Read Online Winter Bride (9780345546197) by Iris Johansen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Iris Johansen
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took a step back.
Ysabel pried her fingers off her arm. “Never again, Betty. You will never touch me again.” She turned toward the bathroom. “Get out!”
Betty shook herself, trying to regain her aplomb. “You’ll be sorry. He doesn’t want you. He only wants the Winter Bride just as Mr. Arnold did. When he’s tired of you, you’ll come running back here to me and—”
“I’ll never come back here. I told you, it’s over.”
She shut the door on Betty’s enraged face.
She desperately hoped Betty hadn’t seen that she had drawn blood on that parting shot. She was being foolish. What did she care if Jed was obsessed with the blasted painting? No emotional attachment existed between them, only this powerful sensual need. It didn’t matter if he saw her only as…
It did matter.
Well, she must not let it matter. Her new life was just beginning and she had too much to accomplishto moan and weep about the things she couldn’t change.
“Are you okay?” Jed’s concerned gaze searched her face as he took her suitcase and then lifted her into the speedboat.
“Fine.” She smiled as she sat down beside him. “I told you there would be no problem.”
“You seem in excellent spirits anyway. She didn’t try to stop you?”
She quickly changed the subject. “Where are we going from here?”
“The airport in Seattle. I’ll make a phone call there to a friend in Puerto Rico before we catch a flight out to San Juan. From San Juan we’ll go by cabin cruiser to San Miguel.”
“Won’t going by sea take a long time?”
He shrugged. “About four days but it’s safer than by air when you need to enter a country unobtrusively.” He started the engine and backed away from the dock. “And I plan on being very unobtrusive, I assure you.”
“So do I.”
“You couldn’t prove it by what you’ve told me, or I should say not told me. Am I allowed to ask how long you think it’s going to take to find this treasure you left?”
“I’m not sure. It depends on how good your contacts are.”
He slanted her a glance. “And you’re not going to confide in me, I take it.”
“When we get to San Miguel.”
He cast a glance at the suitcase. “You didn’t pack much.”
“There wasn’t anything I wanted to take away from here.” She looked out over the water. “As soon as we reach San Miguel, I’ll sign over possession of ‘The Winter Bride’ to you.”
“How very cautious of you. No San Miguel, no Bride?”
“I didn’t mean … I know you wouldn’t back out on your promise.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” he said harshly.
“Yes, I do. I know you’re tenacious, courageous, and determined. I also know you’re intelligent … and that you’re not as hard as you’d like the world to believe.” She smiled. “And I’m learning more all the time.”
He studied her face. “This isn’t going to be easy. We’ll be lucky if we get out of San Miguel with our necks intact.”
“It will be all right. Nothing will happen to you.”
“I’m glad you’re so certain.” He shook his head. “You seem damn happy about all this. You’re practically glowing.”
“Glowing? I feel like I’m blazing inside.” She glanced back over her shoulder at the rapidly receding island. “It’s starting, Jed!”
Ysabel gazed up at the towering hotel as she got out of the taxi. “I thought we were going directly to the cruiser as soon as we reached San Juan.”
“I have to meet someone who’s staying here at the hotel.”
“Who?”
“Ronnie Dalton, a business associate.”
“Is that who you called from the airport at Seattle?”
“Yes, we’ll leave tonight if Ronnie’s managed to lease the cruiser, but I want to make a few more arrangements.”
“Like what?”
“Getting your passport in order before we take off.” He tipped the taxi driver, took Ysabel’s elbow, and propelled her toward the entrance. “There’s no telling where we’ll end up before this is
Ysabel pried her fingers off her arm. “Never again, Betty. You will never touch me again.” She turned toward the bathroom. “Get out!”
Betty shook herself, trying to regain her aplomb. “You’ll be sorry. He doesn’t want you. He only wants the Winter Bride just as Mr. Arnold did. When he’s tired of you, you’ll come running back here to me and—”
“I’ll never come back here. I told you, it’s over.”
She shut the door on Betty’s enraged face.
She desperately hoped Betty hadn’t seen that she had drawn blood on that parting shot. She was being foolish. What did she care if Jed was obsessed with the blasted painting? No emotional attachment existed between them, only this powerful sensual need. It didn’t matter if he saw her only as…
It did matter.
Well, she must not let it matter. Her new life was just beginning and she had too much to accomplishto moan and weep about the things she couldn’t change.
“Are you okay?” Jed’s concerned gaze searched her face as he took her suitcase and then lifted her into the speedboat.
“Fine.” She smiled as she sat down beside him. “I told you there would be no problem.”
“You seem in excellent spirits anyway. She didn’t try to stop you?”
She quickly changed the subject. “Where are we going from here?”
“The airport in Seattle. I’ll make a phone call there to a friend in Puerto Rico before we catch a flight out to San Juan. From San Juan we’ll go by cabin cruiser to San Miguel.”
“Won’t going by sea take a long time?”
He shrugged. “About four days but it’s safer than by air when you need to enter a country unobtrusively.” He started the engine and backed away from the dock. “And I plan on being very unobtrusive, I assure you.”
“So do I.”
“You couldn’t prove it by what you’ve told me, or I should say not told me. Am I allowed to ask how long you think it’s going to take to find this treasure you left?”
“I’m not sure. It depends on how good your contacts are.”
He slanted her a glance. “And you’re not going to confide in me, I take it.”
“When we get to San Miguel.”
He cast a glance at the suitcase. “You didn’t pack much.”
“There wasn’t anything I wanted to take away from here.” She looked out over the water. “As soon as we reach San Miguel, I’ll sign over possession of ‘The Winter Bride’ to you.”
“How very cautious of you. No San Miguel, no Bride?”
“I didn’t mean … I know you wouldn’t back out on your promise.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” he said harshly.
“Yes, I do. I know you’re tenacious, courageous, and determined. I also know you’re intelligent … and that you’re not as hard as you’d like the world to believe.” She smiled. “And I’m learning more all the time.”
He studied her face. “This isn’t going to be easy. We’ll be lucky if we get out of San Miguel with our necks intact.”
“It will be all right. Nothing will happen to you.”
“I’m glad you’re so certain.” He shook his head. “You seem damn happy about all this. You’re practically glowing.”
“Glowing? I feel like I’m blazing inside.” She glanced back over her shoulder at the rapidly receding island. “It’s starting, Jed!”
Ysabel gazed up at the towering hotel as she got out of the taxi. “I thought we were going directly to the cruiser as soon as we reached San Juan.”
“I have to meet someone who’s staying here at the hotel.”
“Who?”
“Ronnie Dalton, a business associate.”
“Is that who you called from the airport at Seattle?”
“Yes, we’ll leave tonight if Ronnie’s managed to lease the cruiser, but I want to make a few more arrangements.”
“Like what?”
“Getting your passport in order before we take off.” He tipped the taxi driver, took Ysabel’s elbow, and propelled her toward the entrance. “There’s no telling where we’ll end up before this is
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