spirits
faltered as she also remembered how
very different the circumstances of her
waking this morning might have been.
She went on eating, moving her jaws
automatically, but the edge had gone
from her appetite.
After a while she said jerkily, 'I don't
think I—thanked you properly for
arriving when you did yesterday. I want
you to know I am very grateful.''
He finished his last mouthful of fish and
tossed the bones into the fire. His mouth
twisted a little as he looked at her.
'Gratitude, querida ? That isn't what I
want from you.'
Her heart skipped a beat. 'But that's all
there is,' she said quickly, too quickly.
She put down her plate and leaned
forward, looking into the fire which was
dying now, avoiding looking at him,
letting her pale hair swing like a curtain
between them. 'I know that—last night
was rather fraught, but we've both had
time to think now, and I can't believe you
really meant what you said, or that you
mean to go through with it.'
'Then you had better believe it, Raquel,'
he said softly. 'Because I meant every
word.' He paused as if expecting some
response, but she sat motionless and
silent, her eyes fixed on the fire's
glowing embers as if she was trying to
hypnotise herself. His voice went on
mercilessly, 'I don't share your views on
nudity in the morning, querida. You look
very lovely when you have just woken
up, with your hair ruffled and your eyes
large and bright with sleep. The
prospect of waking and finding you
naked in my arms has an almost dazzling
appeal for me.'
'No!' The sound came almost strangled
from her throat. 'Don't!'
He ignored the pitiful appeal in her
voice. 'Yes, I too thought last night,
chica, but my thoughts didn't run on the
same lines as yours. I thought of that
black velvet mole on your hip and how
much I wanted to press my lips against
it.' His voice roughened. 'Hair like
honey and skin like cream. A man would
have to be a eunuch to look at you and
not wonder how you would feel, how
you would taste.' He gave a harsh laugh.
'Poor Carlos! He must have thought it
was both La Navidad and his birthday
when you agreed to ride off with him.'
'Don't you dare mention Carlos to me,'
she said raggedly. 'I lied when I said I
was grateful to you. You—you're worse
than he is!'
He lifted a mocking eyebrow. 'Surely
your comparison is a little premature,
querida. And unfair to poor Carlos, who
was hardly given the opportunity to ...'
'You know what I mean!' she shouted.
'And you can just stop making your
damned edged remarks as well. They
may go down well with your—bleached
matrons from Santa Barbara, but to me
they're a pain!'
She wanted her words to sting, to get
under his guard and hurt him, but he only
laughed.
'You're beautiful when you are angry
too, chica. That cool, composed facade
cracks a little and one catches a glimpse
of the passion underneath. You will be a
rewarding experience.'
'Thank you,' she said bitingly. 'Please
don't expect me to feel flattered.'
His mouth slanted sardonically. 'I pitch
my expectations of you higher than that.
And now, if you have finished your
breakfast, we had better prepare to
depart. I have saved some warm water
for you if you wish to wash yourself. I
don't recommend the river. The currents
are deep and strong, and there could be
other inhabitants who might find that
white skin of yours an irresistible lure.'
Rachel reached for the pot of warm
water he had indicated and stood up
carefully.
'I'm
obliged
to
you
for
your
consideration, of course,' she said with
glacial sweetness and patent insincerity.
'But if it ever came to a choice between
you and a shoal of piranhas, I'd choose
them every time!'
And she turned on her heel and walked
away.
CHAPTER FIVE
In spite of her brave words, Rachel
decided it would be more prudent to
make use of the warm water for her
ablutions. She was an adequate but not a
strong swimmer, and the swirling
faltered as she also remembered how
very different the circumstances of her
waking this morning might have been.
She went on eating, moving her jaws
automatically, but the edge had gone
from her appetite.
After a while she said jerkily, 'I don't
think I—thanked you properly for
arriving when you did yesterday. I want
you to know I am very grateful.''
He finished his last mouthful of fish and
tossed the bones into the fire. His mouth
twisted a little as he looked at her.
'Gratitude, querida ? That isn't what I
want from you.'
Her heart skipped a beat. 'But that's all
there is,' she said quickly, too quickly.
She put down her plate and leaned
forward, looking into the fire which was
dying now, avoiding looking at him,
letting her pale hair swing like a curtain
between them. 'I know that—last night
was rather fraught, but we've both had
time to think now, and I can't believe you
really meant what you said, or that you
mean to go through with it.'
'Then you had better believe it, Raquel,'
he said softly. 'Because I meant every
word.' He paused as if expecting some
response, but she sat motionless and
silent, her eyes fixed on the fire's
glowing embers as if she was trying to
hypnotise herself. His voice went on
mercilessly, 'I don't share your views on
nudity in the morning, querida. You look
very lovely when you have just woken
up, with your hair ruffled and your eyes
large and bright with sleep. The
prospect of waking and finding you
naked in my arms has an almost dazzling
appeal for me.'
'No!' The sound came almost strangled
from her throat. 'Don't!'
He ignored the pitiful appeal in her
voice. 'Yes, I too thought last night,
chica, but my thoughts didn't run on the
same lines as yours. I thought of that
black velvet mole on your hip and how
much I wanted to press my lips against
it.' His voice roughened. 'Hair like
honey and skin like cream. A man would
have to be a eunuch to look at you and
not wonder how you would feel, how
you would taste.' He gave a harsh laugh.
'Poor Carlos! He must have thought it
was both La Navidad and his birthday
when you agreed to ride off with him.'
'Don't you dare mention Carlos to me,'
she said raggedly. 'I lied when I said I
was grateful to you. You—you're worse
than he is!'
He lifted a mocking eyebrow. 'Surely
your comparison is a little premature,
querida. And unfair to poor Carlos, who
was hardly given the opportunity to ...'
'You know what I mean!' she shouted.
'And you can just stop making your
damned edged remarks as well. They
may go down well with your—bleached
matrons from Santa Barbara, but to me
they're a pain!'
She wanted her words to sting, to get
under his guard and hurt him, but he only
laughed.
'You're beautiful when you are angry
too, chica. That cool, composed facade
cracks a little and one catches a glimpse
of the passion underneath. You will be a
rewarding experience.'
'Thank you,' she said bitingly. 'Please
don't expect me to feel flattered.'
His mouth slanted sardonically. 'I pitch
my expectations of you higher than that.
And now, if you have finished your
breakfast, we had better prepare to
depart. I have saved some warm water
for you if you wish to wash yourself. I
don't recommend the river. The currents
are deep and strong, and there could be
other inhabitants who might find that
white skin of yours an irresistible lure.'
Rachel reached for the pot of warm
water he had indicated and stood up
carefully.
'I'm
obliged
to
you
for
your
consideration, of course,' she said with
glacial sweetness and patent insincerity.
'But if it ever came to a choice between
you and a shoal of piranhas, I'd choose
them every time!'
And she turned on her heel and walked
away.
CHAPTER FIVE
In spite of her brave words, Rachel
decided it would be more prudent to
make use of the warm water for her
ablutions. She was an adequate but not a
strong swimmer, and the swirling
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