AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As she headed upstairs, a sigh escaped from her lips.
Juan Carlos was a big juicy ripe apple, dangling his unabashed charm and beautiful body in front of her.
And the wicked serpent in her head was daring her to take a bite.
Four
Portia’s room was more than adequate. A queen-size bed, adorned with Egyptian cotton sheets, a snowy comforter and pale pink pillows took up most of the space. Southern light streamed into the room through twin windows with ruffled curtains and an exquisitely crafted armoire made of inlaid mahogany and cherrywood held the bulk of her clothes.
She glanced out one window to the unkempt grounds below. The Montoros owned all the land as far as her eyes could see. Would they find the hidden artwork somewhere out there? Her belly warmed to the idea. She was grateful for the opportunity to search for it.
And ready.
As she headed for the stairs, movement caught her eye from a room at the opposite end of the landing. Juan Carlos was in his bedroom, changing his shirt. Twenty feet separated them, and she immediately glanced away, but not before she caught sight of bare broad shoulders tapering down to a trim waist. She gulped and scurried down the stairs before she got caught ogling him.
She wandered outside into the yard. Birds flitted between tree branches and flew away. She knew the bodyguards were out here somewhere, watching over the place, but she’d yet to see anyone else since Eduardo had deposited her here this morning.
She heard the door open and close behind her and footsteps crunching the fallen leaves as Juan Carlos approached. “Where are they? I know they are out there somewhere,” she said.
He chuckled. “Luis and Eduardo have orders not to disturb us unless there’s danger. They’re here, trust me.”
“I’m not worried.” She put on a pair of sunglasses.
“That’s good. How do you like your room?” He sidled up next to her. Dressed in jeans and a chambray shirt, with a black felt hat shading his eyes, he looked like a modern-day Spanish vaquero.
“It’s better than I imagined, considering the state of the grounds around us. I’m sure you had a hand in making it comfortable for me.”
He shrugged. “If you’re comfortable, that’s all that matters. Let’s check out what we can on foot. There’s a stable and a few broken-down buildings nearby.” He reached into his back pocket and came up with a pair of work gloves. “Here, put these on.”
She slipped them on. “I’m ready.” And off they went.
The stable was in ruins, like pretty much everything else on the property. As they entered, she spied a wagon wheel, some rusted harnesses and a stack of rotted grain bags. It didn’t seem as though anything could be hidden in here, but Juan Carlos touched every wall, kicked clean every stall and scoured the entire area with assessing eyes.
She took his cue, and searched the outside perimeter of the building, looking for anything that could be used as a hiding place.
He met her outside. “Nothing here. I didn’t think we’d find anything this close to the house, but we need to be thorough.”
“Okay, where next?”
“There’s some feed shacks farther out we should check. Are you up for a long walk?”
She stared into his eyes. “You know that pea under my mattress didn’t ruin my sleep last night.”
He gave her a look of mock concern. “There was a pea under your mattress, Princess? Twenty lashes for the chambermaid who made up your bed last night.”
She grinned. “More like fifty lashes for the king who thinks I can’t keep up with him.”
“Okay, I get your point. You’re not frail.”
“Not one little bit. But I think your concern is sweet.”
“And antiquated.”
“That, too. But what woman doesn’t dream of a knight in shining armor once in a while?”
He peered directly into her eyes. “Do you?”
“I’m...not going to tell.”
With that, she dashed ahead of him and hoped she was heading in the right direction.
Juan Carlos’s laughter reached her ears, but he hung back a little, watching her.
She came upon three outer buildings, each one fifty feet or so from the others. She was just about to enter one when Juan Carlos called out, “Portia, wait!”
She whirled around. He came marching toward her, making up their distance in long strides. “Let’s do this together.”
