Gwen looked at Jake sharply. "What other outfit?"

Jake shrugged. "We've got compet.i.tion. EU Explorations, a Spanish outfit, is also working the area. Unfortunately we didn't get all the artifacts the fishermen brought in from the initial haul. Word's out there's gold, and a lot of it. Though they haven't got the actual location yet, they've got the money and equipment to stay out on the water until they do find it."

Tessa blew out a breath. "s.h.i.t. As always, you're a day late and a dollar short, Jake."

The archaeologist threw up his hands. "Tell me about it. The thing is, I'm in it for the find, for the preservation of a lost civilization. They're in it for the haul, the loot. If the EU Explorations divers get in there first, they'll strip it and market it the way looters used to plunder Egyptian tombs before it became illegal. None of it will hit the museums and the cultural revelations will most likely be lost."

"So it's an all-you-can-locate buffet," Addison said. "Finders keepers, right?"

Jake grimaced. "Twenty-one modern states have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, but Ishaldi's location lies outside the coastal regions of most. Whichever country gets there first is probably the one that's going to try to declare it theirs. As a research vessel, we'd be under the authority of the United States."

Tessa nibbled her lower lip. "We wouldn't want someone else to steal this out from under our noses." By the look on her face, the gears in her head were turning full speed ahead. Of the sisters, Tessa seemed to be the one who wanted to seek an actual connection with her lost heritage.

"If anything came out of it, we would want control," Addison added.

Kenneth nodded. What he'd heard so far made a lot of sense. "So what happens to a find of that magnitude? Where exactly would its artifacts end up?"

Jake beamed, enjoying his role as the resident expert. "Barring that you haven't already got a significant university or museum attached, you start your own. Though some archaeologists are of the mind not to disturb a significant find, others think it's fair to remove the artifacts to spare them further damage and deterioration."

Gwen perked up. "Say no one else is involved. Is it possible we could open our own museum to share the discovery with the public? Do something right here?"

Tessa's head swiveled toward her sister. "You mean here, in Port Rock?"

"Why not? If those artifacts have to come up, where else would they belong? The local lore about mermaids is already part of our tourist trade, something we need desperately to make a living. Adding a museum to go with the hotel would really add to our cachet as a tourist destination."

"Attaching a conservation and research laboratory would add to its legitimacy," Jake added. "I could head the department myself."

Kenneth eyed the archaeologist but said nothing. He'd already noticed Jake was good at maneuvering things to his advantage. An hour ago he'd been a rotten b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Now he was a conquering hero. It was amazing how men like Jake could walk through s.h.i.t and still come out smelling like a rose. Somehow guys like Ma.s.sey always found a way to land on their feet even when pushed off the gangplank.

Still, some people weren't completely fooled, or blind to the ulterior motives of others.

Addison rolled her eyes. "How is it you're against everything Mer until cold hard dollars enter the equation?" she asked Gwen. "You're starting to sound like Jake."

Jake frowned, washing his expression in innocence. "Thanks, but I am not just in it for the enhancement of my checkbook."

Gwen shot everyone a look. "Well, I would be. And if we're going to do this, it's going to have to be with the full consent of everyone involved. While I am not wild about the idea of coming out as a Mer, I can see the advantages of being part of a significant archaeological find. If we happen to make money off it in the process, well, all the better. We still have to eat."

Tessa nodded. "I would agree with that."

But Gwen wasn't finished. "The one thing I don't agree with is bringing in a lot of outsiders. I want this kept in the family." She shot a look at Jake. "Don't get to thinking this gives you a free pa.s.s. You've still got a lot of a.s.s kissing to do to make things right."

Jake grinned and waggled a lecherous brow. "I'll kiss any a.s.s that presents itself."

Ignoring the crude remark, Gwen sent a look toward Kenneth. "And I still don't know how you fit in," she said through a sigh. "But you do."

Kenneth kept his own face neutral. Getting kicked out of the inner circle now would truly suck. "Thanks."

Tessa narrowed her eyes. "He fits because he knows we're Mer." After a brief hesitation, she added, "And because he's with me."

Shaking his head, Jake rubbed his eyes. "Okay, let's say we keep this to present company only. It takes a h.e.l.l of a lot of money to run an operation like this, and someone's got to step forward and write the checks." Hand dropping, his gaze swept the room. "Somehow I don't think anyone here has the ability to fork out a few million dollars."

Faces fell all around. The fanciful speculation of the last few minutes deflated like a balloon with a slow leak. Talking about an expedition of that magnitude was one thing. Actually accomplishing it was quite another.

Though he listened closely, Kenneth kept his face carefully neutral. On one single point, Jake Ma.s.sey was dead wrong.

Though he said nothing that would reveal his interest in the expedition, he'd already calculated the necessary figures. With a single phone call he could easily lay his hands on the cash needed to finance the recovery.

Only a single question remained.

Should he make the offer?

Chapter 10.

Kenneth set his duffel bag down on the bed. Tessa's bed. In Tessa's room. He'd been kicked out of his quarters since Jake had commandeered the lighthouse as his personal command post. Not that the archaeologist knew Kenneth was supposed to be living there. Since Tessa had earlier identified them as a couple, Jake had naturally a.s.sumed they were sharing a room.

Tomorrow Jake planned to hit the phones, touching base with his old contacts. Though his professional reputation was frayed, he still had a good shot at finding the necessary funding. He planned to show the newly discovered artifacts to a few select collectors who had the muscle of money.

No one was happy about the idea of bringing in outsiders. All three of the sisters were feeling a personal connection, and bringing in an outside investor would mean giving up a portion of any artifacts recovered.

Given the excitement of the day, both Gwen and Addison had decided to sleep over, and both currently occupied their old childhood rooms. As the fourth bedroom had been converted into storage after Tessa moved into the master suite her parents had occupied, that left the couch for Kenneth.

Not that he minded. All he needed was a place to stretch out. Didn't matter how comfortable, either. As long as he was on his back, he could sleep. All he needed to do was borrow Tessa's bathroom for a quick shower and he'd be set for the night.

Kenneth unzipped his bag, digging out some fresh clothes. Since he didn't own a pair of pajamas, he'd just put on a pair of fresh jeans and a T-shirt and call it good.

He glanced toward Tessa. She presently stood on the small balcony outside her room, which afforded a fantastic view of the lighthouse and the open water beyond. Leaning against the railing, she stared out into the distance. She'd let her long hair down and it streamed around her shoulders and down her back like liquid fire.

Looking at her, Kenneth felt his throat tighten. Heat boiled in his core, his body hardening with instant response.

He swallowed, fighting to keep his desire in check. Tessa's shoulders and back were stiff with tension. She wasn't happy.

Kenneth knew why. She's thinking about selling.

After Jake had departed to set himself up in the lighthouse-Addison had the good sense to retrieve Kenneth's belongings before the archaeologist had taken over the loft-the sisters had sat down at the kitchen table and begun to talk. Over a few gla.s.ses of wine and multiple cups of coffee, Addison and Gwen had broached the subject that seemed to upset Tessa most of all: selling the island.

Though Kenneth hadn't been privy to the conversation, he couldn't help overhearing bits and pieces as he helped Jake repack the artifacts. He'd expected Tessa to put her foot down and say no, to kibosh the idea with her usual fierce resistance.

Except she hadn't.

Kenneth cleared his throat, reminding her of his presence. "I'll just catch a quick shower, then be out of your way."

Tessa glanced over her shoulder. "What? Oh, don't worry about it. You can stay if you want. The couch downstairs sucks to sleep on."

The bed. Ah, he could almost imagine the feel of sinking down into that delicious oasis of pleasure with Tessa pressed beneath him.

Except he had a feeling she wasn't in the mood for any naughty business. Her mind was definitely on another subject. She'd probably made the offer to be nice, perhaps even to spare his back a few aches.

Kenneth shrugged. No reason to make a pest of himself. "The couch will do me fine."

A slight smiled turned up her cherry red lips. "I would have thought you would have jumped at the chance to get into bed with me again." She shook her head. "You're too nice for your own good."

He laughed. "Well, you did kick me out earlier and say you didn't want to get involved."

She grimaced. "Then I opened my mouth and inserted my foot by telling Jake we were a couple."

"I was wondering when you were going to mention that. There are certain liberties that go along with being a team."

A spark of interest glinted in Tessa's eyes. Pursing her mouth, she asked, "Such as having s.e.x?"

Kenneth shook his head. "I've got something else in mind."

Her eyes widened. He clearly wasn't taking the bait she'd tossed his way.

Not yet, anyway.

"What?" she asked.

Retrieving a pack of cigarettes from his bag, Kenneth walked out onto the balcony. Carrying the bracing scent of seawater, the night's cool breeze caressed his skin. The sounds of the water sloshing against the rocks filled his ears. Above his head, the sky was clear and filled with stars. Stars that reminded him of the glittering crystals Tessa had revealed. Like her, the island was magical. Special. He had a feeling one couldn't exist without the other.

Tearing the cellophane wrapper off the top, he tapped one out of the pack. Rolling the rest up in the sleeve of his T-shirt, he dug out a plastic lighter.

Kenneth sucked on the tip, inhaling a deep, calming rush of nicotine- laced smoke. "A couple usually implies two people working toward a common goal. Two people who want the same thing at the same time."

Tessa gave him a wary look. The one-night stand she was into. The long-term thing spooked her. "Uh, yeah. I guess you could say that."

Kenneth released his breath. "And while it's true I would love to get into those silky little panties of yours again, there's something I want more than s.e.x."

Sparks of cynicism glinted in the depth of her eyes. "That's a first."

He flicked away gray ashes. "I'm thinking about a partnership, something that might be mutually beneficial to both of us."

Tessa's brows lifted. "What kind of partnership?"

Kenneth had her stumped. He'd turned down s.e.x, yet was proposing an affiliation. "I know you're considering selling the island to finance Jake's venture, but I don't want you to do that."

"I don't want to do that, either," she admitted after a moment. "But it seems to be the only way we can raise the funds without going to an outside investor."

Kenneth considered the trail of smoke wafting up from his cigarette, quickly whisked out of existence by the night wind. "I'm not an outsider," he said quietly.

Tessa narrowed her eyes. "Don't be an a.s.s. I'm not in the mood for games."

Heart thumping hard against his rib cage, Kenneth shook his head. "I'm not playing games with you, Tessa. I've got money-a substantial amount."

She blinked at his statement. "Right. And you can just pull millions of dollars out of your back pocket."

Taking a final drag, Kenneth snuffed out the remnants of his cigarette. Flipping the b.u.t.t over the edge, he reached for his wallet. Unfolding the worn leather, he picked out a folded piece of paper. "Read this." He handed over an article cut out of the newspaper.

Tessa glanced at the headline. "Marsham heiress murdered in carjacking." She shot him a puzzled look. "Your wife?"

Kenneth's stomach knotted. "Yes. If you'll read the article, you'll see I was married to Jennifer Marsham."

Tessa read the article. Her mouth moved a little as she scanned its contents. "The Marsham Investment firm," she murmured at one pertinent point. "Dr. Jennifer Marsham . . . worth millions." She glanced up in confusion. "You're barely mentioned."

"Jennifer used her maiden name for career purposes," he explained. "That and the fact her parents didn't like me."

Her lips pursed. "Oh?"

Kenneth showed her his hands, which were battered and scarred from years of work with the tools of his trade. "They hated that their darling little girl married a grubby mechanic. In their eyes I wasn't good enough for Jen."

It was reaching the point where she began to believe it, too, he thought ruefully. Although he hadn't wanted to admit it, their marriage had been on shaky ground when Jen died. Their planned trip to Maine was more than an anniversary vacation. It was going to be an attempt to keep things together.

Tessa growled. "That sucks. They should have been glad she found someone she loved who would treat her right."

Kenneth mulled Tessa's words. He'd done his best to please Jen. He worked hard, didn't carouse, came home after work. If anything, it was his wife who'd kept the late hours, failing to show up for social events or missing appointments. She blamed it on the pressures of her blossoming career.

He'd understood, tried to be patient.

Jennifer had even agreed she needed to slow down, take some time off. The monthlong vacation they'd planned was going to be a celebration, too. With a baby on the way it, seemed to be a sign that things were going to work out. All they needed was a chance to start over . . .

Feeling the twinge of a headache creeping in around his temples, Kenneth rubbed his eyes. d.a.m.n. To lose the woman he loved just when things were starting to look up was like taking a spike through the heart. The damage was irreparable. The ache would always be there.

No. Their marriage hadn't been perfect. But he believed they could have fixed what was going wrong-if only Jen's parents would have b.u.t.ted out. He'd learned the hard way that when you married one Marsham, you married them all.

A compa.s.sionate hand settled on his arm. "You okay?" a soft voice asked. "You're awfully quiet."

Brow furrowing with frustration, Kenneth quickly lowered his hand. "Sorry. I was just thinking about other things."

Tessa's hand fell away, leaving a cold spot in its wake. Her expression grew somber. "Didn't mean to stir up bad memories."

Kenneth shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Digging up bones, examining the past would do him no good.

Jennifer was gone and so was the life they'd attempted to build together. Whatever mistakes they'd made, whatever choices they'd settled on meant nothing, wiped away in an instant by the bullet fired from the carjacker's gun.

Tessa folded the delicate piece of newsprint, offering it back to him. "I'm going to a.s.sume they circled the wagons after her death."

Kenneth accepted the paper, closing it in his fist. He had no idea why he'd carried it for so long. He certainly didn't need the reminder. Just thinking about the way he'd been treated by Jennifer's family was enough to cool his thoughts.

"They cut me off cold. And the first thing they did after Jen's funeral was take me to court."