Despite her fear and distress at seeing Ganbold, it was Michel’s scent she dwelled on as they rode away from the outpost.
Later that night, Michel lay on his bedroll, outside Eve’s tent, unable to fall asleep, even though the rest of the camp had settled. He had done this route through the area before, many times, but tonight it had been difficult to find a place he believed to be safe to camp. He hiked them further into the crevasses of the mountain range so they couldn’t be approached without warning. Now he lay on an uneven slope just outside of Eve’s tent, with rocks knifing into his back.
That wasn’t why he couldn’t sleep, however. Michel had set out on this journey with one goal: to access the rich cashmere market of the closed-off tribal communities to appease the Cardinal. To do this, he would need to travel further East than he ever had before, deep into the Tian Shan mountains, past the typical reach of Europeans. Up until Bukhara, European merchants were welcome. Past Bukhara, they were merely tolerated. Michel always stretched his travels to the very end of France’s reach, but he understood the limitations in where he would be able to safely travel. He hoped to find someone who just happened to be like him, out of their usual range, looking to find a contact to expand their trade.
It would be like finding a grain of rice in a bucket of beans.
He moved his arm behind his head and stared up into the night sky. The fire crackled nearby, illuminating the sleeping bodies around. He was still fully dressed, sword just next to him, unease in his chest. For the moment, however, it wasn’t cashmere he cared about. As soon as he’d seen that huge man in the marketplace, larger than anyone there, he realized that Eve had more complex secrets than he had imagined. He also realized, in that same instant, he would rip that man apart if he tried to hurt her. The thought melded with a purpose he began to understand had already been cast deep inside him, though he didn’t know exactly when it had happened: he would protect this woman with all that he had.
But Michel couldn’t instigate a fight with a tribal man. An aggressive Frenchman would incite the tribes, destabilize the trade line, and undermine Michel’s mission to travel into forbidden territory. How much danger were they really in? When he questioned Eve, she did not respond and shook her head with a stubborn frown. Michel didn’t think she had expected to see that man. Her fear was confirmation that she was indeed running from something.
He needed more information. The only option he could see was to tease these secrets out of her as best as he could. That and hire some extra guards to travel with them. Thankfully, Michel didn’t believe the man had seen her, though how closely the man pursued her, Michel didn’t know. Had it been by chance that they came upon the same market? Or had they just barely escaped?
Michel heard her stir inside the tent and wondered if she was also lying awake. His instinct was to crawl in beside her. He wanted to soothe her, and to feel soothed by her as well. Feelings brewed inside him that he couldn’t quite explain. How had he gone from helping a woman get out of trouble to inviting trouble into his own mission? Michel had enjoyed many women in his life, but he had never felt so enraptured by any one of them. His heart was for his country. His loyalty belonged to his country. Eve however, drew his thoughts and motives like no one ever had before.
She had indeed entranced him, and he wanted more. Her banter, her authority, her touch, her lips. Even her problems, if it meant getting closer. He wanted it all.
Except that bite to the finger, he thought, laughing to himself as he finally drifted off to sleep.
ChapterNine
The next day, they were traveling through a grassy area that cut through the Zarafshan mountains. The narrow valley opened to the warm sun cresting the naked, sand-gray mountain tops. The long, spring grass moved like the sea in the breeze, and Michel was glad the day was temperate. He knew this passage. If the weather was not right, strong winds would scream in their ears and cut like razor blades across their cheeks. This day, however, was warm and pleasant with nothing more than a soft breeze, which fluttered the manes of the horses and, Michel had noticed, the edges of Eve’s hair as well.
The crew of nearly thirty would reach Bukhara proper by evening, an important city that connected the lower towns to the arid high plains villages. At the moment, Michel and Eve were riding their horses side by side while the rest of the men had relaxed the line and spread out in the valley around them, each horse picking its favorite way through the fertile desert grasses. Michel kept looking over at her, but she was only staring ahead. He had so many questions, so many details missing that he needed to know. He couldn’t plan, couldn’t prepare if he didn’t have all the information. As their horses carried them through the valley, Michel watched her, trying to figure it all out.
“Why are you watching me?” she asked, after his staring had apparently become obvious. She smiled as she said it, though she did not turn to look at him.
“I am interested in learning more about you,” Michel said, leaning toward her.
“You don’t need to know any more about me,” she said, the breeze twisting her hair behind her. “You know all you need to know.”
“You misunderstand,” he said, angling his horse closer. “Iwantto know more about you.”
She laughed, glancing at him, her eyes glinting. “Okay,” she said. “What do you know so far?”
“Well,” he began thoughtfully. He needed a place to begin with her, some conversation line that would allow him better access to her citadel of secrets. “You are very beautiful. Your looks are unique. This has made you stand out in a way that you don’t like,” he paused. “But you aren’t one to pass on an advantage.” He watched her, trying to gauge how well she thought he described her, hoping that if he did well, she would let him know more. “You are good with organization. Youcanread and write,” he teased. “You also have six older brothers who will beat me to death if they ever meet me.”
She grinned at that. “What else?”
“You control your emotions very well,” he remarked, slipping into a teasing tone. “That or you don’t have any emotions besides irritation with handsome Frenchmen.”
“More likearrogantFrenchmen,” she teased. Then she held up a finger in explanation. “Discipline is part of my culture. Ill-timed emotions are considered a weakness.” She nodded back to him. “Irritation with Frenchmen is just one emotion I’m comfortable sharing." She smirked. “Keep going.”
Michel continued, encouraged. “You pass yourself off as a commoner, but you clearly come from a higher position.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked, her eyes meeting his again.
“I see how you interact with the men. And withme.” He looked at her, guiding his horse into her line of sight. “You have authority. You aren’t a peasant.” He paused and adjusted the reins around his hands. He lowered the tone of his voice, taking the opportunity. “You are running from something. I want to know what that is.”
“Hmmm,” was all she said, turning her head back to the road.
He sat back on his saddle.Too soon, he thought. But though she did not elaborate, her body language did not close off, so he kept going, if nothing else, just to keep her talking.
“You are also incredibly smart,” Michel said, trying a different approach. “Perhaps even as smart as I am.” He couldn’t stop the grin as he said it. He did like teasing her.
“As smart as you?” she echoed. “That does not seem a difficult accomplishment.” Now she smirked at him.
He laughed. “Alright.” They were coming up on a gushing stream, and the passageway turned rockier. The horses took their steps more carefully, but the brisk pace continued. Michel checked back over the men to be sure the rocks hadn’t disrupted any of the carts, then returned to his conversation, still trying to build momentum, to just keep her talking. “I am impressed that you speak so well,” he said.
