Game of Love

by Jeannie James

  Micki started abruptly. “I told you I don’t use cell phones,” she replied.

  “You really should learn,” he tossed over his shoulder. “I’m sure a high-tech computer professional like you could get the hang of it in no time.”

  Micki flinched, but Adam didn’t notice. Leaning over the bathtub, he was busy inspecting the spider. It was a solid black creature, cowering away into a slippery corner. Micki walked over and watched from the door as his hand moved the tissue closer.

  “Don’t hurt it!” she burst out.

  He looked up, with a mockingly shocked expression. “Do I look like the type of man who would hurt a spider?” When she didn’t answer right away, he demanded, “Aren’t I the man who led the daring rescue of a defenseless kitten from a dangerous island?”

  A reluctant grin came back to her face. She nodded.

  “Well, then. I should think you’d have faith in me to spare the life of a tiny spider.” Adam turned back to the bathtub. In one quick move, he captured the spider in the tissue, then walked out the door to deposit it in the front lawn of the apartment complex.

  Danny used to do that for me. Tears formed on Micki’s eyelashes at the memories. She blinked her eyes fast to stop them as she watched Adam remove the spider and close the door.

  “Hey, hey now.” Adam strode to her side with a concerned look and gently reached out to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “I’m sorry I teased you.”

  Apparently, he had misinterpreted her tears as ones of fear. Well let him. That would do. She shuddered briefly and managed to stop crying.

  “I’m sorry,” he said again. His voice was soft and far too close to her ear. Micki could feel tingles starting up her spine. She took a quick step backward.

  “Going somewhere?” He crossed his arms and stepped between her and the bathroom with casual assurance, daring her to move closer. Micki stared, mesmerized by the way the thick black hair curled along his arms, the way his cotton shirt stretched against the broad muscles of his chest. Loneliness and confusion merged together in her mind into a surge of overwhelming desire. She forced herself to wrench her gaze upward and was immediately lost in the deep blue of his hypnotic stare.

  He gave her a questioning, encouraging smile, as if hoping she’d signal some private agreement between them. Micki wondered briefly what he’d say if she asked him to shower with her. Obviously, he’d say yes, she answered herself. And then where would I be?

  She backed away from the thought. “I have to get dressed.” The words were weak and unconvincing, even to her own ears.

  “You do?” His voice was teasing, but she could hear his disappointment. “Are you sure?”

  She kept her features deceptively composed and rolled her eyes, heading around him to the bathroom. Holding her breath, she passed just inches away from his elbow, careful to not touch him. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or not when he made no move to stop her. “I couldn’t take a shower until you got that spider out of the bathtub,” she explained over her shoulder, the words running together as she rushed to close the bathroom door. “I’ll be fast. Make yourself comfortable.”

  “Take your time.” He had already turned away and was examining the items on her coffee table. “I’ll just poke around your living room. Discover your inner essence.”

  “My what?” She turned with a start. “What in the world does that mean?”

  “It means I’m going to check out your living room.” He waved a book in the air. “See what makes you tick. What you read, what you save. That kind of thing.”

  “Snooping?”

  “I prefer to call it a hunting expedition,” he said with a happy smile. “I’m hunting for clues about the real you.”

  Micki thought quickly about the items in her apartment, then shrugged her shoulders. There was nothing on display for him to find. “Well good luck, but I suspect you’ll find I’m a hard nut to crack.”

  “Oh, I’m good.” He did, indeed, seem very self-confident. “I’ll have you pegged into a small round hole by the time you emerge.”

  She smiled and waved a delicate hand at his efforts. Walking back into the bathroom with as much dignity as her skimpy outfit would allow, she quickly turned and bolted the door. Once safely inside, she collapsed against the door in a heap. Her head had started pounding again, with that deep rhythmic beat.

  “No, Adam,” she wanted to scream. ”I lied. I can’t handle everything. I can’t handle living alone, anymore.”

  She took several deep breaths and managed to lever herself back upright again, still trembling. After nearly three years, she still hadn’t figured out how to live alone. All she knew was she hated it. Sleeping alone. Waking up alone. Making all the decisions alone, all the repairs. Getting rid of all the spiders. She shivered. She really did try to handle everything herself, but knowing Adam was coming it had been too easy to let her guard down and let him take care of her, even if it was just for one little spider, on one single morning.

  The cold water from the shower was refreshing and she managed to collect herself by the time she made it out to her bedroom. Finally, dressed in white jeans with a sleeveless top, she stood at the entrance to the living room, watching him as he sat quietly on an overstuffed chair. He was staring out the window with a frown on his face.

  “So,” she demanded. “How did you make out on my inner essence?”

  He turned to watch her. There was no hint of a smile on his face. “You really are a puzzle, you know?”

  “Aha!” Micki was pleased. “I told you I’m a tough nut to crack.”

  “Tough,” he said slowly. “But not impenetrable. I found a couple of traces of living going on here.”

  “How’s that?” Micki cast her mind over what she had in her living room. “What did you find?”

  “I found some used socks.” He lifted a hand and dangled a pair in front of her. She gasped and grabbed them, hiding them behind her back.

  “That’s it?”

  “I found where you eat popcorn.” He lifted a pillow on her sofa to display the kernels. Oops. She frowned and pushed the pillow back down.

  “But all in all, you really don’t have much here, do you? An encyclopedia. A dictionary. Technical manuals for work. The latest best seller.”

  “That’s it.” She didn’t know why she should feel so relieved. Obviously there was nothing here for him to find. “That’s me. You’ve found my inner essence.”

  “No,” he disagreed. “There’s a lot of you missing from this room. Where are the pictures of your family? Of your friends? Where’s the knick-knacks? The mementos all women collect by the truckload?”

  He was looking honestly puzzled, almost concerned. As if he were afraid she had sprung up fully-grown, with no history behind her. If he only knew, she thought wryly. And almost, she was shocked to find, almost she could tell him. She met his eyes. It might even be a relief to get her past out in the open. To have an honest relationship, again.

  The words were forming on her lips and she nearly spoke out loud when Adam shifted slightly and broke the spell. Who is he to demand I tell my life story? After all, in four months I’ll never see him again, she thought indignantly. She stifled the words and managed coolly, “Maybe I don’t have any friends.”

  “I don’t believe that.” He shook his head, looking at her thoughtfully. “Not the way you bonded with Jan so quickly. I wonder…” He let his thought trail off and Micki felt a sudden, unwelcome flash of insecurity. His face was determined and he was looking every inch the ruthless businessman that Jan had accused him of being.

  Loudly, she said, “I thought you were taking me for a boat ride.”

  He grinned suddenly, transforming back to the pleasant, laughing companion she enjoyed. He gathered his arms around her and gave her a quick, spontaneous hug. “That’s right, isn’t it? I did promise you a boat ride. Are you packed and ready?”

  “I’ve got it all,” she assured him. “Food, wine, sunscreen, sunglasses. What else is t
here?”

  “Sweaters. Coats. Wool hats.”

  “Today?” she objected. “It’s a beautiful day. It’s already in the seventies.”

  “You never know,” he insisted. “When you sail into the wind, you can get chilled awfully fast.”

  “Yes sir. Aye, aye sir.” She saluted and dutifully pulled a coat and hat from the hall closet. “Though I’m going to feel silly carting all this around on such a wonderful day.”

  * * * * *

  His car was a low green Jaguar subdued but expensive-looking with the promise of raw power under its hood. She settled back into her seat while he stored her things in the small trunk and set off for the marina.

  “So tell me,” she began, as they drove west toward Seattle and the blue waters of Puget Sound. She paused as the view caught her eye. Seattle was such a beautiful city, with the skyscrapers gleaming and the snow-capped mountain ranges rising to the east and west.

  “Yes, ma’am?” He glanced over, encouragingly.

  She turned to face him. “What’s a handsome man like you, doing single in a town like this?”

  “Waiting for you, of course,” he replied immediately.

  “Of course.” Micki nodded her head in acknowledgment of such an obvious line, so promptly returned. “But I’m serious. How have you managed to stay single for so long? There must be hordes of attractive women waiting to catch your eye.”

  “Are you jealous?”

  “Well not yet.” Micki spoke lightly. “We’ve only just met. Give me a few weeks and we’ll see.”

  Adam peered at her briefly as he maneuvered the car through traffic. “I’ll be the jealous one in this relationship, thanks.”

  She looked over in surprise. “You don’t strike me as the jealous type.”

  “Well, guess again. Because as a matter of fact, I am.” He spoke levelly, his good humor suppressed for a moment. “In fact, you’ve hit on the exact reason I’m still single.”

  “Jealousy?” Micki stared in disbelief. “Who in the world would you possibly be jealous of?”

  “Thank you.” He smiled briefly at the unintended compliment. “I was engaged a few years ago. Briefly. I thought I was ecstatically in love.”

  “What happened?” Micki felt a sharp stab of envy at the times those two must have shared. Adam in love would be a sight to behold.

  “It turned out she had a boyfriend in reserve.” He gave her a quick, unsmiling glance. “You don’t have another man hanging around, do you? Because I warn you here and now, I won’t take it well if I find out you do.”

  In spite of the baking sun, Micki shivered. Good thing I didn’t tell him about Danny. So much for finally having an honest relationship. Aloud, she said. “Adam, you’re making me nervous. Besides, you have no worries on that score from me. I told you before, I don’t date much. In fact, I wasn’t even planning to date you.”

  Adam smiled briefly as he turned the car into the marina parking lot. “That’s right, isn’t it? And here we are.”

  Adam’s boat had a narrow, sleek profile, unlike most of the larger boats they passed along the dock. Every piece of the teak trim and hardware gleamed in the sun.

  “Wind Dancer,” she read out loud from the stern while the boat gently bumped against its moorings. “That’s a pretty name.”

  “It’s actually a racing boat,” he offered. “Not really meant for overnight cruises. It’s tuned for speed, not for comfort.”

  Adam helped her aboard and stowed their belongings below. A breeze was blowing through the marina, fluttering the sails and making halyards clang loudly against their masts. He powered the boat deftly out of the slip, across lines of boat traffic and out the marina entrance. The breeze felt clean and sharp across Micki’s face.

  “You look happy,” Adam called out.

  “I can’t believe I haven’t done this before,” she shouted over the engine. “It feels great.”

  He laughed. “We haven’t even started yet. Just wait until the wind hits the sails.”

  Once outside of the major traffic zone, he motioned her over.

  “Here,” he called out. “I’ll put up the sails. You steer.”

  Her hands ached to take the helm, but she felt uncharacteristically incompetent. “There’s a lot of traffic here, isn’t there? Shouldn’t we go farther out, before we do this?”

  “You can do it,” he reassured her. “You look to be a natural.”

  Micki couldn’t keep the smile of adventurous joy off her face at the compliment. “Okay.” She slipped off her seat and grabbed the enormous wooden wheel. It was unfamiliar and rough on her hands. She bent close to the spokes and whispered to the boat quietly, so Adam couldn’t hear. “I’ll be good to you, Wind Dancer, if you’ll be good to me.” The boat creaked comfortingly, acknowledging her words.

  “Into the wind now,” Adam called from the fore deck of the boat as he hooked the sail onto the mast. She looked at him questioningly and he gestured. “Turn the boat to face that direction.”

  Micki stood up behind the wheel, to have a better view of the other boat traffic and let the breeze caress the length of her body. Her hair was sliding out of its clasp and she reached up a hand and let it loose completely. Adam had the main sail mostly up now and it began to flap unnervingly as the boat rolled.

  “What do I do?” She asked anxiously. “Is it okay?”

  “Just keep going as you are. We’ll straighten her out in a bit.”

  Adam jumped down to the deck and stood beside her. He pointed a direction and she swung the boat to follow his aim. The wind filled the sail and blew it out full across the deck. Micki felt the rush of power as the boat surged forward with the wind. Adam reached over, his arm brushing her leg and turned the motor off. She could feel the heat from his touch, then the sound of the wind in the sail and the creak of the boat filled her senses.

  “This is wonderful,” she started to yell, then lowered her voice when she heard how quiet it was with the motor off. “This is wonderful,” she repeated softly.

  “I’ll just get the headsail going.” Adam was busy with an impossible number of lines and Micki kept her eye on the traffic in front. There were several other boats on the water around them. Some were pleasure boats like theirs, but there were quite a few working vessels. Sightseeing boats, tugs hauling loads of logs. To the north, Micki caught sight of a huge freighter, with a load of brightly colored containers.

  “It’s a great day for sailing.” Adam scanned the horizon. “Blue skies and a fifteen knot wind. You, my dear, must bring good luck.”

  She grinned. “You doubt? Of course I bring good luck. Where are we going?”

  “Wherever the winds and the currents take us,” he responded lightly.

  She considered his words. “Just sail away? I like that. It sounds like exactly the right thing to do.”

  He added with a smile, “Of course, with a little persuasion from us, we can make sure those winds and currents take us to Bainbridge Island over there.”

  “You can control them so well?” she asked.

  “I like control,” he answered simply.

  “So do I,” she whispered.

  Steering the course he pointed out, she watched him as he moved about the boat, pulling this line in, letting that line out. “How do you do that?” she burst out, honestly curious.

  “Do what?”

  “All that work with the sails? Keep them filled, keep them so taut. How do you know what line to pull and when?”

  “It’s mostly straightforward, I can show you that. But there’s a little guesswork involved.” He looked at her, with her legs braced against the bulkhead, moving with the roll of the boat. “When we race this fall, you can handle the sails. You’ll get the hang of it in no time.”

  She smiled agreeably. She wouldn’t be here in the fall, of course, but it was easiest to just go along with what he said.

  Tacking to and fro across the wind, it was close to noon when they reached Bainbridge Island. Adam took the
sails down and motored the boat into a small cove to drop anchor.

  While Adam tidied the sails and the line, Micki unpacked the lunch hamper, removing sandwiches and salads, arranging them along the deck where she sat. “We’ve got all kinds of food,” she called out. “What are you hungry for?” At his long silence, she looked up suddenly, meeting the mesmerizing gaze of his deep blue eyes. He stood on the deck in front of her, one arm on the mast, with an irresistibly devastating grin and his hair ruffled by the breeze. His appreciative gaze traveled the length of her body, roaming back up to meet her eyes. He was a massive self-confident presence.

  “What am I hungry for?” he echoed, then smiled, his warm eyes glowing with expectation. The ship tugged against its anchor line, sending ripples through the water and gently rocking the boat. Adam began making his way toward her, lightly picking a path amidst the lines and pulleys with a nonchalant grace. He dropped down to the cockpit and sat beside her, his posture easy and self assured. He fingered a loose tendril of her hair, then dropped his hand to slide it sensuously over her bare arm. “You certainly are lovely, Micki.” She felt, rather than heard his words, his breath sending shivers across her neck. “Your hair has streaks of gold from the sunshine. Iit’s dazzling in this light. A radiant burning glow, flaming against the water.”

  She felt his lips touch hers like a whisper, tracing the fullness of her mouth, sending shivers of desire racing through her. What in the world was she doing, letting him hold her like this? She moaned, shocked at her own eager response to the touch of his lips, his slow intoxicating kisses.

  Raising his mouth from hers, he gazed into her eyes. “I’d like to make love to you right here and now, Micki. I’ve wanted to love you since the first moment I saw you, balancing in the moonlight like a fairy who’d just come out of hiding.” His lips recaptured hers with a hungry urgency that demanded more than a gentle response.

  She shuddered in delicious pleasure as she let him move her back against the seat, still half sitting, the weight of his body pressing into hers. She shifted to accommodate his presence, to allow him on top of her, covering her with his warmth and immediately felt a sharp jab in the small of her back.