Not Ruel . . .

He had stopped work and was staring at her, his legs slightly astride, the huge hammer held balanced in both hands, his gaze on her throat. She was suddenly conscious of the drop of water gliding slowly down her throat, beneath her shirt and over her upper breasts.

Cold liquid against hot flesh.

Searing blue eyes watching her.

The drop of water reached her nipples, pooled, darkening the light-blue chambray and delineating her engorged nipple.

Ruel's tongue moistened his lower lip.

A shudder went through her.

He smiled and his gaze went deliberately to his lower body.

Stark, heavy arousal.

He swung the hammer again.

The spike dug deeper into the wood.

. . .

"You didn't wait for me yesterday," he said softly. "How can I protect you if you run away from me?"

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't need you to protect me." She didn't look at him as she moved quickly over the ties of Sikor Gorge. "And I wasn't running away."

She could feel him staring at her and her breasts tautened, responding mindlessly as they had when she had watched him wield the hammer.

"Why are you fighting it? It will be easier once you let me have you."

"Be quiet," she said jerkily.

"You'll like it." His voice thickened. "And God knows we both need it. I think I'm going crazy."

Her pace quickened until it was almost a run, her boots stumbling on the ties.

He muttered a curse. "Be careful, dammit," he called after her. "Do you want to stumble into the gorge?"

"No, you wouldn't want me to do that, would you?" she said through her teeth. "A crippled woman would be of no use to you."

He suddenly chuckled. "It would hinder things a bit, but we could make a few adjustments and make it work for us. Shall I tell you how?"

"No!" She ran the last few feet to the end of the gorge to the banyan grove where Bedelia was tied. She glanced over her shoulder, but he was still strolling across the gorge, making no attempt to pursue her. She hastily saddled the mare. "If you come tomorrow, I'll tell Robinson to throw you off the site."

"No, you won't. Because I'd become annoyed and that would mean you'd have to do without an overseer." He smiled. "Did I ever mention how nasty I am when I'm annoyed?"

Dead eyes staring sightlessly in the darkness of the alley.

"You'll have to solve the problem yourself," he said softly. "It's so easy. Why are you making it difficult?"

Sunlight shimmered on the tawny streaks in his hair, and he seemed bathed in light as he moved lithely toward her. She stared, as helpless to keep her eyes off him as she had been all day as he swung that damned hammer.

"No!" She finally managed to tear her gaze away, mounted, and kicked Bedelia into a trot and then, desperately, into a full gallop.

"I believe Li Sung came to the supply yard tonight," Ian said.

Ruel stiffened and turned to look at him. "You're sure?"

"Fairly sure. He had a key. Jane came to the supply yard early this evening carrying a knapsack and left without it. A Chinese man with a limp came two hours later and picked up the knapsack. I followed him but lost him in the bazaar."

"On purpose?" Ruel asked sardonically.

"God works in mysterious ways."

"Convenient ways also."

"Shall I continue to watch the yard?"

Ruel hesitated. "Not now. We know what we need to know. The rest can wait."

"That's not at all like you. "You're usually more impatient."

Impatient? Christ, he was so impatient and on edge, he felt like a volcano about to erupt.

But his impatience had nothing to do with Kartauk.

Chapter 5

The rains started early in the morning two days later.

The skies opened and a deluge poured from the heavens. The rain was like everything else in this blasted country, Jane thought with frustration— heavy, warm, and near impossible to fight. During the first few hours she actually welcomed the struggle against the elements because, for the first time in days, she was able to ignore Ruel's presence and concentrate on the task at hand.

By noon the water had pooled on either side of the track and the workers were slipping and sliding with every step. By three o'clock the sheets of rain were falling so hard and fast, it became difficult for the workers to even see the heads of the spikes they were hammering. At four o'clock Jane called a halt and told everyone to go home and come back at dawn tomorrow.

"It's about time," Ruel muttered as he threw his hammer into the tarpaulin-covered wheelbarrow beside the tracks. "I thought you were going to wait until we drowned in this muck."

"Don't come back if you don't like it," she said fiercely. "No one asked you to stay. I'm not going to let the rain stop us. I have fifteen more miles to go before the rails are joined, and we'll be here every day until the job's finished."

"Or you're finished." Ruel stood looking at her, rain dripping off the brim of his hat and running down his cheeks. "You're barely able to stand on your feet."

"I'm fine. You're the one who's complaining." She moved toward the bridge over the gorge. "Perhaps you'd better not come back tomorrow."

"You don't get rid of me that easily." He suddenly smiled. "I don't like this damn weather, but I can get used to it."

The demon could probably get used to burning in hell, she thought despairingly. Dear God, it was happening again. He had only to look at her in that certain way and her body began readying, ripening. "Why bother? It can't be worth it to you."

"It's worth it."

She could feel his gaze on her back as she walked quickly over the bridge. The river was no longer a sickly trickle but a muddy torrent racing through the gorge. The supports were holding firm, she noticed with relief. That's right, think about the railroad. Forget about how Ruel had looked standing in the rain with his shirt clinging to the ridged muscles of his chest and belly. Think about her weariness and discouragement, not about this strange, aching emptiness between her thighs.

"Why not wait until the monsoons are over?" Ruel asked quietly. "You can't make much progress in this rain."

"We'll do what we can." She ducked beneath the heavy canopy formed by the branches of the banyan trees and picked up Bedelia's saddle. "The maharajah doesn't make exceptions because of the weather, and that means we can't either."

"What a charming man. I can hardly wait to make his acquaintance."

"Well, it won't be through me." Why was he just standing there watching her? Her fingers fumbled with the cinch as she quickly saddled Bedelia. "If that's what's holding you here, then you might as well give it up."

"That's not what's holding me. You know why I'm here."

"I don't know why—"

"Then stop avoiding looking at me and find out."

"I don't want to look at you. Why should I want—" Her gaze met his and she quickly closed her eyes. "No," she whispered.

But she still saw him standing there, the rain molding his clothes to his body, muscles tense, gaze intent.

"Aye," he said. "It's time, Jane." His tone was soft, coaxing. "You don't want to fight me any longer. You're tired and discouraged, but I can help you forget all this. You want it—take it. If you don't like me, I won't bother you again."