She met his gaze. "Whyare you doing this?"
"You don't believe I wantonly to keep a benevolent eye on you?"
She frowned, trying to puzzle'out his motives. "You're not like your brother."
"I'm cut to the marrow. Imust get Ian to have a talk with you. He believes I have a noble soul."
"I don't know anythingabout souls, but I know you're not what you seem."
"Very perceptive. Butthen, few of us are what we appear to be. Actually, I'm more honest than mostwhen it doesn't hurt me too grievously." He added softly, "And I dopay my debts, Jane."
"But that's not the onlyreason you're here, is it?"
For an instant the mockerydisappeared from his expression. "No, that's not the only reason, but Ihave no intention of sharing the others with you. You'll have to take me as youfind me."
And she found him adisturbing, glittering enigma. "I don't have to take you at all."
"But you will, won'tyou," he said, looking steadily into her eyes.
She should reject him. Hedidn't belong here and she didn't need the distraction of his presence. Yet shewas curiously reluctant to say the words that would banish him. In somemysterious fashion he had lent a shimmer and color to the last hours that she hadnever known before. Perhaps it would do no harm to let him linger for a littlelonger. "Working in this heat is no pleasure. One day should be enough tomake you give it up."
"Oh, no." He smiled."I never give up a job until something more interesting presentsitself."
Chapter4
He didn't give up.
The only reason her gaze wasdrawn to him so constantly during the day, Jane assured herself, was herconcern for his hurt shoulder. But the wound didn't seem to hamper him, forwith every blow of the hammer the muscles of his back and abdomen slid assmoothly as the gears of a locomotive. The rhythmic force with which he struckeach wedge-shaped spike sank it deep and true. At the end of the day he wasstill swinging the huge hammer with the same strength and determination heexhibited when he had started ten hours before.
"You can stop now."She walked over to him. "Didn't you hear Robinson call a halt? The othersleft five minutes ago."
"I heard him." Heswung the hammer and the spike plunged deeper. "But I'm not like theothers. I had to prove myself, didn't I?" He tossed the hammer aside."Do I come back tomorrow?
She gazed at him, baffled."I can't understand why you'd want to."
"Sometimes I like thiskind of work. You don't have to think, you just feel."
He had shed his shirt onlyminutes after he had accepted the hammer from Robinson. His golden skin nowgleamed with a patina of sweat and dust, and his chest was moving harshly withhis labored breathing. She felt a tingling in the palms of her hands, and sherealized with astonishment that she wanted to reach out and touch him to see ifthe ridged muscles were as hard as they looked. She quickly clenched her handsinto fists and stepped back.
He picked up his shirt fromthe ground beside the track and slipped it on. "Invite me to your bungalowfor dinner."
"What for?"
"I want to meet yourPatrick Reilly." He started up the track across Sikor Gorge. "I wantto see you together."
She started to put anotherquestion to him, but his expression had taken on the shuttered look she wasbeginning to recognize. "You wouldn't get along. You're not at allalike."
"Invite me."
She hesitated and then saidformally, "Will you be so kind as to join us for dinner?"
"Delighted. I'll go tothe hotel first and wash off this sweat and be at your bungalow at eight."He shot her a shrewd look. "And don't worry, you won't have to beprotective of your friend Reilly. I'm no threat to him."
She had a sudden memory of thebulging eyes of the man lying dead in the alley. Ruel MacClaren might not be athreat to her or Patrick, but there was no doubt he could be extremelydangerous when aroused.
"He deserved it."Ruel's gaze was fixed on her face and she had the uncanny impression he hadread her thoughts. "I always return what's given to me, Jane."
"Well, then I havenothing to worry about." She smiled with an effort. "Once you'reconvinced I'm quite well again, you'll be about your own business." Sheturned to look at him. "By the way, what is your business?"
