Sea Panther (Crimson Storm) (6 page)

Kimberly joined the captain at a table near the front of the
stage. Within seconds, a waiter brought an ice bucket with a bottle of
champagne and two flutes. Robert poured, and they clinked glasses.

The song ended.

Leaning on elbows, the singer lounged provocatively on her belly,
draped across the piano, while the piano player made love to her with his music
and gaze.

The sensual scene made Kimberly perspire. There were only
couples in the room; some openly fondled each other. Her discomfort increased
as a woman licked her date’s neck while stroking a hand over the bulge at the
front of his pants. Heat raced along Kimberly’s skin to the roots of her hair.
What kind of place was this?

She nervously peered at the captain. He stared at the couple
on stage. The piano player stood, bowed, pulled the singer into his arms, and
dipped her backward over an arm. He gave her a lengthy, passionate kiss and
nuzzled her neck.

Kimberly shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

A low growl came from the captain. He stood, knocking over a
chair in his rush, and strode to the couple. When they broke apart, he grabbed
the woman and shook her. The woman’s high-pitched laugh grated on Kimberly’s
nerves. The captain wore a mask of anger.

Kimberly’s chest tightened. She inhaled several deep
breaths, trying to get her swirling emotions under control, to rid herself of
the knot in her belly. What did it matter that the captain had a girlfriend? Or
that he was mightily pissed at the woman.

* * *

Robert wanted to strangle his sister. She acted like a bitch
in heat. He shook her, wanting to force some sense into her. “Raven, what were
you thinking. Such a public display. You were about to allow Wolfgang to bite
you in public. Have you lost all your sense?”

“You are the one making a scene.” She struggled to pull free
from his grasp.

He held tight to an arm and dragged her along a dark
corridor, and into one of the private rooms. Once they were out of sight of
prying eyes, he flung her onto the plush velvet sofa and took several deep
breaths in an attempt to master his anger.

Her laugh enraged him more. How dare she take her improper
behavior so lightly? The humans must never know her as a vampire shifter.

“Your conduct is appalling. And dangerous.”

“’Tis you, brother, who puts us at risk, pursuing a cure for
something incurable.”

Robert ground his teeth.

“Why do you not embrace the power you’ve been given?”
Raven’s gaze turned speculative.

“This is not about me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Aye. ’Tis about you. You should not flaunt yourself on
stage—” Robert’s spine stiffened, his keen senses alert to the fact they were
no longer alone. He spun around into a crouch, prepared to ward off an attack.

None came. Wolfgang leaned against the doorframe, a smirk
curling his lips. “I would have cloaked us before we had sex.”

“’Tis not the sex that worries me and well you ken it.”
Robert stood and glared at the man.

“Shall I go and take care of the human you left in the bar?”
Wolfgang’s lecherous grin stoked a primitive need within Robert to strike out
at the threat to his mate. He swallowed hard and suppressed the urge to kill
the bastard.

“I warn you, Wolf, stay away from her.”

“You have not marked her.” Wolfgang closed the door and
glided into the room.

Robert stepped forward. He clenched tight fists. His blood
roared. He wanted to fight.

The other male vampire laughed. “If I desired the drab
fräulein
,
I would take her.” He glanced at Raven. “I prefer my blood spiced with hot
pepper.”

“You will leave Kimberly alone.”

“Not until you accept the gifts given you, will you be able
to control your powers. Without doubt, until then, I will stomp you in battle.”

Robert took another step toward Wolfgang.

“Puh…lease. Will the two of you stop the vamp posturing?”

Wolfgang plopped onto the sofa next to Raven. She slid onto
his lap and suggestively stroked his chest.

“Fine. If the two of you plan to draw blood, do it behind
this closed door where no mortal eyes will spy on you.” Robert opened the door
to leave, but turned back. “Raven, be aboard
Sea Panther
before dawn the
day after tomorrow. The crew has orders to leave at 0800, with, or without
you.”

An open smile crossed crimson painted lips, exposing fully
extended fangs. “Join us,” she said before embracing Wolfgang and clamping her
mouth on his neck. He reciprocated by piercing her pale skin with sharp fangs.

The desire to join in their erotic feeding overwhelmed
Robert. With great effort, he forced himself to back away from the couple,
refusing to participate in a perverted
ménage à trois
with his twin
sister.

Sickened by the cravings of his vampire-self, he punched the
doorframe. Fragments of splintered wood flew in every direction. A large piece
stuck in his hand. He yanked out the rough sliver and morosely watched the
wound heal.

Leaving his sister and her lover to their depravity, he went
in search of the manager. Someone discreet would need to fix the door.

When he finally felt more in control and returned to the
table in the lounge, his newest crewmember was gone.

* * *

Kimberly wandered through the empty streets of Annapolis.
When she left the jazz club, she believed she knew the way to the yacht.
Unfortunately, she’d made several wrong turns and now had no clue where she’d
ended up.

Jazz club? The lounge would be better described as a sex
club. The captain was a jerk for taking her. Especially since his girlfriend
sang there. With each purposeful stride, Kimberly made an effort to release her
irritation. It wasn’t working. Her hands were actually curled into fists.

The captain had been rude to leave her alone at the table in
the lounge while he went in the back with his girlfriend to…

Kimberly didn’t want to guess what went on in the back rooms
of the club. She quickened her pace as she entered a darkened street lined with
warehouses and boat works. With the cloudy sky, not even the moon shed light on
the street. She was almost clear of the worst of it when she sensed someone
followed her.

Heart thumping a frantic beat, she burst into a run. Before
she got far, the pursuer grabbed her from behind and shoved her face into a
brick wall. Pain shot through an arm as the attacker wrenched it up behind her
back and trapped her with their body. A masculine body, heavy with arousal, the
hard erection touched way to close to the crack of her behind.

“Satan’s whore,” the guy swore near her ear.

Kimberly kicked back at his legs.

He forced her into the bricks with all his weight, scraping
her cheek on the rough surface.

“Why do you call me that?” she managed to ask between gasps
for air.

“You’re the Panther’s whore, and he’s the son of the devil.”

“I’m not,” she choked out.

“What?”

She stomped hard on the bridge of his foot. The guy groaned
and lightened the pressure of his hold on her, but didn’t let go.

“I’m not the Panther’s whore,” she screamed. Kimberly
struggled, trying to wiggle her arms free so she could nail him in a soft spot.

The attacker tightened the grip, digging thumbs into her
arms. “The Panther only takes woman aboard for perverted sex.” The guy leaned
in tight and rubbed his erection up and down. “You’ll give me what you give
him.”

Kimberly felt the rapid pounding of his heart at her back.
The sour stink of sweat surrounded her. But she refused to be overwhelmed by
fear. “Not whore,” she wheezed. “Hired crewmember.”

He spun her around. Shoved her back against the wall. He was
young and attractive with blond hair and blue eyes, and not what she expected.
He seemed normal.

“Please, let me go. I swear I’m merely part of the crew.”
She fought harder to break free.

An animalistic growl thundered from the other end of the
street.

“Shit! I’ll be back for you. The life of one slut to avenge
another.” The guy let go and ran.

Her legs wobbled and she slid to the ground. Unshed tears
flowed unchecked over her cheeks. Through the moist blur, the hulking form of
the captain approached, face contorted with rage.

C
rimson streaks
flared at the edges of Robert’s vision. He forced the incensed beasts back into
the murky recesses and shot into a sprint. His chest expanded with the
super-pumped adrenaline surging through his veins. Kimberly had better not be
hurt or all the vile creatures in hell would feel his wrath.

She huddled on the ground, eyes stained with tears and a
cheek raw and already bruising. He reached out to touch her. When she laced her
fingers through his, Robert’s heart kicked hard against his ribs. He pulled her
up and crushed her against his chest.

He stared in the direction the man ran. Dammit to hell, he
wanted to chase after the attacker and kill the bastard for what he’d done.
Kimberly’s terror burned in Robert’s nostrils. He couldn’t leave her.

“What happened?” Fear for her made the words come out a
gravelly demand.

Her trembling increased. Damn. He wasn’t good at providing
comfort. He removed his leather jacket and draped it around her shoulders then
wrapped his arms around her and held tight. She fit perfectly pressed against
him, as if he’d been born for the sole purpose of protecting her.

At a loss as to how to calm her, he rubbed her back and
made, what he hoped were, soothing sounds. “There, there,” he murmured.
“Everything will be all right. I am here. I have you now.”

It took forever, but the trembling subsided. She pulled away
and glared at him. “This was all your fault.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Your. Fault. First of all, you took me to a
club where everyone is doing— Never mind that. You took me to a club where your
girlfriend sings. Then you leave me at the table, alone, while you go in the
back to do…whatever with your lover.”

“You thought Raven was my girlfriend?” He stared at her in
disbelief.

“Well…yeah.”

“She is my twin sister.”

“You have sex with your twin sister?” Kimberly huffed.

If he weren’t annoyed, he’d think the appalled expression on
her face charming. “Hell, no. I took her to the back to give her a lecture.” He
ran a hand over his face, searching for patience. “I heard from an acquaintance
she was hanging at the club, getting into mischief. I was trying to stop her
from finding more trouble.”

“Oh.”

The O-shape of Kimberly’s lips distracted Robert. Desire
flashed red-hot. He mentally shook himself. Remembered she’d just been
attacked. He needed to be gentle. “Tell me what happened.”

“I got lost. Some guy followed me and shoved me against the
wall. He called me Satan’s whore, just like the last time. He said—”

“What?” Robert shouted not allowing her to finish. “You were
attacked another time?”

“Not exactly. In Chesapeake City, when I was walking back to
the yacht with Timothy and Davey, we startled a guy hidden in an alley. I think
it was the same guy. He ran past us and shoved me to the ground. He called me
Satan’s whore then too.”

“Neither Timothy nor Davey mentioned this.”

Kimberly shrugged.

He would give the lads a stern talking to upon their return
to
Sea Panther
. Relieved to have Kimberly safe within reach, he took a
deep breath and flexed stiff shoulders. His neck cracked, releasing some of the
tension. “You have a nasty enemy,” he said.

“No. You do.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. At first, I thought he was the hit man rumored to
have been hired by one of my ex-clients. But he called me the Panther’s whore
and
you
the son of the devil. He said you only bring women onboard
Sea
Panther
for perverted sex.”

“Really? Perverted sex? That is insane.”

“I’m not making this up. He said he’d be back. Said he’d
take the life of one slut to avenge another.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Haven’t a clue. Do you?”

“Nae.” Robert scanned the street. “Come. Let us return to
the yacht before we run into more difficulties. And what is this about a hit
man?” He stopped walking and twisted to stare at her. “You neglected to mention
that wee detail in your job interview.”

* * *

Oops
. Kimberly hadn’t meant to let that tidbit of
information slip. She swallowed and met the captain’s gaze straight on. “On the
merits of a financial tip I received from a trusted friend, I invested my money
and the money of a couple of clients in an off-shore deal. The investment
failed and we lost everything. After my firm fired me, I heard a rumor one of
my clients put out a hit contract on me. But I can’t believe he’d do such a
thing. He’s a really nice man.”

“Was the loss great?”

“Yeah.” Kimberly closed her eyes, swamped by the
embarrassment of her stupidity.

The captain’s fingers grazed her scraped cheek, leaving a
trail of tingling sensation. “No man is
really nice
after he loses a
substantial sum of money. His ego will compel him to lash out at the one who
caused the loss.”

“Is that what you would do?” Kimberly placed a palm where
Robert had stroked, marveling at the tingling effect of his touch.

“Not if it were you, sweetling.” He leaned forward.

Her pulse quickened. He placed a hand behind her head,
slowly pulled her forward, and kissed her. A brief touch of satiny lips. Enough
to cause a craving for more to burn within her breast.

She shouldn’t allow him to kiss her. Shouldn’t lean on him,
but she was vulnerable. He felt so good. Kimberly wrapped her arms around his
neck and kissed him back with all the pent-up passion within her demanding
release.

His sharp intake of breath indicated his surprise. She took
advantage, slipping her tongue into his mouth. He tasted great. A combination
of champagne and berries.

He got with the program and angled his head, allowing deeper
penetration.

She wanted to climb his body. Ride him.

He pulled away, leaving her breathless. A low growl escaped
his throat, startling her. “What’s wrong?”

“That will not happen again.” He grasped her hand. “Come. I
need to return to
Sea Panther
and figure out what to do about you.”

* * *

Rays of golden sunlight shimmered through the porthole and
Kimberly stretched lazily. Although Robert’s kiss the previous night started
out tentative, she’d responded with unrestrained passion. Who would have
thought she’d had it in her? Certainly not her ex-fiancé.

Holding Robert in her arms had made her feel complete, as if
he filled a void deep inside her of which she’d been unaware. She’d felt empty
when he pulled away. She wanted to hold onto the good part, but the delicious
memory of their intimate embrace faded quickly when she glanced at the clock
and noted it was past noon.

Her alarm hadn’t gone off. Someone should have wakened her.
Shit
.
Had she blown it? Had Robert decided to fire her?

She pushed away the bed sheet, swung her legs over the side
of the bunk, and chewed on her bottom lip. Would she be left to fend for
herself in Annapolis? This late in the season, it would be difficult finding a
crew position on another boat headed south. There wasn’t enough money to get
back to New Jersey. Besides, she wouldn’t be safe there.

She couldn’t go north.

Was it safe here? Would it be safer farther south? She’d be
safe with Robert. And she didn’t want to leave him. Not before exploring the
new sensations he provoked.

Oh, God, what did he have planned? Could he be convinced to
let her stay?

She threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and raced into
the galley. No one loitered there. There wasn’t even a lingering aroma of bacon
remaining from breakfast. No one lounged in the salon either. She climbed the
companionway stairs and found Timothy sitting in the sun-warmed cockpit,
reading. “Hey, where is everyone?”

He glanced up from a
Popular Mechanics
magazine.
“Running errands.”

“I overslept. Why didn’t anyone wake me?” Kimberly swept
un-brushed hair out of her face and attempted a smile.

“The captain gave orders not to disturb you. I think he
turned off your alarm clock too.”

“Why?” Her tense, bare toes gripped the deck.

“Maybe because you were attacked last night.”

She touched the bruised cheek. “Oh. You heard about that.”

“Yeah.” Timothy made one of those annoying faces men give
woman who they think are acting dumb. The knot in her stomach tightened.

“Does the captain plan to fire me?”

“Nah. He gave strict orders not to let you go ashore alone
from now on. One of us is always to be with you.”

Robert’s concern thrilled her, but then…

“That’s not fair. What right does he have to limit my
activities?” For some foolish reason the domineering attitude pissed her off.

“Chill out. Two seconds ago, you were worried about being
fired. Geez. The captain isn’t restricting your behavior. All he said was one
of us has to accompany you when you’re away from
Sea Panther
. He’s your
employer, and while you crew his yacht, he’s responsible for you.”

Employee
. After all, that was all she was to him. “I
don’t want to be babysat.”

Her belligerent attitude was wrong, but she couldn’t help
it. Her emotions were on a roller coaster ride.

Timothy put an arm to his forehead and leaned back in mock
horror. “What? Don’t you like hanging with the twins and me?”

Kimberly released a heavy sigh. Now she’d need to stroke
Tim’s hurt pride. “It’s not that. I like you guys. It’s just…I don’t need to be
escorted everywhere I go.” She reconsidered when she thought of the attack the
previous night. “Well, maybe after dark.” She would concede to that security
measure.

“The captain said whenever you leave the boat. Don’t even
think of going ashore without one of us to carry your gear.”

“Okay.” She restrained the smirk pulling at her lips. “If
you’ll be my pack mules, I’ll take one of you along. As a matter of fact, I
need to go to a laundromat.”

“Ouch.” Timothy rolled his eyes. “That hurts.”

Kimberly laughed. “Could go by myself.”

“Nah. I’ll go with you as soon as one of the others gets
their ass back here.”

The twins showed up a half hour later, and Timothy escorted
Kimberly into town. They returned to the yacht after doing the laundry well
after dark. Davey stood night watch. The rest of the crew had gone ashore.
Timothy helped carry the bags of clean clothes below and then went back to the
cockpit to hang with his buddy.

She sorted the laundry and placed each crewmember’s on their
bunk. Except for Robert’s, his cabin being off-limits to crew. Why? She had to
wonder. Curiosity always got the best of her. She carried his laundry to the
door of his cabin and tapped lightly, though Davey had said the captain had
gone ashore with Colin and John.

Of course, no one answered.

She tested the knob. Robert hadn’t locked the door.
Should
she?
She scraped her teeth back and forth across her lower lip.
Sure,
why not?
In how much more trouble could she get? Besides, she wasn’t
planning to disturb anything, simply place the clean clothes on his bunk.

Maybe seeing his things would provide insight into the man.
Kimberly opened the cabin door and peered in. The lavish cabin caught her by
surprise, and she gawked. Dark green velvet covered the bunk. She shifted
Robert’s laundry to one arm and entered. Her fingers itched to touch the plush
pillows made from luxuriant fabrics sitting atop the bed. While indulging in
the tactile sensation, an indentation marring the fine wood bulkhead grabbed
her attention. It appeared as if someone had thrown a punch. Robert likely
slammed a fist into the wall.

She shuddered at the thought of such aggression directed at
her. But to date, he’d only been gentle—even last night while angry after the
attack, he treated her tenderly. Tenderly and passionately. Savoring the memory
of their intense kiss, she brushed the fingers of her free hand across her
lips. Why had he suddenly ended the kiss? He seemed to enjoy it.

Guess he wanted to avoid the employer-employee thing. She
probably should too. An affair could get complicated in the tight quarters of a
sailing yacht. Made good sense to keep a distance, but she couldn’t convince
herself not to pursue Robert.

Kimberly continued to check out his private space, feeling a
bit like a voyeur. Two crossed cutlasses hung above the dent. On the wall over
the leather settee hung a Scottish claymore. The two-handed sword looked like
one she’d seen in a Celtic shop in Anderson Creek, North Carolina during the
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of the Scottish Clans. How
odd that Robert would display antique weapons on a modern yacht. The salt air
couldn’t be good for the aged metal.

Still clutching the laundry, she swung around. In a corner
of the room, a large piece of dark exotic wood scarred with claw marks hung on
ropes from the ceiling. Fortunately, there was no sign of Marion. Robert must
have taken the nasty bird with him.

“What are you doing in my cabin?”

Kimberly dropped the clothes in a heap on the floor.

She twisted to face his stern countenance. “Sorry.” She bent
and picked up the messy pile of clean laundry, placing it on the bed.

“Did Colin not tell you this cabin is off-limits to crew?”

“He did.” She quickly folded a shirt.

“And still, you chose to enter my private chamber?”

She ventured a peek at Robert. A red flush of color crept up
his neck above the vee of the black tee stretched tight across his broad chest.
Did he realize how much the size of him intimidated her in the tight
constraints of the cabin?

Kimberly repressed the urge to dart past him and out of the
cabin. It wouldn’t do any good; there was no place to run. “I didn’t want to
leave your clothes in the salon.” She gave him one of her famous speed smiles
and shrugged, continuing to fold the clothes. “Door was unlocked.”