Heart of Fire by Linda Howard Read Free Book Online

huffy and tell him she wouldn't walk across the street with a jerk like him, but again she didn't even blink. Her face was as calm and blank as a statue's; even the expression in her eyes was shielded. "If I don't go," she said, "the expedition's off.
    At least as far as you're concerned. As I said, if you want to throw away the fee, that's fine with me. There are other guides."
    There were, but none he'd trust with a lone woman for that long a time. He doubted her brother could be counted on to keep her safe. He decided to try another tack, one that was bluntly truthful. "Honey, you don't want to spend two months inland—"
    "On the contrary, that's exactly what I want to do. I'm not a stranger to archaeological expeditions, Mr. Lewis. I'm used to bugs and snakes and being dirty, to bad food and bruises. I can walk all day and carry a hundred pounds doing it. I can shoot my own food if necessary, stitch up a cut, and use a machete."
    He placed his free hand over his heart. "My God, the perfect woman."
    She gave him a cool look but didn't snap at his bait. He leaned back in his chair and studied her with narrowed eyes. He'd really only given her a cursory inspection before, enough to know that she wasn't his type despite his automatic raunchy remarks, but she was becoming more interesting by the moment. Her cool composure made him want to do something that would really rattle her, like pull her onto his lap and kiss her until some of the stiffness left that backbone.
    At second look she still wasn't anything outstanding, except for the intelligence in her eyes. God save him from intelligent women; they thought too much, instead of just following their instincts. She was pretty enough but not flashy, just a rather lean, smallish woman with sleek dark brown hair and regular features. She was wearing a neat but unremarkable dress that managed not to be sexy even though it was a halter-top. Even worse, she revealed absolutely no awareness of him as a man. He was accustomed to all women being aware of him, even if they weren't receptive, but Ms. Sherwood appeared not to have an active hormone in her body. Dead from the neck down, as the saying went. Pity.
    On the other hand, if she could walk all day while carrying a heavy pack, then that trim body was probably all taut, finely tuned muscle. He had a sudden image of strong, slim thighs wrapped around his hips and, to his surprise, felt an answering tension in his groin. He'd left Theresa asleep in her tumbled bed, exhausted from an afternoon of rather vigorous sex, and he'd returned to the bar feeling completely satisfied. His penis, however, seemed to have a different opinion. Well, the damn thing had never had any sense anyway. No matter how firm and tight she was, he didn't want Ms. Archaeologist Sherwood along on his trek.
    "Let me get this straight," he drawled. "You want to be the only woman alone with a group of men for a couple of months?"
    "Sex doesn't enter into it, Mr. Lewis."
    "The hell it doesn't. Men get into fights over women every day, all over the world."
    "How silly of them."
    "Yeah, I've always thought so, but face the facts: if you're the only woman, then you pretty well have the monopoly, and men get a little crazy when it's around and they don't have any."
    She gave him an ironic look. "I won't be prancing around in negligees, Mr. Lewis, and I'm prepared to defend myself. I would also expect you to hire people who arent rapists."
    Rick and Kates had been sitting silently while she and Lewis battled, Rick looking uneasy and Kates merely looking bored. But Kates sat forward now. "This is pointless," he said. "She has to go. Do you want the job, Lewis, or not?"
    Ben thought about it. He didn't need the money or the hassle. He could tell them to find someone else; then he could spend the next few weeks resting and banging Theresa, just as he'd planned. On the other hand, his instincts were telling him that something was going on, that though she was on the level,