The Treasure by Jennifer Lowery Read Free Book Online

tea back home, but Amelia had always secretly preferred coffee. Brit’s teas were great, but in Amelia’s judgment, nothing beat a good cup of strong coffee.
    “Did you grow your own beans?” she asked, savoring the rich, smooth liquid.
    “Did you forget where you are, Miss Sawyer?” Brody mused, taking a sip from his cup.
    “What? Oh, right. South America. Juan Valdez. Well, I must say, this beats a cup of chai any day. But don’t tell my sister I said so.”
    “Since I don’t know what chai is, my lips are sealed.”
    “It’s black tea. Usually with ginger, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. I like it with milk and honey. It’s very good for you.”
    “Black pepper? I think I’ll stick with coffee,” Brody said with a grimace.
    Amelia smiled. “It tastes better than it sounds. If I had to choose between Brit’s tea and your coffee, I’d take the coffee.”
    “But don’t tell your sister,” Brody finished for her. Her smile broadened.
    “Right. I couldn’t hurt her like that.” Setting her cup down, Amelia noticed Brody watching her. Her smile faded. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
    Brody ignored the question and tossed the rest of his coffee in the sink before he rinsed it down. “You’ve had a long day. You can have my bed tonight.”
    “I don’t suppose you have a guest room tucked away somewhere?” she asked, not all that comfortable with sleeping in his bed.
    With his back to her, Brody said roughly, “No, what you see is what you get.”
    Confused by his turn of mood, Amelia rose to her feet, wondering if there was a double entendre in his words. No, Brody had done nothing but be brutally truthful to her. He was talking about his place, not himself.
    Amelia chided herself for reading too much into his words and headed for the back room. It was nothing more than four thin walls, a double bed, table, and a small closet. A clock radio sat on the table; otherwise, the room was bare. Again, no personal touches.
    How could Brody live like this? Her decision to go on this trip had caused turmoil among her and her sisters, but she still had them. They were her family and no matter how badly she messed up, they never gave up on her. Suffocated her, if nothing else. Always hovering like mother hens, making sure she didn’t do anything foolish, even though she always did.
    Brody, it appeared, had no one. Like he said, what she saw was what she got. So where was his family?
    She leaned out the door. “Good night.”
    “Amelia?”
    Amelia froze. “Yes?”
    “Don’t you need your suitcase?”
    Her breath escaped in a silent, relieved rush. He was gentle and cared about other people. What was wrong with her, thinking Brody was going to say anything else?
    Chiding herself for having fanciful thoughts about a man who blatantly said she wasn’t his type, Amelia answered, “No, I’m fine.” She wasn’t about to go get it out of the Land Rover now that her thoughts had turned traitor.
    She closed the door and prepared for bed, more confused than ever.
    • • •
    Brody stared at the closed door to his bedroom, his jaw clenched tight. With a shake of his head, he strode out of the loft, taking the stairs angrily to the hangar below. What he wanted and what his body wanted were two different things and it was making life with Amelia Sawyer pure hell. Especially when she smiled. And wore those damn sexy clothes that were completely inappropriate for the jungle. They weren’t revealing or overtly erotic, they were … ah, hell. It wasn’t the clothes. It was her. And the sooner he got rid of her, the better. He didn’t need a woman complicating his already complicated life.
    “Trouble, my friend?”
    Brody looked over to see a dark-skinned man with long, graying hair struggling to lift a box onto the shelf near the door. “Galo, I didn’t know you were here.” He walked over to take the box from him and put it on the top shelf.
    “I was on my way back from town. Heard some