That Carolina Summer (North Carolina) Read online

  “Yes, it is.” Josh continued to watch her closely.

  It took all of Annette's skill to keep from betraying herself. “If I hadn't had my room key with me, we probably would have noticed Marsha's sweater was missing and gone back to look for it. As it is, the key told you where to return it."

  “It was certainly convenient to find it in the sweater pocket,” Josh agreed with a continuing trace of suspicion.

  “Marsha's lucky it wasn't stolen. I don't know how to thank you. Maybe I should offer you a reward ... or something...” Her voice trailed off at the last, affected by the crooked slant of his hard masculine mouth.

  “Or something,” Josh murmured to indicate his choice was the latter.

  A heady sexual tension enveloped Annette as his hand came up to lightly hold her chin, the touch of his fingers warm and firm. A tiny quiver ran through her at the contact. Josh leaned toward her, slowly bridging the space between them while his knowing gaze held hers. She was incapable of movement.

  Her lashes drifted shut when his mouth settled onto her lips, his warm breath fanning them an instant before he claimed them. It was a tasting kiss, without demands or passion, yet incredibly evocative. His mouth's easy mobility revealed his experience, but there was no attempt to take her into his arms, not even when her lips softened under his light possession to invite a more demonstrative show of his skills.

  Josh released her lips as slowly as he had taken them, and lifted his head to study her. The hand under her chin became absently caressing, his fingers lightly stroking the feminine lines of her throat. She felt on the edge of a precipice, ready to jump if he asked her.

  The corners of his mouth deepened in faint amusement. “That's what you wanted me to do, wasn't it?” Josh challenged.

  It was, but for the life of her, Annette couldn't answer him. Her lips continued to tingle with the sensations left by his kiss. Some very elemental message was being transmitted between them. When his hand came away from her chin, the connection was broken. Josh straightened to sever completely all silent communication.

  His gaze flicked past her into the shadowed hotel room. “You should tell your sister to keep better track of her things."

  “I will,” Annette promised, but Josh had already turned to leave. “Thank you,” she called after him.

  As his long unhurried strides carried him away, Annette remained outside the door a minute longer to watch him leave. Then her glance was pulled down to the sweater clutched in her hands. The elation of triumph propelled her inside the hotel room. An airy jubilant laugh spilled from her throat as she waltzed across the room and hugged herself, her eyes sparkling and alive.

  “It worked, Marsha!” she called, trying to make herself heard above the noise of the shower.

  “What?” came the half-muffled reply.

  “I said it worked!” Annette shouted.

  “I can't hear you!” she yelled back.

  “Turn off the water!” It was several seconds before the noise subsided and Marsha ducked her head outside the bathroom door.

  “Has he gone?” she asked.

  “Yes.” Annette was smiling broadly. “It worked!"

  “Good. Another minute and I would have turned into a prune,” Marsha declared.

  Annette stared at her dripping sister as Marsha wrapped a towel around herself. “You haven't been in the shower all this time?"

  There was a blank look at the question. “You told me to stay there until you called."

  “You idiot,” Annette laughed. “I meant that you should stay in the bathroom."

  “That isn't what you said,” Marsha retorted.

  “Well, you weren't supposed to take me literally.” It was very hard not to smile.

  “Did he bring back my sweater?” Marsha changed the subject.

  Annette presented it to her with a little flourish. “Here it is.” Then she couldn't contain her excitement any longer. “He kissed me, Marsha."

  “And?” Marsha thought surely there was an invitation to go out on a date. She would have thought that the dropped-sweater trick was worth more than a kiss.

  “That's all,” Annette admitted, but it didn't lessen the warm glow. “It's enough for now."

  Chapter Four

  THE ANGLING LIGHT from the morning sun glinted on the blue waters separating Wrightsville Beach from the mainland. Diving from overhead, a screeching gull swooped, close to shore. Annette slowed out of her jogging trot into a walk, stretching her legs now and then so the muscles wouldn't cramp. She angled off the path onto the sandy beach. The small marina belonging to the hotel complex was in sight just ahead.

  It had been another fruitless morning with no sign of Josh. She would have quit jogging every day except that she didn't want Josh to think that she ran only in the hopes of seeing him. She wanted him to believe it was part of her normal routine. Actually she was beginning to enjoy it and was physically invigorated by the exercise.

  A chunk of blond hair had worked free of its ponytail. Annette slipped the elastic band off her hair and shook her head to let her hair tumble loose about her shoulders. Running her fingers through it, she lifted its long mass to let the cool sea breeze reach her scalp. Across the waters the mainland of North Carolina stood sharply against the horizon, and she paused to look at it.

  Behind her she heard the sound of feet running through the sand toward her. She half turned to glance idly behind her. It was a full second before it registered that the young man with the burnished gold hair was Craig, the waiter. Without the uniform he looked very much the beach type in his pale blue slacks and the fishnet T-shirt in a darker shade of blue.

  “Hello.” His smile was wide and full of charm. “I knew if I kept looking I'd find you out here somewhere, jogging away the morning."

  “You were right,” Annette agreed with only a polite amount of welcome in her voice. He wasn't exactly the person she wanted to meet this morning, but when she resumed her walk, Craig fell in step beside her. “I take it you have the weekend off, or at least today,” she remarked with a pointed glance at his clothes.

  “The hotel rotates our schedules so everybody gets at least one full weekend off a summer. This is my turn,” he explained. “Otherwise we just get an odd Saturday or Sunday off each month."

  “I see,” she murmured, not really interested.

  He draped an arm familiarly around her shoulders, paying no attention to her start of surprise. Annette started to shrug it away, but she doubted that Craig would get the message. She continued to walk, indifferent to the arm around her shoulders.

  “A buddy of mine is letting me have his day sailer for the weekend,” he said, his head turned toward her as they trudged through the sand. “It's going to be a perfect day for sailing. Why don't you come with me?"

  Annette supposed that he expected her to fall all over herself in eagerness to accept his last-minute invitation. “Sorry.” The smile was only a movement of her mouth as she signaled her refusal. “My family has already made plans for the day."

  “So?” He didn't see where that was an obstacle. “You're a big girl now. You don't have to go with them."

  Annette stopped and turned to face him, tipping her head back to look at him squarely so there could be no mistake that she meant what she said. The movement slipped his hand to only one shoulder.

  “I don't have to go with them, but I want to,” she stated.

  “Come on,” Craig cajoled. “You know you'll have more fun with me.” When she didn't appear to be impressed he came up with his own reason why she wasn't. “I would have asked you yesterday but you weren't anywhere around."

  “I doubt if it would have made any difference, Craig,” Annette replied, trying to be as firm as she could without being rude. “I have fun being with my family."

  “Yeah, but you can go with them anytime,” he argued with a coaxing smile. “This is my only free time and I want you to spend it with me."

  “I'm sorry, Craig,” Annette patiently repeated he
r refusal.

  He was too conceited to believe that she meant it, convinced that she only wanted to be persuaded. He tangled his hand in her hair. Annette didn't have a chance to do more than grab at his arm in protest before his mouth was crushing itself onto hers. She was not aroused by his hungry demand for a response to the kiss and was glad when he abruptly broke it off before she had to resort to more forcible resistance. He cast an anxious glance toward the hotel's marina, then let her go to step back.

  His slightly guilty behavior aroused her curiosity, and Annette glanced in the same direction. A young girl, a member of the hotel staff, was sitting on the counter of a wood shelter on the dock where the hotel rented pedal boats and day sailers to their guests. The girl was looking in their direction.

  “One of your girl friends?” Annette mocked him.

  “Phyllis? No.” He shook his head in an easy denial.

  Annette made another guess. “I suppose the hotel has a policy against employees’ fraternizing with the guests."

  “Yeah,” he admitted, but his smile indicated that he considered it a rule meant to be broken. “They aren't strict about it, though."

  But he didn't repeat his invitation and Annette didn't bring it up. Her gaze went back to the marina, drawn to the two larger boats tied to the outer dock. The nearest one was about a fifty footer and the other was a few feet shorter.

  “Does the hotel own those large boats tied up there, too?” she asked.

  “Just the smaller one. The hotel charters it to small parties of guests for either fishing or harbor cruises,” Craig informed her. “During the winter a lot of people come here for the sport fishing. When a person hooks into a marlin it's really a sight to see."

  “I'll bet it is,” Annette agreed. “What about the other boat?"

  “That's Joshua Lord's new toy.” Craig shifted, showing a discomfort with that subject. Annette tried not to reveal her suddenly increased interest in the boat. “I hadn't better hang around any longer or they'll put me to work,” he joked, and regarded her intently. “Are you sure you won't change your mind and come with me today?"

  “No, thanks.” She shook her head to reinforce the refusal.

  “It's your loss,” he said to remind her that she was depriving herself of his company. “We could have had a ball.” The corners of her mouth twitched with amusement as Craig backed away to leave. “I'll see you around.” With a saluting wave he trotted off in the direction he'd come.

  Laughing silently to herself at his incredible conceit, Annette started off, drawn toward the marina. She walked onto the dock for a closer look at Josh's impressive “toy.” As she passed the girl on duty, Annette smiled a silent greeting. Then her gaze skipped over to the boat, recognizing the sleek lines of a Hatteras.

  She had just walked past the bowlines when the girl at the marina called to her, “Hey, Miss, that end of the dock is private!"

  Annette turned around to explain, “I was just looking—"

  But she was interrupted by the familiar timbre of Josh's voice. “It's all right, Chris,” he told the girl. “She can pass."

  Pivoting, Annette saw him standing on the aft deck of the boat. A pair of faded denims hugged his hips, riding low on his waist. The print shirt he was wearing was unbuttoned and hanging loose. There was a latent sexiness about him that curled around her and pulled her forward.

  “Good morning.” Annette paused by the gangplank. “I was just admiring your boat."

  “Come aboard,” Josh invited with a lazy look. “I'll give you a tour of her."

  “I'd like that,” she said, accepting the invitation and starting across, placing her hand in the one he offered to steady her.

  His hand retained its hold on hers for a full second after she was standing on the deck beside him. He looked down at her steadily, a half smile on his mouth.

  “I imagine your waiter friend told you who I am,” he said.

  The remark caused Annette to glance back along the beach where she had met Craig. She suddenly wondered whether Craig had broken off the meeting because of the girl or because of Josh. It was obvious that Josh had seen them together, so it was possible Craig had seen Josh and become worried about the security of his job.

  “He did,” she admitted, turning back to Josh and noticing his gaze drift to her mouth as if seeking a trace of Craig's stolen kiss. “But only in broad terms. He didn't get too specific.” Annette hesitated, just a little unnerved by the almost physical quality of his glance. “Was there a reason why you didn't tell me you owned this resort—among other properties? Is it supposed to be a dark secret?"

  “No.” His smile deepened lazily. “I guess I expected our acquaintance to have a short duration, which made the information nonessential. But—” the challenging glitter in his gaze mocked her"—we seem to keep running into each other."

  “We do, don't we?” Annette murmured, aware that she was stretching it too much to blame it on coincidence, so she didn't try. “Craig mentioned the boat was your new toy. She's a real beauty."

  “Yes.” It was a somewhat dipped agreement as Josh turned. “Let's go below and I'll show you the living quarters.” He led the way down the steps. “Mind your head,” Josh said, warning her of the low clearance that he had to duck but she didn't.

  There was a subtle lushness about the quarters, hinted at by furniture covered in genuine leather and a solid mahogany bar cabinet. Annette looked around at the rich appointments, her feet sinking into a thick blue carpet.

  “The crew's quarters are in the forward section.” Josh indicated the door leading to them with a brief wave of his hand. He moved aft. “Here's the galley.” It gleamed with all sorts of modern appliances.

  Annette followed him down the companionway, past the head and the guest staterooms to the master stateroom. Her fingers brushed across the brown velvet cover on the oversize bed. “Like it?” Josh inquired.

  “Yes,” she nodded. “I'm very impressed.” She was a little self-conscious standing next to the bed with Josh watching her. She didn't mean it to look like an invitation.

  “I planned on taking her out for a short test run this morning,” he said. “I'll probably be gone about an hour. Would you like to come along?"

  “Yes,” Annette accepted without any hesitation.

  “Good.” He smiled briefly. “You cast off the lines while I start the engines."

  “Now I know why you asked me along.” Annette grinned and followed him up the steps onto the aft deck. “You needed a deckhand."

  “That's right, so be quick about it,” Josh laughed.

  “Aye, aye, sir.” She moved nimbly forward to release the bowline.

  The engines sputtered and throbbed powerfully to life as Annette cast off the stern. Josh slid her a brief glance when she joined him by the wheel, where he stood, his feet spread slightly apart.

  “All clear,” she said brightly.

  Josh acknowledged the information with a nod and began to expertly maneuver the large boat away from the dock. A full panel of sophisticated navigational equipment was in front of him as well as the engine throttles and gauges.

  There were few boats in the bay, still a little too early in the morning for the weekend sailors. Josh pointed the boat toward the distant mouth of the bay, keeping it at a reduced speed.

  “The swells will be running a little rough this morning when we reach the ocean. Are you a good sailor?” Josh asked.

  “Yes,” Annette assured him. “Fortunately my sister is the only one in our family who gets sea-sick—and airsick.” She hopped onto the little perch next to the controls. “What would you have done if I'd told you I was a poor sailor?"

  “Taken you back,” he answered flatly. “I've got guests coming aboard this afternoon, so I don't want any bother."

  “Guests, huh?” She felt a little twinge of jealousy. “Male or female?"

  “Both.” Josh arched his eyebrows in a knowing glance, as if reading her thoughts.

  “A party. Sounds like
fun,” she lied.

  “An adult party,” he informed her, in case she intended to try to wangle an invitation.

  She wrinkled her nose at him. “How boring!” His throaty chuckle warmed her in spite of her envy for those who would enjoy his company that afternoon. “Is your party part business or strictly pleasure?"

  “No matter how they start out, they usually end up a combination of both,” Josh replied, and stepped away from the controls. “I'm going up on the fly bridge. Want to come?"

  Annette answered by following him to the open bridge aloft. A salty breeze whipped at her hair as she sat down on a front cushioned seat and curled her legs under her. Beyond the bridge ahead, she could see the first hint of breakers.

  With the throb of the engines, the chatter on the marine radio and the rush of the surf, conversation was reduced to a minimum once they were at sea. It was the shortest hour Annette could remember, the marina coming into view all too soon to suit her. As Josh maneuvered the boat into dock, she started to leave the bridge.

  “You don't need to bother, Annette,” Josh called her back. “Fred will make her fast,” he said, obviously referring to the man standing by on the dock.

  She kept her seat while the boat was being secured. Once the engines were switched off it seemed unnaturally quiet. Standing, she faced him, wishing there was a way to prolong the moment.

  “I wish we were just going out instead of coming back,” Annette admitted frankly. “Thanks for letting me come along."

  “It was my pleasure.” Josh smiled distantly, watching her with a hooded look, his hands resting casually on his hips.

  Unable to find an adequate reason to postpone taking her leave from him, Annette attempted a bright smile. “I hope you have fun at your party this afternoon."

  “I'm sure I will,” he replied. “You have fun on your date."

  “Date?” She lifted her head in vague confusion.

  His gaze narrowed. “Won't you be seeing Craig this afternoon?"

  Annette hesitated and decided against denying it outright, catching a hint of jealousy in the expression on his taut features. “Isn't it against hotel policy for guests and employees to mingle?"