Jack Ryan 1 - Without Remorse Read Online Free
Author: Tom Clancy
eyes fixed on the parking lot for a long couple of seconds before she looked forward again, her body relaxing more as she did so.
'You know anything about boats?' Kelly asked.
'Not much,' she admitted, and for the first time he noticed her accent.
'Where you from?'
'Texas. How about you?'
'Indianapolis, originally, but it's been a while.'
'What's this?' she asked. Her hands reached out to touch the tattoo on his forearm.
'It's from one of the places I've been,' he said. 'Not a very nice place.'
'Oh, over there.' She understood.
"That's the place.' Kelly nodded matter-of-factly. They were out of the yacht basin now, and he advanced the throttles yet again.
'What did you do there?'
'Nothing to talk to a lady about,' Kelly replied, looking around from a half-standing position.
'What makes you think I'm a lady?' she asked.
It caught him short, but he was getting used to it by now. He'd also found that talking to a girl, no matter what the subject, was something that he needed to do. For the first time he answered her smile with one of his own.
'Well, it wouldn't be very nice of me if I assumed that you weren't.'
'I wondered how long it would be before you smiled.' You have a very nice smile, her tone told him.
How's six months grab you? he almost said. Instead he laughed, mainly at himself. That was something else he needed to do.
'I'm sorry. Guess I haven't been very good company.' He turned to look at her again and saw understanding in her eyes. Just a quiet look, very human and feminine, but it shook Kelly. He could feel it happen, and ignored the part of his consciousness that told him that it was something he'd needed badly for months. That was something he didn't' need to hear, especially from himself. Loneliness was bad enough without reflection on its misery. Her hand reached out yet again, ostensibly to stroke the tattoo, but that wasn't what it was all about. It was amazing how warm her touch was, even under a hot afternoon sun. Perhaps it was a measure of just how cold his life had become.
But he had a boat to navigate. There was a freighter about a thousand yards ahead. Kelly was now at full cruising power, and the trim tabs at the stem had automatically engaged, bringing the boat to an efficient planing angle as her speed came to eighteen knots. The ride was smooth until they got into the merchant ship's wake. Then Springer started pitching, up and down three or four feet at the bow as Kelly maneuvered left to get around the worst of it. The freighter grew before them like a cliff as they overtook her.
'Is there someplace I can change?'
'My cabin is aft. You can move in forward if you want.'
'Oh, really?' She giggled. 'Why would I do that?'
'Huh?' She'd done it to him again.
Pam went below, careful to hold on to the rails as she carried her backpack. She hadn't been wearing much. She reappeared in a few minutes wearing even less, short-shorts and a halter, no shoes, and perceptibly more relaxed. She had dancer's legs, Kelly noticed, slim and very feminine. Also very pale, which surprised him. The halter was loose on her, and frayed at the edges. Perhaps she'd recently lost weight, or maybe she'd deliberately bought it overlarge. Whatever the reason, it showed quite a bit of her chest. Kelly caught himself shifting his eyes, and chastised himself for ogling the girl. But Pam made it hard not to. Now she grasped his upper arm and sat up against him. Looking over, he could see right down the halter just as far as he wanted.
'You like them?' she asked.
Kelly's brain and mouth went into lock. He made a few embarrassed sounds, and before he could decide to say anything she was laughing. But not at him. She was waving at the crew of the freighter, who waved back. It was an Italian ship, and one of the half dozen or so men hanging over the rail at the stern blew Pam a kiss. She did the same in return.
It made Kelly jealous.
He turned the wheel to port again, taking his boat across the bow wave of
'You know anything about boats?' Kelly asked.
'Not much,' she admitted, and for the first time he noticed her accent.
'Where you from?'
'Texas. How about you?'
'Indianapolis, originally, but it's been a while.'
'What's this?' she asked. Her hands reached out to touch the tattoo on his forearm.
'It's from one of the places I've been,' he said. 'Not a very nice place.'
'Oh, over there.' She understood.
"That's the place.' Kelly nodded matter-of-factly. They were out of the yacht basin now, and he advanced the throttles yet again.
'What did you do there?'
'Nothing to talk to a lady about,' Kelly replied, looking around from a half-standing position.
'What makes you think I'm a lady?' she asked.
It caught him short, but he was getting used to it by now. He'd also found that talking to a girl, no matter what the subject, was something that he needed to do. For the first time he answered her smile with one of his own.
'Well, it wouldn't be very nice of me if I assumed that you weren't.'
'I wondered how long it would be before you smiled.' You have a very nice smile, her tone told him.
How's six months grab you? he almost said. Instead he laughed, mainly at himself. That was something else he needed to do.
'I'm sorry. Guess I haven't been very good company.' He turned to look at her again and saw understanding in her eyes. Just a quiet look, very human and feminine, but it shook Kelly. He could feel it happen, and ignored the part of his consciousness that told him that it was something he'd needed badly for months. That was something he didn't' need to hear, especially from himself. Loneliness was bad enough without reflection on its misery. Her hand reached out yet again, ostensibly to stroke the tattoo, but that wasn't what it was all about. It was amazing how warm her touch was, even under a hot afternoon sun. Perhaps it was a measure of just how cold his life had become.
But he had a boat to navigate. There was a freighter about a thousand yards ahead. Kelly was now at full cruising power, and the trim tabs at the stem had automatically engaged, bringing the boat to an efficient planing angle as her speed came to eighteen knots. The ride was smooth until they got into the merchant ship's wake. Then Springer started pitching, up and down three or four feet at the bow as Kelly maneuvered left to get around the worst of it. The freighter grew before them like a cliff as they overtook her.
'Is there someplace I can change?'
'My cabin is aft. You can move in forward if you want.'
'Oh, really?' She giggled. 'Why would I do that?'
'Huh?' She'd done it to him again.
Pam went below, careful to hold on to the rails as she carried her backpack. She hadn't been wearing much. She reappeared in a few minutes wearing even less, short-shorts and a halter, no shoes, and perceptibly more relaxed. She had dancer's legs, Kelly noticed, slim and very feminine. Also very pale, which surprised him. The halter was loose on her, and frayed at the edges. Perhaps she'd recently lost weight, or maybe she'd deliberately bought it overlarge. Whatever the reason, it showed quite a bit of her chest. Kelly caught himself shifting his eyes, and chastised himself for ogling the girl. But Pam made it hard not to. Now she grasped his upper arm and sat up against him. Looking over, he could see right down the halter just as far as he wanted.
'You like them?' she asked.
Kelly's brain and mouth went into lock. He made a few embarrassed sounds, and before he could decide to say anything she was laughing. But not at him. She was waving at the crew of the freighter, who waved back. It was an Italian ship, and one of the half dozen or so men hanging over the rail at the stern blew Pam a kiss. She did the same in return.
It made Kelly jealous.
He turned the wheel to port again, taking his boat across the bow wave of
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