Mexican Nights by Jeanne Stephens Read Free Book Online Page A

surrounding countryside. As time passed, groups settled in other areas, and one of the sites taken over from earlier civilizations was Teotihuacán."
    "I remember running across something about that in one of the books I read before coming here," Terri said. "Haven't parts of Mexico City settled over the years?"
    He nodded, casting her a brief approving glance.
    "Some of the most important historical structures have had to be condemned because of it—the Shrine of Guadalupe, for example. I hope we can work in a visit to the shrine while we're here."
    The remainder of the drive passed quickly, with Derek providing more background on the Aztecs, which he said would give her a perspective from which to view the famous archaeological site they were approaching.
    They stopped first at an enormous quadrangle about a quarter of a mile long, lined with stairs, facing a court that, according to Derek, had once been entirely paved. Inside the quadrangle were the crumbling remains of various ceremonial structures.
    As they descended a staircase into the courtyard, Derek said, "This was the Temple of Quetzalcoatl—the feathered serpent, originally a Toltec god. He was later absorbed into the Aztec hierarchy of gods."
    While she walked about the ruins snapping pictures, Derek strolled nearby, examining carvings that could still be seen on some of the walls. An hour passed while Terri took two rolls of color and one of black and white. Under the blazing Mexican sun, she climbed up and down stairs and walked, sometimes with difficulty, over rubble, until she was hot and tired, her knit shirt damp with perspiration and hugging her body like a second skin.
    Derek came up to her as she was removing the third roll of exposed film from her camera, his dark eyes taking in the clinging contours of her damp shirt. If she hadn't known better, she might even have believed the slanting smile contained a touch of sympathy in addition to frank appraisal.
    "You look as if you need a rest. Let's find a cold drink and a shady spot."
    Terri followed him willingly from the quadrangle. In the car again, with the air conditioner going full blast, they followed a circular road to a spot where souvenir booths and refreshment stands had been set up. Derek bought two colas in chilled bottles and they carried them to the shade of a nearby tree.
    Gratefully, Terri dropped to the grass, sitting with her back against the tree trunk. Derek sat down beside her. "There's lots more to see yet," he said, studying her from beneath thick, dark lashes. "I don't want you to have a sunstroke on me. Just tell me when you've had enough."
    She took a long swallow of the cold drink and tipped her head back against the tree trunk. She glanced at Derek and thought she saw a suggestion of challenge in the lift at the corners of his mouth. "I can take it as long as you can."
    "She said as she passed out atop the Sun Pyramid," Derek retorted with an amused gleam in his eyes.
    Terri pushed the heavy weight of her hair off her forehead with the back of her hand. "I'm not the fainting type. Your experience with women must not be as varied as I've heard if you think we're all weak, insipid creatures." She tipped the cola bottle up and drained it, then set the empty bottle aside.
    He was sitting facing her, his drink finished, too, his muscular brown arms clasped loosely about his drawn-up legs. There was a rakish tilt to the dark brows as he grinned at her. "So you're not the fainting type. Tell me, Terri, what type are you?"
    "Don't you know?" she retorted, bridling at the taunt in his tone. "My goodness, your advance PR has certainly exaggerated your knowledge of the opposite sex. I thought, by this time, you'd have me neatly categorized."
    Suddenly, he reached out and caught her hand, which was lying on the grass between them, lifting it, palm up, imprisoned in his strong fingers. One finger of his other hand traced her delicate lifeline slowly, sending a tremor of warning through her.