Belle dumped her wet shorts, T-shirt and underwear in a bucket and left it in the galley.
The rolling and pitching while below deck made her feel queasy. And she knew the longer she stayed the worse it would get. Her eyes felt like they were crossed, her head ached and her stomach churned. Ignoring Kabe’s order to stay below, she quickly pulled on yellow wet-weather gear and life jacket, then took deep, slow breaths to stave off nausea, and waited. The yacht dipped into a gully between swells. Quickly, Belle hurried up the steps. She stumbled out onto the rolling deck and blustering wind and quickly gripped the safety line.
‘I told you to stay below,’ Kabe yelled over the tempest.
Incapable of hiding her nausea, she held her stomach and gave him a suffering, sidelong glance. He held back on a smile, a waste of time since his eyes twinkled with amusement. Unable to see the funny side, she dismissed him with a grumble, and lifting her chin, she turned to concentrate on the horizon … if she could only find it.
She would do anything, anything, not to vomit over the side—in front of him.
He muttered something about sea legs, but thankfully said no more about her going below and busied himself with getting them to safety. ‘We’d better get to Butterfly Island.’ He grinned. ‘Come here and make yourself useful,’ Kabe said, pulling her towards him.
‘Hey—ouch!’ Belle winced.
‘Sorry, it’s the ribs, yeah?’ he said, sounding concerned.
She nodded. ‘They’re a bit tender, nothing to worry about.’
‘Can you hold the helm steady without it hurting you?’
‘Sure. I’ll be fine,’ she told him.
He showed her how, with strong hands that covered hers. ‘Don’t let go!’
‘But what if I have to … !’
‘Throw up? Nah, you’ll be too busy!’ he called back over his shoulder as he moved forward.
‘Thanks for the vote of confidence!’ Belle yelled, trying to make herself heard over the noisy rigging and the gale-force winds. To add to her anxiety, the yacht’s bow dipped into a heavy swell, and seawater gushed over the deck. Up for the challenge, she gave herself a mental shake and gripped the wheel, determined to do it right.
He waved to get her attention. ‘I’m going to hoist the trysail, she may skip forward. Mind yourself.’
His sure and steady hands made fast work at undoing the ties. She couldn’t take her eyes off his muscles flexing as he hauled the sail up with ease. Being anywhere near Kabe set all her senses on alert, taut like strings on an instrument wound way too tight and ready to pop with a resounding twang.
‘Shit,’ Belle muttered. She wished she were somebody else, someone without a past, maybe a beautiful woman on a carefree holiday, ready for sex with a hot guy.
Kabe moved back into the cockpit, turned off the engine, then slid behind her. Belle tried to shift out of the way, but instead of taking possession of the wheel, he surprised her by placing his big hands over hers to adjust their bearings. A flutter erupted in her stomach. This contact was different to the grasp that had pulled her to safety. His touch was gentle yet firm, experienced and comforting.
The yacht tacked to starboard and for a moment lost the wind, making its white trysail flutter. As the sail caught the wind again, it ballooned out with a thwack. In a blink, one of Kabe’s hands left hers and his arm went around her upper chest, his fingers gripping her shoulder as he held her to his front. Despite her life jacket, she felt his body heat, his strength holding her tightly to him. Just as he’d warned, the yacht leapt forward. Without Kabe restraining her, she would’ve been thrown backwards.
‘Holy cow!’ Belle said, exhilarated.
His sleek yacht steadied and sliced through the water. Kabe’s big hand on her shoulder moved up to the side of her neck; feeling his skin on hers sent a shiver through her.
‘Welcome to The Ondine,’ he laughed and dipped his head to Belle’s ear. ‘Stay, have fun. I’ll be right behind you while I radio Marine Rescue, let them know we’re okay.’ His breath warm on her skin made her nipples harden and other parts come alive.
Oh my! Belle thought and let the delicious sensation linger … Nice. She pulled herself back under control, swallowed and quickly focused on something else … like sailing through a storm. Yeah, that’s right, sailing through a storm with the Kabe Hunter to a remote island. And they’d be there in record time in his beautiful sleek, yacht, its white hull slicing through the waves. And then what? Keep a tight lid on her attraction. She silently laughed at herself.
The yacht dipped into a trough, then up and over a swell, before the bow slammed down again. Belle’s spirits soared and she grinned like a maniac. Nothing compared to this—well, almost nothing.
Belle flashed Kabe a silly grin. He winked. Her eye twitched with the urge to wink back. Get a grip, she told herself.
His chin brushed the top of her head as he scanned the rigging and the sea. His strong arms encircled her as he leant forward to grab the mike. She could feel the heat from his body, so close.
He leant over her shoulder and asked, ‘Who do you want told you’re safe?’ His lips brushed her ear sending a ripple of goose bumps down her neck.
He really should stop doing that. Put off guard, again, she moved her head to distance herself from the nearness of his mouth. ‘Um … my grandfather, Mario …’
His face lit up and a low chuckle quickly turned into a belly laugh.
Damn it, he was bound to remember her silly teenage crush!
She opened her mouth to say, I’m all grown up now, but in a blink his index finger came up to rest on her mouth as scratchy noises came out of a speaker. ‘Talk soon!’ Barely able to hide his humour, he held up the mike and said, ‘This is The Ondine. I have Belle Fabrini on board. Over.’
A voice came back asking, ‘Was she in her father’s sloop, The Pocket? Over.’
Belle nodded.
‘Affirmative—hatch is tight, sea anchor out,’ Kabe rattled off and gave them its last known position. ‘Contact Mario and he’ll inform her sister Lexie and family. We’re headed for Starfish Inlet on Butterfly Island. Over and out.’
‘Good one, mate,’ the voice crackled through the speaker. ‘You’ll be right at Butterfly. Over and out.’
Kabe changed the frequency on his radio and spoke to someone called Dan. He explained what was happening and told him of their destination.
‘Need to tack!’ he yelled. Taking over, he swung the helm around; the yacht responded quickly. Smiling eyes squinting against the salt spray, he looked at her and said, ‘Belle Fabrini … Un-fucking-believable!’
Chapter 2
The fading light made sailing through the heads to Starfish Inlet difficult. Belle watched anxiously for signs of land as they inched forward in the heavy swell. The wind died down to swirl around them in a mad crazy dance, ruffling the sail. The sound of the storm eased to an ominous, eerie roar that came from somewhere above.
‘Take over while I reef in the sail,’ Kabe said, stripping off his life jacket. ‘Keep her heading north-east.’
‘Yes, don’t worry, I know what to do.’
With expert ease born of years on a yacht, Kabe was all business as he checked his yacht’s position and the rigging, and had the sail down and tied in seconds. He came back, started the engine, and switched on navigation lights at the top of the mast, bow and stern. Chugging further into the inlet, it wasn’t long before they entered calmer waters. Still he checked all around him. Belle cupped a hand over her eyes, shielding them from the increasing rain that made visibility more difficult. She knew from experience that this was just the beginning, that all too soon the gentle rain would become a tropical downpour.
Kabe cut the engines back to less than half. ‘You’re doing great,’ he assured her. ‘I’ll move to the bow and see where we’re at.’
Peering at her surroundings, but unable to make out the terrain, Belle gave a troubled nod.
He slipped a hand under her chin and lifted her
face to meet his eyes. ‘We made it,’ he said enthusiastically, and then he kissed her cheek, lingering longer than necessary. Without thinking, Belle inclined her head for easier access. His lips on her skin felt better than she’d ever imagined. Stunned at his spontaneous affection, and at her reaction, she leant back and slowly blinked at him.
‘Back in a minute,’ he murmured in her ear and, with a grin, he hurried to the bow carrying a large waterproof torch.
Right, she thought dreamily, Kabe’s happy because he found us safe refuge. And she should get a grip. No—no, it was more than that … she was sure of it … or was she wishful thinking?
He shone the light ahead, but its powerful beam reflected off the silvery rain. Beyond that, an inky blackness, the kind you could almost touch, surrounded them. Where the light shone down from the mast, rain glistened silver as it splattered and danced across the water.
‘Cut the engine―cut the engine!’ he shouted.
Belle’s heart leapt at his urgency. She peered down at the controls and quickly pulled the throttle back to neutral.
Panic filled her because the engine continued to burble. She sent a questioning look to Kabe who was making his hurried way back to the cockpit.
With a shudder, the yacht’s keel hit a sand bar.
Belle braced herself, but couldn’t stop her chest from slamming into the helm.
Kabe hit the deck.
The torch flew out of his hand, bounced across the deck several times before flying overboard into the black, swirling sea. It bobbed about casting its beam of light in all directions. All Belle could see was a grey wall of rain.
He scrambled up. ‘Damn, we’ve hit a sand bar. Are you right?’ Kabe asked anxiously, peering at her with his broad hand resting on her shoulder.
Clutching her chest, Belle managed to suck air into her lungs, but it took a while before she could speak. ‘I’m … okay … You?’
‘Fine—fine,’ he said, concerned. ‘I don’t get it. I could have sworn we weren’t that far into the inlet. Sorry, the tide’s stronger than I thought. Okay, let’s try and get her off.’
Kabe shifted the throttle to reverse and increased engine speed.
Belle peered over the stern, calling out encouragement, ‘Come on!’ and watched the churning water below, hoping for a miracle.
After another try, Kabe sighed and switched off the engine. ‘We may have a slight problem.’ He gave her a sheepish smile. ‘This is high tide and we’re stuck.’
Belle’s stomach dropped.
‘So what you’re really saying is, high tide won’t get us out of trouble.’ Gripping the wheel she waited for an answer.
He paused and gave her a look. ‘No need to panic,’ he finally said, rain splattering on his head, running down his face.
Belle forced a brave smile. ‘Who’s panicking? Not me!’
‘Good, because help is never far away. Besides, we’re safer here than out there,’ he said, with a backward nod towards the storm raging on the other side of the island. ‘We can spend a comfortable night in the cabin and see what tomorrow brings.’
Damn, she was stuck on a yacht with Kabe and he didn’t seem to find any of it a problem.
Silence pressed in on Belle as the wind stilled and rain eased. To take the pressure off wondering how much Kabe remembered, she took a huge step and asked, ‘So you remember me?’
‘Yeah, how could I forget sweet little Belle Fabrini?’ he said, grinning and holding out his hand for her to shake.
Heat rose to her cheeks. She took his extended hand and wondered how sweet and how annoying had she been. ‘I hope I wasn’t a pain in your arse.’
‘No, never a pain. Memorable, yes. I just hope you remember a few redeeming and unforgettable qualities about me.’
Oh sure, Belle had plenty of those, but she wasn’t about to share how much she had agonised over him. She decided to stay on neutral territory. ‘You were a couple of grades ahead. I guess the strongest memory was when Luna Bay High beat Port Douglas High football team.’ That was a blatant lie and she could tell by his quirky lopsided grin and laughing eyes that he knew it.
‘Okay, I had an enormous crush on you in high school,’ she blurted, eyeing his broad shoulders, deep chest, narrow hips and muscles roping his entire beautiful physique. Then she snapped her eyes back to his amused ones. ‘You’ve grown,’ she told him matter-of-factly.
When he stopped laughing, he said, ‘Not long after you left, I had a growth spurt.’
Wow … He remembers when I left.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have said anything about having a crush. She never went to high school reunions, but she’d heard stories. Her grandfather, Mario, always kept her up-to-date with all the local goings-on. She quickly changed the subject. ‘You take tourists around the islands.’ He still had a firm grip on her hand. She liked the feel of his strong hands, the cushions tough from hauling sails and taking care of rigging. Before she could stop herself, a nervous giggle escaped. ‘I used to have the biggest crush on you.’ Oh shit, she’d already said that.
‘Yeah, I know. Word got around fast at school; hey, word gets around fast anywhere these days. How could I forget someone like you?’ His free hand came up to wrap hers in both of his. ‘I’ve heard stories about you.’ He looked at her, blue eyes soft, head slanted to the side.
‘Shit—really?’
‘Relax, nothing bad, Mario is very proud of you and your sister Lexie. Your grandfather is a terrific bloke and he spins a good yarn. We’ve spent times together fishing and sitting around the campfire. He told me stories about his great grandfather, settlers in the gold rush days.’
‘That’s right.’ She had to admit it felt good to share with Kabe. ‘They managed to find enough gold to buy Butterfly Island, and they’ve hung onto it all this time. Pop is the best. Lexie and I love him.’
The wind picked up and whipped through trees they could hear but couldn’t see in the inky darkness.
Without warning, lightning crackled above them, directly followed by a boat-shuddering clap of thunder. Belle ducked and Kabe covered her with his body as the prolonged flash lit up the soaring terrain immediately to their left. Palms, hoop pines, scrub and ferns were lit with a blue, silvery light and Belle realised how close they were to the bank.
Kabe straightened, but held Belle to his side. Smiling, she let herself enjoy the moment.
A patter of fat heavy drops heralded what was to come. Moments later, she heard a roar. Drenching tropical rain was about to descend on them.
Another flash and she could see a grey wall edging closer. Before she could react, it was upon them in an unrelenting deluge, splattering noisily on the water, timber deck and her head.
‘Looks like we made it just in time.’ Kabe spluttered as rain flattened his hair, ran into his mouth, and down his muscular body.
Belle, she cautioned herself, take your eyes off his abs.
‘Get below!’ he yelled. ‘Have to secure the boat.’
‘I’ll help!’ Belle made a move to go with him.
‘No! Get below and stay there,’ he demanded. ‘You’ll only be in the way,’
Damn he’s pushy. Belle raised her hands. ‘Okay—okay, I’m going.’
Once below, Belle struggled out of her life jacket and raincoat, relieved to have freedom of movement again.
She listened to his footfalls up and down the deck, and thumping noises that sounded hollow against the hull. Then all fell quiet.
Moments passed and except for the loud drumming of the rain, there was still silence. Belle waited for him to come through the hatch and down the short companionway. She flinched when a thump and then a heavy splash rocked the yacht. She couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. What if the last thump was his head hitting the deck before he fell overboard, unconscious? He could be drowning right this minute while she obeyed his order to stay below.
Damn his stupid order.
She hurriedly shrugged back into the raincoat, put the hood up
over her head and then climbed the stairs. She came out under a canopy that he must have erected to protect the hatch and cabin below from the downpour. With fear in her heart, she peered through the rain. He wasn’t anywhere astern. The torch was back on deck and a long pole with a net attached to its end lay nearby. So that’s what he was doing, chasing the torch, but for God’s sake, where is he now?
Belle turned towards the bow and gasped. She slapped a hand over her mouth in case the shock of what she saw made her cry out. Eyes wide, she stared, taking it all in. The image before her would forever be indelibly burned in her mind. Unforgettable. The mast lamp shone down over Kabe’s head, arms and shoulders, casting shadows and light on the flexing bands of muscle. Like a bronzed Michelangelo sculpture, his masculine form was a work of art all the way down to his beautiful arse, magnificent thighs, shapely calves and strong, manly feet.
Kabe stood with his back to her in the steady downpour.
Naked.
Oh my, he is perfect.
Even though her sane side demanded she move, Belle was spellbound, unable to do anything but watch. Her breasts swelled and nipples hardened, pushing against clothes that smelled like him, making the sweet spot between her thighs throb. Her gaze followed his masculine hands as they slicked over his skin and through his hair, washing the salt off his perfect, athletic physique.
Every inch of him … ripped … solid … beautiful.
Kabe turned his head and looked straight at her.
Their eyes locked and an understanding passed between them. She wasn’t sure what it meant but knew it was profound. And then he smiled and it went all the way to his eyes. It pulled her out of her daze. Mortified, her hands flew up to cover her face. A wave of heat flashed through her body.
‘Oh, I’m so sorry, I—I didn’t know!’ Belle squeaked, turning away. It was only a brief moment, a mere glimpse. Okay, if she was honest, she had lingered, he was too impressive not to.
I'Ve Got You Page 2