She stared out the window. "Imagine lying in a stranger's bed and being told that kind of news. Then learning a few weeks later that you're pregnant." She faced him again. "Yes, I'd say, it was a h.e.l.luva shock."

Her point hit Blu square between the eyes, and he felt like a royal a.s.s. He reached out and snared her other hand-the vulnerable one she hadn't buried in her lap. He brought it to his lips and, forgetting that the Blu Devil didn't kiss in public any more than he smiled, he pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, baby."

It was at that exact moment that Curt Aldwin steppedinto the dining room. Blu caught sight ofAngel's brother out of the corner of his eye while his lips were still pressed against her hand. He released her slowly,watching as Curt's gaze locked on him, then shifted to his sister. On recognition, his face turned the color of a corpse ready for the morgue. He scrambled for the back hall moments later.

Blu knew where the hall led. "I'll be right back.Don't go anywhere." He eyed Angel a moment, added, "Say you'll be here when I get back."

"I'll be here. You said the crab cakes weren't mushy."

Her comment made him smile, but by the time Blu had made it down the back hall he was stone sober. He found Angel's brother in the bathroom splashing cold water on his face. As Curt looked up from the sink, Blu's image filled the mirror.

"Oh, Jesus!"

"You don't look so good, Curt. You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"How did you get hold of her? Does she know that I-"

"That you sold her out?" Blu's eyes turned black.

"Hesaid she would have everything she could ever want. That she'd live like a princess."

"Keep singing." Blu put his hands on Curt's scrawnyshoulders and squeezed.

"Okay, I acceptedmoney. I admit it.I needed the cash, dammit!"

Blu squeezed harder. "Keep talking."

"Ah-hh!I-I told Maland when and where shewould be on the water with Ben that day. But I swear, I wasn't involved in killing Ben. I didn't know about that until after. I swear!"

So it hadn't been an accident, after all. The stormhad blown inat the right time. Salva had gotten lucky. Blu dug his thumbs into the cords of Curt's neck. "How much did you sell her for, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d?"

Curt groaned, blinked to stay conscious. "Twenty! Twenty thousand. You're dead," he gasped in pain. "You put Salva's brother in prison. Now you're messing with his property. You're so dead."

Blu felt an overwhelming urge to break every bone in Curt Aldwin's body. But that didn't fit into his plans, and so he settled for a left to Curt's midsection. Angel's brother crumbled like a dry m.u.f.fin. Then he half lifted, half dragged Curt into a bathroom stall and slammed him down on the toilet. "You stay there, Curt. Don't go nowhere. Someone's going to come and take you for a ride. You be sitting right there when he shows up, understand? Or do you want metobreak both your kneestomake sure?"

"Oh, G.o.d! Oh, Jesus! I'm goingtobe sick!"

Blu stepped back as Curt leaned over and puked. Smiling inside, he decided there were days when he did enjoy being the Blu Devil.

"I'll stay," Curt promised, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and holding his stomach as he hung on the edge of the toilet seat. "I'll stay." "You're smart, Curt. That is, for a dumb little son of a b.i.t.c.h. You better start praying that things turn out myway from here on out, or you'll be sc.r.a.ping more up off the floor than your liver. You think about that while you're waiting for my friend."

Blu used the phone in the hall, then returnedtothe table. Five minutes later he watched as Brodie Hewitt sauntered into the eatery and made his way to the men's bathroom at Smokey Joe's.

As muscular as Blu, but not quite as tall, the foreman for the duFray Devils took one lookatCurt, then swallowed the toothpick he was picking apart with his teeth. "You should have flushed yourself, boy, while you had the chance. It might have been a tightfit,but where you're goin', the smell's twice as ripe."

* * * Life's a dance, Krissy. You keep moving and don't look back. Just keep moving. Dance forward, Krissy. Always dance forward. Kristen had just finished her crab cakes when the voice-an aging male voice-recited the words inside her head. She sat back and let the plain-spoken words send a shiver up her spine. She knew the voice, knew it for its comfort capabilities. But there was no face or name to go with the liquid-warm comfort that wrapped around her heart.

She glanced around, wondering if this place had opened up a memory vein inside her head, but there was nothing else. Nothing.

"Angel? Did you hear me?"

Kristen shoved her braid off her shoulder and focused on Blu. "I heard. You want me to let you call the

shots for the next forty-eight hours. Why?"

"I'm waiting on some information. It's goingtotake a couple of days to hear back."

"Information?" Kristen couldn't help but look surprised. "From who?"

"I can't say."

She glanced at the bandage on his arm, then the faint red mark still on his neck. Suddenly Kristen

understood. Blu had called her naive. And she had been until now. "How do I know you're not lying just tokeep me in town?"

"And why would I do that?"

Kristen didn't have an answer.

"I told you before-"

She cut in. "You told me that you're the right man to trust. I know what you said. But you didn't tell me why. What makes you so special,Blu Devil? Why should I trust you over anyone else? Come on, tough guy, what's your secret?"

She waited for himtotell her, but she knew he wasn't going to. For some reason he didn't want her to know about his past. Why?

"Give me two days."

"That's it? That's all you're going to say?"

"No. I don't think I mentioned Tiny yesterday. He was the guy at Lema's we named the Hulk.

Remember?" "You don't havetoexplain about Tiny. Sister Marian already told me about her brother and why he waschasing after me that night you..." Kristen hesitatedbecauseall she could think of to say wasThat night you kissed me. And she wasn't going to mention anything physical that they had shared. Finally she said,"Sister Marian said she sent him after me to watch mybackside. Ah, I mean..." One of his dark eyebrows arched, then he did something totally unexpected-he smiled again. "Did you tell the good sister it wasn't necessary? That you already have theDevil watching your backside?" Kristen glanced around and caught several women watching them-or rather, watchinghim. Their suddeninterest was more than just mild curiosity, and she knew why-Blu's smile was breathtaking. Thewomen were as surprised and fascinated by the s.e.xy smile as she was. She said, "Close your mouth." "What?" Kristen didn't want himtoknow she was having a moment of jealous rage, so she tried for sarcasm. "I don't think this crowd is usedtobeing blinded by the sight of your teeth."

She had no reasontofeel the slightest bit jealous. Feeling possessive of him was just plain stupid. To hide what she was feeling, Kristen directed her gaze out the window.

"What's wrong?"

She could feel the heat from his eyes, knew he expected her to answer. Well, that was too bad-she

preferredtocontinuetostare out the window in silence. "Angel?" His hand reached out and took hold of her chin and gently turned her backtoface him. "You've got that look again." Kristen knocked his hand away. "That look again? What look is 'that look'?" "It's thelook that goes withthat voice. It's the one that tells me we're not communicating on the same level."

"Oh, I don't know. Your communication skills appeartobe fine. Just ask those womenatthe next table.

They can't take their eyes off you." He was smiling again, and too late, Kristen realized she'd allowed her jealousy to reveal too much. "You readytoget out of here?" "Andgo where?" Her voice still sounded like "that voice." "Somewhere I can kiss you without anybody watching." "What?" Kristen didn't remember gettingtoher feet. She vaguely recalled Blu paying the bill and leaving a tip for the waitress. Then they were through the door, walking side by side toward theNightwing.

Twenty minutes later Blu dropped anchor in a cozy little bay away from the outside world. The sun had set and what remained was apalepink sky that promised calm waters and a warm night. Kristen stoodat the railing, knowing what was abouttohappen.

She watched him come toward her. He said, "About that kiss you promised..."

Kristen felt her stomach tighten, felt her entire body turn warm and anxious. "Blu..."

"Shh. We'll talk later." He brushed her braid off her shoulder and dipped his head. "Right now I need this..." He kissed her slow and careful, his hands wrapping around her. He movedhis lips over her jaw, along her neck, dragged her closer into his heat. Kristen could feel him, hardand throbbing against her. Shemoaned, then gaspedwhen he gyratedhis hips to brand her with his hunger. "I need tonight," he whispered. "I've never neededanyone or anythingin my life, Angel. But tonight, Ineed you.Say yes, baby. Let melove you."

There was no way she couldsay no. Her body wasalready turning into a fire box. "Yes," she murmured. "Love me, Blu."

He turned her around and pulled her back into his groin. His head dipped again, his warm lips finding her neck atthe sametime his fingers found her zipper. Hesliditdownand shoved her jeans wide. Then his big hand was moving past her panties, and his fingers weresliding into her nest of blond curls.

"Blu..."

His fingers dipped farther. "You're wet."

"I know."

"You want me. Say it."

"I want you, Blu. Please." Kristen closed her eyes, unable to deny how badly she ached for him. She moaned pathetically as one long finger sank into her. "Take me below," she pleaded into the sultry night air. "Take us to heaven."

She was in his arms in a heartbeat. He carried her downstairs and moved through the dark galley and down the hall. In his bedroom, he laid her on the bed and flipped on the small wall light. He stripped her first, then his own jeans and T-shirt were on the floor.

Beautifully naked, he climbed onto the bed. On his knees, straddling her, he towered above her. "You can stop me if you need to," he murmured, then kissed her parted lips, filling her with his tongue.

His mouth moved to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, licking her nipples until they were tight and aching. Kristen moaned softly, arched.

"Remember, you can stop me, if-"

"Never. I don't want you ever to stop."

His tongue explored her navel, his hair moving against her b.r.e.a.s.t.s to tease her into another moan. "You smell good," he whispered. "Taste good, too." His fingers parted her, then were replaced by his tongue. Kristen arched off the bed as a primal need sent her pa.s.sion soaring.

"Blu!"

"I know, heaven, right? Let it take you, baby. I'll be here to catch you on your way back down."

He sent his tongue over her sensitive, hot flesh, branding Kristen with a scalding wave of sweet

surrender. She cried out, arched her back. Then she was lost, lost in a delicious thunder and lightningclimax that sent her toheaven. And true to his word, Blu was there to catch her as she splintered back to earth.

Chapter 14.

It was midnight, and Kristen sat at the kitchen table wrappedina sheet, watching Blu as he roamed his kitchen like a man who intended to be a bachelor for the rest of his life. He was comfortable in a way that both surprised her and alarmed her. He was definitelya man, who, as he'd said earlier, didn't need anything or anyoneto survive.

As he carried scrambled eggs to the table on a plate with one fork jammed into the fluffy pile, Kristen's gaze was drawn to his hip-hugging cutoffs and the scar on his thigh. The wound was close to a year old, fromwhat she remembered reading in the newspaper article-a permanent scar that had left themuscle sunkenin, which explained why he limped. The paper claimed he could have lost his legif the ordeal had draggedonanother day.

When heslid the plate onto the table, she redirectedher attention to his handsome dark eyes. Smiling, she asked, "Are you feeding me?"

"I cooked. You're feedingus. If we're going to survive the night, we're going to need the protein." He placed two gla.s.ses ofwater on the table, then sat besideher. Leaning close, he stole a kiss. "You okay? Feelall right?"

What he was asking her was if she was sore or if he'd hurt her. But he hadn't hurt her, not at all. And if she was sore, it was a good kind of awareness that reminded her of just how much she loved this man. He was always careful, even when the pa.s.sion stole his breath and made him human. It was the one thing that continued to convince Kristen that Blu duFray was a good man, a decent man.

Look for a man who is good clean through, Krissy. Be picky, darlin'. Make sure he's good, bone-deep.

The aging male voice was back, but like before, no familiar face or name followed the wise words spoken.

Kristen picked up the fork loaded with eggs. "I'm fine. More than fine. Now, open your mouth."

She offered him the eggs and he ate them. While he sipped coffee between mouthfuls, he said, "We need to talk, you think?"

"Yes," Kristen agreed. "We need to talk."

"Before or after I make love to you in the Gulf."

"In the Gulf? It's dark out."

"I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know." Then she set down the fork and opened the sheet.

It was after midnight when Kristen followed Blu back into the bedroom. "I thought we were going to talk," she said, swatting Blu's hand away from her backside. They had spent an hour making love in the Gulf. Then Blu had talked her into sharing the shower. It had rained heaven in that small shower for another hour. "We can talk in here." "But we won't talk, will we?" He grinned. "Sure we will." Kristen eyed his powerful naked body as he sprawled on the bed, his long, durable legs spread wide, his arousal already on the move. She picked up her panties. "We're going to talk." "As soon as you come here," he agreed. "Forgetthose." He gesturedtothe silk in her hand. "Blu..." He didn't beg, didn'tsay anything more. He simplylooked at her, the heat in his eyes melting her insides.

Kristen dropped the panties and slipped into the bed on her hands and knees. Without reservation, she crawled between his legs, snuggled into him, and laid her head on his hard chest. Neither spoke as Blu begantostroke her hair. Finally he said, "Tomorrow I want youtostay on the Nightwing. I don't want you going anywhere." He tilted her chintolook down at her. "Promise me. You'll give me forty-eight hours."