by Cullen, Ciar
“Ivy League Beast?” He laughed so hard he was barely able to speak. Rosa snickered as she cleared the table.
“Rosa, did you know what they call me back at Princeton?”
“Oh, SinJin, I’ve heard a lot worse names for you.”
SinJin shook his head, still laughing. He was glorious when he laughed—his eyes sparkled and his entire face came to life, and Tam knew that she was probably better off a few thousand miles away from him. This guy might be zero on the personality scale, but he was a perfect ten otherwise, and she felt it, every bit of it. Tam wanted to crawl onto his lap, devour his gorgeous mouth, and run her hands on the smooth tan chest and stomach she’d seen the day before. Then slap that smug grin off his face. Yes, it was probably good she was leaving.
SinJin’s laughter died down and so did his smile. He looked serious again and he concentrated on his wineglass, rubbing his finger around the rim. Tam watched his finger go around and around, started fantasizing about his touch as the glass began to sing. He has the exquisite hands of an artist.
“As I said earlier, you’re a contributor, not a co-author.”
Rosa giggled and SinJin scowled at the housekeeper. She wiped her hands on her apron and returned to cleaning up, but she didn’t try to hide her grin.
Grabbing a bottle of wine, he walked to the far side of the porch and stretched out in a hammock, where he proceeded to drink straight from the bottle.
“And,” he nearly yelled from across the broad porch, “If you call me an asshole one more time, you really are fired.”
“Fuck you, Professor. Don’t be surprised to wake and find me gone.”
“If you’re quite through, I think I’d like to drink myself into a mild haze. Alone.”
Chapter Three
Shield Jaguar chased her through the site of Pacal. Tam ran as fast as she could, lungs ready to burst, leg muscles straining, but he was gaining on her. Her tears burned her cheeks and she saw in horror that blood fell in drops onto her hands as she reached to wipe her tears. She opened her mouth to scream, but heard only his laughter as he grabbed her shoulders and spun her to face him. Struggling frantically in his grip, she finally managed to pull off his headdress and mask.
SinJin!
He was so handsome, she thought numbly, realizing he meant to kill her. He lifted the knife high and she pushed against his chest, but he pinned her against the rough stone of the pyramid wall. “I’m sorry, SinJin, please! I’ll do anything you ask. I didn’t mean to damage the burial!”
Too late. She felt the fire of the stone flint blade slice across her neck. She heard his dark laughter and screamed.
Tam started awake with a cry, to find Rosa shaking her.
“Oh my God. Rosa!”
“It’s almost five! You really overslept, Tam. Hurry, he’ll be furious. The Professor doesn’t like to wait for anyone.”
“What?” Tam took in a deep breath, remembering in shock that she was in Mexico, a hired hand of the Beast, and evidently late for work. Crawling out of bed, heart still pounding furiously and hands shaking, Tam gingerly tested her feet, a few steps at a time. Rosa stopped her and examined her soles. “Fresh bandages. Wait there.”
She came back and treated Tam’s cuts, handing her pills from her apron pocket.
“Trust me, Rosa, you don’t want to see me on painkillers.”
“Antibiotics. Take one in front of me, this very moment.” Rosa shoved a glass of water in Tam’s hand, clucking at her hesitation.
“Okay, okay, you’re probably right!” After downing the pill, Tam pulled on clean shorts and a tank top, gathering her hair back into a ponytail. Rosa trailed her movements like a sheepdog.
“Rosa! I need a private moment. Okay?” She locked the door to the bathroom but could hear SinJin yelling from the porch.
“Where is she, damn it? Five minutes, Dr. Martin. After that, I leave without you!”
“What is his problem?” Tam cursed as she gingerly pulled on socks and hiking boots over her bandages. She grabbed a long-sleeved shirt and her gear bag, into which she shoved her camera, notebook and drawing pen, trowel, paintbrush, and sunscreen.
Rosa pushed a large canvas bag into her hand as she scurried onto the porch. Tam looked inside and saw a bottle of water, what looked like a ham sandwich, and a blessed thermos of coffee. She leaned down and kissed Rosa. “You’re my hero, Mama.”
Hesitating briefly on the porch at the sight of SinJin as he tapped the steering wheel impatiently, Tam uttered a quick prayer for strength. He’s not going to get to me, no matter what. You’re a Martin, and Martins kick ass! Tam took in a deep breath and jumped into the Land Rover. Without a greeting, SinJin roared down the road.
“Damn, forgot my hat!”
SinJin reached into the back of the Land Rover, pulled out an Aussie bush-style hat, and plunked it on her head. He looked at her in challenge, daring her to complain, but she vowed again not to give him the satisfaction.
“Thanks! You’re the best boss in the whole world!” She smiled sweetly and noticed a brief snort of laughter from him. She was already having the time of her life, she thought in wonder. I’m doing what I was born to do—right in the middle of the greatest Mayan discovery of the decade. The greatest Mayan researcher of the decade thinks I’m good. Well I am good, damn it.
She whistled to herself as the scenery whizzed by in semi-darkness.
SinJin glanced at her. “Your feet?”
“Fine.”
“Rosa gave you breakfast?”
“Yep.”
“Hat fit all right?”
“It’s perfect.”
“It’s three sizes too big. Looks ridiculous.”
“I adore it.”
“I don’t personally give a damn, but you probably should wear long pants and looser clothing.”
“Whatever you say, mate.”
“I’m not Australian, I’m South African. We don’t say mate.”
“Okie dokie, mate.”
“As I was saying, I don’t care, but the crew is a bit rough around the edges. Not used to a beautiful…”
His voice dropped off and Tam bit back a triumphant retort. Beautiful, he had said it!
“You got it, chief.”
The sun slowly ignited the sky, and the real glory of the landscape hit Tam. The site hugged a tributary of a lazy river, turquoise ocean water carving the middle of the deeper blue snake. Tam sighed in satisfaction, feeling more at home among ruins than anywhere else in the world. And these were lovely ruins, she noted with excitement, sitting up eagerly to get a better view of the site as they wound their way along a bumpy shaded road. Not the largest, not the most ornamental, but about as perfect a small Mayan world as one would ever see.
“This center served a few thousand occupants, maybe four?”
SinJin gave her a quick nod. “More like three. I don’t yet know the full extent of the secular part of the city, but it likely doesn’t extend beyond the river. I plan on getting to that, but for now…”
“First up, Shield Jaguar.”
“If he’s here.”
He’s here. And more.
Pacal was special, Tam felt it. She’d been on a dozen Mayan sites, some magnificent, some modest, all fascinating, but Pacal had a mystical feel. A shiver passed through her as she took in the ruins. Gnarled trees extended winding branches that looked like arms, reaching out from the rubble of tumbled pyramids and houses. Pieces of stone carvings littered the ground like petrified corpses. Vines partially hid likenesses of kings and gods. She nearly jumped when she noticed a huge snarling stone face peering from beneath dead leaves. Lizards emerged from their lairs to wait for the sun to heat up ancient foundations. Tam usually loved watching the slow moving creatures, but now they seemed to watch her. Shadows shrouded most of the site, and the air seemed thick. Sweat moistened her forehead despite the early hour, and she laughed at herself. It’s just a site, Tam. Don’t let your imagination run away with you.
“Pa
cal is like something out of one of Catherwood’s drawings. Like no one has been here since the explorer himself.”
“What a romantic. You belong with Tyre Rasmussen at Uxmal. He claims to have found some of Catherwood’s drawings and his diary.”
“Really! Oh my God, I have to get down there.”
“Hmm. I’ll tell him next time we talk.”
“You sound a little worried. Afraid to lose your new assistant to your pal?”
“Dr. Martin, this verbal sparring is tiresome, and you aren’t very good at it. Are you ready to hear about the site?”
“Yes, boss.”
Tam turned in her seat to face SinJin, taking in his strong profile, scraggly hair, and thinking how ridiculous he would look in Shield Jaguar’s headdress, how silly he would think her if she told him about her nightmare.
“The Sacbe, the wide way.” SinJin indicated the direction of the great road that connected many Mayan cities. Then he gestured to the pyramid. “There’s the largest structure, mostly unexcavated, but obviously Post-Classic, as is most of the site. There’s a lot of reading for you to do on the far side of the pyramid. Over here are some buildings I don’t yet understand, but I think they’re probably religious. In that direction, around two hundred yards or so, is an area of fairly modest dwellings, probably secular. And there,” he pointed to a shrub-covered hillock, “Is the source of the little jug you restored last night.”
“Shield Jaguar’s tomb.”
“Well, let’s not jump the gun. Ramirez will help us with that one. I can’t break through until he’s here—my permission to work the site depends on that promise. It’s unlikely to be today.” He sighed. Tam felt his tension, his burning need to know, his intensity. She hoped for his sake it would be the prize he sought. No, hope for yourself, Tam. This is your break.
They unloaded the Land Rover as the workers arrived, the sunrise now complete. Tam took in their workforce, mostly boys. SinJin glanced quickly at her, and she knew he waited for her to comment on their crew. She took extra care to greet each worker cordially in Spanish, and they seemed surprised when she helped them unpack their vehicles.
“Can I have a few minutes?” Tam asked SinJin.
“What do you mean?”
“To explore on my own. I want to take in the whole site, see the glyphs you talked about, check out the foundations over there. Only a few minutes, please? I know enough not to disturb anything, if that’s why you’re frowning.”
“No, go ahead, it’s fine.”
Tam wandered in ecstasy. This would be her site, too. It was incredible—not as imposing as Palenque, or Uxmal, or the main centers, but rich in history, ready to spill its secrets. Tourists didn’t care about the carvings as much as restored pyramids, but she saw that this site had important ones, and they were everywhere.
SinJin found her a full hour later, lying on her stomach to get a good look at a semi-hidden slab of stone.
“You’re talking to yourself.”
She ran her hands gently over the carvings. “I don’t know why, it’s easier when I read aloud. You know, ‘See Spot run.’ Didn’t you ever read aloud, Professor?”
Tam suppressed a giggle, feeling his eyes drill into her back, and lower. Her shorts had ridden high on her buttocks as she squirmed along the steps, and Hot Stuff was taking a good look, she was sure of it
“Doctor.” Yes, there was the annoyed snap in his voice.
“Hmm?”
“Get up. I need your help over here. We’re clearing more of the tomb site and there are some glyphs that you could help me read.”
“Hmm. One more minute.” She continued muttering and squirming. “Take this down. One Smoke Rabbit, Two Smoke Monkey, Spear Jaguar…”
“I don’t have a notebook on me. Get up!” He ordered more forcefully. “We’ll come back to this, I promise.” She backed out of the crawlspace and brushed herself off.
“Amazing stuff, simply amazing. Now, what were you saying?” She walked back towards the tomb and the workers, and as SinJin followed behind, she swayed her hips a bit and glanced over her shoulder, catching him looking. He glanced away quickly and coughed, pretending extreme interest in a bit of fallen sculpture.
They worked for hours, until the sun made it impossible to keep the laborers on their feet. They had removed most of the brush and some of the most recent outer wall of the tomb. Ramirez was nowhere in sight, so SinJin resigned himself to another day of wondering. Tam excused herself, intending to answer Nature’s call behind a tree, out of sight of the men.
“Don’t stray,” SinJin snapped.
Tam looked at him curiously, wondering why he’d be worried about her moving out of his sight. She ignored him and walked to the far side of the ruined pyramid, the part closest to the jungle’s edge. SinJin’s concerned voice pulsed through her veins. ‘Don’t stray.’ Was there something about Pacal he wasn’t revealing? Tam felt an uneasiness sweep through her. Ridiculous. But she had to admit that she didn’t want to be alone, not even a dozen yards away from the men. A breeze stirred the soil at the foot of the pyramid and Tam looked up, surprised. A clear, cloudless day. Where had the breeze come from? The branches overhead creaked and the leaves rustled. Then the noise stopped suddenly. Not even the caw of a bird. Tam gasped when she felt the hand on her shoulder and spun around. There wasn’t a soul nearby.
“What the hell!”
She rubbed her arms to calm her sudden goosebumps. What was it Jack had said? Simply that the place gave him the creeps. Tam tried to shake off the adrenaline pumping through her system, but still felt wobbly and uneasy. It was the sun—too much, too soon, after her sunstroke and dehydration. She should be taking better care of herself. She made her way back to the Land Rover, not mentioning the encounter to SinJin, not willing to go back on the disabled list.
They climbed into the Land Rover and made the drive home in the blazing sun. Tam was surprised when SinJin pulled into a restaurant. She felt him looking at her, guessing he was daring her to argue with his decision.
“I want a cold beer.” He announced his intention as if he dared her to question him.
“What a wonderful idea, Professor.” Tam returned his look, wondering why he suddenly seemed angry again. SinJin strode ahead of Tam and took a seat at the edge of the outside cantina. He put on his glasses and opened a notebook, ignoring her completely. The waiter took their order and SinJin turned immediately to his notes, without a word to Tam.
So, this is how it’s going to be. What the hell is his problem? Not bothering to hide her examination of him, she sat with her chin propped in her palm, leaning on the table. He was gorgeous, brilliant, very lucky, and terribly unhappy, with a bad habit of taking it out on people around him. She would get it out in the open, or they’d never get through the season together. She, for one, intended on getting through this season, and several more.
“Professor?”
He ignored her.
“Helloooo. Your assistant has a question.”
He sighed, pulled off his glasses, and slapped his notebook closed. “Yes?” He looked at her with mock interest, eyes wide, hands clasped together in anticipation.
“Professor, what is your problem, exactly? And is there a drug for it?”
“That’s your question?”
“Yes, that’s my question.” Tam imitated his pose and waited for the explosion.
“Right now, you seem to be my problem. I’m working. You are an interruption.”
“You’re unbelievable, SinJin, you know that? No wonder you drive everyone off the site. It’s not going to work with me. You can fire me, but you aren’t going to scare me off with those dark looks and rude words. Ooooh, the big scary Professor. Cut me a break.” She snorted as she took a swig of beer.
He didn’t say a word, but put his glasses on and opened his notebook again, teeth clenched tightly and eyes narrowed to slits.
Tam turned her chair so she almost faced away from him. She looked out to the beach and the t
urquoise waters lapping against the sand, wondering what would cut SinJin down a notch. What would make him drop the macho bullshit? What would make him more…mortal?
She turned back around and examined him openly again. This time he peered over his glasses and returned her stare. Damn, she thought, he even looks sexy in nerdy reading glasses. She let her stare wander to his chest, uncovered by his open work shirt, didn’t bother hiding her appreciation of his body as she looked down at his flat stomach, and lower. Then she looked back at his face and leaned her head on one hand. He was starting to look uncomfortable, frowning and squirming a little in his chair.
Aha! It hadn’t taken much—a little sexy visual tour, and the Beast was unnerved. Flirtation was certainly the key. What would it take to tame him? But she had to tread carefully. The man could actually fire her.
SinJin felt the heat flick at his body, praying she couldn’t see how she had effected him, all day. Wearing shorts that barely qualified as shorts, showing off her incredible legs, wearing that thin top that hugged her like a second skin. What was her game? And actually staring at his dick! The girl had no shame. The trouble is, you really dig that about her.
“You’re all dirty.” He reached over and brushed some soil from the site off her cheek. Tam flinched in surprise at his touch. He looked away, wondering what had made him do that. He hadn’t touched a woman like that in years.
“So are you. SinJin?”
“Hmm.” He took a swig of beer.
“Am I going to be okay? I mean, do I have the skills you need?”
“You’ll be all right.”
“You’d want me for more than one season?”
Oh, God, it’s been a day and she’s talking about the season ending? She’ll never stay. “We’ll see.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
“Professor, do you have a phone that works down here?” He nodded and flipped open his cell.