Part 18 (1/2)

aIad love to throw a few lines into that,a she said longingly.

aBut?a asked Hawk, accurately reading Angelas decision not to fish.

aThis can be a nasty stretch of water when the tide is running full. We have four days to fish. Iad rather not be caught in these currents after dark.a Only then did Hawk notice the subtle gradations of green in the water, the sinuous drift of debris marking boundaries of competing currents.

aIsnat this slack tide?a he asked.

aClose.a Hawk eyed the seething water with real respect. If it was this lively at the slack tide, he could imagine what it was like when the tide was running fulla”unthinkable ma.s.ses of water racing between islands, shouldering against rocky channels, heaping into froth and silent, violent whirlpools.

Where Angel and Hawk were now, the Inside Pa.s.sage had unraveled into a mult.i.tude of tiny openings winding among a maze of islands. Into that maze poured the power of the Pacific, a power that was constricted by rocks and narrows, currents and countercurrents.

Some of the islands were large, some were no bigger than boulders fringed with rock reefs. Even with a navigational map, Hawk knew that he would have difficulty picking his way through the obstacle course of rock and sea in full daylight at slack tide.

With darkness and the tide coming on, piloting the boat would be as demanding as racing a car with a broken wrist.

Hawk had done that once, when he was young and hadnat cared whether he lived or died. It wasnat an experience that he was eager to repeat.

Angel, however, seemed well in control of the situation. She reminded Hawk of himself during a race, alert and coordinated, hands firm on the wheel without clenching, eyes picking out the safest course. He sat back and enjoyed her skill, pleased with his guide through the unexpected beauties and dangers of the Inside Pa.s.sage.

The pressure of Hawkas attention finally became too great to ignore. Angel glanced sideways quickly, wondering what lay behind the enigmatic, very male lines of his face.

aIs something wrong?a she asked.

aNo. Youare very good,a said Hawk distinctly. aI enjoy watching such a high level of skill.a Angelas eyes widened with surprise. aThank you.a aDid Grant teach you?a Dark lashes closed for an instant, concealing the blue-green color of Angelas eyes.

Then, clearly, she said, aYes.a Angel waited, but no more questions came.

19.

Hawk eased out of the triangular bed that filled the bow of the boat. It was absolutely black in the bow except for a lighter patch of darkness where the vent was. Carefully he opened the door to the c.o.c.kpit cabin, trying to make no noise. His moccasins made no sound as he walked across the runner of indoor-outdoor carpeting.

The cabin beyond the c.o.c.kpit was empty.

As Hawk had suspected, Angel had chosen to sleep outside, in the stern of the boat. It was as far away from him as she could get without sleeping on the rocks that lined Needle Bayas sh.o.r.e. The built-in seats and the raised platform covering the engines combined to form an area the size of a double bed. Custom-made pads ensured that the bed was reasonably comfortable.

It was a chilly bed, though. The predawn air had a definite bite. Angel had slid down into her sleeping bag until no more than a pale cloud of hair showed.

Hawk crossed to the stern and touched her hair very gently, taking care not to wake her. Away from her face, her hair was cool, almost cold, yet oddly alive. It gathered light like a pearl, s.h.i.+mmering and s.h.i.+fting with each touch of Hawkas hand.

He remembered how her hair had looked a few days ago when he had laid her down on the dark quilt in the bow of the boat. The pale fire of her hair and skin had made him want to bury himself in Angel like a warm pool.

She had been so beautiful, and he had been so cruel.

The lines on Hawkas face deepened as he gently wound a strand of Angelas hair around his finger. He knew so little about her, and so much.

She had given to him what she had given to no other man. He had taken, unknowing, giving her nothing in return, not even pleasure. Then he had raged at her for destroying his world, for taking his certainties about life and love and women and smas.h.i.+ng each one of them.

He had thought Angel was aware of what she had done to him, that she had done it deliberately.

Today Hawk knew that wasnat true. Angel had no more known the depth of his cynicism than he had known the depth of her innocence.

But he knew now.

Angel had taught him that there was a woman without lies.

He had taught her that there was a man without love. Her eyes darkened when she looked at him. She walked around tables to avoid being close to him. All that touched her were his questions, questions like talons sinking into her, making her writhe with pain.

Yet Hawk had to ask, had to know. He had never in his life found anything more compelling to him than the truths spoken by her soft lips.

As gently as Hawk had gathered it, he released the pale ribbon of Angelas hair that he had wound around his finger. His skin suddenly felt chilled, missing the warmth of her silky hair. He touched the blond softness once more, sliding his fingertip down until he felt only the cold material of the sleeping bag.

Then he turned and went back into the cabin, making no more noise than the sunrise staining the eastern horizon.

Angel woke to the smell of coffee and fried bacon. She sat up quickly, her heart pounding, her mind disoriented in the instant before awakening. The cold air and multicolored sky told her that she was outside at dawn. Then she felt the subtle motions of the boat and remembered.

Hawk.

The first day of their fis.h.i.+ng trip.

aHow many eggs?a asked Hawk, opening the cabin door and watching Angelas tousled emergence into awareness.

aFried or scrambled?a she asked.

aIall know as soon as I crack the sh.e.l.ls,a he said.

A smile curled the corners of Angelas mouth. aKeep me posted.a With a curt nod, Hawk turned back toward the stove. The sight of Angelas sleepy disarray made his whole body clench with hunger. Once that had made him angry. Now it made regret stab through him as deeply as desire.

Angel unzipped the sleeping bag, s.h.i.+vered, and walked quickly to the cabin door, closing it behind her to keep in the heat from the galley stove.

aDo you want me to make omelets?a she asked, hesitating.

The cabin seemed very small. Hawkas height and wide shoulders all but filled the area.

Hawk looked over his shoulder, sensing Angelas sudden unease.

aThatas all right,a he said. aI enjoy cooking breakfast once in a while.a Angel hovered just inside the doorway. Her hair was rumpled, her s.h.i.+rttails showed beneath the hem of her dove-gray pullover sweater, and her stocking feet looked oddly vulnerable. Obviously she had changed her clothes last night and then crawled into her sleeping bag.

aIall have to try your method tonight,a Hawk said.

With an effort he forced himself to look away from Angel. He cracked eggs into the frying pan with the deftness of a man who cooked eggs more than once in a while.

aMy method?a Angel asked.

aPutting on clean clothes before getting in bed,a explained Hawk. aIad forgotten how cold clothes get when theyare left out all night.a aEspecially when youare all warm from bed.a aFried,a Hawk said.

aWhat?a asked Angel, off balance. aOh, you didnat break the yolks. Congratulations. Iall have two.a Angel watched in fascination as the corner of Hawkas mouth curled upward. She was close enough to see that the corners of his eyes crinkled slightly too. She held her breath, hoping to see him really smile. When he didnat, she sighed quietly. Maybe when he caught a salmon . . . .