Into the Fray (Daring Escapes #3) - Margaret Daley Page 0,17

she asked, her voice high pitched.

"Yes, what have you found?" The amusement in his voice was deep and rich.

"Nothing yet except another earlier temple beneath the Temple of the Stars."

"That's not unusual. The Indians often built over an older temple."

"But this one wasn't destroyed before the newer temple was built on top of it. Part of the older structure was incorporated into the newer one. This is one of the reasons I met with Juan yesterday.”

Guerrero took another bite of his mango, running the back of his hand slowly across his mouth. His movement was mesmerizing. Tory stared at him as he finished his fruit and then tipped back his bottle of water and drank deep gulps of the liquid.

"Interesting,” he finally said, standing and arching his back. "Most of the time the temples are destroyed in a ritual. I wonder why they didn't demolish the one you found."

His slow stretch emphasized his massive chest and bulging muscles in his arms. She knew of the tensile power contained in his body, held poised as if he were ready to do battle at a moment's notice. He was magnificent. She could picture him with a broad sword in one hand and a shield in the other, his body covered in armor. Her chest felt tight as though a band was wound around it and being pulled taut. Her fantasy wreaked havoc with her peace of mind.

"Do you have any guesses?" Guerrero asked, stopping his tantalizing display of power much to her disappointment.

She shook her head, not sure her voice would work.

"No?"

She forced her gaze away from him and fixed it upon the tree behind him, trying her best to wipe her mind of those visual images of him that made her insides constrict. "There's little evidence to support my theory so far, but this has to be very significant because it wasn't done at other sites. The Mayans preserved part of this temple for an important reason, and I think the people trying to scare us away feel the same way. I believe we'll find this small city was a major religious center and possibly much bigger than previously believed.”

"Or perhaps a ruler of importance was buried in the preserved temple, and there's a treasure beneath the stone blocks."

"Maybe," Tory said and picked up her piece of fruit. She made herself concentrate on eating the mango and not looking at where Guerrero stood practically towering over her a few feet away.

* * *

Guerrero watched her teeth sink into the soft flesh of the mango. Shifting his feet, he tried to look away, but he couldn't. Tory slowly savored each bite of the fruit. He balled his hands into fists as he stared at a drop of liquid on her mouth being whisked away by her tongue. He recalled once wiping the juice from his wife’s lips after eating a mango. For a few seconds, the memory brought forth all the pain he went through after Anna died. Then he recalled Tory’s attack the day before, and the two women merged in his mind. Both passionate about their work and both in danger because of it. That was the real reason he couldn’t turn away from the request to protect Tory.

He didn't want these feelings that threatened his resolve, that complicated this already complicated situation. Turning away, he began to pace, feeling as if he were a caged animal prowling his small domain, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

"Are you ready? We need to get going," he said in a rough voice that conveyed all his frustrations. She was off limits. His life wasn't his until he discovered who had murdered his wife and unborn baby. He had made a promise to Anna, and he was determined to keep it no matter what.

Tory gathered up the untouched food and water bottles then rose. Her gaze caught Guerrero's, and the tension sizzled in the air between them.

"Lady, we don't have all day."

"Please, my name is Tory."

He slowly released the bottled air in his lungs, strode to the Jeep, and slid into the driver's seat. The drumming of his fingers against the steering wheel attested to his impatience as Tory climbed inside. The second she shut her door, he jammed the Jeep into reverse and backed out onto the road.

As they drove toward the tall mountain range where the Temple of the Stars was nestled, Guerrero was conscious of every movement that Tory made. She twisted around to stare out her side window