She laughed and plastered her lips to his. He tugged playfully at her mouth, but the gesture soon turned passionate. He moaned low in his throat, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
How could she feel so right in his arms? How could he be so perfect, and yet be so wrong for her?
He reached behind him, groping for her shirt then produced it with a grin. “I’d much rather you not put it back on, but I also don’t want another man seeing you.”
She rose and quickly dressed, watching as Ridge did the same. He was perfection in its purest form. She didn’t consider herself particularly interested in the male form, but this one...
He wasn’t overly muscled, yet he hadn’t a spare ounce of flesh anywhere. He had broad shoulders, a strong chest, and legs...she didn’t believe for a moment this man had spent his entire life only in the pursuit of scholarly interests. He obviously exercised with some regularity.
He grinned lecherously at her. “Like what you see?”
She flushed again and spun quickly around to find her boots.
He chuckled behind her. Then she felt his arms wrap around her and pulled her back to his chest. “You needn’t be shy with me, India.”
He turned her around to face him. “I don’t think I’ve ever quite been this happy.”
He may as well have punched her in the gut.
“Ho, Ridge!” Robby called out.
She and Ridge turned around to see Robby walking up to the campsite, Juan Miguel close behind.
A shadow fell across Ridge, his joviality fading as he watched Robby approach. India looked at him in puzzlement, wondering what would force such a drastic sobering of his mood.
Ridge strode over to meet Robby and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
“How are you this morning?” she heard him ask his brother.
Robby offered a crooked grin. “I’ve been better, but I’ve also been worse.” He shrugged. “So it evens out.”
“What’s wrong?” India demanded, stepping forward.
Ridge turned pain-filled eyes on her then glanced back at Robby as if seeking permission.
“She doesn’t know?” Robby asked.
Ridge shook his head. “I hadn’t had a chance to tell her yet.”
Robby swirled his boot in the dirt, staring down at it in discomfort. When he looked back up at her, he had steeled his expression. “I’m dying.”
India’s hand flew to her mouth in horror. Tears flooded her eyes, and she looked beseechingly at Ridge. “I’m so sorry. No wonder you hate me,” she whispered, knowing now that Ridge had even more reason to despise her.
Ridge shoved a hand in his hair. “It’s my fault as well,” he said quietly.
Robby laughed and shook his head. “Has it occurred to either of you that my illness has nothing to do with either of you?”
India closed the distance between her and Robby and placed her hand on his arm. “That isn’t what I meant,” she said quietly. “If I hadn’t...” She nearly choked on the words. “If I hadn’t lied to Ridge. If I had been honest.”
Robby quirked his lip. “Well I won’t argue that you should have been honest with my big brother, but it had no bearing on my illness.”
Ridge wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and massaged gently. “He’s right, India.”
“What should we do?” she asked, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on her. Her own father was at risk, but how could they ignore Ridge’s brother and his plight?
“I know what you’re thinking, India,” Robby spoke up. “Ridge and I have already discussed this. I’m along because this is what I want. I don’t want to go back to England to die in some horrid bed with Mother fussing over me. Besides, I can’t let Ridge have all the fun.”
“But what about your parents?” she asked in horror. How awful for them to lose a son. Never gained the chance to say goodbye.
