Fritz howled as he pulled himself out of the water, spitting and hissing at Franz. The other male cat clearly laughed, waiting beneath the ferns until Fritz shook off the wet fur. Franz pounced a second time, leaping on his brother and rolling him back down the embankment. They tumbled together in a wild frenzy of fur and claws, making more noises than Rachael had ever heard a cat make.
She burst out laughing and hugged Rio around his narrow waist. “They’re like a couple of kids.”
He shoved his hand through his mass of silky black hair. “I know.” He sounded totally exasperated. “I can’t do a thing with them.”
That made her laugh all the more. “You have no idea how incredibly sexy I find you.” She kissed his chin. “I’m going to swim while I still have the chance. The rain is going to start up again any minute.”
340
Christine Feehan
“It is raining.”
“That’s just mist. Look at the rainbow!” She pointed overhead and dove beneath the surface, a flash of bare skin and black silky hair.
He shook his head as he watched her swim away, then turned to look at the two clouded leopards pouncing on one another like leapfrogs. There was no stopping the young cats when they wanted to play rough. He waded through the water to the flat rock where he often lay to soak up the sun. It was always humid and hot, but the spray of water from the fall misted over him, keeping him cool. His gaze strayed to Rachael as she swam in the pool, her bare skin pale in the clear blue of the water.
Rachael rose up under the waterfall, lifting her head to allow the water to cascade over her face. She pushed back the heavy fall of her hair and smiled with the sheer joy of being alive. The water was an amazing shade of blue, the white mist hovering above in the canopy like fluffy clouds. Twilight was falling, a soft gray sky that brought out the bats, wheeling and dipping as they darted for insects over the water. She glanced across the small pool toward Rio. He was stretched out full-length on a large gray slab of rock, his vivid green gaze fixed on her intently.
“I love this place, Rio. Do you come here often?”
“When I want a good long soak and a lazy swim.” He didn’t lift his head, just watched her standing waist deep in the water looking like a tempting water nymph. “There aren’t any leeches in the water here, so it’s safe to swim.”
Rachael smiled at Rio and began wading toward him. Birds lifted up into the air from the branches of several trees around them, wings fluttering strongly, filling the air with a humming noise. She froze in midstride, looking up toward the airborne flock. Her heart began to pound. She looked across the water at Rio. He was no longer lying lazily but crouched on the rock, all senses alert. He signaled to her without looking at her, moving his hand in a semicircle.
Rachael glanced at the two small clouded leopards
WILD RAIN
341
lying partially hidden in the overgrown fern. Sleepy from their rough-and-tumble play, the two had been drowsing in the shelter of the fronds; now they were as alert as Rio, mouths open wide, ears up, scenting the air. She forced her body to move, heading in the direction Rio signaled. He wanted her out of the water and into deeper cover immediately. The forest sentinels were on the alert. A hunter had moved into their realm.
Rio’s arm swept around her. “It’s all right. We knew this was coming. It’s important for him to spot you.” He brushed a kiss across her temple. “Just not until you get clothes on. We left a fairly clear trail leading to the small hut Tama and Kim and I put up for you. You’ll look like a native woman trying to make it on your own.”
Rachael leaned into him for comfort. Rio’s arm tightened. “We don’t have to do it this way, sestrilla. If you’re afraid, we can find another way to let him see you.”