Part 9 (1/2)
She flinched. ”Maybe we could avoid the word dead in our conversations.”
He used the small brush to stroke the hairline around his face,then used a comb to darken his short hair.
”Makeyourself useful,” he said, tossing her the cloth. He bent over the counter, resting his weight on his forearms. ”Do my back. Don't forget my neck and behind my ears.”
She stared at the vast expanse of gleaming male skin, then at the dark rag in her hands. He wanted her to touch him?
He glanced at her impatiently. ”I can't reach the middle of my back.”
”I understand,” she said, and stroked the long muscles by his shoulder.
His skin rippled under her touch. She could feel the warmth of him, as if his body were a degree or two hotter than hers. Part of her wanted to throw the cloth down and run for cover. Part of her wanted to step nearer and snuggle against his strength. She hadn't been this close to a man since her marriage, and that had been over six years ago. Not that she was attracted to Jeff. She refused to be. She didn't know anything about him except for the fact that he thought she was almost as bad as Kray.
The dye went on easily. It had little scent, although she could still smell the maleness of Jeff himself. He stood perfectly still, apparently unaffected by what she was doing. If she was honest with herself, he hadn't once looked at her as if he knew she was female. Better for both of them, she told herself, even as she felt a slight flicker of irritation.
She shook her head. She was crazy. One minute she was frightened of him, the next she was cranky because he hadn't made a pa.s.s at her. Obviously she'd spent too much time with her young child and not enough around other adults.
She worked down his broad back, to the waistband of his shorts. He didn't ask her to go lower and she didn't offer. She dipped the cloth in the bowl again,then wrung it out.
”You'll have to bend over more,” she said, trying to reach his neck.
He hunched down. ”So why'd you pick law school?”
She moved around him to his other side and completed darkening his skin. ”I'm done.” She handed him the cloth. ”I didn't want anyone to take advantage of me again.”
”How did Kray take advantage of you?”
The way he asked the question made her realize what he was thinking. ”Oh, not that,” she said, waving her hand at him. ”He didn't attack me, or anything. I was just so innocent, and unaware of what was going on around me.”
He straightened and stared down at her. His mouth twisted in disbelief. ”Where did you think the money came from?”
”I thought he was a businessman. I never asked any questions, and he didn't tell me otherwise. I suppose you think I should have known.”
He didn't answer. He didn't have to. The momentary truce between them ended. She felt the change as he s.h.i.+fted away from her. There was a tangible coldness between them.
She wanted to tell him it wasn't her fault. She'd been a fool, but that was her only crime. When she glanced up at him, she couldn't say it. He wouldn't believe her. Besides, she didn't need his approval to get on with her life.
”Great Halloween costume,” she said. His blue eyes looked eerie, contrasting with his brown face. She took a step back.
”It gets better. Here.” He handed her a plastic jar. ”Use this to get the dye off your hands.”
She glanced down at her fingers. They were brown. She opened the jar and scooped out a small amount. After rubbing for a few seconds, the dye faded. She rinsed her hands,then dried them on a clean towel. Jeff worked beside her, checking his face in the mirror. It was as if the moment of hostility had never been.
How did he do that?she wondered. Did his anger fade so quickly or was he better than her at concealing his emotions? She watched as he opened a small plastic case containing brown contact lenses. After putting them in his eyes, he slipped false teeth into his mouth. Nextcame a thin black mustache. He reached for a bundle of clothing on the counter. Within minutes, he was dressed in khaki trousers, an open short-sleeved s.h.i.+rt and worn athletic shoes. TheCaliforniasurfer was gone and in his place stood a dark-skinned stranger.
He was the same size, but with dyed skin, the shadows fell across him differently, making his bulk look unfamiliar. The false teeth changed the shape of his face; the mustache accented the differences. She fought the urge to move away from him.
”Don't be frightened, pretty lady,” he said, then grinned. The accent was perfect, the smile frightening.
Yes, Jeff could easily conceal his emotions from her. She wasn't exactly sure what he did for the government, but she suspected it required skills she couldn't begin to imagine. No wonder he thought of her with contempt.
”I won't be gone long,” he said, his voice now normal. He gathered up his supplies and put them in a small black suitcase. ”Four or five hours at the most.”
”What if you don't come back?”
He stared down at her, his expression unreadable. ”I will.”
She hoped he would promise to return, or tell her not to worry, but he didn't. He took his supplies to his bedroom,then left the house without looking back.
She stood in the kitchen, listening to the sounds of the surf and fighting the fear. Jeff with-no-last-name might not like her, but she didn't care about that. He was all that stood between her and Kray. If he didn't come back, she was on her own.
Chapter 6.
Jeff had said he would be back in four or five hours. Andie tilted her wrist toward the light spilling from the living room window. She stared at the dial, not wanting to believe, not wanting to know her worst fears might, at this moment, be realized. Six hours and fifteen minutes. What would she do if he didn't come back?
She sat on the porch swing, curled up in the corner, waiting. A thousand images pa.s.sed through her mind. All the things that could have gone wrong. All the legitimate problems that might have delayed him. She was too tired for anything to make sense, and too worried to sleep.
She'd tried. She'd gone to bed about an hour after Jeff had left, but she'd only tossed and turned. Even the sound of Bobby's regular breathing hadn't been enough to calm her. Yes, she had her son back and she was thrilled about that. But they were still stuck on Kray's island with no way out.
She leaned her head back against the wooden slat and stared up at the palm trees beyond the porch. They were still in the warm night, their fringed fronds blocking most of the brilliant stars. The sound of the surf provided a rhythmic counterpoint to her frantic thoughts. Would he come back? What would she do if he didn't? She would have to find another way off the island. Could she wire the nearest emba.s.sy? What about- She closed her eyes and forced her thoughts to slow. She would face those questions in the morning.If Jeff didn't return. There were still several hours of darkness left.
Gradually her mind emptied until she focused on nothing but the sound of the sea and the scent of the land. Softly tropical, the fragrance was familiar. Too familiar. Her eyes opened. So much for relaxing. The last thing she wanted to do was remember her honeymoon here with Kray.
Before she could find a safer topic to occupy her mind, she heard the low rumble of a car engine. She slipped off the swing and moved into the corner shadows of the porch. Headlights swept across the pool area of the yard as the Jeep came down the dirt path and stopped next to the house.
Andie froze, not daring to breath. She waited until a tall man stepped out. Moonlight illuminated him. He'd removed his false teeth and mustache. She recognized the easy stride, even if his dark skin gave her pause. Yet she couldn't move away from the shadows. There was something about the way he walked, about his posture. The predator had returned from the kill.
Jeff paused at the porch stairs. ”Everything all right?” he asked, staring right at her.
She moved toward the swing, stopping behind it. ”How could you see me?”
”When you moved, the moonlight caught the white in your T-s.h.i.+rt.”
She glanced down at the s.h.i.+rt, then back at him. ”I wouldn't have thought of that.”
He shrugged. ”Dark clothes are better at night, but don't worry about it. It's not going to be on the bar exam.”
”Good thing. I suspect I'll be a better lawyer than I would be a spy.”
”You don't want to be a spy. Trust me on that.” He lowered himself to the top step and stared out toward the ocean. ”So, everything okay here?”
”Fine.” She took a step closer. ”Bobby's been asleep since you left.”
”Why aren't you in bed?”
”I couldn't settle down. Not with you out there.”