Sea Panther (Crimson Storm) (3 page)

“When was the last time you sailed?”

“Before my father died.” She pinned him with an irritated
look. “Listen, I need a job, and I’m a good sailor.”

Sea Panther
needed another hand. No one else had
applied. Robert sighed, feeling cornered. Hadn’t she heard the rumors about
him? Didn’t she believe the stories as all the others did? The lass must be in
a dire situation if there was no one to turn to other than him.

She held his gaze and waited for a response. Her imploring
brown eyes slashed his defenses. Robert didn’t want to give in. He should send
her away.

He retreated to the other side of the room and sat on the
red leather sofa. With one leg crossed over the other knee, he tried to appear
unaffected by her presence. He observed her while morosely pretending to sip
from the goblet of wine, wishing the crystal glass contained her blood.

K
imberly
struggled not to fidget under the scrutiny of her host.

Dressed in form-hugging black pants, a starched white tuxedo
shirt open at the throat and stretched across a broad chest, and with the scar
on a dangerously handsome face, Captain MacLachlan did look like a pirate. An
eye-patch and sword, and a kerchief over his short spiked hair would complete
the swashbuckler effect. Kimberly tried not to sigh at the image. She had to stop
watching those classic old movies.

From his charming smile on their first meeting, she wouldn’t
have expected him to be such an ill-tempered man. Tonight, however, his dark
expression unnerved her. As did the odd sensation when they touched.

She rubbed her palm on her thigh—the palm still tingling
from their handshake.

From the way the captain snatched his hand away, she would
have thought him stung.

Silence stretched. Kimberly couldn’t stand the suspense.
“Will there be other women onboard?” She burst out with the question that
worried her most.

Captain MacLachlan arched an eyebrow. “Do you have a problem
working with men?”

“Of course not.” She wouldn’t allow him to think her a
sexist. “But I do wonder if they’ll have a problem working with me.”

“My crew will do as I order.”

“That doesn’t mean they’ll want to work with me.” Kimberly
rose from the chair, unable to sit any longer. She’d been shocked at the pub to
learn Sea Panther’s mysterious captain was the same man who owned the yacht.
What a coincidence she’d met him on the street the other night. She flicked
glances in his direction while she paced.

His penetrating stare tracked her every move. “It might ease
your mind to know my sister will meet us in Annapolis and will sail with us
until we reach Florida.”

A surprise and a relief. “Does that mean I have the job?”

Kimberly held her breath. He had to hire her. He just had
to. It would be the perfect opportunity to slip away. No one would think to
look for her on a yacht sailing south this late in the season.

The captain sprang from his seat. With graceful catlike
movements, he crossed the room to tower over her. She refused to be
intimidated, and held her ground, allowing him to crowd her.

“Why do you want to crew for me?” he demanded with a sneer.

His rude manner got under her skin. Air left her lungs with
a soft hiss. One. Two. She silently counted to ten and swallowed her pride.

“I’m homeless. Crewing for you will give me a place to
live.” She gazed into the most alluring eyes. Her stomach did a somersault.
Idiot
.
She couldn’t believe she was attracted to the infuriating man.

He remained quiet. Time ticked by.

He sipped the wine and pursed his lips as if it tasted sour.
“All right. You’re hired. The salary is $750 per week. Does that meet with your
approval?”

“Yes.” She took a step back. “Thank you.”

“Be at the boat before first light. My first mate, Colin,
will explain your duties. We set sail early. I wish to sup in Chesapeake City.”
He set the wineglass down and strode to the door. “Be prepared to work hard,”
he said over his shoulder.

He left. The door closed with a thud.

Kimberly breathed a sigh of relief. The room seemed less
stifling without the captain’s overwhelming presence. She strolled to the
window and peered out at the spotlighted winter garden. Cottony snow capped a
collection of sculpted evergreens.

The old men at the
Rusty Scupper
had it right. The
captain was a strange man. Like the actors in her favorite old movies, his
speech and mannerisms imitated a bygone era. Was it an affectation or did it
come naturally to him?

She savored the last taste of the cabernet. Raspberry and
plum aromas with a hint of cassis flavor. In truth, the wine was excellent. As
she placed the empty glass on a table, the door opened again. She tensed and
swung around.

Colin stood in the doorway, a grin on his face. “So you’ve
ensnared the captain.”

“He hired me if that’s what you mean.” She couldn’t help
returning the Scotsman’s smile.

“It is. Do you have a place to stay tonight?”

“My car.”

“That doesn’t sound comfortable. Meet me at
Paradise
Point Marina
at midnight. We’ll stow your gear, and you can stay aboard.”

Colin ushered her to the club’s entrance. As she got into
her car, the creepy feeling someone watched caused the fine hairs on the back
of her neck to bristle.

* * *

At midnight, Kimberly drove across the frost-hardened gravel
and frowned. Finding a parking space would be difficult. Boats that had been
pulled onto the hard for the winter occupied most of the marina lot. She drove
around until she found a spot close to the floating docks in one of the few
spaces available under a lamppost and parked.

She speed dialed her sister. The phone rang several times
until the annoying voice on the other end said to leave a message at the beep.

“Hey, Sarah. I’m leaving tomorrow on
Sea Panther
. I
need you to retrieve my car from
Paradise Point Marina
. I’ll call when I
can. Have a wonderful Christmas. Love you.”

Kimberly pressed the End button and slipped the phone into
her purse. She’d miss spending the holiday with Sarah, but had little choice
other than to disappear for a while.

She reached across to the passenger side and shoved the
leather valise containing personal papers and a thumb drive into her duffle
bag. Leaving the thin briefcase in the locked car proved a good call.
Otherwise, the intruder might have stolen it during the break-in at the
B&B.

Taking careful note of the surroundings, she slid out of the
car and shivered. The uneasy sensation someone watched still bothered her.
Forcing the anxiety aside, she shouldered the large duffle bag and carried the
tote along with her purse in the other hand. The stench of fish guts had her
wrinkling her nose as she passed a few fishing boats tied to the dock and made
her way to the launch waiting at the end.

Colin waved. “You didn’t change your mind?”

“No. I need this job.”

“You’re sure?” His brow furrowed. “There’s no need to be
embarrassed if you changed your mind. If you’re uncomfortable—”

“I’m sure.” Kimberly managed a strained smile.

He nodded and loaded the bags. She liked the man. He
reminded her of a big redheaded teddy bear. She helped cast off lines then sat
on the cold bench. “I didn’t have an opportunity to ask the captain about the
rest of the crew. Who will be sailing with us?”

“A motley crew.” Colin’s loud voice boomed over the hum of
the motor. “Timothy Eagan is our navigator. Good man. Then we have John and
Davey Walsh. Twins from Boston. Won’t find a better group of lads. They won’t
give you any trouble if that has you worried.”

One of many worries, but why admit it?

“Including me and you, that makes five crewmembers. You
hired me as the fifth. Don’t you count the captain?”

“We need to be able to sail without him.”

“Oh?”

“We must always be prepared to set sail whether he is aboard
or not. Robert is the head of
Panther Enterprises
, a large conglomerate
with offices all over the world, which necessitates a considerable amount of
travel on his part.”

“He lives in Florida, right?”

“You’ve done your homework.”

“I wanted to know what I was getting into.”

“Good girl.” Colin chuckled. “Robert has a compound in South
Florida with a fine house though he considers
Sea Panther
home. We’ll
visit the compound before sailing on to the Caribbean.”

She didn’t care where they sailed to as long as it was away
from here. Away from rumored hit men and break-ins and unemployment.

Moonlight exposed a silhouette of the yacht. When the moon
slipped behind a cloud, the mast light became a beacon in the dark. As they
motored in close, an eerie chill raced over her skin. Fear? Partly. But more…something
akin to
fate
.

Colin pulled alongside the yacht, and a yellow-slicker
covered crewmember assisted her aboard. She waited while the two men secured
the launch.

“Davey, this is Kimberly. She’ll be replacing Willy.” Colin
inclined his head to her. “Our lad here has night watch.”

They exchanged hellos, and Colin directed her to the
companionway. She stepped down into a luxuriously fitted salon with red leather
settees and teak tables. The light-colored wood also covered the bulkheads and
cabinetry. The European décor felt masculine. Similar to the yachts she sailed
on with her father. Her chest tightened as her heart twisted with a twinge of
sadness.

Colin joined her a moment later, and she forced a smile. “Is
someone always on night watch? Even when in port?”

“Aye. We take security seriously.” He took several steps.
“This way to your cabin. Stow your gear then we can go on the grand tour.”

Relieved by the apparent security measures, she trailed
behind, through the large salon, past the navigation desk, and into the
well-appointed galley, where a loud kaplunk made her jump. “What’s that?”

“Ice.”

“Wow. An ice machine?”

“Convenient when you want to make a frozen cocktail.” Laugh
lines appeared at the edges of his eyes when he smiled.

“I’m impressed.”

“Don’t be. No washer or dryer.”

No disappointment there. She hadn’t expected laundry
facilities onboard.

He headed aft, and she followed. Inside a small passageway,
he stopped in front of the first of three teak doors. “The captain’s sister
uses this cabin when she’s aboard.” He pointed to the two other doors. “The one
on the right is yours. The other is a head.”

Kimberly opened the door to the assigned cabin and smiled,
surprised to find a double bunk and a small hanging closet. She laid the bags
on the mattress then checked out the head. Toilet and sink with a handheld
shower. Not bad for low person on the totem pole.

Or sailboat mast, as it were.

She followed Colin back into the galley where he showed her
the adjoining engine room behind a reinforced metal door. Exiting through the
salon, they entered another passageway, and he pointed to the closest door.
“Timothy’s.” After a few more steps, he said, “The twins share this cabin and
mine is the single across the way.”

When she walked on, Colin stopped her with light pressure on
her arm. “The captain’s cabin is forward, off limits to crew.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She preceded Colin into the salon
then turned to face him. “There’s something I neglected to mention.”

His eyes narrowed. “What would that be?”

“I have a fear of heights.” Kimberly bit the corner of her
lower lip. She should have owned up to it sooner. No way could she ever climb
the mast.

“I’ll pass the information on to the captain, but I don’t
see that it’ll be a problem.”

“Good.” One less thing to worry about.

“We rise at 0600. After breakfast, I’ll acquaint you with
the upper deck and explain what the captain will expect. Have a good rest.”

“I will.” She started to walk aft, but glanced back at
Colin. “Thank you.”

The man’s face reddened. “Just do a good job.”

Kimberly nodded and went to her cabin, but found it
difficult to sleep. She tossed and turned. The sheets twisted around her limbs.
The nightmare began like always. Somehow, in her subconscious mind, she knew
she dreamed, as if she watched a movie where she was one of the actors.

He followed her. She ran and ran as fast as she could.

Branches tore at her clothing, scratched her bare arms,
slapped her face.

The man was gaining on her.

She ran until she came to the edge of the cliff. Hands on
knees, she panted, trying to catch her breath. Her pursuer was too close. She
veered away, dashed along the cliff, the stranger right behind. She sprinted
along the edge, praying she wouldn’t trip and slide over the rim. That she’d
find a way across the jungle-like ravine.

She didn’t look down, couldn’t look down. Fear threatened
to strangle her.

Out of breath, she stopped and glanced back. The man
still followed. He moved closer, his face hidden in shadow.

He moved as if in slow motion, as if the projectionist ran
the film frame by frame.

The man reached to push her over the edge.

This night the dream took on a bizarre twist.

The man shuddered and morphed into a big cat. A mountain
lion or cougar.

She froze.

The scene sped up.

The animal growled. A blood curdling sound that raised
the hairs on her arms. Canines bared, he leapt toward her. Lunged for her
throat. She toppled backward; fell over the edge, screamed.

She woke with her body covered in sweat.

Another growl echoed in the night. This one sounded like a
tomcat yowling, though louder. More frightening.

Kimberly bolted up in the bed. With a shaky hand, she
reached for the switch and turned on the reading light over the bunk.

The cabin door swung open.

The captain stood in the doorway. Gorgeous cinnamon eyes
bore into her. His intimidating breadth and height pressed against the edges of
the small portal made him appear larger. Dangerous.

She moistened dry lips. “I…I’m sorry. Did I scream aloud?”

An abrupt nod was his response.

“Had a bad dream.” Could she feel more embarrassed? Surely,
her face must be flaming.

“I had not realized you were aboard until I heard you cry
out.”

“Sorry,” she said, wishing he’d hurry and leave.

“Nae worries.” To her relief, he backed toward the doorway.
Then his gaze locked on her breasts.

Kimberly glanced down. Her at-attention nipples pressed
against the thin fabric of her sheer cotton undershirt, emphasizing the dark
aureoles. She pulled the sheet up to her neck and glared at the smug jerk. The
least he could do is look away.