Discovering Sophie (5 page)

Sophie swallowed, trying to get control of her thoughts. The guy was more than devastatingly handsome; he was probably the most beautiful man she had ever seen. His light-brown hair was cropped short, almost like he belonged in the military. His chiseled face, tan from the Costa Rican sun, was covered with a dark shadow of whiskers. He looked like he could grace the cover of any magazine. The T-shirt he wore molded to solid muscles, his biceps bulging against the short sleeves.

Alarmed by her reaction to his appearance, Sophie drew in a deep breath. This man was going to take her into the jungle, not out on a date. Her pounding heart and weak knees had more to do with all the hype surrounding Jack Mathison and the fact that she was now going to have to own up to letting him assume she was a man.

Jack raised his face and pale, ice-blue eyes met her gaze. Immediately, Sophie knew she was in trouble. He did not look happy.

Sophie waved and forced her quivering mouth into a smile. Her knees shook as he purposely strode toward her. He stopped a few feet away, and she noticed how tall he was, guessing he was probably a foot taller than her five three frame. Even though she wore four inch heels, he still towered over her.

“Hello.” She offered him a trembling hand. “I’m Dr. Kendrick.”

He ignored her hand, narrowing his eyes. “You’re a woman.”

Uh-oh.
“Yes,” she said, dropping her hand. “Is that a problem?” Her tone was uncharacteristically defiant.

“Not mine.” He crossed his arms in front of him, drawing her eyes to his impressive biceps. “
You
, on the other hand, need to find yourself another guide.”

She raised her chin a notch. “Why?”
Because she was a woman?

His blue eyes were hard, and his square jaw was clenched tight with irritation. “Look, lady, I don’t have to defend my reasons, but let’s just say I’ve had enough experience to know there is no way I’m spending the next two weeks in the jungle with someone who looks like you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I don’t need the headache and trouble a beautiful woman will cause me. Besides, the jungle is hard terrain, and I’m not pampering someone who has probably never even slept in a tent.”

Sophie ignored his back-handed compliment about her looks and took a step forward. “I’ll have you know I’m an avid hiker and I’ve slept in plenty of tents, as well as under the stars.” She tilted her chin up a little higher. “I’ve paid you your fee, and I’m not leaving.”

The muscle in his jaw jumped. “You’ll get a full refund. I’m not taking you.”

He seemed totally serious, but she didn’t want a refund. All her bravado seeped away as her chest seized in panic and her eyes burned with emotion. This couldn’t be happening.

Hector moved behind Jack, his gaze filled with concern. It triggered the tears welling in her eyes, making them spill over.

“Oh, brother,” Jack said in exasperation. “Don’t cry.”

Her tears were genuine, but he clearly saw them as some feminine ploy. How could she make him change his mind? “Please, Mr. Mathison,” she said, reaching out and laying her hand on his corded forearm. “I need to find my father.”

* * *

Jack flinched as he felt a shock of heat from her fingertips when she touched him. “Look, I’m sorry about your missing father.” He pulled his arm away. “But I’m not taking you.”

“Please, Mr. Mathison,” she begged softly as another tear slipped down her cheek.

If it was meant to make him change his mind—it wasn’t working. An emotional woman wouldn’t last a day in the jungle, and one this pretty would definitely cause problems with Elaina and others they might encounter. Not to mention the fact he was single and she was single, and after the fiasco last month and the false accusations, Jack did not want to be alone with another female, especially a dishonest one. If his attorney found out, he would probably have a stroke.

“The answer is still no.” He moved to his vehicle. “Now please get back in the Jeep, and I’ll take you to a hotel.”

She didn’t move, but stood stock-still staring at him.

Jack held his ground. Yeah, he was being a little harsh, but she had intentionally been deceitful. With his past, lying was something he didn’t tolerate.

He met her gaze and the despair in her eyes made his stomach tighten with guilt.
Ah, man
.
Why’d she have to be so pretty?

He watched her despair turn to anger as she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. “Fine. Do you have any recommendations for another guide?”

Another guide?
He hadn’t been serious—but she sure seemed to be, or maybe she didn’t value her life or her virtue. “No. My suggestion is for you to find someone to locate your father for you. In fact, I’ll do it. I know I can find him. And,” he said, looking at her pointedly, “I’ve already been paid.”

“If you’ll do it then why can’t I go with you?”

“Lady, I already told you why.” Her persistence was annoying.

Defiance flickered in her eyes. “You said you didn’t want to pamper me. Well, you won’t have to. I’ve already told you I’m an avid hiker and I’m in excellent shape.”

Jack’s eyes skimmed over her white fitted shirt and dark skinny jeans that accentuated her well-toned legs and looked great with a pair of sexy, but very unpractical, turquoise colored high heels. Yes—she was definitely in excellent shape.

His appreciation abruptly came to a halt when he met her gaze.
Shoot
. He’d been caught checking her out.

She narrowed her pretty brown eyes. “I know about the incident that happened last month with one of the women in your group. I’m not here for any reason other than to find my father, and believe me, you have no need to worry about me being attracted to you.” She moistened her lips. “Because I’m not.”

Oh yeah?
Well, then he wasn’t attracted to her either. “Fantastic. I’m still not taking you.”

She briefly closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. “I’m sorry for deceiving you, Mr. Mathison. I know it was wrong.”

He felt his heart harden with the apology. He hated when people apologized for lying, especially since being dishonest was an intentional decision and expressing their regret was only meant to make themselves feel better.

“But,” she said with more strength. “I need your assistance in locating my father. When I was young, I spent many weeks in different jungles. I’m not afraid, and I won’t complain.”

Yeah, but someone who looked like her could cause more problems than he wanted to deal with. On the off chance Elaina had broken up with her boyfriend, Jack didn’t want to have to deal with her jealous obsession. Avoiding
Por El Río
wasn’t an option. It was the best route to where he believed Dr. Kendrick’s father was, and he had no choice but to pass through.

“Look, I said no, okay? If you want me to find your father, I’ll do it.” He pointed his finger at her. “But without you.”

She met his stare, and he read the defeat in her eyes. Good. He’d won. Jack loaded her luggage back inside the Jeep as she slowly made her way around the vehicle and climbed into the front passenger seat.

Chapter Four

Ignoring
the twinge of remorse, Jack slid behind the wheel. “So,” he said, turning toward her, “do you want me to find your dad or what?”

She looked down at her hands. “I don’t know. I…well, I really felt like this was what I was supposed to do. I need time to think and pray about it.”

He stared at her for a few seconds and was tempted to call her out as a hypocrite. Despite having purposely deceived him, it appeared as if she had no problem praying for guidance. Before he said something he’d regret, he started the Jeep. “Yeah, well when you get an answer, just let me know.”

Hector glowered at Jack as he pulled away, obviously mad at him for refusing to take the doctor. He’d have to smooth that over with him when he returned.

Winding his way through the city, Jack’s passenger remained quiet, looking straight ahead. When he pulled up in front of a reputable hotel, she turned to look at him. That glint of anger was back in her eyes.

Jack couldn’t help smiling. For such a tiny little thing, she sure was spirited. Her gaze narrowed when she saw his smile, and she jerked her door open. Grabbing her carry-on bag, she hefted it to the ground.

While she worked on getting one of the heavier bags out, Jack exited the Jeep and snatched her other piece of luggage before she could refuse his help. He circled around the vehicle and placed the bag next to her feet. He retrieved a business card from his wallet and handed it to her. “Call when you decide if you want me to go look for your father.”

Her slender fingers grasped the card, frustration and disappointment written on her face. “Thank you.”

“If not, I’ll refund the money and have Hector take you to the airport. It’s about two hours away and taking a cab that far would be expensive and risky.”

Her eyes flickered up to meet his. For a brief moment, both of them hesitated as they held one another’s gaze. Despite his anger, he felt a spark of awareness pass between them. It made him almost recant his decision not to take her, but his pride kept him rooted in place when she slipped the strap of the carry-on piece over her shoulder, pulled the other two bags behind her and entered the hotel lobby.

The scent of her perfume drifted on the breeze as the hotel doors closed. Jack let out a big breath and climbed into his Jeep. As he pulled away from the hotel, he tried to erase Dr. Kendrick’s stricken face. He growled as he gripped the steering wheel hard. Man, he hated feeling guilty.

When he arrived home, he saw Hector sitting by their gear, making his guilt even worse.

“Way to go,
amigo
,” Hector said sarcastically. “You just turned down a beautiful
señorita
and her money.”

Climbing out of the Jeep, Jack leaned back against the frame. “I have a feeling Dr. Kendrick is still going to want our services.”

Hector sighed. “Jack, what is wrong with you? You have the chance to take a woman who looks like that into the jungle and you said no?”

Jack narrowed his gaze and laughed dryly. “You know how I feel about women right now, and I’m not looking for a fling or a wife. Besides, you’re married, and I saw the way you were looking at the doctor.”

Hector chuckled. “I might be married, and I love my wife, but I can still look at a beautiful
señorita
when I see one, ¿
no
?”

Jack grunted and started toward his house. “Beautiful or not, I’m not taking her.” He paused and looked over his shoulder. “Hopefully she’ll let me know tomorrow if she still wants us to look for her father.”

* * *

Early the next morning, sunlight filtered through the blinds and Jack woke up feeling even more disturbed by Dr. Kendrick. He’d done something he rarely did: he had dreamed, and what’s more, he had dreamed about the doctor.

Sitting up, he rubbed his hands over his face and recalled how vivid the dream had been. Dr. Kendrick ran through the jungle, calling for her father. Jack could see a dark figure chasing her and knew he had to help her. He had awakened before he could reach her.

Climbing out of bed, Jack pulled on a shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. After making his bed, he went downstairs and opened the shutters, allowing bright sunlight to penetrate the kitchen. He needed a caffeine boost, and since he wasn’t a fan of coffee, he opened the fridge and grabbed an energy drink.

Jack stepped out on the veranda, cradling the cold can and wondering if he would hear from the doctor today. Her image materialized in his mind, reminding him of her flawless skin and those expressive, dark eyes.

He took a sip of his drink and frowned. He was thinking entirely too much about the woman.

Maybe he should just contact her and get it over with. He’d called Tyson last night to chew him out, but the guy had been laughing too hard to listen to any of Jack’s complaints. It was futile to stay mad at him, and Tyson had taken the blame for giving the doctor bad advice about keeping her gender a secret. He had also pointed out that while she may have not corrected Jack’s assumption she was male, she had done it to find her father, not to trick him. Now Jack had her cell phone number programed in his phone. He just had to decide what he was going to do with it. At the very least, he should apologize for his rude behavior.

Scowling, he took another sip of his drink, and tried to tell himself he didn’t want to see her again, but he’d never been good at self-deception. The truth was that he did want to help her find her missing father and that he had been attracted to her. That part bothered him.

As he thought about how pleased the doctor would be with him if he called her, he felt his heart rate accelerate. Yeah, maybe he would wait another day to contact her. By tomorrow, his hormones might be restored to normal and he could think more clearly about what he wanted to do.

* * *

Sophie climbed out of the taxi, smoothing a hand over her pants. She had almost dressed in her khakis, T-shirt and hiking boots, but didn’t want to be too presumptuous. “
Gracias
,” she said as the driver helped her with her bags.

“
De nada
.” He grinned widely, revealing several missing teeth. “
Muchas gracias
,” he said when she tipped him generously.

Standing in front of Jack Mathison’s house, Sophie was determined to get him to take her. She had prayed about having him go alone, but she felt like she was supposed to go—like somebody needed her help. The only problem was she needed to convince Jack.

As she drew close to his front door, she tried suppressing the trepidation dancing in her stomach. Today had to go better than yesterday. He had been rude, but he’d also been angry with her for not being upfront with him about her gender. Maybe, after a good-night’s sleep, he’d reconsider and offer to be her guide. Camille had said her brother thought it was worth asking him again.

She pushed the doorbell, her foot tapping with apprehension. After waiting for a minute, she knocked softly. If the man wasn’t an early riser, this might not go the way she wanted.