Page 26 of Delirium

“Well, this was a great conversation, but I’m going to head back up now.” Scarlett rolled her eyes and moved to shift my arm out of the way.

I liked her touching me. I liked her attitude. I liked her a lot more than I thought I would.

Once again, the boat knocked us both off balance, and I slammed into her, no space between us now. We were chest to chest, thigh to thigh—or as close to it as we could be, seeing as I towered a full foot over her.

I looked down at her, pressed against me, trying her hardest not to be affected by my proximity. But she also wasn’t making any attempts to leave again, either.

“Treasure, love,” I murmured, unable to stop myself from reaching out a light finger to touch the soft skin of her jaw. “I’m on this boat for treasure.”

Scarlett paused, eyes narrowing, but didn’t move away from my touch. “I’m pretty sure you’re about forty years too late to find any gold on this river.”

I smirked, dragging my nail under her bottom lip. I wasn’t sure how much she’d let me get away with, but I was willing to push the boundaries. If we were above deck right now, she would’ve pushed me off immediately, but here, in the dimly lit hallway, with nothing but the water surrounding us, it was as if a spell was cast.

“Not that kind of treasure. The kind of treasure that gets buried with time. I don’t need gold and rubies, love. But the power that comes from discovering something everyone else wants? That’s what I’m looking for.”

Her eyes lit up, the pursuit of knowledge making her forget about her dislike of me. “You’re looking for the lost city.”

I shouldn’t tell her anymore. I was bound by law. By NDAs. But she was looking at me with such excitement, and Clancy had screwed me over anyway, so where was the problem? “Ifoundthe lost city.”

The way her eyes came to life was something historians should study and memorize for generations to come. It should be examined by astronomers, for the stars that reflected back into my gaze. The way she looked at me should’ve been used as artist’s inspiration, forever cemented in history as beautiful paintings or priceless sculpture.

The way she looked at me was downright dangerous, and for the first time I realized how Helen of Troy could’ve started a war with a single look.

I tore my hand away from her face, unable to break my gaze. “Not all treasure sparkles,” I whispered under my breath.

I had to leave. If I didn’t leave now, I didn’t know what I would do next.

I’d lose track of my mission. I’d start a war.

I breathed in her scent, gifted myself one last lingering glance to record every inch of her, enough information to last me the lifetime it’d need to, and pushed myself away from the wall.

I hadn’t come on this boat to find gold and rubies. I didn’t believe in treasure chests. The treasure I was searching for was far more valuable and rare.

But I wondered if just maybe, I’d already found it.

Part Two

Dusk

Chapter

Ten

SCARLETT

James had found the city.

Hefoundthecity.

Was there a possibility he was lying to me? Absolutely. The man hadliarwritten all over his body in permanent marker. I had no doubt he would say whatever he had to just to get a woman to like him. Hadn’t I let him touch my face? Stroke my lips? Not that I minded those things. As annoying and awful as James was, his touch was kind of nice. Besides, the body he hid beneath those stuffy shirts?Damn. The man was carved out of ivory and steel, the perfect specimen of a human.

Or maybe I just needed to get out a little more, because obviously my judgment was clouded.

But on the off chance he was telling the truth…

When I heard the hostel guest’s whispers of the lost city, I assumed it was just a made-up ghost story, the kind told to tourists to make sure they don’t stray too far off the beaten path. I did my research thoroughly before booking my trip, and I hadn’t seen anything about a city.

As far as I was aware, anything of importance left to be discovered on this river had already been discovered.

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