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Prologue
The tall, lean, dark-hairedthe door behind hi, as if he were conte what he’d just heard After a moment, he left the hallway and went into Mathison’s richly furnished parlor
In that rooainst the mantel of the empty fireplace He was also tall, but he had the soft, cared-for look of a man who’d lived inside a house all his life His blond hair was perfectly trimmed, his suit of clothes perfectly cut
“Ah,” the blond man said, “you hter”
The dark man merely nodded He looked a little uncomfortable and his eyes constantly strayed to corners of the roo there
“I’m Asher Prescott,” the blond man said “Did Del tell you about my part in this mission?”
“No,” the dark man said in a voice that was felt as much as heard
Prescott rear frohter has a penchant,”—he stopped and gave the dark man a quick look up and down—“Iherself in trouble For the last few years, Del’s allowed her to have her head and she’s been in one scrape after another I guess you’ve heard of Nola Dallas the reporter” He paused “But then maybe you haven’t”
He took a draw on the cigar, waiting, but the dark man didn’t answer “Well, her father is tired of it and he’s decided to force her to co with soirl is convinced that Hugh Lanier, theIndians to ht that it’s time she ended this folly”
Prescott studied the darkout theDel had said this ton Territory In fact, Del had said he even kne to get through the rain forest—a place that was said to be impenetrable
“The plan,” Prescott continued, “is to take Mathison’s daughter from Lanier’s house, by force if necessary, and return her to her father You’re to lead us through the rain forest so it’ll give ed to her by the time we return”
The dark man turned to stare at Prescott “I don’t force women”
“Force her?” Prescott gasped “She’s a twenty-eight-year-old oldthose ridiculous bleeding-heart stories of hers and no man has ever wanted her”
“But you do”
Prescott claar between his teeth “I want this,” he said, looking about the room “Del Mathison is a rich and powerful man and all he has to leave it to is one horse-faced, sexless daughter who thinks she can save the world froht between us froht me?”
The dark“She’s yours if she wants you”
Prescott sht At her age, she’ll be glad to get any man she can”
Chapter One
Christiana Montgomery Mathison put her hand in the tub of water to check the teood to bathe after a day of hard riding and hours of sitting huddled over a desk writing She had her story finished now and tomorrow she’d start the arduous journey back home
When she was nude, she realized that she didn’t have her dressing gown and went to the big double-doored wardrobe to get it
When she opened the right hand door, her heart see inside the cabinet, his eyes wide, his mouth open as he looked at Chris’s pretty little body in its unclad state Chris, alert from years as a reporter, slammed the door shut and turned the key in the lock Softly, obviously not wanting to be discovered, the an to pound on the inside of the cabinet door Chris had one foot toward the bed where she planned to take the spread off and cover herself, but then things happened too quickly for her to react
The left side of the wardrobe opened behind her and out stepped another man, and he had her in his arms before she could even take a breath or see his face Her face was buried in his chest, his arms around the back of her, one hand on her bare shoulders, the other resting just above the curve of her buttocks
“Who are you? What do you want?” she asked and was appalled at the fear in her voice The e and she knew she’d have no chance of success if she tried to escape hihtened on her and she didn’t finish the sentence