Frozen Desires (Asylums for Magical Threats 2)

Marco poked her in the side and stopped her dangerous thoughts from going any further. He would tease her about staring earlier, and she didn’t need to give him more fodder with something worse, like a blush or dilated pupils. Because whether she wanted it to happen or not, she was officially turned on.

More than ever, she needed to find a way to put some space between her and Marco. He may have made some promises, and seemed to be helping her, but she didn’t trust him. Not yet.

The man behind the table turned from his box with an envelope in his hand, and she wondered what was inside.

Marco wasn’t entirely sure why he’d pulled Cam up against his side, but he rather liked how she fit. Not only was she the perfect height—only a couple of inches shorter—but the hip under his hand flared just a little, suiting the toned muscles of her body.

He still remembered how those hips had felt cradling his body back in the jungle, when Cam had tried to struggle out of his ice bonds. Contrast that with the hesitant stroke of her tongue back in the club, and he was curious to see what she was like naked in a bed, with no danger or distractions around her. She’d probably be wild, fighting him to be on top until he convinced her to cede control to him. Marco had never had such a partner, and the image made his cock twitch.

But then, the man he’d been chatting with—Jose—turned around and ruined his fantasy. Marco noticed Cam looking the other way, and he poked her in the side to get her attention.

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; Jose had been surprised to hear him mention the Great-Tailed Grackle. But once he had explained he’d heard of a special coin issued by the Spaniards that featured the bird, the man had turned and started looking through one of his boxes. Since Marco doubted such a coin existed, to ask for it in such detail was the trigger Jose needed to give him the next clue.

He just hoped the clue wouldn’t send them on a wild goose chase. He was starting to like helping Cam, but he had his other mission to worry about, too. Until he finished both of them, he’d never be able to go down to Colombia and help his family find his cousin’s murderer.

Jose said, “People sell all sorts of trinkets inside Chichen Itza, but if you want a truly unique Mexican souvenir, then this is what you’re looking for.”

Marco took the proffered envelope. To open it, he released his hold on Cam. When she stepped away, he instantly felt the loss of her heat.

He looked inside the envelope to find a modern-day peso and a letter. Bingo. “How much?”

“That one isn’t rare, so how about one hundred pesos?”

“Seventy-five.”

Jose smiled. “Deal.”

Marco paid the man, gave him and his wife a smile, and said, “Thank you. My girlfriend’s sister will love this.”

He took Cam’s hand and led her out of the park, over to a shady spot down one of the empty side streets. When they stopped, Cam removed her hand from his and stepped away. He didn’t like it so he pulled her next to his side and said, “This way we can read it at the same time.”

She looked askance at him, but rather than push him away, she simply said, “Well, then, stop staring at me and hurry up and open the damn thing.”

He grinned and took out the letter, but since it was written in the old language, he leaned down to Cam’s ear and whispered the translation:

First the jungle, now off to the ocean. Visit the Bride of the Sea near the old walled city, on Wednesday at twilight. Rosa Elena will have the answers you need.

Between Marco’s heat and his whisperings in her ear, Cam was having a hard time concentrating. She had tried to step away and put at least a foot between Marco and herself, but then the blasted man had pulled her back to his side. The next time they were alone, they were definitely going to have a talk about his demanding nature when they were in public. Just because she had been under the guise of his girlfriend, didn’t give him free liberties with touch or demands.

Marco’s voice stopped and she focused on the content of the letter. “At least we have until Wednesday to figure out what ‘The Bride of the Sea’ means.”

He folded the paper and placed it back into the envelope. “There’s no need. The Novia del Mar is a famous statue in Campeche, a city that is about two and a half hours away.”

Her previous reasoning that Marco knew the area better than she had been sound. “So does that mean we can leave Merida as soon as we swing by the bed and breakfast and collect my team?”

Marco turned toward her. “Remember when you said you would’ve offered to help me find my cousin’s murderer? Does that offer still stand?”

He’s asking for my help? Cam nodded, curious to see where this was going. “Of course.”

“Good, because I need to interview a witness in about an hour and you’re coming with me.”

He started to walk away, expecting her to follow, but she grabbed his arm and said in a low tone, “I’m not a lackey you can order around. I won’t go anywhere until you, A: ask me to go, and B: tell me the details.”

Marco turned and raised his eyebrow. “Are you going to give me the same courtesy next time, without me having to pin you up against a wall?”

She remembered being caged by his heat.