“Lola, you've been very kind to me,” Jane said hesitantly. “I just wanted—”
Lola waved her imperiously to silence. “For God's sake, don't apologize,” she said cheerfully. “I would have had to be blind not to realize there was something in the air last night at dinner. Jake has never been known for his kindness to women, but he was completely unreasonable with you. Then, when he discovered Ahmet had gone to your cabin, he was like a madman.”
“How did he know that?” Jane asked curiously. It had not occurred to her to question Jake's sudden appearance in her cabin in the tumultuous events that had followed.
“I imagine he'd given orders that he be told if Ahmet was seen going anywhere near your cabin,” Lola replied with a shrug. “A steward came with a message for Jake shortly after Ahmet left the lounge. The ungrateful wretch didn't so much as say good night to me before he was off to the rescue.”
“I'm sure he didn't mean to be rude, Lola.”
Lola's lips twisted. “He didn't give a damn what I felt, my dear innocent. The only thing he could think about was you.” Her eyes were thoughtful as she studied Jane objectively. “I believe that's all he's been able to think of for quite some time, from his reaction last night. I've never seen Jake with his emotions as well as his hormones involved. Perhaps I should be warning him about getting involved, and not you.”
Jane knew a surge of hope that lightened the burden of anxiety and doubt she'd been feeling this morning. Was it possible that Jake was beginning to feel something for her besides desire and the urge for possession?
“Is that what you're doing? Warning me? If so, I'm afraid that you're a little late.”
“I rather suspected I might be, but I thought I'd give it a try,” Lola said, smiling gently. “Now we'd better return you to your lord and master before he comes looking for you.”
They turned and retraced their steps to the lounge.
The rest of the day was spent in swimming, lounging, and desultory conversation. Jane found herself restless and dissatisfied despite the happiness she felt in Jake's presence. She was too used to hard work and constant activity to embrace the leisurely life with any degree of contentment. She was conscious of Jake's watchful eyes on her throughout the afternoon though he engaged her in only casual conversation in the presence of the others.
Thus she was only mildly surprised when he strolled casually over to the deck chair where she was lying watching the scarlet-and-pink glory of a sunset at sea. Kahlid and Lola had gone into the water for a last dip before going to their cabins to change for dinner, and she and Jake were alone for the first time since they had left their cabin that morning.
“Poor Saturday's child,” Jake said mockingly as he dropped into the chair next to her. “Are you finding it hard to adjust to the lazy life?”
Jane was startled by his perceptiveness. Had her restlessness been so obvious? “I suppose I'll get used to it,” Jane said doubtfully. She looked at him, noting the vibrant energy and impatience that seemed to charge his body even in repose. “How do you tolerate it?” she asked ruefully. “I would think the inactivity would drive you crazy.”
“I admit that my boredom threshold is very low these days,” Jake said. “I probably would have scrapped the cruise after two weeks if I hadn't had a certain troublesome redhead to divert me.” He took her hand from the arm of the lounge and, bringing it to his lips, kissed the palm lingeringly.
Jane shivered as his tongue mischievously stroked the sensitive hollow, and he looked up swiftly in concern. He reached over her head to the white beach coat draped on the back of her chair and tossed it on her lap. “Put it on. It's starting to cool.”
“That isn't my problem,” Jane said demurely, her golden eyes dancing. “I'm beginning to feel definitely hot.”
Dominic's dark eyes were amused. “Have you no inhibitions, woman?”
She shook her head. “Where you're concerned, they seem to have been left out of my makeup,” she admitted serenely.
“Thank God,” Jake said emphatically. His hand held hers tightly as his eyes slowly kindled with desire. “Damn it, why did I let you talk me into letting Lola stay? If she was gone, I could persuade Ahmet that he'd be better off roaming in greener pastures.” His thumb sensually rubbed the pulse point at her wrist. “I warn you, redhead, you'd better enjoy the fresh air now,” he said thickly. “Once I find a way of getting ridding of them, you may not get out of that cabin for a week.”
Jane wondered if he could feel her pulse wildly accelerate beneath his thumb at these words. She rather imagined he could, by the teasing gleam of triumph that glittered in his eyes before she looked away.
“I think I'll go down to the cabin and change now,” she said quickly, a flush turning her cheeks carnation pink. She stood up hurriedly and slipped on her beach coat.
Jake arched an eyebrow mockingly at her embarrassed flight. “Inhibitions, no. Shyness, definitely yes.” He also got to his feet. “I think I'll join you. I feel the sudden urge for a long nap,” he said, his lips twitching. “Do you suppose our guests would understand if we were a little late for dinner?”
“Jake!” she exclaimed, shocked, her eyes widening. He broke into irrepressible laughter, his face suddenly as young and mischievous as a boy's.
Jane was about to take him to task when she suddenly became aware of the jerky throb of a distant engine. She forgot what she was about to say when she saw a gold and white helicopter approaching from the east and progressing unmistakably in their direction.
Jake's laughing eyes followed her startled gaze, and he muttered an impatient imprecation as he caught sight of the helicopter. “What abominably bad timing,” he said grimly. The deck was suddenly filled with scurrying, bustling seamen.
“What is happening?” Jane asked blankly, as the helicopter hovered directly overhead, the rotors causing a small tornado of wind and noise.
“A little gift for you,” he replied casually. The side doors of the helicopter slid open, and Jane caught a brief glimpse of an olive-uniformed Mexican and then an enormous box and several smaller ones were lowered by net to the surface of the deck below.
“What on earth is it, a refrigerator?” she asked faintly, while the seaman briskly closed in on the net to remove the packages.
Lola Torres joined them, towel-drying her sleek wet head, before slipping on her scarlet beach coat. Jane had been vaguely aware of Lola's return to the deck at the approach of the helicopter. The other woman's face was frankly curious as she eyed the bundles that had now been freed from the net.
In answer to Lola's inquiring look, Jane said with a grin, “Jake's bought me a present. I haven't yet decided whether it's a refrigerator or a washing machine.”
Lola examined one of the smaller packages lying on the deck. “I imagine Dior would be most outraged by your flippancy,” she said dryly. She picked up another box. “Ditto Balenciaga.”
“Jane's luggage was unfortunately left ashore in Miami,” Jake put in smoothly “I took the liberty of ordering a replacement wardrobe for her.”
Lola gave a little gurgle of laughter. “How simply divine!” Turning to Jane, she said gaily, “A ‘present’ like this deserves a party. We'll have to arrange something really splendid to celebrate, and I know just the nightclub in Cozumel to do it in!” She turned to Jake and ordered imperiously, “Tell them to hold dinner at least an hour. Jane will need that long just to open the packages.”
An hour later, Jane sat dazed on the edge of the bed, staring in amazement at the boxes surrounding her. When she'd opened the huge crate, she had found that it contained two enormous steamer trunks filled with designer clothes of every description along with a shoe wardrobe to match every outfit. The loose packages were principally accessories and lingerie, with the exception of two of the larger boxes. One of these contained a full-length sable coat, and the other an ermine wrap. It was impossible not to be a trifle overwhelmed by the extravagance of Jake's gift. It was every woman's dream to receive
a wardrobe of such classic elegance.
Yet how could she accept it and still maintain her self-respect and independence while living with Jake?
“Well, redhead, have you discovered anything that I've missed?” Jake Dominic stood in the open doorway, dressed for dinner in a white tropical jacket and black tie.
Jane didn't answer, and Jake sauntered forward. “You'll notice that I omitted any little baubles from Tiffany's. I prefer Van Cleef and Arpels,” he said lazily. “I'll let you choose your own jewelry on our first trip over.”
“I won't accept any jewelry, Jake,” Jane said slowly, her cheeks pale. “I'll take the clothes because I realize that it might cause you some embarrassment if I didn't maintain a certain appearance, but I won't accept anything else from you.”
“I suppose I should have expected something like this from you,” Jake answered, his expression darkening ominously. “For your information, I didn't arrange for this wardrobe because I was ashamed of you. I did it because I want to give you a present, and women generally like this sort of thing.” His voice was hard: “If you don't want them, throw them into the sea! Throw everything you own into the sea, I prefer you without a stitch anyway!”
Jane stared into his hard, ruthless face and saw something in the dark flickering eyes that she'd never seen before. Why, she had hurt him! She had grown used to thinking of Jake as the hard, cynical sophisticate, but now he had the defiant air of a young boy who had surrendered a treasure to a comrade only to have it scorned. Suddenly she wanted to take him in her arms and soothe away all of the hurts he had ever known. Because she knew that she must never show that she had seen that vulnerability, she dropped her eyes to the amber scarf in her lap.
When she raised them a moment later, her golden eyes were dancing with fun. “I like you better without a stitch, too,” she told him, grinning. “I love the clothes, Jake. I'll be very happy to accept them.” What was a little pride when it was balanced against the hurt she'd inflicted on the man she loved?
Dominic relaxed, his face regaining its cool insouciance. “Brat,” he drawled. “You can't even accept a present without causing a ballyhoo.” He strolled over to where she was sitting on the bed and dropped a light kiss on her forehead. “And the jewels?” he probed.
She wasn't willing to give him total victory. “We'll see,” she replied evasively. Then looking up quickly, her eyes troubled, she said, “There's one thing that I can't accept, Jake.” His face darkened swiftly, and she went on hurriedly, “It's the furs. I could never wear the skin of an animal that had been killed so that I could flaunt its beauty as some kind of status symbol. I just couldn't do it.”
Jake's frown faded slowly, to be replaced by resignation. “No, I suppose you couldn't,” he said wryly. “Knowing you, I should have realized that would be one of your bäte noires.”
Her face was serious. “I helped circulate a petition last year to try to get legislation passed against the killing of baby seals. Do you know how they kill baby seals?”
Jake placed a hand over her mouth. “No,” he said firmly, “and I don't want to know. At least not before dinner.” He removed his hand and tilted her head up to place a swift kiss on her mutinous mouth. “Suppose we send the furs back and use the money as a contribution to your seal fund.”
Jane's face lit up with the power of a solar explosion. “Oh, Jake, could we?” she breathed excitedly. “They do need the money so desperately.”
“If you promise to send the check in your name and not mine,” Jake said, making a face. “I have no desire to be put on the hit list of every wildlife-preservation society in the country.”
Jane jumped up and hugged him impulsively. “Jake, you're super. Absolutely super,” she bubbled.
Jake flinched, but his arms went around her with swift possessiveness. “Please. Not that word. You make me feel like a rock star.” His hands were moving in lazy circles on her lower back and buttocks beneath the beach coat, and Jane felt her knees turn to butter. She pressed closer to him and felt the swift exciting hardening of him against her. He drew a deep ragged breath and pushed her reluctantly away. “Damn Lola and her party,” he said thickly. “I'd like nothing better than to tell the whole world to go to hell and spend the evening in bed.” He turned away. “Get dressed, redhead. I'll see you in the lounge.”
A short time later Jane gazed with breathless delight in the mirror. Why, she looked pretty. The chocolate chiffon cocktail-length gown was a masterpiece of artistic drapery that left one golden shoulder bare, hugging her high firm breasts and tiny waist lovingly before flaring to an extravagant fullness at the scalloped hem. The matching satin high-heeled sandals made her legs look deliciously alluring. Her hair curled in shimmering flames about her face in dramatic contrast to the rich darkness of her gown. Her topaz eyes and the tender pink of her mouth exerted a sensual witchery that Jane had never realized she possessed. The swift kindling in Jake's eyes as she walked into the lounge was as exhilarating and heady as champagne. She barely noticed Kahlid's flattering and verbose compliments as she basked in that ebony glow.
When Jake swung Jane down into the launch, she was surprised to see Marcus Benjamin and Simon Dominic at the wheel in the front of the boat. Impulsively Jane made a sudden movement toward them, and Jake gripped her arm swiftly.
“Over here, darling,” he said caressingly, and shepherded her to a seat near the rear of the boat. He settled her so gallantly, so solicitously, that he might just as well have stamped her with a brand of ownership. She could feel her face burn in the darkness as Jake slipped a casual arm about her waist.
Jane had an idea that Jake's actions were as deliberate and primitive as those of a jungle cat staking out its boundaries. Her move toward Simon had been only an innocent impulse, principally aimed at reassuring herself that she still had Simon's respect and friendship despite her position in his cousin's life. Jake had seized on the excuse to establish his public claim with no regard to the embarrassment such an action would bring her. She couldn't help but feel a burning resentment at the inconsiderateness of his action. “I didn't know that Simon and Captain Benjamin were going with us,” she said tightly.
“Lola insisted,” Jake answered curtly. “She's never happier than when she's surrounded by men—a common feminine characteristic I've noticed.”
Jane maintained a cool silence during the forty-minute ride to the pier at Cozumel. Her own reserve went unremarked in the wake of Lola's vivacious gaiety and Kahlid's equally good spirits. Jake seemed maddeningly undisturbed by Jane's disapproval and displayed a lazy good humor that was a barbed irritant to her rapidly deteriorating mood. Her gaze went frequently to the front of the launch, where Captain Benjamin and Simon conversed casually in low voices. Both men wore sparkling white uniforms that compared very favorably with Jake's and Kahlid's white tropical dinner jackets and dark pants, Jane thought idly.
Suddenly Jake's grasp around her waist tightened sharply, and his voice in her ear was a silken murmur. “I've always heard that women were fond of men in uniform,” he said caustically. “Don't you think you're being a little obvious in your admiration?”
Jane raised her chin defiantly. “Perhaps I feel an affinity with them,” she said with sweet sarcasm. “If you remember, I was wearing a uniform myself until today. There's a certain kindred spirit among us menials, you know.”
Dominic's rapier glance was as black as his muttered imprecation, and he was grimly silent for the rest of the trip.
El Invernardero was a thoroughly enchanting nightclub located in the heart of Cozumel. It was a converted greenhouse constructed entirely of paneled glass, and a multitude of exotic plants and flowers bordered the interior walls in colorful profusion. The highly polished dance floor was encircled by the usual damask-covered tables, but on each was a charmingly arranged bouquet of fresh flowers.
Their party was shown to a large ringside table by an obsequious waiter. Jake pulled out a chair beside his own for Jane, but Lola had other ideas.<
br />
“Don't be selfish, Jake,” she said, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief. “You can have Jane to yourself anytime.” She gave Jane an imperious nudge that placed her across the table, between Kahlid and Simon. She herself slid into the seat next to Jake and smiled dazzlingly into his frowning face. “Now, isn't this delightful?”
“Delightful,” Jake echoed grimly, his watchful gaze fixed on Kahlid as the sheikh helped Jane solicitously with her chiffon wrap.
For Jane, as the evening wore on, what had promised to be an exciting and romantic evening with the man she loved rapidly deteriorated into a miserable debacle. Jake's mood progressed from testy to utterly foul. Separated by the width of the table, Jane was still conscious of the black looks she was receiving as she quietly spoke to Kahlid or Simon. What had she done now to deserve his lordship's displeasure? she wondered defiantly. She turned to Kahlid with a sigh of relief. Ahmet's attitude was beautifully uncomplicated. He cared not a whit for morals, blame, and responsibility as long as he was in the presence of an attractive woman and champagne was flowing. He saw to it that champagne continued to flow throughout the evening, and that Jane's glass was constantly filled to the brim.
As Jane's unhappiness grew, she was grateful for Kahlid's attention. Jake had not asked her to dance once in the hours they had been at the nightclub, though he'd danced frequently with Lola. To add to her misery, a depressingly gorgeous blonde with a face that had graced hundreds of magazine covers and wearing a gown with a neckline even more decolleté than Lola's had suddenly appeared at Jake's elbow. She'd been introduced to everyone at the table. Cindy Lockwood, a model from New York, had attached herself to Jake like a seductive limpet. He had danced with the model even more than he had with Lola, Jane noticed unhappily.
The explosive combination of Cindy Lockwood, her own unhappiness and resentment, and Kahlid's champage sparked a wildness in Jane. She proceeded to ignore Jake entirely, dividing her attention between Kahlid and Simon with feverish gaiety. She didn't know how many times she changed partners in the next two hours as she whirled from Simon's arms to Kahlid's and back.
Stormy Vows Page 33
