Donovans 02 - Jade Island

unless it really sucks, we should anchor at Jade Island in time to get a decent night’s sleep.”
    “Speak for yourself,” Archer said. “I lost the toss for the bed. Such as it is.”
    “Yeah,” Jake said, looking at the dinette, which converted into a bed of sorts. “Even if I sleep fetally, it will be a crunch.”
    “You can always sleep up in the notch with me,” Archer offered. “Kyle said it was kind of comfortable.”
    “The last time Kyle camped out on Jade Island,” Jake retorted, “he was wounded and half out of his mind with dehydration. I’ve seen the little ravine where he hid. If it rains, you’ll be up to your ears in runoff.”
    “Maybe I’ll just cut to the chase and sleep in my wet suit,” Archer said.
    The sound of the engine changed as Kyle throttled it down to idle. Archer stuck his head out the cabin door. Kyle was standing at the aft station, his hand on the gas lever.
    “Want me to get the lines?” Archer asked.
    “I got them,” Kyle said. “Sit at the forward helm. I’ll be along as soon as we’re clear of the cove.”
    The dock began to fall away as Kyle eased the Tomorrow backward, turned, and put her bow toward Thatcher Pass.
    “Take it,” he called to Archer.
    “I’ve got the helm,” Archer answered.
    While Kyle came forward and closed the door, Archer took the speed up to about fourteen knots. The boat could easily have done twice that, but there was no need. Too many logs, deadheads, and clumps of seaweed floated around the waters of the San Juan Islands for anyone to race off in the dark unless it was really necessary. Since no one was shooting at them, fourteen knots was plenty of speed.
    Lianne pressed against the built-in dinette table to let Kyle pass by in the narrow, sunken aisle that ran from the rear of the cabin to the V berth. But instead of passing by her, he stopped, pinning her between the hard table and his equally hard body. His hands shot forward and gripped the edge of the table, caging her, cutting off any possibility that she could move aside.
    She could barely breathe as she stared up at him. Rain spattered across the windows. Running lights turned the rain into melting green-and-red gems. His eyes glittered like shards of ice with slices of colored shadows caught between the sharp edges.
    “I don’t know what’s gnawing on you,” he said flatly, “but it will have to wait until we’re finished getting Uncle off our backs. Understood?”
    “No problem,” she said, her lips stiff.
    He just looked at her. “I don’t believe you.”
    “You think I can’t hold up my end of this?”
    “You can do whatever you put your stubborn mind to,” Kyle said in a low voice. “What worries me is what might be going on in what passes for your brain.”
    “Kyle,” Archer said. “Is the back eddy along the point still loaded with trash from the high tide?”
    “Yes. Want me to take the helm?” Kyle asked without taking his eyes off Lianne.
    “Good idea. It will give you something to do besides intimidate our jade expert.”
    “Our? I hate to break it to you, brother dear, but Lianne isn’t ours. She’s mine.”
    Archer glanced over his shoulder. “Only if she wants to be. Right now, she looks like what she wants is to kick you in the balls.”
    “Save it,” Jake said before Kyle could retort. “I’ve got better things to do than bruise my knuckles on you two hardheads. Hell, Archer, you know better than to pick a fight with a team member at this point.”
    “Yes,” Archer said. “But apparently Kyle doesn’t.”
    “What do you mean?” Kyle snarled. “I wasn’t the one talking about—”
    “You were baiting Lianne,” Archer interrupted. “Like it or not, she’s a member of our team. Ours, little brother. Not yours.”
    Kyle hissed a searing word and brushed past Lianne to take the helm. Before he got there, Archer crossed the aisle to the pilot seat and settled in next to Jake. Their wide shoulders overlapped, but otherwise the bench seat was quite comfortable.
    Lianne let out a quiet breath and stepped up to one of the bench seats along the dinette. Kyle was too quick, too accurate in his reading of her. No sooner did she try to put some distance between them than he reached out and dragged her back.
    It’s business. Just business.
    Only for her, it went deeper than business, deeper than lust. She was in danger of giving too much of herself to a man who didn’t want anything more than sex. Closing her eyes, she