That didn’t ease her discomfort, though. “What are you doing up here, Duke?” she demanded.
The smile on the pilot’s ruggedly handsome face froze. “I didn’t think I needed permission to come up to the main building.”
Liz flushed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to suggest that you did. I just thought you were supposed to meet the Vandergraf party at the airport this morning.”
“Not for another hour. Their flight’s been delayed, so I thought I’d see if you were free for a cup of coffee.” He edged a little closer and lowered his voice. “We have to talk, Liz.”
“No, we don’t, Duke,” she said, turning back to the counter and trying to recall what she’d been doing before Duke Masterson had thrown her off track. All she could think of, though, was the ultimatum he’d delivered to her last night. “We’ve kept our relationship quiet for months now, and I see no reason to change that. I’m the target of too much gossip as it is.”
“You’re the target of too much gossip because everyone is itching to know the identity of your mystery boyfriend.”
“And I want it to stay a mystery,” she said sharply.
“I’m not an ‘it,’ Liz. And if you can’t bring yourself to acknowledge—”
“Don’t threaten me, Duke! I won’t be bullied—”
“Liz! We’re here.”
Duke automatically took a step back as Moira Petty and Shane Foster, the scheduled desk clerks, hurried into the reception alcove.
“Mr. Graves said to tender his apologies for keeping us so long,” Moira explained. “Shad and the others will be along shortly, too. Have you been swamped?”
Liz could barely conceal her relief. Years of painting on the appropriate managerial face helped, though. “It could’ve been worse, but if Mr. Graves had kept you any longer, I’d have started training Duke here on the computer.”
The pilot was almost as good as Liz at covering his feelings. “Whoa, there, Boss Lady. Me and a computer? Not on your life,” he said with a laugh as he stepped aside to make room for the clerks.
“Don’t worry, Duke. You’re safe now,” Liz replied, forcing a smile for him as she, too, vacated the front desk. “We can both get back to our respective jobs. Moira, if you need me for anything, I’ll be in my office.”
Fortunately her office was so close that by the time she got the words out. she was at the doorway. Without looking at Duke again she closed the door, making it absolutely clear she had no intention of pursuing their argument any further.
Moira cast a speculative look in Duke’s direction as she assumed her station. “What gives with you and the boss? You two looked pretty tense just a minute ago.”
Duke shrugged. “Haven’t you heard? I figured it was all over the island by now. My contract is up next month, and the Boss Lady and I are having trouble coming to terms.”
Moira grinned and lowered her voice. “Really? That surprises me. I figured you, of all people, could name your price and she’d meet it without batting an eye-lash.”
Duke frowned. “Why would you think that?”
“Because you know all her deep dark secrets. I’m sure if you threatened to reveal the identity of her mysterious boyfriend, she’d cave to any demand you’d care to make.”
The frown on Duke’s face turned to a scowl so intense that Moira wished she had an office to escape into. “Liz’s secrets—if she has any—are her own business, Moira. I wish everyone here would remember that.”
He stalked off, leaving Moira totally mystified. Duke Masterson was the most charming, carefree rogue on Jermain Island. He was a drifter who’d flown in a couple of years ago, latched onto a great job that allowed him to live a life of luxury in exchange for being on call twenty-four hours a day and had proceeded to romance every young, single woman on the island.
“What was all that about Ms. Jermain’s secrets?” Shane Foster asked, leaning over from his station.
Moira pulled her attention away from Duke’s retreating—not to mention perfectly proportioned— backside and looked at Bride’s Bay’s newest employee. “Nothing, Shane. Just a running joke between Duke and me,” she fibbed. After Duke’s stinging comment about Liz’s right to privacy, wild horses couldn’t have made Moira share any rumors with the handsome but somewhat naive desk clerk who’d started work just three days ago.
She glanced over at Shane’s station where Liz had been working. “You’d better check that last transaction and make sure Liz completed it before she left,” she advised the rookie. “Liz is thorough, but it never hurts to double-check an entry before you clear it.”
“Hmm…” Shane studied the screen for several seconds. “I don’t see anything missing. Credit-card number…photo ID…room key issued…no special requests and no security flags…” He looked at Moira. “It looks perfectly normal to me.”
“Then file it and clear your screen,” she advised him as she checked her watch. “If the ferry from Charleston is on time, we’re going to get busy any second now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Shane replied, hitting a succession of keys that cleared the name Rumbaugh, Arthur from the computer screen.
CHAPTER EIGHT
EXPLORING THE ISLAND proved to be a slow but enjoyable process. Adam had rented a canopied golf cart, and Maddy’s bodyguards followed them in an open-top Land Rover as they took a leisurely drive along the well-tended roads. Their looping circle led them around the northern end of the island past the private estates on the east coast and through the village and marina on the west. They strolled through the marina, explored the village shops and ate lunch in a charming little deli, then they set off on the last—and longest—leg of their road trip through the vast and varied resources of Bride’s Bay Resort.
Through it all, Adam told anecdotes about their honeymoon—moonlight walks on the beach, horseback rides on the unspoiled trails, a picnic lunch at the lighthouse. He described a disastrous sailing expedition when they’d gotten caught in a ferocious storm and barely made it back to the island alive; he told her about the fierce doubles tennis matches they’d played with a couple from Great Britain who had taken an almost sadistic pleasure in beating them.
Maddy listened to Adam’s stories with great interest, asked lots of questions and ultimately concluded that theirs had been the perfect honeymoon. Unfortunately none of the stories, nor any of the dozens of places Adam showed her, jogged any memories at all.
“And now, madam,” Adam was saying in the studied manner of a very bad tour guide, “if you will direct your attention to the left you should soon catch a glimpse of the last stop on our tour today, the lighthouse.” Maddy did as he directed, peering through the dense forest of palmettos and cypress that bordered the road until she finally caught a flash of the white tower. It wasn’t until the road curved, though, that she got her first good look at the lighthouse.
Standing more than a hundred feet tall, with an adorable two-story keeper’s cottage attached, the whitewashed brick structure looked like something off a picture postcard.
“Oh, Adam, it’s gorgeous,” Maddy murmured. “How old is it?”
Still using his tour-guide voice, he told her, “The current lighthouse, which is no longer in use, is 106 years old. However, this structure is actually the third of its kind to grace Sandy Point in the last 170 years.”
The little golf cart inched along until the road deadended about thirty yards from the tower as he concluded, “It is, of course, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”
“I love it, Adam. I want to see the view from the catwalk.” Maddy swung her legs out of the cart, but Adam put his hand on her arm to stop her.
“It’s getting late, Maddy, and you’ve had a very full day. Are you sure you’re up to the climb?”
“Would I suggest it if I wasn’t?”
“Yes, you would,” he replied.
“Adam, I’m fine, really. In fact, I could use the exercise to work the stiffness out of my legs. Except for our stroll through the villag
e this morning, I’ve spent most of the day sitting in this cart.”
He grinned at her. “All right. Let’s explore.”
Something about the century-old building excited Maddy, and she couldn’t wait to get inside. She quickened her pace until she was almost running, with Adam hurrying to keep up.
“Hey, what’s the rush?” he asked, grabbing her hand.
. “I don’t know,” she replied, half turning toward him without slowing, so that she was actually pulling him along with her. “I just have to see inside. Come on!”
They ran across the sand only to discover that the keeper’s cottage was locked. Maddy peered through the windows into the empty rooms, then they circled the tower until they found the lighthouse entrance.
“I don’t know about this, Maddy,” Adam said hesitantly after they’d gone in and were standing in the center of the tower, craning their necks to see to the top of the corkscrew staircase. His voice echoed eerily, and the only light came from the open door behind them and the series of small windows that followed the spiraling line of the stairs. “That’s a lot of steps and you’ve had a long day already.”
“I can make it, Adam,” she assured him as she started up the stairs. “Stop being so practical.”
He sighed heavily and followed her. “I’m not practical, I’m protective. There’s a difference.”
She flashed a teasing grin over her shoulder. “Not much of one.”
“Well, somebody in this family has to be sensible,” he said.
“Has it always been you?”
“We try to take turns.”
Maddy paused on the wide second-story landing and turned to him. “That sounds sensible.”
“And practical.” He grinned and pointed to a door that was set into the wall behind Maddy. “Try that and see if it will allow us to get into the cottage. Maybe I can convince you to settle for seeing it today and saving the tower for another time.”
“Don’t count on it.” She tried the door, but it was locked tight. “Nope. Start climbing,” she said, leading the way.
Adam cautioned her to hold on to the iron railing, but Maddy didn’t take his advice until they were more than halfway up and the stone staircase began to narrow, the leisurely slant growing steeper as the conical tower closed in. Despite Adam’s nagging, Maddy paused only once to rest before they reached the upper landing and emerged onto the catwalk on the ocean side of the tower.
The view was breathtaking, and Maddy circled the tower slowly so that she could enjoy the changing vista. To the south and east the limitless ocean was dotted with colorful sailboats; to the north the island’s wilderness preserve was a dark, mysterious expanse that blocked any possible view of the resort; toward the northwest the forest gave way to a marshland teeming with life.
Maddy turned to find Adam leaning against the iron rail, watching her with his arms folded across his chest. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he liked what he saw. “This was my favorite spot on the island, wasn’t it?” she asked him.
He nodded and asked hopefully, “A memory?”
She shook her head. “Just a guess. It’s my favorite so far. It figures it would’ve been ten years ago, too.”
“It was,” he confirmed. “Your favorite way to spend the day was to pack a picnic lunch in our saddlebags and ride down here on horseback. We’d climb up here, eat lunch, and you’d spend hours studying the marsh or just staring out to sea.”
“Was that boring for you?”
He smiled wistfully. “No. I can spend hours watching you.”
Maddy felt a blush creeping into her cheeks and her pulse quicken, but she didn’t look away from her husband’s appreciative gaze. It made her feel feminine. It made her feel wanted. “Tell me something, Adam…when we met at that floating casino in Cannes, was I swept off my feet the moment I saw you?”
The question caught him so off guard that he threw back his head and laughed. It was a moment before he could tell her, “Not hardly, my darling. As I remember it, you were distinctly unimpressed. I was the one who got knocked for a loop.”
Maddy’s gaze made a slow sweep of her husband from head to toe, drinking in the sight of him with as much appreciation as he’d shown her. She shook her head. “That’s not possible, Adam. I had to be very impressed.”
His head dipped as acknowledgment of the compliment. “Well, if you were, you never told me. As I recall, we were standing on opposite sides of a roulette table and I couldn’t take my eyes off you. But you, on the other hand, acted like I wasn’t even there.”
Maddy had no trouble visualizing the scene. “I was probably playing hard to get.”
Adam chuckled again. “Yeah. From me and about a hundred other adoring men in tuxedos. Your hair was long then—almost waist-length—and you had it lightened to an ash blond,” he told her. “You were wearing a white strapless evening gown that was slit all the way up your thigh and looked as though someone had poured you into it, and you had this maddeningly aloof, slightly cynical air about you that challenged every man in the casino to do his damnedest to find the chink in the Ice Maiden’s veneer.”
“Ice Maiden?” Maddy pursed her lips and her brows drew together into a frown. “I’m not sure I like that description.”
“You were the sexiest, most beautiful woman in the room, and you couldn’t have cared less. That’s what made everyone want you.”
“You’re either exaggerating or prejudiced—or a little of both,” she accused him, and then cut him off before he could protest, asking, “If I was such a hot property, how did I end up with you?”
He shrugged. “When I know what I want I’m utterly relentless.”
His gaze was locked with hers in a look so potent it made Maddy’s heart skip a beat. “Have you ever been sorry you got me?” she asked with what little breath he hadn’t stolen from her.
Maddy saw a flash of something she couldn’t identify in Adam’s eyes, and she sensed she’d caught him off guard again. He answered her quickly with a fervent, “Of course not,” but when he turned away to look out over the ocean, Maddy knew she’d struck a nerve.
She moved along the catwalk until she was right beside him. “Not until now, you mean?” she questioned him. “Or have I given you other reasons to regret marrying me?”
Adam turned to her, and the unidentified emotion she’d glimpsed a moment ago was gone.
“I have never regretted marrying you, Maddy,” he swore.
Maddy wasn’t entirely certain she believed him. At the very least, he was leaving something unsaid. Part of her wanted to know what it was, but an even stronger part of her needed to believe in the idyllic picture he’d painted of their marriage. The day he’d walked into her hospital room, Adam had become her anchor in a sea of chaos. As much as she hated being dependent on him, she wasn’t ready to be set adrift. His unspoken truth might do exactly that, and Maddy didn’t think she could bear losing him.
It was much easier to accept his declaration at face value. She turned toward the sunset and sighed softly when Adam slipped his arms around her. It was easy to lean against him and permit herself a moment of purely hedonistic pleasure. The sea air, the sunset, the exquisite feeling of security she always experienced in Adam’s arms…she soaked them all up without remorse.
Unfortunately the rigors of their long day finally caught up with her. A moment of total contentment and relaxation suddenly gave way to great weariness. Maddy thought of the long staircase she had ascended, and she groaned.
“What’s wrong?” Adam asked.
“I was thinking about the stairs.”
“I knew this wasn’t a good idea. You’re exhausted.”
Maddy nodded. “It hit me all at once. You think the resort management would mind if I took a nap up here before we start down?”
“I don’t know about the resort management, but I’d mind. It’s going to be dark soon, and I don’t remember seeing any lights in the tower.”
Maddy chuckled. “That
’s clever. A lighthouse without light.”
Adam took her by the shoulders and turned her to-ward the door. “I’m glad you see the irony. Now, let’s get out of here before we can’t see anything at all.”
Thanks to the fading daylight, when they moved into the tower they discovered a whole new set of shadows that were deeper and much darker than the ones they’d contended with on their way up. Looking down was like staring into a dark, dizzying well, with only a splash of illumination spilling across the stone floor below—just enough to remind Maddy of what a long drop it would be if she lost her footing.
Adam, apparently, was thinking along the same lines. His concern was obvious in his voice when he suggested, “Maybe I should signal for your body-guards. I know they’re down below somewhere, and they’ve probably got a flashlight in their vehicle.”
The idea of being “rescued” was too humiliating to even consider. “Adam, it’s not that dark. And since the only way out is down, we can’t possibly get lost.” Mustering all the energy she could summon, she started down.
On the way up, the steps hadn’t seemed so irregular in height or their stone surfaces so uneven, but they did now. She didn’t need Adam to caution her about holding on to the rail, nor did he have to encourage her to rest. She stopped briefly several times. Adam was staying close to her so that he could catch her if she started to fall.
She wanted to tell him not be such a worrywart, but with every step she took, a tremor in her legs reminded her that she’d left the hospital less than thirty-six hours ago.
When she stumbled the first time, Adam had a hand on her arm to steady her before she fully realized that she’d almost fallen. When she lost her footing the second time, Adam’s hand shot out again, but steadying her wasn’t enough. Her legs collapsed, throwing Adam off balance, too, and they grabbed for the iron rail and anything else that might keep them from tumbling down the last quarter of the staircase.
Married To A Stranger Page 9
