Free Silver Linings by Jayne Ann Krentz

course. Exercise was very good for stress.
    Mattie swam almost to the entrance where Hugh was still sitting with his back to her, turned around, and swam back. It felt so invigorating, she did several more laps.
    And then something lightly brushed her leg under the surface.
    “Hugh!” Mattie's scream bounced off the cavern ceiling.
    Hugh uncoiled from the ledge and was at the edge of the pool nearest her before Mattie, splashing furiously, reached the side. He bent down, holding out his large, strong hands, and Mattie instinctively reached up to grasp his fingers. He lifted her straight up and out of the water in one swift, easy motion. She came out of the sea with a whoosh, naked, wet, and glistening.
    “Something…something in the water.” Shivering, Mattie pushed her dripping hair out of her face and stared wildly at the evil-looking pool. “I felt it. It touched my leg.”
    “Probably just a bit of seaweed. Or maybe a school of little fish.”
    “It could have been a shark or something. Damn, I hate swimming in places where you can't see the bottom.” Mattie trembled again and hugged herself. Belatedly she realized she was standing stark naked on the rock. Her head came up abruptly and she realized Hugh was staring down at her with open admiration. There was a sexy glint in his eye.
    “I doubt if it was a shark, babe,” he said gently. “Don't get nightmares over it. Up there at the front of the cave the sunlight is bright enough to show the bottom of the pool. I'd have seen something as big as a shark swimming around down there.”
    “Turn around,” she ordered through her teeth.
    “Why? The damage is done. Besides, I was going to peek anyway. I was just waiting until you climbed out.”
    “You,” Mattie announced as she stalked quickly over to where she had put the linen dish towel, “are a low-down, sneaky, lying, two-faced, yellow-bellied snake.”
    “I know,” Hugh said sadly. “But I mean well. Most of the time.”
    “Where did Aunt Charlotte find you, anyway?” Mattie yanked on her trousers and shirt as quickly as possible, aware that he was watching every move with a regretful, hungry look.
    “Under a rock.”
    She frowned at the casual way he said that. She looked back over her shoulder. “What on earth do you mean by that?”
    Hugh shrugged. “Where else would you find a low-down, sneaky, lying, two-faced, yellow-bellied snake?”
    “Good question.” She was not going to apologize. She glared at him as she finally finished dressing. “Thank you for pulling me out of the water so quickly.”
    He grinned. “That's one of the things I like about you, babe. You always remember your manners, no matter how pissed off you are. And for the record, you look even better naked now than you did a year ago. Stronger in the shoulders and a nice tight, high little ass. Not that it wasn't real cute a year ago, mind you. But it's definitely firmer now. You must be working out or something, huh?”
    “Go to hell, Hugh.”
    He waved a hand to include the entire island of Purgatory. “Haven't you noticed, babe? We're already there. You and me together.”
     
    It was still a couple hours before dawn when Hugh materialized in the cavern. Mattie, who had been waiting anxiously for his return from the scouting foray, tried to read his expression in the backglow of the flashlight. He looked cold and savage, she thought uneasily. Back to normal. All the sexy, teasing humor that had lit his eyes earlier the day before was long gone. Hugh Abbott was working now.
    Aunt Charlotte had once said that no one worked quite like Hugh Abbott.
    “Did you find a boat?” Mattie asked.
    “I found one.” He crouched beside the string bags, checking to see that they were securely packed. “Good, sturdy, fast-looking cruiser. Full tanks. She'll get us out of here, but we're only going to get one crack at her.” He glanced up. “You understand what I'm saying? You do exactly what I tell you and you don't make a