“I’ll probably be working all night.” She paused meaningfully. “You understand?”
“Perfectly.”
“You make it all right with him any way you have to.”
“Are you suggesting I sleep with him to soothe his feelings?”
“Why not? Sex isn’t important and it seems to make men feel better.” She frowned. “And this time my being around made Jed feel awkward. It’s pretty weird since he’s never been shy about sexbefore. I remember in Mexico we shared a house with a prostitute and they went at it like—”
“I don’t believe Jed would want you to discuss this with me,” Ysabel said quickly.
“Maybe not.” She shook her head. “Like I said, he’s weird about you.”
“Weirder than you know,” Ysabel muttered as she headed for the door.
“You’ll fix it?” Ronnie demanded.
“Will you please stop nagging me about—” She stopped as she realized there was genuine concern as well as belligerence in Ronnie’s expression. Perhaps she should have been annoyed with her, but she suddenly realized why she had been willing to let Ronnie bulldoze her. Since the moment she had hurt Jed, she had been miserable about it and desperately wanted to make things right between them. She smiled gently. “Ronnie, don’t worry. I’ll fix it.”
He stood at the rail, his legs astride, staring out into the darkness, appearing about as approachable as an iceberg.
She hesitated and then crossed the deck to stand beside him. “I know you don’t like me to say I’m sorry but, if I don’t, Ronnie may throw me overboard.”
He didn’t answer.
“At least growl at me so I’ll know I’m not completely beyond the pale.”
“I don’t growl. Animals growl.”
“I’d say you do a fairly good imitation.” She put her hand on his arm and felt the muscles hardenbeneath her touch. “Ronnie says I have to make things right with you.”
“Charming. Im not sure whether this apology is coming from you or Ronnie.”
“It’s coming from me. What can I do to show you how sorry I am?”
“What did Ronnie suggest?” he asked caustically.
She smiled. “Sex.”
He made a low exclamation and turned to face her, his blue eyes glittering silver in the moonlight. “I don’t find that amusing.”
“I did. She seems to think sex is like an aspirin or a Band-Aid.”
“I could have used that particular Band-Aid in the last few days. Lying in that bunk beside you, I felt as if I were bleeding to death.”
Her smile disappeared. “Really? I would never have guessed it.”
“Because I made you a promise.” He added through his teeth, “Take your hand away.”
She spoke quickly, not looking at him. “You should have told me. I thought you were over it. It’s all right, you know. We made an agreement. If you want—”
“To jump your bones?” he finished harshly. He took her hand off his arm and put it on the rail. “No, thank you. It’s not enough anymore.”
She inhaled sharply, trying to smother a leap of hope at his words. “It’s not?”
“You know it’s not. I
told
you I didn’t want to get to know you. I knew it would get in the way.”
Hope died almost at the instance of birth. “Youmean it gets in the way of your conception of the Winter Bride,” she said dully.
“Stop putting words in my mouth.”
“That must be what you mean.”
“I don’t know what I meant. I haven’t been able to think straight since I met you.” He glared down at her. “And it’s not going to get any better if I let you lull me off to carnal bliss every time I run into one of these walls you throw up against me.”
“What do you want? What would make it better?”
“Answers.”
“I can’t talk about San Miguel,” she whispered. “I don’t have the right.”
“Half a loaf is better than zilch. Talk about Winter Island.”
“I’d rather not, if you don’t mind,” she said stiltedly.
“I do mind.”
“Why? It’s all in the past now.”
“Because I need to know you.”
“I
“Perfectly.”
“You make it all right with him any way you have to.”
“Are you suggesting I sleep with him to soothe his feelings?”
“Why not? Sex isn’t important and it seems to make men feel better.” She frowned. “And this time my being around made Jed feel awkward. It’s pretty weird since he’s never been shy about sexbefore. I remember in Mexico we shared a house with a prostitute and they went at it like—”
“I don’t believe Jed would want you to discuss this with me,” Ysabel said quickly.
“Maybe not.” She shook her head. “Like I said, he’s weird about you.”
“Weirder than you know,” Ysabel muttered as she headed for the door.
“You’ll fix it?” Ronnie demanded.
“Will you please stop nagging me about—” She stopped as she realized there was genuine concern as well as belligerence in Ronnie’s expression. Perhaps she should have been annoyed with her, but she suddenly realized why she had been willing to let Ronnie bulldoze her. Since the moment she had hurt Jed, she had been miserable about it and desperately wanted to make things right between them. She smiled gently. “Ronnie, don’t worry. I’ll fix it.”
He stood at the rail, his legs astride, staring out into the darkness, appearing about as approachable as an iceberg.
She hesitated and then crossed the deck to stand beside him. “I know you don’t like me to say I’m sorry but, if I don’t, Ronnie may throw me overboard.”
He didn’t answer.
“At least growl at me so I’ll know I’m not completely beyond the pale.”
“I don’t growl. Animals growl.”
“I’d say you do a fairly good imitation.” She put her hand on his arm and felt the muscles hardenbeneath her touch. “Ronnie says I have to make things right with you.”
“Charming. Im not sure whether this apology is coming from you or Ronnie.”
“It’s coming from me. What can I do to show you how sorry I am?”
“What did Ronnie suggest?” he asked caustically.
She smiled. “Sex.”
He made a low exclamation and turned to face her, his blue eyes glittering silver in the moonlight. “I don’t find that amusing.”
“I did. She seems to think sex is like an aspirin or a Band-Aid.”
“I could have used that particular Band-Aid in the last few days. Lying in that bunk beside you, I felt as if I were bleeding to death.”
Her smile disappeared. “Really? I would never have guessed it.”
“Because I made you a promise.” He added through his teeth, “Take your hand away.”
She spoke quickly, not looking at him. “You should have told me. I thought you were over it. It’s all right, you know. We made an agreement. If you want—”
“To jump your bones?” he finished harshly. He took her hand off his arm and put it on the rail. “No, thank you. It’s not enough anymore.”
She inhaled sharply, trying to smother a leap of hope at his words. “It’s not?”
“You know it’s not. I
told
you I didn’t want to get to know you. I knew it would get in the way.”
Hope died almost at the instance of birth. “Youmean it gets in the way of your conception of the Winter Bride,” she said dully.
“Stop putting words in my mouth.”
“That must be what you mean.”
“I don’t know what I meant. I haven’t been able to think straight since I met you.” He glared down at her. “And it’s not going to get any better if I let you lull me off to carnal bliss every time I run into one of these walls you throw up against me.”
“What do you want? What would make it better?”
“Answers.”
“I can’t talk about San Miguel,” she whispered. “I don’t have the right.”
“Half a loaf is better than zilch. Talk about Winter Island.”
“I’d rather not, if you don’t mind,” she said stiltedly.
“I do mind.”
“Why? It’s all in the past now.”
“Because I need to know you.”
“I
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