Blue Velvet

convenience to get me past Immigration.'

'A marriage of convenience?' Daniel scoffed. 'Not likely, Kate. They went out with jousts and suits of armor. Beau wouldn't be involved with an idiocy like that.'

'You obviously don't know him as well as you think you do.' Her smile was sadly sweet. 'That's exactly the kind of idiocy that Beau would become involved with. He's out to save the poor little orphan at any cost. He married me because he thought that was the only way I'd let him take care of me.' She blinked furiously to keep the tears at bay. 'Well, he was wrong. He should have known that blasted ceremony wouldn't make any difference.'

'Oh, Lord!' Daniel groaned, closing his eyes. 'Maybe Beau's an idiot after all. He certainly seems to be guilty of a remarkable lack of communication…' His lids flicked open and there was a glint of determination in their depths. 'Okay, it's obviously up to old parson Daniel to clear the decks.'

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips at the outrageously inept comparison. 'I appreciate your wanting to help, but it's not your concern, Daniel.' Those blasted tears were welling again. 'There's nothing anyone can do.'

'You're going to cry,' Daniel accused with exasperation. 'Now I'm going to have a wishy-washy prima donna on my hands.'

'I'm not going to cry,' she said indignantly. 'And I'm not wishy-washy.'

'I didn't think you were, but I'm beginning to change my mind. Whatever happened to the girl who broke me out of the Black Dragon Inn? I might have criticized your impulsiveness but not your lack of determination.' He shook his head in disgust. 'You and Beau are quite a pair.'

'What do you want me to do?' she asked fiercely. 'I can't make Beau love me and I don't want his damn pity.'

'Pity!' He shook his head. 'Muddle-headed as well as wishy-washy. Look, Kate, men don't marry because they feel sorry for a woman. Hell, I never thought I'd see the day when Beau would marry at all. Didn't it occur to you it would take something pretty monumental to make Beau give up his freedom after all these years?'

'I told you why he did it. He felt sorry-'

'Bull,' Daniel interrupted. 'He's crazy about you. I've never seen a man so besotted in my life.'

'He wants me,' she corrected huskily. 'I would have settled for that. I know it's more difficult for men to love than it is for women.' She lifted her chin. 'But I won't accept any relationship where I can't at least stand upon equal terms.'

'Equal terms,' Daniel repeated. 'Yet you clearly don't have any conception of equality in the man-woman relationship itself. Where the devil did you get the idea men were shortchanged in the emotional department?'

'But Jeffrey and Julio always-'

'All men aren't Jeffrey and Julio.' Daniel was definitely annoyed. 'I'd match my emotional sensitivity against yours any day. Beau loves you, damn it.'

She shook her head. 'He never said he loved me. He promised me everything else, but not that.'

'Are declarations so important? Maybe Beau has trouble saying those words. How do I know?' He shrugged. 'All I know is what I saw in his face that night he thought the Guardia had killed you. And it sure as hell wasn't pity, Kate.'

'It wasn't?' Oh, God, he was probably mistaken. It was too wonderful to be true. But what if he wasn't? What if Beau actually loved her? 'You're sure, Daniel?'

She sounded like an uncertain little girl and the hardness softened and then faded entirely from Daniel's face. His large hand covered hers. 'I'm sure,' he said gently. 'I don't see how you could be so blind you couldn't see it for yourself. How many men would get themselves embroiled in the kind of brouhahas you've been inciting all over the Caribbean for someone they just felt sorry for?' He grinned. 'It should have been a dead giveaway when he jumped into the sea and paddled after you like your faithful dog Tray.'

'He loves me?' she whispered, her eyes aglow with wonder.

'He loves you,' Daniel repeated firmly. 'Perhaps it's not surprising the two of you are having trouble communicating. You were both cannoned into a relationship as if you were shot from a howitzer. You haven't had a chance to learn each other.'

No, only to love each other. But if Daniel was right, they would have all the time in the world now for that other learning process. If he was right. She frowned anxiously. 'It doesn't make sense. Why would he want to send me away if he loves me?'

'Why don't you ask him?' Daniel asked. 'And when you do, remember you're dealing from strength. You impress me as a lady who's more than capable of getting things done once you set your mind on something. Do you want this marriage to work?'

'Yes. Oh yes,' she said softly.

'Then I suggest you set about assuring that it will.' He winked. 'Just pretend that Beau is a cocaine cache to be snatched or an imprisoned crew to be rescued. That should make it a piece of cake.'

Her hand tightened on his. 'I'll do that.' She would just take a deep breath and do what had to be done in this most important venture of her life. 'Will you be there to give me a little moral support?'

He shook his head. 'You don't need me. I'd just be in the way.' He looked down at the gold ring on his finger. 'Besides, I have a few loose ends to wind up before I go back to Sedikhan.'

'You're definitely returning to your very dangerous Mr. Donahue then?' she asked lightly 'Why not? I have an idea Beau is going to turn into a very boring solid citizen. That will take all the fun out of being captain of the Searcher.' His smile was a little whimsical. 'Remember I told you we were both searching for something? I've found what I was looking for.'

'Everything you were searching for?' she probed gently.

For an instant there was a flicker of something lost and vulnerable in the depths of those snapping navy blue eyes. 'Perhaps not everything, but for now it will have to be enough.' Then that vulnerability was gone and he grinned. 'Well, at least Beau has found it all. Now all you have to do is get him to admit it.'

It sounded so easy. She moistened her lips nervously as she thought just how important that confrontation to come was going to be. Oh, please, let Daniel be right. Please let her be able to make Beau say the words of commitment that would keep them together for the rest of their lives. No, she mustn't let herself have any doubts. She lifted her chin valiantly. 'No problem. As you said, it will be a piece of cake.'

The sun was going down in an explosion of glorious color, appearing to drain the sea of its own richness in contrast. On this deserted sand dune where she was standing Kate could feel the breeze, warm and soft touching her cheeks. That was also a contrast for there was nothing soft and warm in the violent beauty of the sunset. It bathed the white sand dunes in a fiery glow, and even the towering modernistic hotel in the distance appeared as a blazing sword against the horizon.

Sword. That brought back the memory of the intricately carved sword piercing the rose in Daniel's exotic ring. Magic. She must believe with all her heart in that magic now.

'What the devil are you doing this far from the hotel?' Beau's rough voice behind her made her heart leap. 'A lone woman on a deserted beach is an open invitation.'

She turned to face him. The fiery glare turned his bronze face to teak and lent the texture of his black jeans and shirt an illusion of velvetlike depth. 'I see you got the note I left at the bungalow. That's exactly what I wanted to convey,' she said lightly. 'An invitation.'

'That's fairly obvious.' The roughness of his voice deepened to huskiness as his gaze wandered over her lingeringly. Lord, she was beautiful. The loose white silky beach dress she was wearing reminded him vaguely of the caftan she'd worn that night in the rain forest except for the low cut of the square neckline. Her throat looked graceful and infinitely vulnerable as it rose from the gown and her face was lit with a