Felix didn't know why he felt so lighthearted as he led his group through the jungle, but the decision to keep on going was the right one. Whether he did it for Katrina or for himself, he still wasn't sure. With a pang of longing in his heart, he knew this would be his last trip ever and he wanted to make it memorable. So far he'd accomplished that. The kiss they'd shared last night had been powerful, and literally knocked him senseless. He'd definitely remember it in years to come.

Katrina had been frightened at first, but then she'd sighed and had fallen against him, and he knew she enjoyed the kiss just as much. When she had slid her hands up his chest, his neck, and down his back in a curious exploration, he'd nearly jumped out of his skin. The pleasure shooting through him was so different from what he'd experienced with other women. With Katrina, he had nearly lost control over his mind, which was why he had stopped her. Feeling that way was not a good thing and he couldn't let it happen again. Felix Knightly always had to be in control.

He took a different path out of Manaus, one that wasn't as well-traveled. More times than not, he and his men unsheathed their machetes to cut the hanging white yiel-yiel leaves and branches out of the way as they advanced deeper into the jungle.

Katrina stayed between him and a couple of his men, which was exactly what Felix wanted, mainly since he had a hard time keeping his hands off her. Now that he had tasted her sweet kiss, he worried he would want to sample another one soon.

Because Manuel remained in town with Suzette, the other men volunteered to help carry supplies. Even Katrina gave Felix permission to load her pack with more items. Every so often, he looked over his shoulder to make certain she was doing all right, and it surprised him to see her forging on without any difficulty. Usually, pampered women couldn't handle such laborious tasks, yet Katrina seemed to deal with things quite well, surprisingly.

There was something about her he couldn't put his finger on, yet he didn't have time to dig deeper into her past to find out what made her so unusual. He couldn't let her distract him from his focus. Because of the dangers lurking, Felix had to concentrate on every step and keep the group moving forward. He kept his gaze scanning ahead, and his ears alert to anything out of the ordinary just in case Mr. Faro's predictions came true.

They had come upon a swampy area, so being particularly cautious was necessary. He paused and called out to his men as he waved his arm high over his head. "Keep a watchful eye out." Stumbling across crocodiles or even snakes was not something he wanted to do.

Another branch hung low, so he whacked it with his machete and threw the branch away from the path. As he readied his arm to cut another, Katrina's terrified screech made him jump and turn toward her.

She stood frozen, pointing to a tree. Ready to become the warrior she needed and battle whatever unknown creature had threatened her, he raised his machete prepared to attack. When he realized what had frightened her, relief poured through him and he lowered his arm. "This?" He pointed to a purple and yellow amphibian sitting on a leaf. "Is this, what scared you?"

"Yes." Her voice shook. "It fell from that tree."

He stepped closer to her. "My dear, Miss Landon. This is a frog."

The other men nearby laughed.

She tore her gaze from the frog and looked at Felix with confusion. "A frog? Since when are frogs purple and yellow?"

Felix chuckled. "Frogs that live in the rainforest are odd colors. You will find many different colored frogs as well as odd-shaped ones. Some will have huge eyes and others will be so small you almost cannot see them. Some will have very long arms and look like they belong to the monkey family. I assure you, Miss Landon, there will be many things in this jungle you aren't used to seeing." He shrugged. "That's what makes this place so spectacular and unforgettable."

Her body relaxed, and she took a careful step toward the creature, crouching closer. "The frog is actually very beautiful. I was just startled because of its different colors." She reached out a hand toward the amphibian.

"Katrina, don't." He grasped her hand and pulled it back. "You can look, but don't touch."

When she met his stare, she arched an eyebrow. "Why not? I've handled frogs before."

"I'm certain you haven't held any like this. The more colorful they are, the more poisonous they can be."

She jumped back, and her shoulder knocked gently against his chest.

"Poisonous?" she asked softly.

"Indeed." He nodded. "That is why I cautioned you not to touch. Not only can their bite be venomous, but their skin as well."

"I can see now why you stopped me." She wrung her hands against her middle.

"This close to water, you will see many types of frogs. The ones that are not poisonous are the green or brown ones. Just remember what I told you about their bright colors."

"Yes. I will certainly keep that in mind."

"Good girl." He winked. "Shall we continue now?"

She motioned her hand toward the small trail they were taking. "Lead the way, my good man."

Chuckling, he wandered to the front of the line with Carlos and proceeded with chopping branches once more. Every few steps he peeked over his shoulder to see what she was doing, and he was happy to realize she walked more cautiously followed in his tracks without deviating from the path.

It took a few minutes before he realized he'd been smiling...and it was due to Katrina. So he quickly dropped his smile into a scowl. Falling in love with Katrina would be dangerous, nearly as perilous as the howler monkeys, fire ants, and the poisonous purple and yellow frog.

If Felix was to banish Katrina from his thoughts, he should try thinking more about the women he'd met in England, but the more he remembered their characteristics, the more his head hurt.

Those women were only in London during the Season to put on a show for the available men. It was their sole purpose to snag a husband no matter what means they used to get one. Men with more money and a title were singled out. Men like Felix—second sons—were not necessarily sought after. Men like Felix were the ones these women liked to use and toss away like leftover food. He was quite certain Katrina was the same kind of woman who would break a man's heart.

He shook his head. What was he thinking? He shouldn't be comparing her to anyone! Her only purpose was to keep him entertained during the journey to her father's plantation. If she made him laugh, that was fine. If she made him smile more than usual, he could handle that. Of course, he didn't think he could handle anymore sultry kisses like the one she'd given him last night.

He wiped the thought out of his head and concentrated on the trail in front of him. Unfortunately, Katrina's pretty face kept appearing in his mind. The way she laughed, the way she stared at him with dreams in her eyes, and the way her face softened whenever they were close. He enjoyed watching her expressions when he introduced her to a new animal in the jungle. Her eyes were so wide with interest and so amazingly green.

When he remembered how she acted with the frog, he couldn't stop the grin from stretching across his mouth. Even his men thought she was funny. And to think she had held a frog before...

His thoughts screeched to a halt. Confusion filled him like it did whenever he thought of her too intently. During what time in a wealthy, pampered girl's life, would she have the occasion to hold a frog? She'd made it sound like she was used to holding those slimy creatures...and wasn't bothered by it.

Indeed, that woman was very odd.

He slowed his steps and reached for his canteen. Carlos noticed and stopped walking to drink from his canteen, as well. Felix glanced at Katrina. She stood motionless, too, but seemed satisfied to just look around the ground and up into the trees.

Turning away from her, he lifted the canteen to his mouth and relished the refreshing water swishing down his throat. The humidity was sweltering and very uncomfortable today, which was normal for this time of year. But rainstorms were usually normal, too. He glanced into the sky which was nearly blocked by the overhead canopy of trees. Gray clouds now covered the sky. That definitely explained why it had been more humid in the past few hours. They would get rain any minute, he was sure. Although he looked forward to the break in the mugginess, he wasn't looking forward to Katrina's squawks and whining because of the mud and wetness.

"Miss Landon," he began as he corked his canteen and hooked it back over his pack, "it appears that rain is in our near future." He pointed upward. "Perhaps now is a good time to get out your raincoat."

She arched a critical eyebrow as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Raincoat? Whatever for?"

"To protect yourself from the rain, of course."

She shook her head. "Mr. Knightly, have you not noticed that my clothes are practically drenched from the sweat covering my body?" She gestured her hand toward him and the other men. "In fact, we all are in the same quandary. At this point, I welcome a little rain shower."

"Rain shower?" Felix asked as his men guffawed. "You think this is going to be a shower? And little?"

Katrina flipped a hand in the air. "Do you think I've never been outside when it's raining? There have been many times in my life I have walked up and down the streets during a storm." She folded her arms and lifted her stubborn chin. "I assure you, Mr. Knightly, I shall be all right, and I promise not to melt from a little rain."

Felix gritted his teeth. The impossible woman would not listen. Then again, she'd been like that when he first met her. Why did he think she'd change? "Forgive me for thinking differently, Miss Landon. Shall we proceed with our hike?"

"What an excellent idea." She pointed to the path ahead of them. "Lead the way, Mr. Knightly."

He turned and caught the twinkling mirth in the other men's eyes. They, too, knew Miss Landon would not like the jungle rainstorms. Apparently, Katrina would just have to experience one firsthand before she realized Felix knew what he was talking about.

Continuing their journey, he waited impatiently for the rain to come—if only to see Katrina's reaction. He'd never been the kind of man to say I told you so, but right now he looked forward to it with great expectation. He loved to watch the play of emotions crossing her face whenever she was caught off guard. He thoroughly enjoyed turning her world upside down. Strange that he would think this way, since he couldn't recall the last time he'd been so enthralled with a woman as much as he was with her.

"Miss Landon?" Carlos asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes?"

"Might I ask what kind of rainstorms you are used to?"

Felix glanced at her, waiting for her answer. She swiped a lock of hair out of her eyes and smiled at Carlos.

"I grew up in London. I don't know if you have been there before, but there is a saying we have that goes, when it rains it pours." She shrugged. "We don't just get a little rain, we get buckets full. There have been some winters in which the rain froze the ground solid, making it difficult even for horses to pull the carriages. Sometimes it's almost impossible for me to walk from one part of town to the other without slipping and falling at least a dozen times."

Carlos scratched his ear. "That is good. Now when it rains here, you will feel like you are home again."

"I imagine I will," she ended with a chuckle.

Once again, confusion filled Felix. Things just didn't add up when it came to Katrina. "Tell me, Miss Landon, why would a woman as well-bred as yourself walk from one part of town to the other in the rain at all, especially when there is a freezing rain?"

She slowed her step as panic paled her face. At first he worried she might have spotted another creature, but then he realized it was the topic of conversation she hesitated to answer. Now he couldn't wait to hear what she had to say, yet for a few long moments, she said nothing. For the first time since he'd met her, she actually looked like she didn't know what to say.

How very interesting.