Romancing the Crown: Kate & Lucas

“Do we have enough personnel to track them?” Kate asked.

“Yeah, no problem. We’ve got four vessels in the area. They’ll keep us posted.”

She hovered beside the wheel, her hand lifting to the gold chain she wore around her neck. “With so much activity in that sector, we should send a spotter plane for backup.”

“Already done.”

“Sam, do you think this is working?”

“What? You mean the search?”

“Yes. Maybe we would have been better off trying to put together a conventional patrol. It’s been nine days now.”

He noted the way she rubbed a fingertip over the tiny charm that hung from the chain. Even if he hadn’t heard the tension in her voice, the gesture would have given it away. She often fiddled with her necklace when she was agitated. “We already ruled that out,” he said. “We didn’t have access to enough Navy vessels to provide the coverage we need, and we didn’t want to scare Chambers into going underground. Give it a chance, Kate. Our strategy is sound.”

“Sure, but—”

“But our visit to the palace made the mission more personal, right?”

“Yes, it did. I wish we’d met the king in his offices instead of being part of that family celebration.”

“They’re nice people for a bunch of blue bloods. I think it was beneficial to be reminded of why we’re doing this.”

She dropped her hand and sighed. “I know what you mean. I can’t forget the expression on Lucas’s face.”

Neither could Sam. Even though Lucas was rich beyond most people’s dreams and was destined to rule this prosperous, picturesque island, anyone could see the man wasn’t happy.

That was the problem with love, Sam thought. When you gave your heart to a woman, you were left completely vulnerable.

He took the wheel from Kate and watched as she made her way toward the bow. She moved lithely, her body shifting effortlessly to compensate for the roll of the deck. It was a warm day, so she had dressed in loose, pleated shorts and a modestly cut tank top. Sam knew her garb was in keeping with their guise of vacationing tourists, that this was all in the line of duty, but he was having a hard time keeping his gaze off her legs.

She’d always had fabulous legs, long, tanned and firm, but it seemed as if they were more appealing than ever. Maybe it was because of all the running she did. Or maybe it was because he was slowly going crazy being able to look but not touch.

He wished he could still be annoyed, but the annoyance he’d felt a week ago at the indifference she displayed toward him had faded. The bruise to his ego had healed even faster than the bullet wound in his side. Too bad. That made the situation all the more difficult.

It didn’t seem to matter what she said or how many times she took refuge behind her duty, the old connection was there. And despite her resistance and the demands of their mission, that connection was strengthening with every day they spent together.

She could go ahead and change her hair and change her attitude, but she was still his Kate.

“Over there,” she called, pointing toward the port side. “There’s something dark near the shore.”

Sam took his binoculars out of the locker beside the wheel and focused on the area she had indicated. “I see it.”

“Was there anything reported in this sector today?”

“A white cruiser moving southeast of our position.”

“Then that couldn’t be it.” She ducked under the boom and climbed to the cabin roof to get a better vantage point. “I can’t tell whether it’s a boat. If it is, it’s a small one.”

“Perfect for getting in close enough to pick up a passenger.”

“We’d better take a look.” Kate leaped down to the foredeck and was already moving to trim the spinnaker when Sam spun the wheel. The sloop responded quickly, the bow slicing through the waves as it swung toward shore.

The coastline along this part of the island consisted of tumbled rocks at the base of towering cliffs. If a boat could navigate through the rocks, there were innumerable small coves where it could stay concealed.

They lost sight of the object briefly as they tacked against the wind. Sam kept them on a course that would bring them past a low peninsula where waves crashed against jagged rocks. He was counting on the height of the cliffs to block the wind and provide calmer water closer to shore.

He was right. The moment they cleared the peninsula, the wind dropped and the waves calmed to lazy swells.

“Can you see it yet?” Sam called.

Kate scanned the shore through her binoculars. “Yes. It’s not a boat, it’s some kind of dark area in the cliff.”

“Dark area?”

“I think it’s a cave, Sam. Right at the waterline.”

“A cave? How big?”

“Large enough to hide a small boat.”

“Radio in our position. We’ll take the dinghy and check it out.”

Ten minutes later, they had anchored the sloop in the cove and lowered the small wooden dinghy that served as the sloop’s lifeboat. Sam handed Kate the sidearm he’d requisitioned, then took up the oars and stroked toward shore.

She regarded the weapon with raised eyebrows. “You’re trusting me with your gun?”

“Why shouldn’t I? You know how to use one, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“My hands are full,” he said, nodding toward where he gripped the oars. “If we run into trouble, I wouldn’t be able to react as fast as you could.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

She was doing it again, he thought. She kept acting surprised when he didn’t behave like some macho chauvinist. Did she really have such a low opinion of him? Or had something happened during the last five years to her to make her suspicious of men in general?

Kate was a complex woman. He hadn’t really thought that much about it when they’d been lovers. They’d both been content to keep things simple. Maybe it was just as well he had to keep his hands off her while they were on this mission. He was getting to know her in a whole different way….

Who was he kidding? If he had the chance he would drop these oars and haul her into his arms right now. He’d reacquaint himself with every inch of those long, gorgeous legs she’d been flashing all day. He’d kiss her until she forgot the years that had passed.

As if her thoughts paralleled his, her expression softened. She leaned closer, parting her lips as she sighed in pleasure. “Oh, Sam.”

He had already dropped the oars and was reaching forward before he realized she wasn’t looking at him when she spoke. She was looking over his shoulder.

He twisted on the seat to look behind him.

They had reached the entrance of the cave. It arched overhead, high enough that he wouldn’t be able to touch the roof if he stood and stretched out his arm. Carved by the sea out of the same pale rock as the cliff, its walls sloped gracefully to rounded pebbles at the waterline. Sunlight reflected from the water and from the sand beneath, illuminating the entire chamber with an otherworldly blue-green glow.

“It’s beautiful,” Kate murmured.

“Yes.” He faced her in time to watch a smile spread across her face. “Beautiful.”

“It’s a wonder the place isn’t marked on the tourist maps.”

“I’m glad it isn’t.”

“I know what you mean. I’d hate to see it developed.”

Sam pulled lightly at the oars, guiding them through the opening. As they left the sunlight the air grew hushed, closing around them in a cool embrace. Water dripped from the oar blades, echoing hollowly from stone that had been smoothed by eons of tides.

Kate craned her neck, looking around in silence for a while as they drifted over the mirror-smooth water. “It’s as grand as the royal palace, but in a different way.”

“It’s hard to believe that the destructive forces of the sea could create something as peaceful as this. It’s like a natural cathedral.”

“What a perfect way to describe it. It’s one of those places that makes a person want to whisper.” She set the gun on the seat beside her. “I don’t think I’ll be needing this.”

“A few centuries ago you would have. I bet this was a favorite place for pirates to hide out.”

Her laughter tinkled through the cavern. “Pirates? Oh, Sam, you would have liked that, wouldn’t you?”

He stowed the oars, propping his forearms on his knees as he leaned toward her. He knew they should be getting back to the boat now that they could see the cave was empty, but it had been too long since he’d heard her laugh. Another few minutes wouldn’t hurt. “How’s that?”

“I can picture you now, a sword in one hand, a spyglass in the other as you sail the seven seas to hunt down some notorious pirate captain.”

“What makes you think I would have been one of the good guys?”

“Oh, come on. You always believed in doing the right thing. That’s just the way you are. Noble, responsible Sam.”

“Sounds boring.”

“I doubt if you could describe your life as a SEAL as boring. I remember how eager you sounded to go on your first training mission to the South Pacific.” She smiled. “Was it as much an adventure as you’d hoped?”

“Not really. Aside from paddling around a mosquito-filled swamp with my team…” He paused, struck by what she had said. “You know about my first mission. So that means you must have read my letter, after all.”

Her smile faded. She shifted her gaze to the patch of sunlight at the entrance to the cavern. “We should be getting back to the boat.”

“How come you didn’t reply?”

“Sam…”

“And you sent the other letters back. Why, Kate?”

“It’s what we agreed.”

He should let this go just as he’d let it go for a week, he told himself. Accept the way things were now and get on with their duty. Why keep clinging to the past when she’d made it crystal clear the past was over?

But that was just it. The past wasn’t over, no matter how much she tried to pretend differently. He couldn’t keep burying this under duty—he’d tried that for a week, and it wasn’t working.

Sam caught Kate’s hands, enfolding them firmly in his. “Was it that bad, Kate?”

“What?”

“Is my memory of what we shared that wrong? Am I the only one who felt we had something special?”

She tried to pull away but he held on, twining his fingers with hers. “Don’t,” she said. “There’s no point—”

“I need to know, Kate. Am I the only one whose heart speeds up when our eyes meet? Don’t you ever dream of moonlight swims and making love on the warm sand?”

“Please, Sam. I don’t want to—”

“Don’t want to what? Remember?”

Sudden heat came to her eyes. Her features tightened. “Yes. That’s right. I don’t want to remember.”

He brought her hands to his lips. Holding her gaze, he pressed a slow kiss to each of her knuckles in turn. “It wasn’t bad, Kate,” he murmured. “It was magic.”

Her lips trembled. “Sam…”

“I remember the night we met. You were wearing a blouse with no sleeves that was the color of your eyes. Your skirt was covered with flowers that reminded me of laughter. But do you know what really caught my eye?”

She shook her head.

“Your feet.”

“My… feet?”

“They were bare.”

“That’s because I was walking on the beach.”

“And when I saw the way you curled your toes to feel the sand I said to myself, ‘This is a passionate woman.”’ He rested his chin on their joined fingers and smiled. “It didn’t take long for you to prove me right. Remember the first time we kissed?”

She remained silent, her gaze on his lips.

“We’d heard the saxophone music from the beach and followed it to that club. All I could think about while we danced around the floor was that I wanted to know how your smile tasted. I didn’t even realize the music had ended.” He chuckled softly. “We might still be standing there if you hadn’t grabbed my cheeks and kissed me yourself.”

Kate stared at his mouth, trying to shut out the memories, but they came anyway. She remembered every detail of that night. She had never done anything as bold before, but there had been something so seductive about the throaty wail of the saxophone and the feel of Sam’s body moving in rhythm with hers that she hadn’t been able to resist lifting up on her toes and guiding his head to hers.

They had met mere hours before, but they had kissed as if they’d known each other all their lives. The power of it had blown them both away. They hadn’t even thought that what they were doing was fast or reckless. They hadn’t been able to stop.

He was right. It had been magic.

But it was over.

Gone.

As dead as their baby.

She shuddered as the good memory was swept aside by the bad. She yanked her hands from his before the inevitable wave of pain could follow.

The small dinghy rocked from her sudden movement. Off balance, Kate threw her arms out to stop herself from tumbling backward.

Sam reached for her, catching her before she could fall overboard. But as his large hands closed over her shoulders, his thumb hooked the delicate gold chain that circled her neck.

Kate felt a sharp pinch a split second before she heard the snap. Over the sound of the water lapping against the rocking boat, she heard a tiny splash. She tried to twist around.

“Steady, there,” Sam said, shifting his grip to her forearms.

Kate shook off his hold and grasped the gunwale to peer over the side. “Oh, God.”

In the blue-green illumination from the reflected sunlight that filtered through the water, she thought she saw a glint of gold. She lunged forward, thrusting her arm underwater as far as she could, but she was unable to catch the necklace before it sank out of reach.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist. A moment later, she was jerked against Sam’s chest. “Take it easy, Kate. You don’t need to jump overboard to get away from me.”

“What?”

“If I’m that far out of line, just tell me and—”

“No, Sam. You don’t understand.” She tipped her head to look at him. “I lost my necklace. It must have broken when you caught me.”

His eyebrows angled together. He looked at her neck. “Do you mean that gold chain with the little butterfly you always wear?”

“Yes, I…” She was shaken to hear him describe it so casually. “I didn’t realize you’d noticed it.”

“I notice everything about you.” He touched his fingertips to the side of her throat. “I can see the line the chain left on your skin. Damn, I’m sorry, Kate.”

To her disbelief, she felt tears come to her eyes. “It’s not your fault. It was a fine chain. It would have broken easily.”

“I’ll replace it when we get to San Sebastian. There’s a jeweler’s shop near the palace that’s supposed to be very good.”

She shook her head. How could she explain that it was irreplaceable? What would he do if she told him why that necklace was so important to her?

“If they don’t have a butterfly that you like, I’ll have them make one, okay?” He skimmed his fingers from her throat to her cheek. “Let me make up for this. Please.”

Make up for it? she thought wildly. How could he possibly make up for the child she’d lost? “Forget it, Sam. It’s gone.” Like our past, she thought. Like our baby.

He brushed his fingertip under her eye, catching a tear. “I’m sorry, Kate. It must have meant a lot to you.”

Yes, the necklace had meant a lot. It had given her a way to focus her grief. It had also been a reminder of how destructive love could be.

But it hadn’t been love. No, what had gone on between her and Sam had been sex, that’s all.

But he was touching her so tenderly, and he was ready to comfort her for something he didn’t even understand. Could she have been wrong not to give him a chance?

No. She’d been through this before. She wasn’t going to get drawn into anything with him again. She pulled away and returned to her seat in the stern. “We’d better get back.”

Sam didn’t pick up the oars. Instead, he toed off his shoes, then reached for the hem of his T-shirt and tugged it off.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Going on a treasure hunt.” Dressed only in his cutoff jeans, he braced his hands on the seat behind him and swung his legs over the gunwale. “Lean back so we don’t flip.”

Automatically she moved to balance the dinghy. “Sam, you can’t really mean to dive for it, can you? You’ll never find anything as small as the necklace in this light. I can’t even see the bottom.”

“It’s worth a try.” He touched his fingers to his forehead in a parting salute. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

“Sam!”

With a movement that was too fast to follow, he twisted his hips, arched his body and neatly slid feetfirst into the water.

“Sam, you idiot!” she cried. She fought to steady the boat, then leaned over the side as far as she dared.

The surface roiled where he had entered the water. By the time the ripples cleared, she could see that he had turned himself around and was kicking his way downward.

Kate wiped her eyes and blinked hard, straining to keep him in focus. Ripples of reflected sunlight moved over his body, becoming fainter and fainter until finally he blended into the darkness around him and disappeared.

“Sam, you idiot,” she repeated, this time in a whisper. What kind of man would jump overboard in a cave merely to retrieve a necklace? They were on a mission, for God’s sake. He shouldn’t be wasting his time with something personal like this. It was reckless and irresponsible.

It was also an incredibly sweet thing to do.

Sam? Sweet? He’d laugh if she told him that. He was a rough, tough Navy SEAL. He shrugged off bullet wounds. He craved excitement and adventure and freedom. He—

He’d been underwater too long, she thought, peering into the depths. She scanned the surface around her for bubbles, but there was nothing, no sign of any movement.

This was the kind of work he was trained for, she reassured herself. He had to know what he was doing. This dive wasn’t really dangerous. She shouldn’t be feeling so very… alone.

She glanced around the cavern. Without Sam’s presence, the grandeur of the place seemed to dim. It was like that with many of the things they’d experienced together. After the night they met, she’d never been able to listen to saxophone music without thinking about him and the dance they’d shared. And that first kiss.

Unbidden, the memory returned. She braced herself for the pain that would follow, but this time it didn’t come. She remembered the pleasure. And the power that had sparked between them. He hadn’t been sweet then. He’d been hot, hard and sexy enough to steal her breath.

There was a splash behind her. She pivoted quickly and saw Sam’s head break the surface ten yards away. She grasped the oars and propelled the dinghy toward him.

He treaded water, tipping back his head as he inhaled in deep gulps. “Sorry. Couldn’t spot it.”

“It doesn’t matter, Sam,” she said.

“There are some weird currents near the bottom. It must have drifted on the way down.” He turned to get his bearings, then took a deep breath, swept his arms to the side and jackknifed under the water.

“Sam!”

Of course, he didn’t pay any attention to her protest. That’s the way he was, stubborn and determined to get his way.

Only, in this case, she couldn’t find anything wrong with that. Maybe those weren’t such bad qualities in a man. Maybe things could have worked out if she’d given him a chance….

Oh, God, no. She couldn’t think like that. It was only because of this mission. They’d been together for practically all their waking hours. It was only natural that the old feelings would begin to reawaken. As soon as the mission was over, they would go their separate ways, and everything would get back to normal. Yes, it would.

He surfaced and dove twice more, each time working closer to the mouth of the cave. Kate followed him with the rowboat until, finally, he came up right beside her.

“Sam, that’s enough,” she said immediately before he could go under again. “Get in the boat.”

He shook his head quickly to flick the water from his hair, then grinned and tossed something shiny toward her.

Kate caught it in the air. It wasn’t her necklace. It was a flat disk, about two inches in diameter, and it was shaped like a… “This looks like a coin!”

“Yeah. I told you there must have been pirates here.”

“Oh, my God.” She rubbed the coin on her shirt and studied it more closely. “This is gold.”

“It’s gold, all right. That’s why it isn’t corroded.”

“It almost looks like…” She shook her head. “I’ve only seen pictures of them, but it couldn’t be a Spanish doubloon. Not here.”

“Why not? Doubloons were common currency in the seventeenth century, and this area was always a major trade route.”

“But the chances of you finding this—”

“Were slim but not impossible,” he said. “Like I told you, there are some weird currents near the bottom. They could have shifted the sand enough to expose the coin today and then bury it again tomorrow.”

“I suppose so.”

“There’s probably more down there. I could go take another look and—”

“Don’t you dare do another dive.”

He kicked his feet lazily to keep himself upright in the water. His gaze gleamed like the gold in her palm. “Why not?”

Because you worried me, she thought. Because I want you with me… even though I don’t want you with me. “Because our mission doesn’t include a salvage operation,” she replied. “We can tell the people at the Royal Montebellan Museum about this find. They’ll take it from there.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“You’re the one who always has to go after the next adventure, not me,” she said, her tone harsher than she had intended.

His smile disappeared. “I’m sorry about upsetting you earlier, Kate.”

“It’s all right. Let’s just forget it, okay?”

“No, we can’t forget it. That’s the whole point. We’ve been trying to pretend that our past didn’t happen, and it’s not working.”

He was right, she thought. It wasn’t working. But that only meant they had to try harder. “We’re on a mission, and you’re in the water. I don’t think this is the time or place for a discussion, Sam.”

“Then what is?”

“Would you just get in the dinghy now, Lieutenant Coburn?”

He watched her in silence for a moment before he clamped his hands over the gunwale. “Better lean back.”

Just as she’d done when he went in, Kate leaned over the opposite side to help balance his weight. He kicked hard to heave his upper body out of the water, then hooked one knee over the side of the boat and rolled smoothly inside.

The dinghy was designed to accommodate two people easily, but it suddenly seemed too small. Kate returned to her seat in the stern and tried to do what she’d done for a week. She tried to ignore the six feet two of ruggedly handsome male in front of her.

But as Sam had said moments ago, it wasn’t working.

“Kate…”

She held up a palm. “Please, Sam. We’ve said more than enough. Let’s just get back to the boat.”

This time he didn’t argue. He slicked the water from his chest and arms with his palms, completely unselfconscious about being half-naked. Without another word he took the oars, spun the dinghy around to point out of the cavern and rowed across the cove to their anchored sloop.

The moment they had secured the lifeboat over the stern and stowed their gear, Kate headed for the cabin. But before she could reach the cockpit Sam stopped her with a firm hand on her arm. “Wait,” he said.

“I need to get on the radio and check in,” she said almost desperately. She had to establish distance between them. She had to focus on her duty to keep the memories—and the doubts—at bay. They had to get back to the base before they dug up more things better left buried.

“This will only take a minute.” Sam transferred his grip to her shoulders and gently turned her to face away from him. There was the click of an opening stud and the rasp of a zipper.