The Venturesome Race

Chapter Four:

MR MATEO WILLIAMS (Company agent) POV –

I was walking through the small village near Jabalpur, talking to all the locals about the myths and legends surrounding the ancient scrolls when a small beat down car pulled up where the bus had dropped me off. That’s when I finally saw her.

The woman the company had warned me about, she was infamous within the higher ranks for being better than most of our agents and we were in a fierce competition with this woman, which just made her even more impressive. She climbed easily out the death trap and stood surveying the land.

I’m not sure why, but I had expected her to be anything other than what she was, and she was clearly a goddess.

Her shoulder length auburn hair flowed freely in the breeze, framing her oval face like silk. She was biting her bottom lip and when she released it, I couldn’t help but take note of how full and pink they were. Her stormy blue upturned eyes and button nose made her a work of art. Perfection. Now I know why the company had told me to be expecting her. This woman could get anything she wanted, and I intuitively knew I would be in for trouble.

As I watched her hourglass figure slink away, I took note of the man escorting her. He was around my size, maybe a slight bit smaller, definitely a few inches shorter but not by much I’m betting.

He had dark ebony skin and a slight diamond face with short back and sides and a lazy comb over on top. A good-looking man by all accounts.

For some reason, the thought of him being shoulder to shoulder with that unearthly woman 24/7 caused a fire to start burning within my stomach. I hadn’t even noticed that I had begun following them until I saw them stop and talk to the village elder.

I stopped too and stood closer to the hut on my left hoping that her companion wouldn’t notice me.

I know that boss had told me and Jun to walk away and pretend we were locals if we encountered her, but I just couldn’t take my eyes off her. I watched as she gave the village elder a smile so sweet it causes a stir of emotions inside my chest and handed him a small Red box.

The elder lifted the lid and peered inside the small container and a smile wider than I thought possible appeared on his face. He ushered her closer and whispered something in her ear. I continued to watch as she thanked him then her and her companion walked away on their own. I could tell that she was displeased as she spoke to him from the slight frown she was now wearing and the way she was squinting slightly.

I didn’t intend to but for some reason I ended up following and watching her the whole time she was here. I simply couldn’t look away; her smile was hypnotic. When she finally climbed back into the car she arrived in, I pealed my eyes off her and forced myself to turn and walk away. I instantly noticed the absence of calm that had overtaken me as I watched her float from one conversation to the next. I can see how so many of our best agents had been bested by her. If not for her looks then her charming personality or infectious smile must have had something to do with it. That was the type of woman that could command the attention of all those in her presence. Something my mother said not long ago stuck in my mind. She had come home one day from work and told me she spoke to the most breath-taking woman that afternoon. My mother teaches about ancient civilizations and cultures in an ivy league university in the states and unfortunately not many people loved the past as much as her, so I had thought she was simply excited for someone to have taken an interest. However, those two words were on repeat in my mind. Breath taking.

After wondering around the small village until the sun began to set, I decided it was finally time to head back. It was another gruelling hour and a half driving down dangerous winding curves and through a large stretch of nothingness, until I was finally in my hotel lobby and all I could think about was getting to my room to relax in a scorching hot shower.

Stepping into the lift I pressed the button to my floor and took a moment to relax in the silence. I heard someone else enter the lift just before the doors closed but I didn’t open my eyes until she spoke. Her voice was just as sultry as she was and felt like someone had wrapped me in the softest cashmere.

“Hello.” She was looking up at me with her icy blue eyes through dark thick lashes. I turned my body towards her leaning on the side of the lift.

“Hello.” I replied, I didn’t expect her to talk to me, I had no idea what I could and couldn’t say. My boss only told me to avoid her and if I ever came face to face with her to just walk away, couldn’t exactly do that right now though could I? Surely, she had to know that I worked for the company by now.

“Learn anything interesting on your observations?” She asked so sweetly I was momentarily embarrassed for some reason. She was even more beautiful up close. Her rose gold skin was velvety smooth, and she had a slight flush on her cheeks. Those beautiful full lips were intoxicating, and I could now see that her bottom was slightly larger, she had a tiny faint dot of a beauty mark under her right eye and one on the brow bone of her left.

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to.” I say in my most nonchalant tone. My gaze was pulled to her chest as she took a quick sharp breath. She lifted her right hand to rest it over her heart.

“Did you mother never teach you it was rude to lie to a lady?” She asked with a slight drip of mock hurt.

“My mother taught me a great many things.” I decided to try and steer this conversation elsewhere because this woman was dangerously smart that much I had been warned off.

“Nice deflection sweetie but we both know you were watching me.” Of course, she wouldn’t. She oversaw the conversation that was beginning to be clear. God I could listen to her voice all day.

“Okay say I was.” I entertain with a smirk.

“Why?” She asked softly while once again gazing at me with those stunning pastel blue eyes, when she looked at me so openly like that it truly felt like she was peering into my soul and the crazy thing is that I didn’t mind in the slightest.

“I have no idea.” I answered quietly, I didn’t mean to tell her, and I don’t think it was what she expected. She glanced down at the floor before looking back up at me. Then a ding came from the rusty speaker above the doors and they opened. I looked at the floor number then back at her.

“I guess we will be seeing each other around then, Mr Williams.” She gave me a small sad smile before walking through the doors and turning right. I was once again left thinking about her, breathing in the scent of lavender that seemed to linger where she had been.