by Romancing the Crown Series (13-in-1 bundle) (v1. 0) (lit)
She lifted her chin. "I think we should use the fleet of Montebello."
Did she know how appealing her neck looked when she angled her chin that way? She used to like the way he would run his tongue along her jaw. And he liked that low purr she made when he would suck on her earlobe....
"Sam?"
He jerked his attention to what she had said. "What fleet? The Montebellans have no fleet."
"They have fishing boats and pleasure craft."
"Kate..."
"Think about it, Sam. The waters around this island are usually busy with small craft, so those boats wouldn't arouse suspicion as they cruise the coastline. They would serve to draw Chambers out. They're maneuverable, and if coordinated properly they could systematically cover a large area."
"If coordinated properly?"
"We could man the boats with all available Montebellan police and Navy personnel, who would remain in constant radio communication."
He stared at her as he rapidly assessed her suggestion. SEALs were trained to make use of anything available when they were on a mission. But civilian vessels? In a naval operation? It was unconventional, but it just might work. "I see where you're heading, Kate. If we chart a course for each vessel so that it covers one section of a grid near the coastline—"
"With naval vessels positioned offshore as backup for the small boats—"
"And spotter aircraft on standby," he added.
"By tomorrow we could draw a surveillance net around the island that a rubber raft couldn't slip through."
"All right. Sounds good. Let's set this up."
She lifted her eyebrows. "Just like that? You're willing to go with my idea?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
"You sound surprised."
"Well, yes."
"Why?"
"I was under the impression that you liked getting your way."
"Sure I do. In this case, I want to complete my mission by catching a murderer, and if your idea gets me there, I'll use it."
"I see."
"Kate, just because I was more interested in your body than in your mind doesn't mean I thought you didn't have one."
She took a step back, her cheeks flushing red. "Sam, we agreed—"
He muttered an oath and held up his hands. "Sorry."
"No problem." She cleared her throat and turned to the table. "We'd better get started."
* * *
Ursula hated the water. She'd never learned to swim. The only reason she owned a bikini was that she looked so scrumptious in one.
She lifted her arm to hold her hat against the breeze and inhaled deeply. "I just love sailing," she said. "It's so exciting, don't you think?"
The boy nodded quickly, his gaze riveted to her cleavage. His frame hadn't yet fleshed out, and he looked all coltish arms and legs in his swimsuit, but the gleam in his eye was all man.
Ursula twitched her shoulders so her breasts jiggled, hiding a smirk when she saw the boy's eyes widen. Teenagers were so easy to manipulate. This one appeared to be sixteen, maybe seventeen, and like all adolescent males, he could be led around by his sex drive.
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing like a cork. "I have a sailboat."
Of course, she knew he had a boat. She'd noticed him drag up some little thing with a rainbow-striped sail on the sand ten minutes ago. It was the only reason she was giving him this free show. She needed that boat now that she'd had to abandon her plan to leave Montebello by plane.
The past twenty-four hours had been simply dreadful. When she'd reached the airport yesterday, she'd found it crawling with security. She'd been smart enough to work her way past them, but when she'd seen the cop behind the ticket counter, checking everyone's ID, she'd known it was no use. She wouldn't be getting on a plane anytime soon.
There weren't many choices open to her. Either she continued to hole up in the hotel room she could no longer afford until the heat at the airport died down, or she had to leave this godforsaken island by water. And she hated the water.
She should have known better than to team up with Gretchen Hanson. Sure, they'd been childhood chums in Shady Rock, Colorado, but Gretchen had always reminded Ursula of a rat. The woman must have spilled everything the instant she'd been caught. Now the police knew Ursula's name, and the photo from her driver's licence was on wanted posters all over the country.
It was dangerous to be seen in public—with a face and body as outstanding as hers, she naturally drew attention. Yet she could have saved herself the trouble of donning the sunglasses and concealing her hair under her hat when she'd decided to troll the beach for prospects this morning. This kid hadn't looked at her face yet.
"A sailboat. How marvellous." She paused and tipped down her sunglasses, giving him a slow, suggestive perusal. "And I'll just bet you've got a big one."
"B-big?"
"I like them long and sleek. Is yours?"
"My..."
"Your boat, honey. Is it big?"
"She's a twenty-three-foot catboat."
"Ooh, sounds yummy. Are you... experienced?"
"Uh..."
She adjusted her hat and leaned toward him. "I meant at sailing."
"Yeah. I've been sailing for years."
"I can see that," she murmured, drawing her fingertips along his scrawny forearm. "You have such lovely muscles here."
His jaw went slack. "Uh."
She sighed, giving her breasts an extra heave. "I wish I knew someone who could take me."
"T-takeyou?"
"For a sailboat ride."
"I could take you out."
"You? What a great idea. I hadn't thought of that."
"We could go now."
"Mmm. Evening would be so much nicer. The moonlight, the darkness." She traced his wiry little biceps with a fingernail. "It's so romantic."
His Adam's apple threatened to bob out of his throat. "I, uh..."
"How far have you gone?"
"What?"
"Have you ever gone all the way?"
He shifted from one foot to the other, his body twitching with discomfort. "Sure. Lots of times."
"Wow." She rested her fingertips on his chest and leaned closer still. "All the way to Tamir? You must be a really good sailor."
"Tamir?"
Ursula hid her impatience. The hormones that were raging through the kid's system were starting to shut down
his brain. That's what she was counting on, but not before she got what she wanted out of him. "You know. Tamir.
The island that's nearest to Montebello." "Uh, my mom won't let me go that far."
She flicked her little finger teasingly against his nipple. "Do you always do what your mommy says?" His breathing was getting shallow. "The currents are t-tricky. Sometimes the swells can reach ten meters, and
my cat's not—"
"I would be very, very grateful to get a ride to Tamir." She rubbed her knee lightly between his thighs. " Very
grateful."
"I, uh." He inhaled quickly, beads of sweat popping out on his upper lip. "Oh, geez."
"Would you like a sample of my—" she dropped her hand to the front of his swim trunks "—gratitude?"
He trembled and pushed himself against her hand. His eyes were glazed. "Oh, geez. Oh, geez."
"We could meet here at sunset." She glanced up and down the beach. This cove was practically deserted,
except for some kids tossing a Frisbee and a handful of sunbathers. And speaking of a handful, this boy felt about
ready to burst. He'd probably never been this close to a real woman, let alone felt one touch him. How tiresome.
She squeezed lightly and withdrew her hand. "It can be our secret, hmm?" He fumbled for her wrist. "Sure. Whatever you say. Just do that again."
It was easy to twist out of his grasp since his palms were so sweaty. Unconcerned with the state she was leaving him in, Ursula turned away, wiping her hand on her thigh. "Later, honey. When we're on the way to Tamir."
/>
Chapter 5
It was hard to believe that such a change could take place in twenty-four hours, but the quiet office Sam had led Kate to the day before was now a hive of activity.
Because of the special nature of their assignment, they had been able to bypass the Navy's usual requisition procedures and had commandeered equipment from every available source. Telephones and a fax machine had been hooked up, along with a row of computers. A printer chugged away in one corner, spewing out maps of the surveillance grid and the course each boat would take. Uniformed men and women, some from the navy, some from the Montebellan police, moved purposefully at their tasks.
The unconventional fleet was already taking shape. In order to keep the operation from the public, only members of the Montebellan police had been asked for the use of their private vessels. The response from the police had been overwhelming. Offers of everything from cruisers to runabouts to sailboats had been coming in all day. As of twenty minutes ago, the number of boats that had been volunteered would be sufficient to cover the
grid-There had been no shortage of volunteers from the Navy and the police to help crew the boats. Cruising the
picturesque coast of Montebello in search of a lone woman—and being the acting captain of one's own vessel, no
matter how small—was one assignment that had them lining up at the door.
Communication specialists from both the police and the Navy had set up the radio links, assigning a separate
frequency for the boats in each grid and for the nearest Coast Guard or Navy vessel that was cruising offshore. All
the frequencies would be monitored at the command post so that reinforcements could be dispatched at any sign of
trouble.
Unless they ran into a major snafu, the first shift should be in place within the hour. They just had to hope that
Chambers hadn't already managed to find a boat.
Kate was still surprised that Sam had gone along with her suggestion without protest. In her experience, men
usually preferred to put their own stamp on an idea before acting on it. She'd run into this time and again during
her rise through the ranks and had learned to handle it with calm, steady logic.
Yet Sam had listened to each of her points and accepted her conclusion without argument. Of all the men she
knew, he was one of the most stubborn about getting his way, yet he'd given her credit for having a brain.
Just because I was more interested in your body than in your mind doesn 't mean I thought you didn 't have one.
She should have taken offense at his comment the day before, but in all honesty she couldn't. After all, she knew perfectly well their relationship had been purely about sex. They'd been clear about that from the start. Five years ago, she'd been more interested in his body than in his mind, too.
Kate glanced over the top of the clipboard she held. Sam was leaning over the shoulder of a young petty officer who was typing furiously at a computer keyboard. The pose flexed Sam's arms against the short sleeves of his khaki shirt and tightened his pants in a way that outlined his taut buttocks.
He was six feet two of lean, well-muscled Navy SEAL. Broad shoulders, tapered waist and a set of buns that would get the notice of any woman who had a pulse.
She shouldn't be looking, but simply looking wasn't going to reawaken the pain, was it? The attraction was there, it would always be there, but she wasn't going to let it screw up her life again. They had reached an understanding yesterday, and they'd managed to function well together for a full day. The emotions that had been stirred up by the incident at the hospital were once more firmly under control. Yes, they were. She could handle this.
"Lieutenant, I have the meteorological data you requested."
Kate quickly yanked her gaze away from Sam's rear end and focused on the young blond woman in front of her. She glanced at the insignia on her police uniform as she searched for a name. "Thank you, Sergeant Winters."
"Here's a copy of the printout," the sergeant said, handing Kate a thick stack of papers. "We'll be getting hourly satellite updates on the major weather systems affecting the region."
"Good work. What about forecasting?"
"I've networked my computer with the research station. We'll have the latest forecasts the moment they're available."
Kate stacked the printout on top of her clipboard. "Excellent."
"Would you like me to coordinate the data with Petty Officer Thurlow?"
"Who?"
"He's setting up the program for current patterns." The sergeant nodded toward the young man at the computer keyboard, but her gaze was on Sam. To be more exact, it was on Sam's butt.
Kate wasn't proud of the feeling that went through her. She had no claim on Sam—she'd been crystal clear to both of them on that issue—so she had no right to be annoyed at the woman's interest. Furthermore, she had just been enjoying the view herself. It would be hypocritical to disapprove when another woman did the same.
Sam clapped the petty officer on the shoulder and straightened, arching his back in a brief stretch that rippled the muscles in his arms.
Kate's pulse thudded hard. Enjoying the view was an understatement. He wouldn't be aware of the display he was putting on. He had always been comfortable with his body and was completely unselfconscious about using it. It went along with his penchant for touching. He was a physical man, so he naturally drew the interest of women, even one who vowed never to let a man get under her skin like that again.
If you ever change your mind, be sure to let we know.
"Lieutenant?" the sergeant asked.
"Yes, that would be helpful," Kate answered belatedly.
She turned her attention to the papers she'd been given. She could handle this, she repeated to herself. No matter how difficult it was to concentrate, the situation was only temporary. As soon as Chambers was captured, this mission would be over and Sam would be on his way to his next one. Just like last time.
No, it wasn't going to be like last time, not by a long shot. They were colleagues, that's all. She wasn't going to get drawn into a physical relationship with Sam Coburn again. She lifted her hand, her fingers touching the small bulge where her necklace rested beneath her uniform. When they parted this time, her life wasn't going to take any painful twists. She was going to insure they had an easy goodbye.
The Montebellan policeman who was manning the tip line that had been set up for the public pulled off his headset and swiveled in his chair. "Lieutenant Coburn?" he called. "We have a development."
Sam strode across the room. Kate hesitated only briefly, then set down her clipboard and followed him.
"A woman just called," the policeman said. "I thought you would want to listen to this."
Sam glanced at Kate, then waved away the telephone headset. "Put it on the speaker, Sergeant Chelios, so we can all listen," he said.
Chelios nodded and punched a button on his console. "Go ahead, ma'am. Please repeat what you just told me."
"Hello? Yes, my name is Sophia Genero. I'm worried about my son."
"I'm Lieutenant Sam Coburn, United States Navy," Sam said. "What seems to be the trouble, Mrs. Genero?"
"Armando's only sixteen. He's usually a responsible boy, but he didn't come home for dinner tonight and I just know something is wrong."
Sam glanced at the policeman who had taken the call. "Ma'am, this is a special police tip line. It sounds as if you should be talking directly to someone at—"
"No, you don't understand. He'd been out sailing this morning, and his friends told me they saw him, uh, flirting with a strange woman on the beach around noon."
"Flirting?"
"He's only sixteen," she repeated. "He's a wonderful boy but not the kind a grown woman would be interested in. It didn't sound right. He went back out in his boat after that, and no one has seen him since."
"Your son has a boat?" Sam asked. "What kind? How large?"
"It's a
catboat. Only twenty-three feet." The woman's voice hitched. "We gave it to him for his birthday last month. He knows we don't want him going far offshore with it."
Sam looked at Kate. She could see by the hard set of his jaw that he didn't think this was a case of an overprotective mother worrying about a wayward teenager. "Mrs. Genero," he asked carefully. "Do you have a description of the woman your son was last seen with?"
There was a muffled sob. "That's why I called this number. From what Armando's friends said, she sounds as if she could be that woman on the news. The one who's wanted for murder."
* * *
The police helicopter swooped low over the headland. Shadows from the setting sun stretched across the sand and into the surf like camouflage stripes, making it difficult to focus on the change from light to dark. Sam kept the binoculars pressed to his eyes as he peered through the window.
The surveillance net wasn't yet fully in place. Most boats had made it to their assigned grids, but there were still holes. Nevertheless, he believed Kate's idea for a low-key blockade by civilian vessels was already proving to be a good one. Otherwise, Chambers might not have dared to come out of hiding so soon.
"We're coming up to the beach now, sir." The pilot's voice came through Sam's headset. "This was the spot where the boy was last seen, right?"
"Yes," Sam said into his mike. "Can you drop your speed so we can get a better look?"
As the helicopter slowed, Sam continued his scrutiny of the area. There was a man tossing a stick for a dog, an elderly couple strolling along the tide line and a few cars parked in the lot on top of the bluff. The police were on their way and would arrive within minutes to do a ground search. This helicopter was the first on the scene.
"Do you see anything, Sam?" Kate asked, her voice crackling in his headphones.
"Not yet." Sam didn't lower his binoculars as he replied to Kate's question. He knew she was peering through a pair of her own as the pilot headed along the coast. "What about you?"
"Two fishing vessels, a moored sloop but nothing matching the description of the boy's boat. This could be a wild-goose chase."
"That's a possibility, but we can't afford to dismiss it."
"I agree. The boy's mother sounded distressed."