The cryptic message about wanting to see a plant specimen had totally thrown him. He almost didn’t call her back, being not in the least interested in a discussion of plants of any variety, especially not while he was trying to figure a way to get to Silverman.
But her message sounded so urgent, and something else bothered him about it. He couldn’t decide what it was. A deeper anxiety, he thought. And whispered. That’s what it was. She’d whispered her message to him like she was in some kind of trouble. So he called her to make sure she was all right. If her call was only about plants, he had intended to set her straight on how much they didn’t interest him.
Her response was so thoroughly confusing that he felt as if she’d had a conversation with him that morning and somehow he’d missed the gist of it. Who would have blamed him when he kept staring at that silky, barely there robe and wanting to glimpse the naked flesh underneath?
When had she mentioned that they were going on a dinner cruise?
He thought maybe she’d been out in the sun too long and was dehydrated, but the forest was shaded. He had packed two bottles of water for her because of the humidity in the air. Unless she’d been so excited about the plants that she hadn’t been drinking her water.
He couldn’t understand it. He was ready to join her, make her drink the water, and get her back to the villa to cool down before she passed out. But then he learned that Sal was there with her. Bloody hell.
A red haze had filled his vision, his heartbeat pounded ominously in his ears, and his blood was on fire as he tried to keep his wits about him.
Why in the hell had Sal been at the reserve? Of all the places on the island, Duncan would never have worried about the bastard venturing there. Now Shelley had caught his eye.
She was a female wolf, unmated and a real looker. Damn it.
He tried telling himself she might be right, that he should stay away from the reserve until Silverman left the area. But if he was still there, Duncan didn’t want him anywhere near Shelley. He didn’t want her seeing Silverman for drinks or any other business later this evening, either. He worried she still might think she could help get the money from the bastard, and he didn’t want her involved.
Duncan was already flooring the gas pedal to reach the reserve and make sure Shelley was okay. He could tell from her voice that she was strong, capable, and determined to play any role he wanted, but he wasn’t letting her take part in it.
She also had sounded worried—not for herself as much as for him.
He ground his teeth, then pulled his phone out and called her again. As soon as she answered, he asked, “Is he alone?”
“No. Which is why I said to wait to come and get me when I’m through here.”
She didn’t say who he had been with and her voice was still hushed, which made Duncan believe the bastard was still nearby, possibly listening in. “Okay. A guard with him?”
“No.”
“A woman?” he asked, sounding really surprised. How could Silverman have been hitting on Shelley if he had a woman with him? Duncan suspected the woman wasn’t his mother.
“Yes.”
“Young? Girlfriend?” Duncan asked.
“Yes.”
Duncan cursed in Gaelic.
“I love the sound of the words you just spoke, but I’m guessing they weren’t love sentiments.”
He gave a dark smile. “I’m coming for you. Just continue your work, and when I arrive, I’ll call you and locate you.”
“I can’t dissuade you?”
“No. This man has too much to lose. He could be capable of anything. For your information, we’re going on the dinner cruise, so you can’t go out for drinks with him tonight or any other.”
He heard her take in a deep breath. “Who’s paying?” she asked.
He smiled. “I’m sure my brother, Ian, will understand that this is a necessary expense. I’ll see you momentarily.” He hung up, hating that she was alone in the forest with no protection whatsoever, and drove even faster.
He still couldn’t believe the she-wolf had run into his quarry while doing her job which had nothing to do with his job. He saw no sign of Sal Silverman when he parked the car at the trailhead, but he smelled the bastard as soon as he left the vehicle. At least he assumed it was the bastard’s scent, male wolf, and no other like it in the area.
He quickly locked the vehicle and strode down the trail, wondering just what he’d do if he ran into Silverman. He’d like to wring the crook’s neck, but he had to get the clan’s money out of him first. Then he’d wring his neck.
He’d stalked along what seemed an hour’s worth of trail when he spied Shelley crouching in front of a flower, camera angled to take a shot. He paused, not wanting to disturb her work. When she was done, she lifted her nose a little, turned suddenly, and nearly fell on her butt when she saw him watching her.
He strode toward her and helped her up. He hadn’t meant to do anything more than that, but she threw herself into his arms. One hand still clutched a notepad and pen, while the other was clinging to her camera. Both arms wrapped around him in a lover’s embrace, her breasts pressed hard against his chest, and instantly he was aroused.
“I thought you said you didn’t want to see me this soon,” he whispered into her hair, kissing her on top of her head, hugging her tight, and loving her exuberance, but suspecting she’d worried about his safety more than her own.
With her face buried against his chest, she shook her head. “I had too much work to do,” she whispered back.
“Liar,” he said, his voice still hushed as he separated from her and looked into her large, green, very worried eyes. “You didn’t want me killing the bastard in this special place of yours.”
She choked back a little laugh, tears welling up in her eyes. “You’re right. So are you going to tell me what you said in Gaelic over the phone?”
“Nay, lass. It isn’t something your tender ears should hear.”
She smiled at him. “I’m sure I’ve heard it all. Are you certain you don’t want me to have drinks with him?”
“Aye, I’m certain.” He gave her whole body a tight squeeze. “Are you done here?”
“No, but you can keep me company. Protect me from anything or anyone while you’re at it.”
He snorted and released her. “I came to take you away from here.”
“I know,” she said. She looped her arm around his, since both her hands were full, and tugged him to stroll with her. “I said I wasn’t done. He’s not here any longer. If you don’t want to be here with me, it’s all right with me, although it’s really nice having you here while I’m working.”
He frowned down at her but noted she was serious.
She continued, “If you want me to help with your mission, I’d be willing to do it. It affects me personally, too.”
“I’m not willing. It’s too dangerous.”
“Even for the money?” She eyed him speculatively.
“Even for all the money in the world.” He was serious about that.
“All right, but you can’t say I didn’t offer.” She stopped at another tree and said, “It’s a giraffe tree. See its winding, odd shape?” Then she snapped another picture. “If I’d needed your rescue, you could have swung through the trees, hanging onto the vines like Tarzan, and swooped down to take me with you into the canopy.”
“Ah, lass, now what would a Highlander be doing swinging from vines in trees like an ape man? I would be riding my horse, swinging a claymore at yonder enemy, and then I’d slip you into my saddle and ride off with you.”
“Into the sunset.”
He laughed. “Aye, into the sunset.”
After moving only a couple of inches, she bent down and took several more pictures. He let out his breath hard. “They all look the same. Why are you taking a picture of every leaf in the forest?”
She laughed. “What if I were to say all swords look the same to me? They have a handle and a blade.”
He smiled.
“See, so they’re not all the same.” With that, she continued to take pictures until the filtered light that managed to sift through the trees began to fade.
“We’ll miss our dinner excursion if we don’t hurry,” he finally said.
“Were you serious about that?” She quickly pocketed her camera and notebook in her backpack, grabbed his hand, and rushed him to the parking area.
“Of course I’m serious. If Silverman investigates, he’ll find you did go out on a dinner cruise at 5:30. I made reservations on the way over here.”
“You should have mentioned it to me earlier. Hurry or we’ll miss the sailboat.”
He laughed and hauled her toward the parking lot even faster.
They were soon on their way to the boat dock at the water sports center on Seven Mile Beach where they’d pick up the catamaran. He looked forward to wining and dining the wolf on the waves.
She combed her fingers through her breeze-tangled hair and peered into the visor mirror. “I hope I’m dressed all right in capris, tennis shoes, and this shirt.”
He glanced at the stretchy peach fabric of the tank top molding to her breasts, only partially hidden by the green leafy shirt she wore over it, and shook his head. No wonder Silverman was interested. “You look good in anything you wear. Too good.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“It’s a catamaran cruise. It can’t be too dressy. You’re fine. Hell, better than fine.”
She smiled. “You know the right words, but if I see all the women wearing dresses…” She pulled off her backpack, dug out a band, and tied her hair back in a ponytail. “How long is the dinner cruise?”
“Three and half hours. I’ll have you home and in bed sometime after nine tonight.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, not sure where this was going. Did he mean they were going to share a bed? She really didn’t want to ask. If he did want to share the big bed with her, she was already game. She supposed the reason she had changed her mind was that he had been so gallant in coming to her rescue. Not to mention that he was taking her on a dinner cruise tonight. But it was more than that. She really didn’t want the night with him to end.