The Unseen (25 page)

“Wise, my ass. Just because you can read some scribbles on walls doesn’t make you a rocket scientist.”

“Oh, but I’ve got lots of hidden talents you don’t even know about. For example, I just distracted you long enough so those guys were able to remove the bullet and sew up the wound. Not just anyone could do that. You can thank me later.” She released his arm, stood up, and walked away.

Rich gazed down at his leg. Seth was applying the finishing touches to a large swatch of cloth. The woman did have a point. She’d pissed him off so much, his perception of pain had been minimized. He thought back to the moment they’d kissed. It had been almost an instinctive reaction, something he couldn’t stop. He’d felt such a visceral pull toward her. Most of the time, his instincts compelled him to lash out at her. He wondered if it was pent up sexual frustration. The woman had transformed his body into a vessel of testosterone. Even now, he wondered if innuendo lurked behind her
you can
thank me later
. Blood rushed to his groin and his cock thickened.

“Try not to get too excited there. We still have to move you inside.”

Rich gritted his teeth, wanting to scream. He couldn’t think of anything worse than getting a hard-on when a man’s hand was anywhere near his body. That damned Roberta was always causing trouble, indirectly or directly. “Hey, you can’t blame a man for thinking about something pleasant during something torturous like this.”

“If you wanted her to stay, you should have told her so,” said David.

“Are you kidding? That woman makes me fucking nuts.”

“Yes, we’ve noticed,” said Seth.

“Can we kill this conversation? I’m not in the mood to talk.” He wondered if sexual frustration incited Roberta’s surly behavior. Maybe if they just let instincts take over, the tension between them would subside. If they could just establish that they were meeting physical needs and be clear there’d be no gushy nonsense afterward, it could work out fine.
But then there’s the issue of this gaping wound just inches from my cock.
Rich craned his head, wondering where Roberta had gone. Then he reprimanded himself, annoyed by the nagging thought that he actually missed her.

As if she’d read his mind, Roberta strode back toward him, a flask in her hand. “Take a swig of this. It should shut you up for a while.” She unscrewed the lid and held the metal to his lips.

He opened his mouth and allowed her to tip the bitter liquid in. The instant he swallowed, a numbing peace swept through his veins. “Thanks. I really needed that.” He couldn’t read any emotions in her freckled face, which was dimly lit by flashlights. But the alcohol knocked down some of the inhibitions. He felt compelled to touch her and reached out and grasped her hand. “Will you stay with me for a while?”

“Yeah, sure,” she said. “I don’t have anything better to do anyway.” She patted his hand like he was a little boy.

“Gee, thanks.” He frowned, regretting he’d asked her to stay. God, the woman knew how to irritate him.

“You got this under control?” David asked.

“Oh, I think so. If he starts to get out of control, I’ll just pour more of this liquor into him.”

David laughed. “Let’s carry him into his tent and then we should all try to get some shuteye.” David, Seth and Kent carried Rich into the tent. Roberta stepped in behind him.

“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” Rich said, after the others had left.”

Roberta leaned over him, one arm perched on the other side of his chest, her blue eyes looking luminescent in the dim light. “Sometimes it would be much better if you didn’t talk.”

Weakened by the blood loss and the alcohol, his view of her face grew foggy. He struggled to push his eyelids up. He couldn’t stop looking at the freckles that seemed to dance across her face. And how her hair looked so tantalizingly wild and out of control. “What would you prefer I did instead?”

Her lips descended toward his, greeting him, moist and eager. As their mouths and tongues mated, lusty adrenaline raced through his veins, Rich forgot his injured thigh, his intoxication, and that just seconds ago, he’d been so drop dead tired, he could barely hold his eyelids up.

One month later

The Science Channel crew returned to film the rest of the television series. Kent and his group had finished taking the cave measurements, proving Mountain River Cave was the largest in the world. The videographer, Annie Price, had captured footage of the most spectacular underground sites, which showcased the amazing limestone formations moving water had created. She also filmed the doline where they had unearthed the unusual rocks.

Kent became instantly famous for discovering the cave. His teammates suggested at least one of the newly discovered elements in the strange stones should be called Dunbarium.

“That’s too close to the name of another element,” Kent had argued.

Once Annie finished recording the day’s segment, she lowered her camera and the crew flipped off their lights.

“Let’s head back to camp.” Kent’s voice sounded tired and dark circles ringed his eyes. “It’s time to call it a day.” He’d lost weight in recent weeks, which made his dimples sink further into his cheeks.

Rebecca leaned her head in toward his shoulder. “You look tired. You really need to get some rest.”
When we go off on our little getaway, I’ll fix him lots of healthy, high-calorie meals.

He slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Yeah, I know. And we’ve been so busy, there hasn’t been much time for recreational activities if you know what I mean.” He turned toward her and winked, his eyes sparkling brilliant shades of blue.

Rebecca elbowed him in the ribs. “There will be no hanky panky tonight. Not until you catch up on your sleep.” Kent paused and then cleared his throat. “Uh, er, there’s something else I want to talk to you about.” His face darkened in a blush.

Rebecca reached for his cheek and ran her hand over his sexy dimple. “Is something wrong? I haven’t seen you turn beet red since the first days we met?”

“No, there’s nothing wrong. As a matter of fact, everything’s right. I just have something really important to ask you and I want to make sure I say it right.” Kent kissed her on the cheek, gazing into her eyes as he dropped down on his knees.

Rebecca’s eyes filled with tears. She clasped her hands together, her eyes fastened on the strong lines of his dimpled face and his mesmerizing eyes. The fantasy that had run through her mind ever since they’d first fallen in love was becoming a reality.

His blue eyes, illuminated by the golden sunlight that filtered through the trees, said they loved her a thousand different ways. “I love everything about you so much, Bec. You’re beautiful, you’re intelligent, and you’ve handled yourself like a champion out here during all these crazy events. And you turn me on so much, I know I’ll never get enough of making love to you. We have such a great connection—like I never imagined having with a woman before. Every day has been an adventure since I met you. And I want you to be a part of my life. Always. Will you please marry me?”

Rebecca squatted down on the wet ground in front of him, grasping his hands and pulling them in toward her, not noticing the happy tears that splashed onto his chest. “Oh, yes, Kent. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Two weeks later

Conditions couldn’t have been more fortuitous for an outdoor wedding. The monsoon rain clouds subsided, revealing azure skies and sunshine. And the cathedral the couple had chosen to exchange their vows in was an arch of limestone—part of Mountain River Cave. The dozen or so guests, dressed much more casually than the pair about to wed, gathered around the altar of rock where Kent stood waiting for his bride.

Amanda squeezed Tom’s hand and nuzzled his neck. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue. Her best friend was getting married. On one hand she was thrilled—nothing made her happier than seeing Rebecca so elated and in love. But on the other hand, she knew the marriage would mark a change in their friendship.

There would be no more dropping by unannounced or late night telephone calls. She hoped they wouldn’t grow apart—they’d been inseparable since grade school. Their friendship had been such a big part of her life for so long—she couldn’t imagine what her life would be like if Rebecca got too busy to ever see her. More tears streamed down her face.

Tom looked at her, raising a brow. “Why are you crying? The ceremony hasn’t even started yet.”

“Oh, I know,” Amanda sniffed, “but weddings always make me cry. And my best friend is about to commit herself to that man for life.” As Rebecca walked into the room, Amanda reached out and traced her fingers along Tom’s arm. “Look how beautiful she looks in that pale blue silk. Her skin just glows in that color. She looks so happy.” She dabbed her eyes and blew her nose. Her voice quaked when she spoke. “The last time I saw her dressed up was at our high school prom.”

Tom gave her a knowing smile. “Now that I can believe. I don’t imagine you own too many dresses yourself.”

Amanda smiled as she imagined herself as a bride. “Yeah, you’re right about that. But I’ll spend hours picking the right one if I ever get married.”

Tom waved his hand in front of her eyes. “Come back, your eyes have drifted off to la la land.”

“Oh, yes, I was just thinking, that’s all.”

Tom pressed his lips together, looking impatient. “About what? The fact that you might never marry? Why do women always talk like life could end without them making it to the altar? You’re still young–what’s the rush?”

Amanda felt bruised by his insensitivity. She wished Tom could act more sentimental on a special day like this. She crossed her legs, angling her body away from Tom. In her mind, she’d already committed herself to him. She’d met the man she wanted to spend her life with and she wished more than anything he felt the same. “Never mind—you wouldn’t understand.”

He placed his hands on her shoulders and urged her back toward him. “Oh, come on. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that I didn’t think marriage was important.”

“I’m just feeling a little emotional today that’s all.” As the emotions of the moment crashed down on her, Amanda burst into tears and covered her face with her hands. The uncertainty of her romantic relationship combined with the change about to happen with her closest friendship was more than she could handle. More than anything, she feared being all alone. Bec would fly off on her honeymoon and she’d be on a plane back to Tucson. Maybe Tom would drive down from Phoenix once in awhile to see her. Or maybe he’d forget her and they’d never see each other again.

Tom placed his hands on her back and rubbed soothingly. “It’s okay, I understand how you’re feeling more than you think. It’s hard when a friendship goes through a transition. I’ve been thinking a lot about how things between Kent and me will change after today. And if you’re worried about our relationship, don’t—I’m not going anywhere.”

Amanda uncovered her face and looked at him, wanting him to reaffirm what he’d just said. “Really?”

“I’ve told you what we have is too special to let go and I meant that. I love you. We already live in the same state—maybe one of us can relocate so we can live in the same town, or even better, the same apartment. And as for weddings, just be patient and let it happen. It’ll be better for both of us that way.”

Amanda wrapped her arms around Tom’s neck and kissed him. “Oh, Tom, I love you so much. Just knowing you want to stay together matters more than you know.”

Tom kissed her on the cheek and pulled back. “I better stop before Kent hollers out that we should get a room. He’s motioning for us to get in our places.”

* * * *

Rich sat beside Roberta, not sure what to say to her.

“Can you believe those two?” Roberta nudged Rich. “She’s crying and hanging all over him and the wedding hasn’t even started. The manipulative wench just wants him to propose.”

Rich rubbed his sweaty palms together and cleared his throat. “Yeah, maybe she does. But I think some women act stoic and ridicule other peoples’ emotions because they’re jealous and wish they were the ones standing at the altar.”

Roberta let out a long breath and hunched into her chair. “What a bunch of hogwash.”

Rich fidgeted in his chair, unsure of what to say next.
Sarcastic banter might break the ice.
“Ha, the lady protests a bit too loudly, I’d say.” He leaned in and elbowed her in the ribs before whispering in her ear. “It’s so obvious you’re aching to hook up with me.”

She slugged him in the arm and pushed his face back until her freckles were in focus to him again. “Ha, you must be joking. You’re the last man on earth I’d go for.”

He rubbed his sore arm and frowned. A woman who could give him a colorful bruise excited him. “Yeah, I could tell last night when you ripped my clothes to shreds rather than going for the buttons and zippers.” Feeling he had the situation under control, he reached into his pocket.

“Meeting basic needs is different than feeling emotional about someone. And no woman could possibly deal with your personality. You’ve spent too many days in the jungle. The female snakes might go for you, though.”

Female snakes?
He hadn’t been prepared for a line like that. He laid the box he’d pulled from his pocket on his lap. He pressed his lips together, realizing for the first time his plan might backfire. And for some reason, the disappointment tied his insides up in nasty knots. “Apparently, I misinterpreted sex for something more significant. As the young people around here would say, my bad.” He stuffed the box back into his pocket.

Roberta craned her neck toward his hidden hand. Surprise registered in her silvery blue eyes. “What was in that box you had there?”

“I was going to give you something, but I don’t think you’d be interested in it anyway.”

Her hand sprung out and landed on his knee. Her pitch intensified. “You were going to give me what?” Heads turned in their direction.