Legend of the Sorcerer (16 page)

She walked back to the bed and flipped open her suitcase. She’d spent last night tossing and turning over her decision to come here. Alfred had made it no secret that he was delighted. But she hadn’t seen Cai again since she’d abruptly left his office yesterday. When tea was finished, Dilys informed them he’d taken one of the boats over to Mangrove. Jordy managed to slip away long enough to search his office. The wooden box and statue were nowhere to be found. She could only hope he’d gone to Mangrove to deliver the statue.

They needed to find some trace of evidence that would provide a lead to the identity of the abused woman, although she wasn’t optimistic. Margaron seemed far too crafty to make such an easy mistake.

Crafty. She shuddered. Twisted, was more like it. She’d had nightmares about the woman in the pictures, which had only been compounded by this new evidence. In contrast, her worries about moving temporarily to Crystal Key had seemed trivial.

But she couldn’t leave now. She had to see this through. Both the investigation, and this new turn in her relationship with Cai.

She wished she’d had the chance to see Cai one more time before leaving the island. That kiss in the garden seemed like a million years ago. She shuddered in remembered pleasure. The way he’d felt beneath her hands, all hard, sinewy muscle. And when he’d pulled her against him … She swallowed hard and wet her suddenly dry lips.

She’d hoped to spend time alone with Cai on the trip back to Mangrove, but Dilys had been the one to take her back last night. She’d arranged for Dobs to ferry her and her belongings over to Crystal Key this morning.

Jordy had liked Dobs the first time she’d met him. If for no other reason than he was the only human being with balls big enough to hassle Dilys. Jordy hadn’t thought the woman could turn so many shades of red. She also hadn’t missed the twinkle in the old man’s eyes. Dilys had harrumphed all the way back to the docks. Despite the day’s events, Jordy had enjoyed their interplay.

Investigation or not, there was no denying the fact that she was growing attached to this eccentric family. And now that she was here, it was impossible to regret her decision. Her call to Mrs. Isaak this morning had cemented it. Her landlady was going to arrange to sublet the apartment to an elderly friend of hers who was in town helping out a niece with a new baby. Mrs. Isaak said she figured six weeks would be what she’d want.

Six weeks.

Her mail was being forwarded. She had her car at Dobs’, enough clothes, and Fred. Everything seemed perfect. Except there had still been no sign of Cai.

There was a heavy knock on the door. She jumped up, smoothing her hair off her face. “Come in.”

She tried not to look crestfallen when Dilys bumped into the room carrying her ubiquitous silver tray.

“I didn’t think ye’d enjoy lunchin’ alone downstairs. So I brought this up for ye.”

“Thank you.” Jordy moved to take the heavy tray, but Dilys was already setting it down. “Where is everyone?”

“Himself is napping. Master Malacai is in his office. I don’t expect we’ll see them until supper.”

He was here. And he hadn’t said so much as hello. She smiled through her disappointment. “This looks wonderful. You didn’t have to go to the trouble, I could have fixed myself something.”

Dilys’ implacable expression turned fierce. “I’ll tend to the meals. You’ve only to ask.”

“I meant no insult.” Dilys’ expression relaxed a tad. “Can I bring the tray down for you?”

Dilys nodded tersely. “Yer to go to the cottage when you’ve a mind to and make a list of the supplies you’ll be needin’. Bring it to me when you’re finished.”

“I’ve already explained to Alfred that I’m purchasing my own supplies. He’s done so much already. You all have.”

“Either you make the list or himself will be doin’ the orderin’. I figured you’d rather be the one.”

Jordy knew it was time to put her foot down. She’d already had an argument with Alfred over paying rent on the cottage and something toward her room and board. He’d turned a deaf ear. She doubted Dilys would be any easier of a sell.

“I’m having my own tools sent down. I’ve already placed an order for the rest of the supplies I’ll need. The clay is ordered as well.” Which was only a little fib. She had the lists made and the numbers to call, but she hadn’t placed the order yet. “I will need help when it comes in, getting it over here. I can talk to Dobs about that, I’m sure he won’t mind.”

The mention of Dobs had the calculated effect on Dilys that Jordy expected. Dilys puffed up like a blowfish. “We’ll no’ be needin’ that scoundrel’s help. When word comes, you see me.”

The door clicked shut and Jordy sat back down on the bed. Her mouth twitched. It was an eccentric family she’d inherited all right. But, for now, they were hers. They wanted her and, for better or worse, she wanted them back.

Cai picked up the copy he’d made of the glass-framed flesh before turning it over to Kuhn. He had offered to help determine the meaning of the tattoo, but after Kuhn had ascertained it hadn’t come from one of his books, he’d coolly dismissed Cai’s offer. Officious son of a bitch.

Cai hadn’t told him about the Union Parcel deliveryman. If Kuhn thought someone was spying on them, he’d have men all over Crystal Key. Cai wouldn’t risk that. Not yet. Besides, he wanted Kuhn in Miami.

And he couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that he was the one who’d eventually have to deal with Margaron.

He’d run the jet boat all through the mangroves last night and again at daybreak this morning. No sign of the boat, or the delivery kid. Hopefully, he was nothing more than an errand boy.

Cai clicked to another website on his computer. He’d been searching all morning for information on the Celtic sign and had come up with precisely nothing. Nothing even close. He’d sketched the tattoo as best he could then scanned and e-mailed it to one of the university researchers he occasionally used. Eric was a genius at finding the most arcane information. And he didn’t ask questions. Cai had checked his mail every fifteen minutes, but so far nothing.

He stood and stretched, then picked up the copy once again. The whole thing was so grisly. He stared at the
ragged edges of the piece of flesh. This hadn’t been done gently.

There was a light knock on the door, then it cracked open. Jordy’s face appeared. “I’m sorry to butt in to your work time. I need to talk to you.”

“Come on in.”

She entered the room, his domain. All day he’d found his mind straying to her, to how natural it seemed to have her involved in his life. It was perhaps the worst time to be starting something like this. That indecision had kept him from calling her last night, or greeting her at the docks this morning. But now that she was here, he knew he wasn’t going to walk away from it.

“Are you all settled in?”

“Mostly, yes.” She sat, then stood again, pacing the length of the narrow room. She stopped in the center of the wall-length window. “You have the same view as I do, only a bit lower to the ground. I didn’t notice yesterday.”

“You came to discuss the view?”

She turned. “No. I came to thank you.”

“You’re welcome. For what?”

She lifted her hands. “Everything.”

“You should thank Alfred. This was his brainchild.”

“You’ve changed your mind then.” She swore under her breath. “You should have said something. I changed my mind about a thousand times last night. I knew you were worried about Alfred finding out about the statue and used me as the distraction. When I didn’t hear from you, I wondered, but I came anyway. You know, a phone call would have saved me—”

“Did you decide to come here because of me?”

“No,” she said after a moment. “No, I came here because of me. Despite everything else, I need this. And Alfred seems to need me.”

“I agree. And so you’re here. What has this got to do
with me?” It was selfish, he knew, but he wanted to hear her say she needed him, too.

She sat. “If you’ve changed your mind about … us, I’d rather know right now.”

Cai crossed the room and tugged her to a stand. “I thought I made it clear in the garden exactly what I wanted.”

“I thought so, too. So why are you avoiding me? If I’m being self-absorbed here, tell me. I know you have a lot on your mind. Did you deliver the statue?”

“Yes. Kuhn wasn’t thrilled with our interference.”

“Okay, maybe your absence had nothing to do with me.”

“I won’t lie to you, Jordy. The statue complicated things. I wondered if maybe this wasn’t the best time to explore whatever it is we seem to feel when we’re around each other.” Her magnificent green eyes dimmed. “Maybe there never is a good time for something like this.”

“Like this?”

“Yeah. You remember. This.” He dipped his head, half expecting her to pull away. It was nothing less than he deserved for yanking her emotions around like he had been. But his own emotions had been none too steady either. He captured her mouth with his, and all the confusion and frustration he’d been tangling with these last forty-eight hours seemed to come down to one tiny decision.

Continue this or regret it for the rest of his life.

She opened her mouth under his. He felt her hands touch his shoulders, tentatively at first, then more surely when he pressed deeply into her mouth. He spread his legs and she moved between them and up against him so naturally that his knees threatened to buckle. “Jordy—”

“Shh,” she said against his lips. “No more interruptions. I want to kiss you until I’m finished.”

But there seemed to be no end to the kiss. The need only
grew the longer he tasted her. His hands started at her shoulders, then traced lightly down her back. He wanted more. He wanted to turn and lay her across his desk. Rip the shirt from her body, see her, touch her, taste her. Take her.

And she was here now, under his roof, within his reach. Twenty-four hours a day. Day in, day out. He’d experienced passion. But he’d never, not once, known what it was to be so close to losing total control. To want to lose control.

Her hands were all over him. In his hair, on his chest, running down his thighs. How in the hell was he supposed to hold back when she was doing to him what he so very badly wanted to do to her?

He wrenched his head up, sucking in air. She pulled back too, a somewhat dazed look on her own face.

But they left their hands on each other.

“Wow,” Jordy said, breathless.

“Exactly,” he said. They continued to stare at each other, and then Cai chuckled.

She smiled, then laughed. “What’s so funny?”

“I make my living with words. And
wow
is the only one I can think of right now.”

“Wow’s not so bad. I can live with wow.”

Cai wanted nothing more than to keep her in his arms, laugh with her, kiss her again. How easy it would be to love her, he thought. He knew he was on dangerous ground when the panic that usually accompanied such a thought didn’t come.

“I can live with it,” he said. “Trouble is, can we work with it, too?” He slid his hands to her hips and tugged her up against him. “You feel how badly I want you? I have an idea it’s going to be like that all the time.”

“All the time,” she echoed. Her eyes darkened and he wanted to drown himself there.

“You’re here to work. I can’t ignore mine either.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Can’t ignore work.” But she was staring at him with naked hunger. It was so pure, so honest, it made him want to get on his knees and beg her to take him, take him now.

“Ah, hell, how long can wow last anyway?” he murmured. He pulled her mouth to his and lost himself all over again.

C
ai slid his lips to her ear, pulling the lobe in, groaning when she moaned against his throat. Her shirt was a thin knit thing, turquoise blue, with a dozen tiny buttons down the front. He started to undo them, letting his fingers slip between and caress her skin. She wasn’t wearing a bra and by the time he finally slid the last button free, he was crazy with the need to taste her.

But first he had to look. “It’s beautiful you are, my Jordalyn,” he said, his Welsh accent a fine imitation.

Her fingers, already deep in his hair, clutched tightly at his head. “Please, Cai. Look later.”

A short laugh burst out, but he didn’t need any urging. She was small, but perfect, and filled his mouth so sweetly he could have died in that moment and been a happy man.

She held him fiercely to her, bending her own head so she could kiss his hair. “Let me, let me.” She pushed at him until he was forced to release her. She nudged his head up and captured his mouth again while her fingers busied themselves with his shirt.

At the first touch of her cool hand on the warm skin of his chest, he thought he’d come. It was that exquisite. “Don’t ever stop touching me.” He was begging. He didn’t care.

“I want to sculpt you,” she said, her lips pressed against his heart. She smoothed her cheek along his chest, leaving a trail of soft hot kisses. “I don’t think I could capture what I feel, what I taste, this …” She trailed off when he took her mouth again.

He moved his hand to the waistband of her shorts and she fought to get to his at the same time.