Page 18 of Hot & Heavy

"wanna play a game?"

Chapter Four

She-bang, she-bang…

Madrene shot the warrior-troll her "You-are-an-idiot" look—the one she'd often used with her father and brothers when they did something particularly halfbrained, as men were wont to do.

He just grinned at her, as if she would melt at one of his smiles. Hah! That will never happen, even if he does have an engaging smile. Too bad it is ruined by his blackface and arrogant attitude.

"What kind of game?"

"The Exchange Game."

She raised her brows in question. What kind of fool does he think I am?

" I tell you a secret. You tell me a secret. It'll be fun."

Fun? That is a word I no longer know… if I ever did. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why would you want to play such a game with me? And why, pray tell, would I be interested in playing games with you?"

"To gain something you want?"

"Pfff! There's nothing I want but to get to Baghdad."

"See. I could take you to Baghdad."

"You could?" Have a caution, Madrene. It is no doubt a trick.

He nodded.

"How? Do you have a camel nearby?"

He laughed. "Nah! A bird will be coming for us tomorrow."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Me? Uh-uh! You will be in Baghdad tomorrow, that I can almost guarantee."

One day to Baghdad? Even a fast camel could not get us there so quickly, let alone a bird. Even so… "And what would you want in return?"

He smiled.

Oh, now I understand. Another randy male looking for a nest for his dangly part. My nesting days are over. "I am not going to couple with you. So forget about that."

"Lady, let's understand one thing. I have absolutely no interest in sex with you. Don't reject what hasn't been offered."

His obvious disdain for her rankled Madrene, not that she wanted him to be attracted to her. Still, no woman liked to think she was repulsive. "I have nothing to offer in exchange." Well, I do have that navel gem which I pilfered last year from Sheikh Yasir… and, all right, there are those nine other jewels I happened to pick up from the others… but I am not about to give any of them to the likes of you.

"Yes, you do."

He could not have discerned the large stones which she'd sewn into her sleeves. Could he? "And that would be?"

"Information."

Whew! "Information about what?"

"Your… uh… master."

Huh? The man really is demented. I would tell him all about Fakhir without any recompense. "He was not my master, he just thought he was. No man is my master. Besides, he has three wives and three concubines to call him master or whatever the bloody hell he wants to be called."