This, she thought, was definitely cool. This was not in the same category with bam-bam-bam-rat-tat-tat. Jake she began, then she choked.
Jake as in Ingram? he asked.
No. Jake as in The only thing she could think of were the noodles in her knees. Ziti.
Jake Ziti?
She had no problem with telling him the truth, but situations just like this were part of the reason everyone was closing her out, she thought. There had been occasions in her life when she had repeated things that maybe she shouldnt have. Honey took a deep, resigned breath. She had to be alone to do this, if only for her own sense of integrity. You can go now.
Go?
She looked over her shoulder at him. Yes. You know, prior to this, you struck me as a very intelligent man.
You struck me as nuts and capricious, and youre doing a hell of a job of reinforcing that opinion.
Thank you. Honey set her lips into a neat line.
What was her story now? Max wondered. First shed dragged him along the street with her, and now she was trying to shake him off. Max ran his tongue over his lower lip thoughtfully and realized that he could still taste her. It made something scramble in his chest. Yeah, he should go now.
Youre planning to spend the night on the mainland? he heard himself ask instead.
This time she turned around in her chair to look at him. No.
Well, Amando just left on what was probably his last trip of the day. He doesnt make the ride too close to sunset because of the shoals.
Its only Her curls swirled as she looked around for a clock. A little past four. In fact, he should even be back from dropping his last passengers by now.
Could be. Then hell be tucking his boat in for the night.
Youre telling me Im stuck here?
Only if I leave and go back without you. He hadnt been planning on going back to the island tonight at all. Why didnt he just leave? She could afford a hotel.
She patted the chair beside her. In that case, have a seat.
He remained standing, watching as she signed online and rooted up her own ISP.
She had a lot of e-mail waiting for her, Honey realized, but that was something she was not going to share with himheaven only knew what she might find in there. She found her favorite search engine and tapped in Jake Ingrams name instead.
Some Ziti.
Honey just shrugged. The screen flooded with links, most of them to newspapers and periodicals. She muttered to herself and scrolled down.
Planning on climbing over Tara to get to him? he asked.
Honey cast him a quick frown. I dont even know him.
Rich girl seeking powerful, monied husband?
Thats precisely what I dont want. That would be someone her family would approve of. Honeys head filled suddenly with images of white lace and altars, babys breath and roses, her father holding a pistol to her head, her mother delirious with happiness. Then her eyes focused hard on what she was seeing on the computer screen.
She clicked on the link. Jeez-Louise. Zachs his brother.
Whos Zach?
Jake and Zach! Zach and Jake! Look! She reared back a little to give him a clearer view of the screen, then she read aloud. Professor Zachary Ingram, who teaches economics at Glenlaurel University, has been reported missing. Ingram is the brother of Jake Ingram, famed economist whos been consulting with federal officials in the investigation of the World Bank Heist. She paused for breath. I damned well hope he figures it out while Im still young enough to enjoy my portfolio.
That story is dated months ago, Joe said. I could have told you that.
Honey glanced up at him. Are we talking about Zach Ingram now or the fact that my stocks are currently dipping up and down like seedlings in a good wind?
Seedlings go back and forth in the wind, not up and down.
Mine are going up and down.
He bit on the inside of his lip to keep from grinning again. Ride it out. Thats my best advice.
This from a drifter whose only known possession is an inherited sailboat?
Something happened to his face, she thought, a spasm of discomfort. What was that about? Then his voice went vague and dismissive. Zach Ingram was in a car accident. That was the official word. He was gone for a while then he turned up at a rural Texas hospital with M. J. Dalton.
The writer?
And shrink. It was all real hush-hush but no one can hide the fact that security around Jake has jumped untold notches since then. He and his brother look a lot alike. Rumor had it that Jake was actually the target of what happened to Zach. It was in all the papers. The stories got wild for a while.
She had obviously missed those, Honey thought. Did any of them involve a Hercules-hero type?
A what?
Guess not. She signed off the computer and surged to her feet. Ill buy you dinner in exchange for a sail back to the island.
I just finished lunch.
Then you can take a doggy bag back to the boat.
He looked between her and the computer. You broke speed records to get here and look up Zach Ingram, and now you want to go?
Actually, she didnt really want to poke too much into the voodoo-gene babies with him watching her. It would just reinforce everyones opinion of her. You told me what I needed to know. Honey sailed for the stairs.
It took Max a moment to catch up with her if only because he spent a moment scratching his head. Capricious, he said again, joining her.
Thats a pretty word, she agreed, trotting down. Her mind circled round and round what both Joe and Kurt had said as they stepped out onto the street again. Mistaken identitythe brothers looked alike. So the bad guys had grabbed the wrong man? These Coalition dudes had wanted Jake? And what did that have to do with Marcus? Was the Coalition after him and Gretchen? Kurt had said something about someone trying to grab Gretchen. Was that why everyone was nestled snug and safe on Brunhia for this wedding and what was starting suspiciously to resemble a think tank?
And now Jake Ingram was on the island. For the wedding? My butt.
I beg your pardon?
She slid a smile his way. Who really cared about boulder-lifting super-babies anyway when her virginity was in such imminent promise of demise? She eased a little closer to him. So where are we having dinner?
If youre really hungry, Ive got some stuff on the boat.
Im really hungry. She ran a manicured finger down the front of his T-shirt.
He batted her hand away. Knock that off.
You say that a lot, you know, she murmured. Whenever I get too close. Or talk about sex.
Because most men prefer to be led on a little bit of a chase. They reached the street, and he started walking in the direction of the marina.
Honey hurried to catch up with him. Are you one of them?
Yes.
Liar. You kissed me first and I was standing right in front of you. You didnt chase at all.
You climbed all over me. I had no choice.
Ha! She let her head fall back and gave a hoot of laughter. The late-day sun felt delicious on her face. Lets buy oysters and champagne and anchor somewhere between here and Brunhia. We can kiss some more.
Lets not. But when she sneaked a peek his way, she saw the grin playing at his mouth.
They reached the piers and walked out to his dinghy. He dropped over the edge of the dock and into it and held a hand up to her. Honey smiled down at him. So are we going to do this your way or mine?
Mine. If you want a ride back to the island, get in here. No champagne.
You know, youre going to miss me when Im gone.
How soon will that be?
She laughed again and took his hand to get into the boat. He really did delight her with his comebacks, Honey thought.
He tugged on the ripcord and the outboard sputtered to life. Honey sat in the bow and he leaned past her to throw off the lines. His skin was tanned almost to brown. She thought of licking the sea spray off it. The thought eeled into her brain seductively, with not a bam-bam-bam or a rat-tat-tat to be found. She let out her air and breathed it in again deeply, bringing in all the smells of the water and the cafs across the street.
Then she remembered that the rest of her family was waiting for her on the island.
She pushed the thought away but it left a lingering tightness across her chest. Honey concentrated on keeping her skirt from blowing up in the backlash of air as they zoomed out toward the Sea Change. Then she thought, What the hell? She stood up.
What was she doing now? Max wondered. He started to shout to her over the wind, to remind her of the obvious: one good bounce of the boat on a wave and she was going overboard. Then he realized that she probably wouldnt mind.
She was like no one he had ever met before, he thoughtrich or poor, pampered or straight out of the school of hard knocks, shark-grinning husband-hunter or chaste, content nun. Except no nun would stand up in a boat so the wind could beat at her skin, wearing a gauzy pink skirt that suddenly ballooned up to flash more miles of leg than any petite little hellion had a right to. Her underwear was purple this time. And he almost rammed the skiff nose-first into the transom of the Sea Change as he noticed.
Get down! he shouted, throwing the rudder to one side. The skiff veered.
She should have gone overboard. Anyone else would have. But she was like a cat on her feet, he thought, nimbly dancing a step or two to the bench seat and dropping down there. She held on to the sides of the skiff as he made a neat turn to come up on the sailboats starboard side.
He tied up and snagged a rope ladder off the side of the Sea Change. Do you have a death wish, or are you just trying to make a statement?
The question snagged her thoughts back to Brunhia and what she would walk into when she ultimately got to the big house. Honey felt a faint bam-bam in her chest and she pressed the heel of one hand there. Definitely the latter, she said lightly. Are you going to help me up onto that boat? She batted her eyes at him.
No. I dont trust what you might do if I touch you again.
And he left her. He justleft her there, Honey thought and watched, bemused, as he went to crank up the motor on the Sea Change. Then it struck her that the motor wouldnt do at all for what she had in mind. She scrambled up the ladder after him.
Whats wrong with the sails? She waved her hand at them, all neatly rolled and awaiting some other trip.
For a three-mile scoot?
It could be longer. Oh, God, she thought, she didnt want to go back! She didnt want this to end yet! They were already chugging toward Brunhia.
He was watching her face. That, Honey thought, wouldnt do. She wasnt sure what he might read there right now. What if I decided to soak up some all-over tan and got naked?
Max kept his face expressionless, though her comment made images dance in his mind. And, he thought, a few other parts of his body stirred as well. He shifted his weight uncomfortably. Its tough to tan by the light of the moon.
The moons not out yet. She could think of a few other things shed like to do by it, though.
The sun wont be for much longer, either.
Maybe tomorrow. She came and sat on one of the cushions beside him. Will you take me for another boat ride tomorrow?
Not on a bet. The breeze was trying to damn him, Max thought. It picked up the scent of herthe one hed become way too familiar with when hed bitten at her bait and had kissed her in the libraryand it carried it to him, teasing him with it. It was like nothing he was familiar with, neither one of the four-hundred-bucks-for-a-teardrops-worth fragrance that Camille had slathered on, nor any of the other top-notch scents that could cut through a mans better intentions like a razor. It was spicy and it made him think of a forest. With flowers.
Yeah, she was getting to him. And that was insanity. Because she was everything he was running from.
Its not going to happen again, he said shortly. I wont kiss you again.
She leaned back to rest her elbows on the teak molding. She tipped her head back and if they had still been in the dinghy, her long hair would have trailed in the water. And he knew she wouldnt have minded. We could make a wager on that.
Im not a gambling man.
She straightened again. Sure you are. You bought houses on spec to resell.
He must have been out of his mind when hed told her that. I wasnt gambling. I was trusting in my fathers skill and my own. And it still brought pain all these months later.
I trust in my skills, she told him.
Max really didnt want to look at her. There was something about her when she was utterly relaxed like this, the last of the sun spilling on her hair, turning strands of it to golden fire. But he found himself doing it anyway. Which particular skill are we talking about?
To get what I want.
You are dogged.
She laughed again, a quick peal. If I do get you to kiss me again, you lose.
What do I lose?
You have to take it further.
God help him, things werent just stirring now. They were leaping back to life. She leaned toward him. And this time, yes, this time she smiled like a shark, like all the women he was escaping. But on her, it just lookedchallenging.
Youve just pretty much insured that you wont get yourself kissed again until you leave Brunhia and find someone else to torment. His voice was going hoarse.
Do I torment you? she asked silkily.
You irritate me.
Do we have a bet?
No. He was out of his mind. He told himself to agree if only to end the conversation. Sure.
They were back to Brunhia. Amen.
Max guided the Sea Change to his usual spot between shoals, then he went to throw the anchor over. The dinghy was still snugged against the side of the sailboat. Lets go.
She stood and planted her hands on her hips. Youve successfully avoided having dinner with me.
This time he let himself grin fully. I know.
He watched her gather fistfuls of her long skirt in her hands and thought about women who wore purple underwear. Then she was over the side and into the little boat.
Suddenly, there was a chugging sound overhead that made the hairs on his neck stir. Helicopter blades. Max looked up sharply. Paparazzi. Reporters. Theyd found him. But the chopper kept going north toward the big house. This was getting out of hand, he thought. If he had a sensible brain cell going, hed head right back to Portimao for the night.
He looked at Elise. Shed glanced at the helicopter as well. He wanted to ask her who else was scheduled to arrive at Kurts placeand he wanted her gone before he gave in to himself and took from her everything she offered. He followed her into the dinghy, threw off the lines and headed to shore.
He expected her to linger, or try to. But she surprised him again. When they closed in on the beach, she toed off her pretty sandals and levered her legs over the side to splash into water up to her thighs, drenching her skirt. Then she waded toward the beach without a backward glance.
When she hit the sand, she tossed a single word over her shoulder. Thanks!
Youre welcome, Max said under his breath.
He watched those cats feet of hers traipse across the beach, the wet skirt molding to her thighs, and he realized suddenly that the weight was gone, that heavy feeling in his chest that had made him fear that he might be having a heart attack at his fathers funeral last spring. The sensation had gripped him nearly every single day since then and no doctor in any country had been able to explain it. Because there was nothing wrong with his heart, though there had been a great deal wrong with his life. The weight hadnt eased until this woman had blasted into his life, damned near ramming her motor scooter straight into his.
Shed prodded him and circled conversations around him, getting him to talk about things hed forgotten. But she hadnt been doing all that with Maxwell Strong. Shed been doing it with Joe. And the pressure was gone. Sometime in the last two days the invisible weight on his chest had lifted.
Family Secrets: Books 5-8 Page 55
