Third, right up there with the number one and two reasons to avoid Zane Cutter at al costs, was the humiliating fact that being on the ocean waves made her horribly and embarrassingly seasick.
And while the mere thought of throwing up on Zane·s shoes held some appeal, she·d then have to fling herself overboard with mortification. Clearly, his
Decrepit
³and wasn·t
that
the perfect name for it³needed an engine whisperer. Zane spent so much time wining, dining, and sleeping with al the women who fel at his feet, she doubted he took proper care of his boat.
She was an excel ent mechanic, but she didn·t own a freaking magic wand, for God·s sake.
Good-looking, charming men with Peter Pan complexes gave her hives on her hives. Her ex·s good looks had hidden a multitude of sins, and now ³unfortunately for any gorgeous, self-aware male³guilty until proven innocent was her n ew motto.
She·d never do vulnerable again. Been there, done that.
Not that she was bitter or anything, Teal thought with a little mental snort of self -
deprecation. Denny·s lesson had real y stuck, that was al . Like Zane, her ex came from family wealth and had a playboy reputation.
She·d naively thought she was woman enough to settle him down, that her love made the difference, but he·d taught her better. Live and learn.
It wasn·t diplomatic or political y correct to have refused the first assignment th e Cutters gave her. So much for holding her ground. She·d folded like a wet tissue. Strong -armed by Zane·s gorgeous blue eyes and easy charm. There·d been the chance that instead of giving her the option of being close to Sam or going with Zane, he could·v e said, ´Go on the
Decrepit
or don·t bother unpacking your bag. Thanks for coming, good -bye.µ
Of course, if Logan had bothered to mention that she was required to go to sea, with
Zane,
she would have refused his generous offer in the first freaking place.
Then she remembered how Sam had sounded when he·d gotten on the phone after Logan had made his offer. He said, offhandedly, Ćome if you want. There·s room for two good mechanics on Cutter Cay.µ He hadn·t asked
her,
but apparently he·d asked the Cutters. Sam had never asked her for anything. How could she refuse him this?
Pros: working on an engine that real y needed her. She loved to dive. Being
in
the water was wonderful and didn·t make her seasick. She·d be closer to Sam.
Cons: Zane. Being on board his rattletrap of a boat for weeks on end. Fighting the urge to hurl over each wave.
Logan was speaking now, but Teal·s gaze kept accidental y slipping to Zane at the other end of the table. His hair fel over his forehead, and he raked it back with one lar ge, tanned hand.
The Cutters were al tal , wel over six feet three or four inches. But Zane, so much larger than life, seemed to suck al the air out of the room with his presence. He always had.
She tried to concentrate on the actual y very interesting qu estions everyone was asking Brian, but the heat of the setting sun streaming through the ceiling -to-floor windows, and the low drone of Logan·s deep voice were soporific. She longed for a cold shower and a soft bed. Not necessarily in that order.
She tried to unkink her back without being obvious and swal owed a yawn. The flight from Alabama, the unexpected overnight layover in Miami while they searched for her luggage, the rapid turnaround in Tortola to catch the helicopter to Cutter Cay ³al fol owed by walking into a meeting total y unprepared ³had left Teal feeling drained when she most needed her wits about her.
Zane didn·t remember her. She swal owed something bitter at the back of her throat. What if the enforced close proximity in a confined space triggered his memory? She chewed what was left of the top of her thumbnail. Remaining on the island presented a who le other set of complications and pitfal s. After this meeting, she·d have to go and see Sam. Another difficult man. While her father battled his il ness, she·d pick up the slack for him. It provided her with a job, albeit temporary.
And a safe place to stay. Temporarily. And some time with her only living relative ³also temporary.
She turned her body to get more comfortable, the chair fabric scratchy on her left cheek, the sun warming her right. Nick was talking about the value of priceless blue -and-white china, and Diego chimed in about gold. They wouldn·t even notice if she kept her eyes closed for just a few minutes.
She dreamed she was lying on a cool, white-sheet-draped bed as a tanned, naked man rained gold coins down on her nude body while he served her tea in a blue -and-white china cup.
Logan glanced up from his notes. ´You were pretty hard on her,µ he told Zane mildly.
Teal had conked out. Several mil ion dol ars· worth of treasure was being discussed, and Zane·s mechanic/diver/soon-to-be-pain-in-the-ass was fast asleep.
The sunlight streaming through the windows made her skin glow, giving her some mu ch-needed color. She looked damned uncomfortable scrunched sideways in the chair like that.
´
Sam
wants her here,µ Zane pointed out, not needing his brother to remind him he·d been a dick. He already felt like a bul y, and it wasn·t a comfortable fit. ´
I
want her here. She wasn·t cracking. I did what was necessary.µ
Logan held his gaze. ´He didn·t want her to know he was the one who asked.µ
´Wel then, he·s an idiot,µ Zane told his brother without heat. ´He needs to connect with her before it·s too late.µ
Ńot our cal .µ
Í hear you.µ Zane didn·t understand how two people who were related, communicated so little. Sam and Teal had such a fucking odd relationship. And he used the word loosely.
They·d seemed like two strangers on the odd occasion he·d seen them together over the last³hel , what was it? Twenty years? And she hadn·t been back to Cutter Cay in a long time. Seemed to Zane, now that he came to think of it, they danced around a relationship.
He didn·t get it. Why didn·t they just sit down and have that conversation?
Í·l play it by ear,µ he told his oldest brother. Íf she has a hard time being even that far from him, I·l send her back.µ Man, that would screw with his plans. But he wouldn·t force a woman to be where she didn·t want to be. No matter how much it suited him.
´Good enough. Okay, where were we?µ
Back to business. Good. Zane glanced over at Teal. She snored. It was quite ladylike, but there was no doubt that the sound she made while she slept was a snore. He shared an amused glance with Nick. His brother mouthed the word
Ćute.µ
Zane shook his head and muttered under his breath, Ás a sea urchin.µ
Ókay, Ace³µ Logan turned his attention from Diego to Zane, ´you have the floor.µ
Ćonsidering we·ve lost more than fifteen percent of our audience, I·l make it fast.µ Zane leaned back in his chair and smiled. ´Four years and the
Vrijheid
was in our own backyard this whole time.µ His brothers had both had huge discoveries in the last year while Zane had searched in vain for his own. It was a matter of pride.
Hel , it was a matter of the ten-thousand-dol ar bet they made every year. Brother with the largest haul in twelve months would take over the CEO title and perks for the next year and cash in on a ten-grand wager. Logan had been CEO for five years. Time to dethrone him.
Competition was standard operating procedure in the Cutter clan. It was al good natured, but stil fierce and a point of pride between them. There were two months left and the treasure he anticipated claiming from the virgin wreck,
Vrijheid,
was head and shoulders above anything they·d scored to date. He was a shoe-in to win,
if
he could get there before the storms shifted the sands, and
if
he could keep his engine firing on al cylinders until he ordered a new one.
Śometimes what we·re looking for is right under our noses.µ Logan rotated his head to ease the tension in his shoulder. The sun was sinking into the horizon, leaving the room in shadows. They·d been talking for a couple of hours. Zane loved his brothers and respe cted both Brian and Diego. But he·d rather be out there on the glassy, aubergine -colored water than sitting inside.
Nick got up to grab a beer out of the refrigerator in the corner, held up the Stel a, and took orders. He returned with several chil ed bottles and handed them out. ´Who·re you taking with you?µ he asked.
´The Berlands.µ Maggie and Ben had dived with Zane dozens of times and were always his top pick. Maggie, a marine archeologist, was also a damn fine diver. Ben, a retired schoolteacher, had fol owed his wife·s love of the sea to the islands thirty some years ago.
´Timing·s good. We have a month or so before the weather turns to shit, and Catherine and Liz·s baby is due next month. Maggie and Ben didn·t want to be on the other side of the universe when their second granddaughter arrives.µ
Śtil good with that?µ Nick asked, lifting the bottle to his mouth and pausing before drinking.
Í just made the deposit,µ Zane reminded him easily, shooting a quick glance at his mechanic curled up awkwardly in the chair between Nick and Diego. None of her business.
It wasn·t his secret. The Berlands· daughter, Cat, and her partner Liz, already had a daughter via in vitro, using Zane·s sperm. Now it was Liz·s turn to have a baby. ´You should go see them before you hare off again. Meet Jessie,µ
Zane told Nick, who·d been gone before the couple·s first daughter had been born.
Śhe·s a little princess. Damn cute kid.µ
Í can·t imagine you having a daughter, let alone two.µ
Í don·t. Cat and Liz do.µ His middle brother reminded him of the Wild Man of Borneo.
Nick had a little sideline that probably accounted for his appearance. Zane quirked a brow.
Ńo barbers in Nam?µ
Nick looked fit and happy and deeply tanned from his voyage. Ńo time.µ Their eyes met briefly.
Yeah. Zane got it. Nick had been doing a little something else between dives.
Stil , once you were immersed in bringing treasure back to t he surface, you didn·t give a shit about minor details like haircuts and shaving. And if a man had a sideline ³that also explained the unkempt look.
´Who else?µ Logan asked, not looking up as he scribbled something in a notebook. He looked distracted, which was unusual for him.
Únfortunately, Garth Sead broke his leg skydiving last week. So we·re one short. She,µ
Zane jerked his chin at Teal, ´fits the bil .µ
Éxcel ent diver, too. You lucked out.µ Logan muttered. Śam did us a favor there, I think.
You picking up your usual suspects along the way?µ
´Yeah.µ He·d already signed on a few more reliable divers. How could she sleep with her head like that? Zane wondered. She must be pretty damned exhausted to be twisted like a pretzel and stil be zonked.
Śo she·s Dutch?µ Diego asked, intrigued³probably because the majority of wrecks found in the Caribbean were Spanish. He was referring of course, to the
Vrijheid,
not Teal. As he spoke, he leaned over to move the point of her col ar to keep it from sticking into her eye as she slept.
Zane frowned. There was no need to touch her. She wasn·t even aware of them
talking,
let alone a piece of fabric brushing her cheek.
´VOC?µ Diego referred to the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or Dutch United East India Company that used to ply Asia and the Pacific routes.
Únofficial y.µ Feeling oddly proprietary, Zane realized he didn·t like Diego touching his mechanic. A lot. Weird. ´The Berlands and I discovered her a month ago. There·l be gold and silver and,µ his heart tap-danced pleasantly in his chest,
´the manifest listed emeralds.
Colombian
emeralds.
Muzo
and
Chivor
emeralds.µ
Nick whistled. Logan·s avaricious eyes glittered; Zane had told him about the emeralds two weeks ago. ´We·re talking ·round about
one hundred and eighty
carats
,µ Zane elaborated, his grin widening. Í do believe I·m going to take that ten -grand pot and make you buy me that new engine for
Decrepit,
gentlemen.µ
´Have to get it to the surface and home first.µ Nick pointed out, tossing his empt y beer bottle across the room, where it hit the rough paneled wal and dropped into the trash.
Zane·s smile widened. Óh, ye of little faith. Watch me and learn, Spock, my man. Watch me and learn.µ
* * *
Fingers white-knuckled on the stern railing, she lifted her face to the warm breeze and tried to sip the salty air to quel the roiling of her stomach.
As if anything short of a coma could do that. From experience she knew she·d get over the seasickness after a few days. Thank God. In the meantime she·d make sure Casanova didn·t know about it.
A long trail of frothy white connected the
Decrepit
to the island like a tenuous tether. The spray cooled her hot cheeks, but Teal couldn·t look down at the swiftly moving wake. She could actual y feel her eyebal s rol ing around in her head like bal bearings.
She watched the water between the island and the
Decrepit
widen.
Please,
God, just kill me
now!
Would anyone notice if she jumped overboard? Probably not until that pathetic engine crapped out. The
Decrepit
looked worse up close and personal than it had from a distance.
She shuddered to think what her engine room looked like if the jerk couldn·t even be bothered to paint his boat. Stil , Sam must have at least done some servicing. How bad could the engines be? She·d look at the maintenance logs as soon as her eyebal s stayed focused.
She bet she·d have to deal with crappy fuel, and God forbid the bearings were worn, she·d have to drop the whole damn bottom end and pul the mains and rods. The thought of the price tag for
that
almost made her smile.