Greg’s voice was low, but she caught the words: “I just don’t know how I’m going to break the news to her.”
Lucky fought to control the spasmodic trembling, convinced this was the worst news possible. She was going back to jail.
23
L
ucky listened to the heavy thunk of the receiver and knew Greg had hung up. She inhaled a calming breath and told herself she was stronger now.
You can face this.
But she waited a few seconds, thinking about the institute and how happy she’d been there. She didn’t want to go back to jail, not now, not when her life was getting back on track again.
“
Lucky.” Greg’s voice reverberated through the quiet house.
She walked slowly into the living room, reluctant to hear the news but knowing that delaying wouldn’t change anything. Dodger trotted out of the shadows and licked her fingertips, almost as if he knew what she was going through. Lucky brushed his silky head with her palm.
Greg had his balled fists jammed into the pockets of his cutoffs. He looked so disturbed that it was all she could do not to walk over and put both arms around him, even though she would soon be the one to need comforting.
“Lucky, sit down. I need to talk to you.”
Suddenly, she was conscious of being nearly naked, clad only in the skimpy one-piece bathing suit that was entirely
backless. Not that clothes really helped, but being so exposed intensified her feeling of vulnerability. Lucky slowly eased down onto the sofa, braced for the worst. Dodger settled at her feet while Greg sat beside her, his expression concerned.
“Okay, shoot,” Lucky said, in a vain attempt to sound nonchalant.
“I don’t know where to begin
…
exactly.”
She rubbed her hand twice against the side of her suit before she realized she was automatically reaching for her pocket to touch Rudy’s “lucky” tooth. “Start at the beginning.”
Greg reached over and took her hand. The gesture was compassionate, gentle, yet somehow alarming. Lucky did her best to ignore the nervous flutter in her chest. “The stolen car you were in the night I found you had a stick shift.”
It took a moment for his words to register. “It did? How could I have driven it? I know off-the-wall things like how to butterfly, but I didn’t know how to shift until you taught me.”
Greg kept those intense blue eyes leveled on her, and they seemed frighteningly sad. Finally, he spoke. “You weren’t behind the wheel that night.”
“I was the passenger? But the morning after you found me, you told me no one else was in the car.”
“That’s right. There wasn’t anyone in the car.”
From his grim expression, she knew there must have been another passenger. “Someone was thrown from the car. Why did you wait so long to tell me? Did they just find the body?”
He hesitated, measuring her for a moment.
Something was really wrong here, yet she had no idea what it was. Greg knew about her problems and realized she didn’t always have enough information in the right parts of her brain to solve these puzzles. Why didn’t he just come right out and tell her?
Greg squeezed her hand gently and pulled her a little closer before he continued. “There wasn’t anyone else in the car
…
just you.”
He kept drawing her closer and closer, until her thigh was flush against his and his arm was wrapped around her bare shoulder. There was something disturbing about his behavior. It was a protective gesture, like Dodger curling around Abbie, yet it alarmed her.
“I was the only one in the car, but I can’t drive that kind of car.” A sudden chill of apprehension waltzed across the back of her neck, then across her bare flesh, leaving goose bumps in its wake. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
After two beats of silence, he explained. “Cody and I think that somebody—probably two people—drove you to that remote site.” He hesitated, tightening his grip on her. “They put the car in gear and pushed it over the cliff.”
“No!” The word automatically erupted from her, but the look in Greg’s eyes and the steadying pressure of his arm assured Lucky it was true.
“
There must be another explanation. Why would anyone try
”
—she could hardly get out the words— “try to kill me?”
Greg moved closer and pressed his lips to her forehead, holding them there for a long moment. “I don’t know. We can only guess. Maybe you saw something or knew something that someone considered dangerous. They tried to kill you.”
Tried to kill you. Tried to kill you. Tried to kill you.
The words echoed through her head, ricocheting with increasing velocity, t
he effect on her shattering. “
Oh, my God, if you and Dodger hadn’t come along—”
She didn’t have the strength to say the words:
I would have died.
Of course, from that first morning, she’d known that she’d cheated death. But this was different; now she realized she’d almost been murdered.
Their eyes met as he tenderly hugged her, but there was something chilling in his expression. Warning spasms of alarm shot through her, leaving her a hairbreadth away from sheer panic. Lucky mustered the courage to whisper, “Tell me the rest
.
”
* * * * *
G
reg gazed into those matchless green eyes, filled with such intense emotion that he literally could not speak. A glazed expression of utter despair had spread across Lucky’s features. How could he tell her something that might destroy her courage, her spirit?
He held her snugly against his chest. His hand slid down her bare back, gently stroking, trying to comfort her. She buried her face against his throat, and her soft curves molded to the contours of his torso. They sat that way for a few minutes, until the silence became oppressive.
“What is it you aren’t telling me? How is it they just now discovered someone tried to kill me?
”
She’d fired the questions at him, expecting answers, her eyes sharp and assessing.
He had no choice but to tell her the whole truth. “I realized you hadn’t been driving because I had to teach you to use a stick shift. It was at the back of my mind the whole time I was teaching you, but it didn’t register until we were finishing lunch.”
“Why didn’t you mention it then? Why leave? Did this have something to do with Cody going to Honolulu?”
“
I wanted to look at the car to see how badly it was damaged. That night, between the storm and finding you, I didn’t pay much attention to the car. It sailed off the
pali
but didn’t roll. So you didn’t have terrible cuts and bruises. You had nothing more than a minor wound on the back of your skull, a strange place considering—”
“Someone hit me on the back of the head.”
He nodded. “Yes. People don’t willingly let someone push them off a cliff. Cody and I think you were probably knocked unconscious somewhere else. There were two of them and they dressed you in a hurry, not noticing your shoes didn’t match.”
Lucky snuggled closer to Greg, and he could see the fear in her eyes. “What makes you think there were two of them?” He launched into a lengthy explanation about the storm and
another car to take the killers back into town. He
was stalling,
anxious to avoid telling her about the trunk. But finally, he
ran
out of things to say.
“
When we were looking at the car at the impound lot, Dodger began whining the way he did the night I found you in the closet.” The words were coming out in a breathless rush, and Greg told himself to slow down.
“
Cody opened the trunk. Inside was a black scarf with several long, curly blonde hairs on it.”
“Mine?” she whispered, her eyes widening as the truth dawned on her.
“Yes. Under the scarf was a sp
ot of blood the size of a half-
dollar. Cody removed the lining and flew to Honolulu with it. There’s a sophisticated crime analysis lab there. He called just now and confirmed that it was your blood.”
He felt the shudder pass through her, but Lucky’s expression never changed. “They put me in the trunk?”
Her words had the hollow ring of disbelief to them. He would have given everything he ever had, or hoped to have, not to be forced t
o tell her the rest of this. “
The minute Dodger came up to the car, he began to whine. Your scent must have been very strong, because the lid was shut and the rubber seal wasn’t damaged in the accident. You must have been locked in the trunk quite some time. Hours, maybe longer, to leave a scent that Dodger could detect before we even opened the trunk.”
Her eyes widened with
horror and she let out a heart-
wrenching gasp. He put both arms around her and clasped her to him, mentally searching for the right thing to say. But the truth was so ugly that nothing could soften it.
“Remember I told you how you were babbling that night in the tent?”
“Yes. I kept saying something about making you love me, right?”
“You said those words clearly. You were mumbling other words that I couldn’t quite understand. I thought you were saying something about thrills. It fit in with the way you were
dressed and the way you were acting.” His breath caught in his throat the way it had when Cody had opened that damn trunk. He had to force himself to go on. “Now I understand you were saying
‘Don’t kill me.
’…
You were begging for your life.”
Her trembling arms circled his neck and she clung to him. It was a silent reminder of all she’d suffered. The hell she’d endured. An ache lodged deep in his chest and he wished he could do something to comfort her, to change the past.
“Am I in danger now?”
“No,” Greg assured her. “If
they wanted to kill you, they’ve had plenty of opportunity. I’m positive that losing your memory saved you.”
“They could be around, though, watching me.” Her voice had dropped to a low, hushed whisper.
“Cody and I don’t think so. Your picture has been in every island paper dozens of times. The Pele’s ghost brouhaha has been a blessing in disguise. It’s given your story lots of attention, yet no one recognizes you. I think whoever did this to you is long gone. But, just in case, Cody’s on this full time. When he finds them, I’m going to tear them apart with my bare hands.”
And he meant it. He never imagined he would feel this way. He’d lived his life to save animals and people. Now he was filled with a rage that was raw, primitive. Nothing would please him more than to take apart these killers with his bare hands, to make them suffer for what they’d done to Lucky.
“There is some good news. The DA is dropping the charges.”
“Thank God,” Lucky said, her tone odd. “The good news is I didn’t steal the car. The bad news is I was almost murdered.”
She began to giggle, the sound reverberating through her trembling body, escalating into laughter. The noise built, becoming increasingly louder, until he realized it was hysterical laughter. And she couldn’t stop.
24
L
ucky’s laughter slowly died as Greg put his hands on her shoulders and gently shook her. Smothering a sob, she jumped up and raced out the door into the darkness. The night air was warm and sultry, with the usual tang of the sea and the scent of tropical flowers. She stood on the grass, her eyes on the ribbon of moonlight on the water, and gulped in deep, calming breaths.
Someone had tried to murder her.
Who could hate her that much? Tears clouded her vision, blurring the star-filled night. An inexplicable feeling swept through her. Fear, she realized, imagining what she couldn’t remember. She’d begged for her life, trying to bargain with her body. She’d been desperate—desperate beyond comprehension.
Trembling, she stared at the water, physically reacting to the horror of the revelation. Moisture sheened her body, making the balmy air feel cool against h
er skin, and she knew she was
perspiring unnaturally. She must have been terrified that night, she thought. Had she been sweating then and shaking with fear
the way she was now? They’d tossed her into the tr
u
nk of a car. She couldn’t imagine anyone doing something so cruel.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Lucky turned, realizing that Greg had followed her and was standing at her side. Dodger was nearby, his head cocked, gazing at her forlornly. She stared at him, remembering the greyhound’s tragedy. A washout on the race circuit, Dodger had been dumped in the Everglades, left to die. A kindred spirit.
Lucky dropped to her knees, then sat on the grass. She reached for Dodger and he willingly came into her arms. “We’re so lucky.”
Greg sat beside her and put his warm hand on her arm. “No. You two aren’t just lucky. You’re both survivors. The will to live, the courage to face a new, unce
rtain future, sets you apart.”
She ran her fingers over Dodger’s smooth head, trailing downward to the chrome badge on his collar. His first life had been as a race dog; his second was search and rescue. Her second life was just beginning at the institute, helping stricken animals. But what of her previous life? What had she done to make someone want to kill her?
Facing Greg, she said, “Do you know what worries me the most? I might be the terrible blonde I saw in the mirror. She looked mean and hard, like a woman who’d done something bad enough to make someone want to kill her. I don’t want to be someone like that. I want to be a truly good person, someone who helps others.”
His steady gaze was compassionate. “You’re not a bad person. You’re very talented. Think of all the things you do well. You’re a whiz on the computer. You sing sweeter than an angel. You could get a job as a chef. And most of all, you have the empathy essential to work with animals. You’re not a bad person.”
“I pray you’re right.” Her voice broke miserably.
“
I know I am. When you go on
Missing!
someone will come
forward and you’ll find out all about your past. I promise you, it’ll be something that will make you proud.”
Lucky wished she could believe him, but she had the unsettling feeling that the woman in the mirror was really her. Mean-spirited and difficult. Someone people wanted to kill.
He took her face in his hand and held it gently. “You’re the best thing that’s ever
happened to me.”
His gaze never wavered, making his heartf
elt words even more sincere. “
I’m crazy about you.”
Those were the words she’d longed to hear.
Crazy about you.
But after what she’d learned tonight, Lucky was so overcome by emotion that she couldn’t respond.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “The worst is behind you. Remember what Dr. Forenski said: This is a chance to start over.”
“I liked the doctor. She made me feel better.”
“Know what makes me feel better when I’m upset?”
Lucky swallowed to rid herself of the lump that lingered in her throat. “What?”
“I sit right here and watch the ocean.” Greg pointed to the starlit sea lulling quietly in the cove a few feet beyond the rocks. “There’s something timeless and healing in knowing you’re a small speck in a larger, bolder part of nature’s grand scheme.
“A million years ago Haleakala exploded, blasting lava into the sea, creating this island. It took tens of thousands of years for plants to take root in the barren rock, transforming the island year by year, inch by inch, into a lush, tropical paradise. When I look out on the sea and realize that I’m only here for a brief period of time—a blip on nature’s timetable—it makes me feel humble. And fortunate to be a part of something larger than myself.”
He’d put it so simply, so beautifully. Her composure, already as fragile as an eggshell, threatened to shatter into a thousand pieces that would manifest themselves in more hysterical laughter. Or worse, uncontrollable tears. She chose to nod, accepting
his sage comments without speaking. Edging closer to Greg, Lucky sought the shelter of his arms.
Her head fit perfectly into the hollow between his shoulder and his neck. She rested there, breathing in his masculine scent and taking comfort in the strong arms holding her as she gazed at the surf. Her whole being seemed to be filled with the need to be close to another person. She needed Greg.
“I’m crazy about you,” he whispered, repeating what he’d said earlier.
“What if I’m a bad person?”
He didn’t hesitate. “What you
were
doesn’t matter. What you
are
now counts the most. That’s the person I know.” He gently kissed the nape of her neck, a warm, too brief touch of his lips. “The person I’m crazy about.”
Lucky had no idea how long they sat, bodies entwined, watching the moonlight sparkle on the sea. Lit
tl
e by little, she felt better, and she told herself that the past was behind her. Whatever she’d done—or been—couldn’t hurt her now. She had a new life with someone who thought she was special. That’s what counted.
She was the one to turn to him and offer her lips. For a long moment she felt as if she were floating, her pulse skittering alarmingly even though all he’d done was brush his mouth across hers in a brief kiss. She clung to him with a desperation that came from within, forcing him to really kiss her.
His lips were so masculine, so reassuring in their possessiveness, that she gratefully surrendered to him.
I once was lost but now I'm found.
The words of the hymn echoed through her head as her lips parted and his tongue found hers. Twisting in his arms and arching slightly, Lucky tried to get even closer as his hands swept down her bare back to her waist.
His tongue gently explored the cavern of her mouth. This was so different from the other times he’d kissed her. So sweet. From a man who was usually so tough.
She lay back on the warm grass, bringing him with her. She’d been alone too long; she needed to be a part of someone.
An emotional anchor, she told herself, meant a physical commitment.
Pulling away from her, Greg gazed into her
eyes. “Angel, are you sure…
?”
“I’m positive.”
She’d unleashed a dragon. The tenderness was still there, apparent in his kiss and the controlled way he held his body against hers, but underlying it all was latent aggressiveness that was reassuringly masculine. And protective.
“I need you,” she whispered into his ear.
He moved his mouth over hers, devouring its softness, then nibbled at her earlobe. “I’m here. Count on it.”
His lips recaptured hers, more insistent this time. She had a burning desire, an aching need to become part of this man. She reveled in the sweetness of his kisses as they trailed a moist path down her shoulder to the high neckline of the swimsuit.
Yes, oh, yes,
she thought.
This is so right. Why had she been fighting it?
He angled himself across her body so she didn’t have to take the full brunt of his weight. Having him hold her was one thing—being under him was quite another. She couldn’t move for a second, the sensation was that exquisite. That erotic.
Pressed against the grass, its fragrant scent wafting up from the velvety carpet, she inhaled the smell of the soap he’d used. Above her a thousand winking stars smiled down on them, and she felt so very lucky to be alive, here, with someone so special.
The strap of her suit had slipped off her shoulder and Greg pulled it lower yet, easing it downward an inch at a time until the fullness of her breast was exposed to the moonlight. And his unwavering gaze. He lowered his head, gently kissing her breast.
Arms around his neck, Lucky tugged at his head, urging him to show less restraint, yet realizing he was being sensitive to the disturbing news she’d heard earlier. But right now she didn’t want to focus on what horrors she might have endured— and not remembered. Now she needed an affirmation of life.
And she truly couldn’t remember feeling more alive. More passionate.
Suddenly, one of his legs was between hers, nudging its way upward with astonishing sensuality. She gasped, “Oh, yes!”
Her hands found their way under his shirt and were now digging hard into his bare skin. She quaked beneath him, mindlessly trying to get closer.
“Are you okay?” His voice was rough with desire.
Her inner thighs were warm, urging her to offer herself to him with astonishing passion. Had she ever felt this way before? She didn’t know, didn’t bother to consider the question for more than a second. There was only the present. This moment. This man.
“Don’t stop,” she urged, shifting beneath him, feeling his hardness pressing against her leg.
Greg levered himself upward, balancing on his forearms, his breath whispering over her fevered body. She yanked on the tail of his shirt, and he got the message, shrugging out of it and tossing it aside. The crisp hair on his chest tickled her uplifted palms, sending another shiver of delight through her.
“Oh, Greg, why did I wait so long?”
“I haven’t a clue.”
He hesitated, hovering over her, his eyes reflecting the light of a lover’s moon. Her hands sought his chest, lingering over the taut nubs of his nipp
les, running her thumbs over th
e rigid peaks. His breath instantly became more rapid and his eyes narrowed as he lowered his upper body down on hers. Sharp and insistent the urge to taste him, not just feel him, compelled her to run the tip of her tongue across his skin.
The taste was slightly salty yet sweet. A promise of delights she couldn’t imagine even though her body insisted she would adore every second. Emitting a breathless sigh, she skimmed across his chest, raising her hands to his strong shoulders. Lingering there. His pupils widened in the moonlight, becoming dark orbs banded by slim hoops of silver-blue.
A surge of feminine pride swept through her. She wasn’t the
only one totally aroused. “Darling,” she whispered, using a
word she’d wanted to say for so long.
She roved across the hard planes of his chest, exploring
lower and lower until she reached
the waistband of his shorts.
Her hands stole under the fabric to caress his bare skin.
He yanked her hands from under his shorts. “It takes two
to tango,” he whispered.
One breast was already exposed, now the other was bared to the starlit sky. She didn’t have to look down to know her nipples were tight, reflecting her desire. His head dipped low as he took a taut nipple between his lips.
She arched beneath him, moaning at the hot pleasure of his tongue on her breast. Yet her bod
y continued to strain upward,
welcoming his intimate caress,
silently begging for more. The
searing pressure of his hand on the other breast, cupping and gently squeezing was almost unbearably erotic.
“You know what I need,” he said, his voice rough with
passion matching her own. “I’ve waited far too long.”
She didn’t hesitate, thrusting her body upward, maintaining
contact with his. “So have I. Much too long.”
With one swift movement,
he covered her completely, his
knees between her thighs, nudging insistently, making room for him. His callused thumb stroked the nipple that was still moist from his kiss, rolling it between his fingers. She urged his head lower until his mouth was on her other breast, sucking with such pressure that her head spun.
She wanted him—and no one else—forever.
And he wanted her. The hot, thick proof of his desire was already branding her, pressing against the apex of her thighs. Yet his eyes delivered another message, telling her this was more than just passion in his eyes. Much more.
The bathing suit was off her body in an instant. Down around her hips, then skimming across her thighs, before disap
pearing
over the tips of her toes. Greg tossed it aside and Dodger caught it. Now she was naked beneath the light of the most beautiful moon she had ever seen. A lover’s moon.
It didn’t feel the least bit awkward to be exposed to Greg’s gaze. Not at all. He’d already seen her, been in bed with her. And he knew her better than anyone. Lucky smiled up at him, inviting him to kiss her again. She shuddered as an
aching hunger invaded every corn
er of her body.