Chapter Four

“Come play, Aida,” Tau invited snapping her mind back to the here and now.

“Okay.”

She leaned down and unlaced her boots, removed them and her socks and jumped up. Aida got lost in the pure joy of playing football. Soccer…man, I can tell I haven’t been to the US in a while.

During a break, she looked up and saw Christopher standing along the side and next to him was Dane. The men were talking but she would swear, again, that Dane watched her. The next time she looked up, he was gone only Christopher remained. Aida played with the kids until her lungs burned and her legs ached. Then she cried off. Sitting on the stump again, this time to put on her footwear, she smiled at Christopher when he walked to her.

“You looked great out there,” he said with a smile.

“Why weren’t you playing?”

“Would you believe I didn’t want to show you up?” He batted his eyes at her.

Aida laughed. “Not for a second.” Footwear secure, she got to her feet. “I’m hungry.”

“Come on. Let me get some food in you, at least to tide you until dinner. Big brouhaha tonight.”

She grinned. Aida loved the big meals, the family atmosphere. Being an only child, she loved watching the interactions between larger families. And this village, well all the villages she visited, were like family to her.

After dinner was over, Aida stood by her off-white 1967 International Scout 800. With all the dirt and grime on it, the color came across as more gray than anything. She currently loaded the rest of the empty boxes back in.

“Nice ride,” a silken voice wove out of the dusk to settle around her.

“Thanks,” she replied momentarily gripping the side as another flash of heat seared her.

“I’m ready when you are,” he said.

Spinning around, Aida stared at him. “Excuse me?” Her eyes took their usual trip over his body and she noticed he had a backpack over one shoulder. “What are you talking about?”

“Christopher didn’t tell you.” It wasn’t a question.

“Christopher didn’t tell me, what?”

“That I was going with you to help move the remaining boxes.”

Dane approached and reached over her head to fix some of the padding that was coming off the roll bar. The action totally enveloped her with his scent. Pure, masculine, fresh, and wild. He smelled so good Aida longed to taste him. Lick along his skin to learn the taste of him. Her pulse shot up all the while she did her damndest to stem the flow of moisture within her.

“I can handle it.”

He looked down at her, his hair falling forward and giving him an almost innocent look. Almost. Okay, so maybe it’s more like he’s lying in wait for me to drop my guard before he pounces.

“I don’t mind. Christopher said they would be heavy.”

“Won’t be back until the day after tomorrow,” she said as he stepped back. Giving him an option of not going.

“That’s okay.” Dane tossed his bag in the back.

“Alrighty then. Let’s go.”

She stood by the door and watched him head for the front of her vehicle. One of the camp dogs came running out of the woods toward her only to stop and whine as it looked at Dane. Glancing from him to the dog, she noticed it shaking before it spun around and ran back the way it came, tail firmly tucked between its legs.

“What’d you do to him?” she asked, opening the door and stepping up easily despite the three and a half inch lift the Scout had.

“Nothing. Dogs just don’t seem to like me much.”

Turning her head to the left, Aida looked at him and coolly arched a brow. “He seemed scared to death of you.”

He shrugged it off and glanced at her. The remaining light of day shone on him and hit his eyes making them seem more golden. A tingle moved up her spine.

“It happens.”

“That it does.” She bit back a smile, betting her life that her babies wouldn’t be scared of him.

“You don’t want to tell Christopher?”

Staring the engine, Aida smiled. “No. I’ll have a discussion with him when I get back.” Shifting into gear, she drove through the village waving at people. She had no fear of this man accompanying her for had there been any doubt in Christopher’s mind he wouldn’t even had introduced them to one another.

“Like the dice,” Dane commented as the village fell behind them in the distance.

“Thanks. Got them from a friend, who said I needed something feminine in here. She says this is a man’s vehicle.”

“Pink fuzzy dice will do that. And I think this vehicle does fit you.”

“Masculine?” Aida looked at him barely able to see his features for the night.

“No. Ready for anything. There is nothing masculine about you, Aida Roberts.”

She grinned as she faced forward, placing her attention back on the road. Nice to know you think so, Dane Sidorov. The warm night air raced over them as she sped along, keeping her eyes alert for wildlife.