wasn’t supposed to feel anything but anger and a desire for retribution around her.
Reminding himself of his reason for coming in the bar after her tonight, Jackson tried to fight temptation. It didn’t help much since he could still feel her smooth, warm skin pressed against his thigh.
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told him,” she began, tilting her head toward the guy who’d already moved on to his next target across the bar. “I’m not interested.”
“Hmm,” he purred low in his throat. Some imp inside urged him to prove the lie in her words. He’d felt her response to the kiss he’d given her. And if he was honest, he wanted to feel it again.
Dipping his head, he breathed deep, pulling the sweet vanilla scent of her into his lungs. And then he brushed his mouth across hers.
She gasped, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, her entire body swayed toward him.
He couldn’t ignore the unexpected invitation. Even if he’d only meant to prove a point. Licking across her parted lips, he dipped inside. She tasted even sweeter than she smelled.
Moving his palm to the back of her neck, he cupped her head and brought her closer. A strangled sound vibrated from her throat.
Slowly, Jackson pulled away, relishing the glazed expression in her striking eyes.
“You sure about that?” he breathed into her ear.
She stared up at him, the far-away glimmer disappearing only to be replaced with a sharp glint that had the blood in his veins whooshing faster. Her mouth pulled into the hard curve of a frown. And Jackson braced for the backlash he knew was coming, even with his fingers still tangled in the soft strands of her hair.
Loralei reached for the glass sitting on the table in front of her. It didn’t take a genius to see where this was headed, but he did nothing to actually stop her. Would she go through with it?
Tipping the glass, she let the cold, half-melted contents slide out over his head.
Apparently, she would.
Her pale green eyes flashed with fire. Air gushed in and out of her lungs, forcing her breasts tight against the thin barrier of her shirt.
God, could she get any more beautiful?
Or treacherous?
That’s what he had to remember, though his body was begging him to give her another outlet for all that pent-up passion. He couldn’t trust her. Or anyone attached to Lancaster.
Jackson didn’t move, not even to wipe away the sunset-colored concoction sliding over his ears, into his collar and down the back of his neck.
He grinned at her, a cocky half smile that only made her growl long and low.
“Let me go.”
“Not until we discuss why you’re on this island, Loralei.”
She stilled, her entire body going taut with attention. “I didn’t tell you my name.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“So how do you know it?”
“I know a lot of things, including what you’re here to search for. Let me promise that you won’t find the Chimera. You can’t. Your dad didn’t manage to steal enough information to actually find the wreckage. You’re going to waste time and money, and my team will get there first.”
She blinked up at him, but it wasn’t a deer-in-the-headlights expression. Nope, she was thinking. The wheels in her brain moving at lightning speed. It was intoxicating to watch.
He’d always been drawn to intelligent women. He wanted more than a beautiful face and rocking body. He needed someone who could challenge him. Thrill him.
Which was why he stuck to inviting the uncomplicated ones to his bed. No fear of getting attached with them. Until recently, his life hadn’t been conducive to long-term anything. Hell, he’d barely been willing to sign more than a one-month lease. He never knew how long he’d be in any one place, especially when assignments could last months at a time.
Since joining the Navy at eighteen, the past year and a half had been one of the longest stretches he’d spent in one place. And he’d been too damn busy to think about anything aside from a quick release of tension.
If Loralei Lancaster hadn’t been part of the team that had stolen his research, both his body and brain definitely would be interested. So maybe it was better they were adversaries. He didn’t need any distractions right now.
“Trident,” was the first word she uttered.
“Brilliant deduction, baby.”
“Don’t call me baby.”
Jackson shrugged.
“Which one of the assholes are you?”
“Assholes?” He took offense at that. Especially considering she was the one throwing the term around so blithely.
“Assholes, owners—same difference.”
Jackson laughed bitterly. “I hardly think so, princess. Ask your good friend Brian all about assholes. He came about thirty seconds away from blowing me and everyone else on your father’s team sky high eight months ago.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Suit yourself. Either way, you’re wasting your time here in paradise. Go back home to Chicago where you belong.”
Her arms crossed over her chest, Loralei glared at him. “If that was true you wouldn’t be bothering to tell me. You’d just laugh at me from the deck of your ship like the world-class prick you are. What do you have against me?”
“You personally? Nothing.” Yet. “But your dad and his crew? Plenty. They nearly got me killed, fired me and then stole from me.”
“They stole from you? According to Brian you’ve been stealing our clients for months.”
“It isn’t stealing, princess, if they want to leave. And I promise, taking them was so damn easy. I didn’t even have to undercut your price by very much. Most of the clients were more impressed with our professional, experienced and safety-conscious company.”
Her mouth worked for several moments, no doubt holding back the stream of words she wanted to fling at him. He had to give her credit for controlling her reaction.
“But let’s go back to the stealing issue. Where do you think your father got his research on the Chimera? I can promise you it wasn’t by spending every spare moment over the last decade tracking ocean currents, researching historical records and meticulously plotting out potential courses for the ship.”
Loralei shook her head. He could see the denial clouding her eyes. She didn’t want to believe what he was saying, not about her father.
He understood. There was a time in his
