The Adventurer (12 page)

Without conscious consent, she felt her lips part in silent invitation.

He hesitated only a moment before accepting. In the instant before his mouth took hers, her mind screamed a warning that unless she pulled away quickly, life would never be the same.

It was a warning her body refused to acknowledge.

She responded instinctively, winding her arms around his neck with an abandon that would have shocked her rational mind. But she wasn’t rational; she was reacting to the warmth of his body, the moist heat of his deepening kiss. A soft moan flowed from somewhere deep inside her, a secret place that was like sun-warmed butter, slick and aqueous, swelling sweetly until she was filled with its fluid warmth. The kiss ended as gently as it had begun. Devon’s lips hovered inches away, whispering soft words that her addled mind struggled to translate. “You’re so lovely you take my breath away. ” As he spoke, his hands explored the contours of her back, then slid down to span her small waist. She stiffened as his fingers crawled seductively up her ribs. ” I’ve never met anyone like you, so guileless and genuine. There’s an openness about you, an honest sincerity that’s so rare- ” His knuckles brushed her breast.

She gasped and pushed him more roughly than intended. “

“It’s getting late.

He couldn’t have seemed more stunned if she’d flung a drink in his face.

“What’s wrong? ” “Nothing’s wrong, ” she lied. Standing, she smoothed her knit tunic and nervously patted her hair. “I have an early meeting tomorrow. ” Devon rose slowly, his bewildered expression raising a lump the size of Wyoming in her throat. “Okay, ” he murmured i understand. I’ll, uh, see myself out. ” ‘ Nodding, she turned away to conceal her misery.

After a moment, footsteps crossed the room and she heard the door open.

“Devon? ” She glanced over her shoulder as he paused in the doorway. “I really did have a lovely day. ” He managed a thin smile. “So did I.” Then the door closed and he was gone. Jessica’s shoulders slumped and her breath slid out all at once. She covered her eyes for a moment. When she’d regained her composure, she forced her aching body into the bedroom and undressed for bed. After pulling a fresh gown from the drawer, Devon’s implausible praise circled her benumbed mind. Guileless. Honest. Genuine. God, if he only knew. Jessica removed her partial prosthesis and dragged the perfectly coiffured wig from her stubbled scalp. Then she stood in front of a full-length mirror and wept.

Chapter Six.

cc what are grunion, anyway? ” Jessica took Devon’s hand and stepped delicately over a moonlit rock that protruded from the sandy slope. After guiding her down to the cool flat beach, Devon hoisted the rolled blanket over one shoulder and skimmed an amused glance in her direction.

“Everyone in Los Angeles knows about grunion. “

“Well, I don’t. ” Looping the canvas tote over her forearm , she paused to roll up the sleeves of her oversize sweatshirt’ Besides I was raised in Monterey. Monterey doesn’t have grunion. ” ‘

“How do you know? “

“Because I would have heard about them-Ah! Wait!” A tug on Devon’s arm brought him to as top When he turned around, Jessica was muttering to herself and hopping on one foot. Instantly concerned, he threw off the blanket and reached out to steady her.

“What’s wrong? Did you twist your ankle? “

“No. ” She anxiously eyed the ground. “The sand ate my shoe. “

Devon smiled. “I told you not to wear loafers. “

“Haven’t you heard? I never do what I’m told. ” Grabbing his arm for balance, she dipped at the waist and scooped up the wayward shoe. She shook out the loose sand, put on the shoe then straightened and gazed around the deserted beach. “This reminds me of the night my cousins took me on a snipe hunt. I ran around with a pillowcase on my head for three hours before I realized that I’d been had. “

“Why on earth did you have a pillowcase on your head? “

“Because my cousins convinced me that percale was invisible to snipes and wearing one was the only way to sneak up on the little duffers. “

Devon’s grin broadened. “You mean it didn’t work? “

“Nope. But my stepfather always said that no experience is a loss if one learns something. “

“And what did you learn? “

“That a jar of jelly poured in a cousin’s sleeping bag is even funnier than a five-year-old with a pillowcase on her head. ” A sliver of moonlight danced in her eyes. “I also learned that retribution is its own reward. For your sake, Mr. Monroe, I hope I see a grunion tonight. “

Devon winced. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that was a threat. “

“Just a friendly warning, that’s all. ” Tossing a mischievous smile over her shoulder, she padded through the soft sand toward the water. Devon blew out a breath and followed until they’d reached a spot several yards beyond the edge of the bubbling tide. Jessica set the tote on the sand and warily sniffed the salty air. “So where are these grunion of yours?

“They’ll be here, ” he mumbled adding an “I hope” under his breath.

As she bent to roll up her pant legs, Devon dropped the blanket roll and ran a nervous finger around the crewneck of his sweater. “Funny thing you should mention pillowcasets , though. ” Her fingers froze on the denim cuffs. Twisting her head sideways, she looked up suspiciously. “What about them? ” He cleared his throat. “I, uh, just happen to have brought a couple with me. ” With a helpless shrug, he unrolled the blanket and extracted a pair of plain white pillowcases. “Quite a coincidence, huh? ” Straightening, she skewered him with a narrowed stare. “If you try to get that thing on my head, you’re a dead man. ” “They’re used for catching grunion. Honest. ” He grabbed a case and shook it open. “Look, you roll down the edges like this, so it forms a sack. Then when the grunion run starts, you stand in the shallows and scoop them up. ” Bending at the waist, he provided a dry demonstration of the proper technique. “See? Nothing to it. “

She watched skeptically. “Grunion are fish? “

“Fins and all. ” He tossed the deflated pillowcase on the sand and proceeded to spread out the blanket. ” Every spring during full moons and high tides they come ashore to spawn. There used to be thousands of them from Santa Barbara to Baja but now that civilization has crept to the waterline, they’ve gotten pretty finicky about which beaches to use. Frowning, she eyed the desolate coastline. “That’s why we came to this godforsaken place? ” “Sure. ” Devon flopped on the blanket and filled his lungs with tangy air. “Grunion don’t like crowds. ” ‘ After considering that for a moment, Jessica settled down beside him and gazed into the blackness. Watching from the corner of his eye, he was struck by the serenity of her features , the simplicity of her classic profile. She was without doubt a beautiful woman but Devon’s attraction went beyond her obvious physical attributes. She exuded an unexpected emotional depth, along with a paradoxical combination of compassion and playfulness that fascinated him. Far from the shallow socialite he’d first judged her to be, Jessica Newcomb embraced a quiet wisdom that was unique in one so young. Of course, at thirty-one she was well beyond the giddy adolescent stage but despite her playfulness, she seemed to carry an old soul, or what New Age theorists would label a spirit enlightened by many lifetimes. Not that Devon fully accepted such ethereal beliefs but he didn’t discount them either. His years of observing varied cultures had instilled an abiding respect for the diversity of spiritual doctrine. A cold gust of wind distracted him from further contemplation of karmic theology. Beside him, Jessica suddenly grabbed her head to shield her hair from the stiff ocean breeze. Since the effort was futile, she kept one hand planted atop her scalp and used the other to root through the tote. In a moment, she pulled out the familiar scarf and tied it firmly around her head. Sighing, she shivered and hugged her knees. “I should have brought a jacket.

That wind cuts like a knife. “

Although Devon had left his own jacket draped over a kitchen chair, there were other ways to take advantage of the chivalrous opportunity. “Scoot forward toward the edge of the blanket. ” She looked up curiously but complied without question. When she’d moved down until her toes brushed the sand, Devon pulled the excess blanket over her shoulders and was rewarded by a dazzling smile. “Better? ” he asked. “Much. ” Holding the edges of the wool tent beneath her chin, she noticed that Devon had moved onto the cold sand to let her have the entire blanket.

“Aren’t you cold? “

“I’m fine. ” Except that he couldn’t feel his nose and was fairly certain that his lips were blue. “There’s enough room in here for both of us. ” She swished out an arm, offering him one edge of the blanket. He hesitated only a moment before moving into the cozy refuge. As their body heat mingled, radiating through the tiny woolen wigwam, Devon slid his arm around her. With a contented sigh, she nestled against him and laid her head on his shoulder. “Umm. This is lovel like being inside a toaster. ” y’ Squeezing her shoulders, he brushed his lips across the top of her head and kissed cotton. He drew back frowning. “Do you really need that thing? ” ‘ She answered drowsily. “What thin ?”

“That babushka. “

“Baba-what? ” She touched the pleated fabric stretched along her jawline.

“Oh. The wind, uh, ives me an earache” She batted her eyelashes.

Actually gi think it’ suite chic, don’t you? ” q He couldn’t help but smile. On her, anything would look good. Even an ugly plaid head scarf. “You’re probably right. I hear the peasant look is in vogue nowadays. ” ‘ Her smile was, he thought, a bit strained but before he could examine her expression more closely, she turned away and gazed at the dark ocean. “How’s Crandall? ” she asked suddenly. Since she’d seen him that afternoon, the abrupt change in subject suggested that she didn’t appreciate being teased about her fashion habits. He made a mental note to keep future comments to himself. “Dad’s fine. Coming home seems to have done him a world of good. ” That was actually an understatement. Crandall’s improvement during the past three days had been nothing short of miraculous. His color had improved, his eyes sparkled and he was barking orders like a three-star general. In short, he was back to normal.

Except, of course, that the doctor had forbidden him to return to work.

In the age of electronic miracles, however, that problem had been easily circumvented by a computer modern. Within fifteen minutes of installation, Crandall had been pounding keys like a madman and, according to Jessica , every monitor at Electro Sonics was beeping with E-mail. Devon was naturally relieved by his father’s buoyed spirits , although he couldn’t suppress a twinge of con cero to see Crandall immerse himself in the same stressful environment that had caused the heart attack in the first place. At least Devon assumed that work had been the cause. Jessica had indicated that there may have been another reason but had clammed up when questioned and refused to elaborate In retrospect, Devon realized that his queries had been more confrontational than intended and silently vowed to broach the subject again. When he did, he’d take special pains to be receptive and civil.

Jessica suddenly lifted her head, squinting toward the water. “

“What’s that? “

Devonfollowed her gaze. “What’s what? “

“That. ” A slender finger emerged from the tent, pointing toward the wet sand at the edge of the ebbing tide. “There’s something shiny on the sand. “

“Probably just a pull tab or something. “

“But it’s moving. ” ‘ Startled, he focused on the appointed spot and saw the tiny flicker an instant before the tide swept it away.

Beside him, Jessica stiffened. “Look! There are more of them. “

And indeed there were-a moonlit spark here, a wiggling glimmer there, like blinking fireflies on the sand. Smiling, Devon touched Jessica’s arm to keep her from moving forward too soon. “Shh. Those are just the scouts. “

Her brows arced to her hairline. “

“Those things are fish? “

“Uh-huh. “

“Grunion-type fish? ” “Ohmygosh. ” Throwing the blanket back, she yanked off her shoes and would have leapt to her feet except for Devon’s restraining grasp. “Let go! I want to see what they look Iike. ” “Trust me. If you’ll wait just a few more minutes, you’ll have all the grunion you can handle. ” She bit her lip and anxiously scanned the waterline. “But what if that’s all there is? ” At that moment, the tiny glimmers were covered by the foamy tide.

Her shoulders slumped. “Oh no. They’re gone. “

“Nah. They’rejust reporting in, that’s all. “

Her eyes narrowed. “

“If this is a joke-” “No jelly, please!” He held up a defensive palm. “L,ook, I’ve been right so far haven’t I? I mean, you’ve already seen them. ” “I’ve seen something. ” She folded her arms and scowled into the darkness. “Unfortunately, I don’t know what because someone wouldn’t let me get a closer look. ” Smiling smugly, he patted her thigh. “Just watch and wait. ” ‘ Since she had little choice, she folded her arms and stared unhappily at the rippling tide. As the minutes ticked by, Devon studied the empty beach with increasing con cero After all, actually being in the right place at the right time for the grunion spawn was a crap shoot to begin with. Truth be told, he was as shocked as Jessica to have lucked out on the first try. Now, as her irked gaze bored into his temple, he wondered if they really were gone. Squirming, he slid her a thin smile. “They’ll be back any second now. “

“Right. ” She bit off the word and spit it out like a bitter weed.

With a pained flinch, Devon ran a nervous finger around the ribbed neckline of his sweater. “But in case they’re not back any second, grape is my favorite kind of jelly. ” ‘ Her eyes sparkled and the stern expression she’d struggled to maintain finally cracked into a lyrical laugh. “You’re funny, Monroe. Maybe I’ll let you live. “

“I’d really appreciate that. “

Their gazes lingered as laughter faded into sensual awareness. He saw in her smoldering eyes a reflection of his own desire and was overwhelmed by a sudden yearning to touch her, to caress every inch of her beautiful body until she cried out with unleashed passion. The powerful image shook him to the core. He wanted her, body and soul, mind and spirit. He wanted her more deeply than he’d ever wanted anyone in his life. He felt something that he’d never felt before, something deep and poignant, something that both intrigued and frightened him.