‘Yes, yes! Move!’
Thumping against a few trees in the process, Karim made his way around the ifrit tormenting the two of us. Only when he was well ahead and out of the danger did he lower his hand.
‘Well, now I know what to do if I ever want to get the better of you.’ Miss Linton told his back. ‘I’ll just have to drop my trousers, and that’ll be it.’
I stiffened. My fist clenched, overcome with the sudden urge to slam into Karim. What nonsense! The man was my bodyguard! I paid for him. Why would I wish to damage him?
It was her! Her, who was making me feel all these irrational…things. What were they called again?
Ah yes. Emotions.
Bah! To hell with them! To hell with her!
Only…we were already in hell. The green hell. And I, I realised as Miss Linton bent over to pick up her knapsack, taking care to waggle her posterior in my face while she was at it, had signed up for my very own personal torture.
Over her shoulder, she threw me a smile. ‘Shall we go? Or were you to planning on lazing around here all day?’
Whistling, she started northeastward, Karim fleeing before her.
As for me…
I did what I hadn’t done in my entire life.
I went after a woman. I went after her, and somewhere, deep down, had the suspicion that I would be running after her for quite some time.
Nonsense!
Shaking my head, I rid myself of those silly thoughts. Whyever would I run after her? I was the one in charge here. I was the one with all the power. What could she possibly do to rein me in?
The Methods of Miss Lillian Linton
The sun was just starting to set when she made her next move. There was no warning. No chance to prepare. She just took off her hat and shook out her hair, the mahogany strands gleaming like gold in the warm light of the sinking sun. Really, really gold, begging to be touched. For an instant, I felt the insane urge to pluck off a single hair and place it in my most secure bank vault.
Nonsense! She isn’t El Dorado.[32]
But she wasn’t done yet, apparently. I watched, unable to look away, as her hands slid around to her back, searching for buttons to open.
‘Stop!’
It took me a moment to realise that the voice had come from my own mouth. It must have been one of those instant, unconscious decisions. A survival instinct.
She glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. And I felt…
I didn’t how. I just felt. Which was infuriating enough. Why the hell did I suddenly have to go around feeling things?
Hurriedly, I cleared my throat.
‘I…ehem. I mean we’ll stop here for the night.’
‘Already, Sahib?’ Karim asked, and started to turn - then remembered the temptress in our midst and whirled to face away again. ‘It’ll be quite a while till the sun is down yet.’
‘Don’t question my orders! Do as I say!’ Because even I don’t have a logical reason for those orders right now. Damn that female!
‘Yes, Sahib. As you wish, Sahib.’
I breathed a sigh as her fingers dropped away from the buttons at her back. But…was it a sigh of relief, or of disappointment? I should know that, shouldn’t I?
Concentrate. Rest. Camp.