Winter of the Passion Flower (The de Vargas Family) (8 page)

Indigo and Zane sat silently on the log,
each lost in their own thoughts, until the first fingers of sunlight touched
the rainforest. Melodious birdsong contrasting with the rough barking of the
spider monkeys surrounded them as the light filtered through the dense canopy
above. Indigo moved across to the edge of the pit and looked down at the
skeletons below.

“I am sure the bodies are evidence of a
failed attempt to breach the plantation, but we must remain on guard,” she warned.
“We have dug pits around each of the entry points. Make sure you follow me
closely when we go in.”

Zane nodded. He’d barely said a word since
they’d left the boat and she wondered what he was thinking about. His touch had
been platonic as he’d checked her for injuries. She did not hurt anywhere, and
was confident she had suffered no ill effects from her fall. Indigo had sat
quietly as his warm strong hands traversed her body, biting down on her cheek
when her heartbeat picked up, warmth lingering where Zane touched her with
gentle fingers. Her body trembled and she knew it had more to do with his touch
than from the fall. The buzzing of mosquitoes interrupted her thoughts and she
leaned over to pull the netting down on Zane’s hat, covering his face and neck,
before doing the same to her own.

“Jungle fever,” she explained moving back
from the edge of the pit. “We didn’t have time to take the preventative
pharmacological.”

Within minutes the sun filtered through the
treetops, lighting up the rainforest around them. Indigo moved to the perimeter
of the trees and peered out through the dense foliage. All was still and the
lack of movement reassured her intruders had not breached the plantation.

She reached for her water bottle, taking a
large drink of the cold liquid.

“Ensure that you drink regularly as we
work. The heat of the jungle will sap your energy and we must finish quickly.
There is a waterfall on the other side of the plantation where we can replenish
our bottles.”

Zane’s gaze held hers as he tipped the
bottle to his mouth. Indigo looked steadily back at him, fascinated by the
muscles in his strong throat working as he drank deeply.

“When we have picked the flowers, how will
we carry them back? We left the bags at the beginning of the track.” Zane’s
brow wrinkled in a frown.

Indigo looked away from him, wanting to
touch him, yet angry at herself.

“We only need gather the stamens. We will have
to forgo gathering the whole bloom this trip. The stamen will suffice but it is
critical that we keep them in the light,” she replied tersely. “Don’t worry. I
have it under control”

“I’m sure you do,” he replied with a smile.

“It will be a long morning. We must risk
harvesting in the heat so we can see what we are doing. We have to return to
the
Artemis
before the time window closes.” Indigo was worried and she
stared off into the distance as she did the calculations. “If we miss the
departure, it may be days before the window is available again. If only we
could contact Mr. Grimoult, he could start working on another departure point.”

Zane smiled at her, lifting his wrist as he
tapped his chronometer. “I can contact Mr. Grimoult.”

“What?” she asked not understanding what he
said.

He nodded and repeated his words. “I can
speak to Mr. Grimoult.”

Indigo watched in disbelief as Zane flipped
open the small cog on the side of the timepiece. A small rectangular platform
rose from its center, doubling in size as it opened. A tiny brass handle joined
a long shaft that ran the length of the rectangle, with a circular brass knob
that made a clicking sound when depressed.

“Have you heard of Morse code?” Zane tapped
the small contraption with the tip of his finger.

“Yes, it is a new navigational aid using a
unique sequence of dots and dashes. But I thought it was done with light?” she
questioned.

“That’s correct. However, it also uses
sound as a signal. When we were in the navy, Mr. Grimoult experimented with me
and we managed to shrink the transmitters and insert them in our chronometers.
We achieved a small measure of success and we were able to transmit and receive
over long distances. I noticed Mr. Grimoult still wears his.”

Indigo frowned. “But will there be interference
from the technology of this time?”

“One way to find out. I will send a message
to him now.”

She watched him, her body tense, as he
tapped a series of dots and dashes using the small platform. Zane sat silently,
not taking his eyes from the chronometer, waiting for a return signal. Parrots
screeched around them, swooping in and out of the treetops as the chronometer
remained silent. After ten minutes, he shrugged.

“I hoped we would have success.” He was
obviously disappointed. “Come on, let’s get started.”

Indigo put her hand on his wrist. “It is a
fascinating instrument. Thank you for trying.”

There was a loud click and the small cogs
on the side of the chronometer began to spin slowly, followed by a series of
softer clicks. Zane put the timepiece close to his ear, listening intently.
When the movement stopped, he grabbed Indigo, picked her up whirling her
around.

“Are you out of your mind?” she said
coldly. “I told you quite clearly not to touch me unless I invite you to.” Her
heart raced and she frowned at him.

“Sorry, Madame,” Zane said, grinning at
her. “It was my way of telling you that Mr. Grimoult has received our
transmission. Full steam ahead, when you are ready, if you pardon the pun.”

A quick circuit of the jungle perimeter
around the plantation confirmed Indigo’s certainty the plantation remained
secure. Stepping from the shade of the jungle into the open plantation, the
warm sunshine caressed them like the steam of a Turkish bathhouse. Indigo
stopped, pointing at the cliffs ahead, covered with a mass of brilliant blue
flowers in full bloom.

“The blue passionflower,” she said proudly.
“The plant is complex. It has five sepals and five petals similar in
appearance, surrounded by the blue corona. Each plant has five yellow stamens
and three purple stigmas. As I said before we will only be able to collect the
stamens today.” She walked to the base of the cliffs, before reaching up to
pick a large bloom. “Unless by some miracle, Luis arrives with the containers.”

Zane watched her as she gently held the
stamen between her forefinger and thumb before removing it from the rest of the
plant. He did not move or speak, standing silently with his arms crossed.

“Do you have a problem with that, Captain?
It is a very simple process.”

Zane kicked at the damp mulch beneath his
feet, turning his back to her, arms still folded across his chest.

“Oh God, what now?” she asked crossly,
moving around in front of him. She stared at him. “What on earth is the matter
now?”

“Madame.” Zane glared at her. “Your
botanical knowledge is most impressive, however I am struggling to understand
why in God’s name, we have traveled over two hundred years for the collection
of this plant. I have seen it growing wild in our time, against sunny walls on
the Cornish coast. Indeed, some of my voyages in the navy were to protect
expeditions that brought back this same plant to the temperate gardens of
Cornwall.” He shook his head and his frustration was apparent.

“Place your trust in me, Captain. If you
recall, you were commissioned solely, to pilot my submarine. It is necessary.”
Reaching to touch his arm, she smiled as Zane walked toward the vines. “Now we
must commence work. And watch out for snakes.”

The morning grew hotter and perspiration
trickled down Indigo’s back and her shirt stuck to her uncomfortably. Working
their way through the plantation, she insisted Zane break regularly to drink
plenty of water. Finally they reached the plants at the base of the cliff and
she waved to him, calling him to join her at the point where the vines snaked
up the cliff face.

“Now, to answer one of your many questions,
Captain.” With a mischievous smile, Indigo continued. “Take off your shirt.”

Zane did not move.

“Please,” she added.

He pulled his shirt off over his head and Indigo
fought for self-control as she gazed at the well-sculpted chest in front of
her. Tearing her eyes away, she held her hands together, fighting the urge to
run her fingers across the taut stomach where a V of dark hair snaked into his
jeans. Smiling up at him, she knelt down, using her knife to slit his T-shirt
open down one side, laying it flat on the ground. Gently lifting each stamen
from the small pile gathered, Indigo placed them on the cotton fabric. “Now we
only need a few more of the larger blooms that grow on the cliff face and we
will have enough. Can you climb up there?”

Nodding, Zane climbed a couple of meters up
the cliff face, gaining footholds in the twisted stems of the vine. Drinking
the last of her water, Indigo watched as he carefully removed the stamens from
the largest blooms that were tucked into a small crack and protected from the
weather. He cradled them gently against his bare chest and he stretched out for
those just beyond his reach. The muscles in his tanned back flexed when he
reached for the highest passionflowers, and the now familiar warmth worked its
way down to the juncture between her thighs.

Can I trust
him?

He was certainly a fine physical specimen.
The captain would make a pleasant addition to her enterprise and to her bed.
Making a sudden decision, Indigo followed her instincts, calling up to him.
“You have gathered enough, Captain. We must rest before we make our way back to
the river before dark.”

After carefully laying out the rest of the
stamens on his T-shirt, where they would capture the full sunlight, she
collected their water bottles and sauntered toward the cliff, beckoning Zane to
follow her. She moved ahead of him and walked through the sheer cliff, slipping
through the fissure in the rock face. His footsteps echoed behind her as he
followed her through the opening in the cliff, which was wide enough for two
people to walk abreast. Rainbows reflected off the sheer walls and the noise of
flowing water surrounded them.

Stepping out onto a wide rock platform,
Zane drew a deep breath as shafts of light from the afternoon sun turned the
mighty river into a stream of molten gold below them. A magnificent vista of
green jungle edged with the distant deep blue of the Pacific Ocean spread
beyond the Amazon River. Steep rocky cliffs tumbled away beneath them and a
fine mist rose from the surging water of the roaring waterfall cooling their
overheated bodies. Indigo pointed eastward, where a high snow-capped mountain
disappeared in the clouds.

“
Nevada Mismo
. The source of the
Amazon.” She smiled up at him.” Now, I hope you are not prudish, sir, as I am
in desperate need of a cooling shower.” He couldn’t take his eyes from her as
she removed her boots, setting them aside in a dry corner. Her jeans, T-shirt
and minuscule red undergarment quickly joined them before she strode across
past him and stepped into the fine mist

She beckoned him with a tilt of her head.
“You are more than welcome to join me.” Stepping into the curtain of cascading
water, she turned and smiled at him as he quickly placed his boots, clothes and
chronometer on the ground before following her into the fine mist. The clear
water cascaded over their bodies, icy cold from the snow that fed the
waterfall.

Zane stepped toward her, his arms stiffly
by his side. Holding her gaze, he sought permission. “Are you ready for my
touch now, Indigo?”

She leaned over and kissed him hard,
pushing her breasts into his bare chest and he gently turned her around. She
arched back against him and he bent down to kiss the beauty spot on her
shoulder.

“I have wanted to do that since I first saw
you,” he murmured.

Tangling her luxuriant hair in his hands,
he pulled her head back, sliding his lips down her neck, and Indigo pressed
herself against him.

“I need to touch you,” she whispered
softly. Turning, she wrapped her hands around the silken length of his manhood.
A shudder rippled through him as she brushed him with fingers as light as a
butterfly wing. He sighed and Indigo pushed him against the hard wall of the
cave and lifted her legs, wrapping them high around him, opening to him.

“Now,” she demanded her voice thick with
lust. Zane followed her lead. He entered her and she trembled in his arms.
Waves of pure pleasure washed over him when she shuddered, out of control as she
reached the pinnacle of her pleasure. He continued to pleasure her and her
breath mingled with his as he moved slowly until he could hold back no longer.
A guttural cry left his lips as he climaxed and he closed his eyes, dropping
his head on her shoulder and Indigo turned into him allowing his lips to slide
down her neck. She loosened her hold on him as he bent, putting his arms under
her knees. Zane picked her up, his strong arms easily carrying her across to
the ferns growing beside the waterfall. He laid her gently in the soft
greenery, using his tongue to master her mouth and body until Indigo begged for
completion. Sated, he held her close and they dozed lightly for a short time.