by mag
He brushed his lips against hers, and together they went into the cabin.
Chapter 6
The sea was calm, the air still when Bethany awoke late the next morning. Tiger lay on his side, breathing deeply, the sheet covering him from the waist down. A day's growth of beard shadowed his face and there were patches of fatigue under his eyes. He had fallen into bed exhausted from his long hours at the helm, reached for Bethany's hand, and with a sigh had closed his eyes and gone to sleep.
Bethany looked at him and caught her breath. Tiger was handsome in a way that no other man in the world was handsome. His features were classic, his skin clear and smooth. But those weren't the things that made him so special, so different. There was a mystery about him, a fathomless depth in the emerald-green eyes, that slight Eurasian look, the sensual fullness of his lips that stirred her as no one ever had.
Almost from the moment Bethany met Tiger, everything had been cloaked in adventure. She hadn't had time to think or to rationalize. Tiger Malone lived in a different world than she did, a world of exotic flavors and excitement. She was a small town girl. Her area of experience had been limited to Tiffin and the four years she'd spent at Ohio Wesleyan, a university close enough to Tiffin that she'd been able to go home every weekend. Her only short romance had been with a young man from her hometown, and her only job had been at her father's flying school.
She and Tiger Malone had nothing in common. The whole shape of their lives was different. They had different responsibilities. Her mother was ill; she would return to Tiffin as soon as she and Tiger found and sold the golden dragon.
I shouldn't have let myself fall in love with him, she thought as she looked at his sleeping face. But now it's too late, and I don't know what I'm going to do.
Tiger opened his eyes and looked at her. "What is it?" he asked in a sleepy voice. "Why are you sad?"
Bethany smoothed the dark hair off his forehead. "I'm not sad," she lied. "Just tired."
"Then come and rest in my arms." Tiger raised himself on one elbow to see the clock. "I must relieve Chang at twelve, that gives us thirty minutes." He kissed her. "What can we do in thirty minutes?"
"Shower and dress and have breakfast." Bethany ran her hand across his chest, entwining her fingers in the thatch of black chest hair. Slowly her fingers moved downward.
The green eyes widened, the nostrils flared, but Tiger didn't move as Bethany followed the line of curly black hair below his navel. She heard the sharp intake of his breath and felt the fire within her own body as her hand descended even further. Lightly, softly, she caressed him. He closed his eyes and sighed with pleasure at her touch, wondering if she knew how much this pleased him, how the touch of her fingers against his flesh sent hot licks of flame through every part of his body.
With a smothered moan Tiger closed his eyes, enduring this sweet torture, making himself wait because he knew that in a moment he would possess her. Soon. Very soon. His body quivered with need. With a groan his hand closed on Bethany's wrist and he rolled her beneath him.
"My sea witch," he whispered as he began to move against her, reveling in her sweet moistness, thrilling to the sigh of pleasure that escaped her lips. He wanted her now, wanted her to cry his name in the silence of the room and tell him that she loved him.
But it was Tiger who cried out. With frantic hands he cupped her buttocks to bring her closer. He kissed her lips and told her how wonderful she was, how beautiful.
Bethany was helpless against the strength of his hands, the force of his thrusts, lost in the power and the pleasure, as she gave herself up to it with small cries of joy.
Oh, how she loved the feel of Tiger's body against hers, the pressure of the hands that urged her closer. Bethany felt enveloped by him. Everything else was forgotten. All of the realities that only a moment before had seemed so important faded away. She kissed the side of his face, relishing the rough scrape of his beard against her tender skin. Hungrily she found his lips, nipping their fullness before her tongue sought his in a silken duel. She heard the rasp of his breath against her throat and felt a thrill of excitement at her daring because she knew she was pleasing him.
Gripping her hips Tiger brought her even closer. He found her breasts and his teeth tightened on one swollen bud. He flicked hard with his tongue, then took the tip between his teeth to tease and tug.
Bethany was lost in a whirlwind of desire; beyond thought or reason, carried high on the crest of an ecstasy too great to bear as Tiger whispered her name and together, clinging lest they fall off the world, they climbed to that highest peak of existence where only lovers venture.
When their breathing slowed Tiger gently brushed the damp hair from Bethany's forehead. Wordlessly he kissed her, again and again, soft kisses across her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids. His hands caressed her swollen breasts, then moved to the line of her back, soothing, calming. At last with a sigh he let her go.
"I have to relieve Chang," he said. "Do you mind if I shower first?" He smiled. "I'd like to shower with you but I know that if I do it will begin again." He took a strand of her golden hair and wrapped it around his finger as he looked at her. His face was serious, his eyes puzzled. "I don't know what it is you do to me, Bethany. What we shared a few moments ago should have been enough to last me for a while. But when I look at you I want you again and that frightens me. I wonder if there will ever be enough time for me to have all I want to have of you." He kissed her lips, then quickly, before he changed his mind, went in to shower.
Bethany closed her eyes. There won't be enough time, my love, she thought. When this China adventure is over I'll say goodbye to you and to this wondrous magic that we've shared. Tears welled in her eyes as she turned her face into the pillow, wondering how she'd ever bear to leave him.
The next few days passed without incident. They put in to another of the small islands for fuel and supplies. That night they moored the Dragon in the island's marina at a dock some distance from the other boats. Lee Tung had relatives on the island so Tiger told both Lee and Chang to spend the night ashore.
Since the cyclone all four of them had taken turns standing watch. Either Tiger or Bethany searched the sea with binoculars during the day. At night when they moored the watch was divided between Chang and Lee.
The morning after the cyclone, on Tiger's insistence, Bethany had moved her things into his cabin. She protested at first, worried about what the crew might think, but Tiger hadn't listened to her arguments. They were together now and they would be together until the end of their voyage.
That night in port, when they were alone, Tiger fixed two tall gin and tonics and brought them out on deck. He looked at Bethany approvingly as he handed her her drink. The sun had tanned her skin a deep golden color, and tonight, dressed in a white summer dress that just skimmed her shoulders, with her blond hair brushed loose, she looked so beautiful that she took his breath away.
Just for a moment his hand rested on one slender ankle, then he said, "Lee left a salad and dessert in the refrigerator. We'll eat later if you don't mind waiting a bit."
"No, it's lovely here. I don't think I've ever seen such a glorious sky."
Tiger sank down on the lounge beside her. He reached for Bethany's hand as together they watched the sky change from gold to salmon pink to vermilion and slowly darken. From the shore came the clamorous chorus of night birds coming in to roost. Gulls circled and glided low. The boat moved gently on the evening tide.
"There's never been a night like this before." Bethany's voice was hushed. "I'll remember it for as long as I live, Tiger."
"As I will remember the way you look in this moment with the last rays of the sun on your face." Tiger brought her hand to his lips. "My sweet Bethany," he said. "How did I manage before you came into my life?"
He put his arm around her and for a long time they didn't speak. When the sky grew dark they went into the galley and carried the plates that Lee had fixed for them back out on deck. They had just finished
when Tiger noticed approaching lights and with a frown said, "That boat is coming in too fast. I hope the skipper knows what he's doing." He put his plate down and went to stand by the rail, muttering, "If he doesn't slow down he's going to tear up half the dock."
But the boat did slow down, just at the last minute, narrowly missing the small schooner next to it as it glided in.
"Bloody fool," Tiger murmured as he watched the boat tie up. Two men sprinted to the dock, growled something to a marina worker who was apparently telling them they'd come in too fast, and hurried ashore.
"They'll probably be drunk by midnight," Tiger said. "I think we will be wise to leave before they do in the morning so we don't get rammed." He looked at Bethany. "Ready to go below?"
"Just a few more minutes; it's such a beautiful night." She went to stand beside Tiger, and when he put his arm around her she said, "It's so quiet now, even the night birds are asleep." She looked up at him. "I'm glad we made this trip, Tiger. Even if we don't find the dragon I won't be sorry that I came."
"Nor will I, Bethany. The dragon brought us together. For me that is treasure enough." He brushed a kiss alongside her temple. In a few minutes they would go below. He would pull the curtains over the portholes and by the light of the bedside lamp he would take off Bethany's white dress and lay her down on the black silk spread. Slowly he'd slide her panties down over her hips and—
"Ahoy the Dragon!" Chang called in Chinese.
Tiger looked startled as he hurried to the ladder, Bethany only a step behind him.
Chang scrambled quickly up to the deck. "I saw the boat that just came in," he said, trying to catch his breath. "I'm sure it is the same boat, Tiger, the one I saw through the binoculars just before the storm. I followed the two men that came running off the dock. They asked the harbormaster if the Dragon was here."
"Damn!" Tiger caught his lower lip between his teeth. "We've got to get out of here. What about Lee? Did you tell him?"
Chang shook his head. "No, I came directly here."
"Then we sail without him."
"But you can't leave him here!" Bethany protested.
"We don't have any choice. We'll pick him up on the way back." Tiger started toward the wheelhouse. "Cast off, Chang."
"Yes sir." Chang sprinted back down the ladder to the dock. A voice rang out a Chinese command to stop as he ran to the mooring lines. Footsteps pounded down the dock toward them.
"Hurry!" Tiger called from the wheelhouse as the engine started.
Chang raced to the other mooring rope. A shot rang out. Bethany screamed and ran to the ladder. "Chang," she cried. "Chang, hurry!"
He flung the rope off the stanchion. Another shot cracked. Chang cried out and slammed against the side of the boat.
Two men raced toward him. Bethany saw them through the darkness as she started down the ladder to Chang. Behind her Tiger cried, "Bethany, no! Get back!"
Chang staggered toward her.
More shots were fired, this time from the Dragon just as Bethany reached Chang. She put an arm around his waist and propelled him toward the ladder, then up. Another shot rang out. She flattened herself against the ladder. A hand fastened itself around her ankle, she screamed as she tried to kick herself free, and turned to look into the face of the man who'd assaulted her on the dock in Hong Kong.
Suddenly Tiger jumped past her onto the dock. She saw the flash of a knife, and turned her head as the man who'd grabbed her staggered back.
More shouts went up along the dock as Tiger backed toward Bethany. She heard the roar of the engine and knew that Chang must be in the wheelhouse. Tiger turned, shoved Bethany up the ladder, and bounded onto the deck beside her. "Stay low," he shouted as he sprinted toward the wheelhouse.
His voice was followed by another burst of firing and Bethany dropped to the deck. The Dragon moved away from the dock, angled around other boats, and headed back to sea. Bethany lay flat against the teak deck, waiting until the last shot had been fired. Then she got up and ran to the wheelhouse. Blood spattered the floor; Chang slumped on the padded circular seat.
"There's a first-aid kit in the galley," Tiger said. "Take care of Chang, I can't leave the helm."
"Yes, all right." There were a lot of questions Bethany wanted to ask, but she knew this wasn't the time to ask them. She found the first-aid kit and hurried back to the wheelhouse.
Chang's right pant leg was soaked with blood. Bethany eased him back against the cushions, then cut the material away so she could see the wound. The Red Cross course she'd taken in college hadn't prepared her for this. She took a deep breath and quickly sponged the blood away from the wound.
"How is he?" Tiger asked from the helm. "Did the bullet shatter anything?"
"No, I... I don't think so. It looks like the bullet went through the fleshy part of his thigh, in and out. I don't think it hit bone."
"Can you handle it?"
Bethany looked at Chang and summoned a smile that she hoped was more confident than she felt as she said, "Yes, it's a superficial wound."
As quickly and as efficiently as she could, Bethany cleaned the wound, applied an antiseptic, then bandaged Chang's leg. When that was done she gave him two aspirin and one of the antibiotics she found in the kit and covered him with a blanket.
"Try to sleep," Tiger told Chang.
"I will be all right in a little while," Chang said as he closed his eyes. His face contorted with pain and he turned toward the bulkhead.
"Was the leg bad?" Tiger asked in a low voice when Bethany came to stand beside him at the wheel.
"I'm not sure. I don't think so, but my knowledge of bullet wounds is pretty limited." She looked at him, then after a moment's hesitation said, "I recognized one of the men, Tiger. He was the same man who tried to grab my purse on the dock in Hong Kong."
His dark brows came together in a scowl. "Then they've made the connection between us. They know we're after the dragon."
"But who are they?"
"I wish I knew. Perhaps they have some connection with the warlord our fathers smuggled the dragon out for forty years ago." He checked the heading and turned the wheel a little to the right. "Whoever they are, I don't think we've heard the last of them."
Bethany stepped closer to him. "Can we outrun them?"
"Yes, with any luck. We'll stay on this course tonight. By daylight, if we're lucky, we will find a cluster of islands. If we can slip in among the islands we stand a good chance of eluding them." Tiger put his arm around her and squeezed her close. When he let her go he said, "I'd like you to go aft and stand watch, Bethany. If you see lights behind us come and tell me immediately."
Bethany nodded. She left Tiger, and after she had checked to see that Chang was asleep, she went aft. Now that the emergency was over she felt weary. She yawned and went to stand by the rail because she knew she would fall asleep if she sat down. The lights from shore had already faded. There were only stars and a thin slice of moon that drifted in and out of the clouds to guide them.
So much had happened to her in such a short space of time that even now all of this seemed like a dream. She'd come to Hong Kong a little over two weeks before. In that short time her life had changed. She'd fallen in love with a man named Tiger Malone. She'd been mugged, robbed, shot at, and she'd survived a typhoon. Bethany stared out at the white wake of the sea. Never before had she experienced even the slightest hint of danger. It seemed so incredible to be standing here, thousands of miles from home, looking for the lights of a boat that was chasing them. Two weeks ago she hadn't known the difference between forward and aft, port and starboard. She'd known what a galley was, but she'd never been in one. And love was something she'd read about in books, but she'd never been in love. Until now. Until Tiger.
Through the long night Bethany stayed at her post. At dawn she went up to the wheelhouse. "There's nothing on the horizon," she told Tiger.
Chang was sitting up. She gave him two more aspirin and another antibiotic when he said his leg hu
rt.
"I'll make some coffee," she said, "and whatever I can find for breakfast." She grinned at both Tiger and Chang. "I'm afraid you're stuck with my cooking until we reach China," she told them. "Just don't expect Chateaubriand and chocolate mousse."
"With you a cheese sandwich will taste like gourmet cooking," Tiger said. He smiled as Bethany saluted him and left the pilothouse.
"She is a remarkable woman," Chang said. "It was not my place to say, but when we began this journey I thought you were wrong to bring her. I thought she would be trouble, that she would complain at the first sign of hardship. But she did not. Last night..." He winced with pain and shifted his leg to a more comfortable position. "I am not sure I could have made it to the ladder by myself. But her arm was strong around me. She is a most unusual young woman, Tiger. Now, if you will help me up I will stand watch while she is in the galley."
A most unusual young woman. Tiger ran a tired hand across his face. He thought that he loved her. At least he knew that he loved being with her and that he cared what happened to her. But he wished she was safely back in Hong Kong or in that town in Ohio she had come from. He was not sure who their pursuers were, he only knew they were dangerous and that he must protect Bethany from any harm.
An hour later Tiger found the group of islands he had been looking for. He guided the boat in among them, and when he found a place where he knew they couldn't be seen, he dropped anchor.
They would rest here for the day. When darkness fell they would press on for China.
Chapter 7
The air was so still that even the birds seemed suspended as they glided from tree to tree. The Dragon barely moved in the water. Just before dark, while Chang stood watch from a lounge chair on deck, Tiger and Bethany slipped over the side of the boat for a swim.
"Why is it so hot and still?" Bethany asked as she swam alongside Tiger. "The air feels almost too thick to breathe."