Blue Velvet

She shook her head, her eyes still held by that beautifully glowing tenderness. 'No, I'm fine. Is everyone else unhurt?'

Daniel nodded. 'You were the only casualty. Can you get up?'

'Yes, of course.' She made a motion to lever herself upright, which was immediately quelled by Beau's arms tightening about her.

'Lie still,' he ordered tersely. 'You're sure it's safe for her to move, Daniel?'

Daniel shrugged. 'I don't see why not. I told you it's not much more than a scratch.'

'Then I'm taking her down to the cabin. Send Jim down with that first-aid kit, will you?' He was standing up with her still cradled in his arms. He drew her protectively close. 'I'll take care of her from now on.'

Daniel got to his feet and stood facing him. 'Any idea where we go from here? Santa Isabella?'

'I haven't decided,' Beau said, turning away. 'I'll get back to you later. Just get us as far away from Castellano as you can before I get over being thankful she's alive and start wanting to collect a few scalps. I never want her to set eyes on that blasted island again as long as she lives.'

He was moving swiftly, carrying her. Her ear was pressed to the silky shirt covering his chest and she could hear the beating of his heart. She felt deliciously fragile in that possessive embrace. Too fragile. It was much too easy to relax and let Beau take charge and she mustn't give in to that momentary weakness. 'I can walk. Just let me down and I'll be fine. I wasn't really hurt.'

He glanced down at her and his face lit up with a smile so beautiful it warmed her heart. 'I know you can, but I don't want to let you go yet. Indulge me a little, sugar.'

What was a little independence when he was smiling at her like that? 'Okay,' she said, nestling her cheek closer to the vital cadence of his heartbeat. She closed her eyes and the steady metronome soothed her into a dreamy lassitude as he carried her down the stairs and laid her carefully on the yielding softness of the bunk. His hands were deft and swift as he undressed her and slipped her beneath the covers. She was so lost in that deliciously languid haze that she scarcely heard the soft knock on the door or Beau's invitation to enter.

She felt Beau's hand brush the curls back from her forehead. 'Hey, wake up. You can't go to sleep until I've bandaged that cut.' The mattress sank beneath his weight as he sat down and she opened her eyes to see him taking the first-aid kit from the slight, wiry crewman. What was his name? Jim, that was it. Then the crewman wasn't there anymore and Beau was bending over her with that same wonderful smile curving his lips.

'This may sting a little,' he said as the gauze touched her temple. She inhaled sharply. The antiseptic did sting and it was more than a little. 'Damn.' His growl was rough with concern. 'I'll be through here in just a minute. Hold on, sugar.' He was as good as his word and soon the cut was clean and neatly covered with a small square bandage. 'That should do it.' He closed the first-aid box and fastened the snap lock. 'Now you can go to sleep.' 'I can?' She was gazing up at him uncertainly. 'Aren't you coming to bed?'

He shook his head. 'Later maybe. I want to stay awake awhile and make sure you didn't get a concussion when that splinter hit you.' His hand ruffled affectionately through her curls again. 'I don't know why I'm so worried. You've obviously got a cast-iron skull. It would have to be considering the punishment it's taken lately.'

'You could lie down beside me,' she said wistfully. Strange how easily you could become used to strong gentle arms holding you lovingly.

He was shaking his head again. 'I'm too bushed to risk it. It's been quite a day. I'll just sit here until you go to sleep. I have to go up and talk to Daniel later about our next destination, but 111 drop in and check on you periodically through the night. You won't be nervous alone?'

She shook her head. 'I'm used to it. Compared to the rain forest, the Searcher is a small planet that has experienced a population explosion.'

Beau's grasp tightened. Her entire life must have been a forest of loneliness. Not anymore. He was never going to let her be lonely or vulnerable again. 'It slipped my mind that your alter ego is Sheena, the jungle girl.' His gaze met hers with sudden gravity. 'What shall I tell Daniel about Santa Isabella? Do you want to drop in on Julio and Brenden before we move on?'

'I'd like that very much but it's up to you.' She met his gaze steadily. 'It's your decision.'

'Oh, yes, our bargain. I believe I'm getting exceptionally tired of discussing our bargain.' He shrugged. 'In any case I'll have a special courier pick up your carousel from Julio and deliver it to you at our next port of call if we don't stop at Santa Isabella.' Her face lit up. 'It's safe, then?' 'Of course it's safe. You should know I'd never let anything happen to something that was so special to you.' He paused. 'Then you're leaving our destination up to me?'

She shrugged. 'It doesn't matter where we go. One island is pretty much like another in the Caribbean.' She suddenly frowned. 'I have to warn you I may prove something of an albatross around your neck. There aren^’t many ports where a woman without papers is welcomed with open arms. You might be better to go on alone.'

'Oh, yes, your nonexistent passport. Well, we'll just have to do something about that, won't we?' He was playing with her fingers and he looked down at them absently as he spoke. 'And as I have a fondness for this particular albatross, I have no intention of going on alone.' A smile curved his lips. 'I don't have your rain forest training, you see. I'd be lonely.'

'Would you?' That admission of vulnerability from strong self-assured Beau brought with it a melting tenderness and a breathless spring of hope. 'I wouldn't think you'd ever be lonely.'

'I've been lonely all my life.' He looked from her hand to her eyes. 'That's why I need you to stay with me. You promised once you'd take care of me. It amused me at the time, but it doesn't now. I need you to take care of me, to guard me from that loneliness. Will you do that?'

Oh, she wanted to. She wanted to give everything to him. She wanted to nurture, protect, and love. Oh yes, above all, love. 'Yes, I'll do that,' she said softly. She tried to smile but found her lips trembling. 'Isn't that the primary duty of a mistress? You'll have to coach me on all the nuances of the role, I'm afraid. But I learn most things quickly.'

His face darkened in a troubled frown and he opened his lips to speak. Then he closed them again and once more looked down at her hand he was holding. His thumb rubbed absently at the smoothness of the nail of her index finger. 'We're going to have to talk about that,' he said. 'But not tonight. You need a good night's sleep to get over that whack you took. We'll discuss it tomorrow. There is one thing you should know.' He still wasn't looking at her. 'The situation has changed now. I've found I'm not as strong as I thought I was where you're concerned. I wanted to play Galahad and Lancelot for you. Hell, I was even willing to try for that wimpy Ashley Wilkes.'

'Ashley Wilkes?' she asked, puzzled.

'Gone With the Wind.' Then, as she continued to look at him in bewilderment, 'You missed that too?' His grin was gently teasing. 'That's one classic you'll have to read. The lady author had the good taste to write about the glorious South. I may even make you memorize a passage or two.' The smile faded. 'Well, I'm not Galahad or Ashley Wilkes and I can't pretend to be anything but Beau Lantry.' His lips twisted. 'And he's a pretty selfish bastard. I'd like to be self-sacrificing and martyrish and all that bull, but it's just not in my makeup. Do you understand?'

'No, not at all. I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about.'

He muttered a frustrated curse beneath his breath. 'It's just that you're so damn vulnerable,' he said harshly. 'And you're so god-awful impulsive I'd go crazy worrying every minute what trouble you were going to jump into next. You may think you're a cross between Susan B. Anthony and Joan of Arc, but you could have been killed up on that deck tonight, damn it.' He ran his hand through his hair distractedly. 'For that matter you could have been killed any number of times in the last days.'

'So could you,' she protested. 'That's different,' he said with a royally arrogant lack of logic. 'I can take care of myself.' Then as he saw the indignation begin to smolder in her eyes, he shrugged helplessly. 'Lord, I did it again. Look, I know you've had to be independent and you've done a hell of a good job