“Burger and a beer by the pool works for me,” Robert said.
Cherise looked at Lindsey who glanced back and forth at her and Jack. “I vote to keep it simple.”
“Works for me,” Jack agreed.
“Good enough. I’ll get us checked in.” Cherise left them standing there.
Jack watched her step away, but only for a second. He caught up to her and slowed at her side. “I’ll keep you company.”
This time she had no objection.
When they got to the Blue Water Café, they found the place busy with the noon crowd. “What do you think,” Jack asked.
“There’s only one couple in line ahead of us,” Robert said.
Jack got nods from the others.
“Okay, we wait.”
Twenty minutes later they were seated at a table overlooking the rooftop pool. Jack stared out the window at the cruise ships sitting in port. The Caribbean Sensation stood out among them. Thursday’s cruise. Ready for the next flock of happy travelers to board.
Among the passengers, two possible killers.
And the four of them to prevent yet another murder.
Cherise was strong-willed, tough, intelligent, and gutsy.
She had survived far rougher situations than they were facing now.
Her life revolved around danger.
It’s what she did for a living.
And her luck held.
But even great hitters don’t bat a thousand.
He suddenly realized his life would never be the same if anything happened to her.
CHAPTER 45
Jack got out of bed early to stand at the window of his eighteenth-floor room and watch the horizon lighten until the sun peeked between the cluster of hotels to the east. The morning dawned clear and bright. Another perfect day in Miami Beach.
Robert yawned and sat up a few minutes later. “You’re awake.”
“I wanted to see the sunrise. You never know, it might be your last.”
“You’re full of cheer this morning.”
“Actually, I feel good. And as soon as I have a cup of coffee, I’ll feel even better.”
“You can text Cherise and see if they’re awake. They might like to join us for an early breakfast.”
“She’s up. You can bet on it. We have a lot to do today.”
* * *
Jack studied the cruise ships from the front passenger seat while Cherise drove them across the bridge to Miami Beach. Robert and Lindsey sat in back.
Robert made a whistling sound. “Big suckers when you get up close.”
Jack thought the same thing. “Bigger than any of the research vessels I’ve been on.”
“Wait until you’re on board with four thousand other people,” Cherise said. “The ship might not seem so big then.”
She followed the A1A across Biscayne Bay and into South Beach, turned left at 12th Street, drove two blocks west to Washington Avenue, and parked next to the World Erotic Museum. Dream World Travel Agency—they discovered when they walked around the corner—sat sandwiched between the museum and a Starbucks. A forest-green canvas awning ran the length of the building, shading the sidewalk in front.
Jack extended his arm and stopped them short of the travel agency. He saw no reason to rush. To Cherise, he said, “No one here knows us, but I think it’d be wise to play it cautious.”
“I agree,” Cherise said. “Let’s do a walk-by and check out the place before we go in. You and I will go first. Robert, you and Lindsey wait a minute before taking your turn. We’ll meet up inside the coffee house on the other side.”
Jack walked beside Cherise, Washington Avenue on his left. Her height added a degree of difficulty when he looked past her to scan the business.
He did his best to not appear obvious.
The place had a glass entrance door with ten feet of window on each side of it. A pair of desks and several straight-back chairs were visible inside. Travel posters and racks of colorful brochures lined the walls. A lone woman sat behind one of the desks. An open laptop in front of her. She had a cell phone pressed to her ear.
As they walked past, a second woman stepped out of a back room and joined her. Tall. Younger. He recognized her from her photo.
Cherise hurried past the window and ducked inside Starbucks five feet ahead of Jack.
He caught up to her at the rear of the coffeehouse and faced the door. So much for luck. “Wasn’t that Amanda?”
Cherise kept her voice down. “And that was probably her mother. I hope she doesn’t recognize Lindsey.”
“We’ll know in a second.” He kept his eyes on the door.
Not even a minute later, Lindsey hurried inside with Robert following a few feet behind her. She rushed up to Cherise, grabbed hold of her arm, and whispered, “Did you see Amanda?”
Cherise laid her hand on top of Lindsey’s. “She didn’t see you, did she?”
“She was busy talking to the other woman, so I don’t think so.” Lindsey shot a nervous glance at the door. “But that was close.”
Jack saw the worry in the women’s expressions.
“The two of you obviously can’t go in there,” he said. “And Robert should avoid being seen as well. But I see no reason why I can’t. I’ll simply introduce myself and say I dropped in to thank them for arranging the cruise.”
Cherise nodded. “Having Amanda there may well work in our favor. You meeting her could be the ice breaker we need.”
“One thing is for sure,” he said. “It should prove interesting.”
He couldn’t wait to put the charm on Amanda.
CHAPTER 46
Jack stepped into the cool interior of Dream World Travel feeling confident.
The woman he recognized as Amanda and the older woman were standing by the desk he’d seen them at earlier. The laptop open. They turned and looked in his direction when he stepped through the doorway. Both of them smiled. He flashed one back.
“Good morning,” Amanda said.
“And a pleasant morning to you.”
She continued to peer at him out of the corners of her eyes as she leaned close to the older woman and whispered something he couldn’t make out. Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked toward the back room.
“May I help you?” the older woman asked.
“My name is Jack Ferrell.” He approached her desk. But his eyes were focused on Amanda as she walked away. Her hair appeared blonder than it had in the photos he’d seen of her. And more stylish.
Even prettier in person.
Before leaving the room, she gave him a long pleasant appraisal and smiled.
He held her gaze.
Great lips.
“My name is Veronica Kelley, I’m the owner.” The woman’s voice drew his attention back to her.
He had no choice but to follow through with the charade. Amanda had left the room. But contact had been made. And that was enough for now.
Her smile said it all.
“I apologize for becoming distracted,” he said. “It’s wonderful to meet you. My secretary—actually she works for a colleague of mine—used your agency to book me on a four-day cruise aboard the Caribbean Sensation. The ship sails tomorrow and I just wanted to pop in and personally thank you for all your assistance.”
“That’s very nice of you. We get a lot of phone customers, but rarely have the opportunity to meet them in person. Sorry my daughter had to leave, I could have introduced you.”
“I’m sure she’s busy. Perhaps I’ll get the chance another time.”
“Is this your first cruise?”
“Actually it is.”
“From your tan, I’d have guessed you spend a lot of time on the water.”
“You’re very observant. I’m a marine biologist. Much of my work is done on the ocean.”
Her manicured brow arched. “And you’ve never taken a cruise? I find that somewhat surprising.”
“Truth is, owning a boat as well as spending time aboard
large research vessels, put taking a cruise way down on my list of to do’s. But I did think about it a number of times . . . when my wife was alive. After she passed away, I lost interest. My colleague’s secretary is the one who suggested I splurge on a Caribbean vacation to cheer me up. I figured I’d start with a four-day cruise. If it turns out to be something I want to do again, I’ll work up from there.”
“Your colleague’s secretary is a wise woman. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the experience, immensely.”
He glanced around to appear uneasy and lowered his voice. “I probably shouldn’t say this to you, but I hope to meet a lady aboard ship. Someone I can share the cruise with. That sort of thing happens, right?”
“Sometimes.” She retook the seat at her desk and began tapping on the keyboard of her laptop. “Jack Ferrell, right?”
“Correct.” He waited and saw her smile.
“You have one of the larger forward outside cabins with a balcony. You should be quite comfortable.”
“Thank you. I really have no idea what I’m getting into.”
“I can help.” She got up, pulled several pamphlets from the rack and handed them to him. “Look these over. One of them covers everything you need to know about the boarding process, security, and what you can and can’t take on board with you. The other one describes the ship and its amenities. There’s also several tour options available to you when you arrive at Cozumel.”
Amanda hadn’t returned. He’d hoped she would.
He tapped the brochures against the palm of his hand. The game had been played. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“My pleasure.” She escorted him to the door and held it open while he stepped outside. “Have a nice trip, Mr. Ferrell.”
He gave her a casual wave and watched her return to her desk. When he was out of sight of her, he stepped back into the Starbucks.
“You were in there a while,” Cherise said.
“You were worried about me?”
“A little. You can be a dork at times.”
He liked that she had joked with him. “You can relax. Mission accomplished.”
“And . . . ?”
“They are a cool pair, those two,” he said. “I’ve been through enough scrapes to not be fooled by looks, but Amanda—her eyes . . . they draw you right in. She’s pretty. Even prettier than she is in her photos. There’s no denying, I would never figure her for a murderer.”
“Neither does a male black widow spider,” Cherise pointed out. “Right up to the instant he gets eaten by his lover. You said Amanda left a minute after you walked through the door. Were you able to introduce yourself to her or not?”
“Formally, no. But there was enough eye contact going on between us to guarantee she’ll remember me when we meet on the boat. I planted some seeds with her mother, too. She went as far as checking which stateroom I’m staying in. I’ll be surprised if Amanda doesn’t show up at my door asking me to have a drink with her.”
Cherise raised a brow at him. “Care to take bets?”
He ignored the dig.
“Whether she shows up with a bottle of wine or not, running into her at the travel agency opened the door for me to approach her.”
He pictured Amanda. All six feet of her. If everything went according to plan, they’d be spending a lot of time together over the next four days. Time when he needed to be at the top of his game.
It could mean his life.
CHAPTER 47
Cherise saw the door open a crack and Jack’s face appear . . . one cautious eye and a cheek. Then she saw more of his muscular body when he pulled the door open wide enough to reveal all of him.
She took a deep breath and held up the bottle of champagne she purchased at the gift shop. “Peace offering?”
He stood back, saying nothing. But his smile did. She took that as an invitation to enter and stepped inside.
He pushed the door closed behind her. “This is a pleasant surprise.”
She noticed beads of water on his muscled shoulders, his biceps, in the mat of black hair on his chest. The towel wrapped around his waist. “Did I interrupt your shower?”
“I was ready to get out, anyway. But I certainly didn’t expect to see you standing at the door. Let alone with a bottle of Dom Perignon.”
“I can leave if you want me to.”
“I’ve got a better idea.” He took the champagne from her hand, carried it over to the ice bucket, and jammed it in. He held up two squat tumblers and added, “They’re not stemmed flutes, but they’ll work.”
She felt a surge of heat go through her watching him walk bare-chested across the room, wearing only a towel. The same rush she felt the first time she saw him step toward her, naked.
She walked over to him and draped her arms around his neck. “Wouldn’t it be better to set that on the bedside table?”
“What about Robert?” His voice soft and dreamy.
He stood so close to her she could feel the heat from his body. She slid her hands from his shoulders and raked her fingers through the hair on his chest. “I asked Lindsey to keep him company for a couple of hours.”
“Only two hours?” He pressed her hand against him.
She could feel the rapid thump of his heart beneath her palm. “I suggest we make the best of it.”
His hands dropped to her hips and pulled her to him as he leaned in and kissed her.
She closed her eyes, fully embracing him. And when they separated, she drew in a deep breath to ease the sudden tightness in her chest. Always the same. He had a talent for taking her breath away.
“What about the champagne?”
“Do we really need it?” He kissed her again.
His embrace sent a surge of lust through her body. Her fingers unhooked his towel and let it drop to the floor. At the same time, he went to work on her clothing. Seduction playing as important a part as removing each item.
She eased him away enough to allow her bra to slip from her arms. And buried her face in his shoulder as his lips found her neck. Sex with him had been intense and overpowering . . . and pleasurable. The overpowering as much her sexuality as his. He had never tried to dominate her. For him sex was as much about following as leading. He was the most seductive man she had been romantically involved with.
Yet when he arrived at the hotel to help, she had resisted his advances. Made him upset that she didn’t share his desire.
She’d sensed it. Heard it in his voice.
And the fit of anger he’d let slip had been her fault.
She wouldn’t allow that to happen again.
They fell on the bed and this time he took her rougher and deeper and harder. And she found herself responding with even greater passion than she had before. They kept at it for a long time. Until he finally collapsed on top of her.
Spent.
With his arms at her sides and his hands supporting her shoulders, he lay laboring to catch his breath. Until finally he rolled onto his back, freeing her of his weight.
But not their feelings for each other.
She, too, had been consumed by their lovemaking.
When at last her heart rate and breathing slowed enough for her to talk, she turned to him and said, “I don’t know what possessed me to say something like that. It upset you and I’m sorry.”
He rolled onto his side and looked at her with eyes that sent another ripple of heat through her. “What was it you said?”
“That we should guard our feelings.”
“I might have sounded angry. And I probably was a little. But I understood what you were saying. Even though I don’t agree.”
“You know what we both want. I couldn’t let you board the ship and face those two without an understanding between us.”
He laid his arm across her breast and kissed her shoulder. “I think you made that understanding quite clear.”
She resisted a tingling of desire. “You’re missing the point.”
He began drawing circles on her flat st
omach with his fingertip. Traced a line from her breasts to her bellybutton. “If you’re worried about me having sex with Amanda, don’t. What is it Bond says? ‘For king and country.’ ”
“It’s not that simple.”
“You did what you had to do on Oahu. I’ll do what I have to do. But only if that’s what it takes to make your plan work.”
She sighed. “It will probably be easier for you than it was for me.”
“Because I’m a guy?”
“Because you’re you.”
“I haven’t forgotten Amanda’s a cold blooded murderer. She’s no different than Yang Li. Honestly, I don’t know how you did it.”
“Like you said. I did what I had to do. I thought of it as being part of the job. Like you’ll have to do.”
“A job, huh. I only hope I can get it up.”
“Believe me, Jack. That’s one problem you don’t have.”
CHAPTER 48
Jack awoke with a start at one in the morning.
His heart raced.
Something was terribly wrong.
A nightmare?
The disturbing shreds of the dream that lingered made no sense. Nothing more than bits and pieces of long-dead memories juggled by his subconscious and put into an order that flowed logically while he dreamed them.
But not now.
He scanned the room and found Cherise gone and Robert asleep in his bed. The unopened bottle of Dom Perignon still in the ice bucket.
Nothing to cause him alarm.
Only pleasant memories of two wonderful hours entwined in Cherise’s arms.
So why had his subconscious ventured into the nether regions of his mind?
A vision?
A revelation to caution me against repeating past mistakes.
He slid on his boxers. And for the better part of an hour, he lay on his back in the darkness with his arm across his forehead and fantasized about Cherise until finally he dozed off.
When his phone alarm jarred him awake at six, Robert was already in the shower. Five minutes later, he walked out with a towel around him.
Hostile Waters Page 16
