Valley of Stars (The Merriams Book 3)

by Ava Miles

  Marvin scampered off her chest and onto the floor when she turned on the bed to face Boyd. “I wouldn’t have chosen Iggie, but Connor wanted it—”

  “I don’t trust him, Mickey,” Boyd said harshly, making Marvin croak. “See, neither does my gecko. And I don’t buy your brother’s reasons for wanting him on this trip. Redundancy, my ass. He’s never insisted on sending someone from headquarters with you on one of your other treks.”

  She’d thought of that too. Even after she’d been demoted, Connor had always let her go alone. “You do work for another company now.”

  He pounded his chest hard enough that it probably hurt, making Marvin croak again. “My company, Mickey. No threat to you and yours. I promise you.”

  “You’re upsetting Marvin.”

  “He’s agreeing with me.”

  Yes, he probably was. “Go on. What else? I know there’s more.”

  “I don’t know the exact location of the Valley of Stars.”

  This time she croaked, “What?”

  He held up a hand to forestall her reaction.

  “You drop a bomb like that, and you expect me not to react?”

  He cleared his throat, and Marvin scampered over and scurried up Boyd’s body until he came to rest on his shoulder. “One of Joseph’s cousins from the village is coming to meet us.”

  “You know I want to punch you, right? Only Marvin’s presence is preventing it. When? Wait! Joseph was watching for someone at dinner, wasn’t he?”

  Boyd nodded. “He didn’t make it tonight, so likely tomorrow. You know how it goes. He’s coming on foot. Amazing, right?”

  “Don’t try and distract me. Boyd, what in the hell do you know?”

  “Their village is here in Kenya, between the Loita Hills and the Sekenani Valley. Restricted territory.”

  “Marvin, I can’t stand it anymore, so chill a sec.” She gave in and punched Boyd lightly on his free shoulder. “I expected it was restricted. After all, the flower has been hidden for a hundred-plus years, but why can’t Joseph take us? I thought he was our guide.”

  “He’s our ‘in,’ so to speak,” Boyd said, reaching for her hand, making Marvin scamper to his lap. “Look—”

  “What else? You might as well spill everything. I could kill you right now.”

  “I know, but you won’t. Ah…how about this? Sironka—that’s Joseph’s cousin—might refuse to uphold his end of the deal because we’re no longer a couple.”

  She let out a string of curse words.

  He playfully covered Marvin’s head. “Not in front of the gecko.”

  She patted Marvin when he croaked. “I am so not amused. Are you kidding? Their medicine people are that particular about their visions?”

  He shrugged. “Joseph seems to think so, but I want to be clear. That’s not why I’ve been trying to woo you. I want you back—all the way.”

  The way he said it, softly and yet with determination, made her heart flutter.

  Remember that he broke your heart. He rejected you as a partner the moment he took that job.

  “It’s going to take more than wildflowers and baby elephants,” she said, standing up. “Dammit, Boyd. Do you have any idea how this makes me feel?”

  He set Marvin aside and rose, towering over her in the short enclosure of the tent. His scent seemed to reach out and wrap around her, and her belly tightened in response. “I didn’t want it to be like this either,” he said. “I wanted you to fall in love with me again. Or maybe have sex with me first and then fall for me. The last thing I wanted was for us to be restricted by someone else’s timeline.”

  She couldn’t speak for a moment. His dark brown eyes were gazing warmly at her in the soft light, his desire and love for her palpable.

  “And yet here we are. So what are you saying? Am I supposed to just grit my teeth and have sex with you for the sake of science?” She shoved him in the chest.

  He put his hand on her shoulder. “God, no, I don’t want you to grit your teeth and do this for science.”

  But they did need that flower, and if they had to look like a couple, maybe they should practice being one again. She could use it as an excuse to do what she wanted. The idea seemed to fill her entire body. Her core tightened, and suddenly, body, heart, and mind all clicked like a giant lock on a door.

  She grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him close, rising on her tiptoes and pressing her mouth to his.

  He stilled in shock for a moment before fisting his arms around her and opening his mouth. Yeah, she didn’t want a gentle ‘welcome back’ kiss either. She wanted tongue and heat and teeth.

  His all-too-familiar hands gripped her hips, bringing their bodies flush together. He was big and hard, and she was oh so wet, and nothing else seemed to matter. Maybe she’d been overthinking this, and nothing else did matter. She grabbed his head and ravaged his mouth, making him moan.

  She’d missed his mouth, those full lips, that aggressive thrust of his tongue. Yes, yes, yes. His big hands slid inside her harem pants and cupped her bare bottom, palming her cheeks. She lurched against him, and he rubbed himself against her, making her moan.

  “God, Boyd,” she muttered between kisses.

  He dipped at the knees to press them together in the most delicious way possible, and she could feel her sex-starved body revving for climax. It had always been like this with him—wild, crazy, hot. She opened her legs, and he put his knee against her, the pressure so intense she cried out. God, she was coming and she didn’t want to hold back.

  “Do it,” he whispered harshly, releasing her mouth. “Let go.”

  Another strong, urgent press against her soft sensitive skin, and she was crying out, putting her mouth to his chest to muffle the sound. Oh, yes, God yes, she thought as the pulsing continued and his hands continued to wreak havoc with her body.

  Suddenly, his warmth was gone, and he was depositing her on the bed. She reached for his pants. “I’ve still got the patch, by the way, so let’s get these off you.”

  He stopped her, the look in his eyes almost anguished. “I can’t… This can’t… Shit, I won’t let the medicine people’s vision be the reason we make love again.”

  “What?” She shook her head, trying to clear sex from her mind.

  “If you ever thought I used you—or this—to get what I wanted, it would kill me. Kill us.” He moved her away from him and picked up Marvin like he was a shield. “I want you back too much for that. Unless you’re ready to take me back for good, I think we should say good night.”

  She licked her dry lips, hoping to keep the taste of him close to her. “You’re calling this off? Because of that? Are you trying to be noble?”

  “I want you to understand how much you mean to me.” He put Marvin down again and laid his hand over his heart. “Tell me the truth, were you letting things take this course because I gave you an excuse?”

  She thought about throwing her shoe at him. “You make me sound cheap.”

  He ran a finger over her cheek before letting his hand drop to his side. “Never. But I won’t let you think I am either. I’ll handle Joseph’s cousin tomorrow. You should get to your tent.”

  He was right, she supposed. Sex had been way too special and important to both of them.

  But…

  Sighing, she got up and left the tent, giving him one last look over her shoulder.

  His muffled curses followed her into an uncertain darkness.

  * * *

  Arthur exited the makeshift bathroom, if it could be called that, to discover his incorrigible wife talking on her phone in bed.

  “Land sakes, Clara,” he growled. “What are you doing, woman? We’re supposed to have left communication behind.”

  “She couldn’t bear to be deprived of my insanely good looks for the entire trip, Uncle,” he heard their nephew Flynn say. “Skype seems to work intermittently, although I’ve boosted our signal.”

  Techie Boy Wonder knew his fair share of tricks, but right now Arth
ur was more concerned with his aching backside. Angling closer to the bed he shared with Clara, he peered at the screen. Flynn’s sandy brown hair could use a cut, in his opinion. “Clara has my insanely good looks, Flynn,” he quipped. “What’s she need yours for?”

  “Good to see you too, Uncle. Aunt Clara says you saw a baby elephant today. Are you feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside?”

  “Heck no. My backside is black and blue from bouncing around in that metal contraption all day.”

  Flynn didn’t bother to muffle his laughter. “Sounds wonderful. I should join you.”

  “Gads, no,” Arthur barked. “We’ve got enough people on this loony-bin errand. And we’re having Indian food every night—in Africa!”

  “Yes, yes, the sky is falling,” Clara said, giving him one of the pointed looks she reserved for when he bitched about Indian food. The woman just didn’t understand him sometimes.

  “Aunt, to answer your question—”

  “Before your uncle so rudely interrupted us…”

  Another look from her, prompting him to shrug.

  “I liked Boyd a lot,” Flynn said. “He’s trying to win her back, isn’t he?”

  “It’s as obvious as the nose on your face,” Arthur said as he lowered himself onto the mattress with a groan. “Right now, I’d say he’s closing in after the baby elephant excursion.”

  “Michaela is motivated by baby elephants the way some women are motivated by diamonds.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Clara said with a determined nod. “Your father called me before I left saying he wanted me to know he would have done everything he could to help Boyd win back Michaela if he were traveling with us.”

  “Dad said that? Whoa! Hold the phone. He must have his reasons.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Clara said. “All right, dear. I need to go. Only wanted to make sure you were doing all right in Vienna. Arthur, Flynn’s staying there this week.”

  Living up to his reputation as an international playboy. “With a beautiful model, I imagine.”

  “You bet. Ingrid is smart and beautiful and conversant in six languages, one of which I’m eager to communicate in.”

  “Get a room, Flynn. Arthur and Clara signing out.”

  “Tell Michaela hi—”

  The screen went blank as Arthur disconnected the call.

  “Did you really just end my call, Arthur?” Clara asked, folding her arms across her lovely chest. Yes, he still noticed those things.

  “I did. It’s time for bed. I’m bone-tired and my ass is hurting like I busted a bronco.”

  She got up and started rummaging around in the bag on the collapsible side table. “Here’s some liniment,” she said, handing it to him. “Rub. I’m going to call my brother. There’s something more here. I know it.”

  He took the tube of liniment and sniffed it. “Peppermint? You want me to smell like a candy cane? Maybe you want to lick me?”

  She laughed. “Why discriminate? You smell like cinnamon from your red hots. Sometimes, Arthur, I wonder—”

  When she cut herself off like that, mid-thought, it was a sure sign she was annoyed with him. She brought up her brother’s profile, and Arthur pulled his pants down. Rub peppermint into his backside… She’d rue the day.

  Too bad he was desperate enough to try it.

  “Arthur, please remove your bum from my camera angle,” she said, grandly sitting on their bed again.

  He harrumphed. But he kept rubbing, groaning at the pain. God help him tomorrow morning when he woke up. The next day was always worse.

  Skype rang, and Shawn picked up the video call. “Clara, dear! What a surprise. How’s it going?”

  “Wonderful,” she said, beaming at her younger brother. Since they’d reconciled, she radiated pure sunlight whenever she spoke to him. “Shawn, I wonder…is there any particular reason you’re so supportive of Boyd winning Michaela back? I’m coming to like the boy quite a bit on my own, but with a bit more information, I feel I could be a more useful matchmaker.”

  Poor Michaela had only wanted chaperones, but anyone with eyes could see the girl was conflicted. Part of her wanted Boyd, but she also wanted to kick him in the shins.

  He’d bet anything Michaela and Boyd were going on that walk he’d asked about earlier. The young man had some moves; he’d give him that. The pre-dinner dancing had been a good call.

  “I can’t tell you everything because I gave my word to Boyd,” Shawn said. “What I can say is that his intentions toward her were and are honorable. I would welcome him into our family. Is that helpful?”

  Arthur sure as hell would say so.

  “Yes,” Clara said, caressing her lips, lost in thought. “Give Assumpta our best.”

  “The same to Arthur and my daughter, of course,” Shawn said. “Bye, Clara.”

  “Bye, dear.” When she clicked off, Clara threw her phone aside. “Honorable intentions, he said. He must mean marriage. Right, Arthur?”

  His backside was starting to burn from the liniment, but he decided not to mention it. He’d met his quota of ornery comments for the night. “Sounds like it to these old ears. As the Matchmaker Jedi—”

  “It really doesn’t count when you name yourself, dear.” She started to undress in the tent.

  He paused in the act of rubbing his posterior. “Care to help me now that you’re done with your calls?”

  “Hargreaves is versed in Swedish massage. I could see if he’s still awake and ask him to give you a good rubdown.”

  She was still irritated about his nickname. Sure, he had given it to himself, but he deserved it. “I’d let Hargreaves rub me down when pigs fly… As I was about to say, to my way of thinking, we should let Michaela and Boyd work it out on their own. We referee when needed. Let them bend our ears when asked. Otherwise, we stay out of it.”

  Her scoff was audible.

  He continued, “I don’t think Boyd needs help in the matchmaking department. The music before dinner was a stroke of genius, and that baby elephant find was even better. God knows what else they’ll get up to tonight, but I sure as hell am not going to listen. I plan to stick my earplugs in and tune everything out.”

  “Did you bring an extra pair? I seem to need them. Pronto.”

  Okay, he was pontificating. “By the by, what’s going on with Hargreaves? His enthusiasm knows no bounds these days.”

  “We don’t speak of such things, but I would imagine he’s a little like me. After spending all those years cooped up in that Manhattan mausoleum, his soul craved a grand adventure.”

  Clifton Hargreaves was still a mystery to him, and Arthur didn’t expect this one to ever be fully solved. But he’d come to like the man all the same, notwithstanding his Indian food. “No one can blame a man for that. Certainly not at our age.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Clara said, stretching out her legs and rubbing lotion over them.

  Arthur pulled up his pants and capped the liniment. She deserved to be romanced properly, which meant he wasn’t going to lunge at her with his pants around his ankles. “Allow me, dear.”

  When she thrust her legs in his direction on the bed, he wasn’t thinking of the loud lion’s roar in the distance or the infernal gekk-gekk call of Marvin the gecko.

  No, Arthur was thinking he was luckiest son of a bitch in the world for having such a sexy wife. “Have I told you how much I love you today, dear?”

  If a lion got him, he had no regrets.

  Chapter 10

  Fresh-baked bread with fig jam usually rocked Boyd’s world in the bush.

  But as he sat with Joseph, scanning the horizon for Sironka, he could barely choke it down. Their voyage to the valley might end today. He’d stewed about it all night, unable to sleep after Michaela left his tent. Not even Marvin’s companionship had comforted him. Still, he didn’t regret his decision. Preserving the path to Michaela’s heart was more important than finding the Valley of Stars.

  “You are troubled this morning
, my friend,” Joseph remarked, drinking the near-black tea. “We will see what Sironka decides when he comes. You know the old proverb: a flea can trouble a lion more than a lion can trouble a flea.”

  “Was that in The Lion King, Joseph?”

  “Dr. Boyd, that saying is as old as these lands,” Joseph said, laughing.

  He laughed with his friend, but all his joints felt like taut rubber bands. Michaela still hadn’t emerged from her tent. Clara and Arthur came out of their tent, and he waved them over to the table. “Hey, Arthur! Have you heard the one about the lion and the flea? Joseph, tell him.”

  Clara sat next to him as Joseph and Arthur conversed on the other side of the table, and she surprised him by putting a gentle hand on his arm. “I wanted to tell you that you’re doing a good job with Michaela. Keep it up. She’s like most of us Merriam women. Won over more by actions than words.”

  He was sure his brows must have risen in surprise. “Thank you, Clara, but today might be the end of our trek, and I doubt a baby elephant and some dancing under the stars changed her mind.”

  What he couldn’t say, not to her aunt, was that last night hadn’t been enough either. Although he’d already replayed the moment of her climax dozens of times.

  “The end, eh?” she asked, smiling at Jaali, who brought over a tray of jam and butter for Clara. “I don’t know what you mean by that, but I for one intend to be positive today.”

  Boyd needed to get in that mindset, and he figured a good-spirited jab might help him get there. “Arthur, you smell like a candy cane today. Let’s hope the animals don’t think you smell like dessert.”

  The man whacked the table. “Damnation! I told Clara that liniment stunk to high heaven.”

  “And yet your posterior feels better,” she said, slicing a piece of bread and adding butter and jam as Hargreaves came forward with a tray of tea for her and Arthur. “Thank you, Hargreaves. Did you discover the murderer in your book?”