Chapter Eight
Felix didn’t know whyhe felt so lighthearted as he led his group through the jungle, but the decision to keep on going was the right one. Whether he did it for Katrina or for himself, he still wasn’t sure. With a pang of longing in his heart, he knew this would be his last trip ever and he wanted to make it memorable. So far he’d accomplished that. The kiss they’d shared last night had been powerful, and literally knocked him senseless. He’d definitely remember it in years to come.
Katrina had been frightened at first, but then she’d sighed and had fallen against him, and he knew she enjoyed the kiss just as much. When she had slid her hands up his chest, his neck, and down his back in a curious exploration, he’d nearly jumped out of his skin. The pleasure shooting through him was so different from what he’d experienced with other women. With Katrina, he had nearly lost control over his mind, which was why he had stopped her. Feeling that way was not a good thing and he couldn’t let it happen again. Felix Knightly always had to be in control.
He took a different path out of Manaus, one that wasn’t as well-traveled. More times than not, he and his men unsheathed their machetes to cut the hanging white yiel-yiel leaves and branches out of the way as they advanced deeper into the jungle.
Katrina stayed between him and a couple of his men, which was exactly what Felix wanted, mainly since he had a hard time keeping his hands off her. Now that he had tasted her sweet kiss, he worried he would want to sample another one soon.
Because Manuel remained in town with Suzette, the other men volunteered to help carry supplies. Even Katrina gave Felix permission to load her pack with more items. Every so often, he looked over his shoulder to make certain she was doing all right, and it surprised him to see her forging on without any difficulty. Usually, pampered women couldn’t handle such laborious tasks, yet Katrina seemed to deal with things quite well, surprisingly.
There was something about her he couldn’t put his finger on, yet he didn’t have time to dig deeper into her past to find out what made her so unusual. He couldn’t let her distract him from his focus. Because of the dangers lurking, Felix had to concentrate on every step and keep the group moving forward. He kept his gaze scanning ahead, and his ears alert to anything out of the ordinary just in case Mr. Faro’s predictions came true.
They had come upon a swampy area, so being particularly cautious was necessary. He paused and called out to his men as he waved his arm high over his head. “Keep a watchful eye out.” Stumbling across crocodiles or even snakes was not something he wanted to do.
Another branch hung low, so he whacked it with his machete and threw the branch away from the path. As he readied his arm to cut another, Katrina’s terrified screech made him jump and turn toward her.
She stood frozen, pointing to a tree. Ready to become the warrior she needed and battle whatever unknown creature had threatened her, he raised his machete prepared to attack. When he realized what had frightened her, relief poured through him and he lowered his arm. “This?” He pointed to a purple and yellow amphibian sitting on a leaf. “Is this, what scared you?”
“Yes.” Her voice shook. “It fell from that tree.”
He stepped closer to her. “My dear Miss Landon. This is a frog.”
The other men nearby laughed.
She tore her gaze from the frog and looked at Felix with confusion. “Afrog? Since when are frogs purple and yellow?”
Felix chuckled. “Frogs that live in the rainforest have odd colors. You will find many different colored frogs as well as odd-shaped ones. Some will have huge eyes and others will be so small you can hardly see them. Some will have very long arms and look like they belong to the monkey family. I assure you, Miss Landon, there will be many things in this jungle you aren’t used to seeing.” He shrugged. “That’s what makes this place so spectacular and unforgettable.”
Her body relaxed, and she took a careful step toward the creature, crouching closer. “The frog is actually very beautiful. I was just startled because of its different colors.” She reached out a hand toward the amphibian.
“Katrina, don’t.” He grasped her hand and pulled it back. “You can look, but don’t touch.”
When she met his stare, she arched an eyebrow. “Why not? I’ve handled frogs before.”
“I’m certain you haven’t held any like this. The more colorful they are, the more poisonous they can be.”
She jumped back, and her shoulder knocked gently against his chest.
“Poisonous?” she asked softly.
“Indeed.” He nodded. “That is why I cautioned you not to touch. Not only can their bite be venomous, but their skin as well.”
