His Royal Pleasure (4 page)

Her gaze fell to muscled legs brushed with brown hair. His powerful thighs spread wide in a typically male position. Remembering how he'd felt pressed against her, she felt a rush of heat.

Mentally cursing, Katherine sighed and forced her attention back to the TV.

“Bored?” Al asked.

“No. I guess I'm just tired,” she said, keeping her gaze trained on the screen.

“You've earned it. You never told me what Logan had to say.” Al turned away from the TV and faced her.

“Now that would bore you.” Katherine smiled grimly.

“Are you welshing on our agreement?”

Katherine looked at him. He appeared displeased. “Welshing?”

“You agreed to answer my questions,” he pointed out.

“Oh.”

“I'm waiting.”

Katherine thought about making an early night of it, but her conscience won. She sighed again. “Okay, you want to hear about James Logan. Well, the man nearly drove me crazy.”

For the next half hour Katherine gave Al an earful, fully expecting him to yawn, excuse himself or fall asleep. Instead, he listened carefully, occasionally making suggestions or grinning at something she'd described. The movie forgotten, his attention was focused on her. The way his dark gaze fastened on her made her wish she was beautiful.

“You'll have other options,” he assured her at the end of the conversation.

“I hope so. Thanks for listening.”

“Even though I had to push you to talk about it.”

Her smile broadened. “Yes. But speaking of questions, I'm curious. Where did you learn to fence? England?”

He looked away. “There are other places.”

“I've always wanted to visit England,” Katherine ventured. “Were you there on business?”

“Yes,” he said tersely. “I have another question.”

That brought her up short. “Oh.” At a temporary loss, she shrugged, expecting something about the campground. “Okay. What is it?”

He looked her over in a way that curled her toes into the sofa cushion. She fought the urge to fold her arms over her chest.

“Where are your lovers?” he finally asked in a rough voice.

Katherine's eyes rounded. “What?” she choked.

“Your lovers,” he said impatiently, and stood. “A woman who looks like you, who acts like you, must have lovers. I've watched every man with you, but you don't give off the signals of a woman involved with any of them.” He walked the length of the carpet as he tried to solve the quiz.

Speechless, she watched him with dumbfounded astonishment.

“I wondered about Rich.”

“Rich!”

Al continued as if she hadn't spoken. “He watches you. He tries to find excuses to touch you. And when you leave, he mutters what a shame it is that you braid your hair. And if only you weren't old Jasper's niece.”

“Rich?” Katherine said again weakly. She'd had no idea the dockmaster felt that way.

“You don't watch Rich.” Al planted his hands on his hips and stopped directly in front of her.

She shrank against the back of the sofa.

“The only free time you have is when you take your evening swims. Do you meet someone then?”

He asked the question imperiously, as if it were his God-given right to know. Indignation replaced shock. “That's none of your business,” she snapped.

He scowled. “You didn't answer my question.”

“I'm not going to.”

“You agreed,” he reminded her.

Katherine felt trapped. She took a deep breath. “So I did.” And did she ever regret it. “I do not meet anyone when I swim, because I want to be alone then.”

“Then where are your lovers, Katherine?”

Anger swept through her. She scooted off the sofa and around Al. “They're not here!”

She couldn't bring herself to say her lovers were nonexistent. The painful truth was that Katherine had never felt particularly confident of her ability to attract members of the opposite sex, and her disastrous marriage hadn't helped matters.

Her resentment grew. She didn't like her inadequacies thrown in her face. “Why are you asking me these questions? Are you trying to humiliate me? I know I'm not the type to win beauty contests, but do you have to rub it in?” Barely taking a breath, she continued, “Is that what last night was all about? Give Katie a little thrill. She needs it. Well, you can take your drop-dead good looks and your breath-stealing kisses somewhere else. Just leave me the hell alone.”

His expression of shock failed to penetrate her fury. She spun around to leave when her shoulder was grabbed roughly from behind.

Al turned her back around and put a finger beneath her chin, forcing her gaze to meet his. His eyes glinted with turbulent emotion. “I don't call you Katie,” he told her in a low, velvet voice. “You asked me to call you Katherine.”

In spite of her anger, her heart softened a fraction. She'd noticed he called her Katherine. She preferred it. “Yes,” she conceded, and let out a breath.

“
Mon Dieu!
I can't begin to understand any of this nonsense about humiliating you.” He shook his head as if to clear the irrational thought from his mind, then narrowed his eyes. “As for last night, you felt my heat, and I felt yours. Last night was about me wanting you and you wanting me. If you have any doubts, I can demonstrate it more graphically.”

Her heart beat frantically. She felt her face burn. Unable to bear the intensity of his words, she looked away. Still, her hands rested on his bare, muscular arms, and she could feel his strength. Part of her wanted to lean into him, to test his power and feel his passion. But she didn't trust him or herself.

Katherine was out of her depth. “Last night was an accident,” she said in a breathless voice.

“No,
mon amie,
” he assured her in a soothing male tone that sent awareness skittering through her. “Last night was just the beginning.”

She broke away, shaking her head frantically. “No. Absolutely not.”

Al stepped forward. “You're scared.”

Katherine's defenses rose three feet. “I don't want this.”

“You want more than—”

Chad opened the back door and burst into the room. His face was a picture of disgust. “That Suzanne may be easy on the eyes, but she's hell on the ego.”

Katherine latched on to his entrance as if it were a lifeline. “I'm going to bed. Lock up.” She walked toward her bedroom, calling “good night” over her shoulder.

Chad stared after her, then looked at Alex. “What's her problem?”

Alex shrugged, searching for his next words. “Your sister's a bit skittish.”

Nodding in agreement, Chad pulled off his wet jacket and let it drop to the floor.

Alex looked pointedly from the jacket to Chad.

The younger man picked up the jacket and hung it in the closet. “She probably thinks you're a con man,” he said, closing the door. “And to Katherine the only thing worse than a con man is a politician. Her father was a con man. Her husband was a politician.”

Alex felt as if he'd just been struck. “Husband. She's married?”

“Was. Past tense,” Chad said as he ambled to the lounger and slumped into it. “The guy was a real jerk. She met him at a banquet when she received the Teacher of the Year award.”

“So you thought he was a jerk.” Al led the conversation where he wanted it to go.

“Yeah. Robert's daddy had big bucks, but he wasn't real happy with Robert's…lack of productivity. Robert probably wrecked one too many Ferraris.” Chad yawned hugely. “Anyway, his daddy pushed Robert into the political arena. The guy did pretty well. He was getting ready to run for state senate, and he needed an appropriate wife. Katie fit the bill.

“When Robert's daddy kicked the bucket, though, Robert inherited all that money, ditched his political career and went to Monte Carlo with an exotic dancer. The scandal sheets had a field day.” Chad's lower lip curled. “I could have killed him.”

Chad sighed and looked at Alex. “Katie'll probably kill me if she finds out I told you this.”

“She might,” he said absently, feeling not a smidgen of remorse for prying into Katherine's past. He was still absorbing this new information about Katherine. The idea of her being married bothered him. He wondered if she still loved the man. “If he was such a jerk, why did she get involved with him?”

“Katie's got this thing about stability,” Chad offered. “I think Robert pulled a real snow job over her.” Chad went silent for a moment, then looked uncomfortable. “You aren't trying to put the make on her, are you? She's had enough bums in her life.”

Impatient with Chad's assessment of his character, Alex walked to the door and locked it. “That's between your sister and me,” he said in dismissal.

A woman who'd been burned required a different approach, he realized. Alex also realized that he wanted something from Katherine, with a wanting so fierce, it bordered on need, though he automatically rejected the idea of needing anyone. Robert's foolish rejection of her suited Alex's purposes. He wasted no pity on the stupidity of Katherine's former husband. Right now, he just wanted to be alone to think.

Chad rose from the chair and stood. “I gotta tell you,” he said in the most serious voice Alex had ever heard him use, “that I'll beat you to a pulp if you hurt Katie.”

Alex stopped. Surprise warred with irritation. After all, Chad was several inches shorter and about thirty pounds lighter than Alex. His estimation of Chad rose a notch. “If I hurt Katherine, I may just let you,” he finally replied.

 

For the next few days Katherine avoided Al. By taking breakfast in her uncle's office, she made the coffee and managed to get out of the house before Al rose in the mornings. She made a point of not being wherever he was. And if he showed up, she found a reason to leave.

The thought came to her that she was being cowardly, but she brushed it aside. Al had shaken her. When she regained her composure, her control, she'd be able to deal with him more normally. It was just taking longer than she'd expected.

Wednesday night arrived, and Chad and Al were ready to present the pirate skit, although Chad warned her it wouldn't be perfect.

Katherine was delighted. It was a beautiful night. The sea reflected the full moon, and a breeze teased the hem of her sundress. Anticipation simmered among the large group gathered on the beach to watch the drama. Chad had enlisted the help of several guests.

The ship, a replica of an old English shipping vessel, was anchored at the marina with spotlights focused on it. A hush descended over the crowd when the lights dimmed and brightened twice. The scene opened with the English lord Richard, played by Chad, and Lady Bettina, played by Suzanne, dressed in period clothing and engaged in a heated argument.

Katherine grinned at the similarity of art to life. Those two had been at each other's throats lately.

“I don't wish to marry Lord Barrymore,” Lady Bettina said loudly.

“Your wishes don't matter, sister. This is a business arrangement. Lord Barrymore has agreed to keep his promise, even though you have disgraced the entire family by taking off with this pirate Raven.” Richard looked down his nose at Bettina. “I fear you're touched in the head since you've become acquainted with Raven.”

Bettina tossed her head of long blond curls. “Think what you will. I would sooner die than marry Lord Barrymore.”

“The only one sure to die is your Raven. My men have taken him to the local sheriff,” Richard returned.

Bettina promptly burst into tears and went below deck.

The audience's sympathy turned against Richard. When he kicked a deckhand's bucket in a fit of temper, the crowd booed. Richard ordered a watch and went to his quarters for the night.

The lights dimmed, and after the sailors settled down, sounds of snoring came over the P.A. system.

The crowd's chuckles were followed by whispers as a group of rowboats silently made its way toward the ship. Led by a tall man in black pants and open, flowing white shirt, a gang of pirates climbed up the side of the boat. Katherine's heart tightened in spite of herself. It was Al with a bandana around his dark head and a sword in his hand.

He gave a loud call to battle, and chaos erupted. Gunshots were fired. The clash of steel, a cry for mercy and a man's groan were heard. Katherine watched them throw a sailor overboard. The pirates fought viciously, or so it appeared. Along with everyone else, she heard an “Ouch! Watch it!”

The audience, transfixed by the scene, laughed.

Suddenly Lord Richard appeared with sword in hand.

Raven leaped from the side of the ship to stand in front of him. “I've come to collect my treasure, Lord Richard.”

Lord Richard shook his head. “We carry no gold, Raven. Take your leave. You've caused enough mischief tonight.”

Raven laughed, tossing back his head, revealing strong white teeth. “'Tis not gold I seek, you fool. 'Tis Bettina.”

Katherine's breath caught at the sight of him. His strength and power were revealed with none of the trappings of civilization and all the glory of his basic masculinity. She could almost feel the heat of him.

Lord Richard raised his sword. Light reflected off the flashing steel. The men parried and thrust, lunged and feinted.

Roused by the noise, Bettina entered.

At her cry Raven turned to see her, taking a cutting stroke to his arm. When dark blood seeped into his shirt, the crowd gasped. Katherine did, too, even though she knew it couldn't be real.

Raven turned the full strength of his fury against Richard. In the blink of an eye Richard was disarmed, and the point of Raven's sword rested against Richard's throat.

Bettina ran to Raven. “Have mercy on him. He is a fool, but he is my brother.”

Raven paused, keeping his sword poised on the utterly still Richard.