She nearly forgot about the fire and the guns. There was more of a wind and she smelled the smoke, shocking her out of her surreal experience and back to real life. That had always been the way it was when she’d been with Conner. Each thing they’d done together, every place they went, had taken on a life of its own. She’d almost been afraid to go to sleep, afraid she’d miss something. Life with Conner was vivid—electric—passionate—everything she’d always wanted.
She climbed methodically, finding a rhythm in the movement as she pulled herself up the tree trunk. Conner always covered her, in perfect sync, as if they were dancing—or making love. She felt the muscles in his body, hard and defined, sliding against hers. His thick thighs stayed beneath her at all times, his arms surrounding her, his chest tight against her back so they moved together, almost as if they were one person, not two.
Raindrops splashed down as the roiling clouds above the canopy burst and dumped sheets of water onto the smoldering trees, effectively dousing the crackling flames. Black smoke rose to mix with the thick grayish vapor surrounding the canopy, creating a thick veil. Conner stepped easily onto a branch and pulled her next to him, keeping his arm around her waist. She felt like she’d stepped into the heavens.
Conner was right: The gunmen couldn’t possibly see them up in the thick branches, not with the thick mist blanketing them.
“I want to keep moving. I doubt they’ll notice the marks we made on the trunk, but I don’t want to take any chances. The others will have made for the river and if they run into trouble, we’ll be there to help them.”
She stared down at her hands. The claws had retracted as if they’d never been. She turned her hands over and over, inspecting them. “I saw it, but I can’t believe it.”
“Come on.” He took her hand. “It will be slippery with the rain, so watch your footing and don’t let go of me. If you slip, Isabeau, trust your cat. Don’t panic.”
“You say that a lot to me.”
“Our ability to land on our feet is legendary for a reason,” he reminded. “It’s true. Even if you somersault upside down, your cat will right you in under two seconds. You’ll be fine and I’ll be right behind you.”
She took a breath, a nervous laugh escaping. “I think I’ll just take your word for it and skip the actual experience, if you don’t mind.”
He grinned back at her. There, with the smoke and clouds surrounding him, his scarred face strong, his eyes a deep whiskey holding a trace of amusement, she found him far too attractive. She had to look away. Animals were everywhere, the canopy in constant motion, saving her from embarrassment.
“This is amazing.”
“Yes it is.”
The coloring on the birds, up close, was vivid—brilliant blues and greens and even reds. She’d never really noticed individual feathers and how large and sharp beaks could look. He tugged on her hand. “Let’s go. We’ve got to get out of this tree.”
“They’ll never believe we could get up here.”
“Cortez has two rogue leopards on her payroll. They could follow us.”
Her heart jumped. “Men like you?”
“Men a lot worse than I am.” His gaze slid over her face. “You may not believe me, Isabeau, but I do have a code. I screwed up with you, but I’ve got one. These men don’t.”
She ducked her head. She didn’t want to talk about the past. It was too painful. He’d shattered her, left her half alive, an empty shell who would never be able to love another man. She knew that with absolute certainty. It would always be Conner she craved, as much as she despised him.
She followed him, surprised by the ease with which she was able to balance as she stepped over the network of limbs and onto a branch from the neighboring tree. The rain increased in strength, as it often did in the wet season. It wasn’t cold, and with the onslaught of moisture and heat, steam rose around them, turning the canopy into an eerie world.
His fingers tightened around hers, signaling silence. She heard the sound of voices drifting through the veil of mist and a thousand butterflies took wing in her stomach. Her mouth went dry. Conner never even hesitated, walking along the branches as if they were a sidewalk, going from tree to tree. Twice he made a chuffing noise as if warning some larger creature of his presence, but most of the time, the sounds he made were somewhere between strange purrs and low, rumbling growls. Instead of menacing, the notes were soothing.
She became aware of the creatures in the canopy. Where before the animals had been frantic, racing away from the fire and shrieking warnings to one another, now they were much calmer—like she was becoming. It was his voice—that beautiful, reassuring, comforting voice. It made no sense. She should have been terrified. She was a hundred feet above the forest floor, surrounded by smoke and mist so thick it was nearly impossible to see the hand in front of her face, carefully placing her feet on slippery branches. Somewhere below, men with guns hunted them and she was with the man who had shattered her world and left it in ruins.
Birds settled in the trees around them rather than flying in fear. Monkeys merely looked at them curiously, but the frantic chatter had faded to normal. The rain poured down steadily and life seemed to return to usual just that fast. She looked at the man leading her with such confidence along the twisted highway of branches. It was Conner. The sheer force of his personality extended calm not only to her, but to the animals.
She followed him, trying to figure out how to stop her reaction to him. How did one block his voice, his charisma, his sheer magnetism? He was the type of man who stood out in a crowd. How was she supposed to keep her blood cool and her pulse normal after sharing a wildfire with him? Every time he looked at her it was there again—that wild, passionate response she couldn’t prevent.
She should have known. She wasn’t the kind of woman a man like him would want. His gaze was too focused, too absolute, making her feel as if she were the only woman in his world. As if he could never see anyone but her. It was the animal in him. The leopard. Stalking prey. She’d been his prey. A single sound escaped, a low and wounded cry she hastily choked back.
At once he whirled around, his body graceful and fluid, almost balletic on the narrow branch. He bent to her, pulling her into the shelter of his body. “What is it?”
You. The accusation was there in her mind. In her heart. God help her, in her soul. He was what was wrong. The way he moved. The sound of his voice. The memory of his hands and mouth and his body belonging to her. Isabeau shook her head. She hadn’t known it would be so difficult to see him—to smell him. The wild, dangerous scent of him.
“It’s just a little scary up here,” she lied. And she heard the lie in her voice. She could tell by his eyes that he heard it too.
“Lies have a scent all their own,” he said.
“Do they? You taught me a lot of things, but you neglected to teach me that.”