He stood straighter. “I am a Marine.”
She shrugged. “That’s your answer?”
He never blinked. “Yes, ma’am.”
A warm shiver went down her spine. “Hmm, I don’t like ‘ma’am,’ Daniel. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
His shoulders relaxed, and she sipped her drink. “A man’s service is part of his identity Katie. I wanted to be a Marine.”
She nodded. “And you’re a doctor.”
He tilted his head. “The Marines let me do my residency with them. I served in the hospital most of the time. I wasn’t the one on the battlefield.”
With her hand on her hip, she shook her head. “Don’t you dare belittle what you did. I can’t imagine what you saw.”
He inhaled. “You don’t want to.”
“In Hyannis, I’m settling down.” He took a seat and pointed to the other chair on the balcony. “Setting up my private practice will be different. I get to stay home longer. You’d like the stars, Katie.”
“I’m sure I would.” She sipped her wine again, and her gazed lowered to his washboard stomach. Heat coursed through her, but she blinked then stared into his smoldering, brown eyes. “You exercise regularly. Aren’t doctors supposed to be pasty white, balding, and too busy to workout?”
“And socialites with reputations must destroy everything in their path?” Her jaw dropped, but he had those dimples on his face. “My family has money. I never needed to work. I choose to work, and this makes me luckier than most.”
“Your family let you work, and didn’t expect to sell you.” She finished her drink with one long gulp. “I wish I had your family.”
“I don’t.” His hand went to her, and he gently massaged her shoulders. “You’re way too beautiful to be my sister, sweetheart.”
“You’re redeemed.” His touch set her on fire. She pushed her head back and laughed. She was unsure what to say. He took the glass out of her hand and refilled it. Her hands shook. His hands were large, and one hand would span her entire waist. She licked her lips. She was nowhere near a size two. He turned back to her. Why was she so nervous? He gave her back a full glass, then offered to clink glasses in toast. She stalled then held up her hand. “Daniel Collins, you’re growing on me.”
He sipped his last sip. “You didn’t offer the toast, Katie.”
“I didn’t know it was my turn to speak.”
“I didn’t know you waited your turn to speak.” He refilled his glass. A warmness inside her grew. Would he kiss her? Her lips tingled. A second later, he held his glass and nodded. “To trust.”
“To love,” she countered. Her heart sped up in that second. Her mind raced. Men ran from that word. She swallowed. What if she and Daniel fell in love, for real? She shook her head, and his eyebrows raised. She smiled. “And to dating. Now tell me about the crazy one.”
His face turned red. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
She bit her lower lip. “Why did you then?”
He shook his head. “I dated her for less than a month. She started planning the wedding, naming the unborn children, and stalking me.”
“If she only knew we knew each other for days before you slipped a ring on my finger.” She flashed her ring again, and then winked. “Don’t expect that from me. If you break my heart, I’ll find someone to break your legs.”
“Threats aren’t ladylike, Katie.” He held his glass up and she clinked her glass to his again.
“I thought that our conversation would get too serious.”
His dimples were in full force now. He took a sip. She stared at his lips, and her mouth opened a bit.
She licked her lips. Then he placed his glass on the table, and came closer to her. A blaze raced in her belly and a shiver went through her. Her heart raced in anticipation of that kiss. For once, her life hadn’t mattered. Their first two kisses were for show. She rubbed her neck.
Then a cold shiver raced down her back. She couldn’t tell him the truth about her. How did she tell him she was a virgin? She’d never told a soul. She opened her eyes, and gazed into Daniel’s eyes. His pupils sparkled. She sighed as warmness filled her again.
To break the spell, she stood. “I’m tired and going to bed. We’ll talk in the morning.”
He stayed in his chair. “That’s it?”
He assumed her experienced. She nodded, and he let her go. She ran inside their cabin. Her body heat was molten lava. Daniel was a man on his own. Every cell in her body begged to find out that physical secret every other man and woman knew.
Her life was too complicated for anything long-term, and if she didn’t stop, she never would. She closed her eyes and tried to calm the hurricane inside her.
Chapter 18
“Ahhhh.”
Daniel blinked and then he held his breath. What? He stared at Katie. Had she screamed in her sleep? He rubbed his head. The room was dark and nothing moved. He swallowed then closed his eyes. He must have dreamt it.
“Ahhhh.”
With his eyes closed, Daniel stepped out of bed. He swallowed and opened his eyes. In the same second, he rushed to her.
“Ahhh.”
She let out another blood-curdling scream. He took her hand, and she thrashed around in her bed.
He squeezed her hand and hoped she’d wake.
Kate screamed and cried, but her eyes remained closed. Then she curled to her side and held his hand.
She breathed easier. At least she was peaceful.
He ran his free hand through his hair. He stayed. Her light brown hair floated on her pillow, and she seemed almost innocent right now.
A few minutes later, he let go of her hand, and started back to his bed.
Halfway there, she thrashed around again and let out another scream. He turned around and retook her hand. She calmed right down.
He rubbed his chin. She held his hand but slept soundly. He remained frozen in indecision.
Tiredness overtook his weary body. She slept peacefully, if he touched her. He gazed at his bed and yawned. If he let her go, he wouldn’t sleep. What could he do? The beds were made to be together. Hmm. Did he dare? He released her hand to see if she’d be okay, and, again, she thrashed in her bed. Her lips opened to let out another scream. To stop her, he gave her back his left hand, and decided on a new strategy.
He used his free hand and drew his bed closer.
The bed didn’t slide all the way to the other side. He stared at her bed. Then he wiggled it a bit to the middle.
Somehow he made the beds meet, and Kate never woke. He had no idea how she never stirred.
He lay back in his bed, but his hand stayed in her grip. He adjusted the blankets and yawned. Weren’t most women light sleepers? Kate missed the memo on that one.
Medical magazines speculate nightmares can relate to blunt psychological trauma.
He fixed his pillow and settled back in his bed. Kate curled into him. The tension in his body lifted, and he closed his eyes and soon fell back asleep.
Tomorrow, he’d ask her about her nightmares.
Chapter 19
The earthy, sexy smell of Daniel’s salty body made Kate take a deeper breath for a second time. Delicious. Kate opened her eyes, and her jaw dropped. Daniel’s bed was next to her, and she was half on top of him. She uncurled herself from the space between his arm and chest. How had her bed moved, or she slept so comfortably? She rubbed her eyes. She could breathe easy and she hadn’t slept so peacefully in years. Daniel. He’d protected her, even in sleep? No. That sounded stupid, but the questions hung in her mind.
She stretched and sat up. Then she stared back at him and licked her lips. Part of her wished to wake him. What would his endless hard muscles look like unclothed? No. Her face heated. She had no right to wonder that. She shook her head and tried to think of what would cool her down. Perhaps exercise? There must be early-morning yoga, and she’d stretch her body to not gawk at Daniel.
She was not a teenage girl, and women never gawk.
She almost stood, but then spun to stare one more time. His unshaven face had lost ten years in sleep. The wariness in his face lessoned, and he was almost sweet. She bit her bottom lip, and the blaze inside her grew. In the daylight, Daniel was devastatingly handsome, but now, he had a boyish appearance. A smile grew on her face, and she sighed. He’d have been an amazing boyfriend back in the days when she had faith in the world.
To quell the flutters in her stomach, she kissed his cheek then stood up.
She closed the door to the bathroom and stared in a mirror. Her entire body wished to stay with him and experience how he’d stretch her in new ways. A blush stayed on her face, and she closed her eyes. Yoga would have to suffice. Daniel was a pipe-dream. She brushed her teeth, changed into yesterday’s jeans and washed her face.
Good enough. She’d buy, whatever, she needed at the gym.
The ship was quiet in the morning. She wandered through the halls, and upstairs she smelled a morning brew of coffee. Her nose twitched. The morning ocean air on the ship surprised her, but the thick smell of coffee filled her nostrils. She shook her head and stared at the gym. The smell had made its way into her body and tickled her nose and throat. She turned on her heels. Perhaps she’d stop and get a cup.
Her feet followed her nose, and she stepped into the cafeteria.
More people milled around. Her skin grew goose bumps on the journey to the coffee, and she scanned the room. Then her breath caught in her throat. She stared at her father’s two men. Her heartbeat doubled. She took a step backward, and hoped to avoid them.
They stood. She bit her lip. They saw her.
Then someone with a large, rough hand grabbed her arm. She fought back, but his brute strength dragged her into another room.
The voice behind her was deep, and a shiver rolled through her body. “Kate, your father believes you are going to sell him out.”
She shook, but then her hands formed a fist. “Leave me alone.”
He laughed, and a cold shiver raced down her spine.
Then the man’s huge hand covered her mouth, as he dragged her further down a narrow hall. The other men entered the small room and followed behind them.
She swallowed hard and refused to go quietly. She bit the man’s hand, and kicked the guy in the knees. She squirmed, but he held firm. She stilled her body and then slammed her foot on his. He yelped. Then she twisted her body to knee him in his pants.
His eyes grew wider, but then another man shadowed her. She turned to run, but someone else grabbed her. She scratched at the new one and hoped to do the same thing again.
The man held her and the one she hadn’t ever met recovered. “Your father has business relationships that cannot be revealed. If you don’t want your pretty boy hurt, you’ll sign the papers in our room, where you confess anything you told the police about your father was and is a lie to get out of jail time.”
“My father set me up with false charges.” She shook her head, but realized these two men didn’t care. She scanned the area for an escape, and then she saw a flight of stairs.
She blinked. If she kept aware and focused, she’d get out of this mess.
Her father’s man opened the door to the stairwell, and turned to help drag her down the stairs. Kate screamed, “Help. I’m being kidnapped.”
No doors opened, but the deep-voiced man in front of her hit her head, hard. A second later, Kate lost consciousness.
Chapter 20
Daniel covered his eyes to block the sun and squirmed to find another pillow. He stretched his hand and uncurled his fingers. Morning. He turned in his bed, then realized no warmth greeted him on his right side. His fingers flexed. He flung his arm to the other side of the bed, and sat up. Katie had left.
He closed his eyes. He’d had patients that had screamed in physical pain with less haunting sounds. Whatever dream she’d had must have been hard. Suppressed memory? Or nightmare?
Was she here? He stood and felt the carpet scratch his feet. Silence filled the room. He blinked and took a minute to adjust to morning. Then he shook his head. She wasn’t in the bathroom.
With a yawn that escaped his lips, he stretched, then dressed. He tilted his head to the side and saw her luggage. Kate had never opened her bag. He patted his stomach. Perhaps she’d found coffee. Out of habit, he picked up his cell phone, and realized he could find her fast. With yesterday’s clothes, she must still have the GPS in his watch in her jeans.
A minute later, he had his answer.
He scratched his head. She was low in the ship. Crew quarters, possibly? Had she lost his watch? He shook his head, and assumed she had. First, he’d go retrieve it from the lost and found, then he’d locate her the old-fashioned way. They were on a ship, after all.
In the hallway, he ran into Liam. Daniel nodded at his brother. “You’re up early. How’s rooming with the pretty Kate Sparrow?”
“She’s left early. Where you off to?” Daniel asked but kept his pace.
“Breakfast. Join me?”
“Soon,” Daniel shook his head. “I am going to get my watch in lost and found, then look for Kate. Later?”
“I’ll help you look.” Liam followed on his heels. “How did you lose the watch?”
“I put it in Kate’s back pocket,” Daniel answered, but something in the air buzzed.
“The watch is downstairs?” Liam stayed right on his heels.
Was Daniel crazy? He became hyperaware.
“Low on the ship, well under water, according to my phone.” His heart beat faster.
“Wouldn’t lost and found be on the promenade?”
Hmm. He should have thought of that. He picked up his pace and went faster. Was she in trouble? How did she find trouble this early? His feet pounded the stairs, and the moment he hit the bottom, he heard other feet stampeding away.
Followed by a soft thump. Daniel’s heart fell into his gut. Trouble was here. Liam stood back, but Daniel kicked open the door.
The tick in his chest beat. Kate lay unconscious near an open door. The ocean and the choppy waters from the ship sped past. She’d die if she fell out. He reached her, as her head fell back. His breath caught in his throat until he held her in his chest. She weighed almost nothing, but she had an ugly bruise on her face. Someone had punched her, and red-hot anger coursed through him. Where was that bald man? He carried her back to his brother. “She didn’t sleepwalk down here.”
His brother nodded. “Get her upstairs to her room. I’ll help the staff access the video of what happened here. Meet you in an hour.”
Daniel had Katie. His brother, the FBI agent, would be fine. “If you need me, call.”
“I’ll find out what happened and come to your room.”
“One hour,” Daniel told him. “This is family trip, and you’re not on the clock with a partner.”
“We interrupted a kidnapping of your girlfriend,” Liam amended. “I’m finding out how and why.”
Kate had been the target. He held her closer in his arms. Daniel needed to protect her. “I’m taking her back to our room. One hour, Liam.”
Chapter 21
Kate felt warmth slide down her body. She moaned a bit, but refused to open her eyes. Safety enveloped her. Then she swallowed as her mind flashed to the men who’d abducted her.
She opened her eyes, and her heart raced. Daniel stared at her. Her mind was blank. How was he here? Her head seemed to have a hammer inside that worked too fast. She closed her eyes.
The pain never materialized, but she had something cold pressed to her face. She opened her eyes and her gaze met Daniel’s brown eyes. He opened a red pill bottle. She bucked a bit. Then he picked something up and shone a bright light in her eye. “You should be fine, Katie.”
She stared at the red pill bottle. “Is that pain reliever?”
“Yes, Nonprescription for any headache. I had guest services deliver a bottle.”
With the icepack on her head, she sat and stared into their room. She was back on
the pushed-together beds, safe in their cabin. She applied more pressure to hold the ice on her head, but then dropped the cold compress into her lap. “How did I get back here?”
“I found you.”
Her mouth fell open. “You saved me.”
He crossed his arms. “Where were you?”
She stared at his engaging brown eyes, then shrugged. “I went looking for coffee.”
Borrowing the Doctor (The Collins Brothers Book 2) Page 10
