Chapter Seven
When Elin woke, she found her face pressed against a hard, firm chest. She breathed deep, snuggling in. He was warm and he smelled good.
He smelled like Hale.
Hale.
She jerked back and sat up. He was awake, and looking at her with a sexy, sleepy smile. “Why aren’t you asleep?” It was still dark and she guessed dawn was still several hours away.
“I told you I wouldn’t risk hurting you in my sleep.”
He’d stayed awake. To protect her. Something inside her softened. “You need to rest, Hale. I told you, I can handle it.”
He shook his head.
“Look, I’ve had several hours’ sleep. You rest now, and I’ll keep watch.”
He looked uncertain.
“I need you in top form, Carter, not falling asleep.”
He gave a reluctant nod. “Okay, but if I have a nightmare—”
“I’ll wake you.”
He slid an arm under his head and in the darkness, she could just make out a shadow of a tattoo on his shoulder.
“So, how do you sleep with your girlfriends?” Elin rolled her eyes and wished she’d bitten her tongue.
“I don’t have girlfriends. And I…ah, never stay the night. I wouldn’t risk it, even if I wanted to.”
Oh. Elin lay in the darkness, listening as his breathing evened out and his body relaxed. She promised herself that he’d get a few decent hours of sleep.
The murky light of dawn was filling the tent when she next opened her eyes. Shit, she’d fallen asleep. And somehow, she was wrapped tightly in Hale’s arms, her face pressed to his hard chest again.
Her gaze traced over hard pecs. His right shoulder and muscled arm were inked with a fascinating black swirl of a tattoo. His face was relaxed, his breathing even. Looked like he’d slept just fine.
Desire was a hot curl in her belly. God, what the hell was she doing? She pulled away from him.
His arms tightened. “Elin?”
“I’ll go and wash up.”
He released her and rolled over. She grabbed her backpack and ducked out of the tent. She wasn’t running. She wasn’t afraid.
She headed toward the shower. A few of the others were already up and making coffee on the fire. She stepped inside the shower canvas and quickly stripped off. Then she scraped a hand over her face. Oh, God, she was in trouble.
She stepped under the lukewarm water. The cool morning air made her nipples tighten, and her churning thoughts turned to Hale. Damn the man. She pressed her hand to her belly. She really, really wanted to slide her hand lower and touch herself.
But then someone near the campfire coughed and she shook her head. She flicked off the water, toweled off, and pulled on fresh clothes. She took a deep breath and headed out.
Hale had already packed up the tent, and was loading their things in their Land Rover. He handed her a plate. “Breakfast.”
She eyed the bread and eggs. “Thanks.”
“Alex—”
She smiled brightly. “We have a big day ahead.”
“I thought we weren’t pretending?”
“I’m not.” God, now she was a liar, as well.
He leaned closer. “I just wanted to thank you.”
“For what?”
“For the best sleep I’ve had in a long time.” He stalked away to finish packing up the last of their gear, and left her staring at him.
When Claude called for them to move out, she strode over to the driver’s seat. “I’m driving today.”
“All yours,” Hale said.
Soon, the convoy pulled out. Elin focused on the rough ground, driving slowly and carefully. The minutes blurred as they headed north, the monotony of the desert landscape a lulling backdrop.
Minutes turned to hours. She and Hale speculated more on King Solomon and the mysterious treasure. They ate some biltong—South African jerky—and trail mix.
Elin eventually decided she wasn’t coming back here on safari. In fact, she was pretty sure she’d be avoiding deserts for a while.
“There,” Hale called out.
Elin straightened, and spotted another rocky outcrop in the distance. This one rose up sharply from the flat land around it.
The other vehicles veered off course, and Elin followed. As they got closer, she sucked in a breath. “Hale.”
“I see it.”
A circular structure was built on top of the hill. “This one is definitely man-made.”
***
Hale carefully climbed up the rocks. They passed under an imposing stone archway, still standing after all this time. He saw a small lizard dart away.
Amazing. There was no doubt that this was an ancient structure.
As they neared the peak, he studied the stone-built formation. It was incredible, but it didn’t look like a sprawling city.
“This isn’t Ophir,” Sabine said.
Claude frowned. “No.”
“It must be another outpost,” Elin said.
Claude flipped from despondent to excited, looking around eagerly. “Fan out. There must be more engravings.”
Elin moved up beside Hale, and they climbed up to the structure. They skirted around the circular wall.
“Claude reminds me of a bomb about to go off,” Hale murmured quietly.
Elin nodded. “Let’s hope we find something, and quick.” Her face sharpened and she leaned closer to Hale, her voice a murmur. “Then we let him lead us to Ophir, find out what treasure he’s looking for, and then we call in our team and take them all down.”
Hale stepped into the structure and held out a hand to Elin. She put her hand in his, and they walked into the center.
Part of the wall had tumbled down long ago, but the rest of it was still intact. Hale moved forward, trying to imagine the people who’d stood here before him. The people of Ophir.
“Imagine what this looked like back in its heyday.” He turned, looking across the hill. There were more tumbled rocks. The structure would have been substantial.
Elin looked out across the desert. “I can see huge convoys loaded with gold, diamonds, and ivory heading to the sea. It must’ve been incredible.”
“Getting fanciful, Alex?”
She pulled a face at him.
Once again, Hale felt that hit of heat to his gut. He liked lots of things about Elin Alexander. Hell, he liked the entire sexy, competent package, and wanted to see more of it.
“Who were the people of Ophir?” he asked.
“I don’t know. The local San people have been here a long time, but they’re semi-nomadic, and descended from hunter-gatherers.”
“Who didn’t build vast rock-cut cities.”
“Right. But they talked of an Old Race. So, maybe some of their ancestors or a neighboring race?”
Suddenly, he heard a noise. A buzzing sound. He tilted his head, looking up into the blue sky.
Elin frowned, turning around slowly, her ponytail swinging out behind her. “What’s that?”
Hale had done enough work with them to know. “A drone.”
The small aircraft rounded the rock wall, rising up above them. It was black and, from the look of it, military grade. It was also equipped with weapons.
Hale watched as the two guns swiveled in his and Elin’s direction.
Fuck. He dived, tackling Elin to the ground. She grunted, and they slid toward the edge of the rock platform.
Gunfire sprayed the rock all around them. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Up.” He grabbed Elin’s arm and yanked her to her feet. Together, they scrambled over the edge.
They both slipped on small rocks as they slid down the hill. More gunfire hit, frighteningly close by, and Hale yanked Elin behind another rock wall.
“Keep moving.”
Ducking down, they kept running over the rough ground. Then, he heard the buzzing sound again. The drone reappeared in front of them, coming out from behind a tower of rocks.
“This way!” Elin yanked Hale in a different direction. Together, they dove inside another semi-circular structure.
Gunfire roared around them. Rock chips hit Hale’s face, stinging. He swiped at his forehead, and his hand came away streaked with blood.
Beside him, Elin yanked out her Glock, and Hale did the same with his SIG.
“It has us pinned down.” She popped up, aiming over the rock wall. She took a shot.
Bullets peppered the wall around them, and she ducked back down. Hale waited, and when the firing stopped, he rose and fired.
“Can you distract it?” Elin asked. “If you can get it facing in a different direction, I’ll have a better shot at it.”
“You sure you can hit it?” he asked.
More gunfire, which caused them both to hunker down. “Yes.”
He had no doubt. He’d seen her at the firing range, and besides, Elin would never embellish her skills. He nodded, took a deep breath, and moved toward the edge of the rock wall.
“Hale.” She grabbed his shoulder.
He turned his head and realized her face was right there, a heartbeat from his.
She pressed a quick, fleeting kiss to his lips. “Be careful.”
He gave her a nod, and then spun around the wall. He leaped up and sprinted. A spray of gunfire hit the ground, and he dived and rolled, ignoring the rocks biting into his body.
He jumped back to his feet, dodging around some larger rocks. Suddenly, the drone sliced to the right in a fast move, cutting in front of him. It swiveled to face him.
Fuck. He slid in behind a small boulder. It was barely big enough to cover him. He ducked down, and gunfire peppered around him.
“Come on, Elin,” he muttered.
He heard her Glock firing. The sound of the drone changed, but then, more gunfire hit right near him.
He looked back behind him and saw the rest of their group rushing toward them. Claude was yelling.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Elin was firing again. Suddenly, the drone gunfire stopped. Hale looked around the edge of the rock.
The drone was smoking and drunkenly flying sideways. He looked over, and saw Elin standing on a rock wall. She had her gun aimed at the drone, and with blue sky behind her, she was a clear target.
He saw the wobbling drone turn, and its guns swiveled toward Elin.
Without thinking, Hale leaped up, sprinting toward her, his arms pumping. He expected to see bullets hit her body at any minute.
He wasn’t going to fucking watch her die. He reached her, and even though she was still firing at the drone, he snatched her off the wall.
“Hale!”
“You’re a fucking perfect target.”
“I needed a good shot.” She turned in his arms. “Look.”
The drone was flying off, wobbling from side to side. Together, they watched it careen out over the desert, and a second later, it crashed into the sand.
***
Elin slipped her Glock back into her holster. Behind her, she heard Hale drag in a deep breath. She looked at him and froze. He was covered in blood.
What the hell? “Were you hit?” She patted his chest, looking at the spots of blood, her heart racing. “Did it get you?”
They were in the middle of nowhere. If he was badly hurt—
He grabbed her wrists. “Elin. I’m fine. I just got hit by rock chips.”
She tried to calm her pulse. His handsome face was covered in small nicks, and there was a bad one on the side of his neck, blood sliding down into his shirt.
The panic drained out of her. They’d been shot at and nearly killed, but they were alive.
“I’m still pissed at you,” he ground out. “Standing on top of that wall like a fucking superhero.”
She ignored him, leaped up, and wrapped her legs around his waist. He reacted instantly, his hands sliding under her ass, and then she didn’t know if it was her kissing him, or him kissing her. All she knew was that he had the best lips—full and firm—and the man was a mighty fine kisser. As his tongue tangled with hers, she felt the shock of sensation right down to her bones.
He paused to tease her lips, his hands clenching on her buttocks. Then, he dived deep again, and every one of Elin’s thoughts were centered on Hale, and how much she wanted him.
His mouth moved along her jaw, teeth nipping at sensitive skin. “First second I laid eyes on you, I knew.”
“I know.” She’d felt it, too.
Dimly, she heard shouts, and the sound of the others getting closer. Hale took her mouth one last time—hard and insistent—like he needed one last taste to survive. She reluctantly pulled back, and Hale stared at her with unreadable eyes.
“Whoa,” she murmured. “Well, that was…”
“Whoa works for me.”
The first of the group crested the hill, and Hale let Elin’s legs drop back to the ground. Claude appeared, incandescent with rage.
“What the hell was that?” He tossed his hands in the air. He started ranting in French, before he switched back to English. “They want the ring. It’s my ring, my treasure.”
Elin eyed the Frenchman as he started pacing with jerky steps. So it was a ring. Any piece of jewelry that could be linked to King Solomon would be highly valuable. But if this was about the Seal of Solomon…well, that was something different.
“I very much doubt the FBI or THS would send a drone to mow us down,” Elin said. “So, who the hell are these other players you mentioned?”
“I don’t know. But I won’t rule out this drone belonging to the FBI or THS.” Claude’s eyes flashed. “This treasure is enough to make people do desperate things.”
A cold shiver skated down Elin’s spine, despite the heat. If it was that valuable, how far would Claude go? And more than that, what would he do if he discovered who Elin and Hale really were?
“Boss, we found the inscription,” the woman, Thompson, called out.
Anger over the drone attack was replaced by excitement over the new engravings. Elin fell into step with Hale, as they crossed the hill to another ruined structure. Sabine was crouched down by the end of the circular rock wall, and Elin spotted the markings etched into the stone.
“Alex?” Claude waved at the rocks.
“I’m not an expert, Claude. So don’t shoot the messenger if I can’t translate this.” Sabine moved aside, and Elin crouched down. Hale towered over her and she looked up. He crossed his arms over his chest, menacing and protective. She felt a glow of warmth in her chest.
Elin pulled her small backpack off and prayed her tablet hadn’t been damaged in the wild rush to escape the drone. She slid it out, and it was fine, thanks to its heavy-duty case. She focused on the symbols and got to work. She tapped in her translation, changing a few things, and taking her time on some of the harder symbols.
“We aren’t far,” she said. “It talks about reaching a mountain. We need to head west until we find the mountain.”
Hale held out a hand for her tablet and she handed it over. He tapped and when she peered over, she saw he’d pulled up satellite maps of the area.
He frowned. “There are no mountains west of our location.” He spun it around so she could see the flat terrain.
“Damn. Let me check my translation again.” She ran over the inscriptions once more, and heaved out a breath. “It definitely says a mountain, and definitely west of here.”
“It has to be there,” Claude said. “We go west and follow the instructions.” He scanned the sky. “And we travel fast. Whoever the hell sent the drone isn’t going to give up. If we travel quickly, we might reach the mines before dark.”
They climbed back down the hill. Back at the Land Rover, Elin was happy to let Hale drive. She fastened her seatbelt, and they pulled out behind the others.
“Some of those cuts look bad,” she said.
Hale swiped his sleeve over his face. “They’re fine. I’ll deal with them later.” He glanced her way. “If we find the mine, we call in Dec.”
She nodded. “If we find it, it’ll be time to really ruin Claude’s week.” She glanced ahead. “Who was controlling the drone?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Silk Road has a rival.”
They kept driving through the heat of the day. Soon, the noon heat gave way to the afternoon. Off in the distance, she saw the silhouettes of some animals, but they were too far away to tell what they were.
As the sun sank toward the horizon, there was no sign of a mountain or any ancient mines. Finally, Claude pulled over. One look at the man’s face said he wasn’t happy.
They all set up camp, and this time, there was no fireside revelry. Instead, the group was tense and unhappy.
Elin climbed into her and Hale’s tent and flicked on the lantern. Hale came in behind her. She eyed the dried blood on his scratches. The one on his neck was still bleeding dully.
“Let me clean those scratches.” She fished around for her first aid kit.
“I told you they’re okay.” He sat down and winced. “I think I have a couple on my chest as well.”
“Stop being a baby and let me sort them out.”
He grabbed the back of his stained shirt and yanked it over his head.
Holy hell. Elin stared at all the solid muscles. She hadn’t really gotten a full, unimpeded view of him that morning. The guy clearly spent all his time working out.
His shoulders were broad and toned, his arms were unreal. She slid her gaze down his chest, taking in the small cuts across his pecs, before she looked down at the tight ridges of his stomach.
“Don’t think I have any scratches down there,” Hale said in a dry voice.
She jerked her gaze up. “Sorry, I was just taking it all in. You are in excellent shape.”
His teeth flashed. “Thanks.”
Forcing herself to focus, Elin pulled some antiseptic wipes out of the first aid kit. She moved closer, and started cleaning the cuts on his chest.
Every now and then, her fingers brushed his skin. He felt so hard and so hot. Her breathing sped up, and a damp ache started between her legs.
She grabbed a clean wipe and started on the cuts on his face.
“I want you naked, Elin.” His voice was deep and gruff.
She stilled, her gaze locking with his. She saw need burning there, and she wasn’t sure anyone had ever wanted her as much as Hale did.
“I want to mess up that neat, efficient tidiness you have. Even in the middle of the desert, you look put-together.”
Her breath caught in her throat, and need was a hard, vicious thing.
“Are you turned on?” he murmured.
“Yes.” Her hand was a little shaky as she swiped at the last cut on his neck.
He lifted a hand, his thumb stroking across her lips. “I want to kiss you, taste you, watch your face as I slide inside you.”
His deep voice scraped over her enflamed nerves. “I want that, too.” She nipped the end of his thumb and saw his chest shudder. “I want to see every inch of your incredible body. I want you on top of me, under me, inside me.”
Hale let out a ragged breath. “Not tonight.” His voice was a growl. “I need time to make love to you properly, and I need to keep you safe. It sure as hell won’t be while we are surrounded by fucking Silk Road, and with an unknown assailant sending drones after us.”
It made sense, but her needy body didn’t like it.
“Soon,” he said.
She nodded. “We’ll see, Carter.”
He shot her one of his bone-melting smiles. “You aren’t going to make it easy, are you?”
“I think you’ve had enough easy.” She flicked off the light. “I want you to sleep tonight.”
He went still. “I’m not sure—”
“You slept this morning.”
“I think…knowing you can handle yourself helped. And…”
She waited. “And?”
“Can I hold you?”
She trembled. “Yes.”
They both lay down, but this time, he curled his big body around her, and she let him. She heard him let out a shuddering breath before he nuzzled his face into her hair.
Something felt far too right about relaxing into Hale Carter and drifting off to sleep.