Punjabi, she lost him, which irritated him further than he already was.
Forcing himself to pay attention to his own call, he heard Gideon say, “It’s a stunt. The son of an African prince. He’s chasing down his runaway wife, although the guns are real and so are the consequences. We’re stationary while the French and Spanish navies draw straws on whose jurisdiction we’re in. Of course the FBI wants a say because we have so many Americans on board. Meanwhile, our pirate is threatening to draw all of North Africa into the fight if we don’t turn over his wife, but if she’s stowing away, we haven’t found her. The ladies are having kittens that I sent the babies off the ship. Are they all right?”
“Safe,” Theo replied, eyeing Jaya as she toed off her shoes and shrunk by a couple of inches. Something in her expression seemed disturbingly vulnerable as she spoke with a lilt of persuasion into her phone. Her tone riled up oddly protective instincts in him when, on the surface, she looked more self-assured than ever.
Again he wondered if there was a man in her life, then cut off his speculation. The thought of her with a lover made him nauseous.
“Can you keep them out of sight?” Gideon continued. “Nic’s planning a broadcast from his cabin—man can’t stand to be scooped—but we want to leave the impression they’re still here, otherwise...”
“Understood. We’re off the grid.”
“Excellent. We’re a day from shore once we can move again and may have to wait for a slip in Marseilles. I’ll be in touch with an arrival time.”
Theo ended the call, mind eased that his siblings and spouses weren’t in immediate danger. Now he just had to—
A knock sounded and Jaya lowered her phone to motion at Theo. “That will be the bellman with the things I asked him to bring up. Take Androu to the bedroom while he brings everything in.”
Evie was rapt with her princess movie, dark head below the sofa back. He stepped out of the main room and continued to watch her as he listened to Jaya direct a pair of young men to leave everything inside the door. She continued her call as they left.
After hanging up a moment later, she walked him through his first diaper change, then briskly began moving objects to higher ground and double checking that doors were locked, particularly the one to the pool deck.
“We could swim with them later. They’d like that,” she murmured, sounding distracted, her nervous tension palpable. Maybe because he was hovering, but he couldn’t help himself. He told himself it was the new experience of child-minding. Androu still clung with determined little fists and tight legs which was a disturbing feeling that reinforced to him how inadequate he was with the task of reassurance. All Theo could do was hold him and follow Jaya around.
He wasn’t used to her taking an avoidance tack, though. In Bali, she had looked him in the eye and smiled every time he caught her eye, then blushed and shied maybe, but she’d never refused to meet his gaze. Her brisk movements around the flat were as much about putting distance between them as securing the space for the children.
Aware he was seeking his own sort of reassurance, he made himself halt in one spot and quit tagging after her like a lost puppy, but he couldn’t stop himself from watching her slender limbs and smooth efficiency. He couldn’t help remembering that her skin had smelled like cloves and almonds and her hair had been a cool weight of silk that had warmed against his bare chest.
She paused to scan the equipment littering the entrance.
“That seems like a lot of stuff. Two highchairs and a booster?” It looked like there were three portable cots, not that he was an expert on baby furniture.
“We can deal with this later. What did your brother-in-law say?”
He brought her up to speed and she nodded jerkily. “So a couple of days. You’re really sure you want me here? I’ll have to spend the night. That
Forcing himself to pay attention to his own call, he heard Gideon say, “It’s a stunt. The son of an African prince. He’s chasing down his runaway wife, although the guns are real and so are the consequences. We’re stationary while the French and Spanish navies draw straws on whose jurisdiction we’re in. Of course the FBI wants a say because we have so many Americans on board. Meanwhile, our pirate is threatening to draw all of North Africa into the fight if we don’t turn over his wife, but if she’s stowing away, we haven’t found her. The ladies are having kittens that I sent the babies off the ship. Are they all right?”
“Safe,” Theo replied, eyeing Jaya as she toed off her shoes and shrunk by a couple of inches. Something in her expression seemed disturbingly vulnerable as she spoke with a lilt of persuasion into her phone. Her tone riled up oddly protective instincts in him when, on the surface, she looked more self-assured than ever.
Again he wondered if there was a man in her life, then cut off his speculation. The thought of her with a lover made him nauseous.
“Can you keep them out of sight?” Gideon continued. “Nic’s planning a broadcast from his cabin—man can’t stand to be scooped—but we want to leave the impression they’re still here, otherwise...”
“Understood. We’re off the grid.”
“Excellent. We’re a day from shore once we can move again and may have to wait for a slip in Marseilles. I’ll be in touch with an arrival time.”
Theo ended the call, mind eased that his siblings and spouses weren’t in immediate danger. Now he just had to—
A knock sounded and Jaya lowered her phone to motion at Theo. “That will be the bellman with the things I asked him to bring up. Take Androu to the bedroom while he brings everything in.”
Evie was rapt with her princess movie, dark head below the sofa back. He stepped out of the main room and continued to watch her as he listened to Jaya direct a pair of young men to leave everything inside the door. She continued her call as they left.
After hanging up a moment later, she walked him through his first diaper change, then briskly began moving objects to higher ground and double checking that doors were locked, particularly the one to the pool deck.
“We could swim with them later. They’d like that,” she murmured, sounding distracted, her nervous tension palpable. Maybe because he was hovering, but he couldn’t help himself. He told himself it was the new experience of child-minding. Androu still clung with determined little fists and tight legs which was a disturbing feeling that reinforced to him how inadequate he was with the task of reassurance. All Theo could do was hold him and follow Jaya around.
He wasn’t used to her taking an avoidance tack, though. In Bali, she had looked him in the eye and smiled every time he caught her eye, then blushed and shied maybe, but she’d never refused to meet his gaze. Her brisk movements around the flat were as much about putting distance between them as securing the space for the children.
Aware he was seeking his own sort of reassurance, he made himself halt in one spot and quit tagging after her like a lost puppy, but he couldn’t stop himself from watching her slender limbs and smooth efficiency. He couldn’t help remembering that her skin had smelled like cloves and almonds and her hair had been a cool weight of silk that had warmed against his bare chest.
She paused to scan the equipment littering the entrance.
“That seems like a lot of stuff. Two highchairs and a booster?” It looked like there were three portable cots, not that he was an expert on baby furniture.
“We can deal with this later. What did your brother-in-law say?”
He brought her up to speed and she nodded jerkily. “So a couple of days. You’re really sure you want me here? I’ll have to spend the night. That
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