Bay of Rainbows

by Dana James

  Nathan regarded her without speaking. His face was totally devoid of expression, but the intensity of his gaze told her his mind was working with the speed and emotionless precision of a computer.

  Polly looked away, shivering as despair gnawed at the edges of her mind. There was nothing more she could say or do to prove that what she had told him was the truth. It was up to him. Either he believed her or he didn’t.

  The door opened again and the Customs officer leaned in, nodded once at Nathan, and withdrew. But this time he left the door open.

  Nathan stood up. Even in faded jeans and a lemon T-shirt he was still the most imposing, unnerving man Polly had ever met.

  ‘Right,’ he said briskly, ‘time to go.’ His face was set, making it impossible for her to guess what was going on in his mind.

  ‘Go? Where?’ she asked nervously.

  A brief impatience tightened his features. ‘To the police station.’

  ‘Don’t you believe me?’ she croaked, her throat dry with apprehension as she stood up. He legs still felt slightly wobbly.

  Tucking his briefcase under his arm, Nathan opened the door, glancing over his shoulder at her. ‘You’re asking me for a snap judgement, Miss Levington?’ His cool irony brought swift colour to her cheeks as she recalled how furiously she had condemned him for doing just that.

  Before she could ask any more questions she was ushered outside into a waiting car. As Nathan got in beside her, the Customs officer who had questioned her slid into the front passenger-seat.

  The car sped noisily away from the marina and into the narrow streets of the town. Polly clutched her bag and cardigan, her mind teeming with questions she was afraid to ask. Nathan’s silence made him remote and even more intimidating.

  It was infuriating that she should need this arrogant cynic who only had to snap his fingers for the world to leap to attention, anxious to please. Yet she was relying on this very power to get her released. He might be the key to her freedom, but she still hated him for the confusion he aroused in her.

  Though she was huddled in the corner as far from him as she could get, the car wasn’t very big, and every time they went round a corner his thigh and shoulder pressed against hers. Despite all her efforts to ignore it the sensation lingered on to torment her long after the contact had been broken.

  They arrived at the police station, and for Polly the next half-hour was a blur. She was led into an office not unlike the one she had recently left, and charges were read out. Seated at one side of the room, she watched while Nathan held quiet discussions with a policeman and the Customs officer on the far side.

  She felt strangely detached. She knew it was her they were talking about, but the shock of her arrest, the exhausting interview with Nathan Bryce, lack of food and the unaccustomed heat had totally drained her.

  Someone brought her a coffee and she smiled vague thanks, noting with the same odd detachment that her hands were shaking as she clasped them around the mug.

  She sipped and swallowed, trying to keep her mind blank as the coffee curled, hot and strong, in her stomach. But Nathan Bryce kept invading her thoughts. It wasn’t that she wanted to think about him, but he was as easy to ignore as an earthquake.

  Another man was respectfully ushered in and introduced to Nathan. He wore a formal suit and had the pressured air of someone who had been side-tracked from an important engagement. The two men shook hands and yet more intensive talks followed.

  As the coffee revived her she began to catch odd words and phrases. ‘As a magistrate . . . formal application . . . prosecutor might oppose . . . gravity of the offence . . . likelihood of defendant absconding . . . interference with investigations . . .’

  She could see Nathan arguing with quiet forcefulness and sensed some hard bargaining in progress. She didn’t like him, but hoped desperately that he would win. It was strange and horribly unsettling to have such violently opposing feelings about a person.

  The Customs officer, policeman, and magistrate began to nod, at first uncertain, reluctant, then with growing accord. With handshakes all round everyone left, leaving her and Nathan alone.

  He was standing with his back to her. She watched him raise one hand to rub the nape of his neck, then flex his shoulder muscles.

  Her detachment was rapidly being replaced by nervousness. It was her fate these men had been deciding. And obviously a decision had been reached. She wanted to know, and yet was terrified of what he might tell her.

  He turned, the swift movement making her jump. Though his expression gave nothing away a muscle flickered at the point of his jaw. Polly found it strangely reassuring. It showed that beneath the granite exterior emotion did exist, even if it was struggling for survival.

  ‘I’ve managed to get you released on bail.’

  Polly gazed at him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He was telling her the cage door was open but she was still chained to the bars. She struggled to keep her voice level. ‘I’ve—I’ve only got a hundred pounds in traveller’s cheques. I don’t suppose that will be anything like enough.’

  He brushed her words aside. ‘I’ve put up the money.’

  Her eyes widened in stunned surprise. ‘You have?’

  ‘Well, you’re not much use to anyone in here.’

  Polly took his laconic retort to mean that the police and Customs officers would be glad to have her off their hands. Shaken as she was by his startlingly generous gesture, and weak with relief, it didn’t occur to her that his words, or his actions, might be open to a different interpretation.

  She scanned the drab office with its scarred furniture, scuffed paintwork and nicotine-yellowed ceiling.

  ‘I can’t wait to get out of this place,’ she breathed. It wasn’t easy to be grateful to Nathan Bryce. He was ruthless, impatient, and, though in public he seemed self-effacing, he was only too aware of his power and the impact he had on people.

  On the other hand, it was due entirely to his efforts that she wouldn’t be spending her first night in Gibraltar in a prison cell.

  She raised her head, met his piercing gaze, and smiled. ‘Thank you. I really do appreciate what you’ve done.’ Her smile faltered. Why was he looking at her so strangely?

  ‘You should do that more often,’ he said, his own expression oddly guarded.

  ‘Do what?’

  ‘Smile.’

  She pulled a wry face. ‘I don’t seem to have had a lot to smile about just lately. And today hasn’t exactly been a barrel of laughs. For either of us,’ she acknowledged.

  Picking up her bag, she slung the strap over her shoulder. He probably wanted to get the formalities over so he could be on his way. Well, she certainly didn’t intend to hold him up.

  ‘If you’d like to give me a paper to sign saying how much I owe you,’ she said briskly, ‘the moment I get home I’ll make arrangements to have the money paid into your account.’

  Raising the cash wasn’t going to be easy. She knew her father would lend her whatever she needed to cancel her debt to Nathan Bryce, but she couldn’t ask him. After paying for her younger sister’s lavish wedding last autumn he had begun saving for the world cruise he had promised her mother for their thirtieth wedding anniversary. Though it was still several months off they were both getting excited, planning their itinerary, and making lists of the clothes they would need.

  In any case, it would be too awful having to explain why she needed it. What a mockery that would make of her insistence that she was independent and perfectly able to take care of herself.

  No, she definitely couldn’t ask him. She would have to find some way of raising the money herself. She had said she would pay it back and she would keep her word, even if it meant scrubbing floors and washing dishes. After all, it surely couldn’t be that much.

  There was a strange light in Nathan’s eyes. ‘That will not be necessary,’ he told her.

  Though his expression was enigmatic, Polly sensed he was laughing at her. Angry, humiliated, she st
iffened.

  ‘Look, Mr Bryce, I’m very grateful for what you’ve done. Lord knows how long I’d have been stuck in here before they finally realised I was telling the truth. But I’m not remaining in your debt one second longer than I have to. As soon as I’ve collected my things from the boat I’ll catch the first plane home and—’

  ‘No,’ Nathan cut her short, ‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible.’

  Bewildered, her unease growing by the moment, Polly lifted her chin. ‘Why not?’ she demanded.

  His brows rose. ‘Because I need you here.’

  His impatient reply made her hackles rise even as a tiny treacherous thrill slithered along her veins. Nathan Bryce needed her?

  She frowned, hugging her bag close in an unconscious gesture of self-protection. ‘What on earth for?’

  ‘It’s perfectly simple. Seawitch has to be at her berth in Kalamaki marina by the fourth of May.’

  Polly frowned. ‘I don’t understand. Why the hurry?’

  ‘A change of plan,’ Nathan said tersely. ‘Circumstances outside my control.’

  She shrugged. She couldn’t see what he was getting at. ‘That has nothing to do with me.’

  ‘Oh, but it does,’ he said with that deadly softness that sent shivers rippling down her spine. ‘Because I’ll have to sail her there myself.’

  She gazed at him blankly. ‘So?’

  He sighed, clearly exasperated that something so obvious should require explanation. ‘I don’t want to make the voyage single-handed. I need a crew. Someone who can cook.’

  Polly felt the blood drain from her face. She shook her head so hard she felt dizzy.

  ‘Besides,’ he continued, completely ignoring her silent refusal, ‘keeping this case’s star witness out of sight until the trial will help avoid any bad publicity.’

  She stared at him. She could hardly believe it. After all, why should he care? ‘You’d do that for me?’

  His dark brows rose and his mouth curled cynically. ‘It’s my reputation I’m concerned for, Miss Levington. Seawitch is my boat, and that implicates me. Any association with drug running, no matter how unfounded, could cause considerable harm to my business.’ His expression hardened. ‘That’s something I will not tolerate. So, you sail with me.’

  ‘No. Absolutely not.’ It wasn’t until after she had spoken that she realised how violently she had reacted, and it shook her.

  All right, she could see his point. Moving Seawitch and herself out of Gibraltar would be the quickest and most effective way of killing public interest. But while a cruise across the Mediterranean with Clive Kemp had posed no problems at all, the very thought of being alone on a boat with Nathan Bryce for however long it took to sail two thousand miles brought her out in a cold sweat and turned her insides to jelly. ‘It’s out of the question,’ she repeated.

  The silence vibrated with tension, and Polly felt her nerves stretch almost to snapping point.

  Nathan looked down at her for a moment, then inclined his head, the movement brief and dismissive. ‘As you wish.’ He picked up his briefcase, resting it on the desk. ‘I must have misunderstood. I thought you were anxious to get out of here.’

  ‘You know I am.’ Fear was an acrid taste in Polly’s mouth as she gazed at him. She swallowed hard. ‘Look, if this is your idea of a joke, I don’t find it at all funny.’

  ‘I never joke about money, Miss Levington.’ He opened the flap to check briefly inside. ‘And there’s a very great deal of money at stake here.’

  Pony’s throat was uncomfortably dry. ‘Exactly how much is my bail?’

  ‘Twenty-five thousand.’

  Her hand flew to her throat. ‘How much?’ she croaked.

  Nathan moved one shoulder in a semi-shrug. ‘They take drug-smuggling very seriously here. But that’s peanuts compared with what I stand to lose if I don’t get Seawitch to Athens by the fourth.’

  ‘Why?’ Her curiosity got the better of her. She couldn’t prevent the question slipping out. ‘What’s in Athens that’s so important?’

  ‘Not what,’ he corrected, ‘who.’ Pushing his briefcase aside, he lowered himself into a chair, rested his elbow on the back, and crossed one leg over the other. ‘Sit down, Miss Levington.’

  As she hesitated he nodded towards the chair next to his. It was obvious he had no intention of saying anything more until she obeyed.

  Inwardly fuming, Polly compressed her lips and sat down, still clasping her bag tightly.

  ‘That’s better,’ Nathan smiled, his eyes hooded and unreadable. ‘First let me explain why I have to go to Athens. I’ve designed a new yacht which we believe stands an excellent chance of winning the next round-the-world race. The plans incorporate several revolutionary new concepts which, for obvious reasons, must be kept top secret. We’re meeting in Athens—’

  ‘Excuse me,’ Polly broke in, ‘but who is this we you keep talking about?’

  ‘A group of businessmen who, like me, want to see a British team regain the trophy. It costs many hundreds of thousands to mount a challenge like this. And even though a win would turn the investment into millions, naturally I don’t want to commit that amount of finance entirely by myself.’

  ‘Oh, naturally,’ Polly murmured, her mind boggling. Was it just entrepreneur’s hype that had made him say ‘don’t want to’ rather than ‘can’t’? Or was he genuinely that rich?

  ‘What’s so amusing?’ he enquired.

  She shook her head. ‘The way you talk about money.’

  He waved a dismissive hand. ‘You’ll get used to it.’

  ‘Of course I will,’ she agreed blithely. Was he mad? What opportunities was she likely to have to get used to talking in millions?

  ‘Now, if I may finish answering your question?’ His tone made it clear that further interruptions would be neither welcome nor wise.

  Despite her spirited independence Polly was unwilling to push him too far. The power of his personality was awesome. He presented this bland smiling façade, yet one glance from those glacial blue eyes could dry her mouth and stop her breath in her throat. Taking refuge in dignified silence, she simply nodded.

  ‘To enable discussions of the project to take place in total secrecy,’ he said, ‘I’m taking my four colleagues cruising in the Cyclades. The original plan was for Seawitch to be delivered to the marina by the tenth and we’d fly in to join her there.’ His features hardened. ‘It was my charter company who recommended Kemp to me.’ His expression left Polly in no doubt that someone would pay for that mistake when he returned to England. ‘Then Clive didn’t steal your boat at all,’ she realised.

  ‘I never said he did,’ Nathan returned coldly. ‘That was your assumption. He obviously had his own reasons for wanting you to believe he owned Seawitch. Perhaps he was trying to impress you.’

  Polly’s eyes widened. ‘Why on earth would he want to do that?’

  Nathan’s eyes narrowed slightly. ‘Are you serious?’

  She was bewildered. ‘It made no difference to me whether the boat belonged to him. He was the skipper, I was the cook.’

  His eyes glittering, Nathan shook his head. ‘Why do I find such protestations hard to believe?’

  Polly stiffened. ‘Because you have a naturally suspicious and mistrusting nature?’ she suggested acidly.

  He eyed her for a moment. ‘The point is,’ he continued firmly, ‘if Kemp is locked up he obviously isn’t going to be available to do the job he was hired for. In fact, when he does eventually get out of gaol I intend to make sure he never again sets foot on any boat or property owned by my companies.’ His eyes were as cold as polar ice, his mouth a brutal slash.

  Though Polly had little sympathy for Clive after what he had put her through, this merciless dismissal of another man’s entire future made her skin crawl.

  Then Nathan smiled, unnerving her still further. No man had the right to be that handsome. Especially a man as hard and remorseless as Nathan Bryce.

  Linking his hands,
he leaned towards her slightly. His eyes had acquired a thoughtful gleam that made Polly’s heart lurch erratically. She waited for him to continue speaking, but he simply studied her with a detached speculation that did nothing to soothe her ragged nerves. Unable to bear this silent examination a moment longer, she said the first thing that came into her head.

  ‘Surely it wouldn’t be difficult to find another skipper? Better still, why not simply fly to Athens from here and charter another boat from the Kalamaki marina?’

  Impatience darkened his features. ‘How do you think it would look to my consortium if the chief designer and managing director of Bryce International, one of the major manufacturers of ocean racers, turned up in any other yacht but his own?

  ‘Besides,’ something in his voice made her flinch, ‘after this little episode I don’t feel like entrusting Seawitch to anyone else. Nor do I have the time to go looking for a suitable crew.’ He stood up, towering over her. ‘Why should I, when you’re already here?’

  Polly leapt to her feet, appalled. ‘You can’t be serious.’

  ‘I thought I’d made it clear.’ He shrugged calmly. ‘I don’t joke about money.’

  ‘You take far too much for granted,’ she stormed. ‘I wouldn’t go with you if you were the last man on earth.’ She lifted her chin, radiating defiance.

  A man as handsome, as powerful, and as used to getting his own way as this one was a dangerous man to know. She must get away from Nathan Bryce as fast as she could.

  His calm smile never wavered. ‘You understand that bail is granted only under certain conditions?’

  Polly’s head started to spin. ‘What? What conditions?’ Apprehension strummed her taut nerves.

  ‘You are being released into my custody,’ Nathan’s cool gaze held hers, ‘which means you are required by law to remain with me until you appear at your trial. And the date for that has yet to be fixed.’

  Before she had time to absorb all the implications of this statement he was speaking again.

  ‘An enormous amount of time and money has already been poured into this challenge. The Athens meeting has taken months to set up. This last-minute change of dates is only the latest in a long line of difficulties we’ve had to overcome.’ His mouth hardened to an implacable line. ‘I got the whole thing up and running. I don’t intend to lose out now.’