by Kay Thorpe
`Do you dance, Mr Stirling?'
There was a brief disconcerting moment when she thought he was actually going to refuse, then his mouth widened unexpectedly into a smile and he stood up.
`Let's see, shall we?'
He danced as she had imagined he would : like a man who didn't do it too often but hadn't forgotten how. The hand at her back had a firmness about it that tingled her
skin. She said nothing when he slid it further down to her waist to draw her closer to him, conscious of the muscular breadth of his chest beneath her fingers as he brought her hand in and down to rest against the front of his shirt. Her eyes were on a level with his mouth and mere inches from it. She saw the faint curve at the corners and wondered what he was thinking right now. It took an effort to remind herself why she was here with him.
`I wanted to apologise for being so bitchy a while ago,' she said frankly. `I'm afraid I let disappointment get the better of me.'
`So I gathered.' It was difficult to assess his reactions : amusement possibly. Well, let him laugh. If she had anything to do with it the laugh would be on him very soon ! `Do I take it you're declaring a truce?' he added.
Keely smiled, bringing her other hand down from his shoulder to nestle alongside its partner. 'It seems the wisest course. I'm all on my own in Manaus. I shouldn't be making enemies.'
`I don't imagine you make many. Unless it's among your own sex. That hair and those eyes give you an unfair advantage.'
Wasn't it a trifle too ready a response? came the fleeting doubt, but she resolutely pushed it aside. His kind would respond to any encouragement. She laughed. 'You sound as though you might have a leaning towards redheads yourself, Mr Stirling.'
`Call me Greg. If we're going to be friends we can do without the formality.' His tone had a hint of irony. 'The colouring has its attractions, but what's underneath counts too. I like a woman with a bit of intelligence. Your job must be fairly demanding.'
A bit of intelligence ! Words failed her for a moment. Of all the patronising male remarks she had heard during the course of her working life, that just about took the medal!
It took every ounce of control she possessed to bring herself to continue this charade.
`Yes, it is.' The statement sounded cool; she hastily added to it. 'But interesting too. You meet so many different people.'
`How did you learn about the Colby expedition?'
`From my editor in London. Probably just a whiff of something unusual. Ben Reynolds has a nose for that sort of thing.'
His grin was unexpected. 'Are you good at crosswords too?'
`Only when I'm provoked.' The grin was reassuring in itself; it made him almost human. His age was indeterminate. Thirty-three? Thirty-four? If experience was anything to go by she'd say closer to fifty. It was written all over him. How was it men managed to pack so much into their lives? She tagged on, 'I understand you've known Sir Mark a long time?'
`Years.' He made no attempt to enlarge on that. 'You made quite an impression on him in a short time. He was very persuasive on your behalf.'
`But not apparently persuasive enough.' She met his eyes, her own softly luminous. 'Would having a woman on board your boat be so unpleasant, Greg?'
`I suppose it might depend on the woman,' he returned with a slow smile. 'There could be compensations.'
`I'm sure there would.' The whole thing was going along swifter than she had anticipated, but then he was hardly the type to do any beating about the bush. He had weighed up the possibilities and apparently found them attractive enough to bring pressure to bear on his original decision. For a moment Keely almost lost heart again in the thought of what might lie ahead if he did change his mind, but the Colbys would be her safeguard, wouldn't they? Once aboard she would be under their protection against any advances
this man might try to make. He wouldn't dare touch her.
`It's worth thinking about,' he said as the music came to a stop. The touch of his hand turning her ahead of him off the floor held a tingling intimacy, almost as though it already claimed possession.
It was a relief to be back at the table along with the others. Greg unnerved her, made her aware of his male strength in a way which gave rise to grave doubts as to the wisdom of this course she was pursuing. There was still time to back out, of course. Only she knew she wouldn't. If he offered to let her accompany them she would go regardless of what danger offered. This was one time when her sex had to work for her, not against her. She would meet whatever problems arose through it as and when they did so.
Afterwards she told herself she should have known it would not prove that simple. It had simply not occurred to her that he would offer to see her back to her hotel when the time came for departure.
`I'm sure you're not ready to leave yet,' she protested on
what she hoped was a casual note. 'I can take a taxi.'
`We'll be doing that anyway. I don't run a car,' he re-
, turned. 'And I could use an early night myself.'
Keely felt her pulses quicken as she looked into the cynical grey eyes. Vague promises were not going to be enough for this man. He was going to want some proof of intent, some physical declaration of her willingness to comply with what she was supposedly offering in return for her passage. The thought of kissing and being kissed by that mocking mouth brought a quivering sensation not wholly unpleasant. If practice made perfect then no doubt that alone would be an experience in itself. At least the circumstances would preclude the possibility of any further demands. The taxi ride from here to her hotel took less than ten minutes.
Surely she could cope with the situation for that brief length of time.
`I'll phone you tomorrow,' Jason said as they took their leave of the others. 'We'll need to know how to contact you when we get back. I don't suppose you'll be staying in Manaus till then?'
Keely hadn't even considered what she was going to do should her ruse fail. To go back to London without any story at all after that cable she had sent to Ben was tantamount to admitting failure, and would do nothing to impress the latter who judged only by results.
`I'll need to be on hand,' she prevaricated. 'I daresay my editor will tell me to stay on it, seeing I'm already here.'
`So you'll be waiting for us when we do get back.' His eyes lit up. 'I hope we'll have something for you after all this.'
`So do I.' She smiled and held out a hand to the older man. 'Thank you for everything, Sir Mark. I really am grateful.'
`Sorry I couldn't be more help.' His eyes went from her face to that of the man standing behind her with a certain rueful quality. 'Unfortunately, it's in hands other than mine.'
`Depends which way you look at it,' Greg retorted with some ambiguity. 'Ready?' This last to Keely.
They obtained a taxi without any difficulty. Greg gave the driver the name of Keely's hotel, then sat back in the seat and felt for cigarettes. 'Like one?'
She shook her head, conscious of an odd sense of letdown. Could she have misread his intentions to such an extent? she wondered. Recalling the glint that had been in his eyes when he said he would accompany her, she doubted it, and yet he was hardly going to try following up that promise with a cigarette in his hand". Inevitably she found herself groping for reassurance. Perhaps her apparent willingness to have him come with her at all had been enough to convince him. Perhaps he considered the bargain already struck and thereby requiring no seal of approval. It barely seemed feasible, but it was the only hope she had to cling to. The only alternative was that he had decided against taking her along after all and planned to make it clear by ignoring her offer.
It was only when he dismissed the taxi outside the hotel that the truth finally began to dawn on a wave of sheer dismay. It was fortunate that the narrow street fronting the building was deserted. It helped a little to know there was no one else around to witness her discomfiture as she paused in front of the entrance to lift her head and encounter the sardonic gaze.
`Thanks for seei
ng me back,' she said as calmly as she was able. 'Goodnight.'
`Hardly goodnight, honey ... yet. We have a lot to talk about. What's your room number?'
Caution went to the winds along with all she had planned, the anger and humiliation sweeping over and through her in one all-encompassing gush. 'You take just a bit too much for granted !' she snapped.
`Do I?' He was totally unmoved. 'I'd say I was entitled considering the way you've been acting all evening. You offered me a bargain, didn't you? I'm simply collecting a little on acount.' The hand on her upper arm was without mercy. 'Let's go.'
The sharp swing round to crack her palm against his face was pure blind instinct, the satisfaction afforded almost cancelling the immediate pain of contact. She saw his eyes blaze with a sudden unholy light, and was next moment pulled over his bent knee with his palm returning the compliment.
Fury rendered her speechless when he let her go. 'An eye for an eye,' he said with irony. 'Think yourself lucky that's all you're going to get tonight. If we'd reached that room of
yours you'd have damn well gone through with the lot !' His lips twisted at the look on her face. 'You really thought I'd fall for that line you were handing me back there? A nice cosy little set-up that would have been! Relying on the Colbys for protection, I suppose.' The pause held deliberation. 'just for the record, if I'd taken you along on that basis there'd have been no interference—I'd have made sure of that. So next time you fancy playing games make sure you can handle the results before you start.'
`Thanks. I will.' She was in control of herself again, though still raging inside. She made herself look directly at him, refusing to flinch from the jeering amusement in his eyes. 'Mind if I go in now?'
He made no move to get out of her way, the mockery suddenly charged with some additional quality. Not learned yet, have you? Maybe this will prove more instructive.'
The kiss was like nothing Keely had ever experienced before, a searing, bruising pressure which parted her lips and brought the blood pounding into her ears. There was no way of fighting it because he had her pinioned, his arms like iron bands across her back. Then they were gone and he was stepping back, waving her on with a contemptuous flick of his hand.
Wow run away to bed, kiddy !'
She had to force herself to walk past him into the building, aware of a curious weakness about her knees. For the first time in her life, she knew what it was like to want to kill somebody, and it wasn't a feeling she liked. The man was a savage; there was no other name for him ! He thought he could do exactly as he liked and get away with it; a law unto himself. But he was wrong, and she was going to prove it to him. If it was the last thing she ever did she would show Greg Stirling just where he got off!
Jason's call came through at ten, his voice a balm to Keely's
spirits. Yes, she said, she would love to have lunch with him. Would he pick her up at twelve? His agreement held a flattering eagerness. She found herself looking forward to seeing him again, and not only because of what she hoped he was going to do for her. Just to be in civilised company again would be delightful. After last night any other man would be preferable to Greg Stirling, and Jason Colby was by no means just anybody.
Keely could imagine his reaction if she told him what had happened; the disgust with which he would view the tactics employed by that creature. Not that she had any intention of telling him. Her own tactics didn't stand too much examination—that much she was ashamedly bound to admit. Perhaps she'd even half deserved the spanking, but there had been absolutely no need for that latter display of brute force to drive the message home. No, Greg had kissed her because he had wanted to kiss her, and he had done it brutally because that was the only way he knew. If she managed to persuade Jason to help bring her plans to fruition she was going to be putting herself in the way of that brutality all over again, but she refused to allow the thought to deter her. Forewarned was forearmed. Next time he wouldn't find her so easy a victim. And putting one across on him would make even the risks worthwhile, such as they were. Regardless of what he had said he wouldn't dare make one licentious move against her with the Colbys on board the boat.
Jason took her to one of the city's top restaurants for lunch, obviously believing she deserved some form of compensation for the loss of the promised place in the expedition.
`I gather you failed to convince Greg,' he said with wry acceptance after they had ordered. 'It's a pity, but on the other hand I think you might be better off staying here in Manaus. From the way he kept eyeing you last night he
might have caused you some trouble if you had come along. His kind sees women only one way !'
A fair assessment, Keely thought dryly. She studied him a moment before saying slowly, 'I suppose he must have some better traits if your uncle still keeps up the association after so long.'
`Oh, I daresay he's straight enough in his own way. There's a kind of honour even among thieves. Mark likes him because he says he always knows just where he is with him. He can't stand devious people.'
Keely wondered what Sir Mark would think of the other man if he knew about the threats he had made to her last night. Not that she was really in any position to start complaining. Greg would be more than capable of relating the whole story to his own advantage. As he would no doubt make it appear, he had simply been teaching her a lesson. Well, he had taught her one thing; not to underestimate him. She would make a point of that from here on in.
`What will you do with yourself for two weeks on your own?' Jason asked into the silence which had fallen between them. 'I know you have to complete your present assignment, but that shouldn't take you too long. I could probably get you introductions to one or two people of importance. You never know what you might pick up in the way of material.'
`I'm hoping it won't be necessary.' She gave him a level look, trying not to reveal any trace of the tension gathering within. 'I want you to help me get aboard the Dorita tonight before you sail. Is there anywhere I could hide for a few hours?'
He was staring at her in astonishment coloured not a little with dismay. 'Keely, you can't ! It's out of the question ! Even leaving the difficulties aside, Mark would be furious. And what about Greg?'
A good question. She shrugged off the growing conviction that she was being a reckless- idiot and fastened her mind on the thought of Ben Reynolds waiting back home for the promised exclusive. 'What about Greg?' she asked on a scornful note.' 'You're not afraid of him yourself, by any chance?' She regretted the jibe as soon as she had said it, seeing the colour rise in his face. She put out a swift penitent hand. 'Jason, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. Put it down to desperation. I must come with you on this trip. Please !'
He turned his hand over and grasped hers before she could remove it, holding it there between them in a gesture of appeal. 'It wouldn't work. I've been aboard the Dorita and there's absolutely nowhere you could hide without somebody coming across you.' He paused, expression altering a fraction. 'Unless .
`Yes?' She pounced on the hesitation. 'Unless? ...'
`There's a tarpaulin on the after-deck that we'll be rigging up at night to sleep under,' he said with some reluctance. `The cabin is too cramped to hold all of us. Providing the deck hands don't shift it you might get under that. It wouldn't be very comfortable, though. You'd be lying on the deck boards.'
`I could always wrap some of it round me.' She gave a laugh. 'Like Cleopatra. I always wanted to play that part ! ' She sobered again to say, 'You mentioned deck hands. Will they be around during the night?'
`There are two of them. Both caboclos ... half-breeds. They don't normally sleep on board. That just leaves Greg.'
Which had to be the understatement of the year. Keely said, 'Is he a light sleeper, do you know?'
`I imagine so. You'd have to be to live his kind of life style.'
`Then is there any way we could get him off the boat long enough for me to get on it?'
`I suppose an urgent phone call might do the trick. By<
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the time they'd fetched him up to the wharf offices and he'd found out it was a blind you could be under cover.' He was slowly warming to the idea, albeit with -reservations.
`That would make it a pretty long night, though. And there's still the problem of how to make the call and get round to the boat in time.'
`Couldn't we bribe someone to do it?'
Jason laughed suddenly. 'You know, you'd be at home in one of the James Bond books ! You don't let anything stand in the way, do you?'
`Not when it comes to my job.' She was smiling but not side-tracked. 'How about one of the night staff at the Rodrigus? Would they accept a bribe?'
`Providing it's the right amount.' He sighed and gave in. `All right, I'll fix it, though it's against my better judgment. I just hope you know what you're doing, that's all. There's going to be hell to pay over this business if it comes off, and I'm going to be right there in the thick of it !'
`Not necessarily. No one has to know you're involved.'
`Think they won't guess?' He shook his head. 'If I'm going to help you at all then I'm in it with you all the way.'
Her voice was soft. 'Thanks.'
`All in a good cause.' He was trying to keep it light and not quite succeeding. 'I've never met a girl quite like you before, Keely. If nothing else, I doubt if this trip is going to be dull.' He became suddenly business-like. 'What about clothes? I can push a few things in with mine. We're all limited to one bag apiece.'
`I shan't need a lot. Jeans and shirts okay?'
`Plus a sweater. It gets cool at night up river.'
`How about footwear?'
`Heavy duty tennis shoes will do seeing that we'll be on the river most of the time. They're ideal on board and easy to dry out if they get wet. You can buy them in town. Apart from that there's only the things most women consider essential.'