The Pirate

by Jayne Ann Krentz

  “Sure. Why not? For old times’ sake. Assuming I’m not busy, of course.”

  “Do lunch.” Rage boiled up inside him, hot and fierce and fueled by frustration. He crossed the short distance between himself and Kate in one long stride, grabbed her arms and swung her around to face him. “I don’t believe you said that. What the hell do you mean, we’ll do lunch?”

  Her eyes locked with his, cool and distant in the shadows. “What did you have in mind? Did you plan to send David off to the Space Needle while you and I have a quick toss in the sack?”

  “Dammit, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “No? Then what did you mean?”

  “I thought we could see each other again, that’s all.”

  “And I said, fine. Just let me know when you’ll be in town.”

  “Stop making it all sound so damned casual.” He released her abruptly and clamped his hands around the railing.

  “But that’s exactly what it is, Jared. Casual.”

  He looked at her through hooded eyes, trying to get a handle on whatever game it was she had chosen to play with him tonight. “It’s not casual. It couldn’t possibly be casual. Not for you.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m the man of your dreams.” He felt the sudden stillness in her and moved in ruthlessly for the coup de grace. “You couldn’t possibly feel casual about me. Not now, not ever. You might hate me or you might love me, but you would never, ever feel casual about me.”

  “What makes you so damned sure of that?”

  He smiled thinly. “I’m reading your book. Letty gave it to me. It was a real revelation, Kate. Because I’m the hero of that book, aren’t I?”

  “Not very likely. I didn’t even know you when I wrote it.”

  He shook his head, feeling more sure of his ground now. He had her on the defensive; he could feel it. Relentlessly, he stalked her. “I’m not a fool, Kate. And I’ll admit I don’t generally read romance novels, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that I’m what you want and need in a man. You just haven’t admitted it to yourself yet.”

  “Your ego is astonishing.”

  “Look at me, lady. Look at me and tell me I’m wrong. You want someone who is as strong as you are. You want someone who wants you so much, he can’t think of anyone else. You want someone who doesn’t run when you stand up to him. Hell, I even look like one of your heroes, right down to the dark hair and gray eyes. I live on a tropical island and you half believe I’m a real-life pirate. I’ll bet you fifty bucks, a hundred bucks, a thousand, that you can’t walk away from me without a backward glance. You’re going to dream about me for the rest of your life.”

  Kate stared at him, her eyes wide. “The fact that you’re the man of my dreams doesn’t do me much good if I’m not the woman of yours.”

  Jared reeled. “You admit it?”

  “Admit what? That you’re a fantasy come true for me? Yes, I admit it. I’ve known it since the first time you made love to me.”

  Jared let go of the deep breath he had been holding. “Kate, honey, listen to me...”

  “No, you listen to me, Jared.” She smiled gently. “You’ve done enough damage tonight. I think it’s time you left.”

  “You can’t kick me out. Not now.”

  “I think I’d better. If I don’t I’m only going to get hurt worse than I already am. I realized that this afternoon when David gave me his beautiful drawing. I’ve got to start pulling back.”

  “Kate, I don’t want to hurt you. That’s the last thing I’d want to do.”

  “Then leave.”

  He couldn’t believe she was kicking him out. “What do you want from me?”

  “Nothing.”

  “That’s not true. You’re lying. I can see it in your eyes.”

  “You’re suddenly very perceptive for a pirate.” She shrugged and leaned on the railing again. “All right, I’ll admit I want something from you, but it’s something I don’t think you can give me, so it’s better if I don’t ask for it.”

  “Stop talking in circles. Be honest with me, Kate. That’s all I’m asking.”

  “I’m not sure you deserve a lot of honesty. You haven’t been overly honest with me, have you?”

  “Kate, stop baiting me.”

  “All right, I’ll tell you exactly what I think. I think I am in love with you, but I’m afraid of that fact precisely because you are too close to being the living image of the man of my dreams.”

  Heady relief washed through him. “Honey, don’t be afraid to let yourself love me.”

  “Furthermore,” she went on as if she hadn’t heard him, “I think that you could learn to love me, but you’re afraid to try because I’m not the image of the woman of your dreams.”

  He absorbed that in silence for a long moment. “I hadn’t thought about it that way. You think I’m so hung up on Gabriella’s memory that I could never love you?”

  “Not exactly, but I think that because you were happy with her, you’ve decided you’d only be happy again with a woman who was a lot like her. Maybe you’re right. We both know I’m not at all like her, Jared. In fact, I’m her opposite in many ways. You said it, yourself: night and day.”

  “I don’t want another Gabriella. I don’t want another angel.” The words shocked him as much as her with their intensity. “I want a flesh-and-blood woman who understands that a man can’t always be a saint. A woman who can put up with me when I lose my temper, one who won’t crumple like a flower when I argue with her, one who can love me for what I am.”

  She stared at him, her eyes luminous in the shadows. “I want a man who can love me for what I am, a man who’s not constantly searching for some image of the past.”

  “Maybe it’s time we both stopped thinking in terms of preconceived dream images,” Jared said. He touched her cheek. “I’m not still pining for Gabby. I swear it. I’ll admit she left an impression in my mind of the sort of woman I could love. But that’s all it was, just an impression, an idea. And you’ve trampled all over it. In fact, I don’t think there’s much left of it. When I think about the kind of woman I could love now, all I can think about is you.”

  Kate looked up at him, her eyes clear and deep. Jared thought he could see her heart. Her fingers closed around his wrist as he stroked the line of her cheek.

  “Do you mean that, Jared?”

  He framed her face with his hands and was instantly captivated by the undisguised longing he saw in her gaze. “I mean it.”

  He brought his mouth down onto hers, aware of an odd and unexpected rush of tenderness. She responded to it immediately, her lips softening under his, her body pressing close. For a long moment he savored the taste of her, letting himself drown in the knowledge that she wanted him. It felt so good, he thought; so right. Whatever had made him think she wasn’t his type?

  The tenderness caught fire and blazed into the stark need Jared always seemed to feel when he took Kate into his arms. It was exhilarating to know that he did not have to temper the force of his desire with her. He could let himself go and she would respond fully and completely. She was a woman whose passions matched his own.

  “I want you, sweetheart. I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you. You make me crazy, you know that?” He caught her around the waist and lifted her up off her feet. She clung to his shoulders, her green eyes brilliant with silent laughter.

  “I’m glad,” she said. “You do the same to me and you know it. In fact, I’m beginning to think you know entirely too much about me.”

  “Not a chance. I could spend the rest of my life getting to know you as well as I’d like.” The rest of my life. Jared lowered her until her feet touched the veranda deck. He took one step over to the lounger, sat down and tugged her tenderly down beside him.

  He deliberately settled her full-length on the cushions, pushing her skirt up high on her thigh. Then he reached down, circled her delicate ankle with his hand and slowly stroked his palm upward.
He loved the smooth curves of her legs and the deep, mysterious shadows that waited under the silk of her skirt. In a few minutes he would undress her and touch all those fabulous, hidden places and she would grow hot and moist with her need of him.

  The anticipation made him hard. Part of him urged him to make the moment last, but another part wanted to race recklessly toward the soul-stirring conclusion. It was the devil’s own choice.

  “What’s the matter?” Kate reached up to curl her arm around his neck, urging him close. “You look as if you can’t make up your mind about something.”

  His answering laugh was more like a heavy groan that was torn from his chest. He started unbuttoning the bodice of her dress. “I always feel like a kid with an ice cream sundae when I’m with you. I want it all and I want it right now, but I also want to make it last.”

  “There’s nothing that says we can only do it once,” she murmured.

  “Such a demanding female.” Jared smiled with deep pleasure as he slipped his hand inside the open bodice. He touched the sweet curve of her breast and sucked in his breath.

  Kate lifted herself against his touch, moving under his palm like a sleek cat. The honest, uninhibited desire sent the blood pounding in his veins. When she fumbled with the zipper of his jeans he shifted, gathering her beneath him so that he could lie on top of her.

  He tried to undress her slowly, taking his time and enjoying every inch of skin he exposed along the way. But she kept whispering his name and sighing with such fevered longing that he knew he would not be able to last much longer. When she pushed his jeans down over his hips, leaving him wearing only his unbuttoned shirt, he decided he’d had enough of the pleasures of anticipation.

  The next few minutes were hurried and a little frantic as Jared got rid of the last of Kate’s clothing. He loved the way her breath quickened and her skin got slick with her excitement.

  At long last Jared was where he wanted to be, sliding between Kate’s legs, bracing himself on his elbow as he reached down to guide himself into her. His fingers tangled briefly in the soft hair that shielded her delicate secrets and then he was opening her gently. She cried out as he positioned himself and surged fully and deeply into her. When she closed around him he thought he would lose his sanity.

  “Jared. Yes, please, oh, my love, please. I want you so much.”

  “Hold me, sweetheart. Close. Tight.” The words were thick in his mouth. He was almost incoherent now as his passion roared through him. She clung to him, giving herself to him with the wholehearted generosity that never ceased to amaze him.

  Jared took everything he could, knowing that even as he claimed her he was being claimed. In those last split seconds before release he was aware of nothing except the overwhelming need to make himself a part of the woman in his arms. He had to bind her to him, make her realize that she would never be free of him.

  And then Kate was convulsing gently around him, shivering exquisitely, calling to him in that soft, husky voice. Jared went rigid, hovered for an endless, mindless moment in the eye of the storm and then collapsed slowly against her.

  It was a long, languid time before he reluctantly rolled to one side. He inhaled deeply, feeling his energy flowing back along his nerve endings. He could not let her leave. That was all there was to it. He could not allow her to leave.

  “Jared?”

  “Hmm?” He felt affectionate and indulgent now, the urgency and passion magically converted into a pleasant, drowsy satisfaction.

  “If we’re agreed that tonight marks some sort of turning point in our relationship...”

  “It does. Definitely. A turning point. No casual lunches in Seattle?”

  “Yes, well, then I think it’s time we talked honestly about a few things.”

  Jared immediately felt his indulgent mood begin to disintegrate. “You’re going to bring up the subject of what’s going on up at the castle again, aren’t you? I can hear it coming. How many times do I have to tell you that it’s none of your sweet business? You’re just going to have to contain your curiosity and learn to trust me.”

  “I think I could trust you, Jared, even though I don’t like being kept in the dark.”

  “Thanks.” He felt a measure of relief at having gained that much from her at least.

  “But I see no reason why I should trust Max Butterfield or Jeff Taylor. I really feel you owe me an explanation on this.”

  “Jeff Taylor. At the castle?” Alarm shot through him, shattering what was left of his relaxed, indulgent mood. Jared jackknifed to a sitting position and grabbed Kate by the shoulders. He hauled her up to face him. “What in hell are you talking about?”

  Chapter 10

  Kate was stunned by Jared’s reaction. She stared up at him in shock. “What’s the matter? I know you don’t like me prying into this, but I really think I deserve an explanation, don’t you?”

  “Kate, listen to me. I’ll give you all the explanations you want, but first you’ve got to tell me what makes you think Jeff Taylor is involved in this.”

  “You’re not going to like it.”

  “That goes without saying. Just talk. And fast.”

  Kate drew a deep breath. “I found the secret to opening the wall in the castle.”

  “Where?” Jared’s expression was grim.

  “In Amelia Cavendish’s diary.”

  “Damn. I should have known. All right, go on. I take it you couldn’t resist going back to the castle to see if the secret worked? Never mind. Stupid question. Of course you couldn’t resist. Of course you wouldn’t think of doing the sensible thing and come to me to ask me about it.”

  “Why should I ask you?” Kate shot back, stung. “Every time I’ve tried to ask you about what’s going on at the castle, you tell me to mind my own business.”

  “Okay, okay, we’ll argue about this later, I can promise you that. Right now I have to know what you saw.”

  “I got the wall open and I took a quick look inside. I saw some crates and cartons and the wet suit and equipment Jeff uses.”

  “How do you know it was Taylor’s?”

  “The wet suit was yellow and black. The same colors as the suit he wore diving the other day.” Kate frowned. “I suppose it could belong to someone else. Does the resort rent yellow-and-black suits?”

  “No.” Jared released her and drove a hand through his dark hair. “What the hell is going on?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know. Jared, if you’re involved in something illegal, now is the time to tell me. We’ve danced around this matter long enough.”

  “I’ve already told you, it’s not illegal. But it is getting to be a damned nuisance.” He stalked to the edge of the veranda and stood gazing out into the darkness for a long moment.

  “Please. What is this all about?” Kate asked.

  “It’s about a favor I was doing for Max Butterfield.”

  “Max? What kind of favor?”

  “It’s a long story. The short version is that Max sometimes does odd jobs out here in the Pacific for the government.”

  “I don’t get it. He’s a spy or something?”

  “Nothing that exciting,” Jared said evenly. “Or that formal. He’s not exactly on the government payroll. He’s what you might call a stringer. He started out selling bits and pieces of information when he realized several years ago that he wasn’t ever going to get around to writing the Great American Novel. Over the years he’s had his uses, I guess.”

  “But what was he doing here? Why were you helping him?”

  Jared reached for his jeans. “He did me a favor a couple of years back when I needed a little muscle to get rid of some rounders who decided they were going to settle here on Amethyst. He got his buddies in the department to send some professional leaners.”

  “Leaners?”

  “Yeah. Leaners. You know. They lean on people.” Jared zipped his jeans and started buttoning his shirt. “They asked a lot of pointed questions about tax-filing status and things
like that. Made our unwelcome guests generally uncomfortable. They leaned until the troublemakers decided to go to some other island. The long and short of it is, I owed Max and his friends.”

  “And he came around to collect?”

  “A couple of months ago.”

  “Well?” Kate followed him as he finished dressing and stepped back into the darkened room. She grabbed her dress and held it in front of her. “What did he want?”

  “The guys he sells information to wanted him to set up a trap here on the island.” Jared glanced over his shoulder, his mouth twisted wryly. “You should appreciate this part. Seems they were having trouble with some real modern-day pirates. Someone’s got a racket going using the cruise ships.”

  “How?”

  “They’ve been hijacking sophisticated electronics equipment from military and construction sites here in the Pacific. They use a small, fast boat or a plane to bring the stuff to remote islands where it’s stored until the guys who are running things arrive to repackage and ship the stuff to a new destination.”

  “How are the cruise ships involved?”

  “Max’s friends figured out who was running the first stage of the operations, but they couldn’t get a handle on the ringleader. The head man, disguised as an innocent tourist from one of the cruise ships, apparently arrives at the islands where stuff is stored. He takes care of business while everyone is souvenir shopping and then he leaves on the boat. In some cases the equipment is smuggled right on board.”

  “When a cruise ship arrives, an island like Amethyst is temporarily swamped with strangers,” Kate said slowly. “It would be easy for someone to conduct some illegal activity and then leave with no one the wiser.”

  “Max and his pals arranged to sucker these pirates into using the hidden dock inside the castle as a temporary storage facility for the illegal shipments. They fell for it. Tomorrow when the ship arrives the boss man is supposed to hit the island and head for the castle where Max and some of his buddies are going to be waiting for him.” Jared was at the door.

  “Wait, where are you going?”