By the third day in the jungle tempers were wearing thin. The oppressive sultry heat, dim light and impassible undergrowth made progress an agonizing ordeal. She struggled to recall just why she had been so anxious to make this trek and slowly it filtered back into her heat-addled memory: The years of research at the university, the long nights spent poring over dusty, crumbling texts, painstakingly teasing out their secrets, gathering the clues from arcane sources around the world. Clues that led her to the belief that this particular patch of trackless South American jungle was home to a priceless treasure lost to history.
And finally, the last piece had fallen into place when a reply to one of her many careful inquiries landed in her inbox. A professor at a respected college in England had also been on the same quest for as many years and a cautious partnership was forged. Now, after long months of preparation they were on the trail of the ancient artifact they were both sure existed, despite the skepticism of the scientific community.
He had been a surprise to her when they first met at the airport. Far from the dry academic he had seemed in his correspondence, he was lively and enthusiastic – even after a long, tiring flight. He was not a young man, but still fit and strong and he radiated a vital energy that she responded to immediately. They stayed up almost all night, too excited to sleep, making final preparations for the adventure ahead of them. His quick wit and probing intelligence further attracted her and made her think of what she might have missed all those nights of solitary research with only the company of her cat.
But now, those thoughts were far behind. Despite the stimulating conversations in the cool of their night camp, the brief moments of contact when he grasped her hand to help her over a fallen tree, even the anticipation of realizing the goal of years of painstaking research, conditions were so wearying that soon her only thought was to put one foot in front of the other. They began to snap at each other over trivial things. Was any prize worth this much agony? The last straw was a lost camera carelessly left behind at the last campsite and the prospect of going back for it was more than she could bear. They stopped for the day and she stalked off to find a moment of solitude – to try to get her bearings and restore some semblance of her original drive and excitement.
After walking a short distance, she noticed a splash of sunlight ahead in the murky jungle and pushed through ferns and vines, drawn to light like one of the gaudy moths that flitted about their lanterns at night. In just a few minutes she came to an astounding and most welcome sight. In a small clearing was a limpid pool. The water was so clear she could see to the black rocks in its depths. It was surrounded by moss-covered rocks and fed by a small splashing waterfall. Wild orchids draped their curling tendrils to the glassy surface of the pool and dragonflies hovered like brilliant jewels in the rare sunshine.
How could she resist after three hot, sweaty days? She immediately peeled off her damp clothes and stepped out onto an overhanging rock. The water looked deep and cool and so inviting. She dived off the rock and the water enveloped her at once, washing away her fatigue. It felt delicious – weightless and cool. She swam across the pool underwater and surfaced at the little waterfall. The water was only thigh deep there and she gloried in a stimulating shower – letting the water pour over her hair and body, sluicing down her breasts and back. She had no soap but rubbed her skin until it tingled, washing away the last traces of grime and her tension along with it.
Suddenly she had the distinct feeling she was not alone. She dropped down into the water up to her shoulders and scanned the shore. There, standing on the rock she'd jumped from was her colleague. He was still dressed in his dirt-smeared clothes and sweat still glistened on his skin, but he no longer had the tired, irritated look he'd worn for much of the last few days. He had clearly been standing there for some time. Watching her. Their eyes met across the pool and the fire in his gaze was unmistakable. She felt her skin begin to burn even under the water. Without breaking her gaze, he slowly undressed until he was as naked as she. With a last intense glance that sparked a sudden, melting heat low in her body, he tensed and sprang into the water.
