Carved in Stone (3 page)

He saw her glance at her hands, a perplexed look on her face. Then she tilted her head to smile up at him, her expression once again confident and self-assured. “Call me Alex, Nate,” she said, emphasizing his first name, and her smile was genuine.

The warmth of it unsettled Nathan even more than when she’d caught him earlier, stark naked at the creek.

Anxious to return to the site, Nate had his gear packed and ready to go within the hour. He glanced at Alex. She almost had all her cameras and climbing gear ready, but that wasn’t what he focused on. No, it was her unique and indescribable beauty. There was no way he’d ever be able to erase the vision of her perfect body down by the creek, her dark skin a rich mocha shade made even more exotic by the brilliant blue of her eyes and the thick length of her dark, dark hair.

He bit back a grin, remembering her audacity, the way she’d simply dropped that towel and effectively turned the tables on him. He had to give her points for that move. It had definitely gotten his attention.

In fact, as he subtly adjusted the fit of his jeans he was reminded how it had kept his attention all morning long.

But the naked beauty by the creek was gone. She’d pulled her long hair back into a single braid and tied it just above her waist with a serviceable stretchy band. If anything could, Nate decided, the neat braid made her look almost prim.

She wore form-fitting black tights that hugged her butt and thighs, and a sleeveless purple tee under a snug windbreaker. Her gloves were good quality but well worn, and she’d tied her helmet to her pack. All practical gear, nothing contrived. There was a natural honesty about her Nathan admired. Her boots were lightweight and designed for serious climbing, selected for function, not appearance. All of her equipment looked comfortably used, including the large array of cameras and lenses she was carefully storing in a nylon pack.

She moved with a natural grace, an elegance at odds with her rough surroundings and practical clothes. Nate appreciated how completely focused she remained on the job at hand, totally unaware of his observation.

She squatted next to the bulging pack and lifted it once to check the balance, then carefully redistributed the contents. Her attention to detail was comforting to him—he firmly believed in taking care rather than taking chances. Her long fingers caressed each item, her reverence for the equipment as natural as the smile she flashed at Nate when she finished repacking everything and stood.

“Sorry to take so long, but I prefer to have as much of my gear with me as I can handle, and if the weight’s not distributed right, it can make the climb a lot more difficult and dangerous.” She lifted the heavy pack and balanced it over one shoulder, then grabbed her climbing gear with her free hand and smiled again at Nate. He couldn’t help but smile back.

Suddenly he realized they were both just standing there, grinning at each other like a couple of idiots.

“Can I help you carry any of that?” His offer was automatic, but as he reached for her equipment, Alex’s smile faded and she backed away.

“I’m fine, thank you. I can do it myself.” Her voice was clipped, defensive.

“I’m sorry.” He didn’t try to control the sarcasm that colored his words. “I certainly didn’t mean to offend.” Nate grabbed his own gear, spun around and stalked down the trail, leaving Alex to follow.

Nate could tell from the soft slap of her boots along the rocky trail when she had to break into a trot to keep up with him. Perversely, he increased the pace, grinning when he heard her mumble to herself while she struggled with the heavy pack.

He caught an occasional reference to his personality and lineage that were less than complimentary. What exactly had he done to upset her? His offer to help had been nothing more than common courtesy.

She might be gorgeous, but damn, she was pigheaded.

The pinnacle rose straight out of the earth, a granite and basalt monolith thrust skyward in some ancient upheaval. An occasional fissure marred the burnt umber surface, and large boulders and square slabs of stone peeled away by time and weather littered the ground.

The upper third of the rock face glistened in sunlight, but the base of the cliff was still deeply shaded when they reached the rocky clearing where they would start their climb. Adding her gear to Nate’s neat pile, Alex tried to catch her breath without letting him see how winded she was.

She’d gotten over her irritation with Nate during the short, fast walk to the site. Now she merely felt foolish. Jessie had told her more than once to think first and sputter later. She should have realized Nate was only being polite when he offered to help.

But she had to admit she’d enjoyed the intriguing view of the eminent professor’s broad shoulders and perfect rear end as she followed him up the trail. She couldn’t remember any of her teachers looking this good. And the snug fit of worn climbing shorts left little to the imagination.

Unfortunately.

She dragged her gaze away from Nate’s perfect butt.

“What I want to concentrate on today,” he said, pointing at the rugged cliffs towering above them, “is a series of carvings that run along the face near that crevice.”

Startled out of her musings by his rich baritone voice, Alex gave Nathan her full attention.

Nate swept his gaze across the wall of rock that rose up in front of them. Somehow, he really needed to divert his awareness of the woman standing beside him.

“I’m not certain how much the pilot told you about this site on your way up here,” he said, trying to concentrate on the sheer cliff looming before them, “but it’s very unusual for a number of reasons.”

Alex stepped closer to him and Nate was enveloped in her distinctly feminine scent. His fingertips tingled with the need to reach out and stroke her arm. He shut down what was quickly turning into an almost visceral desire to touch.

Without warning, his mind projected her image, naked by the creek in the soft morning light, and he saw Alex instead of the stark walls of the cliff. He quickly cleared his throat and banished the graphic visual. Alex glanced his way. Her narrow-eyed gaze was a reminder that his thoughts were about as inappropriate as they could be, under any circumstances.

It shouldn’t have been such a struggle to regain his professional bearing. Thinking how pissed off she’d been earlier this morning was an excellent reminder that the last thing he needed was a sexual harassment charge.

That thought worked.

In a voice he usually reserved for the lecture hall, he added, “My first impression was that the designs were similar to those done by the Anasazi, which, as you know, are a southwestern civilization. Not something I’d expect to find up here.” He shot a quick glance at Alex. Her rapt fascination surprised him.

He cleared his throat once again before continuing. “After taking another look yesterday, I have to disregard my original theory. It was full of holes, anyway.” Laughing self-consciously, Nate shook his head.

“On the other hand, the theory I’m beginning to believe is, to be honest, unbelievable. There’s an obscure legend I uncovered years ago that tells of a mysterious people who once lived in this area. Before the white man. Before the known indigenous tribes. Loosely translated, they were called Spirit Walkers. The legend describes them more as spirits than actual flesh-and-blood people. Spirits filled with magic.

“I could only find one reference to them, and I found that accidentally when I was reading some old translations done before the turn of the twentieth century. According to the legend, the Spirit Walkers stayed here for a brief time on the way to their new homeland in the burning hills of the south. While they were here, they lost some of their magic. Enraged, they cursed the mountain, which they believed had stolen their spells. The curse, in the form of intricate carvings, was hidden high in the cliffs where the Spirit Walkers thought the lost spells were being held against their will.”

Damn, it sounded ridiculous even to him. He ran his fingers through his hair, roughly knocking his hat aside, then he leaned over to pick it up. He stared at the battered ball cap before raising his head and looking into blue eyes that were absolutely focused on him. “Alex,” he said, and he wondered if his tale might be giving her second thoughts about his sanity, “from what I can tell, these drawings are totally unique, and don’t laugh, but I swear there’s an energy around them that you can’t ignore. What if the Spirit Walkers aren’t just a legend? What if they really existed, and the carvings are theirs?”

He let that thought hang there a moment before shoving his cap back on his head. “I need good photographs, not only of the carvings themselves but the surrounding area as well. I want to do some rubbings and I want to collect samples of what appears to be pigment remaining in some of the deeper etchings in the rock.”

Nate realized his hands were shaking with the excitement of discovery. Alex hadn’t said a word, but she’d studied him intently—giving him the kind of attention he could only pray for from his students. Carefully he pulled a large roll of parchment out of his pack. “I know you’re familiar with the Anasazi. Let me show you some of the drawings I’ve already done. See what you think.” He realized he was unwilling to look into Alex’s eyes, afraid he might not see interest at all, but disbelief. Contempt, even.

Why was it so important to him that she believe, that she be willing to accept the unacceptable? He’d hired her to photograph the carvings, not approve his interpretation of them. Laying out the parchment with the intricate designs was like baring his soul. Nate waited for Alex’s comments.

Aware of a rising sense of expectation, Alex watched as Nathan spread the paper out against a large flat boulder, one of many that littered the hard-packed earth at the base of the cliff.

Nate’s excitement was contagious. She moved closer to him, peering over his shoulder at the surprisingly intricate yet beautiful pencil sketches he’d drawn.

“These are really good.” She wasn’t sure why she should be surprised at his skill. Maybe it was the fact he was just so male, so large and masculine, while the drawings were beautifully rendered, delicate pencil sketches showing an amazing amount of detail.

While she studied the drawings, Nate described the exciting discovery he’d made the year before while rock climbing with Roger Dalton, the same pilot who’d flown her to the site this morning. Alex tried to pay attention to the drawings of what were obviously ancient symbols.

But her senses were all wrapped up in the thick auburn hair tied neatly at the back of his neck and the muscles that rippled beneath his pale blue knit shirt. She smelled the faint pungency of his shampoo and leaned even closer to inhale the scent that was just him, trying to listen, but aware more of the deep rumble of his voice than the actual words.

“Are you paying attention?” He was teasing, but Alex noticed a slight catch to his voice. Did he feel it too? This tension pulsing between them?

It was not welcome. Not welcome at all.

“Of course.” She was definitely going to have to keep her mind on the project and off the professor. He turned and straightened, standing so close that Alex had to tilt her head back to watch his face as he spoke. It was a strong face, deeply creased and tanned. His nose was beginning to peel from sunburn, and the dark shadow on his cheeks and chin made her wonder if she’d caught him this morning before he’d had a chance to shave. Maybe he just didn’t shave when he was on-site.

For whatever reason, she liked the look. A lot.

Nate cocked one dark eyebrow. Crap. She’d been staring again. Quickly, Alex backed away.

He still watched her every bit as intently. Then he sort of shook himself and, holding the sheet of sketches, turned to face the mountain.

Alex sensed he’d made some sort of decision.

“There are two ways up this thing.” He pointed at the massive wall of rock thrusting directly out of the ground in front of them. Other than some rubble from fallen slabs about the base, it appeared to have burst out of the ground during some ancient cataclysm; the rugged face, though weathered and seamed, went almost straight up without any overhangs or obvious crevasses.

Alex studied the cliff, noting the small fissures and handholds she’d be able to use, calculating the many different routes to the top almost automatically. Then Nate cleared his throat and she glanced his way.

“I, uhm . . . exaggerated earlier. You know, when I said you couldn’t rappel down for some of the work?” He glanced away, but there was a sheepish grin on his face, which made Alex wonder how much it cost him to confess.

“We can climb directly up the face or hike the long way around the back.” He let out a deep breath and shrugged. “The back side has an easier ascent. From there we can walk across the top of the plateau and lower ourselves down the front to one of the areas where I found some of the more interesting petroglyphs. It’s a long hike, but I’ll leave it up to you, since I don’t know your level of climbing ability or experience.”

Well, he was certainly all business now. Was she trying to read more into his comments than he meant? Was he insulting her, suggesting the easier route, or just being polite? She didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

Alex turned her attention to the rugged cliff. “The photo you have in your office, the one of the eagle? I did that when I was seventeen.” She turned and focused on Nate. “It was taken about two-thirds of the way up El Capitan in Yosemite.” She paused a moment, giving Nate a chance to really think about what she was saying, before adding, “You choose the route.”

Alex could tell that Nate was mentally picturing the sheer granite face of one of the most difficult climbs in North America and reassessing her abilities. She bit back a victorious grin as Nate silently reached into his pack for his climbing helmet, put it on and, with a grand sweep of his hand, directed Alex to the wall of rock rising majestically in front of them.

Responding with a tiny curtsy and a wide smile, she led the way.