He refused to mess this up.
Closing his eyes, he prayed, “God, please help me be a good boyfriend and a good friend. Help me to keep my eyes on you and to be honorable toward Ava in my thoughts and actions. Keep me from deliberate sins.”
He was tempted to finish the prayer with a quick amen and leave it at that, but he knew better. Pulling in a deep breath, he whispered, “I know what I want, God. I want this relationship to be something lasting and real, but I put it in Your hands. Your will be done.”
His watch beeped, announcing the hour. He should hit the showers now, so he would be out in time to wake up Ava for their morning flight. Ten minutes later, he fell across the plush hotel comforter and reached for the landline phone on the nightstand. He punched in her room number. The third ring was interrupted by Ava’s sleepy voice. “Hello? Who’s this?”
“This is Ian Sinclair. May I speak to Ava Emerson please?”
She paused. “Sorry. She’s sleeping. May I take a message?”
He held back a laugh to keep the professional tone in his voice. “Yes, please tell Miss Emerson it’s time for her to wake up.”
A soft groan filled his ear. Her voice was a mix of helplessness and disbelief. “Is it morning already?”
“Afraid so.”
“Ugh.” She sighed. A companionable silence filled the line, then lasted too long. Had she gone back to sleep? He was about to call her name when she spoke again. This time she sounded much more awake though her voice was still a little husky. “We’re going to St. John.”
He rolled onto his back. “Yes, we are.”
This time the silence sounded a whole lot like a smile. “Where are you right now?”
“Still in my room.”
“Well, get over here. I’m going to order the biggest breakfast you’ve ever seen. No more salmagundi for me. I’m going to be daring and dangerous. Pancakes. Strawberries, oranges, kiwi. Scrambled eggs and—”
“I think you’d better call room service.” He rolled over to the edge of the bed and sat up to tug on his boat shoes. With his navy shorts already on, he passed the phone between his hands in order to shrug on a light blue shirt. “Are you dressed for company?”
“How could I possibly be dressed for company?”
He fixed his collar, then caught the phone between his ear and shoulder to work on the shirt’s buttons. “Well, you’d better hurry up and get ready. I’ll be there in ten seconds.”
She scoffed. “I can make it to my door in two flat.”
“Race you.” He hung up, grabbed his baseball cap on the way out, and headed down the hall to her room. She’d left the door unlocked for him so he stepped inside to find her seated on the edge of her bed wearing a burgundy hotel-provided robe.
The mussed waves of her hair tumbled down her back and entwined with the cord as she cradled the phone between her shoulder and her ear. He tore his gaze from the gentle curve of her neck in time to meet her gaze. She gave him a soft smile. “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
A kiss on the cheek wouldn’t be out of line, but every self-preserving instinct within him told him to keep his distance. He simply returned her smile and claimed the chair next to the phone. She trailed a finger down the menu in her lap. “Yes, I’d like two orders of scrambled eggs, bacon, breakfast sausages. I’d also like a Belgian waffle with extra whipped cream, an order of pancakes, and a blueberry muffin. Do you have fruit salad? What’s in it? Ok, two of those. Yes, coffee and orange juice. That’s it. How long will it take for all of it to be brought up? Fabulous. Thank you!”
She hung up, then froze. Her innocent eyes met his. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did you want something to eat?”
He held back a grin. “No, I’ll just drink some water.”
“Oh, good.” She sent him a relieved look. “For a second there, I thought you may have wanted me to share.”
He shook his head. “You didn’t order enough food for that.”
“I know, right?” She moved to the foot of the bed to rummage through her suitcase. “Hey, Ian?”
“Yes?”
She glanced up at him. “Please don’t make me eat that entire breakfast by myself.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Good. I’m going to get ready. I should be out of the bathroom by the time room service gets here. If not—”
“Let them in and eat all the food.”
She sighed. “‘Give a mouse a cookie…’”
The lock clicked on the bathroom door, leaving Ian to entertain himself. Normally, he would have pulled out his phone to check the news, text messages, or emails, but he hadn’t turned his phone on since Miriam had given it back to him. He wasn’t ready to let the real world into his life quite yet. Nor was he willing to deal with any missed calls and texts or lack thereof. Ava’s Bible was on the nightstand. Since they’d shared it on the ship, she probably wouldn’t mind if he borrowed it now.
It had been almost a week since he’d had the pleasure of reading the Word. With no internet access at the bungalow, he’d needed to rely on his memory. It wasn’t the same as getting lost in the pages of the book. A few minutes later, Ava stepped back into the room, “What verse are you reading?”
He glanced up to see her kneeling on the other side of the bed, fiddling with her suitcase again. “A few passages in Luke.”
“I’d love to hear them.” She disappeared beneath the bed.
He chuckled. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to find my left shoe and the plastic baggie with my earrings. C’mon, Ian. Read me some Jesus.”
He grinned and turned back to the page. “‘Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place—’”
A knock interrupted him. He set the Bible on the bed. “That’s got to be room service. I’ll get it.”
“‘Let not your heart be troubled,’” Ava mused from behind the bed. “That’s so good. He’s such a sweetheart, isn’t He?”
He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “You mean Jesus?”
“Yes. Ha! Found my earrings!”
He opened the door for the room service could roll in two trays of food. Ian tipped the servers extra for keeping neutral expressions while confirming each item in the expansive order. He and the guys at the bungalow had been pretty content with their choices of cereal and frozen waffles, but this… This was something else. “Ava, this looks incredible.”
“My mouth is already watering.” She crossed the room with her head tilted to the side to put on a dangly earring. One look at the food made her stop in her tracks. “Oh, wow.”
Definitely wow.
Her hands settled on her hips, framing the hourglass figure that the simple lines of her clothes only emphasized. The hem of her lacy white shirt barely met the high waist of dark jeans that clung to every curve on their way down to her heeled sandals.
And… he was checking her out. He instinctively lifted his gaze to make sure she was still looking at the food—an instant too late. She’d already turned to look at him. There was no way she hadn’t seen his gaze sweeping upward. Curiosity filled her turquoise eyes. “What?”
Warmth washed over him along with panic and an odd measure of guilt. Ian shrugged and tried to play it off. “Just trying to get used to seeing you in modern clothes.”
“Oh,” she said softly. Her gaze swept over his outfit without comment. “Let’s sit down before the food gets cold.”
He took the chair across from her and unrolled his napkin. What was wrong with him? He’d been fine seeing her in the shorts-dress thing she’d worn on their trip into the city yesterday. Of course, he’d also taken one look at her legs and spent the rest of the trip focused on anything and everything else. But, that was yesterday.
Today, she was his girlfriend for real in real life as Ava might say.
That meant no time limits. No restrictions. He was allowed to look, touch, kiss—within reason. No wonder he was all in knots.
Chapter Seventeen
Ian must be having second thoughts about their relationship. What else would explain the fact that he’d barely looked at her this morning? When had they ever not have something to say to each other? Yet, breakfast had been a nearly silent affair thus far. So much so that she was considering playing some music on her phone to cover up the quietness.
It wouldn’t do anyone any good if there were deeper issues at work here. Glancing at the clock, she realized they didn’t have much time left before they’d need to leave for the airport. Taking in a deep breath, she plunged ahead, “Ian, have you changed your mind about us?”
He stilled, then lowered his fork. “What? No. Why? Have you?”
“No,” she said as relief filled her. Still looking for the cause of his distant behavior, she continued. “Are you nervous about us? I mean, about being a couple.”
This time he hesitated. “Yes, and no.”
Well, wasn’t he downright cryptic this morning? She slid the coffee his way thinking it might help. “Same here. I’ve never had a boyfriend before. Have I mentioned that?”
Curiosity filled his eyes. “No.”
“I’ve dated some, but nothing serious. This is all somewhat new to me.”
“It’s no different than what we had on the Intrepid—except there are no cameras or pirates or… time limits. No need to be nervous.” His attempt to reassure her seemed to have a calming effect on him. He finally smiled. “There’s no rush.”
Well, she wouldn’t mind rushing a little. Like he’d said, there were no cameras around, so any displays of affection wouldn’t be in front of her parents and millions of viewers. She’d tortured herself enough with the idea that he wasn’t attracted to her, she wouldn’t mind a little proof that he was. Reaching over, she took his free hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze before realizing she was doing it again. Initiating.
He didn’t seem to mind. She certainly didn’t. Still, she couldn’t help wondering how affectionate he would be if she did absolutely nothing. Twenty minutes later, his hand touched the small of her back as he held open the taxi’s door for her and guided her inside. When they reached the security checkpoint, Ava decided it didn’t matter who initiated what.
The real world was loud and hectic and invasive. She reached for Ian, sliding her hand down his arm until their fingers connected. It was strange how what she once would have regarded as a normal part of traveling, now felt like a chilling reminder of the threats, chaos, and violence that so often erupted in the real world.
Living History truly had felt like a world apart, removed from modern day dangers. It had felt safe. Well, except for a few annoying pirates, but even that she’d learned to fight with a little help from Ian. She glanced at the line behind them, automatically scanning for threats. Ian’s low voice filled her ear. “Everything ok?”
She turned, leaning closer so she could speak more quietly. “It’s fine. I’ve just trained myself to be vigilant.”
Understanding filled his gaze even as his brow furrowed in concern. “Are you supposed to have a security detail or something?”
“No,” she said too quickly to be truly convincing. Ian lifted a dubious brow, but she waved his concern away. Yes, the last time she’d been in public, she may technically have been escorted by security. However, that did not mean she needed it now. Her tone brokered no argument. “Seriously, it’s fine.”
“Ok,” he said slowly, but she could feel him tensing, becoming more alert to their surroundings.
“Next!” The TSA agent called.
Ava stepped forward to present her credentials. The woman carefully perused Ava’s ID and plane ticket, then paused. Her steely gray gaze sharpened as they cataloged Ava’s features. One more glance at the ID garnered Ava a slight but knowing smile. “You’re good to go.”
Um, had she just been recognized as a celebrity? Since when did that happen outside of Texas? Ava smiled. “Thank you. You have a wonderful day.”
“You too.” The woman’s eyes widened slightly as they settled on Ian. Ava held back a smile and rolled her luggage to the next station. Apparently, Ian didn’t even need to present his ID for the woman to know who he was. Either that, or Ava wasn’t the only one noticing how handsome he looked in that worn baseball cap he’d thrown on.
Ava grabbed a couple of plastic bins to hold her belongings for their ride through the x-ray machine. Thankfully, she didn’t have any issues making it through the metal detector. She put her shoes back on and was just zipping up her carry-on bag when Ian joined her. They set off in the direction of their gate. With two hours left before boarding time, Ava paused when she caught sight of a convenience store. “Hey, I should get a pack of gum for the flight.”
“I’ll wait here with the luggage.”
“Are you sure?” At his nod, she handed over her suitcase. “Do you want anything? A snack? A magazine for the flight?”
“I’m still stuffed from breakfast. I wouldn’t mind a bottle of water and a Smithsonian or National Geographic magazine though. Here. Use my card—for whatever you want. We can put it on my tab.”
“What tab?”
“I’m reimbursing you for this trip.” He gave her a stern look when she opened her mouth to argue. “No arguments.”
“Fine. No arguments.” With a smile, she left him standing there and headed into the store. She grabbed a Smithsonian, National Geographic, and the latest Vogue. On her way to the register, she picked up a bottle of water, a pack of gum, and a chocolate candy bar before waiting in line.
“Brian Carter, Ian Sinclair…” Ava’s gaze jerked to the television that blared from behind the checkout counter. A shirtless Ian flashed across the screen. The voice over continued, “Sierra Miller, Jeffery Blake, and so… many… more.”
“Did you find everything you needed today?”
She glanced at the cashier long enough to nod and place her items on the counter before turning her attention back to the TV. “—you can’t get enough of.”
Her face smiled back at her from the screen. “It’s a pirate’s life for me.”
“Ma’am?”
Ava blinked and met the cashier’s gaze. He gestured toward the credit card machine. “Please slide or insert your card.”
“Oh. Sorry.” She paid for the purchase, then slipped back outside to meet Ian. He was still leaning against the glass wall of the shop. With his head down, he stared at their boarding passes, letting his hat almost entirely obscured his features.
She narrowed her eyes. “Exactly how famous are you?”
His gaze shot up to meet hers. He blinked once, then shook his head as if to clear it. “What?”
“I’ve been too caught up in school to watch a lot of TV these past few years. It occurred to me that I might not know how popular your show is.” She handed him the bottled water. “Plus, I saw a commercial for Pirate’s Plunder in there. You got second billing after Brian, and he is a Superbowl MVP. The TSA lady recognized you immediately.”
“It isn’t a big deal.” Looking decidedly uncomfortable, Ian scanned the airport. “We should find our gate.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Oh, my word. I’m dating a celebrity.”
“Pfft. Look who’s talking.”
“I’m only famous in Texas.”
“Says who?”
It was a good question. She’d assumed she was only well-known in Texas, but how would she know? She hadn’t left the state since the incident until now. Besides, her parents had kept her rather insulated—except from the press. She’d spoken to several nationally recognized reporters, so it was entirely plausible that… She grimaced. “I don’t want to be famous because of what happened to me.”
“You’re famous because of how you handled it.”
She bit her lip. “I guess. You’re right. We should
find our gate.”
“You never talk about it, do you?” He searched her face. “In fact, you haven’t said much about your life outside of Pirate’s Plunder at all.”
She took her suitcase from him and shrugged. “I’ve talked about the attack so much to the press, to the police. I’m sick of hearing about it. I’m sick of thinking about it. If one more person applauds me for making sure that sicko’s little girl got adopted, I’ll scream. What was I supposed to do? Let her be branded forever as his daughter? He barely acknowledged her existence, anyway. I don’t want to think about it or him or…”
She shook her head, refusing to continue. She glanced down at her boarding pass before looking at the airport signs. “The gate is this way.”
She set off and let him follow her if he so chose. A small crowd had already gathered to wait for the flight. Ian took the lead, claiming a pair of seats that faced the runway instead of the crowd. She settled into the chair beside him. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be testy.”
“It’s ok.” The patience in his voice drew her gaze to his.
“The truth is, my dad hired a security detail for me after the attack, which I usually try to ditch or ignore. I know my parents just want to protect me, but it only reminds me of what happened and makes it harder to move on. I don’t want to be treated like I’m fragile. It only makes me feel weaker. And I’m not weak.”
“No, you’re not. You’re a lot stronger than even you give yourself credit for.” His arm draped along the back of her chair as he turned toward her. “I know I can be protective sometimes, but I hope I haven’t been treating you like you were fragile. I asked about the security detail because I wasn’t sure if there was some protocol you may have established that we needed to adhere to while traveling.”
“There isn’t.” She placed a hand on his other arm. “You may be protective, but you’re also the first to encouraging me to step out and be adventurous or independent.”
“Well, if it gets to be too much, let me know, ok?”
She nodded, then frowned. “Do I really not talk about myself?”
Beyond the Tide Page 20