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Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
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wonderful," Kate breathed.
"You, my sweet, are obviously a sucker for pirates. But who am I to complain? Come closer and let me show you my dagger." He captured her hand and began to guide it slowly down below his belt.
She pulled her fingers free quickly. "Don't get carried away. I'm not a complete pushover for the species."
"How do you know? You've never met a real one. The only pirates you know are the ones you invent in your imagination."
"But I told you I'm an expert." Kate was suddenly tense as the atmosphere became more highly charged. "As much as I may be attracted to pirates, I should warn you that I am not equally attracted to the idea of a vacation fling with one."
The teasing humor went out of him in an instant. "I'm not into flings, either. And as a rule, I don't get involved with paying guests. But I think I'm going to make an exception in your case."
"Is that right?" Kate felt something come alive within her, something that might have been hope.
"Please don't play games with me," Jared said quietly. "We're both old enough and single enough to be able to admit we're attracted to each other. And this…" He stroked her arm in a slow caress and shook his head in silent wonder. "This is something special. I'm old enough to know that, too."
"What happens next?"
"Let's find out." Jared started to kiss her again but halted when a loud, youthful voice called from the garden path.
"Hey, Dad, where are you? Lani says to tell you it's time for the cake. Everyone's waiting."
"Tell her I'll be there in a minute, Dave," Jared called back.
"Okay. Hey, where are you, anyhow? How come you're… Oh. Hi, Ms Inskip."
There was a rustle of leaves and Kate turned in Jared's arms to see David peering in through the foliage. "Hi, Dave."
"What are you guys doing out here in the bushes?" David asked with the perfect innocence only a nine-year-old can muster.
"I was showing Ms Inskip the Hawthorne dagger," Jared said calmly as he released Kate and stepped out from under the heavy leaves.
"Oh, yeah? It's neat, huh, Ms Inskip? Dad uses it to cut the first piece of cake at these parties."
"That's wonderful," Kate murmured. "It's always nice to see an antique get some use. I was afraid the Hawthorne dagger might be nothing more than a useless museum piece after all these years."
Jared bit back a laugh, his eyes glinting with sensual warning. "I'm a great believer in the old adage, use it or lose it. Come on, you two. Let's go cut my birthday cake." He waited until David had run ahead down the path before pulling Kate briefly close once more. "And as for you, my sweet shrew…"
Kate heard the sexy threat in his voice and shivered with anticipation. "What about me?"
"Just be sure you stick around. When I've finished with tonight's festivities, I intend to show you what happens to smart-mouthed, feisty heroines who can't remember their manners. That crack about the antique Hawthorne dagger is not going to go unpunished."
"You expect me to stick around after a threat like that?"
"How can you resist? You're a feisty heroine, aren't you?"
Ten minutes later, the wicked-looking dagger flashed as Jared took the first slice out of a giant cake. The crowd cheered and champagne flowed. Spelled out in red icing across the top of the cake was the name Hawthorne. Beneath it was a carefully picked-out reproduction of the dagger. Kate stood to one side and sipped from a fluted glass as Jared led a salute to his ancestor.
"The guests love these affairs," drawled a voice behind Kate. "I always said this was a smart bit of theater on Hawthorne's part."
Kate turned to look at the man who had spoken. He was not wearing a mask, but even if he had been, she would have recognized him by his girth and his pristine white attire. This was the man who had accompanied Jared on the midnight walk up the castle path the other night. An uneasy chill chased off some of her pleasure.
"You seem to know a lot about these
"You, my sweet, are obviously a sucker for pirates. But who am I to complain? Come closer and let me show you my dagger." He captured her hand and began to guide it slowly down below his belt.
She pulled her fingers free quickly. "Don't get carried away. I'm not a complete pushover for the species."
"How do you know? You've never met a real one. The only pirates you know are the ones you invent in your imagination."
"But I told you I'm an expert." Kate was suddenly tense as the atmosphere became more highly charged. "As much as I may be attracted to pirates, I should warn you that I am not equally attracted to the idea of a vacation fling with one."
The teasing humor went out of him in an instant. "I'm not into flings, either. And as a rule, I don't get involved with paying guests. But I think I'm going to make an exception in your case."
"Is that right?" Kate felt something come alive within her, something that might have been hope.
"Please don't play games with me," Jared said quietly. "We're both old enough and single enough to be able to admit we're attracted to each other. And this…" He stroked her arm in a slow caress and shook his head in silent wonder. "This is something special. I'm old enough to know that, too."
"What happens next?"
"Let's find out." Jared started to kiss her again but halted when a loud, youthful voice called from the garden path.
"Hey, Dad, where are you? Lani says to tell you it's time for the cake. Everyone's waiting."
"Tell her I'll be there in a minute, Dave," Jared called back.
"Okay. Hey, where are you, anyhow? How come you're… Oh. Hi, Ms Inskip."
There was a rustle of leaves and Kate turned in Jared's arms to see David peering in through the foliage. "Hi, Dave."
"What are you guys doing out here in the bushes?" David asked with the perfect innocence only a nine-year-old can muster.
"I was showing Ms Inskip the Hawthorne dagger," Jared said calmly as he released Kate and stepped out from under the heavy leaves.
"Oh, yeah? It's neat, huh, Ms Inskip? Dad uses it to cut the first piece of cake at these parties."
"That's wonderful," Kate murmured. "It's always nice to see an antique get some use. I was afraid the Hawthorne dagger might be nothing more than a useless museum piece after all these years."
Jared bit back a laugh, his eyes glinting with sensual warning. "I'm a great believer in the old adage, use it or lose it. Come on, you two. Let's go cut my birthday cake." He waited until David had run ahead down the path before pulling Kate briefly close once more. "And as for you, my sweet shrew…"
Kate heard the sexy threat in his voice and shivered with anticipation. "What about me?"
"Just be sure you stick around. When I've finished with tonight's festivities, I intend to show you what happens to smart-mouthed, feisty heroines who can't remember their manners. That crack about the antique Hawthorne dagger is not going to go unpunished."
"You expect me to stick around after a threat like that?"
"How can you resist? You're a feisty heroine, aren't you?"
Ten minutes later, the wicked-looking dagger flashed as Jared took the first slice out of a giant cake. The crowd cheered and champagne flowed. Spelled out in red icing across the top of the cake was the name Hawthorne. Beneath it was a carefully picked-out reproduction of the dagger. Kate stood to one side and sipped from a fluted glass as Jared led a salute to his ancestor.
"The guests love these affairs," drawled a voice behind Kate. "I always said this was a smart bit of theater on Hawthorne's part."
Kate turned to look at the man who had spoken. He was not wearing a mask, but even if he had been, she would have recognized him by his girth and his pristine white attire. This was the man who had accompanied Jared on the midnight walk up the castle path the other night. An uneasy chill chased off some of her pleasure.
"You seem to know a lot about these
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