A Thousand Kisses Deep (23 page)

He was seated on the couch, resting his head on a plump pillow that curved his neck, when he heard the music. Eyes closed, he blinked them open. Eva stood in the doorway barefoot, a look of indecision on her face.

He said, "Come here."

"I thought you said we were through talking?"

"We are."

"There's a guest bedroom and bathroom in the bow. I went exploring before dinner."

"If you think you're going to sleep in there tonight you're wrong."

She smiled, walked toward him, stopping a few feet away. "I'm not tired. You?"

"No."

"What should we do?"

His eyes traveled the length of her thinking of a couple dozen things he would like to do with her.

"If you want me, Sly, unzip your jeans."

Sly couldn't remember a time when he hadn't wanted her. Even when he'd wanted to strangle her, he had wanted her. It was something he'd come to accept even before they had met, when her smoky voice had turned his nights into a playground of hot fantasies and heavy breathing. He unsnapped his jeans and slid the zipper down. Waited. Watched as her hands moved down her hips and her fingers caught the fabric of her skirt along her thighs. Slowly she began to slide the skirt upward until he could see that she had removed her panties. He let the air out of his lungs along with a moan, his eyes fastening on the cinnamon curls forming a narrow V between her thighs.

"You do know how to get a man's blood pumping, Evy."

"Am I going too fast?"

For an answer, he reached for her and she let him lift her astride his hips. A little shifting, and she was there, guiding him into her moist heat while she looked him in the eyes.

Slowly she leaned forward and kissed him using her tongue.

He took the kiss. Gave one back just as wet.

When she settled around him on his lap, he arched his hips and moved deeper. It clearly told her that fast or slow, he was up to playing whatever game she had in mind.

"This afternoon, in the tower," she whispered, "I was afraid you wouldn't come looking for me, and then when you did, I…"

"Shh…"

"I don't want to need anyone, Sly. Needing is dangerous." She kissed him again, then leaned her forehead against his as she slid forward, then rocked back, working him slowly in and out of her.

He settled his hands on her hips. "Get rid of the top," he said, then watched as she slid the tight pink tank upward along her rib cage and off over her head.

Her beautiful breasts spilled forward, filling his vision. He leaned forward to rub his cheek over the sweet fullness of her. He loved the smell of her, and the taste. He captured a ripe nipple and suckled it, savoring her and the sound of her sighs of pleasure. He gave the other nipple the same attention, and on a moan, she arched her back and began to move on him with more urgency.

The music became distant, their rapid breathing finding a companionable rhythm with their bodies. He slid his hands under her skirt and cupped her butt, encouraging her to move faster.

"That's it," he groaned, then he closed his eyes and let her take him on a ride that filled him up and drained him at the same time.

They made love on the floor and against the wall in the companionway before they found the bed. At
midnight
, he woke her and loved her again.

She snuggled against him after that, and just before she drifted off to sleep, she whispered again,
"We could sail away like vagabonds."

Chapter 16

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E
va woke to the sound of the
Hector's
engine turning over. She sat up, then slipped out of bed. She found one of Sly's shirts in the closet and pulled it on, then went looking for her underwear.

She had just found them when the door opened and Sly stepped into the room. Feeling self-conscious, she had no idea why—he had seen her naked more than dressed over the past twenty-four hours—she said, "I hope you don't mind if I borrow one of your shirts."

His eyes drifted over the white shirt, then to the black thong in her hand. "You're not going to need either this morning."

Eva angled her head and studied him. His hair was wet, and he wore a pair of black diving pants.

"And why would that be?"

"I found a coral reef I want to show you. We'll suit up and take the tanks down."

"What's the matter, tired of sharing your air?"

His smile was generous. It was perhaps the most relaxed smile he had ever offered her. He crossed the room and snagged her around the waist and lifted her off her feet. Pulling her against him, he kissed her, then said, "Mornin', Evy."

"Good morning … Slayton."

He arched a black eyebrow. "Where did that come from?"

She shrugged, ran her fingers through his short black hair. "You're wet."

"That's a fact. You sleep all right?"

"You know I slept like a slug. I didn't even know you had gotten up until I rolled over and…"

"And what?"

He was searching her eyes. She'd hoped he would want to make love to her again. Maybe they wouldn't get out of bed until
noon
.

She asked, "Any messages?"

"No."

"I heard the engine start up."

"Just turning it over. Making sure everything is working all right. Come on. Let's take a swim."

They explored the coral reef together, and Eva vowed she would remember this day forever. She loved the underworld, the marine life and the mystery of the deep, but today it was twice as enjoyable seeing it with Sly. At times she found herself more enchanted and distracted watching him, and marveling at how powerful and graceful he was in the water.

His diving equipment was high-tech, and his knowledge seemed endless. He had given her a crash course in the science of diving, essential equipment, and let her drive one of his aqua gliders. She had been surprised to know that he had two on board, that she'd had the means to escape him all along. But today she had no wish to escape him. The past two days had been the happiest of her life, and she hated to think of it ending. Yet she knew it would. Must.

She prayed for one more day. One more day to discover all that she had been missing over the years.

It was strange, but at times she felt like an innocent just discovering what it felt like to be a real human being, to feel like a real woman.

It was late morning when they surfaced. While Sly stowed the equipment, she went to take a shower. She had just left the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her when Sly entered. She looked up, prepared to flash him and knew immediately that something was wrong.

"What is it?"

He walked past her and retrieved a pair of jeans and a gray T-shirt from a drawer beneath the berth. With his back to her he said, "A message came in."

He stripped and dressed quickly while she stood frozen in the middle of the room, knowing this was what he'd been waiting for, knowing that her prayer for one more day wasn't going to happen. He was on his way to the door, when she reached out and touched his arm. It was enough to at least stop him. He turned around and finally looked at her. Really looked.

"What?"

His voice was anxious. She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Get dressed, Eva. I want to set sail as soon as possible."

Eva. Not Evy.
She dropped her hand, sensing the change in him already. His beautiful blue eyes were now distant, and she knew why. He was again Sly McEwen, a man on a mission—one of Onyxx's elite—and she was the Chameleon's daughter. The woman who stood between him and the success of his mission.

She raised her chin, went into survival mode. Forced a smile. "Who made contact?"

"
Merrick
. He's in
Paros
at a place called Christos. He wants to meet."

Christos was a dockside bar with rooms to rent upstairs by the hour or the week, or any combination in between if you had the money. Sly entered the seedy taverna with Eva on his arm, wishing he'd taken the time to buy her some decent clothes first. Or better yet, a nun's robe. The men covering the barstools were a crusty lot. Some were fishermen, but most appeared to be independents looking for a piece of action, or a piece of ass.

Sly was in no mood for a confrontation. He wished he could have trusted Eva enough to leave her on the
Hector,
but then trusting her hadn't been the only reason he had elected to take her with him. He'd spied the
Ventura
in port. That meant Simon Parish was also in
Paros
. A coincidence? He didn't believe in them.

He nodded to a waiter as he steered Eva toward a table along a back wall. As she moved ahead of him, he could feel the men at the bar shift to watch her.

It wasn't her fault she had a beautiful body, or that the clothes she wore fit a little too well. But dammit, a little less attention would have suited him better.

He put her in the chair that wouldn't allow anyone but him to ogle her cleavage, then took the seat next to her.

"Are we going to eat? I'm hungry," she said.

"We're not going to be here that long." He flagged a waiter, and when he arrived, Sly said, "The lady will have a glass of wine. What do you have?"

"Lagaria."

Sly eyed the waiter who was tapping his foot to the disco music and grinning at Eva. He shifted, brought his leg a bit forward from beneath the table and covered the waiter's sandaled foot with his boot. The waiter's grin died as he sucked in his breath.

Sly said, "Lagaria, then, and for me a
mia bira."

"Right away," the waiter said, then quickly hobbled away the minute Sly removed his boot from his foot.

"Wine? My stomach is empty and you order me wine?"

Sly narrowed his eyes. He knew she hadn't appreciated his ill mood since
Merrick
's message had arrived. As a result, she had countered his mood with one of her own, picking a fight with him every chance she got since they'd left the cove.

He wanted to explain to her why he was feeling the way he was, but he didn't know how to tell her the news. It wasn't good news, and he'd been looking for the right time to tell her, knowing damn well there was no right time.

"When is
Merrick
going to get here? I'm hungry. If you weren't going to feed me you should have at least let me fix something on the
Hector.
If you remember, I suggested it, but you—"

"Enough, Eva. I don't like
Merrick
's taste in bars any more than you do."

A different waiter brought them the Lagari and beer.

As Sly scanned the dingy room, he noted a table of five men playing cards.
They had been there awhile. Beer bottles littered the table, and they were laughing and enjoying the game, and … watching Eva. He worked on the beer, tried to keep himself relaxed. Eva leaned back in her chair, and his eyes went straight to her chest

"Do you have to do that?" He
grumbled.

"Do what?" She followed his gaze. Attempted to adjust the top.

It made things worse by Sly's estimation. "That helped a lot."

"You didn't seem to mind how little it covered last night," she reminded. "You know, Slayton, if I wasn't sure you didn't own a jealous bone, I'd say that you were letting yourself get worked up over nothing. Those men over there are just being men."

Before he could tell her she was right, that he didn't own a jealous bone, just a permanent hard-on where she was concerned, he saw
Merrick
enter the bar.

He had to look twice to be sure, but it was
Merrick
all right underneath a beat-up hat and ragged clothes he must have stolen off a drunk.

He crossed the room and headed for the stairway. Sly, watched him disappear, then flagged the waiter who had taken their drink order. The man slowly limped back to the table, a wary look on his face.

"I'd like a room," Sly said.

"A room … upstairs?"

"That's right. How much?"

The waiter glanced down at the floor, then took a step back. "Twenty dollars an hour."

Sly pulled two twenties and laid then on the table, and in return the waiter pulled a key from his pocket, handed it to Sly, then curled his fingers around the money. "Anything else,
amerikano?"

"That'll do."

When the waiter left, Eva said, "Why do we
need n room? I thought we weren't staying here long?"

"We're not, but I need you out of the way while I speak to
Merrick
."

"Out of the way? Why can't I go with you?"

"Because you can't," he said, not wanting to gel into it. He finished his beer, then stood. "Come on."

They climbed the stairs. Sly glanced at the number on the key, stopped in front of room eight and unlocked the door. Ushering Eva inside, he noted that the room wasn't clean, but it was better than he had expected.

"You're leaving me here?" She turned around, then around again. "You're kidding, right?"

"It's just for an hour."

"You paid him forty dollars. That's two hours."

"It's not going to take that long. Come on, just take a seat, and I'll be back as quick as I can. Maybe
Merrick
brought the file on your father."

That brought her turning quickly to face him.

"Do you think so?"

He didn't. He had only mentioned it hoping it would be enough to keep her in the room anxiously awaiting his return. He warned, "Don't leave the room, especially dressed like that. Those men downstairs aren't used to hearing the word
no.
Lock the door when I leave. I'll keep the key and let myself in. I'll be back as quick as I can."

He waited outside the door until he heard her lock up, then walked down the hall to number eleven. He tried the door and found it unlocked. He pulled a knife, then slipped inside the dark room. Closing the door behind him, he stood with his back to it ready for anything unexpected that might come his way.

A small light came on, and he saw Adolf Merrick seated at a small wooden desk. "They call this the executive suite," he said. "You weren't followed, were you?"

"No."

"I hoped you'd be able to decipher my code. Find this place and the room. Left the same message for Bjorn, but I haven't heard from him."

"He was taking Holic Reznik apart at Cupata when one of the balconies collapsed. I don't know if he made it," Sly admitted, sliding his knife into the sheath at the small of his back.

Merrick
pulled off his hat. "Where have you been?"

"Laying low, trying to get a message to you and Bjorn. You?"

"On the
Ventura
.
I missed the Chameleon. He got away on a yacht named the
Pearl
."