Sweet Silken Bondage (40 page)

The discovery of that vulnerability had left her
shaken. Of all the men in the world, why did this
man - her father's henchman - have to be the one to
set her soul aflame? Why couldn't she have felt this
way about Nathan? If she had, none of this would
ever have happened. As it was, though, she had
only one alternative, and that was to escape.

"Where are your thoughts, Reina?"

Clay's voice came close behind her, and she actu ally shook with the awareness it ignited in her. He
joined her at the rail, and his unexpected presence
startled her. Agitated, she glanced up at him, and
for just a fleeting instant their eyes met. He caught
a glimpse of some emotion he couldn't readily identify in her gaze, but she quickly shuttered it from
him.

Clay gave a low chuckle as he slipped an arm
about her shoulders in what appeared to all around
them to be a gesture of protective affection between
husband and wife. "Just the look on your face is
enough to give you away, but you can forget running away. The only place you're going is Monterey
with me."

She wanted to jerk free of his touch. She wanted
to tell him that in one more day when they got to
Panama, she'd be gone. But instead, she gave him a
cool smile.

"If you say so, Clay," she replied all too agreeably,
while silently she bristled over his arrogant assumption that she wouldn't be able to get away from
him. She planned on showing him and showing him
good.

"I say so," he said with a confident grin, giving
her a little squeeze and then letting her go. He
knew this sweet, submissive routine of hers was
nothing more than a ruse. "It's almost time for the
noon meal. Are you ready to go below?"

Reina wanted to slap that self-satisfied smile right
off his face. She wanted to get away from him, not
go down to the dining room with him and appear
to be his loving wife.

"I'm more tired than hungry," she answered, and
it was not an untruth.

She'd gotten precious little sleep these last few
nights for she'd been forced to continue to share the
bed with him. At first, she'd demanded that he sleep in the chair or take another cabin, but he'd
only mocked her. She'd flushed in furious anger
when he'd told her that she had nothing to worry
about, that he had no intention of doing anything
other than sleep in the bed. Despite the fact that
he'd kept to his word and had not tried to touch
her again, just lying beside him in the darkness had
left her nerves stretched taut. Each night she'd lain
awake for hours before finally succumbing to a fitful
rest.

"I think I'll go back to the cabin and rest for a
while. You go on and eat."

Clay studied her for a moment, seeing for the
first time the dark, shadow of weariness in her eyes.
He felt a touch of guilt he had to do battle with.
"Shall I escort you below?" He started to take her
arm, but she moved away from him.

"I'll be fine, unless you're worried that I'm going
to jump ship and swim to shore"

It has crossed my mind a time or two," he
responded and when she gave him a quick look, he
just gave her another taunting smile. "I'll see you
later."

As Reina hurried away, she could feel Clay
watching her, and she was glad when she entered
the companionway and moved out of sight. It felt
good to be free of his oppressive presence if only for
a little while. To her surprise, she came face to face
with Michael.

"Mrs. Cordell, hello," the young man blustered,
thrilled to see her. Since the scene at dinner the
other night, he hadn't had the chance to talk with
her again, and he'd missed her.

"Michael, it's so nice to see you," she greeted him
warmly.

"It's good to see you, too, ma'am," he told her,
meaning it with all his heart. He thought she was wonderful.

Reina was well aware of his feelings, and she also
knew that he was her one hope for help in escaping.
She didn't like the idea of using him for her own
purpose, but realized there was no other way.

"Michael, I was wondering if there's somewhere
we might talk-privately."

"Privately?" He was astounded by her suggestion.
But to him, the thought of a few minutes alone
with her was well worth risking the other man's ire.
"Well, um, I share my cabin with three other men,
so I don't know where we could go."

Reina glanced around and then touched his arm
in a gesture that hinted at intimacy. She drew him
along to the end of the corridor where there was a
small alcove out of sight from anyone in the companionway. Unaware that anyone was aware of their
presence.

"My husband's gone to eat, so we should be able
to manage a short time to ourselves"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Michael, there's something important-a favor, I
have to ask of you."

Michael was hooked. He couldn't believe it!
Reina Cordell wanted something from him. His
heart was pounding. Though he knew there might
be danger involved since she was a married woman,
his deeply ingrained chivalry wouldn't allow retreat.

"Of course," he agreed quickly.

Reina could sense his excited anticipation, and as
much as it pained her, she knew she would have no
problem bending him to her will. Michael was a
nice man, the type of man who, unlike Clay, would
respond to the plea for help of a woman in trouble.
All she had to do was convince him that Clay was
treating her wrong. Once she managed that, she
was sure he would help her escape his abuse.

"Michael..." she spoke hesitantly, wanting him
to believe her uncertainty, her fear and helplessness.

"What is it you wanted, Mrs. Cordell?" Michael
led eagerly. "What can I do to help you?"

"It's...it's my husband..." Reina said in a
choked voice.

"Your husband? What about him?" he asked
gently, a great feeling of protectiveness filling him.
She was so lovely and so very feminine. He wanted
to help her in any way he could.

"Oh, it's so hard to talk about, but I knew you
were the one person I could be honest with.. .the
one person on this ship I could ask to help me."
She lifted her gaze to his imploringly.

"Of course I'll help you. But how? What do you
want me to do?"

"I have to escape," Reina answered quickly.

"Escape?" he repeated, his eyes rounding slightly
at the thought. "You want to escape from your
husband? I thought you two were newly married."

"It's true we haven't been together long," she said
softly.

"Don't you love him?"

"No, how could I, when he's so cruel and heartless?!" Thinking of the misery that would be hers
once Clay took her back to marry Nathan, tears
welled up in her eyes. She used them to her advantage.

"He treats you badly?" Michael was astonished
and swelled with indignation at the thought.

"It's terrible. He's so abusive.. .but only when
no one else will see...You must help me, Michael. There's no one else I can turn to."

"Tell me what you want me to do," the young
man said ardently. It outraged him to think that her
husband might harm her in some way, and he was
ready to do whatever she asked without question.

"I want to run away from him when we get to
Panama. Will you help me do that?"

"Yes," he vowed gallantly, feeling a rush of masculine pride at his ability to come to her rescue.

"Oh, Michael, I always knew you were someone
special."

The young man beamed at her praise. He felt
like a knight in shining armor. He wanted, was
eager, to do battle for her. "What do you want me
to do?"

Reina quickly explained her plan to sneak off the
boat and get a horse before Clay could miss her.
Michael listened and knew he couldn't let her go
alone.

"I'll leave the boat first and arrange for the
horses," he said firmly.

"Horses?"

"It wouldn't be safe for you to go alone. Ill go
with you."

"Do you think that's wise? My husband-"

"Won't be able to find us, so well be fine."

"Thank you, Michael. I don't know what I would
have done without you." Reina wasn't comfortable
with the idea of him going along with her, but
could see no way around it right now.

"It's an honor to be of service to you," he swore
earnestly, taking her hand in his and gazing, lovestruck, into her eyes.

"I'd better be getting to my cabin now."

"Yes, yes, of course." Michael offered her his arm
and accompanied her to her cabin. He paused outside her stateroom door, gazing down at her.

"Until tomorrow...?"

"Yes, Michael..."

He lifted her hand to his lips, then stayed right
there until she'd gone inside. Michael's head was in
the clouds as he turned and started back up on deck. He was startled when the man stepped out in
front of him, cutting off his path, and he stopped in
his tracks, puzzled. He looked up, frowning, to find
himself staring into a pair of the fiercest, coldest,
steel-gray eyes he'd ever seen.

Michael stiffened, his eyes widening as he recognized him. "Cordell..." he croaked.

"Hello, Webster," he said coolly, menacingly, his
gaze never leaving the younger man's face.

"Hello." There was something so threatening
about Cordell's stance, something so dangerous, that
Michael suddenly realized he knew everything. He
began to tremble.

Clay studied him for a long minute, letting him
sweat beneath his ominous scrutiny.

"Webster," he finally began, breaking the taut silence that had stretched between them, "if you go
near my wife again, you're a dead man"

Seeing the pure, unadulterated promise of pain in
his deadly regard, Michael blanched.

"Do you understand me?" Clay pressed.

Michael nodded, swallowing nervously. He wished
he was brave enough to stand up to him, but he
wasn't. He might be infatuated with Cordell's wife,
but he wasn't stupid.

"Let me hear you say it out loud, Webster. Do
you understand me?"

Struck silent by his threat, he could only whisper
the words in a hoarse, frightened voice. "Yes, sir."

"Good, I'm glad we understand each other." Clay
smiled wolfishly as he stepped aside.

Michael found he was shaking uncontrollably. He
didn't say another word, but took the opportunity to
escape his sinister presence at a dead run. He didn't
know where he was going, and he didn't care. He
just wanted to get as far away from Clay Cordell as
he could, fast.

Clay watched him go, then started off toward his
and Reina's stateroom. He was cool and calculating
as he thought of what he would do next. He'd taken
care of Webster, and now it was time to set Reina
straight. He'd stopped this plan before she could
move on it, and he would stop any other scheme
she concocted.

The door was locked when Clay reached the
cabin, and he knocked lightly as he called out.
"Reina, it's me. Open the door." His command was
cool and controlled just as he believed himself to
be. He prided himself on the fact that he'd kept
himself under tight control during these past few
days. It galled him that he'd given in to his weakness for her that night, and he fully intended that it
would never happen again. He knew what kind of
woman she was. Her actions with Webster just
reinforced his opinion.

Reina had not expected him to return this
quickly, and hearing him at the door now annoyed
her. She had hoped that he would stay away for a
while so she would have some time to finish figuring out her plan. Still, in spite of her irritation, she
was in a very good mood as she moved to open the
door for she believed that by some time the next
day she would be rid of Clay forever.

"Thank you, my darling bride," Clay drawled as
he stepped into the room and closed it firmly behind him.

"I'm not your darling anything!" she snapped
back. They were in their stateroom now, and there
was no need for all the sweetness and light he
insisted upon when they were out in public.

"Well, well, well," he said slowly. "I'm certainly
glad to see that the change in you wasn't lasting."

"What change?" Something about his tone cautioned Reina, and she cast him a curious glance.

"Why the teary-eyed, helpless female who just
poured her heart out to Webster," Clay hit her hard
with the knowledge that he knew about her plans.

"You heard..." she whispered, horrified that
she'd been discovered. She wondered miserably if
she would ever be able to get away from this man.

"Everything, my dear, and you needn't count on
his help any more. I straightened him out about a
few things."

"Why, you!" Reina's eyes blazed with fury as she
took a menacing step toward him. Michael had
been her one hope, her only ally, and now...

"That's more like it," he gave a sarcastic laugh as
he studied her, watching how her breasts were heaving in indignation and how her cheeks were burning
in proof of her anger. He remembered another time
when she'd been breathless, and a jolt of desire shot
through him. "You know you really are the consummate actress, Reina. You might have tricked the
boy that easily, but I would never have been fooled
by your weak little woman routine. I know you
better."

"You don't know me, Clay Cordell. You don't
know anything about me!" she told him, her ire
evident in the taut line of her body.

"I know all I need to know. There's nothing
helpless or delicate about you. You're nothing but a
conniving, deceitful, little..."

Reina had had enough, and she exploded in
outrage. Clay never had time to finish his sentence
as she slapped him full force. The sound of her
hand connecting with the leanness of his cheek
resounded through the room.

Her action shocked Clay, and he reacted instinctively, grabbing her by her arms and jerking her off
her feet as he hauled her up against him. He glared
down at her, his gray eyes stormy with the power of the emotions that were raging through him. With
one hand he held her bound, with the other he
gripped her chin and forced her to look up at him.
Reina tried to fight against his hold, but his fingers
bit painfully into her flesh, refusing to yield.