She wasn’t about to decide. After what he’d told her, it was entirely possible that he’d make a move to con her in some way.
She instantly rejected it. She wanted to believe he’d done it to put the two of them on equal footing. But then, as she’d told him, she was an optimist.
She pushed the chessboard away from her. “I’m tired of this game.” She wasn’t speaking only of chess. “I think I’ll go put on my suit and go for a swim.” She grinned. “I guess you won’t object, since there’s no land in sight.”
“But there might be sharks. I wouldn’t think you’d be bonding with them.”
“Not very often. They don’t respond very well. The urge to eat is too strong.” She looked out at the horizon. “When do we get to that port in southern Mexico?”
“Tomorrow morning. If you survive the sharks.”
She chuckled. “I’ll survive them.” She was striding down the deck. “And I’ll survive you, Lassiter. Want to come along?”
“I’ll pass. I’ll keep an eye on you from the bridge with my rifle handy. I’m not going to lose you to Jaws.”
“I liked that movie.”
“I know you did. I’m sure you were rooting for the shark, but you always like a good adventure movie.”
“I wasn’t rooting for the shark. But he was just reacting according to his prime motivation, and those poor people didn’t really have a chance in his world. It’s kind of an underdog situation that—” She stopped as a thought occurred to her and turned to face him. “You told me that you knew most of the answers about me. Who told you that one?”
He was silent and then said, “I believe it was a Sandy Webber, whom you worked for in a veterinary hospital in Curaçao. She was sorry to lose you. She liked you very much.”
“I liked her, too.” Sandy had probably been easy for Lassiter to probe. She was bouncy and kind and energetic and had probably not even known she should be wary of him. The man she’d been with since Lassiter had come to her cabin last night would never have set off any alarms. That charisma and humor was in full force. “And she liked Jaws, too.”
He had caught the hesitation. “She was your friend. She didn’t tell me anything that personal. I just had to know who Margaret Douglas was.”
“Yeah, sure. You know how I feel about that. And it’s not very fair, since I didn’t get a chance to interrogate everyone in the universe about you.” She turned and went down the steps leading to her cabin. It wasn’t a big thing and it probably wasn’t important, but it had bothered her. She could see Lassiter smiling, coaxing Sandy, and gazing at her with that curious, intent look that he’d focused on her just this morning.
And all the doors had opened for him. With Sandy, with Judy Wong, with who knew how many other people he had tapped to find out about her.
Intimacy.
She should feel invaded, as she had when she’d first found out that he’d been shadowing her. It was a tribute to Lassiter’s skill, warmth, and easy charisma that she felt instead this intimacy, closeness, and lack of threat.
Which might be the biggest threat of all.
Forget it. She’d decided to trust Lassiter’s promise. And as long as she recognized the threat, it was nullified.
Maybe.
If not, she’d handle it when she had to. Right now, the sun was shining and the sea was blue and inviting, and she wanted to enjoy both before they reached Mexico tomorrow morning. You could never tell what that tomorrow would bring, so you had to seize today and hold on tight.
She turned and started to go through her backpack for her swimsuit.
* * *
“She doesn’t look like much of a kid in that bikini, does she?” Cambry murmured as he watched Margaret swimming next to the ship and then turn over and start to backstroke. “It’s the first time I’ve thought of her as a…” His voice trailed off.
“As a sex object?” Lassiter asked, finishing the sentence for him. “Back off, Cambry. I don’t want that kind of conflict raising its head. We have enough problems with her.”
“Yeah?” Cambry shot him a mischievous glance. “And what are you thinking as you look down at her undulating like a mermaid?”
“That I hope a shark doesn’t come on the horizon and make me take a shot that will cause her to read me the riot act.”
And that the sea beneath her looks like a damn bed, Lassiter thought. And that she’s all golden, from that yellow bikini she is not wearing to her shimmering skin and wet hair, which the sea had corded into tan-and-gold strands around her face.
Cambry was wrong: It hadn’t taken a bikini for Lassiter to be fully aware that Margaret was a woman and not a “kid.” In spite of the almost childlike honesty and simplicity that she exhibited on occasion, her sexuality was undeniable.
And it was damn difficult to ignore so that he wouldn’t scare her off while he was treading delicate ground.
In fact, it wouldn’t be ignored at this particular moment. Lust. Pure lust.
“I’ll go get her a towel.” He spun around and headed for the cabins. “Keep an eye on her.”
“Oh, I will.” Cambry chuckled. “Since it’s absolutely clear that it’s no longer comfortable for you to do it.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“You’ve been swimming for three hours,” Lassiter called. He was standing at the rail, holding a large orange beach towel. “It’s time to come in. I’m tired of mounting a shark patrol.”
She reluctantly started to swim back to the ship. “I saw you with that rifle. You would have been careful not to shoot a dolphin or a—”
“Nothing that wasn’t attacking you with big sharp teeth.” He reached down and pulled her out of the water and onto the deck. “But I was wondering if you were ever coming out.” He wrapped the huge orange towel around her. “I thought you were going for a dip, not a marathon.”
“I like the sea.” She felt relaxed and warm and mellow. Most of the tension she had been feeling before had faded away in those few hours. She started drying her hair with the corner of her towel. “And I was pretty much alone out there. Actually, I was hoping for company. Maybe a school of dolphins…”
“Friends from the deep?”
“Maybe. You can’t be sure of dolphins, though I’ve never had trouble with them. But they’re always interesting. Killer whales are different, but they—”
“You’ve worked with them?” He pulled the towel, which had slipped to her waist, back over her shoulders. “I’ve never run across any mention of that.”
“Good.” She grinned at him. “That means that I still have some places that are still my own. That was at an experimental project in Seattle.”
“I didn’t get to your U.S. experience until San Diego. I concentrated on the Caribbean.”
“But you would have turned your attention to the United States when you found out that I’d moved on to San Diego?”
“Of course. One bit of information leads to another.”
“There’s one thing that’s been worrying me about your ‘bits of information.’” She stopped drying her hair to look up at him. “You traced Devon’s phone and found out where I was. The way technology is today, I’m sure that you were able to tap my phone conversations and call history after you located me. What did you find out?”
He was silent a moment. “I found out where you worked from a call you made to the office to check your schedule.”
“And what else?”
He tilted his head and gazed at her thoughtfully. “This is important to you, which might be bad for me. I’m tempted to lie to you.” He shrugged. “But I promised I wouldn’t lie. You had a conversation with an Eve Duncan. You’d talked to her before, about eight months ago. You also spoke to a Kendra Michaels about the same time. I haven’t gone beyond that time frame.”
“And you won’t,” she said quietly. “You leave Eve and Kendra alone. You’ve delved enough into my past. I made a new life when I got to the United States, and I won’t let anyone be hurt by what I l
eft behind.”
“It’s a big mistake to let me know you’re vulnerable in that area, Margaret,” he said quietly. “If I hadn’t decided to go in a different direction with you, then I could have used it. More than likely I would have done just that.”
“Oh, I’ll warn Eve and Kendra,” she said. “And they’re strong enough to take care of themselves. But I wanted to tell you that it has to stop or I won’t be able to trust you.” Her lips curved in the ghost of a smile. “And whatever game you’re playing now involves my trusting you, maybe even liking you. Isn’t that right?”
He nodded slowly. “That’s right, Margaret.” He smiled. “And I can accept leaving your friends entirely out of whatever we’re doing together.” He firmly tucked the towel around her for the third time. “And now it’s time for you to go down and shower and change. I’ll help Cambry with supper and make it absolutely mouthwatering to increase my likability factor.”
“It’s not going to work, you know.”
“You can never tell. We’ll just have to see, won’t we? Now go shower and get dressed. If you can manage to get down there without dropping the damn towel again.”
“I’m almost dry anyway. I don’t need it.” She started to take the towel off. “What’s the big fuss about any—” She broke off as she met his eyes. Her chest felt suddenly tight and she inhaled sharply. But that caused her nipples to brush against the damp material. She felt heat when there should have been only coolness. “Oh. That.”
“That,” he repeated. “You’ve got to be the least self-aware person on the planet, Margaret. I admit, it stuns me.”
“About sex?” She moistened her lips. “I don’t think about it all the time, but I’m definitely aware. I guess I just didn’t expect you to be thinking about it. After all, I’m not some kind of sex kitten or anything like that. And your mind hasn’t been on anything but getting me to Nicos.”
“It wasn’t my mind that was involved. I’m damn sexual, Margaret,” he said drily. “And I was doing pretty well until I brought the tension down and you decided to take off your clothes.”
“Not all of them.”
“Enough.”
“Okay, I won’t do it again.” She frowned. “But it shouldn’t entirely lie on my shoulders. You really should have better control. Like I said, I’m no—”
“Margaret,” he said slowly and precisely. “I’m going to say this once and not again. I look at you and I see warmth and heat and I want to stretch out my hand and touch you. All the time, anytime. It’s been that way since that first night, when you jumped off the boat. Maybe it’s just one of my idiosyncrasies. And you may not be what is popularly known as a sex symbol, but whatever you are is someone I want to drag into bed to indulge in every erotic variation ever invented. So don’t talk to me about control.”
She realized her mouth was open and she closed it and swallowed. “Okay, I won’t. It just surprised me. But I guess everyone has someone who appeals to them in some way that’s not … usual.”
He stared at her, then shook his head and gave her a faint smile. “I don’t know about everyone. I only know about me. And if you mean by ‘not usual’ that I’m a little twisted, I don’t believe that’s the case. And you’re insulting yourself and me.”
“I didn’t mean to do that. I’m stumbling a little. I know I’m not bad looking.” She grinned. “And you’re not crazy. You’re just a little peculiar. And I’m sure you don’t ordinarily pick women like me to take to bed. It must be all those months that you’ve been on my track that sort of influenced you or something.” She turned to leave. “And I promise I won’t be going around half-naked from now on.”
“Too bad.” When she looked back at him, she saw he was smiling. “Just joking.” Then his smile faded and he said, “I never meant this conversation to take place. I’ve been purposely avoiding it. But you just kept pushing, Margaret.”
“It … I didn’t know I was pushing. It happened.”
“It was the one subject I didn’t want to ‘happen.’” His expression was grave. “Because I knew it might make you feel awkward or even afraid. And now I have to deal with it. I fully intend to find a way to persuade you to help me get Nicos, but it won’t be by getting you into bed and screwing you until we’re both out of our minds.” He drew a deep breath. “Damn, that sounds good. But I won’t let it happen. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not going to worry about it. I have something to say about all this, Lassiter.”
“Yes. I only wanted you to know you don’t have to be afraid. I won’t use sex.” He met her eyes. “I was there when you had those nightmares about Nicos and Juan. I could see the fear. I don’t know what you went through when you were living with Nicos, but I’ve heard stories about him and his ‘girls.’ I want you to know you won’t have to go through that again.” He turned on his heel. “Supper will be in an hour. You’d better get hopping.”
She watched him walk away before she turned back toward the steps. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the last few minutes. Her emotions were in turmoil. Well, why not, she thought ruefully. It wasn’t every day she was told she was some kind of femme fatale and then totally rejected. And, after what had gone before, when she had gotten an insight into Lassiter’s background and what made him tick, the combination had been enough to put her mind in the same chaos as her emotions. He had told her that he’d been raised to con and manipulate, and yet the very fact that he’d been honest with her about it had offered a protection against him that she might not otherwise have had.
She watched him go up on the bridge to where Cambry stood at the wheel. Cambry smiled and said something that made Lassiter smile in return. They were close, friends more than employer and employee. Cambry had said he owed him. Why? She had a sudden urgent desire to know, to put together more of the pieces of the man who was John Lassiter.
And maybe Lassiter had known that giving her a taste would make her want to do that. He had studied her, knew so much about her.
Back off.
If she began to know him, she would start to identify, even with a man as different from her as Lassiter. It was her nature and had gotten her into trouble in the past.
Rosa.
Blood on the black-and-white tiles.
The sudden onslaught of memory came out of nowhere.
A warning? It couldn’t be stronger.
Yes, she must smother the curiosity, try to avoid him, and be very careful not to start empathizing with Lassiter.
If it wasn’t too late already.…
* * *
The sun was going down on the horizon in a blaze of pink, scarlet, and purple. The sea was no longer brilliant turquoise blue, but a deep cobalt.
“Nice, huh?” Cambry had come to stand beside her at the rail. “How’s that for an understatement?”
“Excellent.” She smiled at him. “And so was that spaghetti you made for supper.”
“I thought that we should have something substantial for our last night at sea. There may not be an opportunity for my fine cuisine after we get to port tomorrow morning.”
“Who knows?”
His brows rose. “That wasn’t particularly argumentative.”
“I’m sure Lassiter told you that he wasn’t going to force me to go to Nicos.”
“Yep, I was glad he made the decision.” He chuckled. “Or you made the decision. But you do know he’s not giving up? Lassiter never gives up.”
“Neither do I. And I can tolerate a trip across Mexico if he believes positioning me close to Nicos will make his little pipe dream suddenly become a reality.”
His smiled faded. “You’re trusting him.”
“Shouldn’t I?” She turned to face him. “Is he lying to me?”
“No.” He looked out at the sea. “But he wants this more than I’ve ever known him to want anything. He’ll do almost anything to get it.”
“Get what?” she asked. “Why is he—” She broke off. Probing— it was what she’d tol
d herself she wouldn’t do. “Never mind.” She turned back to face the sunset. “Where is Lassiter, anyway? I haven’t seen him since supper.”
“Downstairs on the computer. He’s been working to hack into a site that showed promise, but he’s not had any luck so far.”
“What site? And I thought hacking was a past—” She stopped again. Wherever she turned, she ran into this constant need to know the details that surrounded Lassiter. Dangerous. Extremely dangerous. “I think I’ll go for a stroll.” She turned and moved down the deck. “Or maybe you’d like to give me a lesson and let me take a turn at that wheel?”
He chuckled. “Somehow I think we’d end up back in San Diego.”
“It’s possible. But you should at least try—”
“I heard that.” Lassiter had come up on deck and was smiling at her. “And I don’t believe we’ll take a chance on you. It would be too much temptation.”
“Like you and that CIA job?”
“Exactly.”
She hadn’t meant to mention anything personal; it had just come out. Unfortunately, that happened too often with her.
“Did you get through?” Cambry asked him.
Lassiter shook his head. “I’ll go back to it later. I needed some air.” He looked out at the sunset. “And I needed that. It’s why I bought the damn ship. I’m not going to let Nicos take it away from me.” He leaned his elbows on the rail. “Your hair is all streaked with pink and purple in this light, Margaret. You look like an alien from outer space.”
She laughed. “And your skin is all dark red and leathery-looking. Not an alien. Maybe Geronimo or Sitting Bull.”
“I’m out of this.” Cambry held up his hands. “You two are getting a little too insulting, and you haven’t even started on me yet.”
“I wasn’t insulting,” Lassiter said solemnly, though there was definitely a twinkle in his eyes. “Aliens are different. I like different. And Margaret is certainly that, as everyone will—”
His cell phone rang.
It startled Margaret. She had seen Lassiter on the phone a few times since she’d been on the ship, but she’d never seen him take an incoming call.