Sea Panther (Crimson Storm) (5 page)

Kimberly slid onto a bench in the cockpit and scanned the
dockside restaurants and stores, their facades lit by a golden glow cast from
old-fashioned streetlamps. The captain had meetings scheduled with a boat
designer about a refit for
Sea Panther
. The plan was to stay in
Annapolis for two nights. Not only would the crew have a chance to recharge the
yacht’s batteries from shore power, she’d have the opportunity to go ashore and
purchase a few personal items.

As she rose to go below for her purse, a large raven landed
on the boom.

“Shoo. Go away.” She swatted at the bird. The nasty thing
flew into her face, squawking and clawing. “Ouch! Get out of here.” Kimberly
used hands and arms for protection, but the damn bird scratched her right hand
with sharp talons.

The captain appeared in a blur and reached for the mass of
ruffled feathers. He handled the bird gently, removing it from Kimberly and
setting it back on the boom.

“Sorry. I dinnae ken what has come over her. She is seldom
aggressive without warrant.”

“She?” Kimberly warily eyed the large black bird, which
stared back with pure malice.

With an apologetic smile, the captain waved toward the
raven. “This is Marion. She is my…my pet.”

“Your pet attacked me.” Kimberly cradled the wounded hand.
Marion seemed a strange name for a wild bird. An even stranger pet for a yacht
captain.

“She has drawn blood.” He grabbed Kimberly’s fingers, raised
the hand to his mouth and ran a velvet tongue across the tiny lacerations.

Wow
. Every molecule in her body clenched at the
electric charge that raced up her arm and slammed into her chest.

A piercing squawk came from the bird. The captain staggered
back a step. His eyes dilated. He must have felt the charge too. The raven
leapt from the boom onto his shoulder, but kept its piercing stare on Kimberly.

“I apologize.” Bowing his head briefly, the captain released
her hand. “That was inappropriate.” He whirled on a heel and disappeared
through the companionway along with the bird.

“What the hell?” Kimberly stared after him.

R
obert sagged
against the passageway bulkhead and attempted to focus his thoughts. The
metallic tang on his tongue shocked him to the core. The tiny sip made his head
spin with an erotic rush and his groin throb with aching need.

Desperate to hide his urgency, he straightened and limped to
the privacy of his cabin. Marion leapt to her perch when he stumbled onto the
bunk. Never before had he experienced such a potent reaction to the taste of
blood. The rush coursing through his veins awakened the panther, and the
vampire slithered from the dark recesses on the offensive.

Damn the raven. She frantically fussed, jumping and flapping
pitch-black wings.

Robert’s pulse quickened and his lungs burned. Each breath
became a struggle. Chaos reigned within his body. Unable to prevent the
onslaught of agony, he curled into a fetal position to ride out the torturous
storm.

A ragged growl of pain escaped his lips when the big cat won
the skirmish for supremacy. Pressure pounded at Robert’s temples as tendons and
muscles and bones constricted to reshape and accommodate the form of the
panther. His garments shredded and fell from his body. Fur scored his flesh.

The big cat leapt from the bed to the floor, landing on all
four paws. He stretched a sleek, muscled frame and released a wide yawn. His
predatory gaze scanned the cabin until it landed on Marion.

She released a drawn-out croak.

“Relax. You can control the panther,” Marion murmured the
words in Robert’s mind.

Robert concentrated and fought to seize dominance over the
beast. The panther weakened. With a violent shudder, the cat collapsed,
awkwardly attempted to rise, only to drop again into a quivering heap of fur.

Bones popped. Muscles stretched. Blood raged.

Wracked with god-awful pain, Robert lost touch with the
mortal world as his body transformed back into the form of a man. His
vampire-self took advantage. His sight sharpened and his fangs lengthened. He
lunged for Marion.

She fled the perch, feathers flying. “Robert, force your
control.”

The familiar voice pulled him from the depths of madness to
master the monster. Robert dropped onto the bunk and gasped for air. Damn!
Colin had better bring the blood so desperately needed to keep the beasts at
bay.

* * *

“What happened?”

Kimberly started at the sound of Colin’s voice coming from
behind her. She twirled around to face him. “A raven landed on the boat and
attacked me. The nasty bird scratched my hand with its claws before the captain
pulled it off.”

She glanced at the hand. The marks were gone. Recalling the
velvety touch of the captain’s tongue, heat burned the back of her neck, yet a
chill raced up her spine.

“I didn’t know the captain had a pet raven.”

Colin’s features were inscrutable. His gaze briefly lit on
the hand she cradled. “You must have frightened her. She’ll get used to your
presence in time.”

“But will I become accustomed to her?” Kimberly flashed a
half smile, making light of the incident.

Colin didn’t smile. He glanced aft. “The lads are going
ashore to a restaurant. They want you to join them. I have the night watch.”

“I can’t believe they want me to tag along again. Don’t they
want to pick up girls?”

“Doubt your presence will stop them.”

“Come on, Kimberly, we’re going for Tex Mex,” Davey called
from the dock.

She couldn’t resist. She loved spicy food. “Give me a
minute. I’ll grab my purse.”

As she stepped toward the companionway, Colin blocked her
path. “I’ll speak to Robert about Marion.”

“Please don’t. It was nothing.”

“Are you sure? Her claws can leave vicious wounds.”

Kimberly glanced at her hand hardly believing the marks had
disappeared. “I’m fine.”

“Then enjoy dinner.”

She ducked below and grabbed her purse. On the way through
the salon, an animalistic growl stopped her. The same disturbing yowl as from
the dream. The noise came from the fore cabin. The captain’s cabin. She stepped
in that direction.

“Lads are waiting for you.” Colin stood behind her. He must
have followed her below.

Kimberly faced him. “Yes, I should be going.” She couldn’t
help glancing again toward the passageway that led to the captain’s cabin.
What
made that sound?

“Lass?” Although Colin’s tone made the word sound like a
question, he wanted to get her moving.

With a shake of the head, she shouldered the purse and
headed for the companionway. “Have a good night,” she called to Colin before
climbing the stairs.

The boys met her on the dock. Together they walked the short
distance to the restaurant. Near the naval academy, young sailors filled the
bar. The hostess pointed Davey to the stairs, and Kimberly followed him up the
steps to another bar area with tables. The boys ordered locally brewed beers.
She ordered an Armadillo Margarita. Just the drink to have with hot spicy food,
the lime flavor and kick of top-shelf tequila hit her taste buds with an
ahhhhh
.
She’d worry about the dent to the budget another time when not on edge.

After finishing most of the cocktail, a mellow sensation
dulled her anxieties. Now would be a good time to ask the boys about the
growling sounds, but even under the influence of alcohol, she couldn’t get up
the nerve. They’d think her crazy.

“Hey, Tim, isn’t that Willy?” Davey glared out the window.

“Where?”

“I see who you mean.” John pointed in the direction Davey
stared. “Over there, standing with the group of guys outside the video arcade.”

Timothy stood to get a better look.

“Never mind, he’s gone,” Davey said.

“Who’s Willy?” she asked, vaguely interested.

“The guy you replaced.” John scowled before forking up his
enchilada and shoving it into his mouth.

She glanced at the young men on the sidewalk across the
street. Dark hoodies over black concert tees and baggy pants hanging off their
asses. For the most part—normal twenty-somethings.

“A real ass-hole.” Timothy gulped a slug of beer.

“Really? What makes you say that?”

“Believe me. You don’t want to run into him.”

“Why?”

“You just don’t. That’s all.” His expression turned sour.
The conversation dropped, like a dud firecracker.

After dinner, the boys headed farther into town to hit the
bars. Not inclined to join them in the carousing, Kimberly strolled the main
drag where stores were open late for holiday shopping.

Glitzy seasonal decorations sparkled everywhere. The sight
of animated Santa’s elves plying their trade on high tech electronic toys
behind the plate-glass storefront of a hardware shop made her chuckle.

Kimberly suppressed the urge to enter a brightly lit jewelry
store. She couldn’t afford to feed her fetish. But on approaching one of the
trendy boutiques, the wintry window display drew her in. It was
love-at-first-sight with the wool merchandise. While admiring a red cashmere
sweater dress, her cell phone rang. Darn. She’d lost track of time.

Sarah’s number lit the screen. Her sister’s phone batteries
must be good for a change.

“Hey,” she whispered into the phone not wanting to disturb
the other shoppers.

“Are you okay? I went to pick up your car. One of my guy
friends went with me. Thank God. ’Cause someone broke into the car. And the
cops—”

“Slow down. What happened?” Kimberly’s pulse raced.

“I’m trying to tell you. Someone shot out the light on the
lamppost over your car at the marina and smashed the passenger side window.”

“You’re kidding. Right?”

“I wouldn’t kid about a thing like this.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. Why would someone break into her car?
She’d only left clothes in it.

“Kim? What where they looking for?”

“No idea. Tell me the whole story.”

“The police searched the car. Lifted some prints. They’re
checking to see if any match the ones found in your room at the B&B. I told
them about the hit man. They questioned Mr. Romano. Of course, he denies
involvement.”

“Oh, Sarah, you didn’t. He’ll never forgive me.”

“What does it matter? He’s not your client anymore.”

Kimberly looked heavenward. Her sister didn’t get it. Sarah
didn’t understand the importance of maintaining professional contacts.

“What else did the cops say?”

“They’ll let me know if they learn anything from the
prints.”

“Was my car damaged?” The darn thing would probably cost a
fortune to fix.

“Only the window and I had it repaired. And hey, all my
friends think I look really cool driving around in a shiny black Beemer.”

“Be careful. That car is the only valuable possession I have
left.”

“Yeah, it’s a good thing you paid it off before Jerky Jason
came into your life.”

“I don’t want to go there,” Kimberly murmured, tired of Sarah’s
constant reminders of how rotten her ex had been.

“Gotta hang up. Boss is calling for me. Be careful. Love
you.”

“Love you too.” Kimberly pressed the End button and returned
the cell phone to her purse. She glanced through the large plate-glass window
into the street at the holiday shoppers strolling by. Unease tightened the
muscles across her chest.

Just how much danger was she in? Was someone trying to scare
her or was someone out to hurt her?

Needing a distraction from the mounting fear, she wandered
to the next clothing rack and fingered the soft weave of a mohair cape. The
tactile sensation soothed. Suddenly the hairs on her arms rose. Someone stood
behind her. Heart pounding too fast, she spun to meet the captain’s intense
gaze.

“Ach, lass, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He stepped
closer.

Kimberly released the breath she held and willed her pulse
to slow to a normal pace. “It’s okay. I’m not usually the nervous type. You
must have caught me during a rare moment.” She didn’t want him to think she
jumped every time a man came near.

The captain fondled the forest green cape she’d been
admiring, and a delicious chill shivered along her spine. For a man with large
hands, he had a gentle touch. What would those long fingers feel like caressing
her skin? The thought of him massaging her breasts the way he did the wool
caused a shot of lust to rush through her system.

Chills and fever. What a potent mix.

“This garment would look beautiful on you,” he said.

“Thank you.” She lowered her head to hide a flushed face.
“I’m afraid I can’t afford it.”

“Will you tell me why a woman with a quick mind like yours
is out of work and homeless?”

His question was blunt and to the point—a splash of cold
water to raging hormones. How she’d landed in the current situation was the
last thing she wanted to explain. She raised a wary gaze to meet his. “Captain
MacLachlan, I—”

“Never mind.” He waved an arm as if to erase his words. “I
did not mean to put such deep sadness into your eyes.

“Excuse me. We’re closing,” one of the shop’s employees
interrupted. Her gaze lingered on Robert as if to say,
you’re welcome to
stay
.

“We are leaving,” he said to the woman then smiled at
Kimberly. “Come. Walk with me.”

She followed him out onto the sidewalk. Cars slowly drove by
on the one-way street. If a hit man was after her, in truth, he could be
anywhere. She tamped down on her nerves, feeling foolish, refusing to believe
someone wanted to harm her. It didn’t make sense. Her ex-clients were
respectable businessmen. The burglaries had to be a bizarre coincidence. After
all, she’d left the car in a nearly deserted marina. No wonder someone broke
into it.

“I’m on my way to a jazz club. Care to join me?”

The invitation surprised Kimberly and she nodded. The
captain probably felt bad about the bird incident earlier. He should, and she
could certainly use a treat.

Still unnerved by Sarah’s call, Kimberly flicked a glance
over a shoulder and scanned the street behind them. No one seemed to be paying
attention to them.

“Is something wrong?” The captain slowed the pace.

“No. Everything is fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” She pasted on a smile.

“Glad to hear it.”

They made their way along the street, past storefronts, and
into a residential area of well-kept colonial homes. She relaxed. They spoke about
trivial things. The weather, the next port of call, but neither mentioned the
captain’s pet raven, which was fine with her.

The warmth radiating from the captain made her fully aware
of his overwhelming male magnetism. The pleasurable memory of the satiny glide
of his tongue on her skin left her achy with need and fueled a growing desire
to experience the sensual sensation again. She’d better be careful tonight. She
felt vulnerable.

Kimberly frowned at the smooth skin of her hand. How had she
healed so fast?

“Here we are.” The captain’s deep voice scattered her
thoughts.

Several couples hung about smoking in front of a large
colonial mansion turned club. The sweet sound of a jazz piano filled the air.
The captain led her through the crowd loitering outside the door and into the
foyer where he waved to the maitre d’.

“Do you own this place too?” Kimberly asked as he assisted
with her coat and handed it to the coat check.

“In a way.
Panther Enterprises
holds the mortgages on
several bars and restaurants along the Atlantic seaboard. I try to visit them
when we cruise near.”

“Interesting.”

“Hardly. Come.” He grasped an elbow and guided her to the
lounge entrance where the seductive voice of a jazz singer beckoned them to
venture into the sultry atmosphere of the club.

Chrome decorated the elegantly appointed round room. She
followed the captain through the crush. Black lacquered tables and red leather
padded chairs encircled a small stage in the center of the floor. A handsome
tuxedo-garbed Aryan man played a grand piano. In contrast, a tall, raven-haired
woman dressed in a black cashmere v-neck sweater, tight black leather pants,
and black spike-heeled boots sat atop the piano and weaved a sensuous web with
the words from a Lena Horne song.