“I . . .” She shook her head and closed her eyes. “Liam, I want you . . .” She bit her bottom lip.
“Soon.” He moved his fingers again and had her almost there. “Let go.”
He moved over and over and soon had her tossing her head back and losing the last hold she had.
“I told you,” he whispered, shaking her from the fog of aftershock.
Her eyes opened, and she met his hazel eyes. “We didn’t drown.”
“Not yet,” he said as he slid slowly into her.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
That evening, Liam held Elle in his arms as they watched the sun set from the top deck. They had enjoyed a candlelit dinner that had been expertly set out as soft music played from the speakers around them. He couldn’t have asked for a more romantic setting, nor would he have wanted to share it with anyone other than Elle.
She’d changed into a soft, flowing blue sundress for dinner, and he’d pulled on a pair of tan shorts and a button-up shirt, but he wished he’d packed something a little more special for her.
She’d tied her hair in a low knot and had freshened up her makeup after the shower they had shared. They had both gotten a little too much sun that day, which had her cheeks and shoulders a little pink.
She claimed he’d distracted her, and she’d forgotten to put sunblock on. He’d made it up to her by rubbing lotion onto every part of her. Which had made them work up an appetite.
Dinner was even better than lunch. His steak melted in his mouth.
“I could get spoiled eating like this,” she said between bites. “At camp, I don’t really get to enjoy Isaac’s food as much as I want.”
“You’ve accomplished a lot. The camp is an amazing place.”
“Hopefully, it won’t always be like that. If all goes well . . .”
“Nope,” he interrupted her. Already, he could see her work wheels turning. “Change gears. No work talk. You’re on vacation, remember?”
She laughed. “Okay.” She reached for her champagne glass and finished off her second glass, only for it to be filled again by one of the staff members. “Tell me what our plans are for the Keys?”
“Okay.” He slid easily onto the topic. “I have us booked at a bungalow.”
“You booked us a private bungalow?” she asked.
“Sure, we’ll have the place for the night with our own private pool and beach. We’ll have lunch with Carl and Candace here on the boat before heading out and spending the rest of the day enjoying Key West. We can take in the culture and local life there, then have some dinner before heading to the bungalow.”
“I’ve always wanted to eat at Sloppy Joe’s. Last time I was there, we ran out of time,” she admitted.
“We?” he asked.
She chuckled. “Zoey, Scar, and I went down there two summers ago.” She rested her elbows on the table. “Something tells me you’ve been down to the Keys a lot.”
He nodded. “They have one of the best marine-biology labs for that there: KML.”
“You lived there?” she asked, and he nodded in agreement. “How long?”
“Almost a year. That’s where I met Carl.” He remembered the first time he’d seen the man struggling to unload some heavy equipment.
“And Candace?” she asked.
“Yes.” He smiled, remembering meeting the pretty brunette at a party the night he’d arrived in Key West for the first time. It was strange, but even now, Liam could only ever imagine Carl and Candace together back then. It was as if they had been fated to meet and fall for one another.
“They mean a lot to you.” It was a statement, not a question.
“They’re like family,” he answered easily. “When I was going through a rough patch, they’re the ones who helped me out—showed me what it’s like to be around people who get you and who care for you.”
“You and your brothers seem to get along fine enough.”
“We do.” He nodded in agreement. “But it hasn’t always been the case. Besides, since we’ve all moved out and gone our own ways, we’re more like polite strangers.” It saddened him to say it, but it was the truth. Their time at the camp was the most time they’d spent together in years.
She was watching him closely, and he guessed she’d seen his mood darken.
He didn’t trust people that often. The fact that he was still cautious toward her in a few areas played heavily on him. He didn’t think that she had anything to do with his father’s disappearance, but he did wonder if she knew more than she was letting on. It wasn’t as if she’d come directly out and said she hadn’t slept with his father or had even known him. Then again, he hadn’t asked, for fear of the answers.
“Why was this boat in Destin?” she asked, interrupting his memories.
“Carl was getting some repairs and upgrades there,” he answered. “I knew about it and was hoping it would be ready for this trip. I called Carl and asked if we could hitch a ride. We lucked out.”
She held up her glass, and he did the same, clinking them together. “Yes, we did.”
That night, holding Elle in his arms while they were docked in Saint Pete, he couldn’t explain why he was nervous for her to meet his friends.
Carl and Candace were more than his friends; they were friends who knew him better than any others. Living together in a small boat while they worked on fixing the reefs off the coast of Florida, Liam and Carl had gotten to know one another better than even he and his brothers had.
Carl’s opinion mattered more to him than most people’s. He knew Carl would love Elle, but he wanted Elle to see past all of Carl’s little . . . issues.
The man was a recluse at best. Candace had helped him come out of his shell a little, but still, Carl tended to fall into bouts of seclusion and depression. Hence the trip to Brazil he and Candace were taking.
He felt Elle stir next to him and pulled her tighter against his chest. He knew that she’d had a few bad dreams about her ex. If he ever met the guy, he was sure nothing could hold him back from punching the man instantly.
When she settled back down, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with the smell of her hair floating around him.
The next morning, by the time he woke, they were already back out to sea.
Breakfast was served on the deck, and they ate watching as they slipped past the rest of Florida. They watched a pod of dolphins play off the side of the boat, and Elle snapped a ton of pictures on her phone: some of them together, several selfies, and a lot of the boat.
“For Zoey.” She smiled. “She really was jealous.”
“Next time Carl has it up near us, I’ll make sure she gets a tour and a trip.”
“Really?” She bit her bottom lip. “She’d love that.”
“What’s that look for?” he asked after seeing worry flash in her eyes. He knew this look of hers signaled that she was concerned about something.
“Nothing.” She started to shake her head, but he stopped her by placing a finger under her chin and nudging it until her eyes met his.
“I’ve seen that look before,” he teased. “Tell me what the worry is.”
She sighed. “Okay, it’s just . . . well, your brother and my . . . sister are, well . . .”
“What? Engaged?” he said.
“What?” She jerked in his arms. “No, they’re . . .”
“For all practical purposes, yes. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before Dylan asks.”
“Really?” Elle’s eyes got huge. “You think?”
“If he hasn’t already.” He smiled. “He told us that Zoey is the one. Which means . . .”
“Marriage.” She sighed. “Okay, yes, I suppose I knew it was coming, but . . .”
“Why the concern?” he asked, shifting her closer to him as they glanced out over the water.
Her head rested against his shoulder, and for a moment she was quiet, and he didn’t think she’d tell him.
“What if things don’t work out for us? I mean, I�
��ve never been friendly with . . . someone I’ve dated after a breakup.”
He thought about it for a moment. Hadn’t he been thinking the same thing moments ago? But, looking at her, he couldn’t imagine feeling anything but kindness and desire toward her. At least at the moment. If he found out she’d had anything to do with his father and the missing money, then those thoughts might change.
“We’re friends, right?” he asked finally.
“Yes,” she agreed.
“Then, no matter what happens, we’ll remain so. We both love Dylan and Zoey, so as long as we focus on them and not us, we should be okay.” He turned her toward him again. “Trying to break it off with me already?”
She reached up and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m just getting started with you.” She leaned up and kissed him. Heating his body instantly.
“We have time,” he said between kisses, “to sneak down into the bedroom one last—”
Just then, the horn honked, signaling they were coming into port. He sighed. “Tonight.” He laid his forehead against hers.
They stood on the top deck and watched as they pulled into port.
“There are Carl and Candace.” He waved and pointed to the couple standing on the dock.
Elle turned and smiled, then waved. “They look just like you said.”
“Really?” He glanced down at her.
“Yes, she’s beautiful, and he’s . . . well, a nerd.” She chuckled.
He shifted his glance over at the couple. Carl was a skinny, freakishly tall man with thick black glasses and a mop of black hair that was blowing in the wind every which way. Candace’s long hair was tied in a braid laying over her shoulder. She wore a white sundress, and a large brimmed hat covered her face.
“Carl can be . . . well, he’s a hypochondriac, among other things.”
Elle poked a finger at him. “I’m sure I’m going to like him. Stop worrying.” She leaned up and kissed him.
“I’m . . .” He was about to deny it but realized it was the truth. “Okay, why does this feel like I’m introducing you to my parents?”
She chuckled and hugged him before stepping away. “Remember, I’ve known your father most of my life. Maybe you just haven’t come to the realization that these two”—she nodded to the couple, who were now a lot closer—“mean more to you than you care to say.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Hell, just don’t let them know that.”
He watched the trio carefully—so carefully that shortly after sitting down for lunch, Candace reached across the table and took his hand in hers.
“Relax.” She smiled at him. “We’re not going to devour her. I think both of us have made up our minds about Elle already.” She smiled across the table. “We like her.” She dropped his hand and reached for Carl’s. “Don’t we?”
He relaxed instantly. It was strange; his friends hadn’t even met his brothers. He’d kept these two sides of his life separate. Maybe it was because he felt like he could be himself around Carl and Candace, more so than he ever had been around his family.
“Any woman that Liam feels is strong enough to meet us, we love.” Carl winked at Elle.
“The feeling is mutual.” Elle toasted him with her glass. “Eat.” She nodded to his food, which he had barely touched at this point.
The conversation turned to his time on the island.
“He really dove down and positioned a mannequin dressed as Aquaman where you’d be diving the next day?” Elle asked.
“The vintage Aquaman, not the new one. Green tights, yellow shirt. Yeah.” Carl laughed. “Scared the shit out of me. He even had a pitchfork.”
“Trident,” Liam corrected him.
Candace jumped in. “That’s who Liam reminds me of. We saw the new movie a few months ago and both agreed, Liam is a younger version of the star.” She turned to Elle and practically purred. “I do love me some Jason Momoa.”
Elle quickly nodded in agreement, then turned to him and tilted her head. He watched her run her tongue over her lips.
“I can’t really see it.” She chuckled. “Maybe if he had some green tights . . .”
He laughed. “No way in hell.” He kissed her hand.
They finished lunch, and he hugged the couple goodbye.
“Safe travels.” He kissed Candace’s cheek. “Keep me posted on the trip.”
“Will do.” She leaned in. “If all goes well, when we come back, we might have some . . . news.”
He stopped. “What kind?”
“The ‘expanding the family’ kind,” she whispered.
“Really?” He hugged her again.
“It’s funny, I have to kidnap my husband and take him away on a monthlong boat trip to get enough time with him.” Candace wrapped her arm around Carl.
“I can work anywhere,” Carl added with a chuckle.
“Not if I throw your computer overboard,” Candace warned.
“You wouldn’t dare . . .” Carl leaned down and kissed her. Then he turned to Elle. “It was really nice meeting you.”
“The same, safe travels,” Elle said as Liam set their bags on the dock. They were whisked away to the car that had been waiting to take them to the bungalow so Elle and Liam wouldn’t have to drag their bags around for the day.
They stood on the dock and watched the boat disappear into the horizon.
“Part of me envies them,” Elle said as they turned to head down the dock, hand in hand.
“You want to be stuck on a boat with me for a month?” he joked.
“It might be fun.” She shrugged. “But no, I mean, the way they are together. You built up this . . . vision of them. They’re some of the nicest and richest people I’ve met.”
“If it was up to Carl, he’d still live in his parents’ basement.” They started to stroll down Front Street. “Where to? Shopping?”
She thought about it. “I suppose I could do some shopping.” She glanced at a shop window. “After some gelato.” She pulled him in.
For the next few hours, they walked around Front Street. He carried a few small bags after she’d bought some trinkets for her friends. He was surprised when she pulled him into a hot sauce store and purchased a bottle of Fighting Cock Barbeque Sauce.
“Zoey’s favorite.” She smiled when she bought it. “It might make up for not giving her a tour of the boat.”
They walked a few blocks and had dinner at Sloppy Joe’s, where they ate burgers and sipped cold beer as a band played on the stage.
When they stepped outside, the sun was sinking lower, and they made their way toward Mallory Square to watch the sunset and enjoy the street performers. Elle took more than a dozen pictures of the chickens roaming the streets along the way.
“What time is our flight tomorrow?” she asked, resting her head against his shoulder as their cab drove them across the island toward their bungalow.
“Noon,” he answered. “We have plenty of time to sleep in.” He wished they could spend more time away from the camp and the worries of his family. Not that he didn’t want to find his father, but being with her away from it all was addictive.
He hated the thought of going back to their problems and the idea that they were each keeping secrets from one another.
“Good.” She covered her mouth as she yawned. “I can barely keep my eyes open. Thank you for today.” She shifted and looked up at him. “It was one of the best vacations I’ve had.”
“Thank you for coming with me.” He kissed the top of her head.
The car pulled up in front of the place, and when they stood out on the sidewalk in front of the two-story house, Elle glared at him.
“We seriously need to discuss the definition of a bungalow.”
She followed him onto the front patio and waited as he used the code to unlock the place.
“This is all ours for the night?” she asked, walking around the entryway.
“Yup.” He picked up the bags that had been set right inside the door. “L
ead the way.”
“Not yet. I want to look around.” She motioned for him to set the bags down.
He followed her around the place, remembering how it had felt living there years ago. He’d felt as if he’d been in control of his own life. Something he hadn’t felt since, until he’d stepped foot on the camp and had seen Elle.
“Look at this . . .” she said over and over again.
“I’ve seen it,” he finally said. “I’ve rented the place a few times before.” She stopped.
“You’re just now telling me this?” She turned toward him.
“I thought I had,” he said. “This is where Carl and I lived while . . .” He stopped when her eyes narrowed at him. “Oh, I thought I told you.”
She huffed, then turned toward the stairs. “I’m going to want a swim in the pool,” she added as he followed her up the stairs.
“God, I was hoping you’d say that,” he said, his eyes locked on her backside. Images of what he wanted to do to her under the water flooded his mind.
He wondered if he’d always want her this bad. He didn’t think he’d get used to the desire that shot through him every time she looked at him. Nor would he want to.
He tossed the bags on the bed and waited as she looked around the upstairs, then changed into her suit.
“You won’t need that.” He walked across the room toward her and touched the straps of her suit.
“You won’t be needing those”—she nodded to his shorts—“but yet, you’re still wearing them.”
“So let’s head downstairs before we get naked.” He grabbed two towels. “The backyard is pretty private, but some of the windows up here face the neighbors.”
“Good to know.” She wrapped a towel around her. “Lead the way.”
When they stepped out on the back patio, he flipped on the pool lights and dropped the towels on a chair. Then he followed her into the water and instantly took her into his arms.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Elle was dreaming about lying in the warm white sand on her beach, Liam lying beside her, slowly stroking his hands over her heated skin, when she heard her cell phone ring.
“Don’t answer that,” he murmured in her ear.
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