Matilda, the Adventuress Page 5

  “I don’t believe Henry the Fifth is appropriate in this case.”

  She should have realized Jacto would recognize the quote. As far as she knew, he was entirely self-educated and amazingly well-informed. He was amazing. She had been tempted many times to ask how he had acquired his knowledge, since he grew up in a period when his race had been cruelly downtrodden. She always dismissed the idea as soon as it came; Jacto didn’t encourage questions about either his past or his future.

  “Don’t quibble,” she said lightly. “It’s appropriate when taken out of context.” She lit the lantern and drew on the leather gloves that protected her hands from the rubble she was forced to handle. “Now, I’ve got to see if the ladder is safe. It was sagging horribly the last time I went down.”

  “It is safe. I fixed the ladder and went down into the new tunnel while you were gone.” He smiled faintly. “There’s much rubble and dust but no snakes this time.”

  She shivered. “That’s a relief.” In the first tunnel she had discovered an entire family of black snakes which they had to remove before she could begin her search. After that, every time she had moved a board or a rock she had expected to see another slithering reptile. It hadn’t made the search any easier on her nerves. “Thanks, Jacto. I wasn’t looking forward to the first trip down into the tunnel.”

  “I will call you when supper is ready. You will want to bathe in the billabong first?”

  She nodded. “The water always feels like heaven to me after being underground for hours.” She stepped from the shade out into the sunlight and inhaled sharply as the full force of the heat struck her. “Is the tunnel long?”

  “Longer than the last one.” Jacto’s ink-black gaze was suddenly on her face. “What if you do not find the pouch? What will you do then?”

  “I have to find it. The pouch has to be here in Deadman’s Ridge. Charlie wrote to his wife just before he was murdered, and told her that he was putting the Black Flame in a pouch within a pouch and hiding it somewhere safe.”

  “A pouch within a pouch?”

  She shrugged. “Opals shatter easily. He probably wanted to cushion it.”

  “You told me there have been many searches by other members of your family and no opal has been found. It would be reasonable to assume that Charles Delaney may have fabricated the story.”

  “No! It’s here. I know it’s here.” Her hand clenched on the handle of the lantern. “Why are you doing this, Jacto? I have enough pressure on me without having you doubt me too.”

  Jacto’s expression didn’t change. “I do not doubt you. But it is wise to remember no matter how much we desire something, sometimes we must accept a lesser prize. And the prize we win may not always be what we believe it to be.”

  “The Black Flame will be everything Charlie said it was,” Manda said with a touch of desperation in her voice. “It has to be.”

  “I’m not talking of that prize, Manda.”

  “Oh, Lord, you’re at it again.” She laughed huskily as she turned away. “Most of the time I don’t know what in the world you’re talking about, Jacto.”

  “You will, when the time comes.” He picked up his pipe, put it in his mouth, and drew on it deeply. “Be sure you drink plenty of water and take your salt tablets while you’re down there.”

  “I will.” She could feel Jacto’s gaze on her back as she walked the few yards to the open mine shaft. It was clear Jacto was in one of his savant moods. She should have been accustomed to him by now, she thought, but he still was able to unsettle her on occasion. Not that she wasn’t unsettled enough already. She had been buoyed up with ebullient confidence when she had left Roman, but now she was being bombarded by doubts. He was a hard man, and heaven knows she wasn’t the least bit hard. What had made her think she could be intimate with him and come out the winner?

  The sexual chemistry between them had been so explosive that she had almost melted into a puddle on the floor of the trailer. And he had scarcely touched her. It would take all her control to keep from jumping into bed with him when he snapped his fingers, but she knew she mustn’t give in too soon. She had to have time enough to forge a deeper relationship before sex entered the picture. Sometime in his past, Roman had obviously been badly hurt, and a sexual encounter now had only the shallowest meaning for him. There was no way she would permit him to look upon their coming together as a shallow or unimportant occurrence.

  She carefully negotiated the ladder, holding the lantern in her left hand to light the way into the darkness below. Well, one challenge at a time. Right now she had to concentrate all her attention on the challenge presented in finding the Black Flame.

  Three

  “It’s been two days,” Manda said cheerfully as soon as Roman opened the door. “I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind until Mark, here, arrived with your note.” She grinned engagingly at the freckle-faced young man who had accompanied her to Roman’s trailer. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mark.”

  He nodded eagerly. “I’ll be over as soon as I finish working on the set. What should I wear?”

  “As little as possible. It’s hot as Hades down there.”

  “Right. I’m looking forward to it.”

  Roman watched the boy as he walked away. “Another conquest?” he asked dryly.

  “He’s never been down in an opal mine.” Manda climbed the metal steps and closed the door behind her. “I told him I’d take him down and let him look around.” She closed her eyes and gave a delicious shiver. “It feels absolutely wonderful in here. Sometimes I forget there’s such a thing as coolness in the world.” She lifted her eyelids to reveal eyes that were dancing with mischief. “You’ll notice that I came running as you commanded, O Glorious Potentate. I didn’t even stop to wash up.” She ran her fingers through her hair, which was darkened by dust and perspiration. “But I’ve got to do it within the next five minutes or I won’t be able to stand myself. May I use your shower?” She held up a small canvas tote bag. “I brought a change of clothes and my own towel.”

  “Pity. The idea of you naked and dependent on me for even a towel had definite possibilities.” He gestured toward the door leading to the bath. “By all means, use anything you like. If you need any help, you only have to call.”

  Manda’s heart was pounding fast, and she found it hard to breathe. She had forgotten in the last two days how intense her physical reaction to Roman was. His thick dark hair was slightly damp from the shower, and she could detect the delicious scent of soap and aftershave. She found her gaze kept drifting to the virile dark hair above the top button of his blue shirt. She forced herself to turn away. “I’ll keep that in mind. You might pour me something cool, my throat feels as if it’s lined with sandpaper.” She hesitated and suddenly glanced back over her shoulder. “Why did you wait two days to send for me?”

  “I had things to do. If you remember, I have a picture to film. I’m sorry to disillusion you, but you’re very low on my list of priorities and—” He broke off in mid-sentence. Her enormous amber eyes were opened wide, and she had a hurt expression on her face. He suddenly felt as if he had wounded a baby antelope. “Oh, for Pete’s sake, stop looking at me like that. I didn’t want to send for you at all. I’d almost decided I wanted nothing to do with you.” He released his breath with harsh explosiveness. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you, dammit. Are you satisfied now?”

  “Yes.” She smiled. “Very satisfied. I couldn’t stop thinking about you either. I’ll be right back.”

  When she returned twenty minutes later, she was wearing cut-offs which were faded to a blue-white color by the strong desert sun, and the same low-cut white T-shirt she had worn the first time he had seen her. Her hair was freshly shampooed and combed, and she’d left it to dry in wet strands on her shoulders. Her face had the glowingly well-scrubbed look of a small child.

  She padded forward on bare feet and took a glass of iced tea from Roman, uttering a blissful sigh of contentment. “That looks wonderf
ul.” She took a sip of the drink. “And it tastes as good as it looks. I’m positively drowning in luxury. A hot shower, a cold drink, and air-conditioning. Could I ask for anything more?”

  “I know quite a few women who have asked for a great deal more. You’re easily pleased.”

  “Not really. Ill probably demand a hell of a lot more from you than anyone else would ever dream of asking. Just give me the chance.” She took another drink and put the glass down on the bar. “Now, what can I do for you? Do you want me to cook for you or sew a button on your shirt or—”

  “I want to look at you. I want to rub against you and see your eyes widen and your tongue moisten your lips as they did the last time. I want to see if it was my imagination or if I really want you as much as I believe I do. Why the hell did you think I sent for you? If I’d wanted a meal, I would have gone to the mess tent. Wardrobe sews on my buttons.”

  “How convenient.” Her voice was trembling. “Well, I’m hungry even if you aren’t. Do you mind if I fix myself a sandwich?”

  He gazed at her moodily. “Would it matter if I said yes?”

  “No. I’ve been down in the mine shaft all day and it’s almost sundown now. I haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast.” She edged past him into the kitchenette, being careful to avoid touching him. Even though she eluded actual contact with him, she was aware of the heat of his body, and her senses reeled as she once again caught a whiff of the wonderful masculine scent that clung to him. “No civilized human being would deny a hungry woman sustenance.”

  “Who told you I was civilized?”

  “No one had to tell me.” She opened the refrigerator door and took out cold cuts and Swiss cheese. “I saw Fulfillment. You wrote it as well as directed it.” She looked up and smiled at him. “There was nothing uncaring or uncivilized about that motion picture. It was the most exquisitely sensitive portrayal of love I’ve ever seen. The man who created that beautiful film has to be a very special person.”

  His gaze searched her face. “I think you really mean it. You’re not just stroking my ego.”

  “Of course I mean it. I don’t say things I don’t mean. Do you have tomato? Oh, there it is.” She reached down into the vegetable crisper and triumphantly pulled out a large tomato. “Maybe I fell in love with the man who wrote those beautiful words before I even saw you. Heaven knows, you haven’t done anything since I met you to account for the sudden insane feelings I’ve developed for you. You’ve only growled and propositioned and threatened. It’s a wonder I haven’t given up on you and—” She broke off and turned to look at him. He was laughing. Not just smiling, but laughing, and his dark angular face suddenly wasn’t unattractive at all. “Did I say something funny?”

  He shook his head, his dark eyes dancing. “You were perfectly serious. That’s what was so amusing. I wasn’t sure whether you were addressing your passionate declaration to me or to my tomato.”

  She smiled happily at him. His face had softened with laughter and the wariness was gone from his expression. She could feel joy rising within her. It was starting. The great adventure was about to begin. “Well, it’s a very fine tomato. Would you like me to slice some for you?”

  He slowly shook his head, still gazing bemusedly at her. “Why didn’t you eat today?”

  “I didn’t want to take the time.” She opened the bread box on the counter and took out two pieces of rye bread. “I’m working with a deadline.”

  He stiffened. “What kind of deadline?”

  “I have to have my job done in another three weeks.” She changed the subject. “What kind of film are you making this time?”

  “It’s a historical drama about the first opal miners in Australia.” His gaze was narrowed on her face. “Just what the hell are you doing here? You can’t be mining. Without a license you wouldn’t be permitted to keep anything you discovered. Yet you’re telling me you’re putting in hours of labor down in that mine shaft.”

  “No, I’m not mining.” Dammit, she hated being evasive with him. “Look, I can’t answer you. Okay? It’s not only my secret; there are others involved.”

  “Who?”

  She gazed at him in helpless silence. He wasn’t smiling any longer, and she couldn’t bear to watch the wariness return to his expression. “Please,” she whispered. “Trust me. I’d never do anything to hurt you.”

  “Why the hell should I trust—” He stopped and was silent a moment, looking at her. Then he smiled. “There’s some potato salad and cheesecake somewhere in the refrigerator. You need more than a sandwich. You’re too thin. Doesn’t your friend Jacto make you eat?”

  She released her breath shakily, feeling relieved. “Jacto believes everyone should guide his own life.”

  “Well, evidently you’re not doing a terrific job with your steering.” He frowned. “Were you working in the mine that first night I saw you?”

  She nodded. “It’s cooler at night. Sometimes it becomes unbearable during the day.” She smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m very tough. I’ve taken on more arduous projects than this in my time.”

  Arnhem Land, the Franklin Rapids, and who knows where else she had wandered, he thought.

  “So Dennis tells me.” Roman slowly shook his head. “Why?”

  “Why did you travel over every nook and cranny of Australia when you made those documentaries?” Her eyes were glowing softly. “Excitement, adventure, change. No one else seems to understand except Jacto, and perhaps my father. But I believe you might know what I’m talking about, Roman.”

  His dark eyes flickered to reveal a look of wistful sadness. “Yes, I understand.”

  At that moment he realized how wrong Dennis had been about Manda. She was no Lorelei, but the fantasy character she did resemble made him ache in sympathy for what was to come. He suddenly wanted to take her in his arms and hold her tenderly. How long had it been since he had felt tenderness toward someone? Yet it was sweeping through him now with a force that made him tremble.

  The glow faded from her eyes and was replaced by uncertainty. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She laughed shakily. “You’re frightening me.”

  He smiled and crossed the few feet separating them. His fingers reached out to touch the curve of her cheek with exquisite delicacy. “Not you,” he said gently. “You’re not one to be frightened easily.”

  His gaze flowed over her with the same gentleness she felt in his touch. It soothed her like a blanket of satin. Her voice trembled slightly. “Something’s happening, isn’t it? You’re beginning to like me. It’s not just sex anymore.”

  His smile deepened. “It is sex, but yes, something else is happening.”

  “You like me?”

  It seemed too weak a word to describe the aching tenderness he was experiencing. “I like you.”

  She sighed with relief. “Thank goodness. I thought it would take much longer to make a major breakthrough. It would be just my luck to fall in love with an iron-willed man. I’ve been having nightmares about piercing that hard shell.”

  “I’m not hard or unfeeling,” he said slowly. “Wary, perhaps. I’ve wished many times I could be hard. It would make my life easier.”

  “But you’d miss so much,” she said earnestly. “And the rest of the world would miss out on some lovely experiences, like seeing Fulfillment. A hard man would never have been able to create a film of such depth and beauty.” She took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes. “I’d rather not go to bed with you immediately, if you don’t mind.”

  His eyes widened in surprise. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Naturally, if you insist, I won’t object, but …”

  He was laughing. “You make me dizzy. One minute you’re throwing down challenges, and the next minute you’re offering to jump into bed with me if I crook my finger.” The amusement faded from his face. “Why?”

  Wariness clouded his expression again, and Manda felt a sudden pang of tenderness. What experiences had bred the distrust that now wa
s a part of him? “Because I’m in love with you, and I don’t believe in holding anything back if you love someone. I posed the challenge only to make sure you wouldn’t kick me out after you’d had your wicked way with me. But you like me now.”

  “That could be a very dangerous philosophy.” His tone had turned suddenly harsh. “And how in the devil could you fall in love with me? You don’t even know what kind of man I am. I wouldn’t have broken my word about letting you stay, but I was sure as hell ready to use you.”

  “I know,” she said simply. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve always trusted my instincts, and I don’t see why I should stop now. There must be some reason why I feel so strongly about you. Jacto says all things in nature have a reason for being.”

  “I think I’m going to have to meet this Jacto.”

  “You will.” She grinned up at him eagerly. “I want you to meet everyone I care about. My father, my sisters, and I have so many friends you’d like—”

  He held up his hand to stop her words. “I’m not about to let you take me home to meet your family.” There was a touch of exasperation in his tone. “Dammit, I don’t love you, and I will not be swept away by your zealous emotions.” He pronounced every word deliberately. “Liking is not loving, Manda.”

  “But it’s a start. You’ll find I can be very lovable. I tend to grow on people. And you don’t have to worry about meeting my family yet. There are reasons why that wouldn’t be practical now.” She stopped to get her breath. “Well, do we go to bed together or not? I’d appreciate the chance to get to know you better, but it’s up to you. I’m sure it would be very enjoyable.”

  “I appreciate your confidence in my sexual prowess.” A tiny smile tugged at his lips. “I feel as if I’ve been inspected and just received a government stamp of approval.”

  “What do I need with a government stamp of approval? I told you I relied on my own instincts.” She moistened her lips with her tongue. “Well?”