The Pirate & The Adventurer & The Cowboy

betrayed.

    The battle was short and frantic, and Kate knew she had lost it before it had even begun. Nevertheless, she fought desperately, aware that she was overmatched. All two weeks' worth of self-defense lessons were discarded in a moment as she realized none of them would work. Instead she fought like a small, terrified creature that has become the prey of a much bigger, more dangerous predator.

    She tried to kick out and found her leg anchored to the floor by Jared's thigh. She tried to punch and got her wrists captured for her troubles. Jared did not hurt her, but he eventually succeeded in immobilizing her.

    "That's enough," he said through his teeth. "You can't win, so stop wasting your energy."

    A few minutes later, exhausted by her struggles, Kate followed his advice. She lay still, fighting to catch her breath. Her wrists were pinned on either side of her head in a parody of the way he had held her when he had made love to her. He was sprawled on top of her, using his weight to hold her still.

    "That's better," he said after a minute's tense silence. He sat up slowly, releasing her carefully. His eyes never left her face. "Are you all right?"

    "No." She sat up, aware that she was trembling with outrage. She brushed the dust from her shirt, concentrating on the small, useless task so that she would not have to meet his eyes. "I am not all right. How dare you manhandle me like this?"

    He muttered something short and explicit under his breath as he got lithely to his feet. He reached down to haul her up beside him. His face was taut with anger.

    "What the hell are you doing here?" Jared spoke through clenched teeth.

    "What do you think I'm doing here? I came to take a closer look at the castle. The guided tour was a joke. We barely got to glance inside this hall. I wanted to see the rest of the place."

    "You've been told the rest of the castle is off-limits."

    "Yes, well, as you said, romance writers are a curious bunch."

    Jared regarded her in silence for a few seconds. "Cut it out, Kate. I want the truth. Why are you here?"

    "How did you know I was here?" she countered.

    "I went by your room to see if you wanted to go for a dawn walk on the beach. It seemed so romantic . Thought it would appeal to you. You weren't there, so I figured you might have gone down to the cove on your own. You weren't there either, but the chain across the castle path was still swinging and I knew someone had come this way. When I walked into the hall I heard someone coming up the stairs."

    "How very alert of you. I'm lucky you didn't break my neck."

    "How was I to know it was you, dammit? I'm not in the mood for any of your sass, lady. I want some answers and I'm going to get them, but not here and not now."

    "Why not here and now? I'd like a few answers, too."

    "You've pushed your luck far enough today. The first thing we're going to do is get you back to the resort. I don't want you hanging around here any longer than necessary." He took hold of her arm and propelled her out of the hall and into the morning sunshine.

    "Now, just one damned minute." Kate stumbled and tried to pull free of his grip. Jared ignored her efforts. He dragged her swiftly along the path until they reached the chain that barred the way. There he paused long enough to push her underneath the metal links. He followed, ducking quickly beneath the barrier.

    "All right," he said a moment later as they hit the main path back to the resort. "We're safe now. If anyone sees us here we can say we were down at the beach."

    "Why do we have to make any explanations at all?" Kate cast him a furious glance.

    "Because I said so."

    "And whatever you say is law around here, is that it?"

    "Now you're catching on."

    He had hold of her hand now. To anyone else it would look like an affectionate grip, but Kate was thoroughly aware of the force behind it. She was relieved to be away from the castle ruins, but the wariness she felt around Jared was not making her feel much better. She began to think longingly of her cozy little apartment in Seattle.

    "Where are we going?" she demanded as Jared walked her swiftly past her room and on toward the main resort building.

    "My office. We can talk there without worrying about someone interrupting us."

    She said nothing more as he led her through the empty lobby and down an open hallway to a room that overlooked the cove.

    "In here." He closed the door behind them and pushed her toward a chair. "Sit down