Captain's Paradise by Kay Hooper

reported that Mrs. Steele was out of town.
    Robin, remembering Teddy’s impulsiveness, winced as she hung up the receiver. Her childhood friend, she reflected anxiously, was entirelylikely to appoint herself the cavalry and come charging to the rescue. And from what Robin had heard and read of the group of people surrounding Joshua Long, a group that included Teddy and her husband, Zach, none of them would be inclined merely to report Robin’s disappearance to the police.
    Worried, Robin returned to the table where Michael waited.
    “Well?” he asked.
    “No good. She isn’t home, and when I called the company—”
    “What company?”
    “Long Enterprises. Teddy’s husband, Zach, is security chief.”
    Michael was staring at her, frowning a little. Then the frown faded, and he shook his head. “Those people,” he murmured in a voice that was half amused and half worried.
    “You know them?” Robin asked in surprise.
    “I’ve … well, I’ve encountered them, let’s say. They keep turning up in these kinds of situations. Is your friend like the others? I mean, thetype to come down here and investigate rather than call the police?”
    “I’m afraid so,” Robin confirmed. “But she might not have gotten the package I sent. The switchboard operator at the company just said she was out of town; she may have been gone for days or weeks.”
    “But she may well be on her way down here.”
    Robin sighed. “She may, yes.” She watched his face intently, a little surprised not to see anger or uneasiness; Michael seemed more thoughtful than anything else, and it was obvious he was thinking hard. “I’m sorry, Michael,” she ventured at last.
    His gaze focused on her, and he smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t know your friend, but if she brings any of that crew along with her, they won’t blunder in recklessly. They’re all too smart, and too careful. I did hear, though …”
    “Hear what?”
    Michael hesitated, then shrugged. “That Josh Long and several of his men had dropped out of sight. Something’s in the wind there, but I don’tknow what. Still, there’s apparently nothing we can do but wait and see who turns up.”
    “Isn’t that awfully risky?”
    His smile went crooked. “Awfully.” He glanced up as their waitress approached with laden plates, and the conversation was over for the time being.
    Robin was as grateful for the distraction of eating as she was for the food itself. During the encounter with Dane, she had managed to keep her mind occupied, but whenever she and Michael were alone she found it more and more difficult to ignore the tug of attraction that seemed to be growing stronger. And it didn’t help this time, knowing he was just the kind of man she had always resented. This time, her body and emotions refused to accept reason.
    She caught herself stealing glances at him, grateful that he seemed preoccupied and unaware of her attention. She felt curiously, unusually, helpless, unable to fight this. As if something inside her
knew
, without doubt, that it was inevitable. And so strong was that conviction thatRobin felt tense, on the brink, waiting. He hadn’t even touched her except casually or by accident, yet her body felt heavy and restless, feverish.
    She could keep her mind on the dangerous situation they were involved in, yet just beneath that calm surface something was moving, slowly, like water under ice. And she was very much afraid that the ice would crack, splinter, leaving her changed forever.
    Because she hadn’t dared return to her hotel, Robin was without money, and she hadn’t been happy about accepting even a meal or change for her phone call from Michael since she already owed him so much. But her somewhat fierce assurances of paying him back were met with grave acceptance, and that eased her mind somewhat.
    Still, she couldn’t help but feel that theirs was an unequal partnership; more than anything else she wanted to pull her own weight. It was