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Book: Kathlyn Trent, Marcus Burton 01 - Valley of the Shadow by Kathryn Le Veque
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Authors: Kathryn Le Veque
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It was the first time Kathlyn had seen him smile, much less heard him laugh. He had the most beautiful smile she had ever seen with big, white teeth and perfectly shaped lips; the gesture changed his whole face dramatically. It was enough to set her heart racing. Finally, he held out his hand to her.
"Truce?" he asked.
She eyed him and his outstretched hand before very slowly taking it. They shook, holding on to each other a little longer than necessary.
"All right, truce. But one slip up...."
"And you're on the next plane."
"Exactly."
Kathlyn withdrew her hand and rose to her feet. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror hanging on a post and she sighed. "Lord, I look terrible," she wiped at the black circles under her eyes. "How can you take me seriously when I look like this?"
He stood up, his jeans rumpled, his polo shirt smeared with black and pink stains and underarm sweat. "Christ, how can you take me seriously when I smell like this?"
"I can only smell me."
"Gardenia."
She turned away from the mirror and peered at him. She wasn't sure what to say because it seemed that he had crossed over into a personal compliment, or at least it had the potential to be. Turning back to the mirror, she licked her fingers and tried to quickly remove some of the black smears before crossing the compound to her own tent.
"Don't worry about it, you're still beautiful."
She froze in mid-swipe. "What?"
He was moving for the tent flap. "You heard me." He swept back the loose canvas covering and was immediately confronted with the camera crew from the SCA. Lynn was standing with them. The entire group turned and looked at Marcus, standing in his doorway, looking as if he’d had a wild night. Lynn took one look at him and cleared his throat.
"They're looking for Dr. Trent," he said, having a pretty good guess where she was.
Marcus' face was like stone. He glared at the camera crew. "She'll be out when she's ready," he snapped at them in Arabic. "You're in a restricted area. Go back and wait for her in the storage area."
The five man camera crew immediately vacated. Lynn fought off a grin as they walked away, moving over to Marcus to shake his hand in a victorious gesture. Marcus knew what he was doing and ignored him, but Lynn grabbed hold of his hand anyway and shook it in a high-sign sort of way.
"Sweet, Burton, sweet," he muttered softly. "You convinced her to stay as only my man would."
Marcus gave him a weak shove. "Nothing happened."
Lynn laughed at him, rubbing it in. "Now, don't be like that. I saw you two behind the crates last night."
"You don't know what you saw. It wasn't what you think."
Lynn just looked at him. "Okay, you want to be like that, that's your deal. But let me just say this; she's mighty sweet, Burton. Mighty sweet."
Marcus rolled his eyes. Lynn continued to snicker and snort, feigning seriousness when anyone would look his way, but then resuming his antics so only Marcus could hear him. There wasn't ever much to prod the man about, so this was a rare opportunity to crack his facade. When Kathlyn finally emerged from the tent, she rushed past the two of them without even looking up. They watched her go, the rounded shape of her bottom beneath her dirty white jeans catching their male attention. The woman was sexy as hell.
"No more lying, Marcus," Lynn said. "Remember who you're talking to. Was she too sweet for words or what?"
Marcus' gaze lingered on her rear end a moment longer before he walked away, silently. Lynn followed on his heels like a kid who didn't know when to quit.
CHAPTER FOUR
"Are you going to stop him?" Juliana asked. "They've been digging there all morning."
It was high noon. The heat of the day pierced her very bones as Kathlyn stood at a distance, watching Burton's dig at the entrance to the West Valley. They were working like a well-oiled machine and clouds of dust blossomed into the heated air. The work had been going on before dawn, with Lynn
"Truce?" he asked.
She eyed him and his outstretched hand before very slowly taking it. They shook, holding on to each other a little longer than necessary.
"All right, truce. But one slip up...."
"And you're on the next plane."
"Exactly."
Kathlyn withdrew her hand and rose to her feet. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror hanging on a post and she sighed. "Lord, I look terrible," she wiped at the black circles under her eyes. "How can you take me seriously when I look like this?"
He stood up, his jeans rumpled, his polo shirt smeared with black and pink stains and underarm sweat. "Christ, how can you take me seriously when I smell like this?"
"I can only smell me."
"Gardenia."
She turned away from the mirror and peered at him. She wasn't sure what to say because it seemed that he had crossed over into a personal compliment, or at least it had the potential to be. Turning back to the mirror, she licked her fingers and tried to quickly remove some of the black smears before crossing the compound to her own tent.
"Don't worry about it, you're still beautiful."
She froze in mid-swipe. "What?"
He was moving for the tent flap. "You heard me." He swept back the loose canvas covering and was immediately confronted with the camera crew from the SCA. Lynn was standing with them. The entire group turned and looked at Marcus, standing in his doorway, looking as if he’d had a wild night. Lynn took one look at him and cleared his throat.
"They're looking for Dr. Trent," he said, having a pretty good guess where she was.
Marcus' face was like stone. He glared at the camera crew. "She'll be out when she's ready," he snapped at them in Arabic. "You're in a restricted area. Go back and wait for her in the storage area."
The five man camera crew immediately vacated. Lynn fought off a grin as they walked away, moving over to Marcus to shake his hand in a victorious gesture. Marcus knew what he was doing and ignored him, but Lynn grabbed hold of his hand anyway and shook it in a high-sign sort of way.
"Sweet, Burton, sweet," he muttered softly. "You convinced her to stay as only my man would."
Marcus gave him a weak shove. "Nothing happened."
Lynn laughed at him, rubbing it in. "Now, don't be like that. I saw you two behind the crates last night."
"You don't know what you saw. It wasn't what you think."
Lynn just looked at him. "Okay, you want to be like that, that's your deal. But let me just say this; she's mighty sweet, Burton. Mighty sweet."
Marcus rolled his eyes. Lynn continued to snicker and snort, feigning seriousness when anyone would look his way, but then resuming his antics so only Marcus could hear him. There wasn't ever much to prod the man about, so this was a rare opportunity to crack his facade. When Kathlyn finally emerged from the tent, she rushed past the two of them without even looking up. They watched her go, the rounded shape of her bottom beneath her dirty white jeans catching their male attention. The woman was sexy as hell.
"No more lying, Marcus," Lynn said. "Remember who you're talking to. Was she too sweet for words or what?"
Marcus' gaze lingered on her rear end a moment longer before he walked away, silently. Lynn followed on his heels like a kid who didn't know when to quit.
CHAPTER FOUR
"Are you going to stop him?" Juliana asked. "They've been digging there all morning."
It was high noon. The heat of the day pierced her very bones as Kathlyn stood at a distance, watching Burton's dig at the entrance to the West Valley. They were working like a well-oiled machine and clouds of dust blossomed into the heated air. The work had been going on before dawn, with Lynn
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