Vendetta

by Ruth Ryan Langan

  “I won’t deny it. But it’s a little early in the game…”

  Frank lowered his voice when he heard the sound of footsteps drawing close. “I’m not suggesting you sleep with Courtney, son. In fact, I’d hope that you could avoid that particular temptation for the moment. Her tender heart is very important to me. Just see that she isn’t alone for this one night. After that, I’ll do my best to arrange for nightly police patrols. Without her knowledge, of course.”

  “If she finds out what you’ve suggested, it’ll be your head she comes after. Right after she cuts off mine, of course.”

  The old man winked. “Don’t I know it?”

  When Courtney and her grandmother stepped into the room, the two men were standing a little apart, wearing matching looks of innocence. Which only served to alert both women to the fact that these two men were undoubtedly guilty of something.

  “Thank you again for the lovely day.” Blair, shoes in hand, pants rolled to his knees, stood on shore and offered a kiss to Bert and a handshake to Frank.

  After kissing her grandparents, Courtney, who had stripped off her more formal clothes to reveal a sea-foam-green bikini underneath, picked up her sea bag and started wading through the water toward the little sailboat anchored offshore.

  After climbing aboard, Courtney stowed her gear and began to unfurl the sails. “Okay, mate. Time for that refresher course. Think you can handle the anchor?”

  In reply Blair leaned his weight into the chain, drawing it up until the anchor was aboard.

  As the breeze began filling the sails, Courtney manned the tiller and the main sheets while Blair easily handled the jib. Within minutes the little craft was skimming the waves.

  He glanced over, loving the way she looked, feet planted, streaming out behind her. With moonlight trailing a path of gold across the water, she more resembled an ethereal mermaid than a flesh-and-blood female.

  “You should be glad to have me aboard. Isn’t this a lot of work for just one person to handle?”

  She shook her head. “After all these years, it’s second nature. But I have to admit it’s nice to have someone to share the chores.” Still holding the tiller, she sat down and drew a beach towel around her shoulders. “Now that the hard work is behind us, it should be smooth sailing home.”

  After securing the lines he crossed the deck and settled himself beside her. “You sure you want to head home so soon?” He glanced up at the stars, looking so big and bright in the darkened sky, that it felt as though he could reach up and touch them. “Seems a shame to waste such a rare night as this on a short sail home.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  He dropped an arm around her shoulders. “I didn’t bother to bring along trunks. But if you happened to find a deserted stretch of beach, I wouldn’t object to skinny-dipping.”

  She gave him a mocking laugh, even while her heart did a quick somersault. “Ever the hero.”

  He gave a casual shrug of his shoulders.

  “Okay. If you object to my naked body beside yours in the water, I’ll stay in the boat and just watch you.” He allowed his gaze to skim her from head to toe. “It’ll be a tough job, but I’m up to it.”

  “You never give up, do you?”

  “That’s what makes me a hero.”

  “Okay, hero, what were you and Poppie up to when Bert and I walked into the office?”

  “Up to?” He slanted her a look. “Can’t two men have a manly discussion without women becoming all uptight about it?”

  “It’s been my experience that most manly discussions focus on women.”

  “Now, how could you possibly be in a position to know that? I’ll remind you that once a woman enters the discussion it’s no longer manly.”

  “So, which were you were discussing? Hunting, shooting, spitting or swearing?”

  “That just shows how little you know about men, my sweet. We could have been talking about the best way to grill salmon, or how to prevent slugs on the tomatoes.”

  “Or what to do about Courtney until these vandals are caught.”

  “What’s that?” He cupped a hand to his ear. “Do I hear muttering from one of the crew?”

  “It’s my ship, which means I’m the captain. You’re the crew. And I know Poppie too well. He looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.”

  “I’m shocked at your suspicious mind. Shocked, I tell you.” Keeping his arm around her shoulders, he slid his other hand around her waist and lowered his head to hers.

  “Now’re you up to?”

  With his mouth inches from hers he whispered, “Looks like I’m going to have to do something drastic to stop this mutiny.”

  Chapter 9

  The instant his mouth closed over hers, Courtney felt her heart do a strange dip. The words she’d been about to speak were forgotten. As was the tiller. Though her hand remained firmly clenched around it, she wasn’t aware of anything except the slow pitch and roll of the boat, and the wild thundering of her heartbeat. Her emotions, always so carefully in check, began to slip free, leaving her feeling strangely disoriented.

  Instead of releasing her he took the kiss deeper.

  Somehow her arms found their way around his neck and she held on as he took her on the most incredible ride. While his lips teased hers, his hands moved along her bare flesh, burning a trail of fire wherever they touched. And, oh, how they touched her. Boldly. Like a man starved for the touch of her.

  When at last he lifted his head, it was to run hot, wet kisses down her throat to the spot where her pulse was pounding like a jackhammer.

  “Still feeling mutinous?”

  She managed a shaky laugh. “I’m not sure I’d care to share with you what I’m feeling just now.”

  He nuzzled her neck. “I’ll share if you do.”

  “Okay.” She brought her hands to his chest to push him a little away. “You go first.”

  “Think you’re sly, don’t you? All right. I’ll share.” He paused for just a moment. “I’m feeling just a little bit dazed. As though I ought to know what to do next, but can’t quite figure it out. Like a man standing before a banquet, and eager for the feast, but afraid to admit just how hungry I am or it will all be taken away. You dazzle me, Courtney. And you scare me.” He took hold of her hands and pressed a kiss to each palm, all the while staring into her eyes.

  She yanked them away as though burned. “Don’t do that.”

  There was just the slightest catch in her voice that alerted him there was more here than passion.

  Was that panic in her eyes? Pain?

  “Do what?”

  “Play me like this.” She fisted her hands in her lap to keep him from taking them again. “It’s all a game to you, isn’t it?”

  “What?”

  “The chase. Romancing the girl. Getting her into your bed. Another notch on your belt.”

  He hadn’t moved. And yet she could feel him assessing her.

  When he finally spoke his voice was a little too cool. And far too controlled. “Who did this to you?”

  “Did

  “Hurt you so badly you refuse to trust your own feelings.”

  “I’m not feeling anything except foolish for falling for such a tired line as yours.” She gathered the beach towel around her, struggling with her dignity. “We’ve blown off course.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We’ll find our way home.

  We’re close enough to shore to see exactly where we are. I’m more concerned about us.”

  “There is no us, Blair. We’re nothing more than neighbors. If one of us wants it to be more, that’s too bad, because the other has already been to that playground before.”

  “Pretty rough play. It’s left you bloody and bruised.”

  “But alive, thank you. Older but wiser.”

  “Is that what you’re calling cynicism these days? Wisdom? What happens when someone finds a chink in that wall you’ve built around your heart?”

  “I’ll add a f
ew more bricks.”

  “Oh, baby. He really did a number on you.” Without warning he gathered her close and pressed his lips to a tangle of hair at her temple.

  She would have been able to fight him if there had been fire in his eyes, or a hint of fury in his tone. She’d anticipated a duel, or at least a display of arrogance on his part. But this unexpected tenderness was her undoing.

  “Don’t.” She breathed the word against his chest, ashamed to feel moisture on her lashes, on her cheeks. She never cried. Never.

  As his mouth moved over her closed eyes, her cheek, the tip of her nose, kissing away all trace of tears, her feeble protest was lost in a shaky sigh that seemed to rise up from the very depths of her soul.

  She found herself waiting hungrily for his lips to claim hers. When they didn’t, she opened her eyes, searching his face.

  He was watching her with an expression she didn’t recognize.

  Without a word she lifted her face to his and offered her mouth. For the space of a heartbeat he remained perfectly still, as though fighting the desire to take what she was offering.

  When at last his arms tightened around her, she made a little purr of approval. And then his mouth covered hers in a kiss of such intensity it caught them both by surprise.

  “I’ve wanted this. Just this.” His words were spoken inside her mouth as he drew out the kiss, while his hands, those strong, clever hands, moved over her.

  He couldn’t seem to stop kissing her. Each time he came up for air, he had the desperate need to take her mouth again, afraid it would be the last.

  He’d never known a woman’s taste to be this intoxicating. As clean and fresh as the cool water of Lake Michigan that glistened in the moonlight around them. And the feel of her in his arms. Had any other woman’s body been this perfect? All that flawless skin, kissed by the sun, and so soft to the touch she seemed almost otherworldly. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her. He wanted to simplyr her.

  He plunged his hands into the tangles of her hair, loving the feel of it against his palms. It was even softer than he’d imagined. He pressed his face to it, breathing in the fragrance that reminded him of evergreen after a spring rain.

  “You feel so good. And taste even better.” His mouth moved over hers, and this time she returned his kisses with equal fervor, all trace of reluctance gone. He could sense the loneliness, the longing, that flowed from her, and spoke to an equal longing inside him that he hadn’t even known was there. The realization startled him.

  And then he remembered how hurt she’d been. How wounded.

  With his hands on her shoulders he eased back. “I need…” A cold swim, he thought. Aloud he merely said, “…to breathe. We both do.”

  She couldn’t hide the hurt in her eyes. In her voice. After breaking through her resistance, was he rejecting her?

  “All right.” She could feel her lungs straining, as though she’d been sailing through a storm. In a way, maybe she had.

  “We could anchor somewhere and go for a swim.”

  She shook her head, feeling oddly deflated.

  “It’s too late. And, as you said, you’ve no trunks.

  I think I’d rather head home.”

  As she reached for the tiller he closed a hand over hers. “I need to say something.”

  She glanced over at him.

  “It would have been easy to cross a line just now. We were both willing.” Before she could interrupt he went on as quickly as possible, determined to explain. “I don’t want you to think I stopped because I don’t want you. I do.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Desperately, in fact.

  You were right about me, Courtney. Loyalty, constancy, those aren’t traits that run in my family.

  In fact, the Colbys have a history of being pretty casual about love and marriage. That’s why I vowed never to take that particular plunge.” He lifted his hand away from hers. “Now you know.

  The last thing someone like you needs in her life is someone like me.”

  She hated the fact that she was shivering. It wasn’t because of the cold truth he’d just shared with her, or the fact that he’d put a distance between them, both literally and figuratively. It was, quite simply, the night breeze on her bare flesh.

  At least, that was all she was willing to admit to.

  Her voice was crisp. “Thanks for the warning.”

  Back on course, she thought as she turned the little craft toward the cove. She wouldn’t leave herself open and vulnerable around him again. She might not appreciate his honesty at the moment, but she was certain that in time she’d be grateful. At least that’s what she would cling to.

  She stood, planting her feet as she prepared to anchor. “Can you handle that line?”

  She was ing entirely too cool, but he couldn’t think of any way to repair the damage now. She’d deserved complete honesty, and that’s what he’d given her. If it hurt, so be it. Better to be hurt now, before this went any further, than to wait and confess his shortcomings after they’d crossed a line.

  He helped furl the sails and tossed the anchor over the side. As they slipped over the rail and started toward the dock, he put a hand on her arm and pointed.

  A thin ribbon of light was moving around the perimeter of his cottage.

  “Flashlight,” she whispered.

  He nodded and motioned for her to remain there while he hurried ashore.

  Unwilling to stay behind, Courtney dashed through the shallows and reached shore just behind Blair.

  At the sound of their splashing, the light was extinguished. All that could be seen was a shadowy figure dissolving abruptly into the darkness. The only sound they heard was hurried footsteps receding into the distance.

  And then there was only silence, broken by the gentle lap of water against the shore.

  “We’ve taken a mold of the only shoe print we could find.” Chief Thompson watched as his deputies loaded gear into a squad car. “I’m sure, if you hadn’t come upon the intruder so quickly, he’d have taken the time to erase that bit of evidence before leaving. My deputies checked out your place, Courtney, and found no sign of any break-in. That means that he started here, with the Colby cottage. No telling if he’d have moved on to your place afterward.”

  The police chief watched as his deputies backed out of the driveway. Their headlights illuminated Blair’s car, parked beside his cottage. “What worries me is that this guy didn’t seem intimidated by the presence of that car. He should have been afraid that you’d be home and catch him.”

  “Unless,” Blair said tiredly, “he watched Jason Cooper drive my car here and leave immediately afterward with his wife.”

  Boyd Thompson nodded and clipped his flashlight to his belt. “That’s what has me so concerned. Our guy has to be stalking you.” He sighed. “With the limited manpower of our small-town police force, I can’t promise you around-the-clock protection, but I’ll do the best I can. In the meantime, I’d like the two of you to take precautions.”

  Blair glanced at Courtney, who was looking entirely too pale. “Do you know someone in town who can install a security alarm?”

  “I do.” The chief’s voice was all business now. “Along with motion-sensitive lights that will go on the minute anyone gets close to the building. If you’ll give me a pad and pen, I’ll write down the company name and number.”

  As the police chief wrote on a notepad, Blair ran a hand through his hair, wondering just how, after that little scene in the boat, he was going to accommodate Frank Brennan and get Courtney to spend the night. He sighed. Even if he should succeed, how would he manage to keep his hands off her?

  What a mess he’d made of things“Courtney.” Chief Thompson turned to her. “Would you like me to drive you to your grandparents’ house?”

  “Whatever for?”

  He gave her an incredulous look. “You can’t stay alone over there.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, Boyd, I’m a big girl now. I can’t go running home to Bert
and Poppie every time something goes wrong.”

  “Look.” His tone hardened. “This isn’t about running scared. This is about being sensible. Someone is going to a lot of trouble here. As an officer of the law, that says to me that someone is also growing desperate. And desperate people are dangerous people. I’d feel a lot better if you’d let me drive you to The Willows.”

  Courtney glanced at the kitchen clock on Blair’s stove. “It’s nearly four. I won’t have you waking my grandparents at this time of the morning.” She squared her shoulders. “Your deputies said there was no sign of entry at my place. I’m going home. At least I can have a hot shower and a little quiet time before I have to open my shop.”

  Boyd’s frown remained as he glanced at his wristwatch. “Suit yourself, Courtney. If you’re determined, I’ll walk with you before I leave.”

  They said their good-nights to Blair and walked in silence to her shop.

  At the door she turned to the police chief. “Thanks for everything, Boyd. I’m sorry you’ve had to put in so many long hours over this.”

  “Not nearly as sorry as that troublemaking son of a—” he caught himself “—as our vandal is going to be when we catch him.” He sighed. “And we will catch him. It’s just a matter of time.” As she turned away he stopped her. “What do you know about Blair Colby?”

  She shrugged. “Not much. But he has excellent credentials as an architect.” She smiled. “And from what I’ve seen of him with my family, they seem to be growing fond of him.”

  “And you?”

  She arched a brow.

  He flushed. “Sorry. It’s none of my business. But I’m automatically suspicious of anyone who brings trouble to my town. Just…be sensible and be cautious, Courtney.”

  She touched a hand to his arm. “Thanks, Boyd. That’s what Poppie said to me earlier tonight.”

  She watched until the police chief settled into the squad car and drove away. Then, carefully locking her door, she made her way up the stairs above her shop to her apartment.