Chapter Four #2
He sighed, the long, weary sound filling the room. “Then I suppose I’ll have to come along with you.”
Eden felt a rush of relief so profound that she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. “You will?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
“Someone has to make sure you don’t get yourself killed,” he said, the familiar hint of sarcasm back in his voice.
“You can’t go to that place alone, Eden.
You don’t have the stomach for what awaits you there.
The mere fact that you’re a woman, a rich one at that, will draw attention.
We might be followed, and the sort of men who would try to steal whatever we find will not be gentlemen. ”
She tried to protest, to tell him that she was perfectly capable of handling herself, but the words died in her throat.
She knew, with a certainty that chilled her to the bone, that he was right.
She could decipher ancient scripts, but she had no idea how to defend herself against a man with a gun.
She needed Max. Perhaps more than she’d realized.
“You don’t want to do this, do you?” she asked, her voice quiet.
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “No, I don’t. But I will.” He looked down at the maps and books on the table, shaking his head. “You’re getting yourself into a world of trouble, Eden. But I suppose if I can’t stop you from going, I might as well make sure you come back alive.”
“Thank you,” she breathed. “I mean it, Max. I’ll be forever in your debt.”
He was so close that his scent—coffee, sandalwood, and perhaps a hint of clove—made her dizzy. What she wouldn’t give to turn and bury her face against his chest. She longed to find comfort in his arms the way she once had. Dear Lord, it had been so long since she’d been held.
“But we do it my way,” he added, leaning forward. “Certain terms must be clear if I am to agree to this venture.”
“State them,” she said, folding her hands with feigned patience. “I’ve some terms of my own.”
“I’m sure you do.” His mouth quirked, almost a smile. “First, I’m in charge. If I say we abandon the hunt, we do so. You can find someone else to risk their neck, but you won’t endanger my men or me.”
“And what fee do you command these days?” she asked, bracing herself for his answer.
He named an exorbitant sum without hesitation.
The audacity of the number pulled a tight smile to her lips.
“Done,” she said, savoring his brief flash of surprise.
He was a fool if he thought any amount of money would keep her from her goal.
She didn’t care a whit about the money except for the freedom it gave her to pursue her dreams. She could pay ten times the amount he’d asked without putting much of a dent in her fortune.
“So easily?”
She leaned back, her relief so overwhelming that she feared she’d burst into tears. “This is all I’ve ever wanted, Max.” That wasn’t entirely true. She’d wanted him just as badly. Perhaps even more so.
He looked at her for a moment, his practiced arrogance wavering. She thought again of his anger at the tavern, the way he’d lashed out at her return to his life. Had she pushed him too far then, thinking only of her goals? Or was his presence now a sign that she had been right to seek him out?
“What else?” she asked, willing the tremor of vulnerability from her voice.
“I choose the crew. And you tell me exactly what your plans are. Once things have been set in motion, I won’t have you changing them on a whim.” He sat back, his calm defying the storm of questions swirling within her.
“I want a say in everything,” she insisted. “You may be in charge and set our route, but I’ll not be kept in the dark, nor will you keep me from entering the labyrinth if we find it. This is as much my expedition as yours.”
He smiled. “Your father would have had my head for taking you out to the desert. I think that might have been what he was most afraid of.”
“Father is dead,” she replied grimly. “This bargain is strictly between you and me. I no longer answer to anyone else.”
He smiled then, a real smile, and once again, those dimples flashed. God help me. “Good for you, Eden. I’m glad you’re finally out from under the thumbs of men who don’t deserve you.”
She blinked rapidly, his words touching something deep inside her she’d feared lost forever.
No one else had ever understood her the way he did.
Suddenly, the thought of making this trip with him, of sharing her dreams with the one person who’d always been as passionate about exploring as she was, made her breathless with anticipation.
“Max... should we talk about what happened between us back then? Clear the air and try to lance those old wounds?”
The lingering smile on his face faded as though it had never been, and she knew she’d gone too far. He obviously had no interest in rehashing old grievances.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” he said sharply. “All of that happened so long ago. I haven’t thought about it in ages. I think it is best if we just move forward as old friends. That’s all we are, isn’t it?”
She swallowed a surge of disappointment.
She’d always known that he’d put it all behind him, that he’d never given her a second thought after he’d walked away, so she didn’t know why it hurt so much.
She schooled her features as best she could, pretending her heart wasn’t breaking all over again.
“Of course. You’re right. We need to put the past behind us. ”
He nodded, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “When do we leave?”
“As soon as preparations allow. I must be at the dig site on the night of a new moon, so we have to take that into consideration.”
“Then we’d best begin at once. The winter dig season is nearly upon us.” He stood, and for a heartbeat, she glimpsed the recklessness of their younger days, a shadow of the camaraderie they’d shared. “I’ll start making preparations and let you know our next steps.”
“Max... thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he told her grimly.
After he took his leave, Eden couldn’t contain a little shriek of happiness. She was finally going to Egypt! And even better, she was going with Max!