Read Online The Serpent in the Stone (The Gifted Series) by Nicki Greenwood - Free Book Online

weren ’ t for...everything...he might have laughed. “ Let me get my stuff together. ”
    “ What about your post? ” she asked.
    “ It can wait a while. ”
    They walked to the eastern shoreline, where he knew it dipped close enough to sea level to admit a small dock. Sara remained silent. She didn ’ t seem to know any better than he what to say in the wake of yesterday.
    God. Please stop thinking about that. His pulse quickened. He took a deep breath at the thought of her naked, dripping body, burned indelible in his memory by instant and painful need. He ’ d almost given in. A couple more steps, and he ’ d have torn that towel away, and damn all the reasons he didn ’ t want to want her.
    He dropped behind her as they walked, trying to put some space between them, but it served only to give him a too-compelling view of her swinging hips.
    A motorboat rested at the dock. “ This is our ride, ” she said.
    “ Where are we going? ”
    “ Mainland. I have to find a jeweler, and quickly. I don ’ t want to leave the dig site too long. ” She unsnapped the boat cover, then pulled it back as fast as possible.
    “ A jeweler? ” What the hell was so important about a jeweler that it couldn ’ t wait? He moved to help her with the boat cover. “ Why take me? ”
    “ Faith doesn ’ t want to leave the dig. ”
    “ There ’ s always your crew. ”
    She didn ’ t answer right away. She folded the boat cover, stowed it in the stern of the boat, then unwound the first of the mooring lines. “ We need them working. My sister seems to think enough of you to suggest you come with me. ”
    He didn ’ t miss that she left her own opinion unspoken. What had he done to garner Faith ’ s confidence when he ’ d hardly talked to her, while Sara remained evasive? He started on the other mooring line. “ What do you want a jeweler for, anyway? ”
    “ My necklace, the stone one. I ’ m fixing it. ”
    “ Was it broken? ”
    “ There are two pieces missing. I ’ m having them put back in it. ”
    An unaccountable chill passed through his body. She could have seen a jeweler by herself, at any time. One-handed, he worked the mooring line free, then coiled it onto a cleat. “ Why can ’ t it wait? ”
    She gestured to the dock and moved to the steering wheel. “ Give us a push, will you? ”
    Ian reached over the edge of the boat and gave the piling a shove. The boat drifted away from the dock.
    Sara keyed the engine. It rumbled to life, idling in the water. She waited until Ian sat down to ease away from shore, then took her own seat. “ My father gave me the necklace. It ’ s important to me. ”
    True, he was sure, but not the whole truth. Sara stared forward along their course, spine rigid, mute as a statue. He rubbed his shoulder. It still prickled, more a discomfort now than actual pain. “ I ’ ll bet. That ’ s why we ’ re rushing off to Mainland. ”
    She answered only by opening the throttle. The boat shot forward. Ian sighed and held on for the ride.
    ****
    The Mainland telephone directory listed four jewelers in their vicinity. The first was closed. The next two refused to do the work in less than a week. The fourth shop didn ’ t look promising, either.
    Ian mistrusted the appearance of the people passing back and forth along the street in front of the shop. Most of them streamed out of a sad-looking pub two doors down. He didn ’ t want to speculate on the nature of the other buildings mashed together cheek by jowl on either side of the jeweler. “ I ’ m guessing this part of town isn ’ t in the tour books. ”
    The grimy shop window bore a sign that read Buy, Sell, Repair in faded red script. Its door hung open as if waiting for them. Sara headed across the street with a decisive gait. He shook his head and followed.
    Inside, the shop didn ’ t improve upon first impressions. They rounded a short counter just inside the doorway. Clutter of every sort swarmed along the shelves and