Stormy Vows - Iris Johansen [105]
He shrugged, his dark eyes shuttered. “She's an amusing child. I enjoy having her around.” He smiled. “Even when she raises hell.”
“Shall I tell Davidson to send her to you for discipline, then?” Benjamin asked slyly. “It wouldn't do to exempt her from punishment. It would set a bad precedent.”
There was a trace of uneasiness in Jake's face. “It really wasn't a very serious offense,” he suggested tentatively. Then, as Benjamin continued to stare at him implacably, he said in exasperation, “Oh, damn it to hell! Yes, send her to me. I'll think of something.”
Benjamin smothered a smile as he turned away and once again lifted the receiver of the phone to give the order.
Jane arrived in the lounge five minutes later. She wore her own black jeans and a man's yellow sport shirt with the tails knotted under her small high breasts and the sleeves rolled up above the elbow. She also wore an expression of determination and defiance as she strode angrily into the room.
“It's utterly ridiculous for you to punish the men for having a friendly dice game,” she cried furiously. She stopped before them, her breasts heaving, her flaming hair seeming to take additional fire from her blazing eyes. “It's absolutely medieval of you to withhold their pay for indulging in an innocent game on their own time!”
The two men exchanged amused glances before Benjamin attempted to assume a stern expression. “A game quite frequently ceases to be friendly when money is involved,” he said coolly. “The rule is quite reasonable on shipboard. Men have been known to lose an entire month's salary when faced with their boredom of days at sea. Some of these men have wives and children to support at home. How would you like them to be in need, even hungry, because of a ‘friendly’ little dice game?”
Jane's eyes were wide and stricken. “I never thought of that,” she said in a subdued tone. “You're quite right, of course.”
“Of course,” Benjamin agreed promptly. “However, we're here not to discuss the men's punishment, but your own, young lady. Not only have you disobeyed my orders about leaving your bed, but you've engaged in an illegal dice game.”
Jane made a face. “My knees are almost entirely healed now, so there was no reason to stay in bed. It was driving me absolutely bananas. And I wasn't actually gambling. I didn't have any money, so Simon was just letting me throw out the dice for him.”
“Simon?” Jake asked, his dark eyes narrowing.
“Your cousin, Simon.” Jane said, surprised; then, as he continued to look puzzled, she quoted impishly: “Four times removed in blood, forty million dollars in substance.”
“Oh, yes, Gordon Dominic's boy,” Jake said dryly. “I'd forgotten that he was on board.”
“You should get to know him better,” Jane said with enthusiasm. “Simon is a super person.”
“I'm glad you think so,” Jake said tersely. “Personally, I don't think much of a man who involves a young girl in illegal gambling.”
Benjamin raised his eyebrows at this hypocrisy from a man who had led dozens of women into much more iniquitous indiscretions, but he wisely withheld comment.
“It wasn't Simon's fault,” Jane said staunchly. “He wouldn't even have been there himself, if I hadn't told him I had never seen a dice game and asked him to go with me.”
“So it was you who lured the all-American boy down the path of wickedness,” Jake said lazily, taking a swallow of his drink. “It did seem a little out of character, from what I remember of Simon.”
“Couldn't you excuse him from punishment, just this time?” Jane pleaded wistfully. “It hardly seems fair that he should take the blame because I was curious.”
“I can't understand your fascination,” Jake remarked. “Surely a covert dice game in a deserted storeroom is a little on the sordid side.”
“Well, actually it was rather exciting,” Jane said with a reminiscent smile. “You see, I'd never seen anyone