“Hi,” David said. “I knew you’d come. Everything’s ready. Dad’s in the living room.”
Kate stepped inside the cool foyer and glanced curiously at her surroundings. There was a subtle harmony to the bleached wood floors, the sisal matting and the graceful greenery. The front of the house seemed to be one vast open window that caught the breeze and the spectacular view.
David led the way toward a large room furnished in rattan. Kate followed her host down two steps and looked across the room to see Jared standing at a brass and glass beverage cart. He turned to glance at her as she walked slowly toward him. His gaze was appreciative and his smile was slow.
“I’m innocent,” he said. “This was all David’s idea.”
“I believe you.” Kate smiled at the boy, who was looking enormously pleased with himself.
David looked at his father. “Come on, Dad, you’re supposed to pour her a drink. Then I’ll introduce her to Jolly.”
“Thank you for reminding me, Dave. What will you have, Kate?”
“A little sherry will be fine.”
Jared nodded and picked up a bottle. “When is the restaurant kitchen sending dinner over, son?”
“I told them to send it at seven-thirty. Is that okay?” David looked momentarily anxious.
“That sounds fine.” Jared handed the glass of sherry to Kate, his gaze a mixture of amusement and sensual intensity. “Dave tells me he has arranged everything this evening.”
David nodded in satisfaction. “Come on, Kate. I want you to meet Jolly.”
“Who’s Jolly?” Kate obediently followed the boy out of the living room and into a spacious kitchen. A large green-and-yellow bird crouched malevolently on top of a black wrought-iron cage. “Oh, I see. He doesn’t look especially Jolly.”
“Jolly is short for Jolly Roger,” Jared explained.
Kate laughed. “Now that fits. Will he take off my finger if I try to scratch his head?”
“Of course not,” David said.
“Wanna bet?” asked Jolly. But he stretched his neck out demandingly.
Kate scratched cautiously. “He’s beautiful. Does he talk a lot?”
“You’ve just heard his entire vocabulary,” Jared said.
“Wanna bet?” Jolly turned an annoyed eye on Jared.
“Fortunately,” Jared said, “the two words he knows are very useful here on Amethyst.”
Kate glanced around the kitchen and saw a number of pencil drawings tacked up on the refrigerator. She went for a closer look and discovered they were astonishingly charming sketches of the cove and the resort. “These are wonderful. Did you do them, Dave?”
“Yeah. You really like ‘em?”
“Very much. You have a lot of talent.”
David blushed happily. “Thanks. Well.” He looked from one adult to the other and started to back out of the room. “Guess everything’s under control, so I’d better be going.”
Kate looked at him in surprise. “Aren’t you staying for dinner?”
David shook his head quickly. “Carl Shimazu invited me to spend the night at his house. His mom said it was okay. Carl and I are going to study together.” He looked at his father. “You don’t have to worry about anything, Dad. I told the kitchen staff to take care of everything.”
Thanks, son.” Jared’s mouth quirked. “I appreciate that.”
“Sure. Well, good night. See you guys later.” With one last look around, David turned and bounded into the hall. A moment later the front door closed behind him.
Jared swirled the whiskey in his glass and led the way back into the living room. “What can I say? He means well. He likes you.”
“I like him, too.”
Kate wandered over to the expanse of open wall and took a deep breath of the fragrant night air. An odd nervousness was settling on her now that she was alone with Jared. When she had accepted the invitation she had been certain David would be around to act as a buffer. Instead, she was on her own.
The nervousness alarmed her. This was not like her at all. The only other time she could remember feeling nervous around a man in recent years was the time she had been stopped by a grim-looking motorcycle cop. She had been sure she was going to get a ticket. In the end she had given him an autographed book for his wife, instead. He’d been thrilled.
Jared came up behind her, not touching her. “The other night in the garden I got the impression you liked me, also. Did I get the signals mixed?”
“You’re very direct, aren’t you?”
“I don’t have time to string this out, but even if I did, I probably wouldn’t. You’re right. I am a direct man, Kate. I don’t like games.”
“Your friend Letty says we strike sparks off each other.”
“I guess we do. Is that so bad?”
Kate shook her head. “No, but I’m not sure it’s good, either. Sparks can be dangerous.”
“They can set fires,” Jared agreed. “But I’ll be honest with you, Kate. I’ve never had any woman set quite this kind of fire in me. I’m not sure exactly how to handle things, but I know I can’t walk away and pretend this never happened. Can you?”
There was silence for a long moment. Then Kate said softly, “I told you I wasn’t interested in a vacation fling.”
“Is that why you disappeared so fast after the masquerade ball? You just aren’t interested? I don’t believe that.”
She tilted her head thoughtfully to one side. “You want the truth? I got cold feet.”
“I thought that might be it. At least you’re honest about it.”
“I also decided you were taking a lot for granted on the basis of a few kisses.”
“And you wanted to put me in my place?”
Her fingers tightened on the glass. “No, not exactly. I just decided things were happening too quickly.”
“If things don’t happen quickly between us, they won’t happen at all. Within a month you’ll be gone.”
“Yes.” She moved uneasily, stepping away from him and turning to smile coolly. “Which is the best reason of all for not getting involved, isn’t it? What’s for dinner?”
“I don’t know.” Jared’s mouth curved faintly. “David ordered everything. One of the side benefits of raising a kid around a resort is that he gets very sophisticated about such things as ordering up room service.”
“I see. David does this for you a lot, then?”
“For your information, this is the first time he’s ever tried his hand at matchmaking.”
Kate winced. “Sorry, didn’t mean to annoy you.”
“Didn’t you? I think you enjoy annoying me, Kate.”
“Careful, you’re getting paranoid.”
“I’m not so sure about that. Sometimes I almost have the feeling I’m being tested in some way.”
Kate’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Good grief, what a weird thing to say. You really are paranoid.” But she sensed some blundering masculine insight in his accusation and wondered silently what was happening to her.
Jared smiled again and held up his palm. “You’re probably right. Let’s call a truce, okay? The food will be here any minute and I’m hungry.”
“So am I. I did some more snorkeling this morning and it gave me an appetite.”
He eyed her warily. “About the snorkeling lesson yesterday. Can I assume you’re not holding a grudge?”
“Just because you faked that fall and then dropped me into the sea? Heavens, no. Why would I hold a grudge over a little thing like that?”
“Beats me. It wasn’t as if I didn’t have grounds for revenge or anything. But some women aren’t as fair-minded as you are. David took pains to point out to me what a good sport you were about the whole thing.”
Kate laughed softly, beginning to relax„ “All right, I’ll admit you might have had grounds for revenge. I shouldn’t have ducked out the night of the masquerade without saying anything. I should have told you I’d changed my mind.”
Jared grinned. “That’s
probably as close to an apology as I’ll get, so I’ll take it and be satisfied.” He started to say something else and then paused as a knock sounded on the front door. “Ah, there’s dinner. Let’s see how creative the kid is.”
David, with the help of the resort’s restaurant staff, had outdone himself. The Brie-and-sun-dried-tomatoes appetizer was followed by impeccably fresh fish cooked in parchment and a beautifully arranged plate of exotic tiny sautéed vegetables. It was all lavishly served by a waiter who couldn’t seem to hide his delight as he went about his duties. It was obvious the staff was enjoying the entire event.
When the excellent Chardonnay had been served, the linen napkins unfolded and the candles lit, the waiter bowed himself out the front door. Jared waited until he was gone, then he lounged back in his chair and looked across the table at Kate.
“You realize, of course, that this will be all over the resort by midnight, if it isn’t already?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Certain assumptions concerning our relationship will be made.”
“Probably.”
“Just thought I’d warn you.” Jared nodded once and raised his wineglass. “Here’s to us and the month we have. Let’s not waste it, Kate.”
Kate felt her insides tighten, but at the same time a thrill of anticipation was soaring through her. She looked into Jared’s silvery eyes as she obediently raised her own glass and the poignant sense of familiarity nearly overwhelmed her. “To us,” she whispered.
“Why don’t you tell me how you go about writing a book?” Jared suggested when the toast was finished.
“All right. If you’ll tell me how you go about running a resort.”
“It’s a deal.”
To Kate’s surprise, it was suddenly easy to talk to him. The conversation flowed so effortlessly now. She felt lighter than air, caught up once more in that dangerously seductive certainty that she knew Jared far more intimately than could possibly have been the case.
When they had polished off the white-chocolate-and-macadamia-nut dessert, Jared got to his feet. He reached down to grasp Kate’s wrist and drew her up beside him. “Come on, I want to show you something.”
“Not your etchings, I hope.”
“I think you’re going to find this a lot more interesting than etchings. And I want you to remember I thought of this angle all on my own. David didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Where are we going?” Kate asked as he led her down the hall.
“To my study.”
Not his bedroom. Kate wondered at the sense of wistful disappointment she felt.
When Jared opened the door into a book-lined room, she stepped inside and gazed around with deep interest. “Very nice.”
He released her wrist and went over to a glass-fronted cabinet that housed several very old leather-bound volumes. On one of the shelves was the black dagger Jared had been wearing the previous evening.
“What are those?” Kate’s attention was instantly captured by the sight of the old books.
“Some journals, business papers and a ship’s log belonging to Roger Hawthorne plus a diary that his wife, Amelia, kept.”
Kate’s eyes widened in astounded delight. “Are you serious?” She flew across the room to stand in front of the cabinet. She stared longingly down at the aging volumes.
“Take a look.” Jared opened the glass doors, smiling with satisfaction as Kate reached carefully inside for one of the journals.
She stroked the cracked leather cover lovingly. “Do you realize what you have here? A pirate’s personal journals. What an incredible thought. And the diary of the bride he kidnapped. I would sell my soul for these volumes.”
“I wasn’t planning to ask such a high price, but if you insist, I won’t turn you down.”
Her head came up swiftly as she sensed the sensual meaning in his softly spoken words. The expression in his eyes made her catch her breath, and she forgot about the treasure she held in her hands.
“Jared?”
“You can examine the journals any time you like while you’re here on Amethyst.”
“Thank you.” She was breathless. The heat in his gaze was warming her from the inside out, “Thank you very much.” Kate put the old volume carefully back into the glass cabinet and stood very still.
After a long, shuddering moment of silence, Jared reached out to touch her cheek. “Whatever else it will be, Kate, it won’t be just a fling. You know that, don’t you?”
She felt his fingers tremble slightly on her skin. When he dropped his hand, she was trapped by the molten silver of his eyes. Surely she had known this man all her life. “Yes,” she said. “I know.”
He picked up a blanket that lay folded on the end of the sofa, took Kate’s hand again and led her out of the study onto the shadowy veranda that overlooked the sea.
Chapter 5
The night was heavy and warm. Kate fell silent as Jared led her out into the darkness. She was back under the same spell that had captured her the night of the masquerade ball, she realized. But tonight there would be no escape. Jared’s hand wrapped hers in a strong, sure grip, and she had no desire to be freed.
Without an explanation he tugged her down the steps of the veranda to a path that led toward the water. They walked through a grove of shadowy palms and out into a small, secluded moonlit cove. This was not Crystal Cove, the main hotel beach, but a private, hidden place that Kate sensed was not open to the public. Wavelets foamed softly on the shore, glistening in the pale light.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked, not particularly concerned with the answer.
“To a special place I know. And, no, before you ask, I don’t take a lot of female guests there.”
“I wasn’t going to ask.”
“Starting to trust me?”
“I just don’t feel like asking too many questions tonight,” she said.
His hand tightened around hers. “Good. It’s probably better that way.”
At the edge of the sand they stopped and took off their shoes. Then they walked to the end of the beach. There Jared drew Kate into the shadows of a palm. He spread the blanket on the ground and stood looking at her, his face taut with controlled hunger. When he made no further move, Kate knew he was waiting for her to make the final decision.
She hesitated a moment and then walked into his arms. They closed around her, safe, strong and wonderfully familiar, wonderfully right.
“Promise me you won’t regret this in the morning,” Jared said into her ear, his fingers tangling in her hair. “I want this to be right for both of us. No recriminations, no reprisals, no apologies.”
“I wouldn’t have come this far with you if I had any more doubts.”
“The other night I thought you knew what you wanted, but you still left without a word.”
“I told you, the other night there were other complications. Things were happening too fast. Nothing felt real. Then I realized your friend Letty was matchmaking and I really got nervous. I needed time to think.”
“No more thinking. I’ve tried to think this through for the past couple of days. It got me nowhere.” Jared groaned and pulled her close. Kate’s body reacted instinctively to the hard, demanding male strength in him. His kiss was a heavy, drugging caress that intoxicated her with emotion and sensual excitement. His mouth moved on hers as his hands moved on her body—slowly, intimately, hungrily.
Kate felt the zipper of her sheath slide down the length of her spine to her waist, and the dress crumpled to her hips. Her small, lacy bra fell away under his touch. Jared leaned his forehead against hers and looked down at her breasts.
“I knew you would be this lovely. I want you so much. I haven’t been able to think of anything else since I saw you in that alley on Ruby.” He touched her nipples, sliding his thumbs across them slowly until they flowered into firm peaks. “You make me ache in a way I haven’t ached in a very long time.”
She trembled under the warm honey of his words.
“I have never ached this way.” The honesty in her own words amazed her. She hadn’t meant to say them, but now that they were said it was all right. It was the truth.
“Letty was right about us striking sparks off each other. But some of the sparks are very, very exciting.”
“Yes.” Kate slowly unbuttoned his shirt until it hung open and then she pushed it off entirely. The garment fell to the sand, and she stroked Jared’s sleek shoulders, loving the feel of the strong, muscled flesh.
Jared finished undressing her carefully, his hands guiding down over her hips, taking the dress and her panties with them. Then he was stroking her bare, rounded buttocks, cupping her and lifting her up against him. She felt rough denim and the cold metal fastening of his jeans against her stomach. The heaviness of his manhood thrust against the fabric. The fullness of his arousal was almost shocking.
“You feel so good,” Jared whispered as he eased her down onto her back on the blanket. He knelt beside her and stroked the length of her bare leg. “Warm and soft and sexy:’
“Not prickly?”
“Not prickly at all.” He bent his head and kissed the hollow of her stomach. “I should have guessed all the prickliness was designed to protect something very special.”
Unable to help herself, Kate arched sensuously under his touch, closing her eyes and moaning softly. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders and she urged him closer. He was hard all over, the contours of his back defining his physical strength.
Jared came down on top of her, his bare chest crushing her gently. So much crisp, dark hair on that chest, Kate thought.
He was still wearing his jeans, and Kate found the texture of the cloth against her naked leg strangely exciting. It became almost unbearably so when Jared slid down the length of her. His mouth was all over, tasting her, exploring her body, covering her with hot, damp kisses. She gasped and her head tipped back over his arm when she felt his teeth lightly graze her breast. Then she felt his tongue curl around her nipple and she laughed in soft delight, lightheaded with the thrill of it all.
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