Black Tiger

Chapter one

"Lord, I feel like a coat hanger," Sally muttered as the camera and lens case edged a little further down on her shoulder. Nothing to do about it; she had her hands full with her carry-on luggage and the drag-behind suitcase. She followed the other passengers out of Customs to the exit, the sign above the door written in Hindi and English, and walked through the automatic doors into the arrival hall. She looked past the eager locals obviously waiting for loved ones and searched the little signs held almost furtively by people meeting unknowns. That was her; unknown, alone in India. Her heart beat too fast. Nerves, that was all.

The words 'Tengai Tiger Park' leapt out at her from a sign held by a fellow in a neat khaki uniform but the employment agency had told her she'd be met by somebody and this fellow looked like he was collecting a tour party. She'd come back to him if there wasn't any other option. She glanced further along, letting her eye rest only on signs in English. Ah. 'Dr Sally Carter' hand-printed on cardboard. Wow. The fellow holding the sign was a bit of all right. He topped her five feet eight by a good six inches, wide shoulders and short, black hair. Not a kid, either. He looked about thirty-five; a little older than her. Settle, Sally. He's a man. You're over them, remember?

"I'm Sally Carter." She dragged her luggage over to the man and thrust out a hand. She might as well start as she intended to continue, a new doctor, sure, but a friendly one.

The man smiled, took her hand while he shoved the folded sign in the back of his jeans. "I'm delighted to meet you, Doctor Carter. I'm Ash." He had a lovely deep voice with barely a hint of that sing-song Indian accent

Her fingers tingled at his touch, like a surge of current that had her heart fluttering. "Sally."

"Sally," he repeated. He glanced down at his hand as if he'd felt something, too, then reached around her for the handle of the suitcase and took the carry-on from her. "Let me take these from you. If you'll come this way, it's a long drive."

She admired a tight ass in faded jeans as she pulled the camera and the long lens back up on her shoulder. She could look, couldn't she? Besides, he'd be a driver or something, probably married with children. She hurried to catch up to him, her footfalls echoing on the tiles.

"Did you fly direct from Australia?" he asked.

"Yes. Singapore Airlines from Melbourne to Mumbai via Singapore, a two-hour wait, then here. About sixteen hours, all up."

He maneuvered around a chattering family dawdling toward the terminal's exit. "You'll be tired, then."

"Not too bad. I got some sleep. Nice of the raja to fly me business class."

The exit doors sighed open. Outside, a cool breeze tingled on her bare arms. She should've taken her jacket out of her bag. Thirty-five in Melbourne to... what?... low teens here? Too late now. She hitched her camera gear up again and followed him to a dusty land cruiser.

"Get in", he said, setting her bags in the back. "You can put your camera gear on the back seat if you wish.

He swung into the driver's seat and turned on the engine while she dragged her leather jacket out of her bag.

"Photography is a hobby?" he asked as he negotiated the traffic to the highway.

"Yes. I'm dying to get my first look at a real, live, in the wild, Royal Bengal Tiger. Oh, man, I'll fill an album with shots.

"You like tigers?"

"Yes. Ever since I was a little girl. I had pictures of tigers all around the walls of my room and that was the first exhibit I'd visit at the zoo."

He smiled, watching the traffic, not her. "Wild tigers are magnificent. Nothing like the zoo-bred animals."

"No. I hate seeing the big cats in cages. It's sad that it has to be that way to keep them from becoming extinct."