“You think I won’t regret it?” The corners of his mouth lifted in a teasing grin. “Does that mean you will actually listen to what I say... and follow my instructions?”
She tried not to smile but couldn’t help it. Felix was too cute this way. “Well, I suppose I shall have to now, won’t I?”
“Indeed, you will.”
He winked and her heart did a silly flip-flop. “Once my father gives me a portion of my inheritance, I will pay you.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “We’ll discuss it later. Why don’t you try to get some rest while we finish setting up camp?”
“I will, but first...” She held her breath, wondering how to ask about the dart that could render him unconscious. She definitely didn’t want him curious and ask questions.
“What do you need?”
“I, um... Well, I need to know if there are other people like your Indian friends, who I need to worry about. Will any of these men carry poisonous darts?”
He scrunched his eyebrows. “Darts? Are you jesting? Why are you asking about darts?”
“I, uh, had a dream that you were hit by one and fell unconscious.” She shrugged. “I’m just worried about you.”
He chuckled and patted her hand. “Don’t worry about me. All I want from you is to sleep.”
“All right, I’ll try. But it’s hard to sleep when it’s so blasted hot.”
“Yes, but try nonetheless.” Smiling, he stood, and then turned and left.
As she watched him walk away with that cocky swagger, she sighed happily with the knowledge that she would be with him longer than she’d first thought. It also relieved her that she warned him about the dart without letting him knowhowshe knew about the dart.
She crawled back inside her tent, laid down, and closed her eyes—but sleep was far from coming. In her mind, she relived the times she’d shared with Felix. He really was a considerate man—except whenever she accidentally touched him—and he obviously cared about her in some small way, or else he wouldn’t have been concerned about her safety.
So perhaps it was time she told him the truth about herself. Well...at least some of the truth. It would be best before they arrived at her father’s place and Felix realized for himself she’d been purposely making him think she’d grown up a wealthy, pampered girl. If she downplayed it, he might not even get upset. Hopefully, he’d see the humor in the game she’d been playing with him.
A bead of sweat trailed down her neck. Grumbling, she rolled to her side and stared at the side of the tent. How could she rest? It was the middle of the day. And yet, how could she sleep if she was this stifling hot? If only she could remove her clothes...
No matter what, she must behave properly since she was the only woman amongst all these men. Her mother would certainly be pitching a fit right now if she knew how much Katrina wanted to strip down.
Taking a deep breath, Katrina tried to concentrate on relaxing, but the heat was too intense and made her restless. She could no longer hear the men’s voices outside her tent, but she knew they were close by. But another sound intruded upon her thoughts. It sounded like water. A lot of water. Why did it sound so fierce and so close?
She crawled out of the tent and stood. Looking toward the sky, she could tell that the sun would light the land for a few more hours. She glanced at Felix and the men sitting around a small campfire. By the seriousness on their expressions and lowness of their voices, they were in a deep conversation, and she should not interrupt.
Listening intently to the sound of the water, she followed the sound. The noise took her only twenty steps away from their camp, and through some trees that thankfully were nothing like the ones along the trail that had hidden those awful snakes. The closer she came to the water, the cooler the temperature seemed to get. Now she was very eager to see where this sound took her.
From in between the trees, she could see the downpour of the waterfall coming from someplace higher up on a rocky hill. She quickly pushed aside the leafy branches, stepped closer, and then stopped. A gasp caught in her throat. The sight was literally breathtaking.
She’d never seen a waterfall this majestic. It delighted Katrina to know she could now say she’d witnessed this amazing sight.
The water was a lush white, almost foamy as it rolled from the top of a rocky hill and into a sparkling pool. Shrubs and flowers grew thick all around the area—from up on the slope, all the way down to where she stood. What she wouldn’t give to be relieved from all of her clothes and enjoy the refreshing cool water as it coated her skin.
Somewhere behind her, someone called her name. Felix’s panicked voice dragged her from her pleasant thoughts. She turned. When he came into view, she waved her hand and called, “I’m over here.”
Relief swept over his expression, and he smiled. “What are you doing?”
Excitement bubbled inside her chest. She hurried to him and grasped his hand. “Oh, Felix. Come see the waterfall.” She tugged him toward the scene. “Is it not beautiful?”
“Indeed, this is one of the things I love about the Amazon jungle.”
“Can we take a dip?” she pleaded, staring into his eyes.
He smiled. “I think it will be all right if we do.” He tore his focus from her face and scanned the pool. “The water is flowing heavily enough to keep the snakes away.”
