Undertow (14 page)
He·d invite everyone to the party. Meet the host of suspects up close and personal, and look them in the eye. Better the devil he knew than the devil he didn·t.
Besides, he was ready for a crowd. He liked dancing, liked noise, liked laughing.
And it would pul his addled brain away from his mechanic.
He kept a weather eye on the storm front closing in, pretty typical for this time of year.
Despite the waves, none of the surrounding boats quit and went home ³everyone seemed prepared to wait the bad weather out. One morning several days later, he passed Teal in the narrow passageway going to the head, a towel and toothbrush in her hand. She looked as sleepy and disheveled as a baby owl and didn·t notice him until he neatly blocked her w ay so she had to stop and talk to him.
Zane felt ridiculously like he was in junior high. Except in junior high he·d been the jock, and the girls had been al over him.
Being around Teal made him realize how little thought he·d ever given to his popularit y.
He·d never been vain about it, hel , he·d never given it a nanosecond of thought. Until a woman
wasn·t
charmed by him. He should leave it at that. But it rankled more than it should have. He liked her just fine.
More
than fine. Why didn·t she like him?
´How·s the new mattress?µ he asked, leaning against the bulkhead. Her hair was al spikes and cowlicks and flat on one side, and he thought she looked ridiculously cute for a sea urchin.
Teal·s sleepy brown eyes rose slowly, and she blinked as if seeing a l six three of him, standing in the companionway on his own boat, was a big shock.
Ít·s « firm.µ
The interesting thing about her not liking him was that she was wearing the T -
shirt he·d lent her for her lunch with Nick last week. The shirt she·d claime d she·d incinerated. His shirt was so long and big on her it came halfway down her thighs.
Was she wearing anything under it? He wanted to slide his hands up her thighs to find out.
Ćomfy?µ He plucked the sleeve, which came down to her elbow. No sliding up thighs.
Unfortunately. He should be up for sainthood.
She swatted his hand away. Ít·s too early.µ
´For what?µ
´To spar with you. I have to pee, Zane. Can I please get by?µ
He flattened himself against the bulkhead. ´Be my guest. Why don·t you use mine instead of the one the guys are using?µ Which he·d offered several times and been refused several times. But she couldn·t fault him for offering. Ít·l give you more privacy, especial y now that we have al the security guys on board.µ
The thought of her naked in his shower gave Zane his first woody of the day.
´There·s a lock on the door.µ
´Your choice.µ
Á good thing for you to keep in mind.µ Giving him the evil eye, she managed to slide by without touching any part of him, even the part sticking out.
* * *
Sea Witch
rode anchor just beyond three other boats. Teal didn·t see a redhead, but she saw every other color hair as women hung over the railings of the other boats, practical y fal ing out of their bikini tops. Several scantily clad people talked to Zane, Ben, and Ryan, who fielded their questions and downplayed the value of what they·d been brin ging up al day.
Maggie and Colson were belowdecks having multiple orgasms as they photographed and cleaned what everyone had brought to the surface al day.
When they were done, everything would be packed in sea water and hidden in the
Decrepit
·s secret compartments.
They weren·t taking any chances. What they uncovered every day was immediately brought to the surface and cataloged. Zane and his team packed the most valuable pieces careful y, then put everything in garbage bags, which Brian and his guys too k on their boat as if it was
Decrepit
·s garbage. The bags were piled on the deck for several days while the men ´visited.µ
When they left, they took several mil ion dol ars· worth of gold and emeralds with them.
When it became obvious that the operation was yielding more treasure than could be transported discreetly, Zane brought in security specialists who made a big deal of their arrival, especial y the weapons they al carried. Since with their arrival it was impossible to hide the scope and value of the artifacts, Zane decreed that no one came on board without his express invitation, and a dozen armed men enforced the rule. Every afternoon at six, a nondescript motorboat came in to remove the most valuable pieces and return them to Cutter Cay, where more high-powered security people made sure no unauthorized people came ashore. The island was almost as secure as Fort Knox.
Ironical y, it wasn·t the dol ar value of the treasure that made Zane·s heart race. Money was just for spending. It was the rich color of the emeralds and the amazing patina of the gold coins they·d found that gave him the zing. Every day was a revelation. He split his dive time between Ryan, Ben, and Teal. Once in a while, Maggie wanted to see things firsthand, but she was too busy and too excited to want to leave the
Decrepit
, even for an hour.
Between dives and security arrangements, Zane had sent Colson to each boat to invite everyone over later. The man was certifiably insane, and she didn·t hold back when she told him so.
Zane laughed off her protests.
She mentioned that anyone on the surrounding ships might be pirates, for God·s sake. Any one of the smiling, airhead-looking people could·ve sabotaged the
Decrepit
or stolen her box, which she·d convinced herself had been fil ed wi th fist-sized emeralds. That for al
he
knew they were the bad guys, lying in wait until the
Decrepit
crew did al the work, then they·d waltz in and help themselves.
Zane had soberly told her that was an unlikely possibility.
Stil , Teal just hoped she wasn·t on board when the bad guys did their hostile takeover. Next time the
Decrepit
might sink while they were al fast asleep. He·d better give that some thought.
* * *
Let Zane be the exhibitionist. He was so damn good at it.
This stupid freaking party was wrong on so many levels it made her head spin.
She absolutely did not see Zane·s logic on this. At al . How did inviting al these people help him solve the puzzle? How did he think he was going to ID whoever had tried to sink his freaking boat?
This party was il ogical. Impractical. Intrusive and downright freaking annoying!
She lifted her soda can to her mouth, feeling a little sick watching him. He wasn·t wearing much more than his guests were. His low slung, white linen, drawstring pants showed off the darkly tanned expanse of his muscles and his washboard stomach. The man w asn·t fond of clothing, she·d learned on this trip.
She bet if she and Maggie weren·t around he·d walk around bare -assed naked al the time.
And wouldn·t that be a sight to behold?
A heat rash spread across her chest.
Two greased, mostly naked females had draped themselves on either side of him. One toyed with the string holding up his pants with long red nails and a sly, glossy smile. Zane, chatting to the blonde on his left, put his hand down and removed the skank·s fingers without even glancing at her. Now
that
was too practiced, Teal thought, feeling pissy and not proud of it. It was his boat. He could invite anyone he damn wel pleased. He could be fondled by anyone he pleased.
Didn·t mean she wanted to sit here like a third wheel and watch strange women smearing oil slicks al over him.
The good news was, the women looked too stupid to be pirates and their escorts too lazy.
Stil , she·d keep an eye on al of them just in case their looks were deceiving.
The crowd had cranked up the music, and everyone was talking at once, so nobody even noticed her sitting there feeling «
annoyed
. The booze was flowing, the music was loud, and she·d tried, twice, to go down to her engines to seek solace.
Zane had told her to ĺighten up.µ She·d like to take those matches on the table beside the unlit candles and set his pants on fire.
Childish. Stupid. Warranted. She slouched in her chair and ran the cold can over her forehead. A bald man with bushy, untrimmed, gray eyeb rows like Andy Rooney on
60
Minutes
came over to talk to her. He was in his mid sixties, about Ben·s age, without Ben·s taste. He·d come on board with the quarter-his-age blond nymphet who practical y had her hand down Zane·s pants. ´Hi babe, wanna dance?µ
She·d already bet herself he·d be a
babe
cal er by counting the gold chains around his neck.
Ńo.µ
He stood way too damn close. Teal crossed her legs and accidently kicked his shin. He took a cautious step back, but held out his hand and wiggled ring -bedecked sausage fingers.
´That song·s got our names on it.µ
Í·m sorry,µ Teal opened her eyes wide. Í·m a paraplegic. My dancing days are over.µ
Ćome on! You just kicked me.µ
Áwful isn·t it? It comes and goes when I least expect it. I don·t real y min d not being able to walk.µ She lowered her voice so that he, and his manly five gal ons of cologne, had to lean in closer. Ít·s, wel , it·s the diapers I have to wear for this damned incontinence.µ She touched the corner of her mouth. Ánd of course, there·s the embarrassing problem of drooling «
It·s not a
lot,
real y, but it does bother some men. But if you real y want to carry me around the deck«µ She gave him a hopeful look.
He fled.
´That was naughty,µ Maggie laughed, coming for a soda from the cool er. She looked young and pretty in a tangerine-colored, halter-neck summer dress, her feet bare.
´Hey, it saved his life. If I·d been forced to shuffle around the deck with him, I·d have been tempted to push him overboard just to wash off some of that cologne«µ
She trailed off.
Zane had a large-breasted brunette, in the tiniest red string bikini Teal had ever seen, plastered against him. Their feet barely moved. The woman·s hands were on his ass, his fingers were spread on the smal of her back. Dancing? Teal swal owed a rude snort that somehow got tangled in the back of her throat and hurt.
She leaned over and took a beer out of the cooler. If ever there was a time to have a beer, it was now. ´That oil she·s covered in is going to be hel to get out of li nen.µ
Í haven·t had a chance to talk to you. How have you been?µ
´Fantastic.µ Teal watched Zane·s long fingers move to the string tie of the woman·s top barely noticing Maggie as she wandered off. ´Great. Perfect.µ He wasn·t going to undo it here in front of her boyfriend and everyone else was he?
Even for Mr. Freaking Casanova of the Caribbean that would be outrageous. He wouldn·t dare «
Now his back was to her, but Teal could see the girl·s face over the side of Zane·s bare arm.
Her bright red mouth looked sticky, her expensive veneers scary white as she nibbled on Zane·s bicep. Ŕabies alert!µ she muttered under her breath, then drained her beer because her throat ached.
Zane was like an alien life force. And as hard as she tried, she couldn·t rip he r gaze away from him. The man loved to laugh, and dance, and be half naked. It·s a wonder the blasted guy didn·t purr with so many females stroking and petting him and sticking their tongues down his throat.
She pressed her fingers into her eyelids and tried to figure out what the hel her problem with him was. Every time she was around him she was like a cat with her fur rubbed the wrong way.
Even after kissing her³
twice
³he stil didn·t remember that night. F air enough, she had to admit, if only to herself. He·d been destroyed by his father·s unexpected death; he·d been drunker than a skunk; and he hadn·t expected her to show up at his door. As a rational grown-up, she had to accept at least half the blame. He hadn·t done anything with her she hadn·t been more than wil ing to do. He was Zane Cutter, Casanova of the Caribbean. She·d known that when she walked into his darkened bedroom that night and wil ingly let him take off her clothes. Okay, take off was mild.
Rip
off would be more apt.
Teal realized she was sitting there, on the sidelines, and she was shaking.
Stop it! Right now. Get a freaking grip.
A surge of hot and cold prickles suffused her entire body, and she thought she might faint.
The truth hit h er with a blinding flash and wave of nausea. She was so in love with him,
still,
that she was sick with it. She was pissy and defensive because the opposite was to beg him for something he was incapable of giving. And while she·d learned to handle the lack of love from Sam, she·d known deep in her secret heart that being rejected by Zane would kil her spirit worse than anything Denny had ever done. She·d been in love with Zane for years before she walked, wil ingly, with ful knowledge of what she was offeri ng, into his room that night. The truth was devastatingly simple, and now that she final y acknowledged it, it was going to be a thousand times worse being on board with him.
She was trapped on the unrequited love boat, with no way out.
Nothing has to change, she told herself firmly. Nothing. No one knows about what happened or how I feel. It·l stay that way until it·s time to say good -bye. She·d reconciled herself to pretending to ignore Zane for years. She could handle two more weeks.
Sitting in her favorite chair beside the wal of the salon, she sipped a second beer she didn·t want, and watched Zane, who had switched partners and was now dancing with an attractive redhead whose lime-green dental floss excuse for a swimsuit didn·t cover a damned thing.
Leaning back, Teal scanned the crowd and tried to estimate the yardage of the clothing, the carat weight of their jewelry, and the age spread of the guests.