"And what if Pickeringsuspects your plan? He is no fool."
"I cannot attend toeverything. I will have to rely on Kali to take care of Pickering." Hesmiled at Pachtal. "Kali... and my friend, Pachtal."
"You are joking," hesaid, startled. "I cannot kill an Englishman."
"Not death. Merely atemporary stomach disorder that will make him too ill to care what I am doingfor a few weeks. Is that not possible?"
Pachtal smiled. "Entirelypossible."
"Why so quiet?" Ruelfilled Jane's coffee cup and his own before sitting down beside her before thefire.
"I don't have anything tosay." She sipped the coffee, gazing down into the flames. She was aware ofthe usual friendly hum of talk around thecandmarbut felt oddly remotefrom it. "Do I have to talk all the time?"
"Not all the time. Justwhen something's wrong. I hate like hell knowing there's something botheringyou and not knowing how to fix it. Is it me?"
"I don't know what you'retalking about."
"The hell youdon't," he said roughly. "What did I do?"
"Nothing."
He reached out and covered herhand with his own. The warm, hard touch of his flesh against her own made hergaze fly to his face.
"That's better," hesaid curtly. "You're looking at me. Now talk to me. You've been workingyourself into the ground for my sake trying to get this damn track laid and yetfor the past three days you've never even smiled at me."
"I didn't realize smilingwas required."
"It's not required. Ijust miss it." He turned her hand over and began tracing patterns on herpalm with his index finger. "It... warms me."
She looked at him, startled."Ruel… "
"I thought it was gettingbetter. Do I have to go out and find another baby elephant to pull around justto get you to smile at me?"
The motion of his finger onher palm was causing little ripples of sensation to tingle up her wrist and arm.He had touched her like this when he had sat beside her on the veranda inKasanpore, she remembered. He had stroked her palm and talked of Cinnidar...and the painting in the maharajah's car.
She felt a flush heat hercheeks. Like the woman in the painting, she had knelt for him in thesummerhouse. She had felt him inside her, his hands caressing her while he rodeher as if they were two mating animals unable to get enough of each other. Theerotic memory was suddenly there like another presence beside them in thefirelight. She could almost feel his hands cupping her breasts as he plunged—
She tried to pull her handaway, but his hand closed on her own.
"No." He met hergaze. "Let me touch you. I have to get near you some way."
He was getting too near, shethought breathlessly. For the past days he had been companion and ally, dampingdown any hint of physical sexuality, but now the sensuality that was so much apart of him was there before her.
"I wouldn't do this ifthere were any other way," he said thickly. "It's not what I want forus." He laughed desperately. "Correction. I want it like hell. It'sjust not all I want and I'm afraid I'll scare you off if I reach out andgrab." His fingers moved up and stroked the thin skin of her wrist.
A hot shiver went through her."Let me go, Ruel."
"Why?" He glanced atthe crowd of laborers around the campfire as his fingers continued to featherthe sensitive skin at her wrist. "No one is paying any attention. TheCinnidans are always touching each other in affection."
She knew that was true andRuel's caress was probably not even visible to most of them, half hidden as itwas between their bodies. The knowledge did nothing to rid her of this feelingof excruciating intimacy.
"Besides, you like it.You want it. Let me come to your tent tonight," he murmured. "I'llmake you—"
Li Sung sat down next to them."I have something to talk to you about."
Jane drew a quivering breathof relief as Ruel's hand dropped away from her wrist.
Ruel shot her a look that wascomposed equally of frustration and ruefulness. He picked up his coffee cup andturned his gaze to Li Sung. "Talk."
