the topic as they headed back toward the kitchen. It
occurred to her that she knew little or nothing about his daily routine.
"I'll be going down to The Serpent after lunch to check in with Ray and
make sure everything's in order. There's some paperwork to do. You can
come with me."
"No, thanks," she said quickly. "I'll have to spend the night in the place,
waiting for Haley to show up again. I'd just as soon do something else this
afternoon."
"Amy, I don't think you quite understood. I wasn't exactly issuing an
invitation. I don't want you wandering off by yourself today. Neither of us
knows what Haley's up to, and I'm not taking any chances. You'll stay with
me today. I'll try to get through the business at The Serpent as quickly as I
can and then we'll go swimming or something," he added placatingly as
she turned toward him with rebellious eyes.
Amy took a firm grip on her nerve: It took some nerve to stand up to
this man, she realized wryly. "It's you who doesn't understand, Jase," she
said carefully. "I appreciate your interest in my… my problem, but this is
my business and I'll handle it. I don't want to be tied down all day long.
I'm sure there's no real danger to me personally in all this, but I'll be
careful regardless. I thought I'd do some shopping this afternoon while
you're taking care of business."
" Shopping ! On Saint Clair? You're in for a disappointment.
Neiman-Marcus hasn't opened a store here yet. Amy, don't be ridiculous.
Other than a few tourist items down at Harry's store near the wharf, we
don't have any genuine shopping."
"You have a food store, don't you?" she charged gruffly, not meeting his
eyes.
That took him back a bit. "A food store? Well, yes, I guess you could say
we have a grocery shop. What the hell do you want with a food store?" He
was staring at her, clearly perplexed.
"If you must know, I was going to do some shopping for dinner!"
"Dinner! You're going to make dinner?"
"You should watch your exposure to the island sun, Jase. I think it's
affecting your brain. You're repeating every word I say," she told him in a
chilly tone.
"Amy," he asked with exaggerated patience, "why do you want to go
shopping for dinner? We can eat at the cafe. I told you I eat most of my
meals there."
"That's obvious from the condition of this kitchen!" she blazed, her own
patience fizzling completely. "When was the last time you had a decent
meal, Jase Lassiter? A balanced, well-made, home-cooked meal?"
He stared at her. "Home-cooked?"
"Yes, damn it! Cooked at home in a kitchen. Made from scratch. A meal
that has been cooked by other means than a deep-fat fryer?"
"Beats the hell out of me." He eyed her with an unreadable gaze.
"Probably ten or fifteen years."
"That's terrible, Jase!" She was truly appalled and it showed.
He shrugged. "I hate to cook."
"Well, I don't," she declared forcefully. "And I'm tired of that cafe food.
I'm going shopping for dinner and that's final."
Suddenly, devastatingly, he grinned. "You look like an outraged
housewife."
"More like an outraged tourist," she retorted.
"Who am I to alienate the few tourists we do get here on Saint Clair?"
he asked rhetorically. "Okay, if it means so much to you, I'll let you go
grocery shopping this afternoon. You should be safe enough if you stay on
the main street in front of the harbor and don't wander beyond that. Our
sole claim to a grocery store on Saint Clair is located about a block and a
haft from my bar. You can shop while I'm talking to Ray. But you're not to
go any farther."
"Jase, you have no right to give me orders!"
The amusement that had lightened his features for a moment faded
into cold determination. "Lady, you're on my island, staying in my home,
and you just spent the night in my bed. That set of facts gives me all the
right I need. Now, if I hear one more word of argument out of you on the
matter, I will probably do something extremely chauvinistic like paddle
your
occurred to her that she knew little or nothing about his daily routine.
"I'll be going down to The Serpent after lunch to check in with Ray and
make sure everything's in order. There's some paperwork to do. You can
come with me."
"No, thanks," she said quickly. "I'll have to spend the night in the place,
waiting for Haley to show up again. I'd just as soon do something else this
afternoon."
"Amy, I don't think you quite understood. I wasn't exactly issuing an
invitation. I don't want you wandering off by yourself today. Neither of us
knows what Haley's up to, and I'm not taking any chances. You'll stay with
me today. I'll try to get through the business at The Serpent as quickly as I
can and then we'll go swimming or something," he added placatingly as
she turned toward him with rebellious eyes.
Amy took a firm grip on her nerve: It took some nerve to stand up to
this man, she realized wryly. "It's you who doesn't understand, Jase," she
said carefully. "I appreciate your interest in my… my problem, but this is
my business and I'll handle it. I don't want to be tied down all day long.
I'm sure there's no real danger to me personally in all this, but I'll be
careful regardless. I thought I'd do some shopping this afternoon while
you're taking care of business."
" Shopping ! On Saint Clair? You're in for a disappointment.
Neiman-Marcus hasn't opened a store here yet. Amy, don't be ridiculous.
Other than a few tourist items down at Harry's store near the wharf, we
don't have any genuine shopping."
"You have a food store, don't you?" she charged gruffly, not meeting his
eyes.
That took him back a bit. "A food store? Well, yes, I guess you could say
we have a grocery shop. What the hell do you want with a food store?" He
was staring at her, clearly perplexed.
"If you must know, I was going to do some shopping for dinner!"
"Dinner! You're going to make dinner?"
"You should watch your exposure to the island sun, Jase. I think it's
affecting your brain. You're repeating every word I say," she told him in a
chilly tone.
"Amy," he asked with exaggerated patience, "why do you want to go
shopping for dinner? We can eat at the cafe. I told you I eat most of my
meals there."
"That's obvious from the condition of this kitchen!" she blazed, her own
patience fizzling completely. "When was the last time you had a decent
meal, Jase Lassiter? A balanced, well-made, home-cooked meal?"
He stared at her. "Home-cooked?"
"Yes, damn it! Cooked at home in a kitchen. Made from scratch. A meal
that has been cooked by other means than a deep-fat fryer?"
"Beats the hell out of me." He eyed her with an unreadable gaze.
"Probably ten or fifteen years."
"That's terrible, Jase!" She was truly appalled and it showed.
He shrugged. "I hate to cook."
"Well, I don't," she declared forcefully. "And I'm tired of that cafe food.
I'm going shopping for dinner and that's final."
Suddenly, devastatingly, he grinned. "You look like an outraged
housewife."
"More like an outraged tourist," she retorted.
"Who am I to alienate the few tourists we do get here on Saint Clair?"
he asked rhetorically. "Okay, if it means so much to you, I'll let you go
grocery shopping this afternoon. You should be safe enough if you stay on
the main street in front of the harbor and don't wander beyond that. Our
sole claim to a grocery store on Saint Clair is located about a block and a
haft from my bar. You can shop while I'm talking to Ray. But you're not to
go any farther."
"Jase, you have no right to give me orders!"
The amusement that had lightened his features for a moment faded
into cold determination. "Lady, you're on my island, staying in my home,
and you just spent the night in my bed. That set of facts gives me all the
right I need. Now, if I hear one more word of argument out of you on the
matter, I will probably do something extremely chauvinistic like paddle
your
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