“You’re full of surprises,” he muttered, as if making an important discovery. He nibbled passionately on her earlobe. “A man never knows what he’s going to encounter next.”
“You’re not quite what I expected, either.” She pulled slightly away from him, searching his gaze in the darkness.
She could see nothing beyond the glint of moonlight in Jared’s eyes. It occurred to her that she was just as well hidden from him. There was something reassuring about the sense of anonymity provided by the masks. It was as if they were both unaccountably free to play this reckless game tonight.
“Well, Madam Expert, what’s the verdict? Am I truly a pirate?”
“Yes, my lord, you are. There is no doubt about it.”
“Then that makes me an expert,” Jared said with a slow smile.
“On what?”
“Ladies like you, of course.”
It was Kate’s turn to smile. Never had she felt so full of such sweet, seductive, feminine power. It gave her a heady thrill. “Your logic is very profound.”
“The way I see it, contrary to your earlier opinion, we do indeed have something in common.”
“Do you think so?” she asked with mocking doubt.
“I’m very sure of it.”
Without releasing her, Jared swung around so his back was against the tree trunk. He deliberately widened his stance and drew Kate between his legs. The skirts of her yellow gown drifted over his thighs. She put her hands on his waist and felt the hilt of the dagger. She was aware of cold metal under her palm. Definitely not plastic, she thought with a start.
“Is this real?”
“The dagger or me?” He nuzzled her throat.
Kate laughed softly. “Both.”
“Yes.”
“Where did you get it?” She touched the dagger again as she leaned her head against Jared’s shoulder.
“He left it behind when he sailed away from the island for the last time. I found it along with some other stuff in an old chest a few years ago.”
“Who left it behind? The pirate who built the castle.
“Umm-hmm.” Jared slid his fingers tantalizingly over her bare arm and dropped a small kiss on her shoulder.
“Is this really his birthday?”
“Yes.”
“You said this was your birthday.”
“It is.”
“You’re teasing me. Whose birthday is it really?”
“His. And mine.” Jared’s tongue touched the pulse of her throat.
“That’s too much of a coincidence. What was his name?”
“Whose?”
Kate tugged at the crisp hair that filled the neck opening of his shirt. “The pirate’s.”
“Ouch. That hurts.”
“Tell me his name.”
“Such a demanding little creature.” Jared lifted his head and looked down at her. Then he caught her face between his strong fingers. “His name was Hawthorne. Roger Hawthorne.”
Kate was mesmerized. Her mouth fell open. “Really?
Jared grinned. “It’s the truth.”
“You’re related to him?”
“The connection is a little distant after all these years, but yes, I’m a descendant. I found out about this island through some old records that had come down through the family. One day about fifteen years ago I chucked everything and came out here to find Amethyst Island.”
“That’s wonderful,” Kate breathed.
“You, my sweet, are obviously a sucker for pirates. But who am I to complain? Come closer and let me show you my dagger.” He captured her hand and began to guide it slowly down below his belt.
She pulled her fingers free quickly. “Don’t get carried away. I’m not a complete pushover for the species.”
“How do you know? You’ve never met a real one. The only pirates you know are the ones you invent in your imagination.”
“But I told you I’m an expert.” Kate was suddenly tense as the atmosphere became more highly charged. “As much as I may be attracted to pirates, I should warn you that I am not equally attracted to the idea of a vacation fling with one.”
The teasing humor went out of him in an instant. “I’m not into flings, either. And as a rule, I don’t get involved with paying guests. But I think I’m going to make an exception in your case.”
“Is that right?” Kate felt something come alive within her, something that might have been hope.
“Please don’t play games with me,” Jared said quietly. “We’re both old enough and single enough to be able to admit we’re attracted to each other. And this...” He stroked her arm in a slow caress and shook his head in silent wonder. “This is something special. I’m old enough to know that, too.”
“What happens next?”
“Let’s find out.” Jared started to kiss her again but halted when a loud, youthful voice called from the garden path.
“Hey, Dad, where are you? Lani says to tell you it’s time for the cake. Everyone’s waiting.”
“Tell her I’ll be there in a minute, Dave,” Jared called back.
“Okay. Hey, where are you, anyhow? How come you’re…Oh. Hi, Ms Inskip.”
There was a rustle of leaves and Kate turned in Jared’s arms to see David peering in through the foliage. “Hi, Dave.”
“What are you guys doing out here in the bushes?” David asked with the perfect innocence only a nine-year-old can muster.
“I was showing Ms Inskip the Hawthorne dagger,” Jared said calmly as he released Kate and stepped out from under the heavy leaves.
“Oh, yeah? It’s neat, huh, Ms Inskip? Dad uses it to cut the first piece of cake at these parties.”
“That’s wonderful,” Kate murmured. “It’s always nice to see an antique get some use. I was afraid the Hawthorne dagger might be nothing more than a useless museum piece after all these years.”
Jared bit back a laugh, his eyes glinting with sensual warning. “I’m a great believer in the old adage, use it or lose it. Come on, you two. Let’s go cut my birthday cake.” He waited until David had run ahead down the path before pulling Kate briefly close once more. “And as for you, my sweet shrew...”
Kate heard the sexy threat in his voice and shivered with anticipation. “What about me?”
“Just be sure you stick around. When I’ve finished with tonight’s festivities, I intend to show you what happens to smart-mouthed, feisty heroines who can’t remember their manners. That crack about the antique Hawthorne dagger is not going to go unpunished.”
“You expect me to stick around after a threat like that?”
“How can you resist? You’re a feisty heroine, aren’t you?”
Ten minutes later, the wicked-looking dagger flashed as Jared took the first slice out of a giant cake. The crowd cheered and champagne flowed. Spelled out in red icing across the top of the cake was the name Hawthorne. Beneath it was a carefully picked-out reproduction of the dagger. Kate stood to one side and sipped from a fluted glass as Jared led a salute to his ancestor.
“The guests love these affairs,” drawled a voice behind Kate. “I always said this was a smart bit of theater on Hawthorne’s part.”
Kate turned to look at the man who had spoken. He was not wearing a mask, but even if he had been, she would have recognized him by his girth and his pristine white attire. This was the man who had accompanied Jared on the midnight walk up the castle path the other night. An uneasy chill chased off some of her pleasure.
“You seem to know a lot about these masquerade balls. Are you a regular guest here at Crystal Cove?” Kate asked. She pushed her silver mask up on top of her head to get a better look at the heavyset man.
“I’m not precisely a guest,” he responded judiciously. “More like an old friend of the family. I’ve been living out here in the islands for longer than I can remember. Even longer than Jared. I’m a writer. Allow me to introduce myself. The name is Butterfield. Max Butterfield.”
“Katherine Inskip.” Kate rack
ed her brain but could not think of anything she had ever read by a Max Butterfield. She smiled to herself. Now she knew how other people felt when they were introduced to her and could not claim to have read her books. “I write, too.”
“So I hear. Romance novels.”
“What about you?”
“I’m working on a novel, but in the meantime I keep body and soul together by doing the odd travel piece here and there. You know how it is.”
Yes, she knew. She felt a wave of sympathy for Max Butterfield. She also wondered how long he had been working on his novel. “Have you known Jared a long time?”
“Years.” Max took another long drink. “It’s a small world out here in the islands.”
“You can say that again, Max. Too small at times.” The colonel, nattily attired in an early nineteenth-century British officer’s dress uniform smiled benignly as he approached. He had an attractive, vivacious woman in her early forties on his arm. She was wearing a gown similar to Kate’s in style, but done in mint green. “Ms Inskip, allow me to present my fiancée, Letty Platt. Letty, this is the heroic Katherine Inskip who leveled Sharp Arnie with but a single blow.”
“This is getting embarrassing,” Kate complained as she shook the other woman’s hand. “What did Jared do? Give the story to the local newspaper?”
Letty Platt grinned, her blue eyes sparkling. “Better than that. He just told it to a couple of people, and within an hour it was all over the island. Out here we thrive on interesting tidbits like that.”
Kate realized immediately that she was going to like this woman. “I’ll keep that in mind. Do you live here on the island, Letty?”
“Oh, my, yes. My husband brought me out here a long time ago when he took a notion to live on a tropical island. He was Jared’s mechanic and general handyman for years before he died.”
“I see. And you’ve been living alone out here for some time now?”
“Not for much longer. The colonel and I will be tying the knot soon.” Letty beamed up at the colonel, who patted her hand with proud affection.
“Do you work here at the resort, Letty?” Kate asked.
“Officially, I’m the bookkeeper, but in reality I help out where I’m needed. Enough about me, though. I’m delighted to meet you, Kate,” Letty confided. “When the colonel told me you were on the island, I was so excited. I’ve read all your books except for Buccaneer’s Bride, which I just bought today in the resort gift shop. Can’t wait to start it.”
“Thank you.” Kate felt herself going an awkward shade of pink, as she always did when she met an enthusiastic fan. This was a part of the business she never quite got accustomed to handling. One of the things she liked about writing for a living was that for the most part she could be quite anonymous.
“The colonel says that in addition to stomping Sharp Arnie, you’ve managed to shake up Jared a bit, and that’s great news as far as I’m concerned,” Letty confided cheerfully. “It’s wonderful to see Jared take an interest in someone like you. He’s been very lonely for a long time, though he’d never admit it.”
“If you’re playing matchmaker, Letty, I think I should warn you you’re wasting your time. I got the distinct impression I don’t fit Jared’s image of the ideal woman,” Kate said. Although that certainly hadn’t stopped him from making a very heavy pass a few minutes ago, she reflected. Just as knowing what he thought of her had not kept her from responding.
She must have been out of her mind out there in the garden.
“Nonsense. Come with me, my dear.” Letty winked at the colonel as she took Kate’s arm and led her a short distance away from the two men. She halted and said in a low voice, “I hope you won’t take anything Jared Hawthorne says about women too seriously. Like most men, he doesn’t really know what he wants.”
“I’m not sure we should be discussing this,” Kate said uneasily.
“Probably not, but I’ve already talked to David and I feel obligated to plead his case. He’s decided he wants you and his father to get to know each other better, you see. He’s quite taken with you. Told me all about how you’re going to teach him your special karate trick.”
“This is getting more embarrassing by the minute.”
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Letty said. “The colonel is very observant, a real student of human nature, you know, and he says Jared’s fascinated by you. The details of that little scene between the two of you in the bar the other night are making the rounds and, frankly, the whole thing sounds delightful. Just like something out of one of your books. I’m sorry I missed it.”
“I doubt if Jared found it delightful.”
“Nonsense. It’s no secret that Jared bases his notions of what he wants in a woman on his memories of his first wife. And it’s quite true that Gabriella was an angelic creature. Just ask anyone. But Gabriella died five years ago and Jared is a normal, healthy man in his prime. He needs a woman, and to be quite honest, I don’t think he needs another angel.”
Kate studied her champagne glass. “Why do you say that?”
Letty smiled knowingly. “It can be hard to live with an angel when a man has as much of the devil in him as Jared has. Enough said, hmm?”
Kate cleared her throat. “Please, Letty, before you get any more ideas, I think I should remind you that I’m only going to be on Amethyst for a month.”
“That’s precisely why I took the liberty of speaking to you tonight, my dear. There isn’t a moment to waste, is there?”
Chapter 4
“Come on, Dad, you can tell me. I won’t tell Travis, or even Carl, honest. You were kissing Ms Inskip under that tree last night, weren’t you?”
Jared glanced speculatively at his son, who was sitting at the kitchen table, kicking his sandaled feet and grinning hugely. Behind David the entire wall was open to the morning breezes and a sweeping view of the cove.
“Why do you want to know?” Jared sliced two ripe papayas in half and picked up a lime.
“’Cause. I just want to, that’s all.”
“Son, you’re getting old enough to be told a few of the rules men have to live by when it comes to dealing with women.”
“Yeah? What rules?” David was obviously fascinated.
“The first one is that a gentleman never discusses in public what he does with a lady in private.”
David’s face fell. “That’s dumb. Who made that rule?”
“The ladies all got together and made it a long time ago.”
“Can they do that?”
“They did it.”
Jared squeezed the lime over the papaya and brought the plates to the table, just as he had every morning since Gabriella had been gone. Somehow, without his or David’s being aware of it, breakfast had become an important ritual over the years, something they both unquestioningly shared and took for granted.
The other meals were inevitably eaten in the hotel restaurant. Slicing papayas and making toast was about the limit of Jared’s capability or interest in the kitchen, though he could make a decent cup of coffee. There was not much point in having three gourmet chefs on the staff if one didn’t make practical use of them, he reasoned.
Jared looked at his son’s new jeans and realized they were already getting too short. He made a note to buy a new pair soon. Time went by so blindingly fast, even out here in the islands. David was almost ten years old, Jared reflected. There would be more and more of life’s hard rules to learn. The trick would be to teach him how to tell the good rules from the bad.
For a moment Jared watched his son stewing silently over the rule regarding women. Then he gave David a wry grin.
“I’ll tell you something, kid. If you value your hide, you’ll remember this particular rule. Ladies such as Ms Inskip have a way of getting even with a man who gossips about them.”
David giggled. “What would she do to you if you told me about kissing her?”
“I’m afraid to even hazard a guess,” Jared said darkly as he sat down and poured hims
elf a cup of coffee. “Probably deck me with one of her karate kicks.”
David’s humor turned to outright shock. “She couldn’t deck you, Dad.” He paused, digesting the unthinkable. “Could she?”
A loud, enthusiastic squawk came from the yellow-fronted Amazon parrot sitting on top of its large cage. Jared scowled at the bird. “Keep your opinions to yourself, Jolly.” He looked at his son. “Feed your bird. He’s turning nasty again.”
“Here you go, Jolly.” David handed the bird a bite of papaya. Jolly glowered at Jared for a moment and then took David’s offering with great dignity. David turned back to pin down his father. “Ms Inskip couldn’t really deck you, could she?”
“With any luck I will never have occasion to find out.” Jared smeared guava jelly on his toast, wielding the knife with some force.
“Hah. I bet three dollars she couldn’t do it,” David finally decided. “You’re bigger than she is.”
“Size is not always a factor, but nevertheless I appreciate your faith in me.”
“Are there rules the ladies have to follow?”
“A few. The trouble is, they get to make up a lot of them as they go along.” Such as whether or not they’ll still be around when a man comes back to collect what had been promised with a kiss.
“That’s not fair.”
“That’s another rule, kid. Sometimes life isn’t fair.”
“Did the ladies make that one up, too?”
“No. That one got made up without anyone’s approval, and we’re all stuck with it.” Jared bit down hard on the toast.
David kicked his feet while he contemplated that. “I think Ms Inskip plays fair. She’s going to show me how to do that special kick today and maybe some other neat self-defense stuff she knows. I’m going to show her how to use snorkeling gear.”
“Is that right?” It occurred to Jared that his son was making faster progress than he was. Maybe he should have offered a few free snorkeling lessons. He had certainly gotten nowhere fast last night.
When the cake-cutting ceremonies had finally ended, Jared had looked around and discovered that Kate had disappeared. Like a fool, he had been unable to resist walking through the gardens past her room. Her light had winked out even as he’d stood in the shadows and watched. Jared had spent a restless night, and he was still feeling generally annoyed this morning.
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