“None taken.” He grinned at Brett. “I’m perfectly happy not understanding the intricacies of makeup and high heels. I prefer to just reap the benefits when Eileen uses them.” He plucked her hand off his knee and planted a kiss against her palm. There was no missing the warm affection in his gaze as he looked at his wife.

It took Brett a few seconds to recover as Eileen’s unsettling words were still echoing through his mind. Did she believe he and Kayla were in love? In love…the words gripped him by the throat and wouldn’t let go. Is that how they appeared to other people? Would their fellow hikers be surprised to know that he and Kayla had only met…

Yesterday?

The reality hit him like an open-handed slap. How was it possible that she’d struck him so fiercely, so completely and quickly? That he felt so in tune with her, liked her so much, after such a short acquaintance? Was already thinking about continuing their relationship once they returned to New York?

He was normally much more cautious with women, especially lately, when he didn’t know who he could trust, wasn’t sure who wanted him for him, and who wanted him for his formula. But there was no worry of that with Kayla-she knew nothing about his breakthrough discovery. He’d experienced mutual attraction before, but nothing like this. So for him, there was only one logical explanation to explain the profound way she affected him, one fully supported by his research: their scent-communicating chemical compounds were fiercely attracted to each other.

Ashley joined them, her arrival interrupting his thoughts. She laid a comforting hand on Kayla’s arm. “Feeling your pain about the restroom situation, Kayla. I was kinda grossed out by the whole thing on my first camping trip, but Shawn’s such an outdoors nut, it was either get with the program or find a new boyfriend.” Her gaze flicked toward Shawn who stood a short distance away, engrossed in a conversation with Dan Smith, then she smiled. “Turns out I made the right choice. Just make sure you stay away from poison ivy and vegetation with thorns. And snakes.”

Brett swore Kayla’s skin paled. “Ah, yeah. You can bet I will. Yup. Absolutely.” She cleared her throat. “I’m guessing that since the bathroom facilities are…primitive, a shower isn’t available, either.”

“Have buckets,” Alberto called from where he was unrolling tents about fifteen feet away. “Fill from river. Dump over head.” He flashed his brilliant white smile and pantomimed doing just that. “Good shower.”

“Very cold,” Miguel added, his smile just as wide as his brother’s. “Very nice.”

“Very cold, very nice?” Kayla repeated. “Clearly we have a translation problem here.”

“Use bucket for shower,” Alberto repeated with an encouraging nod. “I give you towel.” He nodded toward Brett. “Man make you warm.”

“Works for me,” Brett said, struggling to keep a straight face.

“Me, too,” chimed in Bill. “Hear that, Eileen?”

Ashley and Eileen chuckled, then headed toward the path where Paolo indicated the bathroom tent was now assembled.

“So you’re up for one of these cold showers?” Kayla asked him.

Before answering, he stepped forward and drew her into his arms. “Sweetheart, I’ve been up all day long and could have used a cold shower long ago, what with staring at your gorgeous ass for hours. I took a few pictures of it, by the way.”

“Of my ass?” She leaned back in the circle of his arms, her hands resting against his chest. “You were supposed to be taking pictures of the scenery.”

“I did. I snapped a few pics of the flora and fauna, the ruins at Llaqtapata and your ass. What did you take pictures of?”

She laughed. “You’re impossible.”

“Better be nice to me, or man won’t keep you warm after cold shower.”

“Man better keep me warm or man won’t get erotic massage.”

He chuckled. “C’mon. Let’s grab that bucket, a change of clothes and our towels. We’ll get cleaned up before the sun goes down and it turns chilly.”

While Kayla pulled clothes from her backpack, he walked over to Alberto who handed him two thick, white towels then said in an undertone, “After bathroom tent, big rock. Follow path this way.” He curved his hand toward the right. “Private place.”

Brett’s brows shot up. “How private?”

“You be alone,” Alberto said, nodding. “Always send hikers different paths to wash for privacy. No one bother you-unless you late for dinner. Then send search. Dinner in one hour. No be late.”

He smiled at the young man, then said, “Gracias,” one of the few Spanish words he knew.

Alberto grinned back, then returned to his tent-pitching duties. Brett made a quick stop at his backpack, then, with the shower items in hand, headed with Kayla down the curving path leading toward the river.

And privacy.

12

IMPATIENCE PULLED at Brett, and he quickened his pace.

“Whoa, where’s the fire?” Kayla asked, tugging on his hand. “Slow down. I need the restroom tent, but not bad enough to actually jog there.”

Damn. The words privacy and Kayla had collided in his mind, and the almost painful anticipation of making love to her that he’d suffered through all day had instantly morphed into full-fledged rampaging desire. The knowledge that he wouldn’t have to wait until they retired to their tent to make love had fired heat and lust and raw want to his every nerve-ending. It was all he could do not to fling her over his shoulder and break into a sprint.

“Sorry,” he said, slowing down-an effort that cost him.

They rounded a curve in the path and saw Eileen and Ashley heading toward them. “It’s just a bit further,” Eileen said. “Good luck!”

“Okay, you know it’s not going to be good when you need luck to use a bathroom,” Kayla said with a sigh. Just around the next curve they came across what was clearly the bathroom tent, beneath a tall tree. The tent was nothing more than four six-foot high poles attached at the top and set in a square shape with white shower curtains hanging between them. A wooden plaque with the word Vacant painted in bold red letters was propped at the base of the tree.

Brett looked down at her, his impatience somewhat tempered by curiosity as to how she’d react. “Well, princess?”

She drew a deep, bracing breath, then squared her shoulders. “I’m not going to be beaten by a square of shower curtains. When in ancient Incan territory, do as the ancient Incans did. I’m going in.”

“Atta girl. Except, the ancient Incans didn’t have plastic shower curtains.”

“Well, see that? I’m feeling lucky already.” She cast a quick look around. “Keep an eye out for bears, okay?”

“Sure. Wildcats and snakes, too.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Not helping.”

“Sorry. I’ll keep guard.” His lips twitched. “While I remain standing up to take care of business over there.” He nodded toward a nearby group of tall bushes.

“Again, not helping.” After another scan of the surroundings clearly satisfied her that nothing harmful lurked, she handed him her bundle of clothes, raised her chin then marched toward the tent, looking like a solider heading into battle.

Chuckling softly, he moved a discreet distance away toward the tall bushes, his amusement increasing when she turned over the wooden sign so that it that read Occupied and rested it against the tree trunk. Five minutes later she emerged, then rinsed her hands from the bucket of water Paolo had provided.

“You okay?” he asked, joining her and rinsing his own hands.

“I survived. I’ll certainly never take indoor plumbing for granted again. Nor will I ever complain about Porta Potties.”

“See? It’s all in your perspective. Sort of like the man who complained about his shoes hurting-until he met a man who had no shoes.”

She looked up at him, brushing her hands dry against her shorts, and Brett stilled at her serious expression. A long look passed between them, then something flickered in her eyes. Confusion? He couldn’t tell. Then, with a slight frown pulling down her brows, she reached up and rested her palms against his chest. “My perspective is changing,” she said softly. “Rapidly.”

Keeping his gaze on hers, he covered her hands with his, pressing her palms tighter against him, knowing she’d feel the quickening beat of his heart. “Changing in what way?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think I can explain it. I just know I feel…different here. Weird as it sounds, I can feel myself, my ideas, changing.” Her gaze searched his, looking for what, he didn’t know. “Maybe it’s all my gears shifting, getting back into balance.”

“Which is good-getting back into balance is why you came here. Me, too.”

Again, something flickered in her eyes, something that curiously almost looked like guilt, but was gone before he could tell.

“Maybe this place really is mystical,” she said softly. “Magical.”

Mystical? Magical? His scientific nature rejected the idea. Yet, he couldn’t deny he felt different here as well. As if she’d cast a spell on him. One that needed satisfying. Right now.

He drew her closer and kissed her, the way he’d been aching to the entire day. She rose on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips. His tongue mated with hers, slowly exploring the delicious warm satin of her mouth. Fire licked under his skin, and his arms tightened around her, pressing her warm softness closer against his aching hardness. She opened her mouth wider beneath his, and he groaned, lost in a haze of lust.

The sound of distant laughter roused him and he slowly raised his head. Kayla looked as glazed as he felt.

“Are you as frustrated as I am by our lack of privacy?” she asked, rubbing her breasts against his chest.