Dark Moon by REBECCA YORK Read Free Book Online

know I’m a strong swimmer, but what if one of us is injured?”
    “The other two will have to help get him or her to the boat.”
    “You’re sure Karen Hopewell is comfortable in the water?” Cole asked.
    “Her father says she can swim.”
    They left the airport alone in the rental car, heading for the Windward private dock.
    As he drove, Cole glanced over at Emma. “Did you like Karen?”
    “Not a lot. I thought she was spoiled, but I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.” She paused, then went on, “Maybe she’s grown up since I knew her.”
    “Yeah.” He cleared his throat. ‘We should discuss our relationship,” he said in a tight voice.
    When she jumped, he realized she thought he was talking about the fallout from the kiss in the utility closet. Which both of them wished had never happened.
    “I mean—the relationship of the characters we’re playing. Cole Mason and Emma Ray.”
    “Oh, right.”
    He clenched his hands on the wheel, wishing they could skip this discussion but knowing he had to make things clear. “If the ship is set up for people who want to indulge their fantasies, that could be dangerous for you. I mean, you’re very attractive, and some other guy might want to . . .” He stopped and started again. “We’d better make it that I’m very possessive of you. That way, if Del Conte or anybody else wants to . . .” He stopped again and cleared his throat, “use you for anything . . . weird, I have a reason to object.”
    oOo
     
    Emma had been staring straight ahead. When she flicked her gaze to Cole, she was shocked by the expression on his face—something between determined and grossed out. Until then, she hadn’t realized how much he hated this assignment. But it was more than that. She also saw worry etched on his features, and it wasn’t for himself. He cared about her welfare, and that astonished her. She’d always thought of him as hard-bitten and self-contained. Apparently that was what he’d wanted her to see.
    She had the sudden conviction that he’d been attracted to her all along—but he’d been fighting it. Why? Because he didn’t think an office romance was appropriate?
    She longed to lay her hand over his and tell him everything was going to work out all right, but she couldn’t get the words past her suddenly tight throat.
    Decorah was putting them into a very dangerous situation.
    Cole could have bailed out. Or she could. But here they were together. Because they were both committed to rescuing a girl who’d gotten caught in the middle of something bad—through no fault of her own. It didn’t matter that she had known Karen, and Cole hadn’t. They’d both do their best to rescue her.
    But what had Decorah said to Cole that he wanted to keep between the two of them? She’d like to ask, but she was afraid she wasn’t going to get an answer. And if she did ask, it was only going to increase the tension between them.
    Cole broke into her thoughts.
    “Another thing—we have assume that there are surveillance cameras all over the ship. Maybe even in our bedroom. Or at the very least that the room will be bugged.”
    She dragged in a sharp breath. “Cameras in our bedroom? Isn’t that an invasion of privacy?”
    He answered with a mirthless laugh. “Of course it is, but you’ve got to wrap your mind around Del Conte’s thinking. If some of his guests will pay to see what other guests are doing in private, why not take advantage of that? I mean, suppose you met someone in the bar and you wondered what he liked to do that he didn’t want to talk about. You could watch him.”
    “If that’s the way your mind works.”
    “Remember, this is a place where all the rules of civilized society are out the window. Which is a good reason to have the security staff keeping tabs on everyone.”
    “Lord, I didn’t think about all of that.” She turned toward him. “If we’re being watched, how do we communicate with each other?”
    “Do you know Morse