Passionate Choice

Chapter 1.3

   "Hello, Selena." Keith Walker's voice was lazy and deep, lilting with a Southern accent. Under slanted eyebrows his eyes glinted ice blue through thick bronze-coloured lashes, while shafts of sunlight found streaks of gold in his close-cropped curls, which were the same bronze hue as his lashes. A white shirt open to the waist was that across his wide shoulders and his brief khaki shorts, belted at the waist revealed the muscular shapeliness of his long legs.

   "Good morning, Mr. Walker," Selena replied, pleased that her voice was cool and steady, betraying nothing of the shock she had felt on meeting him again so suddenly three and a half years after they had parted. She was relieved to see he took the hint, the slight smile that had begun to curl his lips and the glow just warming his eyes both fading. He wasn't going to reveal that he and she had been previously acquainted.

   "It's such a pity John has the flu," Heather said as they all sat down, Ben and Selena together on one sofa, Heather and Keith on another on the opposite side of the coffee-table. "Louis thought so highly of him and, then, he has had so much experience of diving and exploring wrecks and searching for sunken treasure among the islands. Have you done any underwater exploration before, Mr. Walker?"

   "Yes, I have." A ripple of amusement disturber the deep, even flow of his voice. "Diving has been my business too, Mrs. Langdon, and I have a degree in oceanography from the University of Miami. But if you're at all sceptical of my abilities both as a diver and skipper of a dive-ship why don't you call John, when you can, and ask him?"

   "I'm sure that won't be necessary," Ben said hastily, leaning forward. He pushed an envelope towards Heather. "That's the letter of recommendation John has sent. You'll see he writes very highly of Keith's abilities." He glanced at Keith. "How many have you in your crew?"

   "Another diver besides myself and an engineer-maintenance man for the equipment," said Keith.

   Selena didn't listen to Ben's reply. She was aware that he was speaking but not if what he was actually saying. She was too busy looking at the man who sat opposite her, eyeing him surreptitiously from under her lashes.

   Keith hadn't changed much. Perhaps the lines about his mouth and across his broad forehead were more incisively carved, perhaps the curve to his well-shaped lips held a touch of cynicism, but there was no grey in his tawny hair and his figure was as lithe and lean as it had been when she had first known him. In fact, at thirty-five he was more compellingly attractive to her than he had been at the age of thirty-one and he certainly didn't look as if he had spent the last three and a half years regretting the break-up of their brief but passionate affair. Handsome, coolly self-confident, his skin freshly tanned to a becoming golden-brown he seemed to glow with health and vitality, over-shadowing completely the other man sitting beside her.

   Her glance slide sideways to Ben who was still talking. His long, clever face was still pale after a winter spent in England, and his black, grey-streaked hair was awry sticking out in all directions as a result of the habit he had of running his fingers through it when he was talking or lecturing. She had known him nearly three and a half years, ever since she had parted from Keith and returned to England to continue her studies in archeology, and she had learned to like and respect him. He and she had much in common including interest in archeology and so, when he had proposed marriage to her a few days ago, just before they had left England to come to Sanada she had no hesitation in accepting.