by Helen Conrad
His half smile was as wicked as his glittering eyes. “Oh, I dare, Summer.” He threw back his head, smiling still, his dark eyes examining her lips, still pink and swollen from his kiss. “I love nothing better than a good challenge. So dare me. Go ahead. Dare me. If you have the nerve.”
That was just the trouble. Summer suddenly realized that she did not have the nerve at all. She, who had never backed down to a man in her life!
But this man was different. Jack Masters was an unknown quantity. There were so many unexplored passages in his complicated character, so many enigmatic facets to his personality. She hadn’t had a chance to pull him apart, to probe and analyze and pigeonhole the things about him. Without that security, she didn’t dare to fight him in the open.
So she used one of the oldest maneuvers in the battle between the sexes. She turned to her champion for protection.
Summer whirled, her turquoise eyes wide in bright anticipation of support. But she found that her last forces were already in retreat. Karl was slumping down into an arm chair, his hooded eyes cast gloomily to the floor.
She turned back to Jack and found the triumph she had expected to see lighting his eyes. He had won, and he knew it. The only problem was, what did he think the prize was? Summer had the shivering feeling that she knew only too well. He thought he had conquered her in some strange game of his own devising. Well, he could think again.
His eyes were slipping over her now as though he had a right to look at her that way, and she wouldn’t stand for it. She would get out of this house. That much was clear. She couldn’t stay here, alone with this man, tonight. Karl would have to find room for her.
A sound in the hallway attracted their attention. Someone else had arrived and was being shown in by a servant.
“This will be your surprise, Karl,” Jack said almost absently, but when Summer looked down at Karl, she found him looking nervously apprehensive.
Then Summer turned. Into the entrance slithered the most exquisite woman she had ever seen. Tall, with creamy skin and jet black hair, worn twisted in a long plait that fell to her knees, she moved with the grace and menace of a sea snake. Summer assumed she must be Samoan, though she looked as though she was of the sort of blend that so often produced a woman of sensual grace and noble pride. She was dressed in a luscious red creation that managed to look island and Paris original at the same time, and it was a moment or two before Summer realized she was very pregnant.
“Come in, Valima,” Jack was saying. “I want you to meet Summer Davis. I’m sure you two are going to be good friends.”
The beautiful creature took the hand Summer offered, but neither smiled nor spoke. It was then that Summer noticed that Karl was white as death.
“I know I haven’t yet offered any of you anything to drink,” Jack was saying. “But I hope you will forgive me if I suggest we go on in to dinner. I think we’ll be more comfortable there.”
With that, he led the way to the dining room, and the others followed as he directed, including Summer, feeling resentful. Why did this man think he could act like a small island dictator, ordering them all around like this? Didn’t anyone ever rebel? That had to change. Somebody should begin a revolution. Hmm. Maybe she would have to be the one to make a stand. She bit her lip. The thought made her shiver.
The dining room was large, the table of polished wood set with delicately woven mats. Translucent china and sterling silver, as well as a row of softly burning candles, set an ambience of rich comfort, but the setting was a contrast to the mood of the diners.
A nightmare. That was what Summer thought it was. She’d never sat through such a weird meal before and she hoped she wouldn’t have to ever again. The tension was so thick, it killed all movement, all conversation. They seemed to be slogging through pea soup fog.
The food was good enough, but the company was so awkward, you’d almost have thought they were a room full of prisoners, each looking for a way to escape as soon as possible. The entire dinner was a wasteland of colliding glances, awkward silences, and clashing comments. The only person present who seemed to find it amusing was Jack. The more uncomfortable the others became, the more he seemed to enjoy himself.
That did it as far as Summer was concerned. She had to get out of here. She would slip away during the coffee, pack her bag, and be ready to leave with Karl when he left. That was the best plan. She knew she had to take herself out of the sphere of this man’s influence. He was danger, and danger she could do without.
She was a woman who believed in goals, and her goal in coming to Samoa had been to marry Karl. There was something about Jack that made her believe he would keep her from that goal if he could. He’d never actually said anything to that effect, but some instinct told her it was true. The sooner she achieved her objective, the better. And she knew that objective could be better realized away from the tyrannical power this man exuded from every pore.
His glance slid over her, starting at her wrist, traveling slowly up her tan, rounded arm, until it came to rest upon the pulse at the cleft between her collarbones. She felt a shudder begin deep inside, and she fought it, but he saw the evidence and smiled. Then his attention was gone again. He had other things on his mind.
She watched as he took a long sip of amber liqueur from the sparkling crystal glass in his hand. She could feel that something was coming. It hung in the air like a gathering storm.
“I have a special reason for wanting you all here tonight,” he said finally, in a tone that, though quiet, still electrified the atmosphere. “There’s an announcement that is long overdue. In fact, I don’t know if I would have been reminded that it had to be made, if I hadn’t met Summer today. She’s provided the impetus for an action that should have been taken long ago.”
He stopped and stared at Karl. They all stared at Karl. Karl stared at the tablecloth in front of him, his face the visage of a condemned man.
For God’s sake, Summer thought. Get it over with.
She had no idea what Jack held against Karl, but it was obvious he meant to get his pound of flesh. The way he was going about it disgusted her. She much preferred a clean, open fight to this sort of attack by innuendo. He was torturing Karl. He meant to hurt him and it was inhuman. She glanced at her old friend and winced. If Jack meant to turn them all against Karl, he was going about it in a strange way. His suffering was actually touching her, producing pity for the man, and fury at his tormentor.
“You may have noticed, Summer, that Valima is with child.” He smiled. “I say it in the old-fashioned way in order to bring every shred of decorum I can manage to a rather unsavory episode.”
Summer felt a knot of dread begin to grow in the pit of her stomach. She refused to put a name to the fear that was developing, but she thought she knew, suddenly, what was coming.
She glanced at Valima. The beautiful girl sat perfectly still, her face at peace, her almond eyes fixed upon Jack as though upon her lord and master. Karl, in contrast, looked as though he’d already been sentenced and his punishment prescribed.
“Valima is from an old family who has lived on this island since the beginning of recorded Samoan history,” Jack went on quietly. “Her great grandfather worked for my great grandfather. He helped my ancestor build this house. Her family has always been close to my family, and my family has always made sure that no one in her family was ever in need when something could be done to prevent it.”
He smiled at the girl, and she smiled back, though Summer thought her eyes held a hint of sadness.
“I know it is the common perception that in Polynesia, having babies without the benefit of wedlock is the accepted norm. There has been a tendency in that direction in the past. But this is the modern age. Samoans are part of America now. And in America, the accepted practice is for a child to have a father, preferably one who is married to its mother.”
His smile was almost malicious. Summer saw the cruelty in it as it flickered over the others. She couldn’t believe the others didn’t see it. Al
l he was doing was trying to hurt and embarrass people. And he was doing a very good job of that.
“A father for her child. Isn’t that what you want for your baby, lovely one?”
Valima smiled at him, but didn’t answer.
“And, that being the case, it gives me great pleasure to announce the engagement of Valima to Karl Benson. Let us toast the happy couple.”
Summer didn’t even reach for her glass. Her glance was skittering about the table, waiting for Karl’s rebuttal. Surely he was not about to stand for this! Surely it was all a joke!
But Karl was drinking to the toast. She could not believe her eyes. Had the man no guts whatsoever?
“I’m glad to see you’re prepared to acknowledge the paternity. Benson,” Jack went on dryly. “A man must face up to his responsibilities.”
“Must he?” Suddenly Karl was furious. “Well what about your responsibilities, Jack? You know you are the . . .”
“That will be enough, Benson. You are emotionally overwrought and not accountable for your statements at this time of overwhelming joy.” Jack downed all that was left in his glass and set the crystal down with a thud. “The wedding will be on Saturday at noon, two weeks from today. And Valima’s child will have a father.”
Summer felt like a sleepwalker. Was this really happening? She must be dreaming. Had Jack really just reached out and taken away her future husband? Had he done it intentionally? Karl was not the father of that child! She knew that as well as she knew the cold face beside her. Jack had fathered the child, and he was going to make Karl take the blame. Why was Karl putting up with it?
“Karl,” she said beseechingly. “Don’t let him do this to you. He doesn’t own you. Tell him to go to hell!”
Jack’s laugh boomed out, sweeping them before it. “She’s right, Benson. Tell me to go to hell. Let’s hear you do it.”
Karl stood, his eyes red-rimmed and dead in his face. “It’s alright, Summer,” he said wearily. “Valima and I have talked of getting married before. Jack is just rushing things a little. But it is as it should be.”
Summer didn’t believe a word of it. “No!” she cried. “Valima! Don’t you have any say in this?”
But the lovely woman was looking at Jack. “I will do whatever you say, Jack,” she said softly. “But you know this is not right. It is not what I want.”
Jack didn’t smile. His voice was cold as steel as he ground out, “But it is what I want.”
Valima smiled. “Then it is what I will do. Until you send for me.” She rose. “Shall we go, husband-to-be?”
Karl gave her a wan smile, threw down his napkin, and rose to join her. “Sorry, Summer,” he said a bit plaintively. “I guess you picked sort of a bad time for a visit.”
Summer watched them leave, still not believing what she had just witnessed. All her hopes left with Karl. She was marooned here in this tyrant’s home. She had no way to escape, no new plan to follow to save her inheritance. What was she going to do?
Slowly, she turned to look at her host. He was pouring another drink, watching the golden liquid as it splashed into the crystal glass.
“You knew I was planning to marry Karl,” she said accusingly. “You did this on purpose.”
His smile was mild, almost friendly. “You do have an ego, don’t you Summer? This had nothing to do with you. Not directly, at any rate.”
“But I have to marry Karl! What am I going to do now?” she wailed in anger.
He leaned forward, staring deep into her turquoise eyes. “My dear, that is certainly no concern of mine,” he answered humorously, then poured the drink down his throat and leaned back into his chair, grinning.
The hatred she felt was stronger than any emotion she had ever experienced before. If she had been equipped with a weapon at that point, she would have used it on him. But as it was, defenseless as she felt, she knew she had to get away from him. Immediately.
She jumped up, ready to run for the door, but a strong hand was holding her wrist, and the black eyes were staring up at her.
“Oh, no you don’t,” his hoarse voice rasped softly. “I’m not finished with you yet.”
And Summer’s heart began to thump a suffocating tattoo against her throat.
Chapter Four
“Let me go,” She strained at his grasp on her arm reaching with her free hand to try to pry his strong fingers away.
He watched her efforts for a moment, smiling slightly. “You’re such a fighter, Summer,” he commented musingly. “I think that’s one of the things that appeals to me about you.”
“Appeals to you!” She lifted her gaze to his dark eyes in anger. She hadn’t been aware that anything about her appealed to him. In fact, it had seemed quite the opposite. “You can’t stand me any more than I can stand you. If you’ll just let go of my hand, I’ll run up and pack my bags and be out of your life in no time.”
He grimaced as though she had probed a wound. “Is that what you think I want?” he asked her softly.
She shook back her hair impatiently. This conversation promised to turn into a walk along the edge of a cliff, and her nerves weren’t steady enough to provide sure footing. “It’s what I want. What do I care what you want?” She gave her arm a tremendous jerk, but he didn’t budge. “I’m getting out of here,” she insisted stubbornly.
Suddenly he was standing beside her. “You’re quite right,” he purred. “We should go where we can be more comfortable.”
Still holding her, he led the way from the dining room into an adjoining library, pulling her along behind him.
“Just the place,” he commented with satisfaction as he pushed the door closed and turned to look about him. The room was lined with floor-to-celling bookcases and had two couches arranged opposite one another in the middle of the grass mat covered floor. “Come. Well have a nice little chat.” He forced her toward one of the couches, then sat down beside her.
She knew this was no good. She was in the lion’s den and he was guarding the door. Why was he doing this to her?
“Just what is it that you want?” she said, glaring at him. Her hair was tousled and she felt like a mess—and totally furious that he’d put her in this position.
In answer to her question, his heavy lidded eyes shimmered with amusement. “What is it that I want?” he repeated incredulously. “Surely that must be abundantly clear to you.”
Her heart was pounding so loudly it seemed to swell in her chest. “Well, it’s not,” she whispered, hoping against hope. “Nothing about you is clear to me.”
He looked surprised. Glancing down at his dark hand on her arm, he frowned slightly and she felt his grip loosen. For some reason, she no longer felt compelled to draw her wrist from his grasp. Instead, she left it there, and his fingers began a slow, circular movement against the pulse point along the inside of her arm.
“Then maybe I’d better explain myself.” His voice was a husky caress against her and she turned to look into his face, startled at the intensity she found in his dark eyes.
Suddenly, a smile was creasing the laugh lines that fanned out from his eyes. Summer stared, fascinated, as the smile deepened. “I feel as though I know you so well, Summer,” he said slowly. “I can see your past written on your beautiful, sulky face and in your blue-green eyes.” Eyes still holding hers, he slowly raised her hand to his mouth.
“You’re spoiled, Summer,” he said into the heart of her palm, his eyes laughing above it. “Not quite spoiled rotten, but pretty ripe.” He buried his lips into her hand, and she found herself cupping it in a caress.
Her senses were spinning in a delicious whirl, but she had to maintain defenses. “Let go of me,” she insisted, though she knew she could pull away if she really wanted to. “I won’t sit here while you insult me.”
The laughter left his eyes. “I’m not insulting you,” he said softly, guiding her open hand up against his cheek. “I’m issuing a warning.”
Summer felt something slip beneath her rib cage as h
er sensitive fingers slid over the roughened skin of his face. When he pulled her hand back down into his lap, she felt the tingle where the tiny stubble of his beard had touched the nerve endings. A dangerous, drugged sort of languor was slowly sapping her resistance. She had to get away from him. She’d never felt herself in so much danger before.
“You’ve been pampered all your life,” he went on. “And you’ve been able to use your beauty to charm your way in the world.” His eyes darkened. “But I’m too impatient to wait while you play your games, Summer. I don’t have time for that.”
Her mouth felt very dry. As she gazed up into his midnight eyes she felt the penetration of his intelligence. He knew her too well. Not even her father had understood like he did. She could see the full perception there, and it terrified her.
“Don’t,” she whispered, though he wasn’t doing anything but looking at her. She pulled away and moved back across the couch, trying to escape his spell. She had to keep control. If she let him see how weak she was before his onslaught, she would be lost. “You can’t manipulate me like you do the others,” she announced with more bravado than confidence.
He laughed softly. “No one manipulates you, do they Summer? What a challenge!”
Pressed up against the corner of the couch, she glared at him. Why couldn’t he leave her alone, she thought fiercely? All she wanted was to be left alone.
But even as she thought it, she knew she was lying to herself. She could get up and walk away if she really wanted to. He couldn’t force her to stay.
“What do you want?” she demanded, her turquoise gaze clashing with his dark mockery.
A moment of silence trembled between them. When he finally spoke, there was no humor in his face.
“You,” he said firmly. “I want you.”
The quiver in her body began to spread out to her limbs. It scared her, but there was more than fear involved, and she knew it.
“I knew the moment I saw you in the doorway of Jeeter’s shack.” He spoke softly, a smile playing at the edges of his wide mouth. “I knew that you were finally here. You see ...” His eyes seemed to glow. “I’ve been waiting for you all my life.”