They headed to the local marina for refueling and Jack went into a boat repair shop to buy some parts. Vicki went into a small market and stocked up on basic food supplies and gallon jugs of water. She had just loaded them on the boat and disembarked to go find herself a cappuccino when she heard footsteps behind her on the wood planking of the quay.
“What a surprise.” A male voice with a distinctive and highly recognizable sarcastic undertone. Leo Parker.
She spun around, out of alarm as much as recognition. “What are you doing here?”
“On vacay with my old mate Iago. Know him? He owns Viscaya Investments.”
She shrugged. She’d heard of him, and none of it was good. “Oh.” How could she get away from him? This time, if he asked her to dinner, she’d be sure to answer with a firm no.
“Didn’t you get my messages?” His rather low forehead furrowed beneath his mop of coiffed blond hair.
She shook her head. “I lost my phone. Had to buy a new one.” Hopefully her nose wasn’t growing. If it was, she deserved it for stringing him along in the first place. Had he tracked her down here? Her gut clenched.
“Oh, that explains it.” He smiled that annoying vacant smirk she’d sworn never to subject herself to again. “Iago’s gone back to New York for a few days, so I have his house and boat to myself. I was thinking you could join me for some R & R.”
She glanced around. No sign of Jack. Her gut was sending out all kinds of warning signals right now. What world of delusion did this guy live in? “I can’t, I’m afraid. I’m here with a friend and we’re really busy.” Annoyingly she couldn’t go into any detail as this idiot would be quite capable of telling everyone he knew and inadvertently or otherwise drawing the attention of every treasure hunter on the East Coast.
“I’m sure you can make a little time for me, Vicki.” The way he said her name made a little shiver creep up her spine. His watery pale blue eyes fixed on her in a steely stare she didn’t remember seeing before. “Because I know more about you than I’ve let on.”
She froze. What could this jerk know about her? She’d been careful to reveal absolutely nothing about herself while eating expensive dinners with him. “I really have to go.” She gestured back at the boat she’d just left. She didn’t even want to tell him she was going into the deli for coffee or he might take it as an invitation. Where was Jack? The boat shop was way over on the far side of the marina, a big hangar of a building, and he was probably still inside it.
“I know about your dad’s bankruptcy.”
She swallowed. Her father had never declared bankruptcy. The complexity of his investments—or perhaps the illegality of some of them—made that impossible. He’d simply gone broke. But to say anything at all would confirm what he apparently knew—her family was wiped out financially and so was she. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He laughed, an ugly stuttering sound. “Let’s not play games, Vicki. You need money. I have money. We enjoy each other’s company, and we have a lot in common.” He held out one of his limp, pale hands. “Come out for a nice dinner with me and we’ll talk over some plans.”
She recoiled and a wave of panic rose through her. “I can’t go out to dinner with you now or ever again. I’m engaged to marry someone else.” She said it loud and firm. And it wasn’t until the words had left her mouth that she noticed Jack, climbing out of a red-and-white boat only a few yards away.
Seven
Vicki didn’t know where to look. She wanted to run fast and far. Had Jack heard her entire conversation with Leo? She’d rather die than have him know she was flat broke. He’d pity her, and that would be a fate worse than death.
He’d obviously heard the last part because he walked toward them, slid a proprietary arm around her waist and squeezed her. “Everything okay, angel?”
The odd, affectionate term made her blink. “Uh, yeah. I was just heading back to the boat.” She supposed she should introduce Leo, but because Leo was obviously a nutcase, he might take that as a cue to invite himself to dinner at Jack’s house. Being rude seemed more sensible.
“Jack Drummond.” He thrust the arm that wasn’t around her waist toward the shorter man. Apparently Jack couldn’t resist digging deeper. “Are you a friend of my fiancée?” He dug her ribs a little bit on the last word.
She felt color rising to her cheeks—and that didn’t happen often.
“We are friends. I had no idea she was engaged.” Leo looked flustered, probably wondering why she hadn’t mentioned this before.
Jack’s gaze scorched the side of her face. “It was a very sudden engagement. We don’t even have our rings yet. We’ve loved each other for years, of course.” Jack wasn’t doing a good job of hiding the humor in his voice. “Vicki’s come to live with me here on my houseboat.”
If she weren’t trying to prop up this pretense, she’d have slapped him and said she’d rather live in a tent in the Gobi than on a houseboat with him. Instead, she said, “I’ve always loved the water,” and managed a simpering smile.
She could feel a chuckle of laughter rising in Jack’s mighty chest, which was pressed against her side.
“Well, little lady, we’d better get back on the boat so you can rustle us up some dinner.” He squeezed her again. She fought the urge to shove him off the dock into the water. “It was nice meeting you, Mr....”
Leo apparently realized he hadn’t managed to introduce himself. “Parker. Leo Parker.” His voice sounded a little shaky. This was not going at all according to plan for him, thank goodness. Jack was cheeky to insist on getting his name.
Hmm, maybe he was jealous?
That thought brightened her dark mood.
Leo Parker shrank away, and Vicki heaved a sigh of relief as Jack guided her back to the boat. Once safely on board, she turned to make sure Leo was nowhere around. She saw his dejected form climbing into a large black SUV in the marina parking lot. “Hey, I never got my coffee.”
“That guy had no idea we were engaged.” Jack turned to her, eyes sparkling with amusement. “Funny thing is, neither did I.”
“That guy’s a creep. I was trying to get rid of him.” Did Jack overhear the part about her father going bust? She certainly wasn’t going to ask. “I hope he didn’t follow me down here.”
“How could he know where to find you?”
She shrugged. “I did get my mail forwarded. And Katherine Drummond obviously figured out I was coming because she told you. You found me pretty easily.” She glanced over. The SUV was still sitting in the parking lot. Maybe Leo Parker was in there, watching them on the boat deck. She shuddered. “Maybe he installed a tracking device on me last time I was foolish enough to accept his invitation to dinner.”
Jack didn’t look at all jealous. He was probably thinking she must be very lonely and desperate to date the likes of Leo Parker. He’d be right, of course, but she didn’t want him to know that. “I suppose if he doesn’t take a hint, I’ll have to defend your virtue.” He started the motor and looked amused by the prospect.
“Thanks for your support. He’s staying with Iago Knoll, so he’s not going anywhere just yet. Yuck.” She shivered again.
“Why did you go out with him?”
“I didn’t know he’d turn into a stalker.”
“I suppose that is hard to predict.” They pulled out of the marina. Jack’s reassuring presence comforted her when she took a last glance at the marina—and saw that SUV was still there. “But he doesn’t seem like your kind of guy.”
“What exactly is my kind of guy?” She crossed her arms over her chest. Jack’s infuriating arrogance was a nice distraction right now.
“Me, of course.” She could only see him in profile, but she didn’t miss his mouth curving upward slightly.
“Very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“I suspect that’s one of the things you find attractive about me.” He didn’t turn around to catch her expression. He didn’t have to. No doubt he knew sh
e’d be fuming, and thinking he was right.
“Don’t get a big head. I’m only after your muscular body.”
“And my world-renowned treasure hunting skills.” She saw one eyebrow lift.
“Yeah, that, too. Are we going back to the site tonight?”
“Nope, first thing tomorrow we’re picking the crew up here and heading out there as a group. You’ll get to meet the guys.”
“Great. Are you going to introduce me as your fiancée?”
His booming laugh gave her all the answer she needed.
* * *
In bed that night, she toyed with the prospect of rejecting him before he could reject her. Because the idea of their being engaged was so plainly laughable—and really, it was—then their relationship had an expiration date which was fast approaching. Someone was going to get dumped, and this time she was determined it wouldn’t be her.
But when his big hand settled on her waist, a thick curl of lust unfolded low inside her, and her resolve faltered. Why should she deny herself the simple and healthy pleasure of having steamy-hot sex with the best lover she’d ever known? A sensible woman knew when to take advantage of what was on offer. Just because she relished sex with him didn’t mean she was falling in love. She could enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, then walk away without a backward glance.
Right?
That night held a few dangerous moments, like after her third orgasm, when her mind began to play tricks, and fantasies of living happily ever after with Jack stalked the edges of her imagination. Then again when she let herself drift off to sleep in the safe embrace of his big, strong arms. For once she didn’t feel as though she had to fight anyone or anything, or worry about what tomorrow would bring. Jack was in charge and he had it covered. His team of brawny experts would dive off the boat with their high-tech search equipment, and she could probably kick back with a virgin margarita and watch pelicans circle overhead. She’d be stuck on the boat, likely with no cell phone signal and no appointments or plans or rich people to suck up to. Which sounded ideal.
Right now she was Jack Drummond’s willing prisoner—or was he hers? This whole thing was her idea anyway. Being marooned on Jack’s boat was a welcome vacation from real life and she might as well make the most of it.
* * *
Jack’s crew included four men ranging in age from early twenties to late fifties. All seemed excited and happy to be there. Jack gave her full credit for locating the wreck and treated her with the same demeanor as the rest of the crew. Which should make her feel relieved and happy. All she really cared about was finding that old piece of barnacle-encrusted cup and getting the heck out of here to claim the reward for it.
Right?
They headed out for the wreck site in two boats. When they got there, they anchored the smaller one and gathered on Jack’s main boat to prepare for the dive. They were all on deck checking their equipment when Jack moved up behind her, slid his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.
She gasped. All four of the men could simply lift their heads and watch. Embarrassment flashed over her, mingled with indignation. Was he showing off? Proving to them that he could have any woman he wanted with just the touch of his sturdy finger? Not one of them even glanced up. Maybe Jack always brought a broad along on treasure hunts for good luck, like the figureheads on old wooden boats.
She wanted to slap him away and mock him for being unable to keep his hands off her. To save face and show them all that she wasn’t yet another pathetic woman drooling over the great Jack Drummond.
Instead, she found herself melting at the touch of his lips on her cheek, the warm circle of his hands around her waist. And when she kissed him back, her eyes slid closed and she forgot all about the men, and the sea and the sun and the sunken wreck and the missing cup and Leo Parker and all that other mess that cluttered up her brain. Nothing existed but her and Jack, locked in a passionate embrace and kissing each other as if it was the last thing they’d ever do.
He pulled back first, leaving her blinking and breathless in the sunlight. She stepped back too fast, trod on an oxygen tank and had to grab his arm to steady herself.
“You diving?” His brusque question ignored all that went before.
“Sure.” Suddenly she didn’t want to be the mascot sitting on the boat waiting for the menfolk to come back. “Let’s get going.” She tried to distract herself with checking her scuba gear and strapping it all on. Jack had moved to the other side of the boat and was going over some details of how to map out the wreck with one of the crew. Much better to be under the water keeping busy than sitting up here mooning over a man with a proven record of breaking her heart.
The dive lasted all day, with a raucous break for kebabs, which one of the guys had brought in a cooler and barbecued on a hibachi right on the deck. The whole crew was obviously stoked about the wreck.
Mel was the oldest, with years of commercial fishing experience before dipping his feet in the treasure hunting world. Silver-haired but with the tanned body of a young man, he found humor in everything. Jovial Greg regaled them with stories of a recent deep-sea fishing trip in the Bahamas with a famous music producer and his supermodel wife who thought fishing was murder. Luca was a handsome Italian with a rich accent and a flirtatious manner that might have been diverting if she wasn’t already too sensually on edge for that kind of thing. And Ethan was an enthusiastic college kid who thought every piece of equipment and technique was the coolest thing ever. They all treated Jack with a reverence that would be impressive if it wasn’t so annoying.
“Vicki’s my lucky charm.” Jack smiled at her through a bite of kebab during lunch. “I think the wreck was waiting for her arrival to reveal itself.”
“Ships do have their feelings.” Mel smiled at her. “Any old sailor will tell you that. And now she’s rising up right into our hands to welcome us.” They’d blasted away more of the sand to find the wreck in surprisingly intact condition. “Almost like the sleeping beauty’s been lying under her blanket for three hundred years waiting for us to come wake her up.”
“Vicki’s most interested in one-third of a family chalice that went down with the wreck. At least we assume it did. It could be on a shelf behind the bar of a tavern in Kingston, Jamaica.” Jack winked at her. “But even if we don’t find that, we’ll be rewarded for our work.” He nodded toward the plastic bins already filling with items retrieved from the ship. Right now it looked like a bunch of unidentifiable rocks, all glued together with coral and who knew what else. But she’d heard them exclaim over coins and buckles and pieces of weaponry, so there were probably emerald rings and pearl combs and plenty of other treasures in there somewhere.
“Lucky we got out here so fast. Look who’s over there.” Greg nodded his head to the south where a large, white boat was clearly visible.
Mel chuckled and shook his head. “Lou Aarons. Always one step behind. I swear that guy just watches where Jack’s boat goes and starts digging nearby.”
“Let old Lou have our leftovers.” Jack grinned and took a swig of iced tea. “There’s no need for us to be greedy when we have this kind of bounty at our fingertips. As long as he doesn’t get Vicki’s cup.” He flashed a glance at her.
Her insides quivered like a subterranean jellyfish in a riptide. Already she couldn’t stop thinking about tonight, and all the things he might do to her in the privacy of their shared bedroom. But she attempted to look calm and collected. “And don’t forget that it probably doesn’t look like a cup. It might be the base. So any unidentified metal objects you find, please show them to me even if they look totally useless.”
They all agreed, and Mel told a story about a twisted old piece of encrusted metal he’d found that had turned out to be an ancient pre-Incan breastplate made out of nearly a pound of solid gold.
They dived all afternoon, and had filled ten large plastic tubs with “finds” before calling it a day just before sunset. Ethan was to sleep overnight on the boat and guard the
site while the others returned to shore in the smaller boat. Jack and Vicki dropped the three remaining crew members off at the marina and headed back to the island, taking their booty with them.
Even though her body was tired from all the diving, Vicki’s mind was crackling with excitement to examine the items that had been pried from the sea’s grasp after nearly three hundred years of entombment. Even the prospect of getting naked with Jack paled in comparison to shining a bright light on the mysterious treasures in those plastic tubs.
“We need to keep them wet.” Jack had half filled each container with salt water, making them unwieldy to unload from the boat. “We don’t want them exposed to oxygen in the air until we know what we’re dealing with.”
“Aye-aye, Cap’n.”
“I’m beginning to think you’re part seal. You don’t have any problem diving for hours along with the rest of us who do it all the time. And what happened to your seasickness?”
Vicki shrugged. “I have to admit I’m enjoying myself. Makes a big change from pounding the streets of Manhattan trying to make a deal over a Peretti brooch.”
She pulled a concretelike lump with visible metal protrusions from one of the tubs. “How do you tell what anything is?”
“This big lump is called a concretion. We usually start with either a chisel or an X-ray machine, depending on how delicate and possibly valuable the items are. In this case I vote for the X-ray.”
The X-ray machine was portable, and Jack set it up like a camera to focus on each object as they placed it on a taped X on a glass-topped table in his living room.
“Here X does really mark the spot.” Vicki’s stomach tingled with excitement as she placed the first heavy, wet concretion on the table. “What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever found in a lump like this?”
Jack held the X-ray machine up and she moved well out of the way while he took the image. “A full set of solid gold teeth inside a skull.”
The Deeper the Passion... Page 9
