiere for desayuno?” By now he understood enough Spanish to know she’d asked him what he wanted for breakfast and he replied with a smile and a nod to Carlos’ plate.
“Lo mismo.”
“Not in sharing mood? You really have it bad for that woman.” Carlos glanced at him.
“Hmm. Maybe.” Drake wouldn’t tell his friend that while after another night full of the most amazing sex, he had no doubts she was the one, but Roxie still didn’t want to commit.
Carlos picked up on Drake’s unwillingness to talk and immersed himself into his newspaper again.
During the next days, Drake spent his time preparing the hike, and dealing with paperwork for the University. Then he called Linda to get her version of the incident with Sandrine.
“I feel so sorry for Preston,” Linda said. “But what Vivian said is the truth. I’ve had enough men interested in me solely to get to my mother. I can recognize gold diggers a mile away. And Sandrine sure doesn’t love your brother.”
Drake frowned. Preston was filthy rich and this wasn’t the first time a young lady had tried to get her claws into him and Preston hadn’t caught on. But with Sandrine, Preston was blind to what was happening around him.
It would be a nasty call, but he had to at least tell his brother. He owed him that much. When Preston didn’t answer the phone, he left him a message.
“Preston, this is Drake. Been trying to reach you. Call me when you get a chance. We need to talk.”
Two days after Carlos left to handle his work emergency on the coast, Roxie and Drake spent the afternoon on the rooftop terrace, going over their travel plans, when Carlos called.
“Drake, I’m afraid you’re not going to like this. When I called in a favor to speed up Roxie’s climbing permit, my colleague informed me that the government has tightened the rules. Now you aren’t allowed to enter the area without a certified guide.”
“What?” Drake asked, looking at Roxie who smiled at him. He put the phone on loudspeaker. “Roxie’s here with me. Say that again, please.”
“The government isn’t letting anyone climb Cotopaxi without a certified guide,” Carlos said.
Roxie’s face dropped and her disappointment stabbed Drake in his heart.
“Can’t we get one?” Drake asked.
“Nah, not that fast. I have the credentials, but looking at the situation here at the coast, I won’t get time off for at least another months.” Carlos sounded honestly sorry.
“We can’t wait that long. The weather is getting sketchy.”
“I know,” Carlos said. Nobody spoke, until Carlos raised his voice again. “Why don’t you both go into my study and skype me from there.”
“Okay. I’ll get my iPad and call you in five,” Drake answered and darted downstairs to get his iPad.
Once back, he opened the door to Carlos’ studio, a square room atop the rooftop terrace, that wasn’t connected to the rest of the house.
Carlos came here when he needed solitude. It was a true man cave and Drake smiled when he let Roxie inside.
“Wow. That is…wow,” Roxie said.
An impressive desk stood in the middle of the room, topped with five monitors and several gadgets. To the side of the desk was a tiny bar, bar stools included. Two walls of the small room were stuffed from floor to ceiling with full bookshelves and a bar with Ecuador’s finest liquors. The other walls were covered with maps.
“Nice, isn’t it?” Drake asked her.
“Yes.” Roxie approached the world map on the wall while he set up the Skype connection. “What are all of those pins for?”
“Those are the places Carlos has been. I believe there’s some kind of color code to the pins,” Drake answered.
“Wow. Carlos has been all over the world,” Roxie said and moved around to better appreciate the pins on the full-wall world map.
“Don’t get too starry-eyed. Your boy Drake there has more pins than I do,” Carlos’ voice said from the Skype connection and Drake chuckled at Roxie’s surprise. She looked as if she’d seen a ghost.
“Carlos?” Her voice shook.
“Here, on the screen,” Carlos said. Roxie turned to face the monitor on the desk. Relief washed over her face. Then she returned her attention to the world map and traced the locations with her finger.
“You’ve been to Iceland? Isn’t that where that massive volcano exploded and stranded thousands of planes across the world?” she asked.
“Yes. That happened a few years ago. Carlos and I went to Iceland a long time before that happened, but they do have very active volcanoes over there. About eighty-five percent of the households in Iceland are heated with geothermal energy,” Drake explained.
“Hey, you two. In that basket by my desk is a bunch of maps. Grab the one for Ecuador and spread it out on the desk. If you can’t hike Cotopaxi, let’s find you another volcano. My country is full of them,” Carlos said.
Drake pulled the map from the basket and unrolled it across the desk. Roxie held one side down while he used a stapler and small book to hold down the opposite side.
“Did you have something in mind?” Drake asked his friend. When it came to Ecuadorian volcanoes, Carlos was the leading world expert.
“Well, how about El Gigante Negro instead? The official name is Tungurahua,” Carlos said.
“The black giant? What kind of name is that?” Roxie wondered, but the two men didn’t hear her. They talked shop.
“Hmm, that might be a possibility. It’s just above sixteen-thousand feet.” Drake read from the map.
“It doesn’t require a certified guide or a climbing permit. And the summit glacier melted away after the increase of volcanic activity in 1999,” Carlos said.
Drake became increasingly excited and traced with his finger the path from Quito to Baños, the town nearest to Tungurahua.
“What’s the alert level?” he asked.
“It’s one of the most active volcanoes in the country. A big eruption is almost always in the works,” Carlos answered.
Drake could feel the excitement rushing up his spine. He i
tched to get to the Black Giant’s crater and gather invaluable data for his research. But a glance at Roxie told him she didn’t share his enthusiasm.
“Carlos, what’s the alert level?” he asked.
“Orange,” Carlos answered. After seeing Roxie’s confused face staring into the monitor, he added, “Orange is the second highest alert level and means an eruption is underway, but with minor or no volcanic ash emissions. It’s still safe to enter the area, if you know what you’re doing.”
Roxie nodded with a pale face.
“Tungurahua has been sputtering more or less constantly for the last twenty years. The locals have gotten used to being evacuated every couple of years,” Carlos said.
Drake could almost smell the sulphurous ashes and sense the grumbling of the mountain beneath his feat.
“You’re sure it’s a good idea for us to go up the side of it?” Roxie asked with a faint voice.
“Hey, there’s nothing to worry about, or I wouldn’t suggest it,” Carlos said.
“Let Roxie and I talk about it and I’ll get back to you. Okay?” Drake suggested.
“Sounds fine. The permits can be bought in Baños at the tourism office. I really wish I could go with you guys,” Carlos said.
“I’ll call you later tonight with an answer. Thanks for the heads up.” Drake ended the call and then turned towards Roxie. Her face was pale and her breath shallow. He almost regretted planning to take her with him. He was torn between telling her to stay home, and wanting to show her his world. To be sure of her. Of them.
“Well, that changes things a bit,” Drake said, wondering what else he should say.
“Yes. I’m still—” She was cut off by Drake’s phone ringing.
“Hello?” Drake answered it without looking at the caller I.D.
“Drake? Hey it’s Preston. You left me a message to call you.”
“Yeah, hang on a minute.” Drake sighed and pressed the mute button. Then he told Roxie, “This is my brother Preston and I really need to take this call. Anita’s downstairs. Why don’t you go find her and let her know there’s been a change of plans. I’ll come find you when I finish talking to him.”
Burning for Love: Los Angeles Armstrongs 2 (The Armstrongs Book 8) Page 11