“You let your employees mouth off like that?”
“Just Mavis.” Link positioned lemon slices on top of the fish. “We began our company when we were first out of college – youth and arrogance were our main assets. Mavis knew people and understood how to build a business. So we owe her big time.” He grinned. “Plus, it’d be hard to fire someone you halfway think of as your grandma.” He chuckled.
“So you and Stone live and work together.”
“Only in the broadest sense. He keeps a bedroom here, but mainly stays in Valdez.”
“And Dolly is there?”
“Oh, so you’ve heard about the love of his life.” Link chuckled and winked at her. “Mavis tell you?”
Ariel indicated agreement. Stone had a ‘love of his life’ and her name was Dolly. Disappointment mixed with relief made Ariel realize how exhausted she felt. Perhaps she shouldn’t have accepted Link’s invitation after five long tiring days on the road.
Link picked up the platter of fish and carried it into the dining room. Ariel followed with the salad. Then, while she called Tempest in to wash, Link carried in the rest of the feast.
Ariel gently massaged the tight muscles at her nape, then smoothed a loose hair back into the tight chignon, which she hoped made her appear matronly, or at least stodgy enough to teach college.
Tempest barreled into the kitchen. “Herc is so much fun. Did you see how high he can jump?”
“Wash your hands,” Ariel said.
Tempest grabbed the soap. “Megara is cool, too. She’s the chubby white one, who’s locked up. Did Mr. Gavallan tell you that she ‘n’ Electra are gonna have puppies?” Water sloshed away the suds. “Do you think I could watch them being born? That’d be so cool.”
Link laughed as he returned with the empty tray. “You’ll have to ask Stone and your mother if it’s okay.” Ariel gave Link a sharp look. He grinned. “Even though I seem to end up feeding them most of the time, they’re Stone’s dogs.”
“Why so many?” Tempest asked.
“He breeds and trains sled dogs for a hobby.”
“How soon’ll he be back so I can ask him?” Tempest asked.
“It’s hard to say, but normally he’s here a day or two each week and I spend about the same amount of time in Valdez.”
“That’s a weird way to be partners.” Trust Tempest to blurt out what should only be thought.
“Not when we each run one of the offices.” Link laughed at Tempest’s befuddled expression. “Lets eat while the fish is still warm.”
Ariel knew she should be pleased to know that Stone wouldn’t be next door every day, and that he would be safely tucked away in Valdez with his beloved and that prima-donna secretary. But she wasn’t.
“Sir,” Tempest asked, “can I come over ‘n’ play with them again or do I have to ask Mr. Stone permission for that?”
“You can come whenever your mom says it’s okay, but you have to promise to always latch the gate. Okay?” Tempest nodded.
They sat down at the table. Ariel looked at the table and some of her tension dissipated.
“Sir-“
“I’m not a sir or a mister, I’m just plain Link.”
Tempest’s expression became worried. “It’s not respectful to speak to your elders as if they’re your equals. At least it isn’t unless they’re family and that’s not even-“ She clamped her mouth shut and looked miserable.
Link’s eyebrows merged with the blond curls flopping across his forehead. “Maybe there’s hope for the next generation after all.” Tempest stared at Link as if his hair had turned purple. He smiled at Ariel. “You taught her well.” She tried to curve her wooden lips into the semblance of a casual smile, but she knew where Tempest had been taught respect and doubted that Link’s simple request could undo the beatings, which had typified Peter’s definition of the way she should ‘respect her elders’.
“Sir-“
“If it makes you uncomfortable, maybe you could call me Uncle Link.” He looked at Ariel. “You look a little like my sister, Carmen, and I’ve always wanted a niece.”
Eye’s huge, Tempest chewed her lower lip and studied Link. Ariel imagined her sister was searching for the verbal trap that would lead to the irrational rage, which always ended in violence. Ariel cleared her throat. “I don’t think it would do any harm, if you don’t mind her calling you uncle, but don’t think that’ll translate into any special favors.” She gave him a hard look. The surprise, which flooded his eyes told her more than she’d hoped to learn.
Tempest’s expression remained suspicious, but she nodded in agreement. “Okay. You’re my Uncle Link.” Tempest seemed to savor the feel of it on her tongue before she took a bite of fish. “Mmmm. This tastes good.” Surprise suffused her face. “Really good! You really made it?” She looked over the table. “All this?”
Linked laughed at her obvious doubt and nodded. “I learned to cook when Stone and I were roommates in college. It was either that or be poisoned by his cooking.” By the time they’d finished the main course, Link had told them how he and Stone had been become best friends in college. As they ate pie, he regaled them with stories about moving to Alaska and starting their company.
Later, ensconced on the comfortable leather sofa, Ariel could barely keep her eyes open. She surreptitiously glanced at her watch. Eleven, which would only be seven p.m. Eastern Time. Ridiculous to be so tired.
Tempest giggled. “I think I like having an uncle who likes to fish and cook. You’re a whole lot better‘n my real uncles.” She wrinkled her nose, then her eyes widened, as she realized how much she had revealed.
Let the kid get comfortable and she’d blurt out anything.
Ariel gave an exaggerated yawn. “Link, it’s been a great evening, but we’ve been up since five this morning.” She stood up. “When we get settled, we’ll have you over for a meal.”
“I’d like that,” Link said.
After the door shut behind them, Tempest sniffed. “I’m hopeless, aren’t I?” It sounded like she was ready to cry over what she’d almost said. “I can never remember to keep my mouth shut.”
Ariel put her arm around Tempest’s trembling shoulders. “It’s all right. You did fine.”
“But I talked about family.”
“True, but you didn’t name names.” Her arm tightened. “It’s not unusual to have uncles who can’t cook or fish.”
Tempest gave her a watery smile. “I wish we didn’t have to live like this.” She swallowed. “All the lies and pretending.”
“I don’t like it either, but it’s better than the alternative.” Ariel and Tempest both shivered. Even if everyone had to die sometime, she intended to postpone the inevitable as long as possible.
But if fate brought them a confrontation, she intended to do everything possible to protect herself and Tempest, too. So, as Tempest headed up the stairs to bed, Ariel headed down to the basement to practice Tai Chi. She studied the empty knothole for a few moments, thinking how much more satisfying it was to kick a boxing bag until dust mingled with perspiration, than the meditative fluidity of Tai Chi, than allowed herself to relax into the well-known movements.
Chapter 3
Ariel’s heel savagely connected with their new boxing bag. What had she been thinking when she’d invited Link to dinner? Kick. How dare Tempest set a date? Kick. Particularly for tonight. Kick, kick, kick. She wiped perspiration out of her eyes with her forearm, then attacked the bag, again. At least she’d only asked her beloved ‘Uncle Link’ and not Stone. Kick, kick.
“Sherry!”
She whirled to face her sister. Grabbed her by the shoulders, and snapped, “Ariel.” She gave her a tiny shake. “You’ve got to remember.”
“How come we can’t keep the same first names?” Tempest whispered.
“Do I really have to explain?” Tempest shook her head. “I didn’t think so.” She released her sister. “So what did you want?” It had to be something important for her to interrupt a
workout.
“Is there enough food for one more person?”
“Probably. Why?”
“I was just over playing ball with Herc and Mr. Stone came home. “She rushed to add. “He looked exhausted. Almost like he hadn’t slept since we last saw him.”
“Interesting,” Ariel said. Tempest looked startled by her harsh tone. “You didn’t invite him, did you?”
Tempest nodded. “How come you’re angry?” Fear flickered over her face. “Did I do something bad-wrong?”
Ariel sighed. “No.” Tempest stared at her, waiting for an explanation. “Was there anything else, that you wanted to interrupt my workout with?” Tempest shook her head. “Good, then since you invited him, you can make more salad and peel a couple more potatoes and I’ll make extra pasta.”
“Fine.” Tempest stomped toward the stairs.
Ariel turned back to the kick-bag. The guy had looked exhausted, had he? Kick, kick. Perhaps he came to Fairbanks because he needed to get some rest from the ‘love of his life’. Kick, kick, kick. The mental image of him and a faceless woman named Dolly moving sensually beneath the covers brought on a frenzy of kicks.
Later, she sat across the card table from her sister, Link on her left and Stone on her right. How inadequate this meal looked compared to the one Link had served. How bare their townhouse’s blah white walls seemed. If she knew they’d be able to stay, it’d be wonderful to make this unit into a cozy home as Link had. But that wouldn’t happen, so she’d better get used to having beanbags for living room furniture and calling the cheap set of folding chairs and faux leather table a dinning room set. She stabbed some lettuce. Link put down his fork and leaned toward Tempest, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. Alarm skittered up Ariel’s spine. Pretending to focus on her food, she listened to Link tell Tempest about an upcoming trip that he and Stone were planning to some God-awful sounding place that probably looked as sorry as the shoddy furniture and felt as uncomfortable as the blister on her heel, but his description of the place held her animal-loving sister spellbound. Convinced that the conversation was innocent, she returned her attention to her plate, but she was all too aware of Stone’s silent presence to taste the food.
Suddenly, Tempest leapt up, her folding chair flipped backwards, Mozart shrieked from his perch in the corner and Tempest began bouncing on the balls of her feet. Mozart shrieked and beat his wings. Hands in prayer pose, her expression bursting with excitement, Tempest dropped to her knees next to Ariel’s chair. Oh, no! No. No. No. No. No. This could not be good. “Can we, can we, can we? Oh, pull-ease say yes!”
“To what?”
“The trip. Can we go? Oh, pull-ease say yes!”
“Where?”
Link gestured northward. Surely Link hadn’t asked them to come with him! Ariel shot a look at the man. Link smiled and raised a brow, as if daring her to accept. She wet her lips and turned her attention to her right.
Stone’s eyes appeared hooded. “Just say yes and get the suspense over with.”
“Camping?” she asked, in an effort to determine what her sister was begging for. He nodded and she hoped he had not noticed the squeak of alarm in her tone. “In the actual Arctic, with you and Link?” He nodded, again, but this time, the corners of his mouth tilted up. Her stomach did a tiny dance of excitement, then reality crashed in. Stone O’Banyon exuded the strongest aura of male sexuality she’d ever encountered. It was even stronger than Peter’s had been, and that had been strong enough to blind her mother. She inched back from the table.
Tempest grabbed her left hand in both of her own, her eyes beseeching. “Puuuullll-ease?”
Ariel’s heart hammered against her ribs, she tore her gaze from Tempest to Link, who seemed to find her hesitant reaction amusing. A tiny sound from her right brought her attention back to the man, who seemed to define ‘drop dead gorgeous’. How would she survive camping for a night or two with only thin canvas protecting her from Stone? No matter how hard she practiced self-protection, she didn’t have any defense against the feelings she got around him. Her stomach knotted around the Pasta Alfredo she’d just eaten and her lips formed an N.
“Pull-ease, Sh-er-Mama. We might never get a chance to see real tundra ever again.”
“It really is beautiful up there in a stark kind of way,” Link added.
Stone tilted his head toward Tempest. “You owe it to your daughter.”
Stone O’Banyon was the last person on earth she wanted to share a trip with. Particularly a camping trip to a remote area. Ariel straightened her back, squared her shoulders and looked directly into his face, then wet her lips to tell him so. He smiled. Her heart stopped for while his gaze stayed on her, and he seemed to see every shadowed corner of her soul.
“Pull-ease!” Tempest yanked hard enough on her hand to wrench her attention from Stone’s mesmerizing gaze. She shivered, now knowing how snakes lulled their defenseless prey.
“Say yes,” Stone said.
“Yes.” Ariel clamped her jaws shut and crossed her arms over her stomach. What had he done to her mind? How had he gotten her to agree when it was the last thing she knew she should do? The man must be even more lethal than she’d suspected.
“Yes!” Tempest jumped up and did an impromptu jig. “We get to do something fun for a change! Oh, this’ll be so great! Thank you, Uncle Link.” She quit hopping and gave Link an impulsive hug.
The big blond mussed Tempest’s hair, then he eased off his chair, stood up, and taking her sister’s hand, spun her around in a classic dance move. “It’s a date, then.” Link winked at her over her sister’s head. Ariel wanted to scream with frustration. “Plan to pack light,” Link continued. “We don’t have much extra room.” He gave Tempest another spin, quickly followed by a brotherly hug ending with a chuckle under the chin, then he headed toward the front door.
Except for the dance moves and hug, Stone followed Link’s example with Tempest, but then he turned in her direction. Her blood ran cold; his gaze appeared sweltering. “Thanks for dinner. I really enjoyed it.” He leaned toward her. The breath caught in her throat. Before she could back away, he kissed her. As his lips moved over hers, she felt the heat all the way to her toes. A moment later, the soles of her feet started perspiring, he pulled back. “I’m really looking forward to roughing it.” His rough thumb stroked her cheek.
Tremors ran through her. Her mind went blank. All that remained were waves of raw emotion, which she’d buried years before.
A scream rent the air.
Ariel remembered to breathe.
“What the heck?” Stone whirled toward the sound.
Tempest sniggered. “You made Mozart jealous Mr. Stone.”
“Cute trick,” he said.
“He’s a very silly bird.” Tempest grinned. “If you want to finish kissing Ariel, I’ll take him into the other-“
When had her sister turned into such a little traitor? “That won’t be necessary,” Ariel said, as she backed away from him. “I’m sure Mr. O’Banyon is in a hurry to leave.” She grabbed the doorknob and prayed her knees wouldn’t fail her.
Link looked ready to burst with either laughter or anger as he pushed Stone outside.
Ariel closed the door, set the deadbolt, then knees still wobbly from the impact of Stone’s kiss, she leaned against the wood.
Tempest’s grin was mischievous. “Wow, was that a kiss or what?”
“Or what,” Ariel snapped. “What were you thinking, begging to go into the middle of nowhere with them?” Tempest widened her eyes. Her innocent act steeled Ariel. “In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t know them.”
“Sure we do. They’re nice.”
“All you know about Link is that he can catch and cook fish. That’s nothing. You’re a kid, he’s a man, there’s something really wrong about-“
“Oh!” Tempest fumed, “You’re always such a fuddy-duddy! He’s a nice person.”
“Maybe, but he hasn’t proved it to me.”
“What, you
think he’s interested in me?”
“I think Link and Stone are the types that Peter hires and some of them were perverts.”
Tempests eyes sparkled with anger. “Not Link.”
With no proof to support her suspicions, Ariel changed the subject. “You should get ready for bed.”
“Insha’ Allah,” Mozart wailed.
“Sometimes I think he understands,” Tempest said. “You really aren’t upset about Link liking me, are you?” Ariel stared at her. “It’s Stone, isn’t it? That’s whose got you all balled up inside, isn’t it?” Her sister’s perception was getting far too good. “Well, are you going to answer my question?”
Speechless, Ariel glared at her.
Tempest licked her lips. “That kiss looked hotter than anything I’ve ever seen on TV.” Tempest hugged herself, her hands moving suggestively over her back. “What exactly was he doing with his tongue? What did-“
Ariel’s circulation came back with a whoosh and she pushed away from the door. “Go to bed, now.”
Tempest shrieked and vaulted up the stairs two at a time.
Ariel watched her go, then went to card-table and started collecting the black plastic plates and utensils. Compared to the dinning room she’d grown up with, everything looked pathetic, but neither Link nor Stone seemed to have minded. She closed her eyes, remembering the lead crystal candlesticks, platinum-edged china and etched glass goblets she’d always associated with fine home dining. Peter had smashed more than half in angry fits before her mother had understood that a monster lived under his ‘too-nice-mask”. Were she and Tempest making the same mistake about Link and Stone? Were they sociopaths, like Peter?
She opened her eyes and looked at the four for a dollar plates and sighed. Would her life ever be stable enough for anything but throwaways?
“What was it like to kiss him?”
Ariel whirled around. Tempest was halfway down the stairs, an impertinent grin on her face. “Why aren’t you in bed?”
“Was that what they call a French kiss or was it just a deep one and how do you tell the difference?”
Fatal Attractions Page 4