Born to Be Wild (21 page)

“Not often. But when it counts he is always there. He’s the one that got Rae out of Bhajul for me. He’s saved my butt many a time. I’m here because I feel responsible for what’s happened between you two. I wanted you to understand just what you’ve given up.”

“I know just what I’ve given up, Jarrett,” she said quietly, more than a little moved by such a strong declaration of allegiance coming from a man as closemouthed and taciturn as Jarrett. “First, thank you for the generous donation you made to the foundation. Those kids had a blast.”

“You do good work here, Dara. I’m just glad I could contribute. But about Zach—”

She cut him off again. “It’s not about the trip, Jarrett. I didn’t know the important work he was doing for you, but it goes further than that. Deeper than that.”

“Is this about Daniel?”

Now he’d really shocked her. “How did you know about that?”

He shrugged. “Dane needs an outlet too every once in a while. He was worried about you back then. You took on a pretty rough deal. It never went past me. I just listened.”

She nodded. “Zach’s job is part of it, Jarrett. I lost my dad and Daniel because they took foolish risks. I didn’t
think I could handle wondering every time Zach walked out the door if it would be the last time I’d see him. And I knew I couldn’t bear to see someone with his vibrancy lying lifeless and vacant in a hospital bed.”

“You said ‘didn’t’—does that mean you’ve had a change of heart?”

A small smile curved her lips. Jarrett didn’t miss anything. “My heart has been his since about a minute after he walked into my office. And no, I haven’t changed my mind about worrying about him. I don’t think that’s something that will ever go away. So, if I’ve already signed on for the worst part of it, then I want the best part too.”

“Then what the hell’s the problem?” Jarrett asked with his customary bluntness. “If you love him, why are you sitting around here hating life while he’s doing the same thing halfway around the globe?”

Dara looked up. “He’s hating life?”

“What in the hell did you think he was doing? The man tells you he loves you, and you dump him.”

“He told you he said that?”

“He didn’t have to, Dara. But if I was in any doubt, Beaudine set me straight when she tracked me down two days ago.” His mouth lifted into a small smile. Dara couldn’t recall ever seeing him do that before.

“Rae must be one hell of a woman,” she whispered, in awe.

The smile deepened. “You’d better believe it.”

Dara recalled what he’d said. “Beaudine called you?”

“Apparently she had reached a, uh, rather delicate moment in her … negotiations with Frank, when
Zach rudely interrupted. Rae was convinced I needed to do this in person. So here I am.”

“Oh no, you came back early from your honeymoon just—”

Jarrett lifted his hand. “Rae was right. And don’t worry, I intend to get back to our honeymoon just as soon as I’m done here. Even Beaudine won’t be able to track us down.” He leaned forward. “But this time I’m glad she did. Seems Zach’s been a bit over the edge lately, even for him. Taking on more trips and maybe a few too many risks.”

A sick knot twisted inside her stomach. “He’s not, I mean, I know he risks his life all the time, but he’s not—” She took a breath but couldn’t seem to find enough available air. “He wouldn’t intentionally, you know—”

“No,” Jarrett said immediately. “Not Zach. He’s scrupulous about margin of risk and safety and all that. He wouldn’t be so successful if he wasn’t. But Beaudine demanded I talk some sense into him, immediately. I didn’t refuse.”

A small smile threatened despite her moment of panic and the still overwhelming confusion. “I don’t blame you. I hear she was a pretty hot contender on the gator wrassling circuit.”

Jarrett sobered a bit and added, “Even Frank was concerned.”

“Frank?”

“Did Zach ever tell you how he met Frank?”

“No,” she said, wondering briefly about all the other things she’d never learned about him, things she had a deep hunger to know. “No, he never did.”

“Frank has always been a mechanic, but he used to
work on planes. He was one of the best. Zach used him almost exclusively with his planes.”

“He has planes?” She raised her hand, thinking of mountains and hot-air balloons. “Never mind. Dumb question. Go on.”

“Frank was working for Zach when there was a freak accident in the hangar. It’s complicated, but basically, a part of the plane fell off and landed on Frank’s back. Cracked a couple of vertebrae. Even though it was ruled an accident and no one, including Frank, blamed Zach, Zach still took it really hard.

“Frank’s insurance didn’t go real far, and Zach helped him out. He was sort of the motivating force behind getting Frank back into a viable career. He was the one who financed the garage. I think he’s still a partner.”

Dara’s throat tightened. And she’d accused him of not paying the man. “I’m not surprised.”

Jarrett studied her for a while, then said, “Is there another reason you called it off?”

She looked steadily at the man who was responsible for her finding Zach again in the first place. It took her a moment to gather her courage, then put into words for the first time the truth Zach had known that day in his den. “Me. Me being afraid to go after what I want. He goes to some pretty far extremes to satisfy his desires. I’m not like that, and it was easy to tell myself I couldn’t compete. No risk there, right?”

“Did he ever ask you to compete? He loves you, Dara. I know he’s never felt like this about anyone before. Maybe you have to trust that. Trust him to know what he wants.”

“The one I have to trust is myself.” She sighed. “I think I’ve dealt for so long with how unfair life is, that somewhere along the way I decided it was easier to make excuses than to take chances. That way I had more control.”

“Well then if you—”

“Where is he now?” Dara interrupted. “I suddenly realized I’m having this conversation with the wrong person.” She grinned, and her heart began to pound. “Nothing personal.”

Jarrett didn’t even blink. “Skiing. In Hawaii.”

“Hawaii? Skiing? It’s the end of July.”

“Yeah, they had some freak cold front that prolonged the season. Once in a lifetime kind of conditions. Helicopter in and ski the volcanoes or something. Zach had a couple of guys pay him double to take them.”

Dara flipped her folders shut. For Zach skiing in Hawaii made perfect sense. “Well, the wishes on my list are being granted at a pretty alarming rate, so I’m sure even Cavendish will agree that I can take a short leave.”

Jarrett smiled and stood.

Dara scooted out from her desk and stopped in front of him, then impulsively reached up and hugged him. He stilled for a moment, then hugged her back. “Thank you, Jarrett.”

“I didn’t do anything.” She shook her head and started to argue, but he cut her off. “Just invite us to the ceremony.”

She grinned and nodded. “You know, the last time I saw Zach, he told me the only person who could make my dreams come true was me. He was right.” She bussed Jarrett on the cheek and grabbed her purse. “He also told
me to find the right man and marry him. That’s just what I intend to do.”

Dara was halfway down the hall to Cavendish’s office when Jarrett called out, “Give ’em hell, D’Artagnan!”

Skiing in Hawaii sucked. Zach leaned on his poles and looked down over the rim. Bradley and Schuster had just schussed over the edge and were hammering down the perfect pristine slope. He couldn’t work up even a shred of their enthusiasm. He didn’t feel like skiing.

Just like he hadn’t felt like diving off the coast of Peru or riding the rapids in Colorado.

“The hell with this,” he said. He was no good to his clients, his employees, and most of all not himself. He stamped his poles deeper into the snow. He wanted Dara.

And as soon as this trip was over, he vowed silently, he was heading back home to get her. He’d camp on her doorstep, kidnap her, take her away to the mountain, something, anything. Whatever it took to make her understand her worth—to him, to herself. But what he wasn’t going to do was leave her. Not ever.

The distant whup-whup sound of a helicopter penetrated his thoughts. He shaded his eyes with his hand and scanned the sky, locating the small private craft. It was heading right for him.

Several minutes later it had landed on the plateau about two hundred yards to his left. The hatch opened, and Zach knew then Beaudine was right. He had gone over the edge. Otherwise he’d have to believe that a pink gorilla had just climbed out of that chopper.

It got harder to justify the hallucination as it walked toward him. The beast poked one furry paw at the label on the package which said “Zach Brogan,” then pointed at Zach.

Zach nodded dumbly. “I’m Brogan.”

The monkey handed him the small loosely wrapped bundle with a bright red bow on top. Not knowing what else to do, Zach took it. The big neon ape simply bowed and headed back to the chopper.

“Thank you,” Zach called out belatedly. Only when the helicopter was a dot in the sky did Zach look back at the package in his hands. “What the hell.” He pulled off his gloves and opened it. A small carved dragon fell out. A smile started to curve his lips as his mind raced to come up with a list of reasons not to get his hopes up.

There was a small scroll tucked in the loop of the tail. He pulled it out and uncurled it. “If you’re in the mood,” he read out loud, “meet me on the beach in front of the Kontiki at midnight. I promise not to breathe fire … unless you want me to.”

There was no signature. But Zach’s pulse was already pounding and his adrenaline was pumping before he’d gotten halfway through it.

“No,” he told himself. “She’d never come all the way out here.” She’d have to fly for one thing. A very long flight. But even as he tried to tamp down the overwhelming rush, he was tucking the dragon and the bow into a zippered pocket.

He poled back to the edge, and scanned the perfect twin snakelike tracks cut into the slope below him, then stopped and pulled off his glove again. He yanked the note out and reread it. Twice.

He was in the mood all right. And if he had anything to do with it—and he planned to—he expected to be in the mood for the rest of his life.

With an avalanche-threatening rebel yell, he shoved off over the edge and shot straight down the mountain.

Zach found her in a private cove, standing ankle-deep in the midnight surf. A stunningly erotic sarong wrapped around her lithe body, a beautiful hibiscus blossom tucked into her shoulder-length brown hair. She couldn’t have possibly heard his bare feet on the sand, but she turned and looked straight at him when he was still twenty yards away.

He stopped and stared at her, unable to believe she was truly there. “You look like a pagan goddess,” he said. “My own Venus.”

Her gaze ran over him slowly, making his pulse race and his body harden. She walked toward him. His senses screamed, his muscles tightened, his mind focused with intense precision and total clarity on her. Only her.

He’d never, in his whole life, experienced a rush like this. He thought he might spontaneously combust if she came any closer; he thought he might go insane if she didn’t. And he knew he’d die if she ever left him again.

She stopped a foot away and looked up into his eyes. For all her outward boldness and confidence, the trace of vulnerability was still there. It undid him completely, and he reached for her, pulling her hard against him, wrapping her as tightly into his arms as he could.

“Are you really here,” he whispered into her hair, “or have I just conjured you up from desperation?”

“I’m really here,” she said softly.

His heart ached, and his eyes burned. “Don’t ever leave me again,” he said roughly.

“No. Never again.”

He pulled her head back and lowered his mouth to hers, wanting to keep his kiss gentle and thorough, but at the first taste he lost it. He took her mouth, begged her with his lips, his tongue, his moans, his every breath to take him also.

“You
are
like fire,” he murmured against her throat. He trailed kisses along her neck, drew his tongue over her pulse, nipped at her ear. “I won’t ever get enough of you. Believe that. We can work the rest out.”

Dara turned her head and nuzzled the crook of his neck, then tilted her head back and looked up into his eyes. All flickers of uncertainty were gone. Zach grinned broadly, his heart so full, he thought it would burst.

“I think I already have,” she said. “At least for me. I trust you to know what you want, to believe in your love. You were born to be wild, and I wouldn’t have you any other way. But I have to have you.” Her smile broadened. “And you know I’m serious if I flew in a plane for what seemed like six lifetimes to get to you.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” he said, his tone hushed and fierce. “One call and I’d have been there.”

“I couldn’t wait. I just shut my eyes and focused on you the whole time.” She tipped up on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Then, framing his face with her hands, she focused everything she had on his gaze. “But most importantly, I trust in myself. If it’s possible to be what you need, then I’ll be it. Because more than anything else, Zach Brogan, I love you like hell on fire.”

His breath caught. “I didn’t think I was ever going to hear you say that.” Her smile was lost under the pressure of his mouth on hers. “I love you,” he said against her mouth, then again against her cheek, all along her neck and whispered into her ear.

He ran his hands all over her, his lips following. She moaned and moved against him. Their hips quickly found a rhythm until Zach pulled away, breathing heavily.

“If I don’t get you somewhere a bit more private,” he ground out, “we’re going to make love right here on the beach.”

She laughed and rotated her hips against him again. “And here I thought you were the thrill-seeker in this relationship.”

Zach growled and caught her hips in his hands, holding her tight to him. “I’ll thrill you.”

“You already do,” she gasped. “And I’ve become addicted to it. To you.”

“If you let me, I’ll thrill you for a lifetime.”