Exploration - closed for darkwarrioress57

[KamaKamaSutra]

The airship swept up the sand and blew it away as the craft landed. The landing gear sinking into the sand slightly as the helium balloons settled. A man with dusky brown hair, dressed in light clothing, with a scarf and UV goggles wrapped around his face stepped out. The sweltering heat beat down on the sands of the Tibetan high desert, the rugged peaks of the Himalayas jutted out of the sands and surrounded the desert valley. Mateo Mayes, Mat to his friends, pulled the UV goggles down, revealing his green eyes, and looked at his small small tablet. Displayed on it he saw the world as it had been 500 years ago. This valley had been a lake and the site of an old-world temple. Looking around the sand had covered most of the buildings by this point, it was such a stark contrast to the snow-covered mountains in the pictures. The daytime temperatures were already spiking, it would soon be over 100 degrees. Pulling the goggles back on, he started down a dune and toward the small circular building still holding out against the sand.

The past 400 years had been rough on the Earth, many places had suffered the same or worst than Tibet. The rapid climb in global temperature, coupled with the outbreak of wars across the globe culminating in the fall of the old-world empires and their technology. They had been so advanced, they could communicate across the globe in real time, they were working on perfecting being able to print anything from massive printers that converted raw materials into anything you could imagine. They were all connected, everything was wireless. They had versions of the tablet Mat had in his own hand, but they were a paranoid people. So fearful of each other, they attacked each other, destroying the massive network that connected the world. Then they attacked the people. He had seen a video of some of the effects of that time. Entire cities, long lost to the seas, were on fire, burning with radioactive fire. One video from the former United States had shaken him when he unearthed it, the video showed a massive statue fractured and the iron frame inside it twisted where a bomb had struck. The image was decayed from the age and radiation from the years, but he could still remember the sounds of the people screaming and crying as the statue burned. One of the reasons it had hit him so hard, was the people of that time didn’t leave a lot of information written down; it seems they had what was called a “paperless” society. Because of this during the wars, generations of information were lost.

But that mystery, the lack of clear answers was what drew him into history, delving into the past discovering, interpreting it to find out what life had been like before everything went to shit. But the life of an intellectual held little appeal to him. He much preferred to be out in the world, finding things long forgotten. Sadly, the directors of the major institutions didn’t want to fund his expeditions, citing that they were too risky, or provided a little actual benefit to the study of the Old World. Short sided fools, he had left a few years ago and since going private he had discovered so much and made a bit of money while he was at it. He still provided to the historical community, turning in detailed reports of his excavations, and images of sites and artifacts when he could manage it. But he also made a good income off selling some of the nicer pieces to private collectors to fund his expeditions.

Sometimes they hired him, sometimes he just went places that interested him then sold what he found. This job was the former, the client had requested him to find a small sculpture of the Hindu god Vishnu. The man was from New Jakarta, the port city was the biggest hub for legal trade in the entire region and the center of the trade of artifacts from the old world. The area had once been known as Indonesia, but now they had no name for it now, save for the names of the cities where people settled. Most of the old islands where underwater and even the first city named Jakarta rested under hundreds of feet of water. The new city was built on the side of an extant volcano. The geology that churned the fires of it went out during the wars and as the water rose, the people climbed higher to get away from it.

As he climbed through the dunes and the few hints of buried buildings, he was thinking back on the initial contact for the contract. The man had met him on the airship port. There was a storm brewing and already the waves were crashing against the shore down below. Rain peppered the flight deck as the man had handed him a map of a town called Badrinath. His story, they always had a story, was that his family had been caretakers there, and he had some family records showing that they had been the last to leave the town. He thought maybe he could claim a piece of the past and connect if the statue was still there. The money was good, and it was so remote that Mat couldn’t resist the offer despite the scorching heat of the north waste. One of the two major deserts that stretched around most of the globe. The Northern waste stretched from what was once China and all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. The southern waste was separated into three separate deserts spread across what had become of South America, Australia, and Africa. The southern hemisphere was much more hospitable now, most of the people who survived the climate and wars, move there. Their descendants cobbled together new technology and a new respect for the earth into something new. The Northern Hemisphere was a different story, the people who went north were hard. Wind bit and hungry they had resorted to a more primitive lifestyle. They moved in tribes, mainly situated in what had been Europe. The entire area was covered in a dense forest, while it was pines and hardwood trees it felt like a jungle. People lived and died by its laws if you weren’t strong you didn’t survive. Mat hadn’t gotten to go to America’s yet, from what he heard the people there were wild and the land was mostly uncharted. He was saving to go there and find his future.

Walking up the dunes to the small building, Mat could see that is was the roof of a larger building, the bright colors that once adorned it were sand worn and faded by the intense sun. A few small lizards and insects scattered as he approached, but that was to be expected. The hardiest creatures loved these remote places. What surprised him was secured to the outside wall with a spike, and dropping down through a hole in the roof, was a rope. A new rope, one for climbing and along with it signs that someone had just passed through not long ago. He stood at the hole peering down listening for any sound of the people down below, he stood there the only sound the wind sending wisp of sand through the air.

“Please don’t let them want to eat me this time”

Reaching around his neck, pulling the leather strap that held a gold astrolabe out. Kissing the ancient device and tucking it back into his shirt he grabbed the rope, wrapping his legs around it and started his descent down. His feet landing on solid stone about forty feet below. Pulling off his goggles to see in the gloom. His boots echoed in the chamber as he turned and headed down the only remaining hallway open, his hand reaching behind him he pulled his slug gun. It was a double barrel design that fired 12 gauge slugs. It was a custom job, the slugs were useful for breaking through locks and in a pinch, other obstacles. It kicked like a mule, but he was used to it and was about as accurate with it as you could hope to be. Making his way down the long hallway, the designs on the walls retaining their color and not showing much in the way of wear. He would document these later, once he figured out who else had decided that Badrinath was a good place to vacation too. Turning a corner, he came to an intersection of hallways, one side looked like the floor had fallen to a lower floor, the other two seemed to head into chambers of some kind. Turning right to check out one of the chambers, he caught the sound of someone talking from the lower floor. Sliding down the collapsed floor, the structure groaning under his weight. The lower floor seemed to be a large open chamber; on the far side, he could see someone crouched down working by lantern on something. Raising his gun, he made his way toward them quietly. He was only ten feet away when he recognized the ass that was up in the air as the owner scribbled in a notebook.

“Well, this isn't the treasure I expected to find, but I can't say that I'm disappointed.”

 

[darkwarrioress57]

“Well, this isn't the treasure I expected to find, but I can't say that I'm disappointed.”

“Son of a bitch.”

She froze. Mateo Mayes aka Asshole. The man who had beaten her to her last find and sold it to the highest bidder and the highest bidder had been her very own client. When she couldn’t provide the goods she had been contracted to find, her client went looking desperately elsewhere, Gods how that had galled her to no end. She had begged and pleaded with them not to do it but they wouldn’t listen to her. It hadn’t mattered that they were feeding right into this… this…pirate’s hands.

She stood up and whirled around, pen in hand and glared. Hard. By some unrealistic hope that it would burn him to cinder. No such luck. There he stood, cocky as ever. Cocky? Confident? Whatever. He still got on her last nerve.

“What are you doing in this part of the world, Mayes?”

Hastily, Shay Rogers retrieved her notebook, snapping it closed before he could get close enough to see what she had written in it. She held out a shred of hope that he wasn’t after the same statue she was but the fact that he was here, kind of destroyed that. It could hardly be a coincidence that he was here in Tibet. She was still pissed that he had snatched the Eye of Ra right out from under her. Literally. Still. Her head tilted slightly to one side as she contemplated him. Her eyes did a slow assessment of his body. He was a sexy mess. She’d never admit that to him however. Even when they were tangled up in the sheets together.

The past four hundred years had been rough on Mother Earth. Shay had read books about the destruction. She had seen pictures of how earth had looked before and after. She was almost glad she had not been born back then. The world’s people had learned nothing. History had repeated itself yet again but just in another form, another face. Still, the world endured. It’s people had endured. They had overcome, adapted but at what cost? She wanted to save something of the past. She usually only took jobs from museums. Sometimes, she struck out on her own and then took her finds to them. So that a small piece of their history could be preserved for all of mankind to see and remember the world as it use to be. For all their faults, their mistakes, they had created some beautiful things. It was rare for Shay to work for private collectors.

Ignoring the green eyes watching her, Shay strode to a long table and began collecting the maps she had laid out. There was little sense in continuing her cataloging. She’d be damned before she gave Mat Mayes any kind of information. He was sneaky, that one and she was on guard. Taking her time to roll up one of the longer documents she had laid out, she turned and leaned her backside against the table’s edge. Her hands continued to roll the paper even as her dark brown eyes returned to regarding Mateo Mayes. He made her far too aware that her dark auburn hair was dusty and a mess, that her clothing was covered in dust. Her cheeks were probably smudged with it as well. From the way her nose itched, she guessed that dust had settled there too.

“Well Mayes? Please tell me you aren’t here looking for the same thing I am again? Because if you are…”

She set the rolled paper on the table beside her then crossed her arms over her ample bosom, making them stand out even more. If she became aware of doing so, she probably would have done something different. As it was, she continued to glare at the man in front of her. Shay leaned against the table’s edge and crossed her long legs before her.

“You can just get the fuck out. You’re not welcome here.”

Shaylynne was very aware that Mateo had every right to be there as well but this sculpture meant something different to him or at least, this job did IF he was here looking for the same sculpture she was. This sculpture of Vishnu was part of the Hindu triad. The sculptures of Brahma and Shiva had been recovered and restored to the International Museum of Tibet. Only Vishnu eluded them. The Museum was adamant, the Triad must be restored. Others had tried and failed to find the sculpture of Vishnu. Shay had come to offer her services, at a cost of course. Shay wasn’t a believer in Hinduism, but she felt strongly in the existence of all spirituality. If only mankind could come together and find where their “puzzle piece” dwelled in the greater picture and perhaps then they would stop destroying the world. It was a dream, an unrealized one, but still a dream.

Mateo, she knew in her heart, wasn’t a bad person. It was simply the fact that sometimes, they got into a competition as to who could find something first and well, she hated to lose. The Eye of Ra would have been a huge find for the Museum of Egypt. Now, it rested in a private collection all thanks to the man standing in front of her now. Shay did not wish to recall the insult and injury (no matter how small that had been) to her person that had allowed Mateo to lay claim to the prize they both had been after at the time. The gall of it!

Yet. She could hardly deny how her heart beat just a little faster or her breathing had increased just seeing him again. If she closed her eyes, which she didn’t dare to do, she could remember in vivid detail of their last meeting. He was a carefree soul that knew how to make a woman melt into a puddle. Damn it all to hell. Why was he here?

 

[KamaKamaSutra]

The slug gun returned to its holster, he admired Shay as she strutted, because that woman didn’t have a choice when she walked, to an old table she had been using as a workstation. She was all curves, and he was convinced she was unaware of exactly how her body worked. She was always leaning against things or tucking her arms under her ample cleavage. He reached for the wrap around his neck and tugged it down more, it was getting hot in here. She was a bit of a mess right now, covered in dust and her hair was damp from the heat. But she was still gorgeous and images of their night under the stars on the north coast of Africa flashed behind his eyes as he walked toward her. She was amazing that night, if there were any gods left they would have been proud of the craftsmanship of this woman. He stopped when his legs brushed hers, he was straddling her feet and he could feel the warmth of her breath on his face. He struggled for a moment to focus his mind back on the task, she was still angry with him for sure anyway.

“Shay, It’s wonderful to see you again.”

He regained some of his composure, his voice shaking off the effect she had on him as his hands reached around her, invading her space a bit more. He leaned into her speaking slowly and keeping his eyes on hers as he reached for the rolled up paper. Smiling and raising his opposite hand to her face, he caressed her jaw as his thumb removed a smudge of dust that had settled onto the end of her nose.

“Let me get that for you.”

As his thumb flicked off the end of her nose, his free hand grabbed the paper and he spun away from her. Unrolling the document reading over the words and remembering the images. He cursed silently, why did she have to be looking for the statue as well, he sighed, maybe he should just let her have this one. A plan started to form in his mind, one that might make it where he could get his money from his client and get Shay to stop being mad at him.

“Cool statue, the guy must have been a hit with the ladies. Can you imagine what having four hands would let me do? Hey, you haven't seen a skeleton with a big ass ring on his hand have you? My client wants me to recover his "family heirloom" for him."

 

[darkwarrioress57]

She watched him warily. He was sly and tricky as a fox. Damn him. He strutted toward her and much to her consternation, he kept coming until he was straddling her legs. Her heart rate accelerated alarmingly. As he leaned closer to her, she leaned back. Having him in her personal space was disturbing. She swallowed but refused to look away.

“Shay, It’s wonderful to see you again.”

She gave an unladylike snort.

“I can’t same the same thing about you, Mayes.”

He reached for her map before she could stop him and before she could even gather her wits, he flicked some dust off her nose, making her flinch.

“Let me get that for you.”

Her reactions were delayed as he spun away with the map.

“Damn it, Mayes. Give that back. You have no right-----”

She remembered everything about him. That mind of his was like a steel trap. It could also record things and remember them in a way she couldn’t. That alone further annoyed her. He spun away unrolling the map. His eyes taking note of the notes she had made. The coordinates she had had highlighted.

“Give me that!”

She made to snatch the map back.

“Cool statue, the guy must have been a hit with the ladies. Can you imagine what having four hands would let me do? Hey, you haven't seen a skeleton with a big ass ring on his hand have you? My client wants me to recover his "family heirloom" for him."

“Mayes, you’re disgusting and no, I haven’t run into any skeleton with a ring, but I’m sure you have an idea where to find him yourself.”

Shay didn’t believe him. The way his eyes flinted over her map, she knew without a doubt that Mateo was after the same statue she was. Crap on a cracker. The skellie was just a red herring, the jerk. Se gave a sigh and moved away from him, loading her stuff into her briefcase.

“You’re not fooling me, Mateo. You wouldn’t be exactly here unless you were after the same thing I was. The only question is, which one of us is going to get to it first this time. Now, if you excuse me, it’s getting late and I’m getting hungry. I haven’t eaten all day.”

 

[KamaKamaSutra]

Clutching his chest, Mateo feigned chest pain and strained his face for a moment before smiling and tossing the map back onto the table.

“My heart! You would me milady, how dare you impugn my honor in such a way. I demand an apology!”

He closed the distance between him and her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Keeping his hands south and north of anything that could be misconstrued as anything other than friendly. Letting her go a moment after.

“I’m sorry about the eye, I have missed you. Truth be told I am here for the statue, a buyer in Jakarta claims his ancestors were the caretakers of this temple. Wants it back for his family’s sake.”

Shrugging, he slipped away and placing his hands into his pockets and leaned against the entryway of the room. He worked the lenses of his goggles in his hands as he talked. Never taking his eyes off the cloth tracing the rims of the glass. As the last word rolled off his tongue he looked up and made eye contact with her. Raising his eyebrow and smiling as relaxed as he could be. Could he really give up a contract just for the chance of another night with her? He was considering it, and seeing the bit of dust settled on her cheek was making it that much easier.

“I planned on looking for a bit longer, but I did bring the ship, I didn’t see yours?. I have some drinks back on board and you know I don’t like to survive on rations if I don’t have too. I caught some fish off the coast, and I had some pasta made when I was in Jakarta. Care to join me for dinner and drinks?”

 

[darkwarrioress57]

Shay rolled her eyes at his antics and quickly snatched up the map and shoved it into her briefcase before she snapped it shut with a decisive click.

“There’s nothing wrong with your heart, Mayes although I have been tempted to stab it on several occasions.”

She turned and stepped toward him, poking him in the chest with her free hand.

“Impugn your honor? Demand an apology?”

She snorted in an unladylike fashion just as he stepped even closer, slipping his arms around her waist before he let her go. She refused to examine her feelings when he did so although she felt bereft for a flash of a second with them gone.

“I’m sorry about the eye, I have missed you. Truth be told I am here for the statue, a buyer in Jakarta claims his ancestors were the caretakers of this temple. Wants it back for his family’s sake.”

She shook her head.

“Over my dead body, Mayes. I need that statue for the Museum of Tibet. They have the other two statues in their guardianship and getting my hands on this one will complete the trio again. Do I need to explain the spiritual connotation of returning Vishnu to its rightful place? Surely even you can understand that much.”

Her eyes narrowed as she watched him walk away from her. Her breathing eased a little with more space between them. She simply had a hard time thinking whenever she found herself in close quarters to Mateo. He was potent stuff. All male. Desirable. She was sure he always found a woman to warm his sheets. Damn him. That smile of his was lethal. She clutched her briefcase even tighter.

“I planned on looking for a bit longer, but I did bring the ship, I didn’t see yours?. I have some drinks back on board and you know I don’t like to survive on rations if I don’t have too. I caught some fish off the coast, and I had some pasta made when I was in Jakarta. Care to join me for dinner and drinks?”

He wasn’t going to pry any more information, about the statue or private information, out of her. Where her ship was, was none of his damn business. Shay had to smile however. No, Mateo didn’t like living on rations any more than she did, but the difference between them was that she would do whatever she had to succeed. His idea of dinner was making her stomach growl, reminding her she hadn’t eaten all day. She titled her head slightly as her dark eyes contemplated him. Stands of dark red hair fell from its captivity to curl around her neck. Her eyes took on a humorous glint.

“Tell me you have some wine and I’ll join you. Gods know why. I don’t trust you anymore than I trust your apology, but I’m hungry.”

 

[KamaKamaSutra]

“White or Red?”

He smiled softly on the outside, but his inner smile was beaming. He walked silently down the hallway distracting himself by taking a look at the murals. he might have skipped if he didn't distract himself. Wondering what this temple looked like before the issues drove the Earths transformation to the world they explored today. He took to the rope first, climbing quickly above her. He broke the silence as the floor receded away.

“So, the Hindu’s want their statue back, I get that. I wonder what this guys stake in having it is about, he seemed sincere in his story at least.”

He remained quiet after that, what was more important to him? This girl who he had only been with once, or some job for a shady fellow.

His feet finally touched the surface, turning he stared down the hole as Shay started her accent. Grabbing the rope he started pulling her up toward him. It was a strain, it was hard to lift someone's body weight this way. As she started to clear the hole in the ceiling he leaned down, putting her face close to his. He wanted to kiss her as their eyes fluttered toward each other than darting away. But he held back for the moment. He was trying to keep a clear head, but Shay had been a surprise he wasn't ready for. Her reaction to him hadn't been as harsh as he had expected either. A pleasant surprise for sure.

“I landed on the outside of town. May I walk you to dinner?”

 

[darkwarrioress57]

Her head tilted slightly to one side.

“Red. You offered me pasta.”

She silently watched him climb the rope before she started up it herself.

“Hard to say. If what you say is true and his family has been the caretakers of this temple, I imagine he feels responsible for the safekeeping of Vishnu. Maybe he doesn’t trust foreigners in recovering his countries lost treasures. Who knows?”

Before she could finish her climb, Mateo hauled her up.

“Show off,” she teased.

For just a moment, their faces were so close, their lips easily within kissing distance. Something inside her spoke volumes. This was not the time. She didn’t need any complications and certainly not one named Mateo Mayes. She cleared her throat.

“Thank you.”

She glanced around at their environment and wondered for the unmeasured time, what had their forefathers done to the Earth that had led them to this type of destruction.

“I landed on the outside of town. May I walk you to dinner?”

Her head turned in his direction and she smiled briefly then hitched her backpack more securely onto her back.

“Of course. It’ll be dark soon and neither of us should be caught down here when it grows dark. If the night plants don’t get you, the night life will. Lead the way, Mayes. I’m looking forward to a cold glass of wine and some pasta to fill my belly.”

As they trod over the terrain, her mind went back to her work. This statue of Vishnu was turning out to be a pain in her ass. Every lead she had figured out this far had led to a dead end. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was almost at her wits end and now there was Mayes to deal with as well. Inwardly she sighed and wondered why life was treating her so poorly of late.

 

[KamaKamaSutra]

Reaching up, Mayes pulled the ladder to his ship down. Climbing onto the bow of the airship, his boots thudded against the hollow deck. His ship wasn’t large, a small cutter style. It had a flight station toward the front. A pilot and co-pilot position, below it had just enough of a space for two people to sleep and eat comfortably. A small kitchen folded out of the wall when you needed it. A small freezer and fridge were hidden under a slide away floor. The bathroom was at the stern of the ship behind a small door. The ship was just shy of 30ft wide, and the bathroom took up the entirety of the stern of his ship. One never knew when a shower would be the answer to an issue. By far the bathroom and shower took up the most space of the ship, with the living area being a close second. While it wasn’t as lavish as some of the bigger airships, it allowed him to maintain some semblance of civility when he was far from any of the safe cities. The wingspan of the ship was shortened, by the fact his ship combined helium balloons with a quad-copter body. He could land on sea or land, and as long as the winds weren't too bad or he didn't need to clear distances quickly he could lazily float with a sail and the balloons.

“Make yourself at home, I hope you remember your way around the place. I’ll have the food ready in a bit, the fish are already filleted”

Moving the floor space, and reaching down he grabbed the two fillets and started prepping the Koral Fish. Gathering the other ingredients he added the tomatoes and garlic with some broth saved over from another meal.

“Dinner in twenty five”

Opening a drawer beneath the bunk beds, the cooler air of the wine fridge rose to meet him. Three bottles of Australian Cabernet, and two bottles of a Javanese white. Pulling the red out, and pulling the wine corker out from beside the wine. With a satisfying pop the cork was extracted and the deep aroma of the wine filled Mayes's nose.

“Mmmm, I wonder what wine was like back in the days when Italy was still mostly above water.”

Pulling two glasses out another drawer on the wall, he held them with one hand and poured with the other.

“Half a glass or full?”

 

[darkwarrioress57]

The ladder swayed as Mayes, then herself, climbed upward and aboard his airship. She paused to look around. Nothing much had changed since she last saw him. It was smaller than her own ship but just as comfy. As much as she hated to admit it, she and Mateo had many similar tastes in common.

“Make yourself at home, I hope you remember your way around the place. I’ll have the food ready in a bit, the fish are already filleted”

Moving forward, she stopped to drop her gear and set it out of their way.

“Not much has changed with you, Mayes. The ship’s as I remember it. Done anything new with her since I was last aboard?”

She merely watched him as he prepared the fish and it to cooking. A half smile formed on her lips as he pulled two glasses and a bottle of wine. Reaching up, she pulled the pins from her hair, giving her head a soft shake as the mass of deep auburn hair fell to her shoulders. She gave a soft sigh.

“Half a glass or full?”

“Full, please and thank you.”

She needed to unwind. Looking for this statue of Vishnu was driving her crazy. Her nose twitched at the aromas that emanated from his tiny cooking space.

“I don’t know what you’re cooking Mayes, but it smells awfully good. So, tell me, other than dogging my steps to find Vishnu, what have you been up to lately?”

 

[KamaKamaSutra]

“…What have you been up to lately?”

He smiled as he finished turning the fish over in the simmering sauce, the tomatoes were blistering nicely and almost ready to burst when he pulled them from the pan. Tossing the meal onto the plate of pasta a little haphazardly, if he was being honest. He smiled and turned toward Shay.

“Let's eat on the deck, it’s a bit cool, but the wine will warm us and I’ll get some deck chairs and blankets for us. It’s not often people get to enjoy the stars anymore these days. Can you grab the wine?”

He climbed the stairs to the deck, both the plates in his hands a little balancing act latter as his foot found some poor footing he stood on the deck, breathing in the night air. He didn’t know why he was avoiding the question, perhaps he was worried what she would think. She was a professional, his project before the statue was…less than that. Casing legends were very rarely accepted in higher institutions.

“The deck chairs are hanging on the side of the stairs.”

Sitting the plates down, he moved past her, letting his body brush against hers momentarily as they passed. Unfolding the chairs and reaching into a stairwell cubby he pulled two blankets and returned to the deck. Reaching down as he sighed as the cool air wrapped around him and the plates steamed a bit as he collected his thoughts.

“I was looking for that place again.. I found some old-world text, they actually had pictures of it! It was beautiful,carved directly from the cliffs that surrounded it. Petra, an ancient city even to the old world. I’ve always wanted to see it, or at least know that it still exists. That’s why I’m out on this job, I’m trying to get some money to fund my expedition to it.”

This was all strictly speaking..true. But he had only seen the old world text by agreeing to search for something while he was there. Something that perhaps the world shouldn’t ever have again. During one of the great wars that ended the leaders of the old worlds grasp on the planet, they had hidden weapons of some kind there, tools of destruction that could level entire cities. Some men, still longed for that power. He never planned on actually giving them to them, however. He was selfish, but he still cared about his fellow man the extent of not agreeing to destroy entire cities at least. He already had plans to remove the weapons, whatever they were and “loose” them along the way. But he doubted Shay would ever understand that, she would most likely be against even agreeing to such a demand, even under false pretenses.

Dropping the plates in his chair, he held out his hand to take the wine so she could sit. A soft smile on his face, illuminated by the waxing crescent moon shining on a tapestry of stars. The milky way a bold streak across the night sky. Off in the distance some creature howled, the flora and fauna had changed in so many ways over time, now they were possibly the most dangerous things on the planet.

“Don’t worry, the ship's lights switch to motion sensors after dark, nothing can sneak up on us here.”

 

[darkwarrioress57]

She had been lounging against a small wall, watching him cook, the aroma of which was making her stomach growl mercilessly.

“Let's eat on the deck, it’s a bit cool, but the wine will warm us and I’ll get some deck chairs and blankets for us. It’s not often people get to enjoy the stars anymore these days. Can you grab the wine?”

“Sure thing.”

She snagged up the recently opened bottle and followed him up on deck.

“I suppose it’s partly that also now we can even see the stars and people just aren’t in the habit of looking up anymore.”

She was glad the words were spoken to his back. It gave her a bit of time to ponder the fact that he was stalling in answering her question and that bothered her a little, putting her on guard and bringing up her own walls. It reminded her yet again that this was a man she could not trust. As he brushed past her and accidently brushing against her, she could feel her body responding, making her silently curse. Now her nipples rubbed against the inside of her bra roughly and she had to beat down the beginnings of desire.

He held out his hand and for a swift moment, she thought he held it out to her then she realized he wanted the bottle of wine, which she handed him gratefully before settling down into one of the chairs he had opened.

“I’m not worried. I’m made of sterner stuff. You should remember that by now.”

She had toed off her boots and now her toes wiggled in glee of being released from confinement. Her head tipped back against the back of the chair as she raised her arms over her head and stretched, giving a soft moan in the process. The stars were truly beautiful. The soft deadly scent of the flora and fauna wafted up to them.

“Even in all the ugliness… it’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

 

[KamaKamaSutra]

The way the corners of her lips up ticked when she said stuff made a flood of memories rush toward forward. Of course he remembered what she was made of, how could he forget. He had gotten lost in those curves, he could feel the heat of her around him again. That night, that decision. He didn’t know then what he did now, she had marked him somehow. It had been months, and he hadn’t touched a woman since. Somehow they seemed hollow, they were beautiful, they knew tricks, some were smart. But the woman sipping the wine a few feet from him, she was everything. He cleared his throat, breaking the replay of that night and giving him his voice back. Without looking away from her as she spoke he answered.

“Yes…yo…it is.”

He smiled and turned, bringing the glass to his lips. The wine was a good choice, he sat down in his own chair as he moved the plates. The aroma of the food wafted up to him as he took his first bite.

“So.. I want you to take the statue, I’ll find some other way to fund my expedition. I’m sure there are a few other ancient religious artifacts that I can find out there.”

He chuckled, it was odd. He meant what he said, he wanted her to have it but it still stung a bit. Not winning was hard for him. But it would be worth it. Part of it was that he wanted to rekindle a connection with her, the other was that he was afraid if he pilfered her find again she might hunt him to Petra and back. But, he was betting on her assuming the first.

“I only want one thing in return, when I get back I want a proper date in Jakarta.”

 

[darkwarrioress57]

The moment suddenly was gone by the clearing of his throat. Shay lowered her glass from her lips and glanced over at him.

“So.. I want you to take the statue, I’ll find some other way to fund my expedition. I’m sure there are a few other ancient religious artifacts that I can find out there.”

Shay wasn’t sure what to say. This wasn’t like Mayes. The only thing she could do was stare at him with her brow slightly arched.

“I only want one thing in return, when I get back I want a proper date in Jakarta.”

“Okay, that does it,” Shay set her glass aside, “who are you and what have you done with Mateo Mayes?”

Humor. It worked for most situations, didn’t it? She was scrambling to think. Part of her mind was thrown back into the last date they had shared. There was no denying it for they both knew it. They had ended up in a shared night of hot passion, a night that had branded her in ways she hadn’t thought possible. In her line of work a lot of men came and went from her life, but none had touched her the way he had. None had shared her bed since Mateo. She swallowed hard and her fork toyed with her food. He wasn’t asking for a lot. He would just brand her soul all over again and maybe in a new place, if such a thing existed. Shay chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated his request. She glanced at him.

“Are you serious, Mayes? You’re going to let me have the statue of Vishnu? There’s got to be a catch somewhere. What are you up to?”

There was no way this could possibly be just about her. She should be grateful that he was willing to let her have the statue and for what? Just a date with her? Come on now, she wasn’t worth what that statue was. He had to be up to something nefarious. Well…. Maybe nefarious was too strong of a word. Her heart flipped over at the thought of a date with him but did she really want to do that to herself? The last time, if she was honest with herself, it took her two months to get on with her work. In their one night together, he had wrecked her. Her sarcasm and will had been the only two things to save her. He had touched her that deeply. Their connection had been…….complete and that scared her.

 

[KamaKamaSutra]

He chuckled, Mateo Mayes, the dashing rogue giving up the treasure. She was rightfully suspicious. He smiled at her from behind his raised glass. The wine was sweet and already he could feel it’s warmth against the night chill. Lowering the glass, he held it in his fingers, the bottom of the reservoir resting in his palm. He leaned in.

“I’m right here Shay, I’m just playing the long game. Maybe I value the date more than that gold from the treasure?”

Their last “date” flipped through his mind, a movie played out. Them meeting, the walk back, the sex. Their bodies twisted and glistening in the night. He could still feel her body wrapped around him. The way she moved with him. His hand tightened around the glass. Bringing the wine back to his lips, he caught his breath and tried to clear the images from his mind.

“I’ve missed you. I’m sorry about the last time. I don’t want this one to be the same. If you want I’ll help you find it and we can head back to Jakarta together.”

Sitting his wine glass down he held out his hand, his fingers outstretched and opened. Almost a handshake but turned to represent, perhaps subconsciously, some more. Almost like an offer to take her hand in agreement..

 

[darkwarrioress57]

Sitting his wine glass down he held out his hand, his fingers outstretched and opened. Almost a handshake but turned to represent, perhaps subconsciously, some more. Almost like an offer to take her hand in agreement..

There it was. Plain and Simple. Well, nothing about Mateo was simple or plain if she was truthful. She looked at his extended upturned palm. The majority of herself wanted to unpretentiously lay her hand in his until they met, palm to palm. Could she easily admit that she had missed him too without feeling so damn vulnerable? She stared at that hand, memories of their night together rushing up to consume her. Her eyes closed briefly as she instantly remembered the feel of his hand on her skin. Damn him to hell! He shouldn’t be able to make her feel like this.

“I’ll tell you what, Mateo…” her voice lowered to a soft, deep purr, “I’ll take you up on that and I’ll help you find your funding.”

She slid her hand into his.

“Just don’t fuck me over again or I’ll make your life a living hell. I vow it.”

 

[KamaKamaSutra]

Her fingers sliding across his palm sent pulses of pleasure through his body, he could feel his heartthrob through his veins as his breath caught for a moment. He knew his body was reacting, pupils dilated, heart racing, breath ragged, hopefully, he could suppress the flush to his cheeks, but there was nothing stopping the reaction in his groin. Her words were sweater than mulled cider to him, even the way she cussed when she used that tone was burning through him. He smirked when “fuck” fell from her lips, he watched as her mouth made the shape of it and his mind went to that night again. How she had ridden him and the feel of her body around him. His fingers wrapped around her palm and gave a light squeeze.

“I promise, here and now, that I won’t fuck you “over”….”

He couldn’t help but leave the innuendo in there. By the lost city of Cincinnati, he wanted her. He had lusted after lost treasure often, but with Shay. All he could manage was a mental “fuck..me” in frustration. Smiling he took a step forward, pulling her hand to his side.

“Shay”

At his side, his fingers slowly worked up her arm, fingertips tracing the inside of her forearm, stopping at the edge of her sleeves. His other hand moved to touch her, aiming for her side. He swallowed silently, losing a bit of himself in the dark depths of her eyes. This was a game, a dangerous one at that. He knew she wanted him, he wanted her, but maybe this wasn’t the time. Maybe….

“Would you like me to walk you to your ship…….or…….”

He redirected his question, less gracefully than he wanted.

“Or would you like another glass of wine? We can get to work in the morning.”