Every Breath You Take Part 4

Mitch.e.l.l shifted his gaze in the direction she indicated and named the song the musicians were playing. aCorcovado,a he said, but he didnat make a move to dance with her, and Kate decided the continued presence of the waiters on the terrace was the explanation for his hesitant behavior.

Since she couldnat restore the mood to what it had been just before the waiters arrived, she decided to try for the friendly banter shead shared with him at dinner and, hopefully, an opportunity to learn a little more about the man she was about to go to bed with. aI know you like music,a she said lightly. aI can tell that from the way you dance. Whatas your favorite kind of music?a aJazz.a Kate sighed in exaggerated despair. aMen prefer jazz because you donat bother listening to lyrics. With jazz, you donat even have to pretend youare listening to them. Whatas your second favorite kind of music?a aCla.s.sical,a Mitch.e.l.l replied.

aWhich hasno lyrics to listen to,a she said so smugly that Mitch.e.l.l grinned in spite of himself. aWhatas your third favorite?a she asked.

aOpera,a Mitch.e.l.l replied.

aWhich has lyricsyou donat understand, a Kate pointed out drily, lifting her palms as if his answers had completely proven her point, but a hesitant flicker in his expression made her drop her hands and study him more closely. aDo you understand Italian?a Italian was Mitch.e.l.las first language, not English, but rather than tell her that and provoke more questions, he nodded and said a dismissive, aYes.a aDo youspeak it as well? I mean, are you fluent in Italian as well as English and Dutch?a aIam not fluent in Dutch,a he reminded her.

From that reply, Kate deduced he was, however, fluent in Italian, and she looked as impressed and fascinated as she felt. aHow many languages do you speak?a aIave never counted them.a aLetas do it now,a Kate joked, and started to hold up her fingers.

aLetas not,a Mitch.e.l.l replied curtly, dousing her smile and her enthusiasm with a swift efficiency that made him dislike himself so thoroughly that he made a quick, clumsy effort to atone for his rudeness and ended up giving her an ill-advised explanation that confused her and required clarification. aMost Europeans are multilingual,a he said.

aYou sound so much like an American that I never imagined youare a European.a aIam not.a aThen what are you?a she asked, her green eyes searching his.

aIam neither,a Mitch.e.l.l replied bluntly. aIam a hybrid,a he added, because thatas exactly how he thought of himself, but when he realized that head just been lulled by a soft voice and shining eyes into saying something head never admitted aloud, he didnat like the feeling it gave him. Impatiently, he glanced toward the terrace, and then he put his hand under Kateas elbow, turning her in that direction. aThe waiters have left. Letas go inside,a he said, intending to take her to bed without further conversation.

When she nodded and walked obediently beside him, Mitch.e.l.l a.s.sumed she was willing to go along with that plan, but when they stepped onto the terrace, she foiled him either purposely or inadvertently by backing up and sitting on the stone bal.u.s.trade. aMitch.e.l.la"a She said his name for the first time in a low, sweet voice; then she glanced down and paused as if saying his name had given her the same twinge of surprised pleasure that head felt hearing it.

Mitch.e.l.l perched his hip on the opposite bal.u.s.trade and folded his arms over his chest. aYes?a he said, resigned to naming a few foreign languages he spoke before he could get her to go inside with him.

She lifted her face to his, her smile quizzical. aWhy did you call yourself a ahybrida?a aBecause Iam an American by birth and a European by upbringing.a She nodded as if satisfied. aDo you have brothers or sisters?a Startled and annoyed by her unexpected line of questioning, Mitch.e.l.l said shortly, aNo, not really.a aNot really,a she repeated, and then half jokingly she said, aWhat about a mother or a father?a aNo.a aYou have no family anywhere, is that it?a aWhat the h.e.l.l difference does it make?a aNone, really, I suppose,a she said, but a hint of sadness and resignation had crept into her voice, giving Mitch.e.l.l the distinct impression that for some reason, any further refusal to answer her questions was going to weigh heavily against him in whatever decision she was struggling with.

aI have a sister-in-law, a nephew, and a great-aunt,a he conceded in a clipped voice, refusing to acknowledge the existence of his grandfather.

aHow can you have a sister-in-law or a nephew if you have no brothers and no sisters?a aWhere is this conversation going?a he said shortly.

aAre you in the CIA or MIA or something?a If he hadnat been so annoyed, he would have laughed. aNeither one.a aNo, of course not,a she said lightly, standing up. aIf you were, youad have a much better cover story, wouldnat you?a Mitch.e.l.l stood up and answered with a curt, impatient question of his own. aAre you always so inquisitive?a It was a thinly veiled reprimand and a warning to back off. And Kate backed offa"literally as well as figuratively. Turning away from him, she faced the cold reality of the situation and not the dreamy idyll shead cherished a short while ago. The only thing he wanted to share was an hour or so in bed, and his only interest in her was as a convenient s.e.x partner. For a moment she actually considered settling for that, but she already had all the sorrow and uncertainty she could shoulder waiting for her when she returned to Chicago. She didnat need to add humiliation and guilt to her burdens.

Her body language was unmistakable, and Mitch.e.l.l suddenly decided the evening was better off ending exactly this way. Much better off. In fact, he was relieved it was ending like this. Tomorrow, when they were in St. Maarten, he could enjoy her at armas lengtha"mentally and physically. aItas getting late,a he said in a calm matter-of-fact tone. aIall pick you up at ten tomorrow.a Instead of agreeing to that as he expected, she shook her head; then she cleared her throat and said, aNo. Iall manage on my own tomorrow, but thank you.a She was sulking, Mitch.e.l.l decided, and because he couldnat stand women who sulked, he was perversely pleased to discover she was one of them. Except that when she turned around and looked at him, he realized she wasnat sulking at all. Smiling softly, she said, aGood-bye, Mitch.e.l.l. Thank you for a lovely, memorable evening. I wouldnat have missed it for anything in the world.a Mitch.e.l.l was so disarmed by her expression and what she said that he reversed his earlier decision about the best way to end the evening. aIt doesnat necessarily have to end now,a he pointed out.

aYes, it does.a Although Mitch.e.l.l was willing to change his mind, he was not willing to be backed into a corner or forced into a compromise. aBecause I donat want to tell you the story of my life?a he speculated impa.s.sively.

aNo, because you pried the story of my life out of me, but youare offering nothing in return.a aNothing?a he mocked, lifting his brows.

He was reminding her that head offered her his body in bed, in lieu of his biography, and as Kate fought down a fresh surge of temptation, she suddenly rediscovered that strange feeling of preordained friendship that had come over her earlier. Without realizing what she was doing, she laid her hand against his hard cheek and smiled winsomely into his shuttered eyes. aWhat youare offering would be enough for any woman, I know,a she teased, abut the problem is that I have a feeling youare a whole lot more than just another pretty facea"a At that remark, reluctant laughter flickered in his eyes and a muscle twitched at the corner of his mouth, and the warm connection Kate felt with him grew stronger, along with her aching sense of loss. aThe truth is, I think you have a lot of layers, and if we were together again tomorrow, I would keep trying to peel off one layer at a time to peek beneath it and see whatas hiding there.a When he didnat reply, she did it for him: aBut you wonat let me, and you wonat like it if I try, will you?a Caught between shock at her candor and admiration for her courage, Mitch.e.l.l gave her the tribute of an honest answer. aNo.a aI knew that,a she whispered with another smile, and pulled her hand slowly from his cheek, sliding it down over his shoulder until she finally forced herself to lift it away from him entirely. aNow go away before I change my mind.a Mitch.e.l.l noticed the way her hand lingered, he heard the slight shake in her voice, and he knew beyond any doubt that he could pull her into his arms and change her mind. He even sensed that on some level, she wanted him to do precisely that almost as much as he was tempted to do it. Instead he decided to do exactly what shesaid she wanted him to do, partly because he knew that was probably the wisest course. However, rather than end their brief acquaintance on a grim note, he deliberately joked with her about her decision as he prepared to leave. aYouall regret it,a he predicted with sham gravity.

She nodded in complete agreement and matched his tone perfectly. aWithout a doubt,a she a.s.sured him, but her eyes were suspiciously bright.

Attuned to each nuance of her expression now, Mitch.e.l.l a.s.sumed tears were responsible for that sheen in her eyes. aIf you change your mind about tomorrowa"a aI wonat,a she interrupted quietly. aGood-bye,a she added, and held out her hand to shake his, just as shead done twelve hours before when she introduced herself after spilling a drink on him.

He looked down at her hand, and without warning or reason, he felt a sharp compulsion to change her mind for her and spend the night with her after all. Ignoring her outstretched hand, he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilted her face up to his, and smiled into her eyes. aIn Europe, when a man and woman have spent an evening together, they kiss each other good-bye.a If shead looked away or tried to free her chin from his grasp, Mitch.e.l.l would have forced her to kiss him and subdued the rest of her objections with his mouth and hands. Instead she gave him a confused, innocent look. aWhat part of Europe would that be? Would it be France? Or Sweden? Or Belgium?a Mitch.e.l.las brows snapped into a scowl. aYouare stubborn as h.e.l.l, arenat you?a aOr Spain? Or Transylvania?a she persisted. Mitch.e.l.l dropped his hand in irritation. She stepped back. aIall show you out,a she said politely, and turned to walk into the suite with him.

He declined her offer in a bored, impatient voice. aDonat bother; Iall take the path around the building instead.a Fighting back tears, Kate watched him walk off the terrace and turn left, striding along the back of her villa, but as he reached into his pants pocket and withdrew his keys, he stopped for a moment, his dark head bent in thought, then he turned toward her. Kateas hope soared at the sight of his brief smile, but the words he spoke yanked her back to painful reality. aYou made the right choice.a Inwardly, Kate flinched at the additional damage he inflicted on her with his perfunctory smile and indifferent words, but she forced her aching facial muscles into an answering smile. aI know,a she lied.

He nodded, as if completely satisfied with matters between them now; then he strode down the path and disappeared around the corner of the villa. And out of her life.

In the trees at the border of the garden behind her, something made a rustling noise, but this time Kate didnat feel any alarm or bother to look around. Since she knew it wasnat Mitch.e.l.l, she didnat care what else was back there. Squeezing her eyes closed, she dropped her head in a losing battle with doubt and shame.

The reasons shead given Mitch.e.l.l for putting an abrupt end to their time together were nothing but half-truths. When she originally decided to go to bed with him, she hadnat needed to know how many languages he spoke or how many siblings he had before she could make that decision. The reasons shead given herself for backing away were logical, but lame and dishonest. Shead realized all along that she might feel guilty or mortified later if she slept with him tonight, and shead been prepared to risk that, and accept it if it happened. What she hadnot been prepared to do was go back to Chicago and torture herself with more unanswerable questions. The reason for her fatheras death was a mystery; the future of the restaurant head devoted his life to was an uncertain mystery with Kate in charge. When Mitch.e.l.l refused to talk about himself, shead panicked at the realization that yet another frustrating mystery was presenting itself to hera"standing right in front of her, in fact, looking at her with s.e.xy, heavy-lidded eyes and a deceptively lazy smile while he practically dared her to try to unravel what was going on inside him.

And what made Kate so furious with herself now, and so ashamed, was that she could havedone it, at least partway. She had a masteras degree in psychology and several years of experience dealing almost exclusively with the living results of dysfunctional families. At dinner tonight, shead realized within minutes that there were carefully erected emotional barricades around Mitch.e.l.l, and shead presumed that theyad been there a very, very long timea"probably since childhood.

Instead of granting him the right to have boundaries and admiring the amazing amount of warmth and strength he obviously possesseda"instead of letting him put all that irresistible, confident s.e.xuality of his to use, which head intended to do with her, Kate had focused on the probable foundation of his barricades and started digging there with probing questions about his family members.

Finally, head asked her the one-million-dollar question:aWhat the h.e.l.l difference does it make?a And the answer to that question was, Kate admitted miserablya"no difference. Every adult male had some sort of useful emotional barricades. Sometimes, they let them down for a woman they cared deeply for, but never did they let them down simply because a woman they scarcely knew wanted tomake them do ita"and do it immediately!

Swallowing back tears, Kate stepped off the terrace where shead laughed and joked and danced with him . . . and been melted by one unforgettable kiss. Lifting her hand, she rubbed the aching muscles at her nape, then dropped her hand to her side. Less than half an hour ago, she remembered poignantly, his long fingers had been at her nape, shoved into her hair, his mouth hungrily on hers.

The music had ended when he left, she realized as she wandered aimlessly toward the beach. The night had died when he left.

She thought about the way head turned back when he was walking away, as if the act of taking his keys out of his pocket had suddenly reminded him of another act he needed to perform . . .aYou made the right choice,a head told her with a brief smile; and for the first time, Kate finally understood his seemingly odd behavior: He was politely a.s.suming all the blame for the failure of the eveninga"like a perfect gentleman. His manners werenat merely excellent, Kate realized, they were impeccable. Whether he was being doused with an ice-cold drink or sent away with unfulfilled s.e.xual expectations, he lost neither his temper nor his composure.

She paused, trying to link that vaguely familiar behavior with something she knew, and then she remembered what it was: Supposedly, the British upper cla.s.s behaved as if they were impervious to chaos. Any outward display of temperamental frustration was regarded as a sign of bad breeding. Evidently, Mitch.e.l.l had somehow acquired the manners of the British upper cla.s.s.

She would never be sure if she was right about that. Because of her own cowardice and her infatuated eagerness to know everything about him, shead spoiled her chance to discover anything about him at all.

Knowing that made her feel so miserable that it was almost a consolation to think he hadnat really given a d.a.m.n about her. At least she couldnat blame herself for spoiling chances shead never have had with him.

Chapter Eleven.

LISTLESSLY,KATE WANDEREDto the edge of the garden. Immersed in regret and helpless yearning, she watched the shimmering surf spill onto the sand and then chase itself back into the moonlit sea.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didnat notice soft footsteps in the gra.s.s behind her until a shadow moved directly across her line of vision. She froze, afraid that if she glanced around, shead discover it was only a hotel guest going for a late stroll on the beach. A breathless moment later, her dread exploded into a burst of elation when Mitch.e.l.l put his hands on her waist and moved so close behind her that his shirt brushed her back and arms. For several moments, all Kate heard was the pounding of her heart and the restless rustling of palm fronds overhead. And then he said solemnly, aMy brotheras name was William.a His use of the past tense told Kate that his brother was dead, and she dropped her head in shamed remorse for forcing him to talk about it.

As if to rea.s.sure her, he said, aWe barely knew each other. We had the same father but different mothers. I grew up in Europe and Bill grew up in the States with his fatheras family.a aIam so sorry for asking,a Kate whispered, abut thank you for telling me.a He slid his hands soothingly up and down her arms, and when he spoke again, he hesitated between each sentence as if he found it difficult to articulate what he was trying to tell her. aNeither of us knew the other one existed until a few months ago when he discovered by accident that he had a brother. He traced me to my address in London and sent me a letter explaining who he was. The next week, he telephoned several times. The week after that, he packed up his wife and teenage son, and the three of them arrived, unannounced, on my doorstep.a Warning flags went up in Kateas mind about his fatheras apparent lack of any role in this reunion, but the last thing she wanted to do was pry further. Instead, she seized on the most uplifting part of his story and smiled as she turned around to face him and made her comment: aYour brother was a good strategist.a aWhy do you say that?a aBecause, by bringing his wife and son, he demonstrated that his family was in complete accord with his desire to know you.a aActually, he brought his wife and son in order to make it more difficult for me to throw him out.a aWhy would he have expected you might do something like that?a aProbably because I hadnat answered his letter or accepted his phone calls,a he said drily.

aYou hadnat?a aNo,a he said, but his expression had softened enough to make Kate hazard a guess: aWhen you got to know him, you liked him, didnat you?a He looked away from her before he answered and stared over her head at the sea. aYes,a he said, and after several seconds, he added in a low voice, aI liked him very much.a Tears stung the back of Kateas eyes at the wealth of concealed emotion in that last sentence.

He tipped his chin down and looked at her. aWhat else would you like to know?a The only thing Kate wanted to know now was how to extricate them both from this painfully serious topic. Despite her earlier belief that she was utterly insignificant to him, the truth was that head come back here to tell her whatever she wanted to know. Head actually come back. That was all that mattered. After a momentas thought, she came up with a playful way to answer his last question and hopefully transform their mood. Trying to look extremely solemn, she said, aThere is only one more question I really need an answer toa"itas very personal, but itas extremely important to me to know the answer.a His brows lifted inquiringly, but his expression was so wary and unenthusiastic that Kate laughed and asked the aextremely importanta question: aHow many languagesdo you speak?a His startled chuckle transformed into a lazy, sensual smile as he pretended to seriously contemplate his answer. aIam not certain,a he said, shifting his hand down her spine and drawing her closer. aIall name them for you and you can count them.a His gaze fixed on her mouth, and he bent his head. aIam fluent in Italiana"a His warm mouth touched hers and slid languorously from corner to corner and back again in a long, slow exploration of the shape and texture of her lips that twisted Kate into knots.

aAnd Spanisha"a He deepened the kiss, his mouth stroking hers insistently, his arms tightening. His tongue slid across the seam between her lips, and Kateas pulse rate soared.

aAnd Frencha"a His hand curved around her nape, his mouth slowly opening on hers. His tongue made a brief foray into her mouth, probing lightly, and Kate returned the intimate kiss, wrapping her arms fiercely around his neck and molding her body to the hardening contours of his. To Kateas surprise, her response made him abruptly end that kiss. Instead, he brushed a light kiss on her forehead and whispered, aI also speak some German and some Greek . . .a Touching his lips to her temple, he added, aand a little Russian, and a little j.a.panese.a He slid his mouth across her cheekbone to her ear, and his warm breath made her shiver and lean into him as he finished playfully, aand almostno Dutch.a Despite Mitch.e.l.las lighthearted tone, her shivering response made him yearn to make her shiver again, only harder, and longer, and he had to force himself to lift his head. He could not fathom why kissing her had such a powerful physical effect on him, and he was genuinely relieved that head managed to name all the languages he spoke while keeping things from getting out of hand.

Kate stirred in his arms and tipped her chin up. aYou forgot to mention English,a she said with a smile.

In the interest of conformity, Mitch.e.l.l suddenly felt that the English language needed to be mentioned in the context of a kiss, just as the others had been. aDid I?a he asked, slowly rubbing his thumb over her soft bottom lip; then he looked at what his thumb was doing. His restraint snapped. He pressed his thumb down hard, forcing her lips apart, and abruptly seized her mouth in a hungry, devouring kiss. His tongue plunged into her mouth, and the kiss went wild. She kissed him back, her fingers flexing against the muscles in his back, clasping him to her while his hands slid restlessly over the sides of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then swept behind her, cupping her hips and pulling her tightly against his rigid erection.

When Mitch.e.l.l finally pulled his mouth from hers, l.u.s.t was raging through his entire nerve stream, and the idea of walking toward her villa in the condition his body was in struck him as being too humorous to consider. Instead, he held her in his arms, her face pressed to his chest, her t.i.tian hair spilling over his arm in a rumpled cascade. Lifting his gaze from the top of her head, he looked out at the shifting sea, his emotions caught somewhere between excitement, amus.e.m.e.nt, and disbelief. She was leaning against him for support, her hand splayed over his pounding heart, her fingers moving slightly in a feathery caress. He liked the way she was touching him. He knew she was in much the same emotional and physical state he was in, and he liked that, too.

In fact, he likedeverything about her.

He liked her humor, her warmth, and her sensuality. He liked her courage and her candor and her pride. He liked her smile and the musical sound of her laughter. He liked her face, and her hair, and the way shead laid her hand on his jaw earlier, when she said,aI have a feeling youare a whole lot more than just another pretty face.a He liked the way her body fit itself to his, and the way her b.r.e.a.s.t.s felt in his hands. Mitch.e.l.l checked the direction of his thoughts and tipped his chin down, ready to relinquish his hold on her and walk back to the suite. aHow many languages was that?a he asked with a grin.

She lifted her head from his chest, leaned back in his arms, and looked at him blankly for a moment; then she gave him a smile filled with charming chagrin. aI donat know. I lost count after you said French.a aThen weall have to start over.a aOh, G.o.da"a she said on a choked laugh, and dropped her forehead weakly against his chest.

aBut not here,a Mitch.e.l.l said, amused and flattered by her reaction; then he curved his arm around her waist and directed her toward the villa. As they walked across the gra.s.s, he tried to remember the last time a woman had made him experience such strong, frequent, and repeated transitions from laughter to l.u.s.t, and frustration to fascination. He couldnat remember that ever happening to him before. The experience was surprising, challenging, and exhilarating. He didnat want to do anything to diminish it, or the woman who affected him that way, and as he glanced at the open terrace doors, he wondered if it was a mistake to take her to bed in her boyfriendas hotel room. Then he wondered exactly who he thought that would bothera"her? Or him? Or both of them?

The possibility thathe might not like the idea of going to bed with her in another manas hotel room seemed ludicrous, since head done similar things in the past and without the slightest qualm. In view of that, Mitch.e.l.l decided that his concern was strictly for her sakea"until they walked into the suite and they both saw his navy sport jacket hanging on the back of a chair in the living room.

Kate reacted with a surprised statement of the obvious. aWhen you left earlier, you forgot your jacket.a aThat might have been difficult to explain to the lawyer,a Mitch.e.l.l replied without intending to say any such thing. The lawyer was an off-limits subject under the circ.u.mstances, and he couldnat believe head just been foolish enougha"or cra.s.s enougha"to bring him up at such a time as this.

aI would have noticed it and . . .a aAnd what?a Mitch.e.l.l inquired, even though that completely compounded his last transgression and made him even more annoyed with himself.

Kate shot him an uneasy smile and bent down to check on the sleeping dog. Maxas nose was cool and moist, and he opened his eyes when she touched him; then he gave his tail a feeble wag and drifted back to sleep. Satisfied, she stood up and rubbed her palms on the sides of her pants. She was trying to think what she would have done with Mitch.e.l.las jacket, and she wished the subject hadnat come up, because it was making her feel sneaky and guilty about going to bed with him here in Evanas suite, when moments before shead been happy and excited. aI guess I could have left it at the front desk in a bag with your name on it.a Mitch.e.l.l knew that was a perfectly logical solution, but for some reason he suddenly found the notion extremely distastefula"almost as if it were he, rather than merely his jacket, that she would be pulling a bag over and hustling out to the front desk.

aOr I guess I could have put it in the closet and waited for you to phone and tell me what to do with it.a Mitch.e.l.l restrained the idiotic urge to ask her if she thought the lawyer and he wore the same size jacket; then he glanced at the telephone and imagined the lawyer standing there, answering Mitch.e.l.las phone call about the jacket or playing back Mitch.e.l.las voice mail about it. As he looked at the telephone, it occurred to him that the red message light was no longer flashing, as it had been earlier. That meant Kate had already retrieved her voice mail message sometime during the evening.

He glanced at her, half expecting her to be looking at the telephone, too, but she was looking at the bed with a decidedly guilty expression, rather than the soft, yielding expression shead had a few minutes ago. Although the lawyer wasnat present in the room, head become a p.r.o.nounced obstacle to their unrestrained enjoyment of each other, Mitch.e.l.l realized with disgust. aIs he still planning to arrive tomorrow?a Kate shook her head. aThe day after tomorrow,a she said, but their conversation about Evan had made her feel so uneasy that she couldnat look at the bed in the alcove without feeling despicable about being there with Mitch.e.l.l. Ethically speaking, this wasnat her hotel room or her bed. Evan was paying for them.Decide now, her brain prompted.Decide. Decide. Engaged in her personal struggle with ethics and logistics, Kate turned in shock when, from the corner of her eye, she saw Mitch.e.l.l shrugging into his jacket. aAre you leaving?a she asked, sounding as stricken as she felt.

He nodded; then he partially dispelled her fears over his reasons by capturing her wrist and pulling her firmly into his arms.

He looked amused, not annoyed, she noted. aBut, why?a aBecause,a he said drily, asomething tells me that nice Irish choir girls think itas naughty to sleep with a man in another manas room.a Kateas eyes widened at his acuity, but the termchoir girl seemed so inappropriate under the circ.u.mstances that she couldnat hide behind the falsity of it. aI am hardly behaving like a choir girl.a aDid I guess wrong about the room?a he countered with a knowing smile.

aNot exactly, buta"a aAnd I also think that if we sleep together aon the first date,a one of us will decide tomorrow that our behavior tonight reeked of tacky, indiscriminate s.e.x.a aDo you mean you?a Kate said dazedly, and he gave a short bark of laughter.

aNot me. You.a Kate thought about what he was saying, and she made no effort to hide the yearning or confusion she felt. aI never realized what a prude I must be.a In reply, he slid his fingers through the sides of her hair and turned her face up to his for a demanding kiss that ended on a gruff command. aGet over it by tomorrow.a Kate tried to think of a clever rejoinder and instead said softly, aI will.a Satisfied that the matter was settled, he dropped his hands and turned toward the terrace doors, apparently intending to walk outside and around the building. aThereas a front door in here, you know,a Kate pointed out.

aIf I walk past that bed with you, Iall have you in it in thirty seconds.a aYouare awfully sure of yourself,a she teased.

He tipped his head back, closed his eyes, and said, aPlease, just dare me to prove it. Just give me one excuse. Thatas all I need right nowa"just one infinitesimal excuse and my fragile new scruples wonat matter.a Kate wisely decided not to do that, and he opened his eyes. aIall pick you and Max up at ten oaclock. Weall take him to a vet in St. Maarten and spend the day on the island. And the night,a he added meaningfully. When she didnat object to that, he said, aDo you like to gamble?a Kate looked at the man shead agreed to spend the night with after knowing him only a few hours and said with a winsome smile, aObviously.a He caught her meaning and grinned. aThen bring a change of clothes for the eveninga"something nice.a He turned and disappeared through the doorway.

Chapter Twelve.

SEATED ON THEaft deck of Zack Benedictas yacht with a cup of coffee, a plate of toast, and a newspaper on the table in front of him, Mitch.e.l.l looked toward the railing as the yachtas captain swore under his breath and glared at an approaching boat.

Clad entirely in white, from the starched collar of his short-sleeved shirt to the toes of his spotless deck shoes, Captain Nathaniel Prescott was tall and gray-haired with a ramrod posture and an aura of exacting competence. aBrace yourself,a he warned Mitch.e.l.l. aHere comes another one.a As he spoke, a ferryboat, bound for one of the neighboring islands and loaded with tourists, slid by the yacht less than fifty feet away, and the ferry captainas voice blared an announcement over the boatas loudspeaker to his pa.s.sengers.aLadies and gentlemen, lying off to our starboard sidea"thatas arighta to youa"is the 125-foot yacht owned by movie star Zack Benedict, which is named the Julie,after his wife. Get your cameras ready, and Iall take us in a little closer. I see a man aboard who could be Benedict.a Mitch.e.l.l swore under his breath and raised the newspaper, concealing his face. aI donat know how Zack puts up with this. Iad start waving a shotgun at them.a Until yesterday, theJuliehad been peacefully docked at a pier in one of St. Maartenas beautiful marinas, but some avid fans of Zackas had seen the yacht and realized to whom it belonged. The word had spread like wildfire across the island. Within hours, their pier became a tourist attraction of its own, with Zackas fans milling around the boat, hoping for autographs, taking photographs, and making a d.a.m.ned nuisance of themselves. Some of them were still hanging around last night when Mitch.e.l.l returned from his evening with Kate, and to give Mitch.e.l.l some peace, Zackas captain had moved the boat away from the pier as soon as Mitch.e.l.l was aboard. Now the yacht was anch.o.r.ed just outside the marina, which isolated them from annoying pedestrians, but gave them no protection from tourists on the ferries and tour boats.

aIam checking with the other marinas to see if they have a slip available thatas large enough to accommodate us,a Prescott said in the resigned tone of a man whoad been through this drill many times in the past. aUnfortunately, for now, weall have to use the launch to get you back and forth to sh.o.r.e.a aThatas fine,a Mitch.e.l.l said. aI have some errands to do in St. Maarten this morning.a aIall tell Yardley to have the launch ready to leave ina"?a He paused, waiting for Mitch.e.l.las answer.

Mitch.e.l.l glanced at his watch. It was 8:15. aIn half an hour.a aIall call you on your cell phone, and let you know where weare docked so you can find us this evening,a Prescott volunteered.

aI wonat be back tonight. Iam staying in a hotel.a aYouall probably get more peace and quiet that way,a Prescott said with an apologetic sigh. He started to leave; then he turned and said with a slight smile, aMr. Benedict phoned from Rome earlier. I told him wead been forced to move out of the marina last night. He said to tell you everything is delightfully quiet and pleasant wherehe is.a Mitch.e.l.l acknowledged Zackas joke with a brief smile. Zack was staying at Mitch.e.l.las apartment in Rome while he finished shooting scenes for his new movie there; then he and Julie were flying to St. Maarten to join Mitch.e.l.l.

When Prescott left, Mitch.e.l.l leaned back in his chair and watched a flock of seagulls wheeling in circles overhead, his thoughts drifting to his extraordinary behavior with Kate Donovan the night before.

This morning, in the bright light of day, he was amused and a little embarra.s.sed by the lengths head gone to to please her. When shead asked him to help a stray mongrel, head promptly summoned an ambulance and physician and then volunteered to help take the dog to a vet. Later, when she refused to sleep with him or see him again unless he told her about himself, shead been giving him an ultimatum, and head known it at the time. Head known it, head refused to be manipulated, and head lefta"exactly as he should have done. But then, driven by the severest case of brain-numbing l.u.s.t in his recollection, he gave in and went back to answer her questions. And if that werenat strange enough, head then suffered an unprecedented attack of comical chivalry and decidednot to take her to bed in her boyfriendas hotel room, but to wait until today and take her to a hotel in St. Maarten instead.

That particular decision to wait was doubly bizarre in view of the fact that head been needlessly and outrageously blunt with her all evening about his intentions to sleep with her. In hindsight, most of his behavior the night before was baffling and yet, not entirely. Minutes after head arrived at her hotel last night, everything about her began to resonate with him.

At least, thatas how head felt yesterday. But this was today, and without the moonlight and musica"without the combination of circ.u.mstances that had made the night before seem somehow momentousa"it was possible the amagica would be gone. Right now, Mitch.e.l.l wasnat completely certain which way he wanted it to be. Ever since his brother and his family had arrived in London, Mitch.e.l.l had felt at times that he was getting asofta inside, and it was an alien and rather disturbing sensation. First William had gotten to him; then head let his aunt Olivia get under his skin, and head even shaken his grandfatheras hand. Now, a redheaded Irish girl was getting to him.

In the midst of that thought, Mitch.e.l.l noticed another ferryboat headed straight toward the yacht. Instead of reaching for his newspaper, he reached for a slice of toast, tore off a piece, and tossed it overboard. Seagulls screeched and dove. He tossed four more pieces overboard, and white gulls came from everywhere.

aLadies and gentlemen,athe ferry captainas voice blasted out.aIf youare fans of the movie actor Zack Benedict . . .a Mitch.e.l.l flipped two more pieces of toast overboard, and seagulls rained down out of the sky, screeching and diving.

a. . . Get your cameras ready . . .a Mitch.e.l.l picked up the rest of the toast and slowly flipped the slices overboard one at a time. Seagulls by the hundreds descended in a thick curtain of gray and white.

a. . . Look out for the gulls . . .a Mitch.e.l.l glanced at his watch and pushed his chair back. He still had to pack an overnight case.

Shielded from the ferryas view by flocks of frenzied gulls, he strolled across the deck.

KATEaS DARK BLUEsuitcase lay at the foot of the bed, packed and ready.

From the white sofa in the sitting room, she idly petted Maxas head while she stared at that piece of luggage and nervously tried to recapture the emotions shead had last nighta"emotions that had made it seem completely appropriate and perfectly right for her to agree to spend the night with him. This morning, what she was planning to do seemed a little insane.

She thought about how overjoyed shead felt last night when Mitch.e.l.l walked up behind her in the garden and told her,aMy brotheras name was William.a In retrospect, shead apparently become totally besotted with a man merely because head been reluctantly willing to mention a few facts about his brother and to reveal the languages he spoke. That made no sense at all.

Obviously shead been absurdly affected by the setting they were ina"the setting, combined with his fantastic good looks and his urbane charm, had evidently seduced hera"which was exactly what head intended to happen. From early in the evening, head made it abundantly clear that seduction was on his mind:Iam less dismayed than Iad be if you told me youare a nun. . . . I want to be sure weare on the same page. . . . But I do intend to ravish you.

Even the way he kissed was deliberately seductive. Those slow, stirring kisses that turned hot and demandinga"the suggestive way head held her hips clamped against his rigid thighs while he kissed her. That was kissing with a single-minded, unmistakable goal, she realized. However, she was not foolish enough to feel honor-bound to sleep with him just because shead agreed to do it last night.

After Mitch.e.l.l left, shead been too nervous and excited to sleep, so shead sorted through the clothes shead brought with her, trying to put together outfits that would be exactly right, no matter what Mitch.e.l.l decided they should do while they were together. By the time she was finished, it was nearly threeAM , and several outfits were neatly laid out beside her suitcase, including shoes, handbags, bracelets, and earrings. The only thing she hadnat decided on was what she should be wearing when he arrived to pick her up and how to wear her hair.

This morning, shead been too preoccupied to worry about her appearance. Instead of fussing with her hair, shead pulled it up into a ponytail, and shead chosen the first articles of clothing she noticed when she opened her closet doora"a pair of jeans, a white, short-sleeved T-shirt, and leather sandals.

With a nervous sigh, Kate leaned down and ruffled the short hair on Maxas head. aThis is all your fault,a she joked. aJust because he helped me rescue you and then arranged for some flea powder, I felt obliged to sleep with hima"a She broke off as three short, solid knocks sounded on the villaas front door. Max rolled to his feet and walked beside her, trailing the makeshift aleasha shead created by tying two belts together from the white terry-cloth robes the hotel provided to its guests.

She glanced at her watch. It was exactly ten oaclock.

Chapter Thirteen.

WITH HER HANDon the doork.n.o.b, Kate hesitated, nervously bracing herself to confront the virtual stranger shead agreed, in a moment of obvious insanity, to spend the night with. She fixed a bright smile on her face, and on the chance he intended to kiss her h.e.l.lo, she purposely took three steps backward while pulling the door open.

Mitch.e.l.las tall, wide-shouldered frame loomed in the doorway. Clad in casual black slacks and a black polo shirt that deepened his tan and turned his eyes the color of blue steel, he looked lethally handsome and incredibly s.e.xy.

Kate took another cautious step backward. aYouare right on time,a she said brightly.

He paused momentarily, measuring the distance shead carefully put between them; then he lifted knowing eyes to hers and slowly walked inside. aPunctuality is one of my very few virtues,a he replied with a shrug, glancing casually around the room. Kate watched him register her blue suitcase lying on the bed; then he transferred his attention to the dog, who was directly in front of him. aHow is Max?a aHe seems to be feeling fine,a Kate replied, looking at the bag in Mitch.e.l.las hand. aI hope you have a leash and collar in there. I had to tie together two belts from bathrobes to take him outside this morning.a aI noticed. He looks like heas escaped from a spa for canines,a he quipped, handing the bag to her.