Her First Vacation (14 page)

“I don’t know
,
she strikes me as a
pretty sharp woman. What if she doesn’t buy your charm?”

“She’ll buy it. She’s desperate to feel wanted and
appreciated. I’m going to give her everything she ever wanted in a man,
then
she’ll give me whatever I want.”

“This is a hell of a lot of work for a piece of ass. It
doesn’t seem worth it, somehow.”

“It will be. She’s as innocent as the driven snow. I’d lay
odds that she’s never even touched a man’s cock before. That’s going to make it
all the sweeter when I stick mine in her mouth.”

The anticipation in Garret’s voice had Colin seeing red. He
knew he had to get away from Garret before he lost control and killed him.
Garret had it all worked out. Colin didn’t want to believe Claire would fall
for it. But he couldn’t stop worrying that she would, and he knew he’d never be
able to live with himself if he allowed Garret to use her like that. He’d
seduce her and screw her in every way imaginable,
then
he’d drop her hard. Knowing Garret’s penchant for sadism, he’d probably take
great pleasure in making sure she knew he’d manipulated her from the very
beginning. He might even hurt her physically. Colin knew he liked it rough.
Somehow, he had to protect her. He shot Garret a bored look.

“I’d wish you good luck, but frankly, I hope you’re dead
wrong about her.”

Garret frowned at him. “What?”

“Hell, yeah, if you strike out with her, that means I can
go after her myself.”

Garret’s frown eased. “You want her?”

“Christ, a man would have to be dead not to want a piece of
her. I mean, who knew she had those looks buried beneath the baggy clothes?” He
shook his head. “I’d love to see you nail her. I bet she’ll be a screamer. Like
you said, she’s been repressed for a long time. Once you open her up, she’ll go
hard and fast.”

Garret gave him a thoughtful look,
then
shrugged.
“Why not?”

“Why not what?”

“I’ll tell you where we’re going and you can follow, at a
distance, of course. It wouldn’t do for her to realize she had an audience.”

Colin pretended to think it over. Garret was clearly
warming up to the idea, and he pressed Colin further. “You could always come
along and pick up the pieces once I’m finished with her. Who
knows,
maybe she’ll be open for a little rebound sex. And even if she isn’t, I know
you don’t mind taking what you want.”

Colin shot the dealer a quick look, but the man wasn’t
paying attention to anything they were saying. Either he’d learned to tune
everything out, or he was smart enough to know it would be a bad idea to let on
that he’d heard anything. Colin pushed away from the table anyway, and Garret
followed him.

“That little Mexican bitch was one thing. I doubt Claire is
the sort to keep quiet about something like that.”

Garret shook his head. “She’d keep quiet. She’d be the kind
to blame
herself
for it. She’d think she deserved it
for leading you on or some such shit.”

“Maybe, but I’m not sure I want to take that risk.”

Garret’s shrug was a little too casual, and Colin realized he’d
been pushing for Colin to rape Claire because he was excited by the idea of it.
“Suit yourself.”

Colin was doing everything he could to keep himself from
reacting to the fury raging inside him. He knew Garret Palmer was a sick
bastard. He knew the man was capable of just about anything. But he hadn’t
realized just how twisted he really was until that moment. He believed Colin
had raped one woman already, and now he wanted it to happen again. This time,
though, Colin knew Garret would want to watch. He’d want to see Claire’s tears
as she was violated. Colin couldn’t meet Garret’s gaze as he told him he’d see
him the next morning to get the directions to the spot Garret had chosen to
carry out his little seduction. He knew there was no way he could keep the
hatred he felt out of his eyes. So he kept his gaze averted as he left, then
went straight to his room and picked up the satellite phone that was his
connection with his superiors. The minute the phone was answered he spoke.

“We’ve got a problem.”

The man on the other end didn’t beat around the bush.
“What’s that?”

“There’s a woman on the ship who’s caught Palmer’s
attention.”

“Yeah, and what’s new about that?”

“This one isn’t some bimbo. It’s Claire Abernathy, the
school teacher who shares our dinner table.”

He could hear the shuffle of papers on the other end. “Wait
a minute, isn’t she the one…yeah, that’s what I thought. What the hell is
Palmer doing going after her?”

There was no doubt about the implication. Claire wasn’t
attractive enough to garner Palmer’s attention. Colin tightened his grip on the
phone. “She had a makeover. Think supermodel and you’ll be close to imagining
the difference. Anyway, he’s going after her hard but she isn’t making it
easy.”

“So why is
this a
problem?”

“Because he’s going to wind up hurting
her.
Tonight he suggested that maybe I’d like to rape her after he’s
finished with her.”

“You’re the one who gave him that idea.”

“He’ll hurt her.”

“Hey, if she’s stupid enough to fall for him, then she’s
got no one to blame but herself.”

“Damn it, this isn’t a game. She has no idea what he is,
what he’s capable of. If she’s half as smart as I think she is, she won’t give
him what he wants, and that’s going to tick him off royally. He’ll rape her.”

“You don’t know what he’ll do. Maybe he’ll just console
himself with someone more willing.”

“I’m telling you that he won’t take no for an answer.”

“Look, Colin, we’re way too close to risk screwing
everything up now, especially to prevent a crime we can’t even be sure will
happen.”

“So you want me to just stand by and let him rape her?”

“No, I want you to do the job you’re there to do. There are
only six days left before you’re back on American soil. Sometime between now
and then, Palmer will meet his contact. We’re coming down to the wire here, and
if we don’t get him now, you know as well as I do that we won’t get another
chance.”

Colin closed his eyes. “She’s an innocent woman.”

“Do what you can to keep her safe, but don’t lose sight of
the big picture, here. She’s one woman. Palmer’s operation could easily affect
thousands of people.”

Colin hung up the phone,
then
spat
out a curse. Claire was expendable, that’s what they were saying. If she got
hurt, then it was a shame, but acceptable as long as Colin brought Garret
Palmer down. He tossed the phone onto the bed as he started pacing the floor.
He couldn’t just sacrifice Claire like that. He wanted Garret Palmer as badly
as anyone else involved in this operation, maybe even more, but he wasn’t going
to trade Claire to get him. He’d just have to come up with a way to keep her
safe until Palmer made his rendezvous with his contact. Then he’d take the
bastard down and make sure Claire never had to worry about him again.

Claire stood at the top of the small rise and stared down
at the postcard view below her. Water cascaded from the top of a cliff,
splashing across several large rocks to finally pour into a large pool that was
so clear she could see straight to the bottom. She turned to smile up at
Garret.

“It’s beautiful.”

He nodded. “I knew you’d like it. I try to come here every
chance I get. It’s one of my favorite places in the world.” He reached out and
took her hand. “Come on.”

He led her down the narrow trail,
then
spread out the blanket he’d brought along on a grassy spot between two rocks at
the edge of the pool. He gave her a wide smile as he slipped the backpack off
his shoulders. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve worked up a real appetite
getting here.”

He’d told her that he’d arranged to bring some food along with
them. Claire assumed he meant sandwiches. When he started unpacking cold
chicken with all the trimmings, including dessert, Claire could only shake her
head in amazement. “When you said we were going on a picnic I must admit I was
expecting something a little less glamorous. You know, ham sandwiches and
potato chips.
Bottled water.
This is practically a
feast!”

She watched as he uncorked the bottle of wine.
“Nothing but the best for you, darling.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d used the endearment, and just
like before, Claire felt a twinge of discomfort. Garret hadn’t pressured her in
any way, but it was evident that he was putting a lot of work into their dates.
The private dinner he’d arranged last night had been nothing short of
spectacular. And now this sumptuous picnic at a location that was inherently
romantic. She couldn’t help feeling like things were somehow progressing
steadily in a direction she’d made very clear she didn’t want to go. She
watched as he poured the wine into a pair of goblets that were at least
plastic. She could almost have expected them to be crystal. He offered her a
glass with a warm smile. She took it, and he held his up in a toast.

“To beautiful places.”
She clinked
her glass with his,
then
dropped her gaze when
something in his eyes made her inexplicably nervous. They ate in silence, and
she eventually convinced herself that she was making something out of nothing.
He still hadn’t pressured her in any way or even suggested that he was wanting
more from her than what she’d agreed to give him. Maybe all the attention was
going to her head so that she was starting to think men couldn’t possibly be
around her without wanting to try to get her into bed. The thought was so
laughable that she couldn’t help chuckling. Garret lifted his eyes to her.

“What’s so funny?”

She shook her head.
“Nothing special.
I was just laughing at myself.”

“And what is it about yourself that you find so amusing?”

“It’s nothing, really. I was just wondering how long it
takes for flattering attention to start going to someone’s head.”

He’d stretched out on his back after finishing his dessert,
but he rolled onto his side and propped his head on his arm as he frowned at
her. “Why would you be thinking something like that?”

“Well, I’ve been an ugly duckling my whole life. Now that
people are suddenly telling me I’m really a swan, I can’t help wondering if
I’ll ever start believing it.”

“In my experience, there’s no point arguing with the truth.
You’re beautiful, and you might as well accept it.”

She could feel a blush creeping into her face. “That’s
easier said than done. I still feel like the homely school teacher no one even
noticed.”

His expression turned intensely serious with a swiftness
that was startling. He rose until he was sitting, which brought him so close to
her that he had no trouble reaching out to touch her face.

“You know, there’s something I think I need to say to you.”
He cupped her face with his hand, letting his fingers barely slip into her hair
while his thumb stroked her cheek. “I’ve learned a lot about myself over the
past few days, and I’ve got to admit that I haven’t liked everything I’ve
learned. I’ve been a self-serving bastard, and I’ve got you to thank for making
me see it.”

She tried to shake her head. “Garret-“

He wouldn’t let her finish. “I just want you to understand
that I appreciate you as you are. I think you’re the most incredible woman I’ve
ever known. You’ve made me re-evaluate my own priorities, and that’s a good
thing, believe me. You make me be honest, even with myself. No one else has
ever done that.”

The way he was stroking her cheek was incredibly
distracting, but she managed to focus her thoughts enough to speak. “Honesty is
important, especially with
yourself
. It’s a cliché,
but being true to
yourself
is the only way to be
content in life. It’s taken me a long time to finally understand that. Don’t
feel bad that you didn’t get it right off, either.”

His lips curved upward as he stared down into her eyes. “I
think I’m going to spend the rest of my life regretting that I didn’t see you
for the treasure you are the moment I met you.”

Before she even realized what he was doing, he leaned
forward and touched his lips to hers. It was a quick caress, lingering only for
a moment. When he pulled away from her, his expression was utterly serious. “I
know you’ve got no reason to trust me, Claire. I’ve certainly proven myself to
be no fan of fidelity. But I’m realizing that I’d be a fool to just walk away
from you, and I’ve never been foolish. I want you.
You the
woman.
I want your intelligence, your gentleness, your passion for your
work. I want to know everything about you and have you
know
everything about me.” His gaze darkened. “And when you’re ready, if you’re ever
ready, I want to love you.” He rushed on when she started to shake her head.

“I’m not trying to pressure you. I know you’re not looking
for a fling. I just want to be completely honest with you.” The corner of his
mouth curved up into a self-mocking grin. “Open honesty with a woman is pretty
much a first for me. I’m sorry if I’ve handled it badly.”

He started to pull away from her, but Claire reached out to
touch his arm.

“Garret?”

He turned face her once more as she smiled. “Thank you.”

She leaned forward and touched her lips to his. He didn’t
move, clearly caught off guard by the act. Then his hand slid around her neck
to cup the back of her head, and he took charge of the kiss. Claire hadn’t
quite expected it, but she didn’t pull away or try to stop him. He’d bared his
soul to her, and the last thing she wanted was to hurt him by rejecting him
when he was vulnerable. So she let him kiss her, and she even kissed him back.
He was very good at it; no doubt he’d had a lot of practice. But though she
felt the pleasure of the kiss on some level, it didn’t leave her craving more.
When he finally let her go she felt no urge to cling to him. He stared down
into her eyes, and she felt nothing more than an appreciation of his obvious
skill and God-given aesthetic attributes. He was handsome and charming and fun
to be around, but he wasn’t ever going to be the love of her life. He wasn’t
even going to be a great passion. She did her best to keep her thoughts from
showing on her face.