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“No. I have had a request from Erin. She’s leaving for Hong Kong early this evening and asked if I would accompany her. She’s going to Daksha Mountain and thought I might be of assistance with language and customs.”
“What?”
“Kadmus practically destroyed that village and the people who lived there when he took over the palace. Erin wants to see if she can help them get back on their feet.” He shrugged. “And I have nothing to do for the next few months.”
“Erin didn’t tell me.”
“You’ve been a trifle preoccupied,” Hu Chang said. “And I imagine Erin has quietly been thinking and pla
“You’d better.” She gri
“It is a question of need. Erin is stretching and flexing new muscles. Growth has always fascinated me.” He added slyly, “You must make an effort to give me something to pique my interest. I would hate to become bored with you.”
“Bored? Why you—” But Hu Chang had disappeared into the library.
She shook her head ruefully as she continued up the stairs. She had not known how much she had wanted Hu Chang to go with them to Louisville until this moment. He was comfort and security and a bastion against loneliness. She needed that right now. But she would never tell him of that need. He would draw too many conclusions, and they would all have to do with Cameron.
But then, everything seemed to be co
But one of those co
The bedroom door was open, and Erin was packing her suitcase. “Erin?”
“Hi.” Erin looked up and smiled. “How is Cameron?”
“I wouldn’t know. He’s being protected by a trio of hulks who look like a Mafia squad. I guess I looked too dangerous to risk within the presence.”
“Really?” Erin threw back her head and laughed. “That’s fu
“Hu Chang says you’re heading back to Daksha.” She shivered. “I wouldn’t think you’d be able to bear the memories of what you went through there.”
“I don’t think I’m strong enough to go back to the palace yet, but the village is different. I think that it may … cleanse me.”
“I hope so.” Her gaze went to Erin’s throat. “You’re still wearing your lotus necklace.”
“I always will.”
“Does that mean that—” She stopped as Erin shook her head. “No?”
“Not yet. I’m closer. I may find my answer at Daksha.”
“Whatever you decide, I hope that answer includes me, Erin.” She crossed the room and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Because I believe that you’ll always be my friend and part of my life now. If you need me, call.”
Erin’s eyes were moist as she nodded jerkily. “I will. Thank you for everything, Catherine. You’ll always be with me.” She cleared her throat. “And I’m sorry I’m stealing Hu Chang from you. I need him.”
“And you can obviously be as ruthless as Cameron when you have a plan.” She smiled. “It’s okay. You trumped me this time. Hu Chang’s admiring your energy and growth.” She paused. “So do I.” She turned and headed quickly for the door. “Good-bye, Erin. Take care.”
She didn’t wait for a reply. She was having trouble holding back the tears. She and Erin had gone through so much together. She admired her gentleness and toughness and the idealistic dreams that Catherine would never have.
She would miss her, dammit.
* * *
Cameron was there in the darkness, she thought drowsily.
She could feel him.
She opened her eyes.
“I wish you would,” he said from the bedroom doorway. “In many interesting and carnal ways. It’s a state much to be desired.”
All drowsiness left her. She scrambled to sit up in bed. “Cameron.” She reached over and turned on the lamp on the bedside table. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I understand you paid me a call this afternoon. I felt it was only polite to return the visit.” His lips tightened. “You didn’t see fit to leave a message.”
“Why should I? I wasn’t welcomed with open arms by those gorillas.”
“They were under orders from the committee. The doctor was with me at the time, and they didn’t want anyone to interfere with him.”
“As if I would.” Her gaze went over him. He was dressed in jeans and a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows. He looked strong and tough and was emitting the same electric force as always. “I only came to see you to make sure that you were all right. After all, you did save Luke.” She met his gaze. “But I don’t have to ask that, do I? You look as if that bullet hadn’t even touched you.”
“It touched me.” His hand went to his side. “I told you, flesh wound. The doctor wanted to keep me pe
“Hu Chang says you’re a shining star in their firmament,” she said sarcastically. “They wouldn’t want you either dimmed or sent into outer space. Did they object to your taking down Kadmus?”
“They didn’t like it, but they got over it. I just had to present them with a fait accompli.”
“I imagine you do that quite a bit. It makes me wonder who’s ru
“For God’s sake, I’ve no desire to do anything but my job as Guardian.”
“But those duties could encompass many—”
“I didn’t come here to talk about the committee or their plans for me,” he interrupted impatiently. “I won’t waste time when I know damn well we don’t have it.” He strode toward the bed. “Come on.”
She tensed. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yes, you are. I don’t like all the things that are zooming around your mind. I could stay here, but it might not be either quiet or calm. In fact, you can count on high-octane disturbance. You wouldn’t like that with Luke only a few rooms down.” He grasped her arm and pulled her from the bed. “So it’s the summerhouse.”
“No!” Memories of those erotic hours in the summerhouse were flooding back to her, the heady sexual games that had kept her captive.
“Yes.” He looked her in the eye. “Look, I’m not going to touch you if you don’t want me. But I’m going to talk to you. I stopped at Luke’s room on the way here to you and told him good-bye. You wouldn’t want him to hear anything that would make him defensive. He might feel bound to come in and confront me.”
He knew she wouldn’t permit Luke to be put in that position. She tore her wrist from his grasp. “I’ll go with you. But it’s not going to be your way, Cameron. This is only going to make me angry.”
“I know.” He bowed slightly and gestured for her to precede him. “But there’s no time for me to negotiate. I have to do what I have to do. I found out from Hu Chang that you’re on your way to Louisville.”
“Found out in your usual fashion, I suppose.”
“Yes, Hu Chang has no objection to an occasional intrusion as long as I make it a rare occurrence. Not like you, Catherine.”
“With me, your intrusions have not been all that rare,” Catherine said as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “And this particular one strikes me as being particularly obnoxious.”
“Because you’re on guard, and you don’t want to be put in a position where you might be tempted to lower it.” He opened the garden French door for her. “And that’s all I’m offering here. Not force.” He smiled. “Temptation.”
“After you got your way and positioned me correctly to receive temptation.”
“As I said, I don’t have much time.”
“It’s not going to work, Cameron.”
“Then I’ll go away and try again another day.” He opened the door to the summerhouse. “There’s always tomorrow.”