OLD FRIENDS AND NEW ENEMIES

"What is it called?"

"Denali's Bay, because it's owned by Eleazar Denali who allows a few well-chosen friends to have holiday houses here and keep their yachts here. He's the President of a big Alaskan corporation. That's his yacht over there, the dark blue schooner."

The sails began to flap and he reached forward to turn on the engine. Soon both foresail and mainsail were furled in and the yacht was forging quickly through the sheltered water of the almost landlocked harbor.

As soon as both anchors were down, Edward lowered the dinghy into the water. Now that they were out of the wind the heat of the sun was intense and Bella felt overdressed. Taking off the yellow waterproof jacket, she ducked down the companionway into the cabin and looked around for the bikini which Edward had offered her the day before. It was lying on a shelf above one of the bunks. She grabbed it and went into the bathroom.

The bikini was a good fit, but as she gathered up Edward's t-shirt and pajama pants, she noticed her own skirt and bodice and her mind raced ahead, considering all sorts of possibilities. Supposing she was able to get away from Edward, she would need her own clothing because she couldn't wander about in a bikini all the time but how could she take the skirt and bodice ashore with her without him noticing them? She would have to wear them over the bikini and risk him making any comment.

In the end, after various changes of clothing she wore the skirt with his t-shirt over the bikini and went up into the cockpit. Edward wasn't there, although his windbreaker was laying on one of the seats. Bella went to the side and looked over. The dinghy had gone. Shading her eyes against the dazzle of sunlight on the water, she could see the dark shape of the dinghy. Oars lifting and dipping rhythmically, Edward was rowing ashore without her.

The devious, cynical devil! He must have guessed that she would try to escape from him if he took her ashore. Cupping her hands round her mouth, she yelled loudly.

"Hey, come back! I want to go ashore too!"

As far as she could see he didn't take any notice of her yell but went on rowing steadily and soon he had disappeared behind the high hull of a big schooner which was lying between Clair De Lune and the wharf.

Damn him! Bella stamped her foot on the cockpit floor. Now she would have to swim for it because she doubted very much if he would take her ashore when he came back but if she swam ashore she would have no clothes to wear.

Swinging round, she looked at the other yachts that were anchored in the harbor. Perhaps she could get a lift ashore in a dinghy from one of them. The idea pleased her and she sat down on the cockpit seat to keep a watch on them, alert for any movement on board any of them, ready to wave and shout to attract attention.

With the white wings of its sails furled Clair De Lune nodded gently at its reflection in the jade green water. High above the mast the sun at noon was white hot. The smooth water shimmered with silvery light. All was quiet and still, baking under the heat.

Feeling thirsty suddenly, Bella went down below and helped herself to a soft drink. She found the straw hat she had worn yesterday and going up on deck, sat in the shade of the mainmast to sip the drink and keep her watch on the other yachts.

She was seriously thinking again of diving in and swimming ashore when she heard the click of oars in rowlocks. The sound was coming from the direction Edward had rowed and she wondered if he was on his way back. Shading her eyes again, she looked. Yes, there was a dinghy coming but it wasn't white, it was black and there were two people were in it.

"Hi there!" sang out a woman's voice with a nasal twang. "Isn't this Edward Cullen's yacht?"

Rising to her feet, Bella stepped down on to the side deck and looked down into the dinghy which had come alongside. The woman who had spoken was slim, her skin was tanned a rich caramel and she was wearing crisp white slacks and pale blue sleeveless open-necked shirt. On her head was a Bahamian straw hat, her eyes were covered with large-lensed sun-glasses and she was smoking a long cigarette.

The young man who was rowing the dinghy was Jacob Black.

"Bella!" he exclaimed.

"Jake!" she exclaimed at the same time.

"Sounds as if you two know each other," drawled the woman with a laugh.

"We do," said Jacob. "Bella, this is Lauren Mallory from New York."

"I'm staying with the Denalis," explained the woman, "and I've just been visiting Jacob's uncle Joshua Uley, on his yacht. I saw this boat come in and I thought it looked familiar so I asked Jacob to row me over. It is Edward Cullen's, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Is he on board?"

"He's gone ashore."

"You might see him there," suggested Jacob to Lauren then looked up at Bella again. "I must say I'm surprised to see you here, Bella. When I was with you the other afternoon you said you couldn't go sailing with us because you had to be on hand when Nancy's husband arrived. What happened to make you change your mind?"

"Edward is what happened," remarked Lauren with another laugh. "Take my word for it, she isn't the first young chick to find an invitation to go anywhere with the heir to the Cullen fortune irresistible."

Bella's mouth felt suddenly dry. What should she tell Jacob? How could she explain anything to him about why she was on Edward's yacht with this woman listening to everything she said and making sly suggestive comments?

"I'd like to go ashore too," she said, looking at Jacob intently and hoping she was conveying some sort of signal for help to him. "Could you take me there?"

"Sure thing. I have to take Lauren back anyway," he replied. "Sit in the bow."