Page 3 of Vistaria Has Fallen

Calli licked her lips. “You mean rebels, don’t you? Theyare rebels in the mountains.”

He smiled. “Touché,Miss Munro. You have revealed my own prejudice.” The smile was deprecating, touched with wry humor. It reminded her he was only a man, with weaknesses and passions.

He stood much too close. Despite the bars and the mere inches that separated them, she could feel his body heat against her. His masculine, strong scent curled around her, evokinga sense memory of being wrapped in a man’s arms.

The man watched her, not moving, his gaze as fixed as a hunter’s.

The pit of her stomach rolled. “Do you know me?” Her voice was husky.

“Yes.” The answer was low, a verbal caress as beguiling as his scent.

Her heart leapt and thudded hard. “I mean...” She cleared her throat. “You know my name.”

“I know all about you, Miss Callida Munro.” Hepulled his hand out of his pocket. Her passport was in it. He slid it through the bars toward her. “Take it. Keep it on you. Once I am gone, you will be released. Your uncle, Joshua Benning, waits for you, downstairs.”

She took the passport with a sigh of relief and pushed it into the back pocket of her jeans. It was warm from his body heat.

His hand returned to his pocket.

“Do you have anythingelse of mine in there?” she asked, nodding toward his hand.

“Should I have?” He seemed surprised.

“They took my handbag, my luggage.”

“They?”

“The soldiers. The police. The men who arrested me.”

“This country is run under a military junta.” His tone was polite and formal, as hers was when she lectured.

“I’m sorry. I’m woefully ignorant about Vistaria. I’m insulting you.”

“You are no worsethan most tourists here.”

“I’m usually better prepared. I’m a college professor. You make me feel like a big, ugly American blundering around and tripping over her own ignorance. I came in a hurry. That’s my only excuse.”

“Just as I have requested of you, I am also making allowances.” He gave the same little lift of the corner of his mouth. “And you are not quite a professor, yet.”

“How onearth do you know that?”

“The Internet is available in Vistaria, too, Miss Munro. I looked up your college website.”

“Dry reading for a festival night.”

“On the contrary.” He took his hand out of the pocket. “You may or may not get back your belongings. I will see what I can arrange. Consider yourself lucky regardless of what is returned. Good night, Miss Munro.”

She grabbed the bars. “Wait.”

He swiveled back. One brow lifted in query.

“Are you going to tell me who you are?”

“No.”

“No name? Nothing?”

“No.”