Stormy Peril

by Victoria Pinder

  Warmth overtook her from the inside out. She checked her browser history and realized. Someone had read her blog. Online. Roger had found a way to access the internet. Sure, he could have stolen her identity information, but she hadn't had much money in the bank anyhow. She smiled brighter. There was no way Raphael had time to take her computer, go online, and then lie to her about a connection. If Roger found a way to connect, she could too.

  If she could, she'd tell her mother and sister she was alive.

  She threw her hands into the air and did a victory dance.

  Yeah. She jumped off the bed and shuffled to change out of her silk nightgown.

  Raphael had promised breakfast, and her stomach grumbled. She'd go on the search back to the wreck, but then later on the hunt for Wi-Fi became her number one mission.

  Roger and what happened here would have to wait. He was dead, after all.

  She could email her mother and sister. This mattered more. Kimberly closed her eyes. Her mother would know what to do. She always had an answer.

  She flung open her door and decided she couldn’t hold still anymore. Her feet pounded the floor as she jogged downstairs.

  Was her rush to be near Raphael again?

  No. Her impossible questions again. Once everyone knew she was here, perhaps a special boat might arrive.

  The other night's kiss flashed in her mind on the last three steps. She'd like more than just a kiss from him. She’d opened her mouth to forbidden fruit, and liked the taste.

  Raphael's strong arms, wide shoulders, and rock-hard muscles would be delicious to lick all over. He'd taste like pine mixed with pure testosterone. If she slept with Raphael, would that somehow change her? A smile broke out on her face at her visuals.

  There was no way lust would turn into love like in the stories she'd read. She sighed. Realism had helped her with many things, and she'd survive the intensity that was Raphael Murphy, if he gave her a chance.

  Her head grew lighter as she rounded the corner and headed past the library toward the dining hall. Perhaps they'd do more than kiss next time.

  The rubber of her soles squeaked as she stopped and peered inside. She saw Raphael at the table with the newspaper and his coffee. The table held toast, a cut-up apple, and her hot chocolate.

  Problems were never solved in a day, and Kimberly needed to learn patience and to set more of a schedule. There was a lot to do. Contact with civilization would be nice. She sighed as she sat down and picked up the hot chocolate.

  Raphael's eyebrow quirked. He'd taste better than liquid cocoa deliciousness.

  She sipped the drink again and smiled.

  "Are you well?" Raphael cut a piece of his apple and stared at her hard, like he held his tongue.

  "Of course." She nodded. "You added marshmallows."

  He lowered his newspaper and folded it to the side. She glanced at the date, realizing it was a July edition. Months ago. He showed off his dimples. "A brisk morning swim in the cold Atlantic would need TLC, and you strike me as a girl who likes marshmallows."

  Her hand went to her chest. "What girl doesn't like marshmallows?"

  He shook his head. "The ones that aren't you."

  She grinned like the Cheshire Cat. Raphael was her hero. She could be reckless. "You're right."

  "Good to hear." He leaned back in his seat. "Other than ghosts, do you have more plans today?"

  "Do you have dive equipment?" She buttered her toast and avoided his gaze. She'd not mention the internet, not yet. He had said he intended to be alone here and cut himself off. She licked the creamy remains from her lips and said, "I saw something sparkle in the cockpit, like a safe or a lockbox, and I am afraid Harry is still floating around as a corpse in there."

  She glanced up. He sipped his coffee, and he definitely wasn't shocked. "I checked the wreck already, and didn't see anything like that. But I'll check again."

  She needed to connect the dots. The first few days were a jumble. If Roger found Wi-Fi, then it came from this castle or the wreck. There was no other possibility. There was nothing else that might connect. She kept that find to herself, until she figured out where. So she repeated her question. "Do you have dive equipment?"

  "It's for me. My suit won't fit your frame." He lifted his massive arm and said, "Wide shoulders and upper body strength."

  "Other than I'm more curvy and have less muscles than you, it might still work." She traced her curved body down, and his gaze followed her hand. Yes, he was attracted to her too. He had to be.

  "Definitely not. I'll dive for whatever you want."

  She nodded. "Raphael, can we talk about the other night, when Roger came to the castle and you defended me?"

  He winked. "Your lips haunted my dreams."

  Really? She meant to lead into a discussion about what happened to Roger, but her pulse quickened from thinking about his mouth over hers. She fingered the neckline of her dress and shied away.

  He tilted his head. "I didn't mean to make you nervous."

  That wasn't her issue. Her heart expanded in her chest and she longed to flirt back and be reckless. "We should go to the beach first."

  He sat back in his chair, as if unsure. Yes, she'd changed the topic, but her temperature soared too fast and too high. She needed to calm down.

  He finished his coffee, then stood. "Okay, you win. Let’s go. Maybe you saw the black box for flight information to hand to authorities in the spring."

  The spring seemed so far away. And he hadn't mentioned the internet. Perhaps he had an unknown signal.

  He stepped closer. "You are fearless, Kimberly Mira."

  She shrugged. "No. I'm curious about a lot of things. It gets me in trouble."

  He smiled and followed her out of the library. "Let me get my gear, and I'll meet you in the hallway. Say fifteen minutes?"

  With this plan, she could search for Wi-Fi in her room. She hadn't even tried. She nodded at Raphael and told him, "Great. See you here, then."

  He crossed his arms. She froze. Did he have something to add? Then he shook his head, turned on his heels, and walked out.

  Perhaps it was nothing. She marched toward the stairs, stopping on the first one. Where had he slept or kept his gear? This was a question she should have asked the first morning. Everything in her life since coming here was unclear, and she forgot to ask so many basic questions.

  Next time she had Raphael’s full attention, she'd be a better flirt.

  If she found Wi-Fi, then with one email, she might get rescued before April. Raphael might be upset that his solitude and decision to cut himself off from the world had ended faster than his intention, but she’d make it up to him somehow. She needed to go home.

  Her mind returned to the question of why a man in the prime of his life, with amazing looks, and money enough to own a castle, would ever want to live here. Something in his life prevented him from being happy. He fought emotion tooth and nail.

  Sitting on her bed, she unplugged her computer and clicked on the find Wi-Fi button. She held it in both hands and walked toward the window.

  No signal found.

  She bit her lip, hit the search button again, and crossed to the other end of the room.

  Again her computer screen read the same message. No signal found. Roger had found a signal somehow. She'd find the same one.

  She placed the computer back on her bed, plugged it in, and checked that her dry clothes were the warmest she had in the room. Then she went downstairs. First she had to go to the plane.

  Raphael stood by the door with a backpack. "Ready?"

  She nodded, reaching for his hand as he led the way across the drawbridge. Familiar warmth grew. "I found Roger’s tent.”

  He clenched his jaw. “You never should have been out here by yourself.”

  “The forest is less menacing now, with you," she told him with the first step toward the woods.

  "If you say so." He kept a brisk pace, though she could guess he didn’t want to go. It was how stif
f his legs were, but he didn’t complain. "There are lots of places someone or some animal lost from shore can hide. The human travelers in the hospitable months have left their pets. One winter here tends to turn them wild if we don't find them early."

  She stared at his profile. "You have animals here right now?"

  "No. This year, you appeared, and not someone's lost dog. My life hasn't been the same since."

  She breathed out a small laugh. "I'm flattered. I had no idea I had was like a lost puppy."

  He shook his head. "In another life, I'd have flirted with you more."

  She turned to block his path. "You don't flirt now. Is that what you're saying?"

  He hitched the backpack over his shoulder "Yeah. Women are a bad combination in my life."

  She turned around again and resumed their pace. He followed. "In my previous life, I ditched at the first sign of seriousness. But now you have me trapped."

  "No serious relationships for you, then?"

  The question had her stop in her tracks. If she intended to be reckless, now was her opportunity. She twirled around, reached up, and traced his jaw line. "I stopped trusting my judgment with men. I’ve lived off the grid for a long time, and being myself with anyone nearby terrifies me. I don’t know if I can anymore.”

  "Can what anymore?" he asked.

  Good question. She was making this up as she went. She was a horrible flirt. She kept a smile plastered on her face. "Travel, have fun, experience life to the fullest." She turned toward the forest and beyond. "And to find out everything I can about everywhere I go."

  Okay, she'd not try to be so bold again. Flirting seemed so easy for other people. What was wrong with her? Her heart raced too much near Raphael, and the unusual reaction had her out of her element.

  He returned to the brisk pace. "Yet you hide behind your computer and write instead."

  "Blogging is connecting with people. I want to transform it to something about being Zen and peaceful if I can."

  They reached the beach, right next to the crash site. He dropped his bag in the sand and reached down to take off his pants. She stared at his hard, muscular leg, and her mouth fell open. The man had muscles. He looked better without clothes.

  Without a glance in her direction, he removed his shirt next. Was she panting? She clenched hands inside her pocket. She had to control how electrified she was near this man. Months alone with him meant she'd do nothing but desire him. She should never flirt with him.

  Her temperature soared, and he changed like nothing was wrong.

  He straightened up and winked at her.

  She met his sexy gaze. "Turn around and shake it."

  His dimples showed, but then he turned around and shook his bare butt.

  She covered her face to stop her laugh.

  His cheeks grew red, and he finished tugging on the tight dive suit. She glanced down, and his erection stood between them.

  His gaze stayed on the ground, and he found his oxygen tank and goggles. "I'll board the plane and check the cockpit one more time. Wait here and nod if I find what you saw."

  She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

  He stumbled back a step, then turned, and walked into the water.

  She hugged her waist and stared at him. Her lips tingled from the salty taste of his skin. She pressed her mouth together. She'd been so close to another full kiss.

  He delved under the water, and for once her temperature stopped steaming.

  The ocean air helped clear the heat in her brain. Her legs were jumpy still, so she walked over to a large stone and sat.

  The ocean stayed quiet and she gripped her medallion. All the questions stopped in her head for a second and she breathed.

  Then she blinked and stared beyond the rock to the adjacent part of the beach. A flash of something caught her eye. She stood up and walked over. Nothing seemed out of sorts, but then something in the rocky sand caught her attention.

  She brushed the sand aside and found a photograph of Eileen and Ali. The wedding picture was torn and ripped. Kimberly swallowed. Roger must have done that to this picture. Her fingers wrapped around the torn edges. The wreck would have burned this. She held it in her hand and then something nagged in her ear. She stared closer to the ground and recognized a plastic bag.

  She fell to her knees and dug. She tugged the bag free, and papers and money fell onto the sand.

  Had Roger tried to hide his reason for killing wealthy Ali and his new bride? Kimberly quickly threw the money back in the bag. A second later, the water splashed. She stood up and waved at Raphael.

  Raphael carried something black and square in his hands, and swam back to shore. She pocketed what she'd found and walked back to the part of the beach she had left. He came out and waved the box in his hand. "Is this what you saw?"

  "Yep." A smile appeared on her face. Today she might have a few answers. She then took the bag out and held it up to Raphael. "Check out what I found."

  He dropped the lockbox on the beach. "Where did you find that?"

  "Under a picture of Eileen and Ali." She shrugged. "I think Roger mutilated the picture on purpose."

  Raphael crossed his arms and shivered. He then asked, "Where did you say Ali was from?"

  She wrapped a towel around him and wiped off his face, letting him hold the picture. "Ashtibia, a small country in the Middle East. He was the fifth or sixth son in line to the throne, so it couldn't have been a revolution or anything. His brothers would be more important. Eileen had a proper British accent, as did the pilot."

  Raphael took the towel from her hands and wiped his hair. He must be satisfied with her answer. She tilted her head and tried to understand what Raphael hid. He opened the bag she handed him and flipped through. "Between what we have, we might piece together what happened."

  "Great." Maybe he was just as curious as she was. "Change so we can head back to the house and read this in quiet."

  "The ghosts spooking you?" He tapped her shoulder, then swiveled to peel off his wet suit.

  She brushed at the wet handprint and turned around. He was half naked again. Her mouth fell open, but at least he couldn't see. "Not the ghosts. The cold. It creates drafts in your castle, which is perfect for the hotel guests at Halloween. But I grew up in Florida then spent the past few years in the South Pacific. It was always warm."

  "Nice life, Kimberly. The bite in the air helps me breathe."

  His nakedness sent a thrill through her that was warmer than her memories. "Better to be peaceful on the inside than worry about the cold. I have to see my mom and tell her I love her."

  "You make no sense."

  She almost turned around, but caught sight of his plaid boxers. Had he been completely naked a moment ago?

  "I just want to get back inside." She couldn't make her thoughts go beyond how close he was. Was she red? She tried to slow down the racing in her blood. "Are you almost done?"

  "I'm throwing my jeans on now."

  No, she did not need a play-by-play. She tugged her ear and licked her lips. His muscles were powerful, and if tangled up with hers she’d experience far more in bed than she ever had. What was she thinking?

  "You can turn back around," he called out, and she followed his order. His wicked grin gave him away. "Like what you saw?"

  No use lying. "You're the hottest guy on the island."

  "Stiff competition." He smiled, then schooled his expression. "Sorry, Kimberly. I'm bad news. You're ready to go back home."

  She put her hand on her hip and refused to listen to reason. "I'll decide for myself what's good or bad for me. I hate being patronized."

  He tied the bag of equipment. "It's not patronizing, Kimberly. It's a warning."

  His eyes shimmered and she pressed her palm to his shoulder. "Stop it. Don't think for me. And don't warn me when that warning is meant for your ears. If you want to convince yourself not to dream of me, then keep it to yourself."

  "Let's go before I do something
I'll regret."

  Her other hand went to his chest, and she leaned against him. "If that's what gets you through the day."

  Raphael’s green eyes narrowed. Awareness of him grew all around her, and everything else but him faded away. She closed her eyes, inhaled his salty skin, and lifted her mouth.

  The sound of the box hitting the sand echoed in her ear, but she didn’t react. She hadn't seen him pick it up. Then his mouth brushed against hers in a kiss, and she wrapped her arms around him.

  Raphael Murphy was a man she'd dream about for the rest of her life. She melted as he deepened the kiss.

  If this was a mistake, it was hers to make. His kiss sent a flame through her that couldn't be contained. She lost all thoughts and let his heat course through her.

  CHAPTER 13

  Raphael broke the kiss angrily and led the way back through the forest, silent. Kimberly rubbed her arms and walked beside him. He opened the castle door for her, and she slid inside. Raphael crossed his arms and kept his distance. Her body was still hot and bothered from a single kiss. This had never happened before Raphael. She bit her lip, unsure what to say. "Raphael…"

  His gaze almost penetrated right through her. She stopped. He uncrossed his arms. "I have something I have to go take care of."

  What something? She kept the question to herself. She unzipped her jacket. "Okay. I'll see you later."

  She didn't own a gun to keep him hostage. He’d been the one who stopped their kiss like the mythical three-headed dog would bite him. She stumbled down the hall and opened the library door. Yes, it was his space, but the fire crackled. Her entire body was numb.

  The table where they'd eaten this morning was now spotless. Meg, the amazing maid, must have cleaned up. Kimberly took a seat on the floor near the fire.

  Kimberly massaged her neck and then reached down to touch the medallion. He had called her pretty, and given her this. She then glanced over to more of the portraits hidden behind the L of the room. What? The Scottish women had shiny objects around their necks. Kimberly stood up to get a closer look at the women in the two portraits. Her hand covered her mouth. The castle was quiet. She unhooked her medallion and stared at the portraits with the medallion. She held it up higher. It was the exact same one.