locate his people."
That worked for her. "Please do so. I want to know if Arik is lying."
Teddy scratched his cheek. "You know, it could be a different Solin Catranides."
She shook her head at Teddy. How many men could there possibly be with a name like that?
"Hey, you never know," he said defensively.
"Yeah, but what are the odds?"
Teddy laughed. "About as good as fishing a half-naked guy of the sea." He looked at Brian. "You've got
to wonder about a guy like that. He wasn't drunk. What? Did he decide to take a swim twenty miles
from shore? With no boat?"
"Oh, shut up, Teddy," Geary said playfully.
Brian left them to make his call on the satellite phone with Teddy following one step behind. But as she
listened to Teddy's questions, she realized he wasn't being his usual puckish self. For once the man was
making sense.
Why was Arik out here alone? How had he come to be in the sea when it was obvious the man couldn't
swim?
"Are you okay?"
She turned to find Tory behind her. "I don't know. I'm wondering if maybe we should have left our
mysterious swimmer in the water."
Tory frowned. "How not like you. Why would you say that?"
"There's something weird about him, don't you think?"
"You mean aside from the fact he was almost naked in the water?"
"Well, there is that."
Tory shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not the one who was really talking to him. What about him bothers
you so?"
Geary smiled at her. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just tired."
"People only say that when they're not really willing to deal with the issue at hand. It's like when you ask
a guy what he's thinking and he says 'nothing' but in reality you know he's checking out another woman
and he doesn't want you to give him grief over it."
Geary gaped at her unexpected analogy.
"It's Thia's theory."
Geary shook her head. "I think you need to stay away from her before she corrupts you."
"Nah, it's too much fun. She has the most misguided views on everything. But I think what I just said is
one of the few lucid thoughts she's ever managed."
Geary had to agree with that, too. "All right, Doogie Howser, go back to the books."
"You know, that's what you always say to me when I've hit too close to home with an observation."
She was right, but Geary wasn't about to let her know that. "Take your little scrawny self off and bug
someone else before I make you a human sacrifice, Tor. I'm trying to think, okay?"
" 'Kay. I'll be below deck irritating Scott next if you need me."
Laughing, Geary watched her cousin walk off. God, how she loved that little girl. There was something
very infectious about her.
Tory passed Brian in the doorway. By the look on his face, Geary could tell he had bad news.
She met him halfway across the deck. "What's up?"
"Apparently Solin is an only child. He has no brothers, sisters. Hell, not even a guinea pig."
Anger and victory whipped through her. "I knew it! I knew he was lying." Geary took Brian's arm and
hauled him back the way he'd come.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to confront our guest with this and you're my witness."
CHAPTER 5
ARIK WAS FASCINATED BY THE BRISTLED TEXTURE OF THE blanket on Teddy's bed. It
was scratchy and irritating. Why would anyone want that next to their skin? Even the pillowcase wasn't
what he'd thought it'd be. In dreams, these items were as soft as air and they slid against his skin like
warm water.
But here… He shivered.
This was a strange world mankind lived in. No wonder they escaped into dreams.
And he was tired of being here without Megeara. She was proving to be even more elusive in person
than she'd been in her dreams. He didn't know where she was, but it was time he found her.
He'd just reached for the door when it swung open so fast he felt the rush of air against his skin.
A warm, sweet emotion went through him as he saw Megeara. At least it started out that way until he
noted the look of anger on her face.
"What?" he asked, wondering why she was so
That worked for her. "Please do so. I want to know if Arik is lying."
Teddy scratched his cheek. "You know, it could be a different Solin Catranides."
She shook her head at Teddy. How many men could there possibly be with a name like that?
"Hey, you never know," he said defensively.
"Yeah, but what are the odds?"
Teddy laughed. "About as good as fishing a half-naked guy of the sea." He looked at Brian. "You've got
to wonder about a guy like that. He wasn't drunk. What? Did he decide to take a swim twenty miles
from shore? With no boat?"
"Oh, shut up, Teddy," Geary said playfully.
Brian left them to make his call on the satellite phone with Teddy following one step behind. But as she
listened to Teddy's questions, she realized he wasn't being his usual puckish self. For once the man was
making sense.
Why was Arik out here alone? How had he come to be in the sea when it was obvious the man couldn't
swim?
"Are you okay?"
She turned to find Tory behind her. "I don't know. I'm wondering if maybe we should have left our
mysterious swimmer in the water."
Tory frowned. "How not like you. Why would you say that?"
"There's something weird about him, don't you think?"
"You mean aside from the fact he was almost naked in the water?"
"Well, there is that."
Tory shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not the one who was really talking to him. What about him bothers
you so?"
Geary smiled at her. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just tired."
"People only say that when they're not really willing to deal with the issue at hand. It's like when you ask
a guy what he's thinking and he says 'nothing' but in reality you know he's checking out another woman
and he doesn't want you to give him grief over it."
Geary gaped at her unexpected analogy.
"It's Thia's theory."
Geary shook her head. "I think you need to stay away from her before she corrupts you."
"Nah, it's too much fun. She has the most misguided views on everything. But I think what I just said is
one of the few lucid thoughts she's ever managed."
Geary had to agree with that, too. "All right, Doogie Howser, go back to the books."
"You know, that's what you always say to me when I've hit too close to home with an observation."
She was right, but Geary wasn't about to let her know that. "Take your little scrawny self off and bug
someone else before I make you a human sacrifice, Tor. I'm trying to think, okay?"
" 'Kay. I'll be below deck irritating Scott next if you need me."
Laughing, Geary watched her cousin walk off. God, how she loved that little girl. There was something
very infectious about her.
Tory passed Brian in the doorway. By the look on his face, Geary could tell he had bad news.
She met him halfway across the deck. "What's up?"
"Apparently Solin is an only child. He has no brothers, sisters. Hell, not even a guinea pig."
Anger and victory whipped through her. "I knew it! I knew he was lying." Geary took Brian's arm and
hauled him back the way he'd come.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to confront our guest with this and you're my witness."
CHAPTER 5
ARIK WAS FASCINATED BY THE BRISTLED TEXTURE OF THE blanket on Teddy's bed. It
was scratchy and irritating. Why would anyone want that next to their skin? Even the pillowcase wasn't
what he'd thought it'd be. In dreams, these items were as soft as air and they slid against his skin like
warm water.
But here… He shivered.
This was a strange world mankind lived in. No wonder they escaped into dreams.
And he was tired of being here without Megeara. She was proving to be even more elusive in person
than she'd been in her dreams. He didn't know where she was, but it was time he found her.
He'd just reached for the door when it swung open so fast he felt the rush of air against his skin.
A warm, sweet emotion went through him as he saw Megeara. At least it started out that way until he
noted the look of anger on her face.
"What?" he asked, wondering why she was so
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