Puffin 2 - The Dangerous Protector by Janet Chapman

Author:Janet Chapman
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Pocket Star Books
Published: 2005-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

Duncan stood at the wheel of the Seven-to-Two Odds, his attention divided between the silent woman beside him sipping hot chocolate and the rough sea ahead as he guided the schooner toward Thunder Island. Since leaving the house two hours ago, Willow had been unusually quiet, and Duncan was starting to worry.

He was pushing her, he knew, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. He still hadn’t recovered from the scare she’d given him two nights ago; nor would he likely recover until he got Willow naked beneath him again and could feel her come alive in his arms.

The truth of her words this morning, that she could have died in the crash, had made it appallingly clear just how scared she was of loving him—because Duncan had gotten a good taste of that fear himself. But he loved her, dammit. And even though she’d deny it with the tenacity of a true lawyer, she was in love with him.

Hell, they acted like an old married couple most of the time; they trusted each other, were there for each other when they needed a shoulder to lean on, and could all but read each other’s minds most of the time. Like now, for instance. Duncan knew Willow was rethinking her offer of an affair—not because she suddenly didn’t want him, but because she was finally beginning to realize that she might be wanting him too much.

Duncan silently watched as Willow set the cup of cocoa next to the thermos he’d made her before they’d left the house. She stood up and walked toward the bow of the ship with drunkenlike steps, the deck pitching and rolling on the rough sea, Mickey padding along behind her.

The storm had finally moved out to sea, leaving crystal-clear skies and a stiff northwesterly breeze that continued to raise four- and five-foot swells ahead of them. The sails were furled tightly closed, and the Seven-to-Two-Odds’s powerful diesel engine cut through the waves with ease.

The sun was a full hour above the horizon by the time they pulled into calmer waters on the lee side of Thunder Island. Duncan noticed that the sound of the wind-driven, crashing surf was growing fainter as they moved down the eastern shoreline of the island. He brought the engine to an idle, tied off the wheel, and also walked forward.

“How’s this?” he asked as he came up beside Willow. “Shall we anchor here for the day?”

She turned from staring at the island and gave him a tentative smile. “This is the best place for now,” she said softly. “But we’ll have to move to the Pilot Islands for the night. It gets too rough here when the tide’s coming in.”

“Can ya take the wheel while I set the anchor?” he asked, pulling the pin that locked the heavy anchor in place.

Her smile suddenly turned crooked. “What would Ahab do if he found out you let me steer his precious ship?”

Bolstered by that tiny spark of mischief, and feeling like a schoolboy who had just caught the eye of the class beauty, Duncan returned her smile.

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