Page 9 of A is for Ahool

Anissa hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I am here searching for a flower. If I show you a drawing, can you help me find it?”

A strange combination of elation and disappointment filled me. I had hoped for something more personal, but if I could be of service to my beloved… “I will do everything in my power to help you,” I said.

She looked up from our joined hands, and I was unsure what to make of the expression on her face. I had seen her in the jungle many times. I had watched her murmur to the trees and mutter at the chittering monkeys. She had been awed, and annoyed, and elated. But as many times as I had seen her face, she had never looked at anyone or anything like she was looking at me.

"You will?" she whispered.

"Yes," I said. "I would do anything for you."

Anissa's grip on my hand tightened and her eyes glittered before she looked down. I watched her lower lip tremble for a moment before she caught it between her teeth. She gave me a silent nod.

“Thank you.”

I tried to reply, but there were too many words I wanted to say. I would give her my whole world, everything I had and was, if she would only love me back. I sighed softly and lay her hand in her lap.

“Would you like to go back to the village in the morning?” I asked.

Anissa raised her head. “I have everything I need for now.”

Her eyes were deep pools and I was drowning. I cleared my throat. "Then let us begin at first light.”

“Good night,” she murmured.

I wanted to kiss her so badly I ached. “Good night.”

I left her to sleep and climbed up to perch on the branches above my nest. I could do this. I would help my Kekasih and return her to the village.

It was a simple task, but far from easy. Now that I had touched her, I felt irreparably changed. And for the first time, it occurred to me that I may not survive her leaving.

“Oh,” I breathed. I slumped against the tree trunk and looked out a the dark jungle.

Whether I had displayed or not, it was done. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. If that was the price I paid for spending a couple of precious days with her, I would gladly pay it.

Chapter Five

Anissa

What was I doing? I had broken more laws in the hours I had been with Muram than in the twenty-five years preceding it. Looking at his body, admiring his manners, and then touching. Touching! My parents would disown me if they knew what I was doing.

As I lay on the pallet, I could hear Muram above me. He spoke softly to himself in a language I had never heard before. Grumbles and quiet growls. The occasional sigh. Was he regretting his offer to help me?

I was still shocked that I had asked. And held his hand. Was handholding always so pleasant? The way his large hand curled around mine felt so intimate. I could not help wondering how his hands would feel on other parts of me.

My bare arms or my face? What would those thick fingers feel like combing through my hair? I pressed my hands to my heated cheeks. These lustful thoughts were the epitome of Haram. I had to control myself.

But it was so difficult when Muram was so kind and sweet. When he helped me at every turn and asked nothing in return. When he spoke to me, I could tell he saw me. There was no censure or expectation in his eyes, only patience I had never experienced before. And he was going to help me find the lily.

All I needed was a single photo and a mark on the map. If I could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Crimson Sun Lily grew wild in the National Park, I could stop the logging. Muram and the other creatures that called the park home would be safe. I could not afford any distractions. I closed my eyes and forced myself to rest.

The next morning, I woke to the sounds of the jungle and quiet footsteps. I blinked open my eyes and turned my head. Muram paused when my eyes landed on him. For a long moment, I felt captured by his stare. When he finally looked away, I exhaled shakily.

What was that? I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position to watch him shifting through the supplies at the back of the nest.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked. There was a strange quality to his voice.

“Yes,” I said. “Did you?”

After a brief pause, he nodded. “Yes, thank you.”