after she'd been in it and left," he told the cats.
Machu flicked his ears, not bothering to open his eyes. Ellora slithered around a bit until she was more comfortable.
"No offense, but you two aren't the world's greatest conversationalists."
Gideon got up off the sofa. He picked up the brandy glass and walked over to the table where the chess pieces had been set out. Idly he fingered the wooden figures for a moment and then he set them out in a slightly different pattern.
Machu rumbled inquiringly.
"Think she'd have made the deal with Jake Savage if the bastard was still around, Machu? Savage always had a way with women. He sure wouldn't have screwed up the way I did tonight. He'd have charmed her straight into bed."
Machu didn't answer but his gem-hard eyes watched Gideon intently.
"You and me, we're not exactly loaded with charm, are we, pal?" Gideon studied the new positions of the wooden figures. The balance of power had now shifted to his side of the board. "But Savage isn't here. I am. And she wants the Flowers. I can lead her to them. The question is, do I really want to get mixed up with her? We've been doing pretty well here on our own."
Ellora lifted her head and meowed silently.
"So why does the house seem cold, damn it? It's almost summer."
G IDEON T RACE was at Sarah's door before she had even finished dressing for the day in a pair of white jeans and a lemon-yellow shirt. Deliberately she made him wait while she anchored her hair in an off-center twist over one ear. Then she went to open the door.
"Hi." She offered nothing further. He looked larger than ever standing there in the cold, gray light of a new day.
"Good morning." Gideon braced himself with one hand against the doorjamb. "Make up your mind, yet?"
"I had no idea you were waiting on pins and needles."
He gave her his faint, twisted smile. "I know I'm early. I was afraid if I left it too long, you'd sneak off to go after the Flowers without me."
"I was only going to sneak as far as the coffee shop." She turned to pick up her windbreaker, aware that he was scanning her room from the doorway. She was suddenly very conscious of her nightgown lying in a heap on the bed, the open suitcase with a sock trailing out of it and the collection of toilet articles littering the dresser. She closed the door very quickly.
"I'll join you for breakfast," Gideon said. "I didn't get a chance to eat before I left the house this morning."
"Your own fault." She locked the door behind her and started across the street to the small coffee shop. The lights were just coming on inside. To the right, the narrow, two-lane road vanished around a bend into the fog-shrouded trees.
"You hold a mean grudge, don't you?" Gideon paced beside her. His hands were thrust into the pockets of a sheepskin jacket.
Sarah said nothing more until they were seated in a booth in the corner of the coffee shop. She studied Gideon for a long moment, remembering all the fleeting thoughts, hopes and dreams that had come to her in the night. She fought back the sense of longing that threatened to overwhelm her and tried to make herself speak coolly and logically. There would be no more impulsiveness on her part, she vowed silently.
"Let me get this straight," she said. "You think I'm an opportunist who uses sex to get what she wants, but you're willing to help me search for the earrings if you get to keep one pair for yourself, right?"
His big hands folded around the mug in front of him and his eyes met hers in a level gaze. "I'll help you search for the earrings. Let's leave it at that."
"All right. I guess that makes us both opportunists, doesn't it? At last we have something in common."
He stared at her unblinkingly, the way Machu Picchu would stare at a mouse. "We're in this together? We've got a deal?"
"Sure. Why not? I came to you in the first place because I don't know anything about treasure hunting. You do. That makes you very useful to me and I'm willing to bargain
Machu flicked his ears, not bothering to open his eyes. Ellora slithered around a bit until she was more comfortable.
"No offense, but you two aren't the world's greatest conversationalists."
Gideon got up off the sofa. He picked up the brandy glass and walked over to the table where the chess pieces had been set out. Idly he fingered the wooden figures for a moment and then he set them out in a slightly different pattern.
Machu rumbled inquiringly.
"Think she'd have made the deal with Jake Savage if the bastard was still around, Machu? Savage always had a way with women. He sure wouldn't have screwed up the way I did tonight. He'd have charmed her straight into bed."
Machu didn't answer but his gem-hard eyes watched Gideon intently.
"You and me, we're not exactly loaded with charm, are we, pal?" Gideon studied the new positions of the wooden figures. The balance of power had now shifted to his side of the board. "But Savage isn't here. I am. And she wants the Flowers. I can lead her to them. The question is, do I really want to get mixed up with her? We've been doing pretty well here on our own."
Ellora lifted her head and meowed silently.
"So why does the house seem cold, damn it? It's almost summer."
G IDEON T RACE was at Sarah's door before she had even finished dressing for the day in a pair of white jeans and a lemon-yellow shirt. Deliberately she made him wait while she anchored her hair in an off-center twist over one ear. Then she went to open the door.
"Hi." She offered nothing further. He looked larger than ever standing there in the cold, gray light of a new day.
"Good morning." Gideon braced himself with one hand against the doorjamb. "Make up your mind, yet?"
"I had no idea you were waiting on pins and needles."
He gave her his faint, twisted smile. "I know I'm early. I was afraid if I left it too long, you'd sneak off to go after the Flowers without me."
"I was only going to sneak as far as the coffee shop." She turned to pick up her windbreaker, aware that he was scanning her room from the doorway. She was suddenly very conscious of her nightgown lying in a heap on the bed, the open suitcase with a sock trailing out of it and the collection of toilet articles littering the dresser. She closed the door very quickly.
"I'll join you for breakfast," Gideon said. "I didn't get a chance to eat before I left the house this morning."
"Your own fault." She locked the door behind her and started across the street to the small coffee shop. The lights were just coming on inside. To the right, the narrow, two-lane road vanished around a bend into the fog-shrouded trees.
"You hold a mean grudge, don't you?" Gideon paced beside her. His hands were thrust into the pockets of a sheepskin jacket.
Sarah said nothing more until they were seated in a booth in the corner of the coffee shop. She studied Gideon for a long moment, remembering all the fleeting thoughts, hopes and dreams that had come to her in the night. She fought back the sense of longing that threatened to overwhelm her and tried to make herself speak coolly and logically. There would be no more impulsiveness on her part, she vowed silently.
"Let me get this straight," she said. "You think I'm an opportunist who uses sex to get what she wants, but you're willing to help me search for the earrings if you get to keep one pair for yourself, right?"
His big hands folded around the mug in front of him and his eyes met hers in a level gaze. "I'll help you search for the earrings. Let's leave it at that."
"All right. I guess that makes us both opportunists, doesn't it? At last we have something in common."
He stared at her unblinkingly, the way Machu Picchu would stare at a mouse. "We're in this together? We've got a deal?"
"Sure. Why not? I came to you in the first place because I don't know anything about treasure hunting. You do. That makes you very useful to me and I'm willing to bargain
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