she asked. She was always in awe of the fact that things could emerge from the ocean floor intact after hundreds of years. There seemed something incredibly peaceful about that, which was ironic given the tumult of a shipwreck.
"Some things will be preserved. Others may have to be restored. "
"Is this your next book?"
"If the court rules in my favor. If not, I'm out one adventure. "
"You'll find another. You always do. How do you manage it?"
"I have friends in strange places. They tip me off. "
"You network, " she said with a smile at the term, which she never would have thought to apply to treasure hunting before.
"I suppose. " He flattened her hand on his thigh and imprisoned it there. "What did you want to ask me?"
"Later. " She could feel the heat and hardness of muscle, and tried to extract her hand, but he refused to let go.
"I may not be here later. "
"Oh, Spencer. You told Caroline you'd stay through tomorrow. " Again she tried to pull her hand free of his touch, this time as a gesture matching her complaint, but he held it fast.
"That was before I came. "
"You've only been here two hours. "
"And already I'm choking. "
"Oh, dear, " Jenna said before she could help herself, because if he felt like he was choking, the last thing she could do was to jump into a discussion as sensitive as the one she had in mind.
"You'd better take the chance while you have it, " he warned.
"Why not when the party's done? Things will be quieter then. "
He looked around. "Things are quiet now. "
She let her free hand fall to her lap. The wind promptly dove into her hair, creating a veil of haphazard waves to protect her from his gaze. The next thing she knew, Spencer was gathering the long curls behind one ear and securing them with what felt suspiciously like his necktie. Left with nothing to hide behind, she looked up at him. His eyes were com-pellingly blue and heart-stoppingly direct. "Go ahead, " he said, and captured her hand again. "I'm waiting. "
Jenna's heart skipped a beat. The time isn't right. The setting isn't right. He'll think I'm crazy. He'll say no.
But his eyes wouldn't let up. They held her in a grip so firm that try as she might, she couldn't look away. His voice didn't help. It was deep and rich, part command, part dare. "Tell me now, Jenna. What is it you want?"
"A baby!" she cried. "I want a baby!"
Chapter 2
Jenna hadn't intended to blurt it out that way, but once she'd heard the words, she knew there was no turning back. She couldn't hem and haw. She couldn't show doubt. If she was to win Spencer's cooperation, she had to make her case well.
To that end, she straightened her back, leveled her voice and said with calmness and just a touch of pride, "I want a baby. I've been wanting one for a while, but suddenly I'm thirty-five, and time's running out. The problem, obviously, is that I don't have a husband—and I don't want one, " she hastened to add, lest Spencer think she wanted him for that. "I'm single by choice. I wouldn't dream of marrying just for the sake of having a baby. That could be disastrous all the way around. "
Spencer was looking puzzled, something she'd never seen before. She would have laughed at the incongruity of the expression on his face if the situation wasn't so serious. Slipping her hand from beneath his, she tucked it into her lap, cleared her throat and went on.
"I've been thinking about this for a long time. I've looked at it from every angle. I've gone through all the possibilities—"
Spencer broke in, sounding as confused as he looked and oddly helpless. "You want me to help you find a baby? I know that adopting foreign kids is in, but Lord, Jenna, that's not my thing. Sure, I'm abroad all the time, but there aren't many babies in the places I hang out"
"That's not what I want. "
He frowned. "Then what is?"
She had practiced the speech so many times that she knew it by heart Granted, Spencer's interruptions might shift around the order of things, but she
"Some things will be preserved. Others may have to be restored. "
"Is this your next book?"
"If the court rules in my favor. If not, I'm out one adventure. "
"You'll find another. You always do. How do you manage it?"
"I have friends in strange places. They tip me off. "
"You network, " she said with a smile at the term, which she never would have thought to apply to treasure hunting before.
"I suppose. " He flattened her hand on his thigh and imprisoned it there. "What did you want to ask me?"
"Later. " She could feel the heat and hardness of muscle, and tried to extract her hand, but he refused to let go.
"I may not be here later. "
"Oh, Spencer. You told Caroline you'd stay through tomorrow. " Again she tried to pull her hand free of his touch, this time as a gesture matching her complaint, but he held it fast.
"That was before I came. "
"You've only been here two hours. "
"And already I'm choking. "
"Oh, dear, " Jenna said before she could help herself, because if he felt like he was choking, the last thing she could do was to jump into a discussion as sensitive as the one she had in mind.
"You'd better take the chance while you have it, " he warned.
"Why not when the party's done? Things will be quieter then. "
He looked around. "Things are quiet now. "
She let her free hand fall to her lap. The wind promptly dove into her hair, creating a veil of haphazard waves to protect her from his gaze. The next thing she knew, Spencer was gathering the long curls behind one ear and securing them with what felt suspiciously like his necktie. Left with nothing to hide behind, she looked up at him. His eyes were com-pellingly blue and heart-stoppingly direct. "Go ahead, " he said, and captured her hand again. "I'm waiting. "
Jenna's heart skipped a beat. The time isn't right. The setting isn't right. He'll think I'm crazy. He'll say no.
But his eyes wouldn't let up. They held her in a grip so firm that try as she might, she couldn't look away. His voice didn't help. It was deep and rich, part command, part dare. "Tell me now, Jenna. What is it you want?"
"A baby!" she cried. "I want a baby!"
Chapter 2
Jenna hadn't intended to blurt it out that way, but once she'd heard the words, she knew there was no turning back. She couldn't hem and haw. She couldn't show doubt. If she was to win Spencer's cooperation, she had to make her case well.
To that end, she straightened her back, leveled her voice and said with calmness and just a touch of pride, "I want a baby. I've been wanting one for a while, but suddenly I'm thirty-five, and time's running out. The problem, obviously, is that I don't have a husband—and I don't want one, " she hastened to add, lest Spencer think she wanted him for that. "I'm single by choice. I wouldn't dream of marrying just for the sake of having a baby. That could be disastrous all the way around. "
Spencer was looking puzzled, something she'd never seen before. She would have laughed at the incongruity of the expression on his face if the situation wasn't so serious. Slipping her hand from beneath his, she tucked it into her lap, cleared her throat and went on.
"I've been thinking about this for a long time. I've looked at it from every angle. I've gone through all the possibilities—"
Spencer broke in, sounding as confused as he looked and oddly helpless. "You want me to help you find a baby? I know that adopting foreign kids is in, but Lord, Jenna, that's not my thing. Sure, I'm abroad all the time, but there aren't many babies in the places I hang out"
"That's not what I want. "
He frowned. "Then what is?"
She had practiced the speech so many times that she knew it by heart Granted, Spencer's interruptions might shift around the order of things, but she
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