Destination Romance

by Barbara McMahon

  Tension rose in the small confines of the plane. Mary-Kate glanced nervously at him as she spread the blanket over her, wanting him to say something, anything. But he remained silent.

  "Why didn't you tell me about the plane?" she finally asked gently.

  Dane moved his head, and opened his eyes to see her. "At first I was mad that you had stayed behind. I wasn't going to make it easy for you to leave."

  When he said nothing more, Mary-Kate prodded, "I told you I hadn't stayed behind, I had been left. You believe that by now, don't you?"

  "By the time I believed it, I didn't want you to go any earlier than you had to." His voice was low. His eyes were mere slits, studying her across the narrow aisle, studying her reactions.

  "That doesn't make sense. You can't wait for me to be gone."

  "I'll miss you when you go," he admitted softly.

  Her heart lurched as she stared at him in the dim light; had she heard correctly? "What?"

  "Given other circumstances, other times, we might have been good together," he said. "I will miss you when you go."

  "What circumstances?" she asked suspiciously, her heart pounding at the soft, tender note in his voice. Her hopes flared. Maybe he wasn't indifferent to her; maybe there was hope for them.

  "If you were rich. If you had traveled the world and found it lacking. If you owned half the island and I the other half," he said almost whimsically.

  "You're a cynic, Dane Carmichael. You've been unfortunate in the women you've known, but all women are not like them. Look at Lisa, at Joyce, at Nora. They all live here, and happily if what I saw was anything to go by. Why do you think other women can't be happy here as well?"

  "Money does funny things to people. They suddenly want to spend it."

  "I don't think much of your taste in women!" Mary-Kate retorted waspishly. She wasn't flattered to be classified with those other teachers who had tried to capture the boss—or with Melissa.

  He smiled, his eyes lightening in amusement. "I guess I don't either. But you're something, honey. Maybe not in the same category."

  "Definitely not!" Mary-Kate longed to have him hold her again; longed to tell him she loved him that she wanted to stay more than anything. But that would put her in with all the others, and she had too much pride for that. She'd leave as he'd asked her to, head held high, pride intact.

  And heartbroken.

  The pounding of the rain on the roof sounded louder, the slam of water against the side of the building reverberated sharply. Mary-Kate shivered, eying the building. "It's an awful storm, isn't it? Will the building stand?"

  "Yes to both. I had the devil's own time getting here; the jeep wanted to wander off the road. The rain's coming down in sheets, and most of the roads are now muddy strips along the cultivated area."

  "When I knew I was lost, I thought I would be caught out in it. But I wasn't worried; I thought it would be just a mild tropical storm, like the one we had the other afternoon."

  If she hadn't found this shelter, there was no telling what she would have found out in the storm.

  "It's part of a typhoon—pretty far south, and not the right time of year, but there it is. I'm glad you weren't caught in it; it's dangerous. The wind is carrying palm fronds and other debris that could seriously injure a person, or even kill them. That's why we were looking for you."

  "How did you know I was out there?"

  "When you didn't show up for dinner, I went to the village. I questioned several women there, including Joyce, who told me when you left. I got Mike and Roy and two others who have jeeps to start crisscrossing the island, looking for you."

  "You reached them, by the jeep radio?"

  "Yes, they're all safely home by now."

  Mary-Kate glanced over to him, startled to find his eyes still on her. "I didn't mean to put so many people out."

  "And what did you mean to do? What have you meant to do all along?"

  She drew a shaky breath, and shook her head. "All I wanted was a tropical escape for one summer. It seemed so easy last spring. I didn't want to meet you, get stuck here. I thought I'd be sailing around with the Lombard’s, seeing the South Seas and experiencing a summer like none I'd ever had before."

  "You'll be going soon. Maybe you can catch up with the Lombard’s, finish the summer like you planned." His voice was hard again.

  He'd misinterpreted her, but she didn't correct him. No point in it. Better if he thought she didn't want to stay rather than that her heart was breaking at the thought of leaving. Wouldn't he scoff at that?

  She lay against the seat, savoring every second with him, saving up memories for the long nights ahead. She could hear his breathing in the quiet confines of the little plane, over the drum of the rain. She could smell the special scent of him: pineapple, sunshine and salt air.

  She'd thought of him as a pirate when she'd first seen him, and he'd proved to be more like one than she'd first thought. He lived like one, doing everything to suit himself, without a care for others and their feelings. No, that was not true. He did care, but he'd been hurt in the past, and would not let that happen again. He had not known her feelings would become involved.

  And he'd never know it, she vowed. Better to have him think her a gold digger who had failed than to realize the old-fashioned girl from Iowa had fallen in love with him.

  "So you know all about the plane now. No words of recrimination?"

  She shook her head; afraid to speak for fear that the tears trembling in her eyes would fall. "No declaration of forgiveness and undying love?" his voice mocked— herself? Himself?

  She chanced her voice.

  "Love is very special, Dane. Not to be scoffed at. It doesn't come to everyone, and it is not returned every time. But if it ever comes to you, you must learn to trust it, and put aside your fears of a repetition of the past. Love is trust, and trust is a part of love."

  "And have you ever loved?" he asked in the darkness.

  "Only once, and it wasn't returned," she whispered after a long moment.

  "More fool he."

  CHAPTER TEN

  The lantern gave off its steady glow from the floor of the hangar. Inside the plane, it was much darker. They could hear the frenzy of the storm as it played against the tin roof, along the corrugated metal walls. The confines of the small plane muffled the sounds, giving a feeling of increased safety against nature's elements.

  "Mary-Kate, when the storm's over, I'll take you to the next island, if you like. Fly you there right away." Dane's voice was quiet, without inflection. “You'll be able to get a puddle jumper to Fiji and a flight home from there.”

  Mary-Kate tried to see him in the dim light, but could only see his outline; she couldn't see his face, see what expression he wore. Was it a trick of some sort? Or was he finally letting her leave? Depression washed through her at the thought. She didn't want to leave. She'd been saying she did, but she didn't.

  When she didn't answer, he reached out for her, lifting her from her seat, and settling back in his with her in his lap, her legs over the arm of his chair, her head cradled against his shoulder.

  "Or, if you would care to stay a little longer, you can still go on the supply ship. It would be a shame to disappoint the children, don't you think?" he said softly.

  His hand drew trails of fire down her arm, as he moved it slowly up and down her soft skin.

  "Only for the children?" she said, so softly that he had to bend his head to hear her.

  "No. We never did get our walk along the beach after dark." He kissed her forehead.

  Mary-Kate closed her eyes, scarcely able to breathe. Slowly her hand crept up to his shoulder.

  "We could go skinny-dipping in the cove, just you and me." He kissed her cheeks, her eyelids.

  Mary-Kate felt her insides begin to melt, her breathing to cease. Her heart tripped double time, the blood rushing in her ears. She could scarcely contain her delight. Dane was making love to her. After all she'd yelled at him, he was still int
erested in her.

  She should stop now, but didn't want to. She should pull back and agree to the plane ride out first thing. But the thought of a few more days with Dane was too tempting. She wanted to stay. Let herself have two more weeks.

  "Maybe you could teach me the hula?" she said as her hand threaded itself in his thick hair and she pulled his head down to find her waiting lips.

  The drumming of the rain was drowned by the drumming of her blood as it pounded in her ears. His mouth was hot and sweet and demanding. His lips moved against hers, provoking a response Mary-Kate was helpless to deny. She rubbed against him in her pleasure, delighting in the touch of his hair in her hands, reveling in the feel of his lips against hers, his arm holding her safely, the strong legs supporting her.

  When his hand dropped from her arm to her stomach, she gave a soft gasp, muffled against the hot moisture of his mouth. He took advantage of her gasp to invade the sweet warmth within as his tongue sought hers, caressed it, and teased it.

  Mary-Kate moved against him again, naturally, as if seeking more than his kiss. Dane's hand rose to cup her breast, his thumb rasping against the soft cotton covering, erecting her nipple, feeding the flame that glowed deep within her. His hand couldn't feel enough as he stroked the swelling mound.

  Releasing her mouth, his lips trailed passionate kisses down her neck to the top of her dress. Pushing aside the material, he sought and found the erect peak awaiting his touch. Taking it in his mouth, he pressed against her, sucking gently, his teeth scraping tenderly, tantalizingly over her rosy nub. Mary-Kate felt the pull deep within her, and held his head against her to enjoy the delicious feeling as long as she could.

  She was hot and constricted in the clothes she wore. Gone was the chill from the storm. She wanted to be free to feel Dane's heated skin against her own. Slowly one hand moved from his head to his shirt, unfastening the buttons, spreading the material away from his chest.

  It was as if they were one in thought. When his chest was bared, he drew back and pulled her against him, her bare breasts against his hard chest muscles. Mary-Kate moved against him, as a kitten would rub against her. Enchanted with the way he felt, she wanted more. Hungrily she sought his mouth, seeking the pleasure his touch evoked.

  "God, you're beautiful!" His voice was muffled against her mouth as she found his.

  Stop, the voice of sanity sounded, before it is too late. But it is already too late, much too late. The refrain repeated itself in her head, and she gave herself up to the ecstasy Dane's touch promised.

  Dane's fingers threaded themselves in her curls, bringing her mouth to his in a kiss she never wanted to end. Mary-Kate had never known such emotions; she was overwhelmed and wild, moving only to his guidance, only to his touch.

  He broke their kiss, holding her head back away from him as he looked down into her half- closed eyes, drugged with passion. She frowned slightly; why had he stopped? Moving ineffectively, she tried to reach him again.

  "Mary-Kate. Look at me." His voice was soft, urgent. She opened her eyes, and tried to see him in the gloom. "I want you. I want you right now."

  She nodded slowly as she moved back toward him, longing for another kiss, for his hands to make their magic on her skin again, for whatever he wanted from her.

  "No strings, no promises." His voice was hard, cold.

  Mary-Kate watched him, wanting him as she had never wanted anything in her life.

  "No strings, no promises," she whispered in return.

  He stood them on their feet, and reached for the bottom of the seat. Releasing a lever, he tilted the entire seat forward, opening a large flat section of flooring. Spreading the blankets on the carpeting, he tugged her gently down.

  Mary-Kate went into his arms as if she'd been doing it her whole life. She felt alive and loved within his embrace. Eagerly she reached up for his kiss, sighing with hot pleasure when his hand covered her breast. She could go on like this forever. Never coming back to reality. It was an enchanted time, belonging only to her and Dane.

  When he discarded his shirt, she took pleasure in the feel of his strong muscles across his back, his skin heated from the passion they shared. She arched her back to help him push her dress below her waist, moving in a mindless rhythm against his mouth as he learned her body, kissing first one breast, then the other, his tongue caressing every inch of her skin. From her peaks to the valley between, down to the circle of her navel. His breath was hot against her skin, heating it to fever pitch. She drew in huge gulps of air, trying to cool her heated body, to regain some measure of sanity in the wild ecstasy his touch wrought.

  The whoop of the siren was shattering in the enclosed hangar. Its wail rose and fell as it screamed its warning. Mary-Kate started in fright, screaming out, her hands covering her ears as the penetrating sound filled the plane, filled the hangar.

  "Hell!" Dane was up in a flash, grabbing his shirt. He raced out of the plane and to the side door. It didn't close behind him.

  Mary-Kate was stunned with the suddenness of it all. She pulled up her dress and, hands over her ears, moved to the doorway of the little plane. She could see the rain blowing in the side door, a wide spot of mud already growing testifying to the intensity of the storm. Marco stood in the door, barking, scarcely heard over the wail of the siren.

  Where was the siren's noise coming from? Why was it sounding? It was deafening! She climbed down from the plane, ran swiftly to the door to peer out. Where was Dane? She could see nothing in the stark black night. The wind blew the rain in so hard that she was already wet. She could hear the siren on the outside, too. It must cover half the island. Was it an alarm? What was it for?

  "Dane?" she called, trying to see something in the stormy darkness. There was nothing. "Dane!"

  Twin lights from the jeep careened around the corner. He drew to an abrupt stop beside her, and opened the door. "There's an emergency, at the harbor. You want to come with me or stay here?"

  "I'm coming." She didn't want to stay with that siren blaring, all alone.

  "Extinguish the lantern and hurry. I've got to get there!"

  She ran to the lantern and turned it off. Waiting only a moment to make sure it was extinguished, she ran back to the door. Slamming it shut behind her, she checked to make sure it was latched. Dane had her door open for her, and Marco was already in the car. Mary-Kate was soaked by the time she took her seat.

  "It's awful out!" she exclaimed, fastening her seat belt snugly. Reaching up to wring out her hair, she stared in disbelief through the windshield. The rain was like a waterfall—strong, solid, cold.

  The siren continued its mournful wail, scarcely diminished by the storm's fury. The rain fell more heavily than Mary-Kate had ever seen it. Blowing sideways in the strong wind. How Dane could see through the windshield was beyond her.

  The wind buffeted the jeep as it slithered and slid along the muddy roads. How did he know where he was going? It was black as pitch. She could not distinguish anything. The feeble headlights were swallowed up by the darkness. Was he driving blind?

  "What happened?" she asked, gripping her hands tightly as they slid four feet to the left.

  "Ship's aground at the harbor. Probably misjudged the distance and ran aground on the point. It's taking on water. Mike sounded the warning. When I called in he said he's already notified the other islands, but it'll be hours before any tugboat can get here. We're going to see if the crew needs help."

  "What do you mean?"

  "We'll take the launch. If there are injuries or if the ship is in danger of sinking, we can bring them to the island."

  "Dane, that's suicidal in this weather!"

  He grinned in the faint light of the dashboard. "Not really. Dangerous, yes, but we won't take any unnecessary chances. Can't have people dying on your doorstep."

  Mary-Kate was silent for a few minutes, marveling at his driving skill. It was too dark to see anything. The rain seemed to soak up the lights from the jeep, and everything looked the same
to her—black and blurry. She couldn't believe anyone would risk their lives going to sea in this storm.

  "How can you find your way?" She would have been lost as soon as they'd lost sight of the hangar.

  "I know the island; we're almost there. I don't want to have to worry about you while I'm worrying about the ship. You go to Joyce's or Lisa's."

  Mary-Kate glanced over at him. "Can't I help somehow? Make coffee or something?"

  "They'll be doing that at one of the women's houses; help them out."

  "Okay." She relapsed into silence, watching the wipers try to clear the water from the windshield, still hearing the siren. "I can still hear that siren," she said.

  "There are several alarm signals in various places across the island. You can hear them no matter where you are. It's our warning system. Everyone finds out what the emergency is and then rallies around to help. We did it this way in case something happens during the day when everyone is at work, scattered across the island."

  "You won't do anything foolish or heroic, will you?" Mary-Kate couldn't help asking. Fear for the recklessness of the man made her go cold.

  He chuckled, and shook his head. "Nope. Only do what's needed."

  Mary-Kate was not content with that answer, but she let the matter drop. He'd do what he wanted in any event. There was no sense in letting him know how worried she was about him.

  When they reached the village, it was surrealistic. Bright mercury-vapor lamps at the corners of the processing plant illuminated the yard, the rain so thick it was hard to make out the building. The wail of the sirens screamed over the sound of the storm. Men and women were moving about in the rain, the plant itself was lit up as if in full operation. Beyond, Mary-Kate could see lights dancing near the wharf, moving slightly in the strong wind.

  "They've opened up the plant; go there." Dane grabbed her and gave her a hard kiss, then left. She saw him plunge into the middle of the group of men in the yard.

  Sitting would get nothing done, so she opened the door, and was almost blown away by the fierce wind. She fastened the door, and turned to the building. Water was running down her neck and back by the time she reached the plant. She ran inside, shaking her head to clear it of water. Mercifully the sirens went silent.