The Perfect Witness (29 page)

Shock.

She felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach.

“How very honest of you.” She drew a shaky breath. “But then you changed your mind?”

“I must have some vestige of conscience somewhere. It’s amazing considering my track record,” he said roughly. “After all, I bring you to this country in harm’s way. I nearly got you killed at Talboa. I fully intend to let you risk your life at Praland’s palace to get the ledger for me. Why shouldn’t I seduce you, too? Icing on the cake.”

“There wasn’t much seduction connected to it.” It had been all heat and sexuality and that powerful magnetism that had united them from the beginning. Even now, when she had been jarred out of that erotic haze, she was having trouble not wanting to step closer to him, touch him.

“There would have been seduction. I’d want to give you everything, Allie.”

“Would you?” She turned away. She couldn’t take any more. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

“I’d be surprised if you did,” he said hoarsely. “But it’s true. Because I’m beginning to think that the reason I stopped was something more complicated than guilt. I can’t stand the thought of your being hurt. Not by me.”

“Bullshit.” She suddenly whirled on him, her eyes blazing. “You flatter yourself. I’m the only one who can hurt me. All that crap about what you’ve put me through and risking me at the palace? I made the decision, not you. If I was going to screw you, that would be my decision, too. Yes, I’m uncertain. I’ve always been uncertain about you. Lately, I’ve been thinking that maybe I do have a clue to what makes you tick.” She took a step toward him and punched her index finger at his chest. “And you’re not what I always thought you were, and that’s confusing, too. But I’m the one who has to work that out in my head. I’m in control of me. I can say yes. I can say no. I won’t have you thinking you can stop and start and set the pace. Do you understand, Mandak?”

He didn’t speak for a moment. Then a faint smile touched his lips. “Do you know how much I love to see you spark? Even when it’s against me?” He inclined his head. “My apologies. What could I have been thinking?”

“Nothing intelligent. Maybe the sexual positions of the Kama Sutra.” She turned and strode toward the cave. “Now stay out of my way for a while. I’ve spent most of the evening worrying about whether you were going to get killed, then you spring this on me.”

“It kind of sprung itself,” he called after her. “You have to admit you were the impetus. How could you not expect me to—”

“Stay out of my way,” she repeated.

“Right. Whatever you say.”

Yeah, sure. She stopped just inside the cave. She was shaking, but she didn’t know whether it was from anger or the lingering sexual tension that was still gripping her.

“You okay?” Sean was kneeling beside a small fire and looked up to study her face. “You look upset. Mandak must have really been pissed off.”

“It was mutual.” She came toward the fire and dropped down across from Sean. “And it became … complicated.”

“When isn’t it complicated with Mandak?” He handed her a metal cup containing steaming coffee. “But this seemed pretty straightforward for him. It wasn’t about having his own way. He was scared.”

“Not Mandak. I’ve never seen him scared.”

“I have.” He stared into the flames. “Those two days at the apartment when he was trying to keep you from going off the deep end after Lee and Natalie had been killed. He was scared he was going to lose you. Mandak’s a pretty cool customer. I didn’t expect that reaction from him.” He looked up at her. “I’d thought you were only a job to him.”

“So did I,” she said dryly.

“But you didn’t see him during those two days.” He smiled. “And I believe you might have changed your opinion lately. Or you wouldn’t have been so hell-bent on trying to save him tonight.”

“He wasn’t being reasonable. Someone had to be there for him.”

“And you were.” He finished his coffee. “And the rest is history.” He poured another cup of coffee and got to his feet. “I think I’ll go take this cup out to Mandak, and we’ll decide who’s going to take the first watch. He doesn’t appear to be eager to join us. You must have been most discouraging.”

She didn’t answer. Nothing about her early response to Mandak had been discouraging. She could still remember the sensation of searing sensuality when he had touched her. She felt as if she could still feel it. When the hell would it go away?

“No?” Sean had stopped at the cave opening and his gaze was narrowed on her face. “Interesting…”

The next moment, he was gone.

Sean was more shrewd than she had realized, she thought ruefully. Not only in his observations but in his instincts. She was glad that he had gone. She didn’t need those bright, warm eyes trying to decipher what she was feeling. She was having enough trouble trying to figure it out herself.

She moved back from the fire, grabbed a blanket, and curled up against the stone wall of the cave.

Try to sleep.

Try to forget Mandak.

Try to forget the way her body seemed to tingle and sing when he touched her.

Sex. It was only sex.

Or was it? It hadn’t been sex when she had been frantic to get to Mandak in case he needed her. She had felt that she would lose a part of herself if Mandak was taken from her. She had claimed it could be the bonding, but her feeling toward Mandak had been there from the beginning. Beneath suspicion and fear, there had always been this closeness, this deep-seated wish to be with him. That night he had taken her to live with Lee and Natalie, she had felt a wrenching loneliness that she’d hidden from him.

No, it wasn’t only sex.

But now the sex was here, and she would have to contend with it. It was part of her obsession with Mandak. She could no more walk away from it than she could dismiss all the rest of her feelings for him.

She was too tired to deal with this right now.

I’m not going to think about you any more tonight, Mandak.

Concentrate. Block him, the way he’d taught her to block those attacking memories.

It was much harder because Mandak was not only in her memory but her body. He seemed to possess all of her.

Even when she thought she had cast him out and was drifting off to sleep, he insinuated himself like a persistent melody.

I think it’s always been you.

*   *   *

MANDAK WAS NEAR HER,
she thought drowsily.

She could feel the warmth and the substance of him even though he wasn’t touching her.

“Mandak…”

“Shh.” He was tucking her blanket closer around her. “Go back to sleep. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

She forced her eyes open to look at him. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“No reason.” He smiled. “But you’ve already told me how stupid and unreasonable I am.”

“And you are. Sometimes.”

“And you can be pigheaded and stubborn. Sometimes.” His hand stroked back her hair from her temple. “I didn’t mean to wake you. You told me to give you space, and I thought I had a better chance of checking on you if you were asleep.”

“Did you expect me to be in tears because you were displeased with me? That time is long gone, Mandak.”

“If it ever existed. I hope I never caused you tears. You were such a tough kid, I thought I did pretty well to just keep up with you.”

“I didn’t feel tough. I was always fighting to survive.”

“Survive me?”

It felt strange lying here, with the fire casting leaping shadows on the stone wall and telling him things that she had never thought she would tell him. Why not? He had been an integral part of her life for years. They had gone through too much together not to be honest with each other.

“At first, then you became an ally. Even when I knew I had to fight you, too, I knew that you were like a big wolfhound who would keep me safe from the rest of the world.”

“Wolfhound? What a comparison. Should I be offended?”

“Whatever. But I like dogs. Wolfhounds are beautiful. They’re lean and powerful, and their eyes seem to mesmerize you.” She yawned. “Though your eyes are blue, not dark…”

“And you need to go back to sleep.” He got to his feet. “I’m glad you knew that I’d keep you safe, Allie. I’ve told you that, but I was never sure you believed me.”

“I believed you.” Her eyes were closing. “Why did you really come in here? You had to know I was all right.”

He chuckled. “I was still having problems not wanting to have sex with you. I wanted to look at you and try to remember there were a hell of a lot other facets to what we are together.”

“And did you?”

“Yeah, I remembered.” He started to turn away. “It may be a fix that will last a little while.”

She wasn’t sure that it would last that long for her. But maybe it would. She wasn’t sure at the moment whether she wanted him to make love to her or just to hold her and let her feel his strength.

“Mandak.”

“Yes.”

“Kobu is going to do what you wanted, isn’t he? There’s no sign that he’s on the hunt for you?”

“No sign. Tomorrow I’ll wire half the money I promised into his bank account. I’ll hold the other half as an automatic deposit until the job’s completed.” He paused. “There could still be a double cross.”

“I don’t know how you did it. His memories were so vicious, and he hates you.”

“Memories? You went in and scanned him? You didn’t tell me.”

“You didn’t give me a chance. I thought I’d be able to tell if Kobu was alert and knew you were outside the tent.”

“You avoid scanning like the plague. You hate it.”

“It is a plague to me. And Kobu’s memories were every bit as ugly and full of poison as those men my father had me read. But it would have been worse to not do it and be unable to keep something terrible from happening.”

He nodded. “You’ve taken a big step tonight.”

“Have I? It doesn’t feel like it. I just did what I had to do.” She closed her eyes. “The tiger … Kobu was afraid of a tiger. He wanted to throw you and me to the tiger. Do you know anything about it?”

“Yes, I’ll tell you about it later. Not now. It’s the stuff of nightmares.”

Nightmares … She wanted to tell him that their lives had been nothing else since the night Lee and Natalie had been killed.

But Mandak was gone.

And she had to try to sleep and not dwell on Kobu and his frantic terror of the tiger …

*   *   *

“A TIGER? A REAL TIGER?” GINA
smiled at Camano as her gaze traveled around the silk and ivory wall hangings of the palace to the gilt-embossed doorway the servant had pointed out to them on the way to showing them to their quarters. “I can’t believe Praland has a special fancy chamber where he keeps his pet tiger. How amusing. Though it’s in keeping with all this exotic luxury, isn’t it? Praland must have good taste.” She frowned. “Or perhaps not. He didn’t pay very much attention to me when you introduced us.”

“He’s accustomed to using women and not catering to their whims.” He glanced at her, then inserted a jab. “And his concubines are far younger and more lush than you, Gina.”

“Younger only means less experienced, and that can be the kiss of death in a relationship. Lush is a matter of taste, and I can change any man’s taste.” She smiled. “Isn’t that true, Camano? Have you ever been disappointed?”

“No.”

“Then stop trying to make me unhappy.” Her gaze was wandering over the marble floors, the gold- and jewel-studded insets in the rosewood tables. “I like this. It suits my style.”

“If your style is Taj Mahal,” he said sourly.

“But of course it is. What does everyone say when they meet me? I’m queen to your king, my darling. But this is much more grand than what we have at home.”

“Don’t get used to it. I’ve brought you here for one purpose. Praland wants your daughter as much as I do. When you find a way to lure her into a trap, then your job is done, and we’re on the next plane out.”

“Perhaps.”

“Gina.” His hand grasped her wrist. “Teresa is more of a threat to me now than she was before. You
will
do it.”

“Of course.” She reached up and kissed him. “I meant that perhaps we’d stay awhile and have a few weeks here. You said that Praland doesn’t like the idea of taking care of difficulties within the U.S. borders. I thought it might be an opportunity for you to give him what he needs as you did in Flagstaff. He appears to have the funds to make it worth your while.”

“And the funds to make it worth your while?” he asked dryly. “Don’t make the mistake of trying to manipulate Praland.”

“Only for you,” she said.

“Yeah, sure.”

“Well, you’ve learned that if I’m happy, I make you happy.”

“And if you’re not happy, you try to make my life hell. I don’t know why I don’t just kick you out.”

“Because you’ve found you need me in all kinds of ways. Why else did you bring me here?”

“Because Praland offered to supply the trap if I’d bring you to spring it.”

“And a gorgeous trap it is,” she murmured. She looked over her shoulder at the gilt door that led to the tiger cage. “I saw a movie once where a Roman empress had a pet panther and led him around on an emerald-studded collar. She looked pretty, but she wasn’t as pretty as I am. But I thought how exciting it must be to control a big cat with only a slender leash. The sheer power of it…”

“I can see you getting off on the idea.”

“But a tiger would be much more impressive than a panther. I wonder if Praland has had him trained.”

“Why don’t you ask him?” He paused at the door of their suite, which the servant had just opened. “You could offer to do it yourself.”

“Don’t be sarcastic.” She smiled faintly. “There is always a man available to take the risks if I want something. And I think Praland might be amused at the idea of my putting his tiger on a leash. It would set me apart from his other women.”

“Other?” Camano repeated softly. “Are you thinking of trying to lure Praland into your web? Forget it, Gina. No woman walks out on me. You’re mine until I decide to get rid of you.”

“Why would I want any other man than you? You give me everything I want. I just wanted to impress Praland so that he’d let me influence him about the deal I mentioned.” She sailed past him into the suite. “I’m flattered you’re still jealous about me after all these years.”