- Covert Steele
- Part Six
- After lunch, Remington turned the
car toward a few more tourist areas, then back toward the hotel.
"I don't know about you," he said, giving Laura a smile,
"but I'm looking forward to a nice, quiet dinner in our
room- just the two of us."
Laura's heart stopped for a second, and she dropped her gaze
toward the brightly coloured brochures in her lap. "A luau,"
she said quickly. "We can't come all the way to Hawaii and
not attend a luau, Mr. Steele," she insisted.
"A luau," Remington mused. "You're certain you
wouldn't rather spend the evening quietly? Planning our next
move?"
"I thought we'd agreed that we were going to pretend to
go after the gems late tonight," she reminded him, only
to jump as he reached out to take her hand in his, and she made
the mistake of looking up at him.
"I wasn't talking about that move, Laura," he said.
"I was talking about where we go after last night."
"Last night?" she repeated. "I don't see that
we have to go anywhere."
"You talk as if nothing's changed," he said gently,
but Laura could detect an undercurrent of confusion in his voice.
*Join the club* she thought. She was confused, and uncertain.
"I thought that after last night, after we-"
"Crossed the line?" she asked.
He stopped the car in front of the hotel, and lifted her chin
to force her to look at him again. "Made love," he
corrected.
A valet opened the door, and Laura pulled away, getting out of
the car and heading toward the doors of the hotel, moving swiftly
toward the elevator. Mr. Steele had to pause and ask that the
box in the trunk be delivered to their room. She was silently
relieved that there were several other guests waiting as well,
which meant that she wouldn't have to be alone with the man at
her side just yet. She felt his arm slip around her waist and
pull her close to his side, smiling at the looks that were sent
their way. Recalling that they were supposed to be here on their
second honeymoon, Laura remained in his hold until the elevator
stopped on their floor and the doors closed, leaving them alone
in the corridor.
Remington expected Laura to bolt as soon as she could, and she
didn't disappoint him. She shrugged off his arm and went to the
door, using her own key to enter the room they were sharing.
He followed her inside, watching as she paced around the room,
talking, setting up their plan of attack for the evening. "We'll
attend the luau, come back here and change. By that time, the
display room will be closed. We can sneak out of here and into
the gem room-" she glanced at him. "Did you look at
that map of the hotel?" He nodded, remaining where he was,
hands in his pockets, watching her. "I thought we could
get in via the service panel from above- there's a vent from
the -"
"A good plan," Remington agreed, stopping the flow
of words, slowly approaching her. "But before we discuss
this further, I think there's another discussion we need to finish,
don't you?"
"Discussion?" she repeated, looking at him warily.
"You've been avoiding me all day, Laura," he said.
"Avoiding you? That's nonsense," she insisted with
a slight, nervous laugh. "We spent the entire day together-"
"Yes," he agreed. "But except for a very few instances,
no one would ever have guessed that we were on our honeymoon.
That last night we-"
Laura turned away again. "I think it best that we just-
forget last night ever happened," she told him quickly.
"I can't do that, Laura. There's no going back from this."
He moved as close as he could to her. "Was it- so terrible?"
he asked, aware that his insecurity was showing again.
"No," she said. "Not it wasn't. But-"
He turned her into his arms. "Then what's the problem? We
were finally together. Really together. And I'm not about to
give that up-"
Laura struggled to free herself, moving away. "I can't think
when you hold me," she told him. "You won't understand."
"Then explain it to me." He deliberately kept his voice
soft, even though he felt like yelling at the top of his lungs.
What the bloody hell was it going to take to get through to this
woman?
When she started to speak, he had to lower his head to hear her
words. "Last night- last night was- better than any fantasy
I've ever had about- Maybe TOO much better." Remington took
a second to think about that little confession before she continued.
"When I woke up this morning, do you know what I wanted
to do?"
He gave her a half grin. "I know what *I* wanted to do,"
he told her.
She barely responded to his humor. "I wanted to stay right
there, in that bed with you- all day."
"Sounds good to me," he said.
"But we're here on a CASE!" she reminded him. "And
we have to stop your friend- I let myself forget that. I was
ready to turn my back on everything just to-"
Remington shook his head. "You're not being very clear,
Laura. You regret our having made love because-?"
She sighed. "I KNEW you wouldn't understand," she said.
"I let myself start thinking about the future. OUR future."
"As in you and me?" That didn't sound so terrible.
She nodded. "But I couldn't see ME. All I saw was- was you-
and something standing in your shadow, a faceless, nameless SOMETHING.
It was- was like I- didn't exist unless you were there, and-"
He thought he finally understood. "And you were afraid of
winding up like your mother," he said. "With no life
of your own." She nodded again and he placed a finger under
her chin to lift her face. "Oh, Laura, love, I don't want
a shadow. Or a carbon copy of your mother. The only thing I want
in this entire world is you. Don't you know that yet?"
"My heart does," she confided. "But my head-"
"Maybe we moved too quickly," he decided. "For
the remainder of our trip, we'll take it slower, okay? Give your
head a chance to catch up with your heart, eh?" He touched
her lips with his, then drew a shuddering breath before stepping
back. "I'm going to take a shower and dress for dinner.
What do you think one should wear to a luau?" He was rewarded
with a smile stealing across her face.
"You're asking ME for fashion advice, Mr. Steele?"
she questioned.
"It's either that or ask about those fantasies you mentioned,"
he teased, and saw the flush that crept over her cheeks. "On
second thought-"
Laura turned him toward the other room. "Take your shower."
"Wouldn't care to join me, would you?" he asked, allowing
her to push him into the bedroom. Seeing her expression, he smiled.
"I guess I'll make mine a cold one."
Laura sighed. "The luau starts in an hour, Mr. Steele."
"All the more reason for us to save time by taking a shower
together," he insisted. She pushed him into the bathroom
and closed the door. "I'll take that as a no." But
he was still smiling. At least she wasn't shutting him out any
longer. Things were definitely looking up.
Laura went into the closet and retrieved a gauzy, tropical weight
dress. She felt better now- felt that he understood her concerns
and wouldn't push her into making love again just yet- There
was a knock on the door, and she went to open it, then stopped
and checked the peep hole first. Her preoccupation with her personal
relationship had almost caused her to do something careless,
and she frowned as she opened the door for the bellhop who was
carrying the box. "Set it down there, please," she
said. "Thank you."
"You and Mr. Robie must've done some heavy duty souvenir
buying today," the young man said.
"Big families," Laura told him, shoving a couple of
dollars into his hand and opening the door again. "Lots
of people to buy for. Thank you." She closed the door and
turned the lock as she heard the bathroom door open. Going back
to the bedroom, she said, "They just delivered the box-"
her words fell off as he came from the bath clad only in a white
towel wrapped around his waist, leaving his chest bare. Laura
clenched her fists to keep from touching him. She had to keep
her mind on the case, she reminded herself. "Men make a
woman messy." Where had she read that? she wondered. Or
heard it? But it was true. Especially this man. Grabbing her
clothes, she slipped past him into the bath.
Laura was almost ready for dinner when the telephone rang. "Hello,"
Remington answered.
"Ah, Msr. Robie," Phillipe said, and Remington went
still. "I missed the company of you and your charming wife
at lunch today."
"I'm sorry, Phillipe. But Laura and I decided to spend the
day sightseeing. Perhaps tomorrow." Laura was watching him.
"I think, perhaps, that you and I should have a little talk,
my old friend. Privately."
"I don't think that's necessary, Phillipe. We were just
about to go to dinner-"
"Just for a moment. Five minutes. Meet me in the hotel bar."
There was an implied threat in his tone that cause Remington
shiver.
"Five minutes, Phillipe. No more."
"I'll be waiting."
Remington hung up the telephone and stared at it as Laura asked,
"What did he want?"
"He wants to talk to me. Alone. He's in the hotel bar."
"Is that a good idea?"
"What can he do? A public place, filled with people? I promised
him five minutes. I'll be right back and we'll go down to the
luau." He gave her a light kiss. "Finish getting ready.
I won't be a moment."
Phillipe was indeed waiting at the bar, and smiled as Remington
entered. Something about that smile put Remington on alert. The
Frenchman lifted his glass as he sat down. "Would you care
for a drink?"
"No, thank you. As I said, I was on my way to dinner when
you called."
"Oh, but I insist- Harry," Phillipe said in a soft
voice that nonetheless sounded dangerous. Waving to the waitress,
he said, "A drink for my friend here, please. I was surprised
to see you arriving yesterday."
"And I was surprised to see you at all," Remington
admitted, barely glancing up as a glass was placed before him.
He waited until they were alone, toying with the drink, before
speaking again. "Last I heard, you were locked away in an
Australian prison."
"And you are- curious as to how I managed to free myself
from there, no doubt." He lifted his glass. "I saved
the life of the warden in a prison riot," Phillipe explained.
"Which you no doubt helped to foment," Remington commented.
Phillipe shrugged, lifting his broad shoulders in a Gallic gesture.
"Unfortunately, the two men who were believed to have started
it died when I was forced to kill them to save the warden. I'm
sure you understand."
"All too well," Remington said. "So they released
you out of gratitude?"
"Not immediately of course. But I managed to make them believe
I was very ill- and they transferred me to a prison with lighter
security. It was quite easy to simply- walk away." He lit
a cigarette, and eyed Remington through the smoke. "The
gems are mine, you know."
"The gems? I've no interest in the gems. I'm simply here
on my second honeymoon."
"Of course, my friend. I just wanted you to understand that
I was here first- and I WILL have those gems."
Remington sighed. "You're welcome to them." He rose
from his chair. "Now, if you will excuse me- I promised
Laura that I wouldn't be long."
"Give my regards to your lovely wife," Phillipe said,
allowing Remington to leave the bar.
Remington let himself into the suite, feeling as if he needed
another shower after having been in the same room with Phillipe
DeMoray. "Are you ready, love?" he called, thinking
Laura was in the bedroom.
Silence was his reply. "Laura?" he called, going to
the bedroom, and then the bath. "Laura?" He finally
went to the balcony- it was as empty as the rest of the suite.
Maybe she had decided to go downstairs and wait for him. His
hand was on the doorknob when the telephone rang, and he grabbed
it. "Hello?"
"Hello, Harry."
The sound of Phillipe's voice sent a cold chill through Remington's
bones. "Phillipe?"
"No doubt you're wondering where your wife is."
"Phillipe- if you harm Laura in any way, so help me I'll
find you."
"I've no intention of harming the lady, my friend. Unless
you fail to get me what I want."
"The gems."
"Daniel was always telling me how you were the best at what
you did- you're going to have a chance to prove that. I want
the gems by tomorrow noon."
"I can't- Laura's more than my wife, Phillipe. She's my
partner. We'd planned this as a team."
"You'll just have to change your plans, then, no? I will
call later to tell you where to meet me to make the exchange
tomorrow. And no tricks, Harry," he warned. "I'll be
close enough to watch you- but you won't see me."
"You'd better hope not, Phillipe. And you'd better make
damn certain that Laura doesn't have a scratch." The line
went dead. "Phillipe?" He slammed down the phone. "Damn!"
To Be Continued...
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content ©2000 by Nancy Eddy