threading his way among the crates of liquor. In his hand, the whip itched to be swung.
“Here, kitty, kitty,” he said again.
Buckley laughed and licked his lips. He loved nothing more than the chase. And when you lived on a ship in the ocean, there were only so many places the prey could hide.
Chapter Sixteen
It was more than sex, Evan told himself as he walked down the beach. He stifled a yawn; tonight he’d tucked Sarah in bed before he took his walk, so it was already past 10:30. She had an early morning meeting and had wanted to turn in by ten. He had toyed with the idea of not walking the beach tonight but…he couldn’t stay in his family room. On the couch trying to watch the ten o’clock news, he’d just kept fidgeting.
Evan couldn’t say he loved her; he’d hardly spoken to her, despite the intense animal sex they’d had on the beach twice. Yet, when he thought of Ligeia, Evan’s whole body warmed. He needed to be with her, with every cell in his body. After arguing with himself for fifteen minutes, he finally shut off the TV, slipped on his sandals and slipped out the sliding glass doors off the kitchen.
The surf was gentle and quiet tonight, and Evan didn’t dally on his way to the point; he walked fast and with purpose; no stone skipping.
When he reached the place where he’d awoken naked at three A.M. just a couple nights before, he stopped and looked out at the dark horizon. Water stretched as far as the eye could see, merging into the black of the nighttime sky. The point blotted out the stars to his left like a hole in the world.
“Ligeia?” Evan said softly. His voice barely seemed tocarry past his lips. He hoped that she would come tonight. Last night, after Bill’s dive, he had not walked down here. While he told himself that Bill’s was a fool’s errand, and Ligeia was just some exotic singer living down off the beach somewhere nearby, he had to admit that he was starting to be sucked into Bill’s irrational explanation for the power of her music. And her affinity for water. Did he really believe that the woman he came here to meet lived at the bottom of the ocean?
Evan laughed at his own internal question. Uh, no . But then why had he been worried that Bill’s dive near the point would somehow make her angry at him?
“Ligeia?” he called again, a little louder.
Of course, he thought to himself, if he didn’t believe there was something more than human about her, why did he just assume she would show up whenever he decided to walk the beach? As if she were some kind of genie he could invoke by his mere presence?
He frowned, suddenly fearful that maybe she wouldn’t be here tonight. After all, it was later than the past couple times he’d found her, and he hadn’t come at all last night. Bill had come to their house for dinner, and then the three of them had gone down to O’Flaherty’s for a couple hours. They had taken over the lone ratty pool table in the back of the bar and played the night away, laughing and enjoying the company in a way they rarely did anymore. Sarah hadn’t gotten drunk either—her eyes still sparkled with humor, not liquor, on the walk home. For once, she had been the one to have to wake Evan in the morning; he’d been groggy half the day.
“I missed you,” a voice whispered in his ear.
Evan jumped. Ligeia was there, right next to him. Her voice had nearly sent him out of his skin, but when he looked at her, he felt instantly calm again. And aroused.She stood naked in the night, arms at her side without shame. Her long dark hair fell in wet ringlets across her shoulders, but didn’t cover the swell of her breasts. Her belly glistened with moisture; the curves of her waist and hips were preternatural. She was a muse incarnate, a modern Venus.
“We’re going to have to take you shopping for a new outfit.” He grinned.
Ligeia smiled and leaned in to kiss him. “Do you really want to cover me?” she said, biting his ear. “I think
“Here, kitty, kitty,” he said again.
Buckley laughed and licked his lips. He loved nothing more than the chase. And when you lived on a ship in the ocean, there were only so many places the prey could hide.
Chapter Sixteen
It was more than sex, Evan told himself as he walked down the beach. He stifled a yawn; tonight he’d tucked Sarah in bed before he took his walk, so it was already past 10:30. She had an early morning meeting and had wanted to turn in by ten. He had toyed with the idea of not walking the beach tonight but…he couldn’t stay in his family room. On the couch trying to watch the ten o’clock news, he’d just kept fidgeting.
Evan couldn’t say he loved her; he’d hardly spoken to her, despite the intense animal sex they’d had on the beach twice. Yet, when he thought of Ligeia, Evan’s whole body warmed. He needed to be with her, with every cell in his body. After arguing with himself for fifteen minutes, he finally shut off the TV, slipped on his sandals and slipped out the sliding glass doors off the kitchen.
The surf was gentle and quiet tonight, and Evan didn’t dally on his way to the point; he walked fast and with purpose; no stone skipping.
When he reached the place where he’d awoken naked at three A.M. just a couple nights before, he stopped and looked out at the dark horizon. Water stretched as far as the eye could see, merging into the black of the nighttime sky. The point blotted out the stars to his left like a hole in the world.
“Ligeia?” Evan said softly. His voice barely seemed tocarry past his lips. He hoped that she would come tonight. Last night, after Bill’s dive, he had not walked down here. While he told himself that Bill’s was a fool’s errand, and Ligeia was just some exotic singer living down off the beach somewhere nearby, he had to admit that he was starting to be sucked into Bill’s irrational explanation for the power of her music. And her affinity for water. Did he really believe that the woman he came here to meet lived at the bottom of the ocean?
Evan laughed at his own internal question. Uh, no . But then why had he been worried that Bill’s dive near the point would somehow make her angry at him?
“Ligeia?” he called again, a little louder.
Of course, he thought to himself, if he didn’t believe there was something more than human about her, why did he just assume she would show up whenever he decided to walk the beach? As if she were some kind of genie he could invoke by his mere presence?
He frowned, suddenly fearful that maybe she wouldn’t be here tonight. After all, it was later than the past couple times he’d found her, and he hadn’t come at all last night. Bill had come to their house for dinner, and then the three of them had gone down to O’Flaherty’s for a couple hours. They had taken over the lone ratty pool table in the back of the bar and played the night away, laughing and enjoying the company in a way they rarely did anymore. Sarah hadn’t gotten drunk either—her eyes still sparkled with humor, not liquor, on the walk home. For once, she had been the one to have to wake Evan in the morning; he’d been groggy half the day.
“I missed you,” a voice whispered in his ear.
Evan jumped. Ligeia was there, right next to him. Her voice had nearly sent him out of his skin, but when he looked at her, he felt instantly calm again. And aroused.She stood naked in the night, arms at her side without shame. Her long dark hair fell in wet ringlets across her shoulders, but didn’t cover the swell of her breasts. Her belly glistened with moisture; the curves of her waist and hips were preternatural. She was a muse incarnate, a modern Venus.
“We’re going to have to take you shopping for a new outfit.” He grinned.
Ligeia smiled and leaned in to kiss him. “Do you really want to cover me?” she said, biting his ear. “I think
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