sweet rear until you can't sit down." He took a menacing, gliding step
forward, his hands on his hips, dark brows in a solid line. "Do I make
myself understood?"
"Quite!" she agreed with fine hauteur as she told herself she wasn't
allowing him to intimidate her. She was merely choosing not to lower
herself to his methods. "It's also quite clear that your manners, if indeed
you ever had any, have deteriorated to almost nothing here in the South
Pacific!" Amy spun around on her heel and stalked out of the room.
"I don't need you to tell me I'm out of touch with civilization," he
grunted as she disappeared down the hall. Jase wasn't certain if she heard
him or not.
Two hours later he saw her safely through the front door of the small
grocery store at the end of the wharf and then, after watching rather
wistfully as she moved out of sight down a row of canned goods, Jase
swung around and started back toward The Serpent.
"Rights," he muttered a little violently to himself as he strode along the
dock with his long, economical stride. Didn't she realize she had given him
a whole fistful of rights the night before?
Halfway down the street he paused in front of Fred Cowper's office
window. Whether Amy liked the idea or not, Cowper should be told about
what had happened, Jase decided grimly. Unfortunately there was a very
familiar sign hanging on the door: gone fishing . as usual . Jase sighed,
wondering if the government man would be back by the following day.
He'd check in the morning. Perhaps Cowper would know something about
Dirk Haley.
Striding off once more, he studied the sea's horizon with an implacable
expression, thinking of Amy in his bed. Never had a woman given herself
so completely, engulfed him so totally, as she had last night. God! What an
experience! From the beginning everything about her had aroused not
only his physical hunger but also his long-dormant protective instincts.
And after possessing her so thoroughly last night, he had some rights,
damn it!
If only he could make her love him, give her a child. It was one way of
tying down a woman like Amy. Jase turned away from the docks and
stepped into the comparative shade of The Serpent. Getting Amy pregnant
was a physical impossibility, nothing short of a fantasy. And wouldn't she
be furious if he told her how strong that fantasy was in his head? She sure
as hell didn't think much of male fantasies.
She was safe enough, he thought. In two years of trying, he hadn't been
able to give Sara the child they had both wanted so badly. In the end his
ex-wife had almost hated him, had hated the act of physical surrender
that they both knew to be futile. The divorce had been a blessing for both.
His mouth tightened grimly.
"Somehow," Ray drawled mildly from behind the bar, "I'd thought you'd
be in a better mood today."
"Did you?" Jase retorted in his most repressive voice as he slid onto a
stool. "Goes to show, I suppose, that employees shouldn't try to
second-guess the boss. Let me see last night's receipts."
"Ouch! Does this mean you're no longer open to a little razzing on the
subject of the lady tourist?"
Jase gave the younger man a savage glance. "The subject is closed. It
now comes under the heading of personal business."
Ray grinned irrepressibly. "Call it anything you want. By now most of
the island knows you took her home last night."
Jase's oath was short, violent and resigned. Saint Clair was too small
and he was too well known to keep even the smallest personal activity
totally private. As far as he was concerned, it didn't particularly matter.
He didn't give a damn who knew he'd made Amy his. In fact, underneath
the mild disgust he felt about the casual gossip, there was a certain
satisfaction in knowing that everyone knew she was now off limits. But he
could guess that Amy wouldn't be too pleased if she found out the
relationship was public knowledge.
"Where'd you leave Miss Shannon this morning? Tied
forward, his hands on his hips, dark brows in a solid line. "Do I make
myself understood?"
"Quite!" she agreed with fine hauteur as she told herself she wasn't
allowing him to intimidate her. She was merely choosing not to lower
herself to his methods. "It's also quite clear that your manners, if indeed
you ever had any, have deteriorated to almost nothing here in the South
Pacific!" Amy spun around on her heel and stalked out of the room.
"I don't need you to tell me I'm out of touch with civilization," he
grunted as she disappeared down the hall. Jase wasn't certain if she heard
him or not.
Two hours later he saw her safely through the front door of the small
grocery store at the end of the wharf and then, after watching rather
wistfully as she moved out of sight down a row of canned goods, Jase
swung around and started back toward The Serpent.
"Rights," he muttered a little violently to himself as he strode along the
dock with his long, economical stride. Didn't she realize she had given him
a whole fistful of rights the night before?
Halfway down the street he paused in front of Fred Cowper's office
window. Whether Amy liked the idea or not, Cowper should be told about
what had happened, Jase decided grimly. Unfortunately there was a very
familiar sign hanging on the door: gone fishing . as usual . Jase sighed,
wondering if the government man would be back by the following day.
He'd check in the morning. Perhaps Cowper would know something about
Dirk Haley.
Striding off once more, he studied the sea's horizon with an implacable
expression, thinking of Amy in his bed. Never had a woman given herself
so completely, engulfed him so totally, as she had last night. God! What an
experience! From the beginning everything about her had aroused not
only his physical hunger but also his long-dormant protective instincts.
And after possessing her so thoroughly last night, he had some rights,
damn it!
If only he could make her love him, give her a child. It was one way of
tying down a woman like Amy. Jase turned away from the docks and
stepped into the comparative shade of The Serpent. Getting Amy pregnant
was a physical impossibility, nothing short of a fantasy. And wouldn't she
be furious if he told her how strong that fantasy was in his head? She sure
as hell didn't think much of male fantasies.
She was safe enough, he thought. In two years of trying, he hadn't been
able to give Sara the child they had both wanted so badly. In the end his
ex-wife had almost hated him, had hated the act of physical surrender
that they both knew to be futile. The divorce had been a blessing for both.
His mouth tightened grimly.
"Somehow," Ray drawled mildly from behind the bar, "I'd thought you'd
be in a better mood today."
"Did you?" Jase retorted in his most repressive voice as he slid onto a
stool. "Goes to show, I suppose, that employees shouldn't try to
second-guess the boss. Let me see last night's receipts."
"Ouch! Does this mean you're no longer open to a little razzing on the
subject of the lady tourist?"
Jase gave the younger man a savage glance. "The subject is closed. It
now comes under the heading of personal business."
Ray grinned irrepressibly. "Call it anything you want. By now most of
the island knows you took her home last night."
Jase's oath was short, violent and resigned. Saint Clair was too small
and he was too well known to keep even the smallest personal activity
totally private. As far as he was concerned, it didn't particularly matter.
He didn't give a damn who knew he'd made Amy his. In fact, underneath
the mild disgust he felt about the casual gossip, there was a certain
satisfaction in knowing that everyone knew she was now off limits. But he
could guess that Amy wouldn't be too pleased if she found out the
relationship was public knowledge.
"Where'd you leave Miss Shannon this morning? Tied
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