your responsibility as a human being to get me off this island so I can tell the families of those men that they did not suff—Ouch! Let me go!”
“Shut up,” he grated, his face close to hers, his eyes glaring, his hot breath fanning the hair back from her brow. “Just shut up for a minute, you bad tempered little firebrand! That was not what I meant. And while I agree that having you here is going to be a bloody great inconvenience, what I was trying to find out was what in hell were those two men thinking about to leave you alone on the beach of an island they believed deserted, while they took off? Just answer me that, lady, and never mind the histrionics.”
“I told you! You just don’t listen! The mink was to be shown over a bikini and I was to lie a rock and pull the cape around me after he had panned the entire, deserted beach, as seen from the ocean. That’s why I was on the beach and they weren’t. There was only the pilot and the photographer. Halliburton—the owner of the model-agency I work for—wasn’t even able to scrounge a make-up person at the last minute. It’s—it was—a long-weekend Monday. They did not leave me behind deliberately no matter what you choose to believe, and I was not brought here to plague you and the sooner you take me away, the better. Then you can be all alone with your precious birds and squirrels and sketchbook that your son told me about. While I’m at it, shall I take him away with me? He seems to be as much of a nuisance to you as I am.”
“Believe me. Believe me. If there was a chance of getting you off this island, Ms. Gaynor, you’d have been gone half an hour after Kevin brought you here, and all the fainting spells, weeping, and getting sick in the world wouldn’t have prevented me from removing you.”
“If… If there were a chance?” She picked up her chair and subsided weakly onto it, gaze pinned to his stony face.
“That’s exactly what I said.” He scowled. “But unfortunately for both of us, I’m stuck with you for the next month or so until I’m picked up.” He added tiredly, “Oh don’t worry, I don’t intend to throw you out to live in the woods and eat roots and berries and seaweed like I threatened when I thought my brother-in-law had sicced you on me. You’ll stay here. That’s why I rigged the curtain around one of the spare bunks… To give us each a certain amount of privacy. All I ask is that you stay out of my way. I want you to leave me completely alone. Follow Kevin’s lead. He’s a past-master at avoiding me. Oh, he makes the odd error now and then,” Lance admitted sourly, “but he normally manages to slide away as soon as I appear or he knows I’m around. But then, that’s the way he wants it, too. So see that you do the same.
“I’m not unaware that I can be attractive to women, and under the circumstances, you might decide to feel some attraction. I warn you… Don’t.”
Gypsy reeled back, feeling as if she’d been slapped, but recovered quickly. “I’ve never yet been attracted to arrogant bullies, Mr. Saunders. The men who appeal to me have a certain amount of savoir-faire… And wear clean clothes,” she added scathingly. “They also shave and bathe regularly.”
“I’ll remember that,” he responded bitingly, “and hope that for the next four weeks you don’t change your mind. Women, Ms. Gaynor, do not appeal to me at all.”
Gypsy smiled sweetly, showing, clenched teeth. “How convenient for both of us. I’m so glad I’m not a man, then, or I’m sure you’d be all over me.” And before he could unleash the fury which blazed up in his eyes, she went on. “But surely you must have some means of getting off the island? What if there’s an illness, an accident?”
She thought she saw a flicker of guilt in his expression, but she could have been mistaken. “I’m not one to borrow trouble,” he said. “Now, I suggest you get some more sleep. You remember where the… er…
“Shut up,” he grated, his face close to hers, his eyes glaring, his hot breath fanning the hair back from her brow. “Just shut up for a minute, you bad tempered little firebrand! That was not what I meant. And while I agree that having you here is going to be a bloody great inconvenience, what I was trying to find out was what in hell were those two men thinking about to leave you alone on the beach of an island they believed deserted, while they took off? Just answer me that, lady, and never mind the histrionics.”
“I told you! You just don’t listen! The mink was to be shown over a bikini and I was to lie a rock and pull the cape around me after he had panned the entire, deserted beach, as seen from the ocean. That’s why I was on the beach and they weren’t. There was only the pilot and the photographer. Halliburton—the owner of the model-agency I work for—wasn’t even able to scrounge a make-up person at the last minute. It’s—it was—a long-weekend Monday. They did not leave me behind deliberately no matter what you choose to believe, and I was not brought here to plague you and the sooner you take me away, the better. Then you can be all alone with your precious birds and squirrels and sketchbook that your son told me about. While I’m at it, shall I take him away with me? He seems to be as much of a nuisance to you as I am.”
“Believe me. Believe me. If there was a chance of getting you off this island, Ms. Gaynor, you’d have been gone half an hour after Kevin brought you here, and all the fainting spells, weeping, and getting sick in the world wouldn’t have prevented me from removing you.”
“If… If there were a chance?” She picked up her chair and subsided weakly onto it, gaze pinned to his stony face.
“That’s exactly what I said.” He scowled. “But unfortunately for both of us, I’m stuck with you for the next month or so until I’m picked up.” He added tiredly, “Oh don’t worry, I don’t intend to throw you out to live in the woods and eat roots and berries and seaweed like I threatened when I thought my brother-in-law had sicced you on me. You’ll stay here. That’s why I rigged the curtain around one of the spare bunks… To give us each a certain amount of privacy. All I ask is that you stay out of my way. I want you to leave me completely alone. Follow Kevin’s lead. He’s a past-master at avoiding me. Oh, he makes the odd error now and then,” Lance admitted sourly, “but he normally manages to slide away as soon as I appear or he knows I’m around. But then, that’s the way he wants it, too. So see that you do the same.
“I’m not unaware that I can be attractive to women, and under the circumstances, you might decide to feel some attraction. I warn you… Don’t.”
Gypsy reeled back, feeling as if she’d been slapped, but recovered quickly. “I’ve never yet been attracted to arrogant bullies, Mr. Saunders. The men who appeal to me have a certain amount of savoir-faire… And wear clean clothes,” she added scathingly. “They also shave and bathe regularly.”
“I’ll remember that,” he responded bitingly, “and hope that for the next four weeks you don’t change your mind. Women, Ms. Gaynor, do not appeal to me at all.”
Gypsy smiled sweetly, showing, clenched teeth. “How convenient for both of us. I’m so glad I’m not a man, then, or I’m sure you’d be all over me.” And before he could unleash the fury which blazed up in his eyes, she went on. “But surely you must have some means of getting off the island? What if there’s an illness, an accident?”
She thought she saw a flicker of guilt in his expression, but she could have been mistaken. “I’m not one to borrow trouble,” he said. “Now, I suggest you get some more sleep. You remember where the… er…
Similar Books
