Moonflower by Leigh Archer Page B

Sophie’s head. A second
later, a furry head popped up. A baboon. Sophie thought it looked
like the young male who had stolen her tyre iron then pelted her
with a guava.
    Her rifle
was out of reach. She took a step back. Stopped suddenly as the
baboon began to scream. The noise was deafening. Definitely a young
male, full of bravado and long, sharp teeth.
    Sophie
froze, and after a moment he quietened down. Still keeping an eye
on her, he began to feel around the back seat. It was then Sophie
heard someone call her name. Reuben.
    ‘ Keep your voice down and don’t make any sudden moves,’ she
told him in a low voice, not taking her eyes off the hairy
visitor.
    'You all
right, Sophie?'
    There was
tension in his voice; she saw him out of the corner of her eye take
a step towards her.
    ‘ Don’t come any closer,’ she cautioned in a calm voice. 'Very
slowly, pass me the rifle. It's against the front wheel of the
second vehicle. No sudden moves. Very slow.'
    The
baboon screamed as Reuben moved back, but he was distracted, now
having two threats to deal with. Reuben made as few movements as
possible, reached for the rifle and started back to
Sophie.
    He came
up slowly behind her, his chest touching her back, and handed her
the rifle. In one swift motion, she put the firearm to her
shoulder, stepped away from Reuben and fired into soft sand about a
metre from where they stood.
    This time the baboon did not make a sound. He shot up in the
air, landed back on the seat, gave her a filthy look and leapt out
of the vehicle, heading across the veld ; McTavish's hat and a bottle of
mineral water clutched under his arm, an apple in his
hand.
    'Just a
baboon,' Sophie said, resetting the safety on her rifle.
    'Just a…
an animal like that can do serious damage, Sophie.'
    ‘ All in a day’s work,’ she said, shrugging.
    Reuben
shook his head, fists pressed against powerful thighs. ‘That isn’t
the baboon that stole your tyre iron, is it?’
    Sophie
burst out laughing and nodded.
    ‘ I don’t know how you can laugh about it,’ he said, coming
towards her. ‘You sure you’re okay? I can drive the other vehicle
if you’d like.’
    Sophie
smiled at him and shook her head. ‘I’ve been doing this since I was
a teenager and I’ve had many encounters like this. I’m absolutely
fine.’
    He had
put his arms around her. But not content to stop there, he pressed
her chest to his so she could feel his heart thundering in her ear.
He kissed the top of her head. Sophie raised her face and his lips
grazed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and when she sighed
deeply, he captured her lips with his.
    Sophie’s
last rational thought was to lean the rifle against the nearest
tyre. Then her mind was filled with Reuben as she ran her hands
over the sinews of his bare forearms, felt the bristle of hair
beneath her palms, the heat and muscle; so strong, so masculine.
She melted against him, opened her mouth wider, hungry for the
taste of him, clutching his shirt, fingers winding into the hair
that curled at the nape of his neck. Then her hands found their way
to his chest, down over his belly with an urgency fuelled by the
adrenaline still coursing through her body. She began to pull the
shirt from his waistband.
    With a
groan he broke away, took a shuddering breath and ran a hand over
his face. 'The others will come looking for us if we don't get
back.’
    Sophie
looked around, amazed that she’d been more than ready to make love
to him in the middle of the bush while guests waited for their
return. Right there in the long golden grass, in the shade of the
vehicles. She frowned, shook her head to clear it and reached for
her rifle. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.’
    ‘ This part I understand, Sophie,’ he said, taking her arm so
she couldn’t walk away from him. ‘Just promise me you’ll never
confront a dangerous creature like that again.’
    Sophie
couldn’t help it; she had to smile. 'I managed the situation