Romancing the Crown: Kate & Lucas

“I’ve been given a place to set up a command center in the north building. I’m meeting the superintendent of the Montebellan police there in twenty minutes.” Sam touched her elbow as he changed direction. “Naturally I’ll include you in the meeting now.”

She couldn’t help it, she flinched at his touch. “All right.”

“Before he gets here, I need to ask you something.”

“What?”

They had reached the building on the north side of the square. When the Montebellans had deeded this enclave to the U.S. Navy, they had stipulated that any structures had to reflect the character of the local architecture. Although this building housed an efficient complex of modern offices, the long windows, slate roof and iron-trimmed wooden entrance doors gave it the flavor of a Mediterranean villa.

Instead of going through those doors, Sam detoured to a corner that was shielded from sight by a large cedar tree. He stopped and turned to face her. “Are you going to have a problem working with me, Kate?”

Leave it to Sam to tackle the issue head-on. She kept her gaze on the top button of his khaki shirt. “No,” she lied. “I’m grateful for the king’s notice. This assignment is bound to look good on my record, so of course I don’t object to it.”

“That’s not what I meant. Will it bother you to be my partner?”

“I wouldn’t expect to be in charge, since you were the one who was called in for this project first.” She paused. “Do you have a problem working with a partner?”

“No, I can use all the help I can get.”

“Fine.” She started to move past him, but he didn’t budge.

“Kate, I’m not talking about our work, I’m talking about us.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Given our past association, I thought you might feel awkward about taking this assignment.”

Her gaze went from his shirt to his throat. And she thought about how that hollow at the base had tasted. She fought the urge to lick her lips. “Thank you for your concern, Sam, but as you said, our association was in the past. And I want to leave it there.”

“Right. That’s what you told me yesterday.”

“I wouldn’t let my personal business interfere with my duty.”

“You never did.”

“What does that mean?”

“Your career always came first.”

That’s because when she’d lost the baby, she had nothing else left. She frowned. No, that wasn’t right. She had chosen this career. She loved it. She had put it first before she was pregnant, too. “I think we’ve covered this topic, Sam.”

“Have we? As I recall, we didn’t do all that much talking when we were together.”

That was true. They’d had far more urgent things on their minds than conversation. She moved her gaze to his mouth, remembering how he’d used it on her neck…and her breasts…and her thighs….

Kate quickly looked away, focusing on the flag at the center of the square. “Maybe I should be asking you if you have a problem working with me, given our past association. You’re the one who can’t seem to let it go.”

Can’t let it go? She’s right, Sam thought. He did have a problem. A major problem. It was distracting enough just thinking about her. How was he supposed to work with her? How could he keep himself from touching her, especially here in the sunshine with her hair gleaming like autumn and her pulse throbbing in the delicate vein at the side of her neck?

He’d been wrong before when he’d thought she looked composed. Now that they were in full daylight he could see she hadn’t slept any better than he had last night. There were shadows under her eyes and signs of strain around her lips.

What was bothering her? It couldn’t be the same thing that was bothering him, that was for sure. If she’d been dreaming of hot sex all night she wouldn’t have brushed him off yesterday or continued to treat him like a casual acquaintance today. She had never been shy about her physical needs—their relationship had been as simple and basic as things could get between a man and a woman. He’d thought the memories they shared were good ones. And they had parted on friendly terms—he’d let her go as neatly as she’d wanted—so what was going on?

If this were five years ago, he would have cupped her cheek and drawn her head to rest against his shoulder. He would have stroked her back and pressed soft kisses to her hair and urged her to confide in him.

But he wasn’t part of her life any longer. She didn’t welcome either his touch or him. “Don’t worry, Kate. You made yourself clear twice already, and the Navy has a strict policy regarding sexual harassment.”

“Good.” She moved toward the door.

“But if you ever change your mind,” he added softly, “be sure to let me know.”

A slight break in her stride was the only sign that she had heard him. “I think it would be best if we get on with our mission,” she said briskly. “What have you done so far?”

As they climbed the stairs to the second story, Sam tamped down his frustration and told her what he had related to the admiral. They reached the office he’d been assigned, and he stepped aside to let her enter first. He couldn’t help noticing that she was careful not brush against him as she went by.

It was another jab to his already bruised ego. Had what they’d shared meant so little to her? Had he deluded himself, distorted the memory of how good it had been? He wanted to grab her arm, spin her around and haul her to him so he could find out.

Instead, he closed the door behind them and watched her walk around the room. He couldn’t grab her. He couldn’t kiss her. He’d meant what he’d said about sexual harassment. It would be a serious charge, and he wasn’t about to risk his career to satisfy his urge for a woman.

No, not just a woman. Kate. His Kate. The lover who had spoiled him for anyone else.

Aw, hell.

“Have you obtained charts of the coastline?” she asked.

He pushed away from the door and walked to the large table he’d set up in the center of the room. “Right here.”

She joined him, although she was careful to keep an arm’s length away. She braced her hands on the edge of the table and leaned over to study one of the charts spread out there. “I know this coast. Even though there are many rocky stretches, there are innumerable places a small boat can pick up a passenger.”

“I take it you think she’ll try to escape by small boat?”

“It’s her best course of action. With the airports closed to her and the cruise lines and ferries on alert, she won’t be able to escape the island by any form of public transportation. She’ll likely try to obtain the use of a private boat.”

That was exactly the conclusion that he’d come to. Sam moved closer to Kate’s side and leaned over the chart with her. He couldn’t help inhaling her scent, and he was already leaning nearer to get another whiff before he caught himself. Damn, how was he supposed to keep his mind on business if she smelled like that? He exhaled hard and traced a line on the paper with his index finger. “The nearest island to Montebello is Tamir. Although relations between the two countries have thawed recently, they don’t have an extradition treaty. If Chambers makes it that far, it won’t be difficult for her to disappear.”

“A small private craft would be able to cover the distance to Tamir,” Kate said. “Even a rowboat could make it as long as the weather conditions were favorable.”

“You said you’ve been stationed here seven months. How many private boats do you figure there are on Montebello?”

Kate lifted her shoulders in a brief shrug. “This is an island. The sea is a major influence on Montebellan culture. There are fishing boats, sailboats and pleasure craft of all kinds. If you added them all up, the number would likely exceed the population itself.”

“I suspected as much. That’s going to make this challenging.”

“From what you said, the Montebellan police will be able to cover the airports, but they don’t have the resources to insure that Chambers doesn’t escape by water.” She continued to study the map. “Our navy has been doing coastguard patrols as part of the lease agreement for this base, but with the number of ships in dry dock and the number on maneuvers, we’re stretched too thin to step up the patrols to any significant extent.”

“That’s the problem I’ve been running into,” Sam said. “The admiral authorized the use of any available naval resources to assist the Montebellans, but that only means telephones, radio equipment, this office and a handful of personnel who could be pulled from their regular duties. We couldn’t justify diverting Navy vessels that are stationed in the Mediterranean into forming a blockade in order to look for one woman. That would be ludicrous, not to mention a threat to the stability of the area.”

“So what’s your plan?”

“Still working on it. For now, we’re going to concentrate on checking any suspicious watercraft during the regular patrols of the coastline. The police helicopters will provide added surveillance.”

“But that won’t necessarily stop her from escaping. The craft she’s on might not look suspicious. You would need to check out every single vessel to be certain, but considering the amount of daily boat traffic and the limited number of Navy vessels available, that would be impossible.”

“Hey, I’m open to suggestions. Do you have a better idea?”

She didn’t respond immediately. She studied the map for another minute, then straightened. “Sam, I don’t believe we should rely on the regular coastal patrol.”

He turned to face her, surprised by her comment. “Unless every soul in Montebello is a news junkie and is able to recognize Ursula Chambers from her photograph, and unless they’re completely honest and willing to turn her in, we can’t be certain she won’t be able to find some private boat to hire.”

“Of course, we can’t rely on the general public to stop her from escaping. I meant that we shouldn’t use a high-profile surveillance of the island.”

“Why not?”

“There is already massive security in place at the airports, right?”

“Right,” he confirmed. “Chambers won’t get off Montebello that way.”

“So if her only alternative is leaving by boat, a high-profile search using naval ships and police helicopters might force her underground.”

“Ah, I see your point.”

Kate nodded. “She’s already a suspect in two murders, so she has nothing to lose by killing again. For the sake of public safety, I’m positive the king would want her captured as soon as possible.”

“You’re right. He does. That’s why he’s pulling every diplomatic string he’s got to get help.”

“Which should make our job easier. We’re going to need to pull a lot of strings to organize what I have in mind.”

He crossed his arms and looked at her expectantly. “Which is?”

She lifted her chin. “I think we should use the fleet of Montebello.”

Did she know how appealing her neck looked when she angled her chin that way? She used to like the way he would run his tongue along her jaw. And he liked that low purr she made when he would suck on her earlobe….

“Sam?”

He jerked his attention to what she had said. “What fleet? The Montebellans have no fleet.”

“They have fishing boats and pleasure craft.”

“Kate…”

“Think about it, Sam. The waters around this island are usually busy with small craft, so those boats wouldn’t arouse suspicion as they cruise the coastline. They would serve to draw Chambers out. They’re maneuverable, and if coordinated properly they could systematically cover a large area.”

“If coordinated properly?”

“We could man the boats with all available Montebellan police and Navy personnel, who would remain in constant radio communication.”

He stared at her as he rapidly assessed her suggestion. SEALs were trained to make use of anything available when they were on a mission. But civilian vessels? In a naval operation? It was unconventional, but it just might work. “I see where you’re heading, Kate. If we chart a course for each vessel so that it covers one section of a grid near the coastline—”

“With naval vessels positioned offshore as backup for the small boats—”

“And spotter aircraft on standby,” he added.

“By tomorrow we could draw a surveillance net around the island that a rubber raft couldn’t slip through.”

“All right. Sounds good. Let’s set this up.”

She lifted her eyebrows. “Just like that? You’re willing to go with my idea?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

“You sound surprised.”

“Well, yes.”

“Why?”

“I was under the impression that you liked getting your way.”

“Sure I do. In this case, I want to complete my mission by catching a murderer, and if your idea gets me there, I’ll use it.”

“I see.”

“Kate, just because I was more interested in your body than in your mind doesn’t mean I thought you didn’t have one.”

She took a step back, her cheeks flushing red. “Sam, we agreed—”

He muttered an oath and held up his hands. “Sorry.”

“No problem.” She cleared her throat and turned to the table. “We’d better get started.”

Ursula hated the water. She’d never learned to swim. The only reason she owned a bikini was that she looked so scrumptious in one.

She lifted her arm to hold her hat against the breeze and inhaled deeply. “I just love sailing,” she said. “It’s so exciting, don’t you think?”

The boy nodded quickly, his gaze riveted to her cleavage. His frame hadn’t yet fleshed out, and he looked all coltish arms and legs in his swimsuit, but the gleam in his eye was all man.

Ursula twitched her shoulders so her breasts jiggled, hiding a smirk when she saw the boy’s eyes widen. Teenagers were so easy to manipulate. This one appeared to be sixteen, maybe seventeen, and like all adolescent males, he could be led around by his sex drive.

He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing like a cork. “I have a sailboat.”

Of course, she knew he had a boat. She’d noticed him drag up some little thing with a rainbow-striped sail on the sand ten minutes ago. It was the only reason she was giving him this free show. She needed that boat now that she’d had to abandon her plan to leave Montebello by plane.

The past twenty-four hours had been simply dreadful. When she’d reached the airport yesterday, she’d found it crawling with security. She’d been smart enough to work her way past them, but when she’d seen the cop behind the ticket counter, checking everyone’s ID, she’d known it was no use. She wouldn’t be getting on a plane anytime soon.

There weren’t many choices open to her. Either she continued to hole up in the hotel room she could no longer afford until the heat at the airport died down, or she had to leave this godforsaken island by water. And she hated the water.

She should have known better than to team up with Gretchen Hanson. Sure, they’d been childhood chums in Shady Rock, Colorado, but Gretchen had always reminded Ursula of a rat. The woman must have spilled everything the instant she’d been caught. Now the police knew Ursula’s name, and the photo from her driver’s licence was on wanted posters all over the country.

It was dangerous to be seen in public—with a face and body as outstanding as hers, she naturally drew attention. Yet she could have saved herself the trouble of donning the sunglasses and concealing her hair under her hat when she’d decided to troll the beach for prospects this morning. This kid hadn’t looked at her face yet.

“A sailboat. How marvellous.” She paused and tipped down her sunglasses, giving him a slow, suggestive perusal. “And I’ll just bet you’ve got a big one.”

“B-big?”

“I like them long and sleek. Is yours?”

“My…”

“Your boat, honey. Is it big?”

“She’s a twenty-three-foot catboat.”

“Ooh, sounds yummy. Are you… experienced?”

“Uh…”

She adjusted her hat and leaned toward him. “I meant at sailing.”

“Yeah. I’ve been sailing for years.”

“I can see that,” she murmured, drawing her fingertips along his scrawny forearm. “You have such lovely muscles here.”

His jaw went slack. “Uh.”

She sighed, giving her breasts an extra heave. “I wish I knew someone who could take me.”

“T-take you?”

“For a sailboat ride.”

“I could take you out.”

“You? What a great idea. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“We could go now.”

“Mmm. Evening would be so much nicer. The moonlight, the darkness.” She traced his wiry little biceps with a fingernail. “It’s so romantic.”

His Adam’s apple threatened to bob out of his throat. “I, uh…”

“How far have you gone?”

“What?”

“Have you ever gone all the way?”

He shifted from one foot to the other, his body twitching with discomfort. “Sure. Lots of times.”

“Wow.” She rested her fingertips on his chest and leaned closer still. “All the way to Tamir? You must be a really good sailor.”

“Tamir?”

Ursula hid her impatience. The hormones that were raging through the kid’s system were starting to shut down his brain. That’s what she was counting on, but not before she got what she wanted out of him. “You know. Tamir. The island that’s nearest to Montebello.”

“Uh, my mom won’t let me go that far.”

She flicked her little finger teasingly against his nipple. “Do you always do what your mommy says?”

His breathing was getting shallow. “The currents are t-tricky. Sometimes the swells can reach ten meters, and my cat’s not—”

“I would be very, very grateful to get a ride to Tamir.” She rubbed her knee lightly between his thighs. “Very grateful.”

“I, uh.” He inhaled quickly, beads of sweat popping out on his upper lip. “Oh, geez.”

“Would you like a sample of my—” she dropped her hand to the front of his swim trunks “—gratitude?”

He trembled and pushed himself against her hand. His eyes were glazed. “Oh, geez. Oh, geez.”

“We could meet here at sunset.” She glanced up and down the beach. This cove was practically deserted, except for some kids tossing a Frisbee and a handful of sunbathers. And speaking of a handful, this boy felt about ready to burst. He’d probably never been this close to a real woman, let alone felt one touch him. How tiresome. She squeezed lightly and withdrew her hand. “It can be our secret, hmm?”

He fumbled for her wrist. “Sure. Whatever you say. Just do that again.”

It was easy to twist out of his grasp since his palms were so sweaty. Unconcerned with the state she was leaving him in, Ursula turned away, wiping her hand on her thigh. “Later, honey. When we’re on the way to Tamir.”

Chapter 5

It was hard to believe that such a change could take place in twenty-four hours, but the quiet office Sam had led Kate to the day before was now a hive of activity.

Because of the special nature of their assignment, they had been able to bypass the Navy’s usual requisition procedures and had commandeered equipment from every available source. Telephones and a fax machine had been hooked up, along with a row of computers. A printer chugged away in one corner, spewing out maps of the surveillance grid and the course each boat would take. Uniformed men and women, some from the navy, some from the Montebellan police, moved purposefully at their tasks.

The unconventional fleet was already taking shape. In order to keep the operation from the public, only members of the Montebellan police had been asked for the use of their private vessels. The response from the police had been overwhelming. Offers of everything from cruisers to runabouts to sailboats had been coming in all day. As of twenty minutes ago, the number of boats that had been volunteered would be sufficient to cover the grid.

There had been no shortage of volunteers from the Navy and the police to help crew the boats. Cruising the picturesque coast of Montebello in search of a lone woman—and being the acting captain of one’s own vessel, no matter how small—was one assignment that had them lining up at the door.

Communication specialists from both the police and the Navy had set up the radio links, assigning a separate frequency for the boats in each grid and for the nearest Coast Guard or Navy vessel that was cruising offshore. All the frequencies would be monitored at the command post so that reinforcements could be dispatched at any sign of trouble.

Unless they ran into a major snafu, the first shift should be in place within the hour. They just had to hope that Chambers hadn’t already managed to find a boat.

Kate was still surprised that Sam had gone along with her suggestion without protest. In her experience, men usually preferred to put their own stamp on an idea before acting on it. She’d run into this time and again during her rise through the ranks and had learned to handle it with calm, steady logic.

Yet Sam had listened to each of her points and accepted her conclusion without argument. Of all the men she knew, he was one of the most stubborn about getting his way, yet he’d given her credit for having a brain.

Just because I was more interested in your body than in your mind doesn’t mean I thought you didn’t have one.

She should have taken offense at his comment the day before, but in all honesty she couldn’t. After all, she knew perfectly well their relationship had been purely about sex. They’d been clear about that from the start. Five years ago, she’d been more interested in his body than in his mind, too.

Kate glanced over the top of the clipboard she held. Sam was leaning over the shoulder of a young petty officer who was typing furiously at a computer keyboard. The pose flexed Sam’s arms against the short sleeves of his khaki shirt and tightened his pants in a way that outlined his taut buttocks.

He was six feet two of lean, well-muscled Navy SEAL. Broad shoulders, tapered waist and a set of buns that would get the notice of any woman who had a pulse.

She shouldn’t be looking, but simply looking wasn’t going to reawaken the pain, was it? The attraction was there, it would always be there, but she wasn’t going to let it screw up her life again. They had reached an understanding yesterday, and they’d managed to function well together for a full day. The emotions that had been stirred up by the incident at the hospital were once more firmly under control. Yes, they were. She could handle this.

“Lieutenant, I have the meteorological data you requested.”

Kate quickly yanked her gaze away from Sam’s rear end and focused on the young blond woman in front of her. She glanced at the insignia on her police uniform as she searched for a name. “Thank you, Sergeant Winters.”

“Here’s a copy of the printout,” the sergeant said, handing Kate a thick stack of papers. “We’ll be getting hourly satellite updates on the major weather systems affecting the region.”

“Good work. What about forecasting?”

“I’ve networked my computer with the research station. We’ll have the latest forecasts the moment they’re available.”

Kate stacked the printout on top of her clipboard. “Excellent.”

“Would you like me to coordinate the data with Petty Officer Thurlow?”

“Who?”

“He’s setting up the program for current patterns.” The sergeant nodded toward the young man at the computer keyboard, but her gaze was on Sam. To be more exact, it was on Sam’s butt.

Kate wasn’t proud of the feeling that went through her. She had no claim on Sam—she’d been crystal clear to both of them on that issue—so she had no right to be annoyed at the woman’s interest. Furthermore, she had just been enjoying the view herself. It would be hypocritical to disapprove when another woman did the same.

Sam clapped the petty officer on the shoulder and straightened, arching his back in a brief stretch that rippled the muscles in his arms.

Kate’s pulse thudded hard. Enjoying the view was an understatement. He wouldn’t be aware of the display he was putting on. He had always been comfortable with his body and was completely unselfconscious about using it. It went along with his penchant for touching. He was a physical man, so he naturally drew the interest of women, even one who vowed never to let a man get under her skin like that again.