Undertow (8 page)
He pointed out a forty-pound cannon and two twenty-pounders. Teal didn·t look too excited by the conglomerate-covered cannon. It was impossible to identify them, disguised as they were by the hard material formed by centuries of chemical reaction with the metal.
But he·d save that revelation for when they came back.
He indicated they go al the way around the wreck, and she immediately swam by his side.
The chirps and swishing sounds of fish mingled with the sound of their aerators into a kind of white noise, heightening Zane·s sense of sight. The colors of the fish and coral were intensified underwater. He never tired of it. He touched Teal·s arm to indicate the slow passage of a parrot fish as big as his hand, with a bright blue tail and matching side streaks as it glided by.
He pointed down and took her to see more of the cubed items once held by crates. His hands itched to see what those boxes contained. He estimated what he·d need to bring down with him next time so that he could retrieve them intact if possible.
The contents could be anything. Emeralds? Artifacts? Gold? Silver. Not hing?
The anticipation alone was sweet.
God. He wanted to start
today
. Now. This very second. He glanced at his digital air gauge.
The tanks weren·t even down by half yet, but if the
Decrepit
stayed at anchor here much longer there might be a feeding frenzy. Other salvage operators would be down here scooping up his find, his treasure. He wanted to blur the trail a little, lead his many fol owers on a little chase. Play a little bait and switch game to amuse himself while he was at it.
Reluctantly he pointed up.
* * *
Calm seas, good friends, and the intoxicating anticipation of a successful dive. The good life.
His magic cloak was fitting just fine, thank you very much. He inhaled deeply and felt an intense contentment permeate his entire body. Life was fucking
superb
.
He heard a soft intake of breath and turned his head to see Teal standing in the doorway of the salon. Óh, I didn·t see you there«µ she trailed off, half inside and half out.
Ćome and join me,µ he told her softly. Ńights like this are so perfect they just beg to be shared.µ
Stunningly, he couldn·t think of anyone else he·d rather be sharing it with right then.
She hesitated, then padded over to join him at the rail. She stared out at the twinkle of the stars dancing on the dark water and let out a little breath. ´Beautiful.µ
She
was beautiful. Zane·s heartbeat stuttered as he took in the curve of her cheek, a nd the dark fringe of her lashes as she looked at blackness beyond the deck where they stood. She was a good six feet away, but he smel ed the fresh scent of soap on her skin, a combo of floral and musk that made him think of hot nights and cool sheets.
She wore a pink tank top that showed the tantalizing slope of her breasts, and plaid shorts that accentuated her long pale legs. Ready for bed. He bet she hadn·t expected to see him when she stepped outside.
Zane leaned over to rest his forearms on the rail and turned his head away from what he wanted to reach for. He was shocked at how aware of her he was as she stood there in his peripheral vision. Teal was blissful y unaware that the sight of her unfettered breasts, the length of her sexy legs, was givin g him an erection that she could hardly miss if she cared to glance at his shorts.
´Thanks for taking me down today,µ she said quietly. ´That was amazing. It·s different at night, isn·t it? Beautiful from up here, but scary. I imagine there are sharks hun ting at night.µ
There was a shark right here who wanted to nibble on her tender bits. But of course he didn·t say it. ´The ocean can be a dangerous place. But everything she has to offer makes that danger worthwhile.µ
Ánd you thrive on it, don·t you?µ
´Danger? Nah, not so much. High adventure? Thril s? The chal enge? Hel yeah.µ He grinned. Ńever gets old. I·ve waited a long time for something like the
Vrijheid,
and I do believe she·s going to reward me for my patience.µ
Teal·s laugh sounded a little rusty. ´You·ve never been patient or waited for anything a second in your life.µ
´You·d be surprised,µ he told her dryly.
´How does one go about
finding
a wreck?µ she asked, her gaze focused on the pinpoints of light shimmering in the water. Ánd then, wh en you
do
find it, how to you know that there·l be treasure on board?µ
He glanced beyond Teal through the window of the salon. Maggie smiled and gave him a quick thumbs-up. So she·d sent Teal out. Zane made a mental note to buy her flowers the next time he was in port. ´Went to the archives in Spain four years ago, looking for a likely virgin wreck for a salvage.µ It was impossible not to look at her and he stopped pretending.
Her eyes looked very dark in the moonlight.
What was she thinking when she look ed at him that way? A little wary? A little intrigued?
Śpent weeks scouring information at the Sevil e Archivo de las Indias,µ he told her. Ĺocal archives, newspaper articles, books, testimonies, monasteries, and churches³they al had their own chronicles and reports, and there was usual y at least one priest on board the Spanish boats to write it al down. The only reason I know about the
Vrijheid
being in this area at al was from a few smal and very annoyed notations in Spanish log books. She was
Dutch
and shouldn·t have been anywhere near the Caribbean. The fact that she·d been a thorn in Spain·s side, intrigued me.µ
Óf course it did.µ Teal·s voice was dry. ´But why?µ
Śhe was a pirate ship.µ
Her wide eyes picked up the light. Ŕeal y?µ
Warming to his story, Zane wanted to hold on to her rapt attention. Ánd she was
fast
. That girl could give the Spaniards a real run for their money. She was like a gnat on the nose of a pit bul . And yeah, her admiral, van Wassenaer, was an honest -to-God pirate. And a good one with an excel ent track record. He was returning to Rotterdam and retirement. But this time, he didn·t want to go back with the usual haul of spices or tobacco or hides from Cape Horn. He wanted a
much
more valuable treasure on his last voyage.µ
Teal leaned forward, total y enthral ed, and out of habit when a woman showed any interest, Zane leaned in too. Inside, he did a double fist pump ´yes!µ at final y having her attention, without the attitude, and kept the story going. Śo on h is final voyage, van Wassenaer boldly crossed to the West Indies and got the haul of a lifetime ³only to lose it in a hurricane. And that·s where we come in.µ
Teal·s eyes lit up. Émeralds as big as your fist, huh?µ
He shifted his bare feet, moving closer to her. Ál sorts of gemstones.µ He had no idea how big they were, or even if the stories were true, but he loved seeing her bit by the treasure bug. Ánd plenty of them, just waiting almost four hundred years for us to pick them up off the ocean floor. Also an estimated in the multiple mil ions of dol ars, in today·s market, in gold and silver.µ
´Why aren·t we down there right now?µ she demanded.
´We·l goof around for a while to throw some of the competition off the scent.
Although they·l track us soon enough.µ
Ćompetition? I haven·t seen anyone else out here since we left port.µ
Óh, they·l be here eventual y. Hopeful y later rather than sooner. There are the usual suspects. The
Sea Witch
for one. She can smel a good salvage from the other side of the ocean it seems. This time, I·m taking great pains to keep her, and any other bottom -feeders, off my ass. Al my salvages are important, but I don·t want anyone getting their hands on any part of the
Vrijheid
.µ
Ís it dangerous? There could be a fortune down there. People have been kil ed for less.µ She turned to ful y face him, leaning her back against the rail. The sparkling lights on the wavelets behind her seemed to dance around her head.
´How do you stop other salvors from just diving down and helping themselves?µ
Only two feet separated them now. Teal didn·t seem to notice, but Zane·s entire focus was consumed with touching her cool, translucent skin and kissing her sassy mouth. ´There are laws governing salvage.µ He watched her chew a corner of her lower lip, and damn³he wanted in on the action. Í·ve gotten al the necessary paperwork filed. I·m the custodian and exclusive salvor for the
Vrijheid
until³µ He made air quotes. ´³¶The salvage operations are completed.· There·s a prohibited zone a mile in diameter from the wreck. And if, and when, anyone shows up, we·l give them a copy of the federal arrest warrant that outlines what wil happen if they violate my custody. It·s al good.µ
Íf whoever shows up is a law-abiding citizen and/or they can read.µ Teal said dryly.
Zane grinned. ´That too.µ
Í·d better³µ
´Do you³µ
They talked over one another. He didn·t want her to go inside. Not yet. Śtay,µ
he murmured softly.
ͳµ
He reached out to cup her warm cheek³had he ever met another woman who blushed? He found it sweet, and charming, and sexy as hel . He slid his fingers under her hair to cradle her nape. Curving his other hand around her waist, he held her gaze as he stroked his thumb over the soft, warm skin beside her ear. She sucked in a startled breath and shuddered. He gave a gentle tug, then dipped his head.
For a moment she stiffened in resistance. He stopped, merely holding her, praying her opposition would pass. After a few erratic heartbeats, her body softened to al ow him access to her mouth. He pressed his closed mouth against hers. Her lips were cool. Smooth.
Delicious. Not exactly eager, but not reluctant as he nibbled and tasted. He was 90 percent there, al he needed was for her to meet him the remaining 10 percent.
For him the reason for the kiss was the reason for the kiss. This wasn·t a prelude to anything else. Knowing there·d be no sex, no intimate touching, heightened his senses and heated his skin. He kept his hands where they were.
Nonthreatening. But he wanted to kiss her more than he wanted his next breath. He made a soft humming sound against her upper lip, then nipped her lower lip until her eyes fluttered closed. He parted her lips with his tongue. She tasted sublime. Teal mixed wit h coffee and a faint hint of the cinnamon in Maggie·s after -dinner apple pie.
Zane forced his tongue to behave. Smal , soft nips of his teeth to her lower lip, a thumb stroked with maddening slowness across the curve of her ear, gentle pressure around her waist to draw her ever closer. He coaxed her using his considerable skil and more restraint than he·d ever used in his life.
He traced her upper lip with the tip of his tongue, and wonder of wonders ³hers came out to greet him. His heart leapt. He danced his tongue with the very tip of hers, holding back the punishing kiss his entire body craved. A kiss he knew, with absolute certainly, would drive her away.
He slid his hand up the smal of her back, feeling the tension along her spine under his splayed fingers. With his other hand he combed through the hair near her temple, feeling the heat of her scalp and the silky coolness of the strands spil over his fingers like silk.
Her tongue glided against his, hot and sensual. His body responded, but he tamped i t down.
This was al about Teal. Al about just one glorious, sensual kiss.
Her shaky sigh rasped his nerve endings, but he didn·t exert any more pressure, didn·t delve any deeper, not until Teal pressed closer, tilting her head back and opening her mouth to him. He felt the rapid, manic beat of her heart against his chest as she kissed him back, her palm on his chest.
His fingers tightened around her back, tangled in her hair as he swept his tongue inside the hot cavern of her mouth.
Zane couldn·t remember ever getting such a high just kissing a woman. He wanted to devour her right there on the deck outside the salon where anyone could see them. He deepened the kiss, reading her desire by her equal y avid responses.
He wanted³
She jerked her head away, stepping back. In the sparkling fairy lights he saw the rapid pulse at the base of her throat and noticed that her breathing was uneven as she stood there paused for flight.
Ńice to be of use,µ she said, gasping for breath. Í·d hate to see you lose any of your considerable skil s just because your choice of partners on board is limited.
No point getting out of practice. I see where you get your nickname,µ she said cool y, p atting his chest as if he were a wel -behaved dog. ´You·re good. Very good.
Night, Ace.µ
She turned around and strol ed inside, leaving Zane shaken and very much stirred by her response.
Heart pounding, his body wired, he sagged against the rail. ´Holy shit!µ
* * *
She rol ed over, hugging her pil ow. It squelched.
Her eyes sprang open as the cold permeating her shorts and tank top pierced the dream. It wasn·t only the feel of water lapping at her toes that got her attention, but the pulsing blast of the general alarm.
Ten short bleats. Silence. Ten short³
The ship was taking on water. Fast.
Hot and cold prickles of adrenaline-laced fear shot through her body as her heartbeat picked up the rapid pulse of the emergency alarm. She went from prone to standing on her bedrol in seconds. The dim amber glow of the LED light near the door glinted on the rippling sheet of dark water surrounding the island of her bedrol .
Śhit!µ
Seawater pipe leakage? Probable. Rust was a given on any vessel as old as the
Decrepit.
An overboard valve rupture? That was a strong possibility as wel .