by Ann Evans
His hand traveled over her ribs, down the yearning swell of one hip in a slow, delicious invitation. Through the eroticized patchwork he made of her nerves, she somehow managed to catch his fingers and bring them to her lips. “No…” she said on a whisper of sound. “Let me…”
She nuzzled her face against the warmth of his chest, then stretched to trail the tip of her tongue over his lips, feather-light and teasing. Slowly her mouth worked its way from the corner of his smile, then to his ear, along the firm, raspy line of his jaw, then back to his mouth again. She kissed him deeply, as though he were the source of life, and as she did so she slipped one hand beneath the covers and laid her fingers lightly upon him.
There was a quiver of response beneath her touch. An indrawn breath, quickly taken. “Kari,” he said in a husky, tight voice. “What are you doing to me?”
She let her fingers play, unleashing a tender, sexual prowling meant to arouse. “Oh, dear,” she replied, pretending to be worried. “I thought you’d know.”
He captured her face between his palms. His dark eyes were gentle with passion. “I’m not sure I’m up to this just yet.”
“Oh, you’re up to it,” she said as she tightened her hold. Involuntarily he moved against her and already she could feel his hard welcome. “Don’t you agree?”
A hoarse explosion of sound escaped between his lips. “Yes…” he said on a growl. “Oh, yes.”
Then he covered her mouth with his and slid easily, effortlessly into her again.
THE NIGHT PASSED like a heavenly dream.
There were parts of it that remained quite clear to her—the laughter and quiet, nonsensical conversations. The hour spent in the kitchen when hunger struck, sharp and sudden in spite of their best attempts to ignore it. Those moments, when they got past everything and found the child in themselves again. Those would remain with Kari forever, she thought.
They touched and tempted one another. She enjoyed watching Nick sleep, finding it painfully sweet, like trying to drink thick honey. Sometimes they grew quiet and simply lay side by side. She had no idea where his thoughts took him, and she was determined not to ask because she could not bear to ruin this idyll.
When Kari woke near dawn, feeling embarrassingly lazy and self-indulgent, she found Nick was gone. She ran her hand across his pillow, feeling no warmth there. A dull ache began to beat against her rib cage. She missed him already.
Where had he gone? He hadn’t mentioned any early morning task, but anything was possible with the weight of responsibility he shouldered.
The dream began to slip a little. Suppose morning had brought regret? Nick was so practical. Did he view the night they’d just passed as nothing more than fun, terrific sex? The result of catching him at an emotional low point—when he’d been drunk and feeling sorry for himself? She didn’t want to believe that.
The sound of her cell phone ringing made her jump. She wound the bed sheet around her and scrambled to find it in her pile of clothing that still lay on the floor. She sat back on the bed, hoping it wasn’t Renata looking for her. The bedside clock said it was almost five-thirty.
“Hello?” she said tentatively.
“How soon can you be on a plane?” a male voice asked, the connection less than perfect.
“Eddie?” she said, speaking up.
“Who else?”
“New Zealand came through?”
He made a dismissive sound. “Who needs New Zealand, mon, when we can have fun in the sun in Jamaica?”
“So it’s Metcalf’s treasure ship.”
“As promised. You can thank me later.”
“That’s great,” she said, a little surprised by the lackluster response. What was wrong with her? She should be delighted.
Evidently, Eddie thought so, too. “You don’t sound as happy as I thought you would.”
“Sorry. It’s still early here. I’m happy. Tell me more.”
“Metcalf wants to meet with us as soon as possible. He’s very nervous about the whole thing—I think it’s starting to sink in just how much a find like this can affect his future. Next thing you know, he’ll be walking around as cocky as Indiana Jones. Without the Harrison Ford looks, of course. Wait until you meet him, Kari. He’s only forty, and I swear, his face is so leathery I expected to find the name of an Italian shoemaker burned into his forehead.”
In spite of the way her pulse raced at the idea of leaving here so suddenly, she couldn’t help laughing. Eddie was so…Eddie. “So when do I need to be there?”
“Take all the time you need,” he said generously. “Just be here by tonight.”
“What?” She wiped hair out of her eyes, sitting up straight. She hadn’t been expecting that kind of deadline.
“Do you want this or not?” he asked in an aggrieved tone. “And, anyway, aren’t you the one who was begging me just the other day to save your sorry butt?”
“I was. Because I knew if anyone could get me out of this place it would be you. And of course I want this. I’m thrilled. You always come through for me.”
“I do, don’t I?” He sighed, sounding pleased with himself. “I’m a saint, really.”
“You’re my hero, Eddie.”
“That’s better. So do I need to make arrangements to get you here tonight or can you manage that on your own?”
“I’ll call the airline as soon as we hang up.”
“Good. I’m at the Clayborne Inn in Port Antonio. In spite of that dreadfully dull name, it’s got a decent restaurant, a great view and a spa. The masseuse has hands that can play your body like Mozart.”
“Sounds like heaven,” she said, knowing Eddie would want that kind of reaction or he’d pout. “I’ll see you later tonight.”
“This is going to be a big one, Kari. Don’t plan on going to bed as soon as you get in. We’re celebrating. What’s your pleasure? Hard liquor or champagne?”
“Champagne, of course. What’s a celebration without that?”
She closed the phone and just sat there on the bed.
Tonight. She had no idea how she could manage that. Even if the D’Angelo family could see their way clear to turning her loose. The airport in Denver was always a mess. She still needed to meet with Walt down at Wilderness Tours. She wasn’t prepared, really, to interview Antone Metcalf tomorrow morning.
She called a halt to that kind of thinking because, truthfully, the only thing she wasn’t prepared for was leaving here. Leaving Nick.
But suppose she told him about the assignment and he asked her to stay?
No. Not likely. It was pointless to nourish such a hopeless thought.
Disgusted, she tossed the phone onto the bed, then stifled a gasp of surprise. Nick stood leaning in the doorway, watching her. He was fully dressed, looking as handsome as ever. She had no idea how long he’d been there or what he might have heard of her conversation with Eddie. As usual, his eyes held that maddeningly unreadable quality they often had when he looked at her.
“Good morning,” she said, schooling her own expression.
“Sorry,” he replied. “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“That was Eddie, the photographer I usually work with.”
“Sounded like he had good news.”
“He did. We’ve got an assignment in Jamaica. Some salvager bringing up a Spanish galleon. Supposedly it’s loaded.”
He looked at her steadily. “Hard to beat that kind of excitement.”
“I need to be there tonight.”
“So I heard.”
“I don’t want to leave the family in a lurch. I made a commitment to your father and—”
He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll manage.”
“So the family—Addy—will be able to handle the rest of the preparations for the wedding and everything?”
He nodded. “Your parole has come through.”
She flushed, stung by his slightly bitter, flat tone. “I wasn’t thinking of it like that, exac
tly.”
“The family will be sorry to see you leave.”
So tell me not to go, she sent the silent message. Give me a reason not to get on that plane. Just one.
He didn’t. He just stood there staring at her, waiting, while she looked back at him, wondering how much of her heart was showing in her face.
“I’ll miss them, too,” she said at last.
The telephone on Nick’s bedside table rang. As though hating the interruption, he frowned and strode over to the bed to answer it. He listened for less than a minute. Then he said, “Okay. I’ll be right there. Just leave it alone for now.”
He hung up. From the top of his bureau, he scooped up his cell phone, a few items for his pocket, not saying a word. She waited for a long, breathless moment, wondering if they were really going to part like this.
“Nick—”
He swung around. “I have to go. Aunt Renata can’t get the griddle to heat. God knows what we’ll do if the guests can’t have pancakes.”
“It’s the plug. It’s shot, I think. I meant to say something yesterday, but I completely forgot.”
“Too busy dreaming about the next great adventure, I imagine.”
She frowned. “Do we need to talk? About this…” She inclined her chin toward the bed. “What we—”
“I don’t think there’s anything to say, really. You want a life full of adventure and excitement. I’ve had my fill of that.”
She wanted to be tough and brave, but it hurt all the same, to see how easily he could put what they’d shared behind him. In spite of her best intentions, she couldn’t help asking, “So that’s it? We’re just…what? The old cliché of two ships passing in the night?”
“It was good. But having great sex can’t change who we are inside and what we want out of life. Nor should it.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“You deserve to be happy, Kari. I hope you find what you’re looking for, but this…” He looked away a moment, then back at her. “We always knew this was just temporary.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
KARI HURRIED BACK to the lodge, arriving in the kitchen just as the dining room opened for breakfast. The room was busy enough that Renata didn’t have time for questions. No one seemed to notice that Kari was slightly out of breath, her appearance less than stellar or that she was so distracted that she had to be reminded by one of the guests to fill water glasses.
To the outside world, she probably just looked a little frazzled. But inside, her spirits had plunged to the lowest desolation.
When the dining room emptied, she went into the kitchen and grabbed a plate of scrambled eggs from the warmer Rose kept filled for employee meals. Kari supposed she should tell the family she was leaving, but it didn’t seem the right time just yet. With Addy, Sofia and Tessa still in Denver, the atmosphere was subdued, even though Rose and Sam seemed to be in particularly high spirits. Nick had fixed the griddle and quickly disappeared. He hadn’t returned, but that hardly seemed an issue. They’d already said their goodbyes in the bedroom, hadn’t they?
“Kari, are you all right?” Renata asked from the sink, where she was just drying her hands.
“Sure,” Kari said, trying to keep her smile breezy. “Why do you ask?”
“You’ve been very quiet this morning.”
Nothing left to say. Except goodbye.
“Just a lot on my mind lately,” she said, hoping that vague answer would suffice. Renata had a nose for trouble like a bloodhound.
Sam, seated across from her and eating a bowl of cereal, used his spoon to point in her direction. “Renata’s right,” he said with a piercing glance. “You’re much too quiet. Has that foolish son of mind done something to upset you? Something new, I guess I should say?”
Oh, if you only knew.
“Kari?”
She looked at Sam, hoping the color she felt blooming in her cheeks would be mistaken for the heat in the kitchen. “No, he’s done nothing,” she said quickly. “Not a darned thing.”
Inwardly she cringed, because those last few words had sounded very sarcastic. So much for pretending.
With fresh resolution, she straightened her spine, disgusted with herself. Really, she’d been through difficult times before. So Nick didn’t want to give them a shot. Tough, but that was life. How much worse could it get? And when she arrived in Jamaica, fully immersing herself in Metcalf’s fantastic adventure, she’d soon forget about the silly wanderings of her heart.
Before she came under anyone else’s radar, she scraped back her chair and excused herself.
When she got back to her room, there was a message waiting on her cell phone. Although she hoped it was Eddie, giving her a little more time, it wasn’t. It was Walt, reminding her of their appointment today.
All the way down the mountain Kari wondered what had made Walt sound so mysterious yesterday. But if he’d really located the guide who had hiked her father into the park, or just where he’d really camped, it was ironic that the information wouldn’t do her much good now. If she intended to check out the area, she’d have to come back.
It hit her quite suddenly that she’d never want to do that. Not as long as there was a chance of running into Nick. It would be unbearably hard to see him.
She went into Wilderness Tours, not knowing what to expect. She liked this place, the cozy feel of it, the smell of good wood and old fires. The plank flooring creaked as she trod across it to greet Walt.
“I’m glad you came, Miss Churchill.” He inclined his head toward the chairs huddled around a fireplace. “This is my grandson, Kenny.”
She hadn’t noticed the second occupant. A tall, thin man—no, a boy really—unwound from one of the high-backed chairs and came forward to shake her hand. Closer, she saw that he was probably past the age of consent, but the way he smiled hesitantly and rolled his eyes made him look no older than Tessa.
“I go by Kenneth,” he said. “I stopped being Kenny when I got out of high school.”
Kari returned his smile. “Very nice to meet you, Kenneth.” She cut a glance to the older man. “What’s this about, Walt?”
Nobody said anything for a long moment. Walt looked at his grandson expectantly. “Get it out, boy. Clear your conscience, and you’ll sleep like a baby tonight.”
“Miss Churchill, I’ve been trying for two years to get up the nerve to contact you,” the young man said. His tone was respectful, but nervous. Every bit of his body language indicated that this conversation was difficult for him. “When Grandpa told me you’d come around asking questions, I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer.”
Kari was curious now. “Keep what to yourself?”
“I’m the guide who took your father to Elk Creek. The Pass, not the Canyon. You did have that wrong.”
“My father hired you?” She realized how skeptical she sounded. He hardly seemed old enough. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to come out that way. It’s just that you’re…rather young.”
“I know. That’s why it’s a little more complicated than it should be. I’ve been waiting to get registered with the National Park as a guide for a couple of years now. But you need a lot of experience.”
His grandfather, watching the conversation closely, gave a sharp nod. “All in good time, Kenny. All in good time.”
The boy bit his lip, then said softly, “On the day your father came into the park office, I was there. I overheard him sign in for the trip to one of the canyons. I caught up with him in the parking lot, told him I knew a better place than that if he wanted to see some spectacular scenery and stuff.”
“So he hired you to take him.”
“Misrepresented himself, is what he did,” Walt said, though his tone carried no censure.
Kenneth looked very uncomfortable now. “I told him I was one of Grandpa’s guides. I mean, I’ve been hiking this area since I was old enough to walk. Elk Creek Pass is remote, but it’s not dangerous. It’s the snowstorm that made it that way.�
� His words came faster, as though speed would make the explanation more palatable. “Your father was crazy about the place. Said it was just what he was looking for. I never thought it would end up the way it did.”
Walt reached out a hand and placed it on his grandson’s forearm. “Slow down, Kenny-boy. No sense rushin’ the tellin’ now.”
Kenneth nodded, then looked at Kari again. “Anyway, I hiked him in. And then I came home.”
“So my father never went to the original place, or told the park service he planned to camp someplace else?”
“No, ma’am. As far as I know, he didn’t. I asked him not to ’cause the park service doesn’t like freelance guides hanging around trying to pick up business.”
“I see.” She remained silent a moment, digesting this information. She could imagine her father making a deal like that. If possible, he wouldn’t want to see the usual, touristy places in the park. The book he’d planned to write would require research of a more rugged kind. Something with an edge to it.
But almost immediately after she had that thought, she felt her stomach take a swooping dive. She fixed a razor-sharp look on Kenneth and from his face, she could tell he knew the next question.
“Are you telling me that when he turned up missing after the snowstorm, and the search-and-rescue team tried to find him and couldn’t, you didn’t inform them that they were looking in the wrong place? You just kept quiet about him changing his itinerary? Let him stay out there—trapped—until it was too late?”
“No, ma’am!” the young man said excitedly. His face went paper-white. “I swear I didn’t. I would have said something if I’d known.”
“You didn’t know he was missing?”
“No, ma’am. I was down in Mexico with some of my friends. That’s why I needed the money your dad paid me. To be able to go off with them and have fun.”
Her pulse settled a little. From years of interviewing, she thought she could read people well enough to know he wasn’t lying. “When did you find out what had happened?”