Expedition of Love (13 page)

"And as sweet as always,” he said with a chuckle.

"Are you our guide?"

"Sí, I volunteered for the job when I heard you were coming."

Stephen caught a glimpse of her face as she turned to her father. He couldn't recall ever seeing her smile quite so brightly before.

"Antonio, let me have a look at you,” Edwin said. “Just like your father.” He slapped the young man on the shoulder.

Edwin sounded pleased to see him, and apparently didn't think it too forward of the man to kiss Kristina or have his hand around her waist.

Grinding his teeth, Stephen jumped down from the wagon. At least she still wore his jacket, hiding some of her tortuous body from view.

"Stephen, this is Antonio Mendoza,” Edwin said. “He's the son of a good friend and our guide. It's his father's property we'll be excavating, and his eyes that recognized the fossil we're after. Antonio, this is Doctor Stephen Baxter, the leader of our expedition."

He shook his hand firmly, trying not to dislike the man simply because Kristina allowed him to kiss her. After all, he had sent word to the university regarding the fossil. In a way, if it weren't for him, they wouldn't be here.

"It is nice to meet you, Doctor."

With a nod, Stephen turned and introduced him to the rest of their team. The young gaucho released Kristina's waist in order to take each student's hand in greeting, ending Stephen's resolution to turn his teeth into powder.

Once everyone had exchanged greetings, they resumed loading their supplies with Antonio's help.

Stephen climbed into the last of the covered wagons as someone called out to their guide.

"What are you doing here, Antonio?"

Stephen ignored the new voice and continued rearranging the last of his gear until the man spoke again.

"I told you to stay at the camp and keep an eye on things."

Although Stephen's Spanish wasn't perfect, he clearly understood what the unknown man said, but couldn't understand why. Antonio was the son of a rancher and their guide. Why would someone be issuing orders to him and in total contradiction to his assigned duties?

"Don't be foolish, Miguel. You know I must do my job,” Antonio said.

"And escorting a bunch of gringos is your job? Who are these people? Does your father suspect something?"

"They are scientists. They have nothing to do with our business."

"They'd best not. Or you will find yourself out of a job. Permanently."

Stephen clearly heard the threat in the man's voice. What was Kristina's friend involved in? Their voices faded with the sound of footsteps as they moved further away from the wagon.

Silently, he climbed out of the back, away from the two Argentineans. He needed to speak to Edwin about this immediately. If Antonio was mixed up in something unsavory, it could have an adverse affect on the expedition.

Moving steadily toward his friend, he stopped at the sound of loud voices coming from the edge of the dock. A group of coarse men sat atop their horses whistling and calling out, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. He followed their leering gazes to Kristina.

Edwin stood in front of her speaking softly trying to calm her, but didn't appear to be having much luck. With every word from the rough group her face flushed a darker shade of red.

Gritting his teeth, Stephen grabbed his coat from where she'd laid it and stepped up beside her.

As he slipped it over her shoulders, she turned her angry gaze on him. “Don't you dare say one word."

He opened his mouth then thought better of it. Her Spanish being better than his, she knew what the men were saying, and it apparently had to do with her choice of dress. Something needed to be done, however.

He looked back to the riverbank and caught sight of Antonio talking to one of the men as he mounted his horse. Was that the unknown voice?

A deep sense of foreboding settled in his stomach. Antonio's involvement with the unpleasant band might prove to be more than just harmful to the expedition, but to Kristina as well.

"Edwin, do you know those men?” he asked. Both of them stood beside her like sentinels, eyeing the group.

"No, but Antonio does. I only hope he can get them to move on before blood is drawn."

"I would only frighten them off,” Kristina said through clenched teeth.

Stephen jerked his head to the side. “You'll go nowhere near them, do you understand?"

She spun around, slightly dislodging his jacket from her shoulders. “Would you please, stop telling me what I can and cannot do?"

He adjusted the coat, making sure it still covered her without letting his hands touch her warm, inviting body. “You're on my team, and I'll tell you what to do and when, if I choose. Nothing is going to jeopardize this expedition or your safety."

"Oh, you and your precious expedition will be fine. And as for me, I can take care of myself.” She shoved past him toward the boat, muttering beneath her breath about men being the plague of the earth.

He started to follow her, but his steps faltered at the sound of the men riding away. There were other things he needed to see to first. “Edwin, we need to talk."

"She'll cool down in a bit. Don't worry."

"It's not about your daughter. It's about Antonio. I overheard some of his discussion with one of those men and to be frank, I didn't like the sound of it.” He went on to tell Edwin what he'd heard, but his friend brushed it off insisting he was mistaken.

Stephen tried to push his nagging fears aside, attempting to convince himself his Spanish was rustier than he thought, but the puzzle of Antonio Mendoza continued to plague him as they journeyed toward the awaiting fossil.

The oasis like terrain slowly changed to desert covered with small thorny bushes and low hills. An occasional valley could be seen in the distance, but they remained on more level ground as they road across the plateaus. The dry wind beat against his face, and he marveled at the abrupt change from the moist breezes off the Rio Negro. He'd never seen such a diverse country. A person could experience every type of climate and habitat known by exploring Patagonia.

As they moved south to the central part of the Rio Negro region, he watched Kristina ride alongside her friend on one of the three horses Señor Mendoza loaned them for their expedition. His jacket now neatly folded and lying by him on the wagon seat, once again left her body displayed for all to see. Her backside swayed back and forth as they lumbered across the countryside while her braid swept across her shirt in a hypnotizing wave. More than once he caught Mr. Walters and the others watching her from the other wagons.

Jealousy squeezed his chest. How was he going to survive for two months looking at her dressed like that day in and day out? And did she have to be so friendly with that Mendoza chap? Especially since the man's intentions were no longer clear.

He clenched the reins of the team tighter as he tore his gaze away. He felt like a doomed man. Sooner or later he would lose the battle with himself, take her in his arms, and kiss her. And he wasn't sure he would be able to stop there.

The backs of his hands still burned where his fists clutched his jacket around her, touching her breasts. The tone of her voice, the warmth of her body, all pulled him toward her. He wanted to possess her in every way.

Her tinkling laughter drew his gaze back to her. She was nothing like the other women he knew, and he feared he hadn't seen the last of the surprises Edwin had mentioned.

"You'll have nothing but nubs to eat with if you don't stop grinding your teeth,” his friend said beside him.

Stephen had forgotten he wasn't alone on the wagon seat. “Sorry", he muttered.

"I'm sure you were mistaken about Antonio. I've known the lad since he was a boy. Or is something else bothering you?"

He cleared his throat, not about to tell him the truth. “No. I'm sure you're right. I should've spent more time studying my Spanish."

Edwin hummed in agreement. “Antonio was the one who taught Kristina most of hers. They've been friends for years. They see one another as brother and sister. Oh, I admit she did have a rather large crush on the fellow at one time, but I wager that's all in the past."

Stephen bit back a curse. He didn't need that little piece of information.

Kristina smiled as she and Antonio talked and remembered the times they'd had together as they made their way across the beautiful landscape of Argentina. Of course any discussion that did not involve a certain doctor would make her smile. The man had to be the most exasperating human on the planet. Ordering her about, telling her what to wear, whom she could associate with. Well, not that she wanted to associate with those horrible men, but she most definitely wanted to give them a colorful piece of her mind.

And what was wrong with her clothes? They were serviceable and appropriate for her work. Was his sense of propriety so strict? Did it really matter that women generally didn't wear pants? He jerked his coat around her as if she were naked.

Her face heated as she remembered the things the strangers had said. She hadn't understood all of the words, but she clearly understood their meaning, and nakedness had definitely been mentioned. Would they have been so crude if she had been in skirts? Possibly, but Stephen's behavior seemed so extreme, so possessive. Could he have been behaving out of some strange sense of jealousy?

She twisted in her saddle and looked back at the following wagons, locating him instantly. He had left his shirtsleeves rolled up, exposing his strong forearms.

Before she approached him with her bags that morning, she stole a few moments and watched him as he worked. The muscles in his back strained against the fabric of his shirt as he lifted the heavy crates, leaving her somewhat lightheaded. An interesting sensation and not too terribly unpleasant.

His brooding scowl lifted slightly when his gaze met hers from his place by her father, sending a rivulet of warmth from her chest to just below her belly. He could be handsome when he chose and was a finely built specimen of man, but his attitude left much to be desired.

His gaze shifted to Antonio, bringing back his scowl.

Interesting. She smiled and returned her gaze toward their destination. Perhaps her theories on possessive behavior and jealousy weren't totally unfounded.

A few hours later they arrived at the fossil site Antonio happened upon on one of his many trips across his father's vast ranch. Climbing down from the wagon, Stephen grimaced and abruptly turned his back as Antonio helped Kristina off her horse. Seeing his hands around her tiny waist and the slide of her body against his as he lowered her to the ground twisted his stomach into knots.

Needing to take out his frustrations on something other than his teeth, he quickly set about unloading their supplies. Other than a short pause for a meager luncheon of fruit and bread, they proceeded to raise the shelters and prepare the camp.

Once he removed a few scrubby shrubs from an even piece of ground, he unrolled his tent. The distinctive smell of canvas wafted in the air. He took a long lingering breath.

He enjoyed camping, but hadn't been fortunate enough to go on as many excursions as he would've liked over the years. Yet with the success of this expedition, he hoped the university would grant him more opportunities. North America was full of fossils, and he wanted the chance to discover some of them while exploring the beauty of his own country.

Pounding in the tent stakes, he surreptitiously watched Kristina, surprised at how hard she worked and how knowledgeable she appeared to be in setting up camp. Swiping her brow with the back of her hand, her well-worn heavy gloves made it clear she was no stranger to hard work, yet her dainty hands showed no sign of her labors. He wondered how she managed to keep her skin so soft.

Shrugging off the inconsequential thought, he returned his eyes to his task. Once his tent was secure, he set up the small cot along one side and laid out his bedding. On the other side he placed his trunk and a crate filled with some of his tools, books, and a portable desk. Using a smaller empty crate as a nightstand, he positioned it at the head of his cot and placed a lantern on top.

Satisfied his temporary home was organized to his specifications, he stepped out into the warm sunshine and stretched out the kinks in his back. He wasn't sure if his discomfort was caused by the apprehension regarding the success of the expedition with a woman along, or the excessive work he'd performed trying to purge the image of Kristina wearing pants from his mind.

He chuckled humorlessly. Either way, it all came back to her. Glancing about the encampment, he felt a satisfying sense of accomplishment before giving way to restrained panic. Where was she? And where was Antonio?

With pounding strides he circled the area, but they were nowhere in sight. His anger rising, he came around the end of one of the wagons and stopped short. He found her, but not Antonio. A previous problem had resurfaced.

Mr. Walters’ hands rested against the wagon, wholly trapping her between his arms. His head moved nearer hers with the obvious intent of bestowing a kiss. One she apparently did not want as she pressed against his chest rather forcefully.

"Having difficulty finding something to do, Mr. Walters?” he asked.

The young man dropped his hands immediately and stepped back, but showed little sign of remorse. “No, sir. I was just helping Miss Peterson with her camera equipment."

"I'm sure she can manage. Go help the others store the supplies."

"Certainly, Doctor.” He turned to look back at Kristina, her face flushed. “Another time, Miss Peterson."

Stephen turned from Mr. Walters’ retreating back just in time to hear her mutter a few choice words.

"If you hadn't come when you did, I swear I would have shot him.” Spinning around, she leapt up onto the wagon.

He cringed at the sight of her dungarees pulled taut across her backside. As she shoved and kicked at a few crates searching for her equipment, he admired every delicious curve before climbing in behind her.