Free Pictures of You by Barbara Delinsky Page A

“As long as we understand each other, Mrs. Jordenson. Now, it’s late. I’ll show you to your room.”
    â€œI can find my own way, thank you.” Eva hurried to the door with a quick “good night” over her shoulder, and made her way down the hall to the stairway.
    Once safely in her room, she leaned back against the closed door to catch her breath. What an extraordinary man, she had to admit. To have the capacity for such tenderness, such sensuality yet such extreme violence within one body. Even through the remnants of anger she had to admire his finer qualities. If only, she pondered— if only, what? She stopped herself. If only, what? What could she be thinking of? As she had told him so convincingly, she was here for the experience of the expedition and nothing else. She had to believe that!
    Looking around the room, now lit by a simple but lovely hand-crafted ceramic lamp mounted on the wall at the head of the bed, Eva noticed her bags, which had been neatly placed beside the low table. She also saw that fresh water now filled the pitcher, and fresh towels awaited her use. The bed had been turned back and the pillows fluffed. Eva smiled; Maria had certainly been at work, angel that she was.
    Quickly she undressed, washed up, and put on a simple pale blue nightgown, sleeveless, scoop-necked, and knee-length. How inappropriate it was here, she mused. The window had been lowered against the cool
night air, so Eva needed no further covering as she sorted through the clothes in her bag, making a small pile of those to pack in her knapsack. Her knapsack! She had left it downstairs! With a groan she realized that she would have to return to the kitchen to get it, preferably without alerting Roberto to her stupidity.
    A sharp knock resounded on the hard wood door. Assuming it to be one of two people, she slowly opened it a crack, cautiously peering out while keeping herself hidden behind it. Roberto stood in the hall, her knapsack in one hand, her eyeglasses—had she really forgotten those, too?—in the other.
    â€œYou’ll be needing these, I believe.” His eyes did not stray from hers, or so she thought, as she timidly reached with one hand through the door’s narrow opening for the things he held.
    â€œLet me help you.” He ignored her outstretched arm, pushing his way into the room before she knew what was happening. He dropped the two items on the bed, then turned toward Eva, whose hand was still on the doorknob, now trembling slightly with indignation. Barefooted as she was, it was a long way up to Roberto’s eyes, and she became acutely aware of his towering frame before her. She controlled her voice as she began quietly.
    â€œThank you for bringing my things up. Now, would you please leave? I have packing to do.” The imploring look in her eyes brought him several steps closer. Eva suffered renewed humiliation as his eyes scored her length, taking in the soft curve of her breast and the outline of her waist and hips through the thin material of her shift. Lifting one hand, he slipped his fingers under the lace-edged shoulder strap, sampling the material with the inside of his fingers as their backs gently touched her skin. An electrifying shudder reverberated
through her, as she fought back against the reactions she seemed powerless to control. But it seemed her fears were premature.
    â€œNice,” he drawled huskily, before his eyes returned to hers and his tone became suddenly menacing, “but don’t bring it tomorrow.” It was a command, not a request. And with it he was gone. Eva stood stunned at the open door for several minutes, before she composed herself enough to shut it.
    Aware that sleep would be a long time coming that night, she painstakingly went over and over her suitcase, choosing the few items she thought most appropriate to bring. Once decided, she then found that only half of them fit into the knapsack, so she began the