Jade Star - Catherine Coulter [38]
When she reached the beach, she pulled off her shoes and stockings without hesitation, set them on a rock, and walked toward the water. Men were out on their canoes fishing, and two young children were playing in the waves. Naked-masted whalers were farther out in deep water. She walked farther down the beach, pausing every once in a while to examine an interesting shell that had been washed up. She didn’t pay any attention today to the birds, nor did she even spare more than a passing thought to the fish.
The hem of her skirt was soon soaked, but for the first time in her life she simply didn’t care. What else could her father do in any case?
She turned away from the water and walked barefoot to Maluuluolele. She stared at the small island in the center of the pond. It was a tiny island, Mokuula. How many years had it been a home of Maui chiefs? She couldn’t remember. Even King Kamehameha III had received visitors here in the recent past, showing them the large burial chambers holding the ornate coffins of those long-dead chiefs.
“Juliana.”
She froze in her tracks at the sound of John Bleecher’s voice.
She turned slowly to face him. “Hello, John. I thought you would still be at my father’s house.”
“No, I left. I . . . I had to see you, talk to you.”
I will not hurt Sarah, nor will I hurt John, Jules swore to herself. “I will be leaving Maui soon, John.”
“I know,” he said. God, she was beautiful. His fingers itched to touch her, to feel her beautiful wild hair.
“I really want to be by myself, John, if you don’t mind.”
He said nothing, merely walked toward her, stopping but inches from her. She looked up at him and was taken aback at the unfamiliar look in his blue eyes. She cocked her head to one side, silent.
“We’re alone,” he said more to himself than to her.
“I suppose so,” Jules agreed.
Suddenly, without warning, he grabbed her, hauling her against him and pressing his mouth against hers. Jules was too startled for a moment to struggle. “John!” she cried out, and felt his tongue thrust into her open mouth.
She began hitting him then, twisting to free herself from his hold. She hadn’t realized before that he was so strong.
“Stop it, Juliana,” he snarled at her in a voice she’d never heard. “Damn you, you know I’ve always wanted you, not Sarah. And now I know the truth. You’ve given it to how many men now?”
“Given what, for God’s sake? Let me go, John! How dare you do this?”
But he didn’t let her go. He seemed wild. She felt pain in her ribs, but didn’t cry out. “Don’t act the innocent with me, Juliana! I know now, all of it! Sarah told me what you’ve done. It won’t make any difference to have one more man, will it? God knows, you’ve been flat on your back for Saint!”
For a moment Jules lost her burgeoning fright in sheer shock. What had Sarah told him? “You think I’m a whore?” she asked in bewildered surprise.
He answered her with a groan and buried his face against her throat. She felt his hands grab her breasts, and she cried out, seeing Jameson Wilkes over her, his fingers stroking her naked breasts, squeezing, hurting. She went crazy in that moment, clawing, kicking at him, her breath coming in loud, jerking gasps. John hurled her to the ground and slammed his body down on top of her.
He was hard and punishing against her belly—she could feel him through the layers of clothing. Dear God, he was going to hurt her, and she knew now that this was what rape was.
Saint washed his hands and wiped them on the white towel Dwight Baldwin handed him.
“Thanks for coming in with me, Saint,” Dwight said. “We