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words struck her to the core. So the kiss had been only a ploy to obtain Daphne. She had never felt such an utter fool. A susceptible idiot falling for practiced and superficial charm. Damn him. Double damn him.
    “Daphne is not for sale,” she said. “Not for any price you can pay.” It was not a wise statement for it implied far more than she had intended, and Meredith knew it. There was a passion in the words that was uncharacteristic of shallow Meredith. But she felt such a rage inside that she could not control herself. He had not wanted her. He had merely been using her to get Daphne.
    Quinn saw the flash of fury and didn’t understand quite what had caused it. He knew, however, he had made an error, a bad one. He had mixed business with pleasure when he knew the two were incompatible. And he realized he had failed Cam.
    He tried to recoup his losses and shrugged. “It’s really of no matter. May I accompany you back to your cabin?”
    Meredith looked at him in disbelief. “You, sir,” she said, “are as wanted as the devil at a camp meeting.”
    Quinn grinned. “But it might be as interestin’, would it not?”
    His quick retort stunned her. And unaccountably she wanted to smile back. His lips were full of self-mockery now and nigh on to irresistible. Join me in laughing at myself, they invited her. Drat it, but she really wanted to smile at his impudence. But he was also a slave owner, and, apparently, a merciless one. Her amusement quickly fled.
    “You, sir,” she said in her most huffy manner, “are no gentleman.”
    “No,” he admitted agreeably. “And you, Miss Seaton, what exactly are you?”
    Meredith drew herself up, even as she felt a tremor of fear.
    “A lady,” she said frostily, forcing her lips into a pout. “And I will certainly report your despicable behavior to your brother.”
    “Do that.” He chuckled. “I’m afraid it won’t come as a surprise at all. I’m my brother’s cross to bear.”
    “He has my condolences,” she retorted quickly, knowing once more she was saying too much.
    Quinn’s eyebrows raised, and his mouth twitched. “I’m sure he will appreciate them.”
    “And be so kind as to shower your distasteful attentions on someone else.”
    “Your wish is my most honored command, Miss Seaton,” he said in the most accommodating voice. “I bid you a good rest.”
    Meredith spun around before she was tempted to deliver another retort and stalked through the door to the cabins.
    Quinn lounged against the railing, watching the door bang behind her. He tipped his head upward considering the sky above. He had not missed that unexpected gleam of amusement in her eyes. Damn but she was a puzzle.
    Slowly he headed back toward the dining room. His mind was still on Miss Seaton, on the way her hair had tumbled gloriously down her back, at the quick flash of humor in her eyes, at the momentary passion he felt in her arms.
    He shook his head at his own foolishness. Why was he pricked by this notion that there was so much more to Meredith Seaton than anyone knew? Had a part of her just awakened, or was she just trying to hide something? Or was it simply his imagination? He hated to think it might be the fact that he had been alone too damned long and that any woman would have some appeal to him.
    Damn it all to perdition.

C hapter 4
     
    SWEET, SMOOTH KISSES .
    Hungry, aching ones.
    Quinn had intended the first and delivered the second instead.
    He couldn’t stop thinking about it, either, as he entered the dining room.
    He disliked failure of any kind, most of all one of his own making, and he knew his actions had done nothing to help secure Daphne’s freedom. And he didn’t like the tenseness in his body, not to mention one specific part of his anatomy. How could such a spoiled woman do this to him? And that was exactly what she was—spoiled and empty-headed.
    He rejoined the company he had left just thirty minutes earlier, and barely participated in the