Golden Goddess by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page B

caught her breath. She could srneü the clean, musky scent of his body as the sun began to warm it, and she didn't like the way it sent her other senses skittering. He was going to kiss her, and Hannah was suddenly very nervous. "Jarrett, no, I don't…"
    "Yes, you do. I can see it in your eyes. You have very expressive eyes, Hannah Prescott." His mouth hovered a tantalizing inch above her own. "I'm becoming more convinced by the hour that you're not a very accomplished liar."
    "You, on the other hand, seem very adept at the business. You rattled off the name of Richard Adams without blinking an eye!" she accused, her body stiff and tense in the shadow of his.
    "I was afraid they might recognize my real name," he said casually.
    "Why? Are you also in the smuggling game?"
    "Hush, Hannah." He brushed her mouth lightly.
    "I don't want you kissing me or touching me or…or anything else!"
    "You really are a very poor liar, honey." His mouth closed over hers.
    "Hannah! Hannah, I've been looking all over for you!"
    Jarrett's head came up swiftly as he glared at the six-year-old, towheaded boy who was skipping eagerly across the sand. Hannah turned her head, grateful for the interruption.
    "Hello, Danny," she said quickly. "How are you this morning?"
    The child came to a halt, eyeing Jarrett curiously. "I'm fine," he said politely. "Who's this?"
    Jarrett looked at the boy for a moment. "My name is Jarrett. And yours is Danny?"
    "Danny Tyler. Hannah's my friend," the boy added with a touch of aggression.
    "So I hear. She's been telling me about you." Jarrett's voice, sounding unexpectedly reassuring, surprised Hannah. "She likes you."
    Danny appeared to relax slightly. Then he sent an uncertain glance at Hannah. "Is he your friend, too?"
    "Not nearly as good a friend as you are, Danny," Hannah declared roundly.
    "Good enough to spend the evening with her, just as I hear you're going to do," Jarrett corrected mildly.
    "Are those your parents?" He glanced briefly at the young couple waving from several yards away.
    "That's Mom and Dad. They're going out to dinner tonight. That's why I'm staying with Hannah. You're going to be there too, huh?"
    "Do you mind?"
    Danny paused while he came to a decision and then shook his head. "No, it's okay. See you later, Hannah." Danny took off in the direction of his parents, turning to wave frantically a couple of times.
    Hannah sat up as Jarrett slowly pulled away. There was a thoughtful, faintly derisive expression in his eyes.
    "So the mystery of Danny Tyler is solved. How long did you plan to keep stringing me along about his true role in your life?"
    "As long as I could get away with it. Anything to annoy you," she added sweetly, staring fixedly out to sea.
    "That's a dangerous game, Hannah."
    "Annoying you? Maybe, but it's the only one in town at the moment."
    "Much safer to play the game of placating me, honey." But he was smiling, she realized as she caught the curve of his mouth out of the corner of her eye. Jarrett was actually smiling. He had a weird sense of humor, she decided. "How did you get stuck baby-sitting for a six-year-old on your vacation?" he went on conversationally.
    "Danny's parents had originally planned to leave their son with his grandmother, but at the last minute she got sick and couldn't take him. They had to bring him along. They were all on the same tour schedule as I was, so I got to know them. It seems that his parents had planned this trip as a second honeymoon.
    Having little Danny along has put something of a damper on that."
    "So you let them impose on you? You've been babysitting for them?" he mocked.
    "My evenings have hardly been full of activities on this trip. Everyone else on the tour is either married or over sixty. I haven't minded staying with Danny a few evenings so that his parents could salvage something from the trip," she shot back defensively.

    "That's ridiculous," Jarrett said evenly. "You let his parents use you. Didn't you pay every bit as