“I couldn’t find any. I grabbed some sugar instead. I figure you’d know what to do to make it.”
“Awesome. I make a killer mojito.”
“I’m more of a beer guy myself, but I’ll try anything once.”
“You’ve never had a mojito?” she asked in surprise, crossing the room toward him. Noah had showered and changed earlier as well. Even in a casual shirt and shorts, he looked tempting as hell. He’d shaved, so she could see his chiseled jaw. His aviators were perched atop his head, and with his dark, cropped hair and muscular build, he was exactly her type.
And totally wrong for her.
He moved easily around the small kitchen, unpacking the bags and stashing things in the fridge or on the counters.
Bailey opened a cupboard, glancing up. “Can you grab those tall glasses from the top? They’d be perfect for mojitos.”
“Sure thing, sunshine,” he said, walking over behind her. He reached right over her, easily grabbing four tall glasses from the top shelf. He smelled clean, with just a hint of spice, and she resisted the urge to shiver at his closeness. To press back against him and feel his solid body against hers.
He moved away all too quickly and lined the glasses up on the counter, glancing over in her direction. “Your hair smells like coconuts.”
“It’s still damp,” she said, running her fingers through it. “And that’s my favorite shampoo.” She crossed the kitchen to grab the bag of limes, putting some distance between them. So far, she’d done a pretty good job of mostly keeping him at arm’s length—they’d flirted and touched a little, but there’d been nothing more. Nothing that would lead them into falling into bed together, that is.
And that’s how she intended to keep things between them. “Where are Taylor and Mason?” she asked.
“They haven’t come out of their room yet,” he said with a chuckle. “There’s no necktie hanging from the door or anything, but I’m not about to disturb them.”
“Oh God, me either,” Bailey said, rolling her eyes.
“Maybe they’re just napping,” Noah said, raising his eyebrows as she glanced over at him.
“Right. The first chance they got to ditch us, they took.”
Noah chuckled. “Easy, sunshine. Can you blame them? That’s why we’re both here, remember? To keep each other company.”
“So basically, you owe me one for coming along on the trip,” she said, watching as his green eyes lit up in amusement. “How else would you occupy your time without me around?”
“Yeah right. Hanging out on a boat all day in the Florida sunshine is such a hardship.”
“Did you miss the part where I’m stuck with you?” she teased.
He smirked, crossing the kitchen toward her, and she took a step back, realizing she had nowhere to go. Amusement flickered across his face. She pressed back against the counter, and then he was hauling her up and over his shoulder, laughing as she shrieked in surprise.
“Noah, put me down!” she yelled, laughing as he crossed the kitchen.
His muscular arm snared around her waist, and then he was crossing to the living room, playfully tossing her down onto the sofa.
She bounced on the plush cushions, laughing as Noah leaned down over her, his arms caging her in.
Her chest rose and fell, and her heart pounded at his nearness. She wasn’t exactly opposed to making out with him, but she’d promised herself she wouldn’t get involved with one of Mason’s friends. That she wouldn’t let anything happen between her and Noah.
His green eyes pinned her in place, and her lips parted in surprise.
He smelled clean and masculine. And his body was so warm and so near.
His gaze dropped to her mouth, pausing just for a moment, and then he was standing back up. Holding out a hand to help her stand up. “I’m just teasing you, sunshine,” he said, his voice gruff. “But hell, if you say the word, I’m yours.”
She stared at him in surprise and then he was walking back toward the kitchen, acting as if nothing had happened.
“They should be out soon,” he said, his voice deep. “Let’s get everything prepped.”
“Mason’s the one that planned this whole thing,” she said, finally following him back to the kitchen. Her skin heated at Noah’s nearness, but she tried to ignore the memory of his hard body hovering over hers. “What are we supposed to do with the fish? I buy fillets at the store and cook them, but I have no clue what to do with a fresh catch.”
“Clean and gut them, I suppose,” Noah said, opening some of the kitchen drawers.
Bailey shuddered. “No thanks. I’ll stick to mixing drinks tonight.”
“Don’t worry, I got it,” he said easily, pulling a large knife from the drawer. “I just need a cutting board or something to use.”
He was acting casual, as if they hadn’t just been moments away from kissing, but Bailey’s gaze dropped, and she could see the slight bulge in his shorts. Pretend all he wanted, he was affected by her, too.
And what had he meant by ‘say the word, and he was hers’?
For...the night? The weekend?
They’d have a fun time, she was sure, and no doubt Noah would be amazing in bed. But she wasn’t going to sleep with him for a couple of nights when she knew she’d see him around Virginia Beach. A quick fling was one thing, but they worked best when you knew you wouldn’t run into the guy again.
When you didn’t have mutual friends.
“So is there a grill down by the pool?” she asked. “We can’t grill fish out on the balcony; I’m sure that’s against a million different fire codes.”
“Yep. There’re several grills down by the pool and picnic area. I grabbed some charcoal and lighter fluid when I was at the store. I’ll probably go light one soon just in case others are planning to use them.”
“How’d you get suckered into running all the errands anyway?” Bailey asked, slicing the limes in half.
“I offered. And I don’t mind—I was quick to shower and change, and I thought they’d want some alone time.” He shrugged. “Plus, I got to cruise around in the convertible.”
“So there was an ulterior motive,” she said with a laugh.
“Hey guys,” Mason said a moment later, walking into the kitchen. His cropped blond hair was damp from the shower, and he had on a tee shirt and shorts. “I thought I heard voices out here.”
“Where’s Taylor?” Bailey asked.
“Drying her hair or something. I told her to take her time.”
“I’m going to run down and light the grill,” Noah said. “See you guys in a few.”
Bailey finished mixing the mojitos, offering one to Mason. He took a sip and grinned. “Damn, that’s strong. And amazing,” he added with a chuckle.
“Noah picked up some good rum,” she said with a shrug. She put lime wedges on the remaining glasses and then picked up her own drink. “To vacation,” she said, raising her glass high.
“To vacation,” he agreed, clinking his glass against hers.
She took a sip of the mint and lime concoction, grinning. “Drinks taste better at the beach.”
“You work at the beach.”
“Well that doesn’t count,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Work is work. I’m getting paid by the bar. Vacationing on the beach is another thing altogether.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Mason said.
Chapter 8
“So what’s the verdict, Riptide?” Noah asked the following morning. “Head out for a few hours?” He took a sip of his steaming black coffee, feeling the burn of the dark liquid roll down his throat. He’d woken up twice last night, his dick rock-hard as he’d thought of Bailey stretched out on the sofa beneath him.
Seeing her in that sexy little halter dress yesterday had nearly made him come undone.
The fabric had wrapped around her perfect tits, showing them off to their full advantage. And when he’d hauled her over his shoulder and felt her lush little body up against his?
Fucking spectacular.
She was so much smaller than him, he could easily maneuver her into different positions if he ever made love to her.
Made love.
What was with him this morning? He was a one-night-stand kind of guy. He had sex with women, didn’t “make love.” And he’d flat-out told her that if she’d said the word, he’d make a move. They were together for a few days here, so he didn’t want to come on too strong if she wasn’t ready or just wasn’t interested.
But he’d wanted her to know that if she was game?
He’d be kissing and teasing her perfect body all night.
Mason grumbled under his breath, tapping the weather app on his phone. “Storms are moving in this afternoon. We should be good to go this morning though. We won’t have another full day on the water, but we can get in a few hours of fishing. It’s a little overcast out, but that won’t hurt anything.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Taylor asking, frowning. “What if the water’s really choppy or something? Is it safe?”
“I wouldn’t put you in harm’s way,” Mason assured her. “I wouldn’t go out if I thought it was dangerous. Noah and I are used to training in bad weather, but I don’t want to be out there with you on the boat in a storm. We can head out for a couple of hours this morning and then come back early. Be safe at home before the first rains drops even hit.”
“Well, if you’re sure,” she said hesitantly.
Noah glanced over at them. “It should be fine, Taylor. We’ll come back long before the storm is supposed to roll in.”
She nodded, still looking nervous, and Noah glanced toward Bailey’s closed bedroom door. “Is she still asleep?” he asked.
“She’s a night-owl,” Taylor said. She picked up her own coffee mug and took a sip. “So am I, really, thanks to my work hours at Anchors. I’ve gotten used to Mason waking up early though.” She shrugged.
A moment later, Bailey came padding out of her bedroom, wearing a pale pink tank top and floral sleep shorts. Her hair was twisted up in a messy bun, and she collapsed on the sofa beside Noah.
“Morning, sunshine,” he said with a grin, watching as she curled her legs up beneath her. She was cute as hell in those little pajamas. Whatever the hell women called them.
“What’s everyone talking about?” she asked with a yawn.
“There’s a storm coming later this afternoon,” Mason said. “We thought we’d head out early and get some fishing in to beat the rain.”
“Sounds good,” she said. Her gaze drifted to the overcast skies outside. “I won’t be able to get much of a tan,” she said.
“Well, tomorrow’s our last day, and the weather’s supposed to be perfect,” Taylor said. “We can find something else to do this afternoon and enjoy the sunshine tomorrow on the boat.”
“All right,” Bailey said. “So when do we go?”
Mason shrugged. “How long do you ladies need to get ready?”
NOAH WATCHED AS BAILEY shivered slightly as the winds picked up. She zipped up the hoodie she was wearing, standing there wearing that and her bikini bottoms, holding the fishing pole.
“I’m not catching anything,” she said. “So much for my good luck yesterday.”
“It’s probably the pending storm,” Noah said. “The fish all swam deeper where the water is calm. They’re not biting today.”
“Not at all,” Mason said with a chuckle. “Good thing we grilled extra yesterday. We can have leftovers tonight or go out if you ladies prefer. There are supposed to be some great restaurants nearby.”
“I’m good with either,” Taylor said. She reached in her bag and pulled out her camera, adjusting the lens.
“You’re taking pictures today?” Noah asked. “The sky is overcast.”
“The sun was so bright yesterday, there was a glare on the water. I should actually be able to get some better photos today with the cloud cover.”
“Makes sense,” he agreed, his gaze drifting toward the whitecaps in the distance.
Mason glanced over at him, raising his eyebrows. He’d noticed the same thing. Although the forecast wasn’t predicting the storm to roll in for another couple of hours, the seas were getting rough.
“Is that rain?” Bailey asked, looking at the clouds in the distance. There was a distinct line on the horizon where the rain had started—darker gray than the rest of the sky. She reeled in her fishing line, resting the pole against the stern. “I’m going to put my shorts back on—it’s getting kind of chilly.”
Noah watched as she stepped into her cut-off denim shorts, trying not to bemoan the loss of the sexy hot pink bikini she’d had on. Bailey seemed to love bright colors, and hell if he didn’t love watching her in them.
She’d look equally sexy in nothing at all, but that long blonde hair and the dresses and bikinis she’d worn on the trip worked for him. She slid on her flip-flops, and Noah noticed that even her toenails were painted hot pink. She took off her sunglasses, stashing them in her bag. Her tiny little eyebrow ring gleamed as she turned, and he resisted a groan.
He was dying to peel off her clothes and discover all her secrets.
The low boom of thunder in the distance sent her jumping, and Mason and Noah exchanged a glance.
“Yep,” Noah said. “That’s rain. We should probably head back to shore. Let’s pull up the anchor.”
Taylor lowered her camera, frowning. “Are we going to make it back in time?”
“We should, sweetheart,” Mason assured her. “We might get wet on the dock running back to the car—oh damn. I think I left the top down on the convertible.”
Noah chuckled. “A bit late to realize that. You took out extra insurance on the rental though, right?”
“Absolutely. Why don’t you ladies stash the fishing gear. We’ll start the engine and pull up the anchor.”
“On it,” Bailey said, moving around the boat. Noah grabbed his tee shirt from his bag, slipping it over his head. There was a bolt of lightning in the distance, and he frowned. He pumped the shift lever to prime the engine and then turned the key in the ignition, listening to it sputter.
“Oh hell,” Mason muttered, crossing over toward him. “The engine won’t start?”
“Let me give it another try.” He turned the key again, listening to the engine turn but not start.
“Check the kill switch,” Mason said.
“Nope, it’s good,” Noah said, glancing down. “Let me try pumping the gas.”
“What’s going on?” Bailey asked, walking over. Thunder boomed in the distance, and Noah glanced over, hating to see the fear in her eyes. He pumped the gas a few times, his hand on the key.
“Just trying to start the engine. Let me give it another go.” He turned the key in the ignition for the third time, and it finally roared to life. The wind picked up, blowing a spray of water onto them, and she squealed in surprise.
“Why don’t you both sit down!” Mason called out over the engine. “We’re going to head back more quickly than we got here.”
Bailey nodded, looking nervous.
“No need to worry, sunshine,” Noah said, lightly grabbing her arm to pull her closer before she walked away. “We’re used to being out in bad weather. We train in all kinds of situations.”
She nodded, and he brushed her hair back, ducking to give her a quick kiss on her forehead. He was trying to reassure and calm her, and he didn’t like that she trembled slightly beside him.
“Okay,” she said, walking over to one of the benches on the side of the boat.
Taylor grabbed her tote bag and sat down beside Bailey, holding onto her things. Her camera was in her bag, and Noah knew it had to be expensive.
Mason checked his smart phone. “There’s no coverage out here. I was hoping to get a weather update.”
“We can try the radio,” Noah said. “Maybe there’s something about the storm.”
“Roger that,” Mason said, walking over to pick up the headphones. The two women glanced nervousl
y over at them, but Noah put his foot on the gas, turning the boat back toward the shore. There were a number of small islands off the coast, and if the weather got really bad, he supposed he could try to pull onto the beach on one of them.
It wouldn’t be ideal, stranded out on an island during the storm, but it’d be a hell of a lot better than being stuck on the boat, rocking back and forth in the churning waves. Even hardened sailors could get seasick in extreme weather.
He wasn’t sure how Bailey or Taylor would fare on choppy waters. He and Mason might have iron stomachs thanks to extensive training, but he didn’t want to worry about them getting sick.
The winds picked up, and he frowned.
They had emergency supplies stashed on the boat—flares, beacons, ponchos, emergency rations and water. The ideal scenario would be to beat the storm back to shore though.
Mason walked over to him, a grim look on his face. He scrubbed a hand across his jaw. “There’s a severe thunderstorm warning—no surprise given the conditions. It came a hell of a lot earlier than expected.”
Noah nodded, concentrating on maintaining control of the boat as the waves began to pick up in the already choppy water.
A wave crashed against the side, and the women screamed as water poured down around them. “Damn it,” Noah muttered, and Mason hurried over to them.
“Come sit on the ground over here by us,” he said, holding out his hands to help them up. They all walked back toward where Noah was, and Mason opened the storage compartment, pulling out orange life vests as rain began to pour down.
“We need those?” Taylor asked, her eyes widening.
“Better safe than sorry, sweetheart,” Mason said. He handed one to Bailey and then helped Taylor put her life vest on, securing the buckles.
Bailey slipped hers on as the boat rocked, but before she could fasten it, a sudden gust of wind caused the boat to list to the side. She screamed as she stumbled and then slid across the deck. Noah’s heart lurched as he watched her, torn between running to her aide and holding the steering wheel.
“Bailey!” he shouted.
She got on her hands and knees and tried to crawl back toward him, up the incline, but a strong wave suddenly had her flying overboard.
Stranded with a SEAL Page 5