Unforgettable (26 page)

“She’d make a wonderful mother,” Nomo commented.

Greg didn’t admit the older man had read his mind.

26

T
he Orchid King closed the door to the special refrigeration vault that had just been installed in the Chinatown warehouse. “Perfect. Houdini himself couldn’t get out of this chamber— or into it.”

“I don’t know why you’re worried about those damn orchids,” his partner said. “Who would want to steal them?”

“You’d be surprised what some collectors will do to get their hands on a rare species like these.”

“How are you going to go into that vault with those orchids giving off poisonous fumes?”

The king pointed to the special switch on the outside
of the refrigerated chamber. “I
have a ventilation switch to keep the air from the outside circulating, so fumes don’t build up. But if we ever need to kill someone, just lock them in here”—he flicked the switch with a grin—“then turn off the ventilator.”

His partner looked ill. Clearly, the man who’d once been as close as his brother was losing his guts—if he’d ever had any. Did he have the balls to make the next move in this game? “How long does it take for someone to die in there?”

The king chuckled, imagining Greg Braxton in the vault with a cache of beautiful, but lethal, orchids. Gasping for every breath.

“You die slowly
…
very slowly. The fumes paralyze your lungs.” The king laughed again. “But while you’re dying, it feels as if your lungs are on fire. Want to know the best part? The authorities won’t know what the hell killed you. It’s a poison so rare that they haven’t developed a test to detect it. The perfect icing.”

“
N
umber 68,” Greg called out to Lucky as they trooped across the sandy beach on Niihau, counting the monk seals.

Lucky checked off the enormous male, who was wearing a green tag. It meant he’d been tagged over a dozen years ago when they’d started. An old dude, Greg thought, as Nomo held the seal’s head while Greg quickly injected him with the testosterone depressant.

“Pono!”
Careful! Nomo yelled as the seal pivoted, showing surprising agility. The animal blasted out a noise that sounded like an elephant roaring.

Greg jumped aside. “We’re outta here!”

Barefoot and wearing the provocative black one-piece suit, Lucky walked beside him. Damn, she was sexy. But she didn’t seem to realize it, too caught up in the experience to pay any attention to the way she looked. From a nearby rock, a redfooted booby whistled and fluttered its black wings, catching her attention.

“Everything here sounds so
…
different,” Lucky commented, and Greg imagined her green eyes were wide beneath her sunglasses. “No city noises at all.”

True, he thought. The dozens of seals made a variety of sounds, from foghorn snorts to snuffling to the high-pitched cries of the young pups cavorting in the surf. The adults were molting, shedding their coats, which made them itchy and grumpy, and thus more noisy than usual.

A counterpoint to their cacophony was the chatter of the terns and frigates patrolling the shore in search of fish. As always, the background music was the rhythmic rush of the surf on the shore. Lucky was right: Civilization was far away, and he wished it would stay there.

Lucky linked her arm through his, clutching the institute’s notebook to her chest with her other arm. “When will we be bringing Abbie here?
”

They waded into the warm water, heading for the dinghy that would take them back to the
Atlantis.
The
Boston Whaler
was anchored inside the reef, bobbing in the waist-deep water.

“When Abbie’s able to catch her own food, we’ll tag her and release her here. The count’s up, but they still desperately need females.”

Greg gave Lucky a boost into the
Whaler.
She smiled, the delighted smile that never failed to captivate him. There was nothing he’d like better than to kiss her right then and there, but Nomo was with them, now heaving his considerable bulk into the dinghy.

They were back at the
Atlantis,
which was anchored beyond the reef, in a matter of minutes, leaving the private island, the haven for monk seals, behind. Nomo volunteered to take the helm while Greg went into the cabin below with Lucky. To check the tallies. Yeah, right.

The last thing on his mind was the seal count. All day he’d resisted the urge to haul Lucky into his arms and make love to her on the sugar-white sand. Be professional, he’d told himself. You have work to do. Now his job was complete, and his body reminded him of what he wanted every time he looked at Lucky.

“I’m going to hop in the shower,” Lucky said, stripping off her suit.

She was across the small cabin and in the stall before he had his trunks off. Freeing his erection, he grunted, then kicked the wet suit aside. The physical tension in his body, his constant
need for this woman would once have disturbed him. Not anymore. He accepted it, welcoming it.

“
We both can’t fit in here,
”
Lucky protested when he opened the shower door.

“Wanna bet?” He slid the door shut behind him.

There was just enough room between their bodies for the water to sluice over them, washing away the salt and gritty sand. In places there wasn’t any room. Lucky’s full breasts pillowed against his chest. His hard sex nudged her thighs.

She’d already rinsed off, her hair was slicked back with beads of water clinging to the curls and to her lashes. One tantalizing drop of moisture clung to the curve of her upper lip. Rivulets of water flowed over her breasts, arrowing down the flat plane of her belly to the dark cluster of curls.

“You’re a mess,” she said, sparks of laughter in her eyes. “I’d better take care of you myself.”

Greg widened his stance to counter the slight sway of the boat while Lucky removed the bottle of biodegradable soap from the shelf. She squirted it over his torso, then ran her hands across his chest, lathering him. The smooth gliding of her fingers sent a shudder through him and his groin throbbed in response. Lucky grinned at him, moving provocatively against his burgeoning erection. Her palm traced the contours of his chest with agonizing slowness.

“Maybe I should do your back
,
” she said with feigned innocence. “It’s probably filthy.”

“Forget it. Just keep going lower. That’s where the problem is.”

“What problem?”

One of her dark eyebrows was tilted upward, teasing him. But her hand kept moving south. She soaped his stomach, her thumb circling his belly button in a way Greg found unexpectedly arousing. His groin muscles contracted as she slowly inched lower, taking her damn sweet time. Torturing him on purpose.

“My stars!
What
is this?” she asked, brushing a soap-slick
fingertip over his penis. “Didn’t we make love last night—and again this morning? I think you need a shot of that testosterone depressant yourself.”

“I wasn’t this ho
rn
y before you came along.”

Lucky threw up her hands, sending soap bubbles into the air. “You’re saying this is my fault.”

“Damn right.”

He grabbed her hand and guided it to his cock, which was hot and achingly hard now. He swallowed, his throat tight. She soaped him, sliding her small hand along the hard shaft, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing. Letting go, she moved lower still, cupping his balls in her soapy palm, lifting them.

“Christ!”

“Is this a religious experience?” she asked.

“Damn right.”

“You’re cursing a lot for someone expecting salvation.”

He grinned, noting the tell tale signs that she was just as aroused as he. The rapid tempo of the pulse, throbbing at the base of her throat. The dilated pupils, reducing those magnificent green irises to a thin orb of color. The way she arched toward him, unconsciously offering herself to him.

Her fingers feathered through the thicket of hair around his cock. He nuzzled her thigh with the hot tip of his erection. She ignored it, playing like some damn kid with the bubbles on his belly.

“Time’s up,” he said, pushing her against the shower wall. “My turn.”

His hand was between her thighs in a second. Her skin was wet from the shower. And slick. She arched into his hand, her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He eased one finger inside her and her muscles tightened around him.

Lucky moaned, then whispered, “Hurry up.”

“You’re not rushing me, angel.”

He kissed her, his tongue mating with hers as his thumb found her most sensitive spot, caressing it. She went up on tiptoe, swaying against him, her nails biting into his shoulders.

A pulsating tide of raw desire shot through him, making every part of his body taut, begging for release. He murmured something about how crazy he was about her, how he couldn’t get enough of her.

Greg guided himself into her, burrowing between the soft folds, trying to be gentle. But it was impossible. Lucky brought out his most primitive instincts. He pushed hard, stretching her until she raked her nails down his back. He cupped her bottom with both hands and brought her upward so she could wrap her legs around his waist. The new position allowed him to plunge a bit deeper, so deep now that she moaned.

“Am I hurting you?”

Her eyes were black now, without a hint of green. “A little
…
but it feels great. Don’t stop.”

He sucked in his breath, striving to pace himself. Instead, his lungs filled with hot, moist air. “Aw, hell. I’m ready to come.”

“Hurry up,” she whispered, and he moved back and forth, feeling her taut inner muscles clench around him. “Harder.”

He thrust into her, pounding his thick shaft into the moist heat of her body. She met each stroke with an upward push. He was out of control now. Hell, they both were. It took all his willpower to last the next few minutes, until he felt the first quavering of orgasm shake her body. Then he let himself go, hammering into her one final time just as a white-hot bolt of bittersweet release shot through him.

He reared backward, so savage was his body’s reaction, hitting his skull against the showerhead. For a second he didn’t move. He stood there, Lucky still in his arms, letting the water flow over his face.

“Darling,” Lucky whispered.

He opened his eyes, realizing she was pulling away. Not wanting this to end, he held on to her for a moment. Then he let his still-turgid cock slip out and quickly rinsed off. He wanted to say something. All he did was act like an animal
around her, rutting at every opportunity. Craving down and
dirty sex.

Back in the cabin, they dressed in silence. What was she thinking? he wondered. She had on shorts and a “Save the Whales” T-shirt, and was reaching for the counter where she’d put Rudy’s tooth, when he stopped her.

“I have a hard time saying what I’m thinking,” he told her. “What goes on between us isn’t just sex—not to me, anyway. I care about you very much.” He gazed into those green eyes and told her the honest truth. “I love you.”

“Do you?” she whispered. “I was hoping yo
u did. I’m so happy with you… with my life.”

Okay, she was happy. Did she love him? “How do you feel about me?”

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she rapidly blinked them away. “I love you. I can’t imagine ever loving anyone else.”

He bear-hugged her, then realized he was holding her too tight and loosened his grip. “I want to share my whole life with you. I want you at my side this winter when the whales return with their calves. I want you with me when we return to count the seals next summer. I want—”

“I want you, too,” she cut him off.

Greg smiled, then grinned even more at her enthusiastic expression. “I’ve been waiting to see what
Missing!
would turn up. It would be easier if we knew your legal name. As it is, you don’t exist. But I’ve been checking on it, and there are things we can do to get you a new name. You’ll need one for the marriage license.”

Her features became even more animated. “I told Dr. Forenski I wanted to be Lucky Braxton. Now I want it more than anything.”

With pulse-pounding certainty, Greg knew he would never love anyone the way he loved Lucky.

* * * * *

I
t was late afternoon when the
Atlantis
returned to the wharf, having left before daybreak. Greg spotted Cody and Sarah standing on the dock. There was no reason why they shouldn’t meet them; they often did things together. But Cody hadn’t mentioned it.

Greg helped Nomo tie up the
Atlantis,
alarm bells ringing inside his head. Lucky waved happily to Sarah and jumped onto the dock. Cody and Sarah walked toward them, their expressions solemn. Greg stood beside Lucky, braced for the worst.

“
The hot line for
Missing!
turned up something,
”
Cody said. Greg glanced at Lucky and watched as the smile was wiped off her face. She anxiously looked at Sarah, then at him. He slipped his arm around her, silently praying.

“Lucky, there isn’t any easy way to tell you this.” Cody sucked in his breath. “Your husband’s here.”

A wild flash of anger ripped through Greg. His worst nightmare had just come true. “Her husband!” he shouted.
“Where the hell has he been?”

Lucky looked shell-shocked. She was staring at her left hand, at her ring finger. “I wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.”

“You’d taken off your wedding ring.” Cody looked directly into Greg’s eyes. “Brad Wagner never reported Lucky missing because he assumed she was having a fling somewhere.”

“He thought she’d come home when she was ready,
”
Sarah added. “The way she had before.”

A fling? Greg didn’t believe it. Then he recalled the night he’d found her. Evidently, she and her husband had problems with their relationship. Lucky was a different woman now. Okay, they could get a divorce. It happened all the time.

“Wagner. Wagner,” Lucky repeated, testing the name. “What’s—”

“Kelly,” Sarah answered. “You’re Kelly Anne Wagner. Isn’t that a beautiful name?”

“
Kelly Wagner.
”
Lucky grinned at him, her green eyes filled
with excitement. She grabbed Greg’s hand and squeezed. “I know my name now! I’m Kelly Anne Wagner.”

Cody and Sarah didn’t look as thrilled as Lucky. Actually, they seemed troubled, and the ray of hope Greg had experienced when thinking about the divorce evaporated.

“Are you sure this Wagner guy is really her husband?”

Cody nodded. “The FBI checked him out. Brad flew in this morning. He’s over at the Four Seasons.”

“Where does he live? I mean, where did I live?”

“You’re from Honolulu,” Sarah said. “You live in the ritzy Kahala area near Diamond Head.”

“Wait a minute! Something’s fishy here,” Greg said. “You checked her prints with the DMV in Honolulu and came up with nothing.”

Cody nodded, his expression grim. “True. Lu—Kelly doesn’t have a driver’s license. She doesn’t need one. She has a full-time chauffeur and limo. The ring she took off is a diamond as big as a doorknob.”

Greg could see that Lucky wasn’t impressed by the money. He knew her well enough now to believe she’d stay with him even if it meant giving up a fairy-tale existence. She’d said she loved him, and she’d meant it. His arm was still around her, he couldn’t resist giving her a little squeeze.

“Why did he wait so long after
Missing!
aired to come for me?”

“He didn’t see the program,” Cody explained. “It seems you have a maid who’s in this country illegally from the Philippines. She saw the show but was afraid to call in. She waited until Brad returned from a business trip and told him.”

“Does he have any idea who tried to kill her?” Greg asked.

Cody shook his head. “Apparently, Kelly had left some time ago. He didn’t know where she went or who she was with.”

The nagging feeling in the back of Greg’s mind refused to go away. “What kind of guy is he besides rich?”

Cody quickly looked at Sarah. “Brad seems like a nice guy. Average height. Sandy hair. Likable.”

Bitter jealousy raged through Greg. Brad Wagner had lived with Lucky. Greg didn’t want anyone else to have touched her. She was his—his alone. It was an irrational feeling, he told himself. She had a past, and there was bound to be a man in it. But he still hated the man.

“Brad’s made a fortune with designer beef,” Sarah added. Brad? Did everyone have to be so damn chummy with this jerk?

“What’s designer beef?” Lucky asked.

“It’s meat from cows who are specially bred so that their bodies have less fat. It’s sold in upscale markets and trendy restaurants,” Sarah informed her.

Lucky nervously moistened her lips, gazing up at him. “You understand, I have to meet this man. He’ll know about my past. He’s probably just here to see that I’m all right.”

Greg expelled a sigh of relief that ruffled the damp hair across his forehead. Lucky saw the situation the way he did. The tightness in his throat eased a bit, and he put his hand on her shoulder. “Of course, you have to talk to him.”

“
I need to explain in person that I want to stay here,
”
Lucky said. “If I left without telling him where I was going, our relationship must have been in trouble. I doubt that he’ll care.
”
She turned to Sarah with a smile. “Greg and I want to get married. I
would like to have a family.”

She loved him and wanted to marry him. Hell, they hadn’t discussed a family yet, but he was ready. More than ready. He loved her; he wanted to start a new life. Now they could wipe the slate clean and begin again.

Sarah and Cody exchanged a look that Greg couldn’t quite decipher. Sarah stepped forward, her expression concerned. “Lucky, you already have a family. Brad brought your daughter, Julie, with him.”