Deep Rising (An Outside the Lines Novel) (Entangled Select) (9 page)

“It was just a thought.”

“Think about what your brother is doing right now. Try to anticipate his next move. I’m going to determine if our gear has arrived. Be ready to dive in an hour.”

…

Lana watched Jared stroll from the room. She mumbled a curse.

His movements appeared effortlessly fluid, relaxed. Despite the leisurely execution, she detected the purposefulness in his mannerisms. She decided it must be a pretense, or an intentionally nonthreatening ploy intended to trick others into believing him less capable than he really was. Like when he called her darlin’ or spoke in that slow, sexy Southern way of his. If she had chanced upon him in a resort like this she would’ve perceived him for an ordinary tourist. She never would have recognized the menace of which he was capable. His methodical, calculating demeanor caused him to measure his every word and action, and she didn’t know what to make of him, or how to acclimate to his personality. She found the Southern-boy charm endearing, but she couldn’t determine if it subsisted as inherently as his strength or if it presented another facade.

Was he toying with her? She wasn’t naive enough to think that every touch and brush of his arm was accidental. And for the umpteenth time, yes, she acknowledged that under different circumstances she’d do a lot more than
think
about him.

It didn’t really matter though. For better or worse they’d landed in this mess together. With any luck, they’d find a way out. The flower-petal-plucking “does he like me, does he not?” crap, well, that could wait until they weren’t trying to prevent an ocean-wide cataclysm.

Pacing the suite, Lana elected to change into her swimsuit. She didn’t have a neoprene dive suit, and she sincerely hoped Jared would procure one because ocean water, at any time, was chilling. At night, at a depth of forty-plus meters, the water would sap her body heat far faster than she could hope to generate it.

Jared had ordered room service for dinner. The steak salad she’d selected burned a hole through her stomach. No, she amended. The stress of this upcoming dive and possibly coming face-to-face with her brother, the alleged terrorist, started her stomach churning out acid like a hydrothermal vent.

She opened her backpack and fished for her one-piece black suit. She’d packed it automatically when Jared informed her they would travel to Hawaii. She had not anticipated having the opportunity to wear it, least of all for a midnight diving expedition, but she appreciated her foresight in bringing it along. She peeled her shirt over her head and kicked out of her shorts.

The door to the suite swung open. Jared ambled into the room.

Lana spread her hands to cover her bra and panties. “You said you’d be gone an hour!”

His eyes hungrily traced her skin. He didn’t bother to conceal his predatory gleam, and on a very primitive level, Lana responded to it. Heat pooled in her stomach, and this kind of burning had nothing to do with stress.

“Turn around,” she demanded.

“You don’t have anything I haven’t seen before.” He let out a low whistle. “Darlin’, you’ve been hiding those curves…”

“Jared!”

He gave her his back.

She was comfortable in her own skin. Working in third-world countries and having to share accommodations with other people on her survey teams, she wasn’t particularly modest. But it was the
way
he’d looked at her. And when he’d smiled his approval, it jump-started parts of her body that were better left dormant. God, she hated her reaction to this man. She shouldn’t want his attraction, shouldn’t want to have his hands or mouth on her skin, but when his gaze traced over her with such blatant appreciation, that was all she could think of.

“My apologies, ma’am,” he said in a voice that suggested he was anything but sorry.

While staring at his broad back, Lana slipped off her underclothes and drew on the sleek maillot. She felt considerably better in the bathing suit, but she donned a pair of shorts for good measure.

Without turning around, he said, “I’ve seen bikinis that bare more, Lana. You’re completely overreacting.”

Yes, she probably was. But if they continued this conversation, she’d only rip into him for circumstances beyond his control. “Are we ready to go?”

He pivoted to face her. “I meant to pay you a compliment, not insult you. You are beautiful, Lana. Just plain stunning. I’m genuinely sorry if I offended you. It wasn’t my intent.”

There was a softening in his voice, around his eyes. His expression was so earnest that she wanted to believe …

“Whatever.” She couldn’t afford to weaken any further toward this man.

His expression changed abruptly, as if he too realized there was no room for niceties in their relationship.

“There’s a seafloor prospecting boat within the vicinity,” he said. “We have access to it and the technicians onboard.”

“I thought you couldn’t arrange for a ROV?”

“I made a call. We need to check the tubes closest to the shore first. They’re the most hazardous in relation to your brother’s MO. Since I’m still not sure where your loyalties lie, you’ll stick to me like glue.”

She avoided his gaze and stormed past him to the door. “I’m a competent diver, and I know what to look for.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I want to stop Sergei as much as you do—more so because it seems I’ve enabled him.”

A hand caught her arm. In the next instant she was spun around and pressed against the door. His palms slapped against the doorframe, caging her in place. Jared towered over her and she wasn’t a small woman.

“What do you mean ‘enabled him’?”

Oh, no, did he think she
consciously
helped her brother? “I didn’t
intentionally
enable anyone, Jared. I never intended for my research to be misused.” She stared into his sharp, beautiful hazel eyes and tried to make him believe in her innocence.

For several heartbeats, neither moved, then his hands slowly moved from the door to her shoulders and finally up to her throat, where either hand pressed against the arteries on her neck. He stayed there presumably counting her pulse, and while she spoke the truth, she knew her body betrayed her. His muscled shoulders dwarfed her. The crisp shirt he wore molded to the muscles of his biceps and chest. He was strong and powerful and dangerous. Without thinking, she licked her lips.

He made some low, rumbling sound. The hands at her throat threaded through her hair, lifting her face to his.

His body pressed against hers. Through the bathing suit, her breasts tightened almost painfully at the contact with his muscled chest. She was a heartbeat away from rising on her toes and pressing her mouth to his.

“No,” he muttered. For a moment, he leaned even closer, his lips grazing her temple. His sharp intake of breath echoed hers. When he drew back, he drew her away from the door.

“Let’s go.” He led her out of the hotel room.

More disconcerted than she cared to admit, Lana followed in his wake.

Chapter Eleven

Two couples nestled on the beach beside a small fire. They sang an Eagles ballad. The distinguishable female voices sounded painfully off-key. Amid the motley choir, Jared perceived an enviable baritone. Taking Lana’s hand in his, Jared pulled her toward them.

“Hello, y’all. How are you tonight?”

A middle-aged man wrapped a possessive arm around his trophy wife. “We’re fine,” he said. “Just admiring the stars.”

If the young blonde was a day over twenty Jared would have been surprised.

“It certainly is a lovely night,” he said. “Ain’t that right, darling?” He drew Lana closer and kissed her. At first she tensed. But because she looked so damn beautiful, he allowed his tongue to slip past her lips.

Her mouth felt great. She tasted even better.

His tongue traced hers, exploring, teasing. And he took his time about it, stroking his tongue against hers, learning her taste and the contours of her mouth. Yeah, he’d wanted to kiss her back in the hotel room—and he nearly had. But alone in that room, with a king-size bed not twenty feet away from them, he wouldn’t have stopped with just one kiss. It would take him hours to explore a body as perfect as hers, and time wasn’t a luxury they could afford just now, so he’d curbed his hunger—for all of two minutes. Because that’s how long it took them to ride the elevator to the lobby and to pass through the atrium onto the beach. Oh, he knew he couldn’t afford too much of a distraction, and he knew just kissing her was totally, utterly, irrevocably crossing a major line. But he didn’t give a damn.

And she was kissing him right back.

Her tongue did a swirl and when she used her teeth and ever-so-perfectly bit his lower lip, he was grateful for the audience. They were the only thing stopping him from lowering her to the sand and doing more than some nibbling.

He could kiss her for days. Her mouth was so soft and eager beneath his. But this wasn’t the time or place, and if/when word got back to Gordon that he was smacking lips on government time, he’d have to spin it as an intentional ploy. Lying never did sit well with him.

He retreated, planting one more kiss on her sexy mouth. Turning his attention to the other couple, he tightened his grip on Lana’s shoulders, reminding her to play along.

Her eyes were shuttered. And from the small gasp that escaped her sweet lips, he figured she was as shocked by that kiss as he had been. It was satisfying to know this forbidden attraction wasn’t entirely one-sided, but now having tasted her, having felt her response—oh yeah, she’d slung her arms around him and kneaded at the muscles on his back—it would be damn near impossible to go back to the professional, platonic relationship required of them.

Shit.

He should’ve practiced more restraint. But seeing her in that hotel room and touching her smooth skin had made resisting her futile. So he’d taken advantage of an opportunity. And he wasn’t sorry about it. No, he amended, he was sorry about the jacked-up situation they were in, and the fact that he should keep a clear head but he couldn’t when she was within ten feet of him. But the one thing he wouldn’t regret was her response to him. She’d kissed him back. Tentatively at first, but then when she had responded in kind, he’d felt it clear to the soles of his feet. It was the justification he’d needed, to know this insane infatuation wasn’t only on his part.

He turned his attention back to the two couples. The heavyset woman looked like she’d stepped straight off a ranch. She wore cutoff jeans paired with a white blouse. The lean, edgy man beside her had the features of an exotic male model and a wardrobe to match, consisting of a skintight Versace-emblem shirt and black pants. The body language between them didn’t suit.

“I’m John and this here is my wife, Jenny,” Jared said, keeping an arm around Lana.

“Pleasure to meet you,” the fashionable man replied, shaking Jared’s hand. “We were admiring your boat. Thought we’d keep an eye on it for you.”

Jared grinned. They were Company reinforcements. He figured as much.

“Appreciate it,” Jared said. “Jenny and I, we’ll be heading out for a little night ride. Should be back in a couple of hours.”

“We’ll send a search party if you don’t return by morning.”

The portly man and the
Playboy
bunny laughed, clearly oblivious to the scenario. They certainly weren’t Company operatives. “Maybe you’d like to take us with you,” the girl suggested, leaning away from her husband. “I love swimming and boating, especially beneath the stars.”

She blatantly offered a bit more than a congenial swim session, but Jared only grinned in response.

“Maybe later, darling. The missus wants to get in our quality time first. Ain’t that right, sugar?”

Lana offered a tight smile.

“You should have a pretty quiet swim.” The Company agent assumed a protective stance beside her team member. “I’ve had my eye on the water. There hasn’t been any boat traffic through these parts tonight. The Kodiak is ready to go. It’s anchored just offshore.”

“Good.”

With a wave, Jared spun Lana toward the ocean. He brought her along the beach until they aligned directly with the small boat. He forced his hand to drop away from the small of her back, and his fingers actually twitched at the lack of contact with her skin.

Forget about the upcoming dive—he was already in way over his head.

…

“Why did you kiss me?”

He grinned. “Because we’re married.”

For a ruse. It had all been a ruse. If that kiss had been for real—her stomach fluttered at the thought.

“You okay?” he murmured.

Define okay.
His eyes glittered in the moonlight, and when she glanced at him, all she could think about was his lips on hers and his tongue in her mouth. She licked her lips, still tasting him. And how could she possibly think of him and his kiss at a time like this?

“Lana?”

She tore her gaze away and focused on the water. “Uh, why didn’t they just bring the boat on the beach?”

“It’s too shallow.”

“Jared, I’ve been aboard Kodiaks. They don’t draw more than a foot of water.”

“Our boat isn’t the Kodiak.” He pointed to a white cabin cruiser. “That is.”

“Oh.” She scratched her head. “Let me try this in a different way. If the Kodiak is merely our, um, taxi, to the main ride, why didn’t they beach the Kodiak on the sand for our convenience?”

“It would draw attention. The bumbling john and his bimbo trophy wife likely would’ve tried to confiscate it for a little spin. Besides,” he added, “it’s only twenty feet offshore. We can wade out to it.” He stepped into the water, drawing Lana with him until the waves crested over their knees.

She abruptly tensed.

“Ready?” he asked her.

“There are probably a hundred makos swarming off shore.”

“Tiger sharks, darlin’. Not makos. Hawaii is primarily home to tigers. And I’d be amazed if there were more than a handful.”

“Oh, that makes me feel better!”

“More people die from dog bites and lightning strikes than shark attacks.”

“Yes, well I don’t go foraging in pit bull territory, and I don’t play golf during thunderstorms.” Shit, she didn’t play golf, period. And sharks? He expected her to swim with sharks! Her feet dug into the sand, and a small shell pinched her heel. She yelped.

“It’s more dangerous here in the shallows than it will be out there.”

“How do you know?”

“Electroreception.”

“What?”

“Sharks can sense the tiny electrical signals given off by the nerves in our bodies. Even when we aren’t moving we still have cells working and communicating. Our heart still pumps, our bellies are still breaking down all the salad and grilled steak we snacked on.”

“I’m familiar with the autonomic nervous system.”

“Great, then I won’t have to explain further. Now are you ready to get that fine ass of yours in the water?”

She jerked her hand away, a snarl forming on her lips. Then she caught his amused expression.

“You’re trying to get me riled up,” she accused him. “Why?”

“I’d rather you were angry than scared. Is it working?”

“Not really. And I’m not scared, I just don’t like wading into shark-filled waters in the dark—I’m thinking most people would be opposed to the idea.”

“Well, we’ll only be wading a little farther. I can feel the ground sloping away—”

“Oh, great, I’ll get to
swim
with sharks. At night.”

“There are just as many sea creatures present during the day. Besides, people pay good money for excursions like this. You’re just nervous.”

Yes, she was.

“I can kiss you again,” he offered.

“And send off more signals for the sharks to detect?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“In that case, I guess we’d better get going. ”

He dove into the water an instant later, leaving Lana to follow or stay.

“There’s no going back,” she whispered. With a deep breath she plunged into the ocean.

The blue-black water swirled around her, making onyx ripples that reflected the stars above and the lights of the hotel behind her. After a few strokes, Lana envisioned a swarm of sharks and other deep-sea leviathans surrounding her. She could practically feel them tracking her movements, trailing her, preparing to strike. At any moment, she expected one of her limbs to be torn from her body.

She fought hard to stay calm. Thousands of people swam at night, she reminded herself, most of them drunk or naked or both, and she didn’t read about them being attacked very often. Still, as her heart pounded with each breath, and she pushed through the water with each measured stroke, she imagined the millions of individual neurons in her body firing away in a cacophony of electrical and chemical signals, orchestrating her every movement, her every thought. Lighting her position to any marauding predators like a neon fast-food sign.

It would be a miracle if she made it to the boat.

Jared was apparently immune to the gut-wrenching worry of sharks and impervious to the chilling cold. How else could he swim so vigorously, so confidently?

He pulled his body into the Kodiak. He made it look easy while she struggled just to stay afloat.

The salt water stung her eyes, and her limbs felt leaden. The shorts she wore chafed the insides of her legs. She concentrated solely on the Kodiak, counting the seconds until she reached it.

Something splashed behind her. A pronounced black object. An orca? She’d seen one at a marine exhibit, heard news of it attacking its trainer. Her mind reeled with the possibilities, and she screamed.

Jared extended his arm and she clasped it. He dragged her aboard the small vessel.

“Calm down, Lana.” His full lips compressed to a thin line. “I thought you could handle this!”

“I can.”

“You screamed.”

Lana scurried away from him. She scanned the water for dorsal fins and witnessed only the rippling waves. “It’s your fault! You shouldn’t have filled my head with all that stuff about sharks, if you didn’t want me to be afraid.”

“Can you handle the dive? Yes or no.”

She shuddered. “Yes.”

He jerked the cord on the outboard engine and it purred to life. With sharp, precise movements, he yanked the small anchor. He shook his head all the while and mumbled something beneath his breath.

“Sit down and hang on,” he advised. He stared at the shore for a few seconds before turning his attention back to her. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride. You need to mentally prepare yourself. If you scream again, those agents we passed on the beach are going to sound an alarm, and you will successfully undermine this mission before it even gets under way.”

She’d thought the mismatched couple had been feeding Jared details about the boat. It made sense now. Lana pushed wet hair away from her face. “I didn’t mean to scream. I’m sorry.”

She knew her response diffused his anger when he whispered, “I know, darlin’, just try a little harder if you can.”

His understanding in light of her behavior came as a relief. The endearment in that Southern drawl of his didn’t hurt either.

Don’t go there. Stay focused. Someone—maybe your brother—is using your thesis to target the innocent.

Come what may, she had to stop him. She couldn’t permit her ideas to spawn a terrorist attack.

Jared angled the Kodiak toward the gleaming white hull of the fifty-foot cabin cruiser. Bringing their smaller craft alongside the rear deck of the miniature yacht, she waited for him to tie off before climbing onto the dive deck of the larger boat.

“Go into the cabin and suit up,” he told her. “I’ll check the tanks and cue the GPS. The points are already plotted, but dropping anchor and finding them at night without drifting to sea could prove challenging.”

“Why don’t we wait until morning?”

“Our friends like the banker and his Barbie doll, not to mention a couple hundred tourists, will swarm the beaches and shred the water on dive boats, fishing vessels, and personal watercraft. There are too many people during the day.” He crossed his arms. “Are you trying to renege?”

“No.” She rolled her shoulders. “I’m resigned to the task.”

“You sure?” He nudged her shoulder.

“Yes.” She would do whatever he required. Focus on the mission, on the potential calamity that could result from catalyzing a mega-tsunami. Did she really have a choice?

“We need to complete the inspection. Afterward, we’ll dock with the research vessel
Nautilus
to continue our assessment using their ROV. They’ve been canvassing the seafloor around this area for the past eighteen months.”

“Why?”

“It’s the new frontier.”

Her curiosity was piqued, but she didn’t bother to inquire further. Following Jared’s instructions, she took the stairs to the galley. Stainless steel appliances and a small kitchenette monopolized the right side of the cabin. A curved breakfast nook occupied the left. The next door she passed opened into the head. She peeked into the remaining two rooms. Hardwood flooring and rich ocher and sage wall colors blended the luxury one would expect of a five-star resort with the simplicity and constrictions of a seagoing vessel. In the second, larger bedroom she noted the dive suits. She left a trail of water behind her as she strode into the room.