white, she kept the keen edge to her mind. And tongue.
“Turn the boat around”, she said. “We’re going fishing.”
He kept heading toward the dock, which was now about five minutes away. She gave him a sideways look.
“I mean it”, Honor said. “Turn around.”
“A little bit of fear is a healthy thing”, Jake said matter-of-factly. “It keeps you alert. Too much fear is no good at all. It gets in the way of doing what has to be done.”
“Such as fishing?” she retorted.
“Such as surviving.”
Honor looked at his eyes. “What does a man like you know about fear and survival?”
“More than I ever wanted to.” The flatness of his voice didn’t invite questions.
She didn’t even hesitate. “What happened?”
He gave her a sideways look. “The usual random violence.”
“Oh. Six o’clock news stuff.”
“Bar brawls don’t make headlines.”
“Bar, huh? Did you…”
“No”, he interrupted.
“How do you know what I was going to ask?”
“I don’t.”
“Oh. None of my business, is that it?”
“That’s it. Turn loose of the seat cushion before your hands go numb.”
Very carefully she unlocked her fingers. Blood returned, changing the skin from white to pink. She sighed, swallowed, and licked her lips nervously.
“How did you know my fingers were aching?” she asked.
“Been there.”
Afraid to take her attention off the water for long, Honor gave Jake a quick sideways look. He didn’t look a bit scared. His left hand was curled over the top of the wheel. His right hand rested near the control levers and something baffling that he called trim tab switches. Every line of his body was relaxed, confident, utterly at home on the unpredictable surface of the sea.
“You, afraid?” she asked. “Pull my other leg.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“I wouldn’t know how.”
He gave her a disbelieving look. Without warning he moved the gas lever back to idle.
The boat stopped rushing through the water. Honor made a startled sound and braced herself on the bulkhead. After a few moments, swell from the wake surged beneath the boat, making it roll a bit. If Jake noticed what the boat was doing, it didn’t bother him.
It bothered her.
“What are you doing?” she asked frantically.
“Laying out a few ground rules. Number one. You’re damned attractive and you know it, so unless you’re planning to follow up on all the lip-licking and sideways looks, save them for a boy who cares.”
Her eyes widened. “What are you talking…”
“Rule number two”, he continued without pause. “Refer back to rule number one. Got that, honey?”
“The problem exists in your mind”, she shot back. “If I lick my lips it’s because I’m nervous. Ditto for sideways looks. Got that, honey?”
Jake admired her brilliant, narrowed eyes. Anger had flushed her cheeks, taking away the pallor of fear. He smiled slowly.
“That’s more like it”, he said.
Her jaw dropped open. “Hello? Are we having the same argument?”
“Discussion.”
Honor realized her mouth was still open. She closed it.
“Discussion?” she asked cautiously.
“Right. We were discussing how to get your mind off being afraid of the water. Simple. We give you something else to think about.”
A dizzying combination of anger, laughter, and disappointment swept through Honor. The first two emotions she understood. The third she ignored.
“Ready?” he asked.
“To strangle you? Any time.”
He laughed quietly. “You’ll do, Honor Donovan.”
“Promises, promises.”
She let out a shaky breath, started to lick her lips, and forced herself not to.
“Okay?” he asked.
She nodded, surprised to realize that she meant it. “Your methods are crude but effective.”
His smile turned down at the corners. “That’s me. All the finesse of a neutron bomb and twice the fun.”
“I didn’t mean it as an insult.”
“I’m used to it. Charm never was one of my virtues. I leave that for the con men
“Turn the boat around”, she said. “We’re going fishing.”
He kept heading toward the dock, which was now about five minutes away. She gave him a sideways look.
“I mean it”, Honor said. “Turn around.”
“A little bit of fear is a healthy thing”, Jake said matter-of-factly. “It keeps you alert. Too much fear is no good at all. It gets in the way of doing what has to be done.”
“Such as fishing?” she retorted.
“Such as surviving.”
Honor looked at his eyes. “What does a man like you know about fear and survival?”
“More than I ever wanted to.” The flatness of his voice didn’t invite questions.
She didn’t even hesitate. “What happened?”
He gave her a sideways look. “The usual random violence.”
“Oh. Six o’clock news stuff.”
“Bar brawls don’t make headlines.”
“Bar, huh? Did you…”
“No”, he interrupted.
“How do you know what I was going to ask?”
“I don’t.”
“Oh. None of my business, is that it?”
“That’s it. Turn loose of the seat cushion before your hands go numb.”
Very carefully she unlocked her fingers. Blood returned, changing the skin from white to pink. She sighed, swallowed, and licked her lips nervously.
“How did you know my fingers were aching?” she asked.
“Been there.”
Afraid to take her attention off the water for long, Honor gave Jake a quick sideways look. He didn’t look a bit scared. His left hand was curled over the top of the wheel. His right hand rested near the control levers and something baffling that he called trim tab switches. Every line of his body was relaxed, confident, utterly at home on the unpredictable surface of the sea.
“You, afraid?” she asked. “Pull my other leg.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“I wouldn’t know how.”
He gave her a disbelieving look. Without warning he moved the gas lever back to idle.
The boat stopped rushing through the water. Honor made a startled sound and braced herself on the bulkhead. After a few moments, swell from the wake surged beneath the boat, making it roll a bit. If Jake noticed what the boat was doing, it didn’t bother him.
It bothered her.
“What are you doing?” she asked frantically.
“Laying out a few ground rules. Number one. You’re damned attractive and you know it, so unless you’re planning to follow up on all the lip-licking and sideways looks, save them for a boy who cares.”
Her eyes widened. “What are you talking…”
“Rule number two”, he continued without pause. “Refer back to rule number one. Got that, honey?”
“The problem exists in your mind”, she shot back. “If I lick my lips it’s because I’m nervous. Ditto for sideways looks. Got that, honey?”
Jake admired her brilliant, narrowed eyes. Anger had flushed her cheeks, taking away the pallor of fear. He smiled slowly.
“That’s more like it”, he said.
Her jaw dropped open. “Hello? Are we having the same argument?”
“Discussion.”
Honor realized her mouth was still open. She closed it.
“Discussion?” she asked cautiously.
“Right. We were discussing how to get your mind off being afraid of the water. Simple. We give you something else to think about.”
A dizzying combination of anger, laughter, and disappointment swept through Honor. The first two emotions she understood. The third she ignored.
“Ready?” he asked.
“To strangle you? Any time.”
He laughed quietly. “You’ll do, Honor Donovan.”
“Promises, promises.”
She let out a shaky breath, started to lick her lips, and forced herself not to.
“Okay?” he asked.
She nodded, surprised to realize that she meant it. “Your methods are crude but effective.”
His smile turned down at the corners. “That’s me. All the finesse of a neutron bomb and twice the fun.”
“I didn’t mean it as an insult.”
“I’m used to it. Charm never was one of my virtues. I leave that for the con men
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