Yancy followed her. “Can you help Jacques? I left Brian asleep. He’ll probably be waking up soon, and Lillie went back on the mail boat this afternoon despite the rain.”
“I’ll do dinner. Take a break if you want.”
“Thanks.” Yancy went upstairs.
Neither Jem nor Adam emerged from her father’s office. Sam found the Emersons, the Walkers and Liam and Jerry munching on pizza, pasta and salad in the dining room. She joined them, noting that neither Avery Smith nor Jim or Sukee had chosen to come to dinner. All the cottages had little kitchenettes, and they were kept stocked with the basics. No one had to come to a meal if he didn’t choose to. Sam imagined that Sukee and Jim were together and had things other than food on their minds. What Mr. so-called Avery Smith might be up to, she didn’t know.
“I’m sorry we had such bad weather today,” she apologized in general, pouring wine for her adult guests.
“It wasn’t so bad,” Sue Emerson said with a wink for her husband.
He slipped an arm around her adoringly. “Not bad at all.”
“It sucked,” Brad assured her.
“Brad!” his parents gasped in unison.
“We’ll make tomorrow extra special,” Sam promised.
“Do you ever feel you’ve missed a lot—living on the island all your life?” Jerry North asked her suddenly.
Sam looked across at the blond woman who was studying her so intently. She shrugged. “I love the island. What could I have missed? Besides, I did go to college on the mainland. And any time I want to see it, a few hours will get me there.”
Jerry nodded, still watching her.
Liam didn’t seem to notice. “Pizza’s good,” he said with a grunt.
“The chef will be pleased that you’re so satisfied,” Sam assured him.
Jerry smiled and looked at her own plate at last.
No one seemed of a mind to linger long over coffee. Dessert—delicious tiramisu—had scarcely been served before Darlene yawned, anxious to go to bed so she would be wide awake for diving the next day.
The Emersons had skipped dessert entirely, leaving hand in hand the moment they’d finished their meal.
Even Liam seemed quiet. He and Jerry left the main house right after the Walkers. Sam still hadn’t seen Jem or Adam emerge from the office. While she was helping to clear the last of the plates, Jacques informed her that he had brought dinner to the men in the study.
Nice, Sam thought, irritated that Adam had taken over to the point that Jem had decided to keep studying with him rather than help her run the evening meal.
The hell with them both, she decided.
She told Jacques good-night, determined to reach her own cottage and lock herself in.
She departed by way of the porch once again, cutting across the lawn to her cottage.
The key was in the pocket of her jeans. She reached for it as she neared her door.
Judy Walker had watched the news, and she’d assured Sam that it was going to be a bright, hot day tomorrow. It was hard to believe right now, when clouds were obscuring the moon. Despite the lights on the island, it was a dark, misty night. She hadn’t gone far from the main house before it was nearly swallowed up in the mist.
Damn! she told herself. But she was nearly at her own cottage. Too close to it to run back to the main house. Why was she suddenly frightened? She’d never been afraid on the island before.
But then, she’d never been attacked in her own bathroom before, either.
Well, this is it, stupid, she warned herself. Hadn’t she been thinking about old horror movies earlier? Wasn’t it true that only really stupid heroines managed to find themselves alone with the murderer?
And not just alone. Alone in the mist. In the darkness.
Oh, great.
And all because she was irritated by Adam. Because he was as appealing as he had ever been. As aggressive. As dominating. Never mind that his decision that she shouldn’t be left alone was for her own good.
She’d just been so damned hurt. Because she’d been so infatuated. Young, and so in love.
And now…
Now the night seemed alive. Everywhere she looked, the mist-enshrouded tropical beauty of the island seemed to harbor danger.
She quickened her pace and reached her door. Nervously, she tried to slip her key into the lock.
The bushes rustled behind her, startling her into dropping the key. It fell to the concrete with a sharp ping. As she reached for it, a shadow fell over her. Huge, dark, looming over her like wings of death in the night.
Then hands came down on her, biting into her shoulders.
And she started to scream.
7
S ue Emerson stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and smiled. Her hair was brushed to a high gloss. God, she had good teeth. And good skin. She frowned slightly, then rubbed a little more lotion into her cheeks and under her eyes. No premature aging for her. The sun could be vicious. She didn’t intend to allow it. One day, she meant to be very rich.
She didn’t want to decay before that day came.
She stepped back to give herself a fuller view of her body. Her outfit was sexy. In fact, it was downright decadent. A black creation that covered her whole body while leaving strategic locations covered in nothing but gauze. She smiled again. She should grace the pages of a men’s magazine, she thought. She pouted, practicing for an imaginary camera.
Lucky, lucky Joey.
She stepped out of the bathroom.
The lighting was low. A fire burned in the hearth. Joey had opened a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass. He sipped burgundy from his, sitting in his briefs on the edge of the bed, the telephone receiver in his hand.
Sue picked up her wine, smiling.
He waved a hand at her to wait a minute.
Wait, hell.
She struck a pose by the bathroom door, sipping the wine artfully. Running the tip of her tongue over her lips. Wiggling it in his direction.
He should be drooling by now. Instead he just stared at her.
“Hey, stud!” she whispered, running a hand down the length of her body.
“Yeah,” he said to whoever was on the telephone. “I can hold a second.”
Joey was young and very good-looking, with a strong body, blond hair and good features. Not bad at all.
If only he would learn to listen to her a little more.
She left the doorway and walked over to him. Lowered herself to her knees between his thighs. Ran her hands along them. “Ooh,” she murmured. “Want to fool around, lover?”
He covered the receiver with his hand. “Will you cut out the honeymoon crap for a while?” he demanded irritably. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”
Sue rose, her jaw locked in anger as she stared at him. “Fuck you, asshole,” she said sweetly, then turned and strode out of the bedroom.
Joey looked after her broodingly. Women. Now he would be apologizing for the better half of the night.
Didn’t matter. Maybe he wouldn’t bother. Maybe she would just have to come back on her own. He smiled slightly. She was enough of a nympho that she would be back. She had no right to be acting like such a bitch.
After all, she was the one who liked money so much, he reminded himself angrily.
Then he heard a voice talking to him on the phone, and he gave his mind over to the business at hand.
“It’s me! Will you please shut up!”
Sam gasped, aware even as she was spun around that Adam was the hulking shadow behind her.
