by Laura Iding
Unable to stand it for another minute, he hailed a taxi. Searching for her along the side of the road might be futile, but anything was better than sitting around and waiting for her here.
Taxis were abundant in Trujillo, but one was forced to negotiate a fare prior to going anyplace since they didn’t have meters. Normally, he would have given the Peruvian driver a run for his money, but he was too worried about Moriah to haggle over the fee for long.
The driver agreed to be of service for an hour. Blake asked him to head east, since that was the direction she’d been headed when he’d last seen her that morning.
“Where does this road lead?” Blake asked the driver in Spanish.
“To the beach.”
Cheered by this news, he figured they’d find Moriah in no time.
He’d thought wrong.
There were lots of people leaving the beach by this time of the day. He instructed the taxi driver to park along the main road, but after fifteen minutes he still didn’t see any sign of Moriah.
With a frown he stared at the beachfront. What would Moriah have done? Parked her bike and wandered along the beach, paddling in the waves? He didn’t see anyplace where she could safely park the bike without worrying about someone mistaking it for their own. No, the longer he thought about it, the more convinced he was she wouldn’t have joined the crowd on the beach.
The rocky cliff caught his eye and he imagined she would have loved sitting up there, enjoying the view. Last year, when they’d gone on the Inca ruin trip, she’d wanted to climb the pyramid, but it hadn’t been allowed. He leaned toward the taxi driver.
“Take me to those rocky cliffs over there.”
The driver shrugged and turned the yellow cab around, then took a less-traveled side road toward the cliffs.
The flash of metal caught his eye and Blake asked the driver to stop. There, partially hidden behind a rock, was a bike.
“Moriah?” Blake climbed from the cab, calling her name. “Moriah? Are you here?”
“Blake?” He hurried toward the welcome sound of her voice. “Blake! I’m stuck. Please, help me.”
“Stuck?” What did she mean? Then he saw her, hanging on, halfway down the rocky slope, with one foot buried in a crevice between two rocks. “OK, I’m coming.”
“I’ve almost got it, I think.” She was covered with dust and her clothes were damp with sweat, half-stuck to her skin. He had the wildest urge to kiss her. “If you could just pull, I’m sure it’ll come free.”
“What is this goopy stuff on your shoe?” He reached down between the rocks to pull gently on her foot.
“Lip balm. I thought maybe if I could lubricate my shoe, I’d be able to yank my foot out.”
He felt around the edge of her shoe, trying to find the spot where it was jammed the worst. The lip balm she’d smeared around her foot helped, because with a few tugs he was able to get it free.
She cried out in pain when he eased her foot out from the crevice. Immediately he understood why. Moriah’s ankle appeared bruised and swollen.
“I hope it’s not broken. This looks painful, Moriah.” His concerned gaze met hers.
She tried to smile. “Yeah, but I don’t care. I’m just so glad to see you. I had horrible visions of spending the night up here.”
He wanted to haul her into his arms, but first things first. “All right, let’s get you down without falling.” He glanced around, trying to strategize. He’d gotten her foot free, but they weren’t off the rocky slope yet.
“I won’t fall.” Her tone rang with grim determination. “I’m going the rest of the way down on my butt.”
True to her word, she used her good foot, both hands and her bottom, and slowly made her way from one rock to the next. He couldn’t do anything more than stay nearby in case she slipped.
When she was close enough to level ground, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “Wait here, I’ll get down so I can carry you the rest of the way.”
“All right.” It was telling that she didn’t argue with him.
He jumped down and then turned to face her. Reaching up, he put his hands on her waist.
“Reach down and brace your hands on my shoulders,” he instructed her. “When I count to three, let yourself slide down toward me. One, two, three.”
He braced himself for her weight, then, trying not to bump her injured ankle, carefully set her on the ground. But he didn’t let go. Instead, he tightened his grip as relief washed over him.
“Hell, Moriah. You worried me when you didn’t come back.”
“Oh, Blake.” She didn’t resist his embrace—in fact, just the opposite. Maybe it was mostly because of her injured ankle, but she leaned heavily against him, burying her face in his neck. “I kept wishing you were with me.”
“I wish I’d been with you, too.” He lifted her chin with one finger, just enough to capture her startled mouth in a deep, grateful kiss.
CHAPTER SIX
BLAKE lost himself in the sweet softness of Moriah’s mouth, memories dive-bombing him from all directions. He couldn’t seem to get enough, as if she were the essence of life, what he needed to breathe. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her body soft and pliable against his. The months they’d spent apart fell away as if they hadn’t existed. No one felt right in his arms except Moriah.
She pressed urgently against him, as if she was desperate to be closer. His arms tightened around her and the errant thought flashed in his mind that it would be a cold day in Peru before he’d let her go.
“Hey, mister, your hour is up.”
“What?” Reluctantly, Blake raised his head to blink at the taxi driver, who’d come to find out what was taking so long. As much as he didn’t want to leave, he had to get Moriah off her ankle and back to the hotel. “We’re coming. And don’t worry, I’ll double your fee.”
Moriah eased her arms from his neck, then grabbed his sleeve with a sharp hiss. “Uh-oh, my ankle didn’t like that. I’ll need to hang onto you.”
Now that they were on level ground, he was free to do what he’d wanted all along. “A better idea is to carry you.”
“Blake!” she shrieked as he lifted her up. “Don’t be ridiculous. I can walk with a little help.”
He ignored her protest, unwilling to break the close hold he had on her. Maybe she wasn’t badly hurt, but his heart still hadn’t quite settled in his chest from her disappearing act. Thank heavens he’d found her.
“Wait! Don’t forget my bike.” Her voice rose in agitation.
He waited until he reached the cab, then gently set her down. “I won’t forget.” He pulled the passenger door open behind her. “Can you get in?”
“I’m hardly dying, it’s only a sore ankle.” She easily folded herself into the cab seat, sliding across until she met the other side.
The cab driver had already fetched her bike. Blake helped to wedge the bulky frame into the trunk, then climbed into the cab beside Moriah. Carefully, he lifted her sore ankle into his lap and began to inspect the damage.
“Bruising, abrasions and swelling.” He frowned. “I think I’ll have the driver take us straight to the emergency department at the hospital.”
To his surprise, she didn’t argue, which only convinced him she was in more pain than she let on.
“Do you see any sign of a bug bite?” she asked, resting her head back against the window.
“Bug bite?” He turned her leg gently from side to side. Then he saw it, a circular mark with a halo-like red swelling surrounding the center. His gut tightened with dread. “What bit you?”
“I don’t know.” She gnawed her lower lip and shrugged. “I couldn’t see, but I definitely felt a sharp stinging pain.”
“Looks like a spider bite.” He searched his memory. What sorts of spiders did they have here?
“Better than the sting of a scorpion, I guess.”
“Scorpions are nocturnal,” he replied automatically.
“I know, I know.” Moriah sighed.
“I told myself the same thing. But they do live in rock crevices and it was dark down there. What if I woke one up when my foot slid into the crevice? Maybe he was mad I invaded his turf.”
Her light tone belied the dark fear in her eyes, and Blake felt a ripple of concern, unable to discount her theory. “How long ago did you feel the bite?”
“Just before you came. Ten minutes, I’d say, maybe less.”
“Long enough that I’d think you would already be feeling the poisonous effects if the culprit was a scorpion.” Blake reached over, took her wrist in his and began to assess her pulse. “How is your breathing? Any shortness of breath?”
“No, I’m fine.” Her smile was lopsided. “I don’t think I like being a patient.”
“I’m not too crazy about it myself.” Blake was reassured by her steady heartbeat. “Do you have a headache? Dizziness?”
“Maybe just a little headache from being in the sun so long.” Moriah reached down to rub her ankle. “Nothing like the ache in my ankle. And no dizziness.”
The taxi driver pulled up at the hotel. Blake leaned forward and tapped him on the shoulder. “Down the road, please, to the hospital. She needs to see a doctor.”
The driver muttered something under his breath and pulled off again.
“You are a doctor,” she pointed out.
Hell, at the moment his emotions were so involved, he figured he was thinking more like a concerned family member than a doctor. Surely, if something poisonous had bitten her, they’d know by now. He clutched her hand in his.
The thought of losing her made him feel sick.
Living without her was easier to bear when he knew she was healthy and safe. He needed to believe she’d be fine.
Although keeping his distance would be much harder after that heart-stopping kiss.
Moriah grimaced at the need for a wheelchair but she sat without protest. She was afraid if she didn’t, Blake would threaten to carry her again.
His gallant gesture had thrown her off balance, literally and figuratively. She’d felt vulnerable yet cherished in his arms. She was so glad he’d found her. Using the lip balm as lubricant had started to work, and her foot had moved slightly when she’d pulled. But even if she’d gotten unstuck to crawl down the rocks, she had no idea how she would have managed to get on her bike to ride all the way back to the hotel.
Blake pushed her wheelchair into the ER. The same young doctor who’d delivered Rasha’s baby came toward her. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gotten his name, but she forced a smile. “Hello. Remember me? I was the one who brought in Rasha just in time to have her baby?”
His eyes widened in recognition. “Yes, I do. You are a doctor, too, no?”
She nodded. “Dr Moriah Howe. This is Dr Blake Powers.”
He bowed at Blake. “I’m Dr Enrique Sanchez. So tell me what has happened.”
She gestured to her swollen foot. “It’s nothing, really. Fell in the rocks and twisted my ankle.”
“She’ll need oblique and lateral X-rays to make sure it’s not broken,” Blake commented from behind her.
Enrique nodded. “I concur. Let’s get her into a room first, and take her vital signs. Then we’ll order the films.”
Moriah didn’t appreciate the way they talked around her, as if she wasn’t there. Blake pushed her into one of the cubicles and she set the wheelchair brakes so he couldn’t push her anyplace else. Before she could open her mouth, though, Blake continued.
“Look at this bite here.” He pointed to the affected area on her ankle. “Her foot was wedged between two rocks and she couldn’t see what bit her. What sort of native spiders do you have here? Anything poisonous?”
“I can give him the details of what happened without your help, Blake.” Moriah was grateful for his rescue, but now she was starting to feel overwhelmed by his presence and she didn’t like it one bit. “I’m sure it’s just a spider bite.”
“The only thing to worry about here are the scorpions,” the ER doctor agreed. He knelt at her foot to examine it more closely. “This doesn’t look like the sting of a scorpion. And she’d already be very sick, the poison spreads fast.”
“Good, that’s exactly what we thought.” She smiled in relief, then held up a hand. “And if it was a spider that bit me, I don’t want to know which kind.”
Enrique’s small smile spread wider. “You don’t like spiders?”
She shivered, trying not to imagine something big and hairy crawling up her leg. “No.”
The ER nurse came in and took her vital signs then confirmed the need for X-rays. Moriah tried to be a good patient, but it wasn’t easy. First they turned her ankle this way and that, causing shooting pains to dart into her foot, then they wrapped the entire thing in ice. The coolness should have felt good, but all too soon the cold intensified the ache.
Half an hour later she found herself back in the ED. Enrique and Blake were reviewing her films and discussing the possibilities. Her irritation mounted.
“Don’t you think you should be showing those to me?”
“Ah, yes. Of course.” Enrique nodded and pulled her wheelchair closer so she could see the films as well. “The good news, no broken bones. Just a bad sprain.”
“No hairline cracks either,” Blake agreed. ‘So you’ll need to—’
“I know. Rest, ice, elevation.” She was well aware of the routine treatment of a twisted ankle. Hobbling around with a bad ankle was going to drive her crazy, though.
“Crutches.” Enrique gestured to a nurse, who fetched the crutches. “You will use these for a few days then, when the swelling goes down, you can walk on it.”
She eyed the crutches warily. “Are they really necessary?”
Blake came up behind her and dropped his hands on her shoulders. “If you’d rather not use the crutches, I can carry you where you need to go.”
“Very funny.” She scowled at him over her shoulder, then sighed. “The crutches are fine.”
“I asked him to order some painkillers for you, too,” Blake added.
She ground her teeth together in frustration. “Thanks, but a little ibuprofen will probably do the trick.”
“Use them at night, so you can get a good night’s sleep,” he advised.
“If I need them.” She reluctantly took the small container of pills from him, realizing he was probably right. Despite her bad ankle, she’d still need to work her shifts at the hospital, which would be easier after a good night’s sleep. Her annoyance was more as a result of the situation than of Blake’s well-meaning concern.
“All right, you are ready for discharge.” Enrique handed her the crutches. “Please, come back to see us if the pain gets worse.”
“I will.” Moriah pulled herself upright and tested out the crutches. They weren’t too bad, and it was nice to be self-sufficient.
“Can you make it back to the hotel?” Blake asked. “Or do you want me to call a cab?”
“I can walk, it’s only a few blocks.” She set off at a brisk pace, then she abruptly stopped. “Oh, no, we forgot my bike in the taxi.”
“No, I paid the driver to drop it off at the hotel.” Blake shook his head. “You’re awfully worried about that bike.”
“I had to practically sign over my passport to rent it.” Moriah set off again. “Did I thank you for coming to my rescue?”
“Yes, you did.” Blake, walking by her side, hesitated for a moment. “I’m glad I came when I did. If you had stayed there much longer, the stress could have broken the bone.”
“I do appreciate your help.”
In seemingly record time they reached the hotel. Moriah double-checked to make sure her bike had been returned and the hotel manager assured her that everything was fine.
She turned back to Blake. “I’m going to head to my room, I need to get cleaned up.”
“Sounds good. Take care of yourself.” As if they hadn’t shared that amazing kiss, he set off in the opposite direction toward his own room.
Daz
ed and somewhat disappointed, Moriah watched him leave. With a sigh she sought the sanctuary of her room. What was wrong with her? Why did she have this deep desire for Blake’s comfort and company? Nothing had changed. Blake was still the wrong man for her. Spending more time with him wasn’t going to change that.
She stripped and tossed her sweat-stained clothes in the corner. They would need to be laundered, a service the hotel provided.
The incident on the rocks had frightened her more than she’d wanted to admit. It was bad enough to get into such a stupid predicament, but worse when you were in a strange country. She hadn’t been able to believe her eyes when she’d seen Blake standing there. When he’d caught her in his arms she’d reveled in his reassuring strength, the musky male scent of him filling her head. His hungry kiss had reminded her of the passion they’d shared.
She lingered in the tiny shower. Memories tucked away long ago surged to the forefront. They’d made love with intense abandon, including right here in one of these minuscule showers, exploring the depths of passion between them. Blake had been extremely generous, in both his love-making and in listening.
Until the next morning, when she’d found him at the airport, chatting cozily with Suzanne, one of the nurses. When she’d walked over to greet him, he’d barely spared her a glance, all his concentration focused on the laughing woman beside him.
The memory stabbed her like a knife. Although the fault was really her own. She’d known from the very beginning that Blake was just like Ryan. The two of them had been best friends, bachelor buddies. He’d never promised her anything more than a single night of pleasure.
Rinsing the shampoo from her hair, she tried to shove the memories aside. Resurrecting the past wouldn’t help. So what if he’d delivered on his promise for pleasure, then moved on?
She stepped awkwardly from the shower, favoring her right ankle, and dried off with the white fluffy towels. Using the dreaded crutches, she hobbled to the phone to request a tray be brought up. She wasn’t really all that hungry, but made an effort to eat.
When she’d finished eating, she found herself at a loose end. She’d changed into a loose-fitting sundress, but staring at the four walls of her room was driving her batty. Too many memories, either from the past or from her recent harrowing experience, kept her from finding relaxation.