Free JAKrentz - The Pirate, The Adventurer, & The Cowboy by User Page B

night. Some guy she was dancing with offered to show her the reefs, but I reminded her we'd already agreed I'd do it."
    Jared looked up. "Who was the guy?"
    "A guest. I think his name was
Taylor or
Tyler or something." David munched papaya, watching Jared out of the corner of his eye. "You know something? I kinda like Ms Inskip, Dad. She looked real pretty last night, didn't she?"
    Like a lady out of a dream . "Yeah," Jared said. "She looked pretty last night." And the dream lady had turned into a sensuous creature of heat and shadow when he'd taken her into his arms. But instead of waiting for him after the last dance, she had vanished, the way a dream vanishes in the night. "When are you going to give her the snorkeling lesson?"
    "This morning. Right after she shows me some of her self-defense tricks." David finished his papaya and jumped to his feet. He rubbed Jolly's head as he headed toward the veranda. The bird endured the caress with regal condescension. "Gotta go. I'm supposed to meet Ms Inskip in a few minutes."
    "Wait a second. You didn't finish your toast."
    "I'll take it with me." David snatched up the slice of toast and loped out of the kitchen, out across the veranda and down onto the path that led to the cove.
    Jared was left alone with Jolly. The bird eyed him assessingly for a moment and then climbed slowly down from the cage, jumped to the back of David's chair and hopped onto the table to investigate the remains of the papaya.
    "What the hell do you think you're doing, you old pirate? You know you're not supposed to be on the table. Get away from that plate or I'll sell a few of your tail feathers as souvenirs to the tourists."
    "Wanna bet?" Jolly picked up the papaya in one claw and began to nibble delicately.
    "It's always nice to know who's the boss around here." Jared got to his feet and started clearing the table. "Why do you think she ducked out after the masquerade ended last night? I was sure she'd be waiting for me. After the way she responded under that tree, what the hell else was I supposed to think? She wanted me every bit as much as I wanted her, and I know it. I think. Who can figure women? Especially a lady commando with two whole weeks of self-defense training under her belt. Maybe she just got off on proving she could turn me on. I'll tell you one thing, pal. If that's the case, I'm going to put a stop to her game real quick."
    "Wanna bet?"
    Half an hour later, Jared stood in the open expanse that was one wall of his office and gazed down at the glistening white sands of the cove. From here he could see a smattering of early risers, some with scuba and snorkel gear and some dressed for strolling. At the far end of the beach he saw the two people he was looking for. David was standing on one foot, lashing out toward an invisible target with the other. Kate, dressed in a green maillot, was standing nearby, coaching the boy.
    Jared didn't bother to take his gaze off the pair when someone knocked on the office door. "Come in."
    The door swung open. "Morning, Jared," the colonel said as he walked into the room. "A fine day, isn't it?"
    "Yeah." Jared frowned as he watched Kate demonstrate another quick, striking kick. "But then it always is, isn't it? Come here and watch this, Colonel."
    The colonel walked over to stand beside Jared. He peered down into the cove. "Ah. The redoubtable Ms Inskip, I presume?"
    "Who else? She's teaching Dave some mishmash of judo and karate."
    "The sort of thing she used on Sharp Arnie?"
    "Right."
    "Nice technique," the colonel observed.
    "Too stiff. She needs to loosen up, be more flexible."
    "Are we talking about her self-defense skills or something else?"
    "Forget it." Jared watched in silence for a few more seconds. "I wonder how she is at baking cookies? Five will get you ten she can't even boil water."
    "David doesn't seem concerned with Ms Inskip's possible lack of culinary talents. He appears to be enjoying himself immensely."
    Jared narrowed his eyes. "He