Rianna said goodbye and closed the phone. Then she looked up at him. “Is there someone you’d like to call?”
He shook his head, wondering if anyone aside from Sullivan worried about her. During his years at the agency, he had found it impossible to sustain close relationships, but then, he’d always been a loner.
Except for Margie. Friends who had tolerated long absences were rare, but Margie had understood and been a true friend. He’d never forgive himself for not being there when his partner needed him most. On that last fatal assignment.
All the more reason to see that Haroldson rotted in hell.
“We’d better get back to the boat,” he said.
Kyle studied their surroundings as they retraced their path to the dock. When the path narrowed, Rianna took the lead. She stepped around a rock, and he accidentally bumped into her, but they quickly severed the contact.
One touch was enough to stir his imagination. He’d fought to suppress the mental image of her on that chaise—her lush body glistening in the sunshine and clothed in nothing but a few narrow strips of cloth.
Her breasts had been plump, their peaks beading into fat buttons when he’d teased them with water. Her mouth, so eager and responsive. God, what a luscious mouth. He could have feasted on it for hours.
And her legs.
Kyle stared at her backside when she stepped ahead of him again. Her hips were slim but nicely rounded. She had long, well-toned legs. Great legs. He could still feel the strength of her thighs wrapped around him, and the heat of her body arching against his. He’d almost lost it completely.
He had never wanted a woman more, had never wanted to bury himself in someone and claim full possession. He wasn’t the possessive type. Never had been. He’d never experienced such a fierce desire to conquer and possess. Not until this morning, and Rianna.
Need still clawed through him, but there’s no way he’d act on it now. The timing was all wrong. She might have been as hot as he’d been, but she hadn’t minced words when she’d wanted to shoot him down. Her panicked “no” had been as subtle as a knee to the groin.
They boarded the houseboat with no more than a passing nod to a couple of strangers. Everybody had their own agenda and nobody had the time or inclination to chat, which worked in their favor. Blending into the crowd had never been more satisfying.
“You want to take it out this time?” he asked, after making a quick security check through the houseboat.
“Sure.”
Rianna preceded him into the cabin and took a seat behind the wheel. She started the engine while he untied the mooring ropes. Then she slowly steered them through the maze of docks and boat traffic until they were in the main waterway again.
“My turn to cook.” He joined her in the cabin area and helped himself to another cookie. They were delicious. “What’ll it be?”
“What can you cook?”
Kyle rummaged through the refrigerator. “How about some grilled pork chops and baked potatoes? I can handle that.”
“Perfect.”
They ate their meal a half-hour later after dropping anchor in another small cove. She complimented his cooking skills and ate everything on her plate. Both were careful not to make too much eye contact or broach sensitive subjects. Studied politeness became the rule of thumb.
The sky grew cloudy at dusk and a small shower kept them inside the cabin. Kyle watched a baseball game while Rianna curled up on the sofa with a book. He divided his attention between the TV and her, until the hunger in him reared its ugly head again.
By the time the rain stopped around ten o’clock, he was more than ready to escape the confines of the cabin. The sky had cleared, so he wanted a last look around the area.
“I’m going up on deck for a while.”
Rianna glanced up from her book. Then she closed it and laid it aside. “I’m getting tired, but I’d like to sit outside for a few minutes before I call it a night.”
“Grab a towel for your chair. It’ll be wet.”
He followed her up the ladder, trying hard to ignore the gentle sway of her behind and the legs that were driving him crazy. As soon as they reached the deck, he distanced himself and flopped down in one of the lounge chairs. Rianna sat in the one she’d used earlier in the day.
A silent groan rumbled in his chest at the sight of her. She appealed to him even more than she had earlier. Her cautious reserve made her all the more alluring.
“Do you have a headache?” he asked.
Rianna glanced at him with a quizzical expression. “No, why do you ask?”
“You’re rubbing the back of your neck again. I’ve seen you do it several times in the past few days. I thought maybe you suffer from tension headaches.”
“No, I just have a sore spot on my neck.”
She hesitated, making him wonder if she intended to explain or leave him in the dark. Then she continued.
“I had a weird little accident while I was at Gregory’s estate. I’m still not sure how it happened. I guess Gregory and I bumped into each other at the bottom of the stairs. I cracked the back of my head on the corner of the newel. It bled so much that it needed stitches.”
“He took you to the hospital?”
Rianna laughed softly. “When you have the kind of money and clout Gregory has, they bring the hospital to you. Some doctor friend of his rushed to the house. He administered a local anesthetic, put a couple of stitches in the back of my neck, and went on his way again. I hardly felt a thing.”
“You were never unconscious? You’re sure Haroldson wasn’t somehow responsible?”
“At first I wondered if I’d blown my cover, and he was planning to drug me or something, but he seemed genuinely concerned. He and the doctor were very solicitous.”
“Don’t you need to have the stitches removed?”
“He said they’d dissolve naturally.”
“And the cut is still hurting?”
“It doesn’t hurt, it just throbs once in a while.”
“Maybe it’s infected. Lake water is full of bacteria.”
“It’s not that sensitive. I meant to have Paulo check it when he did my hair. I forgot, but he’d have noticed if it looked red or irritated.”
“I can take a look at it in the morning if you want,” Kyle offered, knowing she wasn’t likely to ask.
“Thanks, I’ll let you know if it starts to bother me again.”
He doubted that, but let the subject drop. Looking at her and thinking about her was distracting enough. So much so that he forced himself to focus on their surroundings.
The inky sky was brilliant with its canopy of stars. Water lapped lazily against the shore, the waves rocking them in their wake. Breathing deeply, he let the warm, rain-washed freshness of the air seep into his senses.
It soothed, while arousing, creating a sensual delight and bringing his body to full, aching awareness. The kind of awareness that no amount of moonlight would soothe. He wondered if she felt it as strongly as he did.
The night was meant for loving, for oh-so-slow caresses, hot, tangled bodies, and deep, drugging kisses. But making love wasn’t on their agenda. The woman he lusted after didn’t want involvement, and had ruthlessly reminded him of that.
It might be a very long night.
Chapter 6
The next morning dawned clear and bright. Rianna heard Kyle moving around the galley as soon as the sun had peaked over the horizon. She’d slept fitfully and knew he’d been restless, too. It didn’t help to be sleeping within a few feet, wanting each other so desperately, yet knowing they dared not succumb to the attraction.
The smell of coffee drew her from her bed, just as it had the previous morning. This time, she carefully entered the galley area, making sure she didn’t collide with his hard, male body. Still, he pinned her with a probing gaze that made her heart stutter. She offered a tentative smile, and he offered a caffeine fix. By mutual agreement, they carried it to the upper deck.
After a
few minutes to appreciate another new day, Kyle decided he wanted grilled fish for breakfast.
“I hate to sound negative,” she reminded, hiding her grin, “but so far, the fish seem to have eluded capture.”
He flashed her a very male frown before his eyes lit with challenge. “Maybe you think you can do better?”
Rianna chuckled, shaking her head. “I know my limitations, and I know absolutely nothing about catching fish.”
“Any reasonable, intelligent person can learn,” he taunted.
Never one to resist a challenge, she took him up on it. Then he hauled out the fishing gear and began coaching her in the basics of freshwater fishing.
The lesson involved a lot of detailed instruction, concentrated effort and good-natured banter. The attraction between them heightened with each touch of a hand, brush of a shoulder or shared laugh, yet they didn’t allow it to sabotage their pleasure.
“The fish aren’t cooperating very well, and I’m starved,” she said after an hour without success. “How about I fix some breakfast, and we put fish on the lunch menu?”
He sighed and shook his head in disgust, then offered her a rare grin. It stole her breath. His eyes were as blue as the morning sky, his expression softer than she’d ever seen it, and her stomach did a crazy little flip-flop.
Hunger. It had to be hunger, she argued to herself. A man’s eyes and smile couldn’t really make a woman’s stomach do somersaults. That only happened in the fictional world, never in real life. She’d just gone too long without food.
Her voice sounded rusty when she spoke. “How about milk, cookies and a banana or two to hold us until we catch some unsuspecting little fishes?”
“Okay by me.”
She quickly made her exit and collected some food from the galley, all the while breathing deeply and lecturing herself on the idiocy of their attraction. When she returned on deck, she was calmer and managed to ignore the tension while they shared a snack.
Shortly after they’d eaten, the fish started biting. Rianna caught two nice-size bass, and couldn’t believe how much she enjoyed the small success. She caught a third one, then turned the pole over to Kyle, who caught a couple more.
Once they had enough for a meal, they decided to call it quits. The traffic on the lake had increased, and they’d been on deck long enough. She went to the galley to get a pan of water while Kyle cleaned the fish.
When she returned, he surprised her by scooping her into his arms. “Hold your breath,” he commanded.
Not again, she thought. Sensing his tension, she didn’t bother to argue, just wrapped her arms around his neck and clung. Then they were whizzing down the slide. This time she gulped some air and prepared herself for the chilly depths. Instead of trying to fight her way free of Kyle’s grasp, she clung to him and they surfaced together.
The first thing she did after catching her breath was pound on his chest. “What the hell was that for?”
“Helicopter,” he warned as he urged her toward the shadows at the back of the boat.
They each grabbed a rung of the swim ladder and ducked out of sight. Arms and legs tangled, then they went as still as possible, making no visible waves. They watched, barely breathing, as a helicopter slowly made its way along the main body of the lake, from east to west.
“It has some sort of logo on it,” she whispered.
“It could be a television news crew. Or some kind of law enforcement ’copter.”
The helicopter flew over the center of the lake without veering from its straightforward path or coming too near their cove. It didn’t hover long in any one spot.
Kyle had her sandwiched between the boat and his big body. Rianna couldn’t move, so she finally slid her free arm around his waist and let him tread water for both of them. A shiver raced over her as her palm slid over his hard, flat stomach, but it had nothing to do with fear. She pressed herself closer, peering over his shoulder and putting her mouth near his ear.
“You don’t think we could be seen or attacked from the air, do you?” She found it hard to believe that anyone could have tracked their escape. They’d been so careful.
“Tracked maybe, but not attacked. Haroldson’s men wouldn’t be that stupid, but they could be searching by air.”
“That logo looks more like a resort emblem. The owners probably police the area, don’t they? Or maybe they’re doing some promotional tours.”
“It wouldn’t take much for Haroldson to finagle a free ride for his goons. He’s a wealthy man and could pretend to have an interest in the resort operation.”
“They probably take prospective clients out for joy rides,” she said, absently wondering how his body could be so warm in the chill of the water. Everywhere they touched, she felt the heat of him. “I’ll bet this place is impressive from the air.”
He nodded, and they watched the helicopter depart, knowing they shouldn’t move out of hiding until it could no longer be seen or heard.
As the drone of the engine faded, she became even more aware of how their bodies were entwined. The hair on his thighs tickled hers, sending little shivers of reaction over her skin. Her breasts, stomach and thighs were tightly pressed against his broad back and tight rear, stimulating every tiny nerve.
Excitement sung through her veins. This sexy renegade stirred her senses as no other man had ever done. It wouldn’t do to let him know how easily he could throw her hormones into a tizzy. She tried to ease some space between them so that he wouldn’t feel how tightly her nipples had hardened.
“I think it’s safe now,” he said, pulling free of her grasp and shoving himself clear of the boat.
Missing the feel of him the instant he moved, Rianna took a slow, deep breath. After regaining some control, she hauled herself up the ladder on legs that quivered. Kyle threatened her hard-won independence. She was beginning to care too much. So much so that his smile and his touch made her ache with longing. And he’d slipped past her emotional guard—that worried her even more.
She showered while he finished cleaning the fish, then he took his turn in the shower. Subdued, and lost in their own thoughts, they grilled their fish and shared a quiet lunch.
Shortly afterward, they pulled up anchor and headed back toward the cove where he’d found the jogging trail the previous day. Rianna contented herself with watching the speedboats, tubers and Jet Skiers who zipped by them, but she didn’t venture on deck.
By mid-afternoon, they’d dropped anchor again, and Kyle announced that he wanted to take another run. He warned her to keep her gun within reach and to listen for a return of the helicopter. They repeated the transfer of his shoes, socks and gun. She watched until he’d swum to shore, strapped the gun to his ankle and donned his socks and shoes. Then he climbed the boulders that lined the bank.
Once he’d disappeared from view, she changed into her lime-green bikini and pulled a white T-shirt over it. She’d swim and work on her tan when Kyle returned, but in the meantime, planned to finish her book while she waited.
As interesting as she found the story, she quickly grew too restless to concentrate. An instinctive edginess propelled her toward the back of the boat. It was hard to stay cooped up inside when the sunshine and water beckoned, but she knew that wasn’t the real problem. The scare this morning had her senses on high alert. She decided to watch the water traffic from the back of the boat until her partner returned.
Moving to the windowed back door, she watched one speedboat cruise by pulling two skiers. It looked like so much fun that she promised herself to try it someday. Another boat passed pulling an inflated rubber tube with two teenagers clinging to the sides and bouncing wildly. That looked like a rough ride. Laughing softly, she decided she’d have to think twice about trying that.
Two jet skiers, driving dangerously fast, went zipping by next, then a pontoon and a slow-moving houseboat. The decks were crowded with people of all ages whose laughter drifted across the water. Rianna felt a pang of envy as she remembered her own
family’s carefree vacation.
What would it be like to live a normal, happy life without the constant fear of discovery? Without the need to run and hide like a criminal, always fearful? She’d given up much hope of ever knowing that particular contentment.
Love and marriage had never been part of her long-term goals. Those goals hadn’t stretched beyond bringing a murderer to justice. She wanted Gregory to pay for the death of her parents and brother. Although she loved children, she’d always feared her biological clock would run out long before she could consider a normal relationship.
As the next speedboat passed, her lungs constricted on a harsh gasp, then her pulse lurched into overdrive. The boat held four big men and not one of them had the look of a vacationer. The silhouette of one in particular looked too much like Rudy to be a coincidence.
Rianna’s survival instincts kicked in, her only thought, escape. There was no time to gather belongings other than her gun. She checked the safety and tucked it into her bikini bottoms as she raced through the boat. The last thing she heard before diving off the front deck was the sound of the speedboat throttling to turn and head back her way.
She dove deep and swam underwater, kicking and pulling with all her might. Knowing she wouldn’t have time to reach the shore and climb the bank where Kyle had gone, she headed for the outcropping of land that separated one cove from the next. If she could get around it before she was spotted, she’d have a chance.
A few minutes later, she surfaced to catch her breath and get her bearings. With the houseboat between her and the intruders, she couldn’t tell how close they’d gotten, so she dove again and swam until her lungs burned and threatened to explode. The third time she surfaced, she found herself at the edge of the neighboring cove.
With one final sprint, she rounded the bend of land and put the outcropping of solid rock between her and the speedboat. Confident they couldn’t see her now, she surfaced and began to swim across the wide stretch of water.
The sound of men shouting gave her the extra strength to drag herself ashore. Her chest heaved and her limbs trembled from exertion. Her pulse roared in her ears. Catching some much-needed air, she squeezed excess water from her hair and shirt, frantically searching the bank for a place to climb.
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