by Aubree Lane
Lena turned around and rummaged through a drawer. She tossed a package of condoms on the table in front of him. “And that’s a damn shame,” she yelled over her shoulder before leaving him to fix lunch by himself.
Terence picked up the package and considered his sister’s parting words. What exactly was a damn shame? That he intended on keeping Annie at arm’s length, or that Erika had thick skin? At the moment, it felt like a toss-up.
• • •
Later that evening while Lena was putting Erika to bed, Terence and Annie went down to the Erika Rose to retrieve her luggage. Annie looked out and marveled at the seascape. San Diego’s coastline was beautiful, but compared to this, it was Magnificent’s second cousin with buck teeth.
The clouds had vanished and stars filled the cosmos. The Milky Way snaked its way across the sky and a slight scent of salty spindrift wafted through the air. Waves lapped softly against the battered boat and persuaded them to sit and be rocked for a while.
It was hard to imagine only a few hours ago this same ocean had been so threatening. Terence dried the damp seats with an old towel and grabbed a couple of beers out of the ice chest. He sat down and gestured for her to do the same. He unscrewed the top of one of the bottles and handed it to her. Annie accepted the beer and an uncomfortable silence developed between them.
The last thing Annie wanted was to talk about Marissa, but since she was common ground she asked, “Where did you take Marissa and David diving? Didn’t you say something about a wreck?”
Terence pointed slightly south of their position. “On a former minesweeper. The Mahi has three decks and a pilot house. She sits at a depth between fifty-eight to seventy-five feet. It’s easily accessible, and the marine life is so comfortable with the human element, they practically pose for all the photo hungry tourists. I recommend it all the time.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”
“Why not? It sounds like good business.”
He pointed the long neck of his beer bottle out in the direction of the popular dive spot. “People go out there with their loaves of bread and bait to attract the fish. It’s cool when the little guys gather around and start nibbling on your fingers, but they’re not the only ones out there. There are rays, green sea turtles, white tipped sharks and the wreck is full of eels. Given enough time, those same fun loving sea creatures are going to start seeing people as a food source instead of some strange one-eyed bubbly organism.”
Annie loved listening to him talk. He was in his element, and she wanted to hear more. “You take people out there to feed the fish?”
“I advise against it. Fish are pea brains and naturally curious. You can bang on a rock, and they’ll gather around, but people want a sure thing. They think bringing them a snack will enhance their underwater experience. It’s all well and good until someone loses a hand.” Abruptly he stopped the lecture. “Anyway, enough of that, we need to talk.”
Annie flinched. She was perfectly happy listening to him talk about marine life and human foibles. It wasn’t necessary to change the subject. There was no way to avoid it. Terence had turned serious. “Okay,” Annie said reluctantly. “What am I in trouble for now?”
Terence smiled and took a generous swig from his bottle. “You’re not. I thought maybe I was. I let you meander off with my little chatterbox without fair warning. I bet you didn’t get to say more than three words.”
Annie was greatly relieved. There were an awful lot of uncomfortable areas where a conversation with Terence could lead, but Erika was not one of them. “She’s lovely. You don’t have anything to apologize for.”
“Thank you for that. I know she can be irritating. Personally, I don’t see it, but I heard it enough from this woman I was dating during Erika’s last visit. Two weeks later our relationship was over. My choice, I could never be with someone who didn’t like my kid.”
Annie’s heart swelled. His daughter came first.
“So now that Erika has filled you in on all our deep dark secrets, I think I should know something about you, other than the fact that you pulled a fast one on me this morning.”
Annie ignored his innuendo and went back to talking about Erika. “I love to gossip as much as the next person, but I don’t take advantage of children. When Erika started to get a bit too personal, I changed the subject.”
Terence grinned. “I’ve noticed you’re pretty good at that.”
Annie glared at him, but bravely continued on. “All I know is that she goes to school in San Diego, she lives there with her mother, and she loves you very much.”
“You should be proud of yourself. Erika isn’t usually deterred from telling our entire life story.”
Terence’s voice was full of skepticism. No matter what she said, he was still going to think she knew everything about his family. “So now,” Annie said, trying to relieve his suspicions, “I have to wait for you to tell me all the good stuff unless I can get Lena talking, and somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Terence laughed and took another pull of his beer. “Now we’re getting somewhere. You don’t take advantage of children, but you don’t have those same qualms where adults are concerned.”
Annie felt the blood rush to her face. He had given her an opening. “I’d take advantage of you.” She cocked her head and smiled. “Come on, tell me one juicy little tidbit.”
He leaned close and whispered in her ear. “Would you like to hear something good or something bad?”
Her heart jumped. He was flirting back. “Bad. Something definitely bad.”
“Only if you reciprocate.”
Annie had too many secrets where he was concerned, but she found herself nodding in agreement.
He chugged the last of his beer and leaned back. “Erika’s mother hates me and tries to keep her away from me as much as possible.”
His statement caught her off guard, but before she had a chance to bite back her words she asked, “Why? Are you a jerk?”
“I guess you’ll have to judge that for yourself,” he quipped. “Your turn.”
She took a moment to think and said, “It seems I have a similar problem. Marissa’s husband is a prig, and he keeps her away from me as much as he can.”
He shook his head and wagged his empty bottle. “That’s not about you.”
Annie couldn’t help but laugh. “Neither was yours.”
“Fine, how about we ask each other direct questions instead?” He didn’t give her a chance to agree or disagree before he asked, “Why are you here?”
Annie took a deep breath. “Long version or short?”
“Short.”
“You.”
“Care to explain that?”
Annie smiled sweetly. “I don’t have to. You asked for the short version.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Too late, my turn.” She grabbed his chair and spun it around until his body faced hers. She leaned over and brushed her lips across the tip of his nose. “Can I kiss you?”
Terence didn’t miss a beat. “Long version or short?” His arms slipped around her waist and guided her into his lap as his mouth locked onto hers.
Heaven itself couldn’t have tasted any sweeter. When they broke away, they were breathless.
Annie buried her face into his neck, not ready to be free from him. His warm hand rested on the bare skin of her thigh. His other hand was tangled in her hair. He pulled her face close and kissed her again, this time more hungry and needy than the first. His hand moved to the inside of her thigh, and she opened her legs slightly to accommodate him. Their excitement rose, and Annie was certain they would soon be making love on the deck of the Erika Rose.
Abruptly, Terence stood and dumped her on her feet. He pulled her to his chest, but it felt more like an apology than passion. His heart raced wildly, but the moment had passed. It was too much too soon. She knew it and apparently he did too. The only difference was, she would not have stopped.
Annie
stepped back and let out an accepting sigh. “I guess I should get back to the house.” She ran a lingering finger down his arm and looked into his stony face. “Thank you.”
“I’ll get your bag.”
She declined the offer. “You stay here and have another beer.”
Terence didn’t argue.
Annie stepped onto the dock and picked up her belongings. She glanced back and gave him an understanding smile before she began the trek up the hill. Annie felt his eyes on her, and that alone made it extremely difficult not to stop and go back for round two.
• • •
Terence stayed where he was and tried to regain some semblance of control and sort out his emotions. He had meant to tell Annie that it was going to be strictly business between them. Instead, he encouraged her to flirt.
And what the hell had she meant when she said she was here because of him? Did he know her?
It sure felt like it. That was why he had taken the job instead of coming home like he originally planned.
He closed his eyes. They could have gone below. Her soft skin molded into him. She fit.
He stopped his brain from continuing that thought. Another casual relationship was out of the question. That was how Erika was conceived. He loved his daughter, but dealing with her mother was next to impossible. He had learned his lesson. But did that mean he had to deprive himself completely? He wondered what would have happened if the storm hadn’t come up. If they were still out on the ocean, nestled in the small cabin, their bodies close together, he doubted he would have dumped her on her ass like he had a few moments ago.
The only thing he knew for certain was that he wasn’t going to sleep tonight, so he took Annie’s advice and pulled another beer out of the ice chest. He polished that one off and got another. Maybe tomorrow he would be able to think more clearly.
Chapter 3
Annie woke while it was still dark. Lying on the comfortable bed in the room Lena assigned her, she nestled her head in her hands while she contemplated her next move. Terence was no longer a figment of her imagination, but a real live person with all the feelings and baggage that came with it. In addition, he had a family to consider.
The honorable thing to do would be to tell him the truth about why she was here. She skirted the issue last night, but she doubted she’d be able to get away with that again. She didn’t even want to. If she couldn’t tell him the truth, then she should leave. It was that simple.
Leaving was not an option. She could still feel the warmth of his touch, and she wanted more. She wouldn’t mind receiving it in the quaint little room she was in right now. Lena had decorated it in Vintage Hawaiian. A group of plastic hula girls, who shimmied when touched, lined an entire shelf. Sheer scarves imprinted with old nautical maps of the islands from the nineteen-fifties draped the bedside lampshades. When turned on, the lamps projected the islands throughout the room in faded shades of peach and green. Tucked in the corner was a large basket filled with plastic coconuts and served as support for a small guitar-like ukulele. In the opposite corner, a large blowup palm tree shaded an ancient Hawaiian tiki god.
Deep in thought, Annie picked a conch shell off the bedside table and fingered its smooth edges. Coming clean with Terence was risky. No matter how she put it, the truth was going to sound creepy. It wasn’t cute, it wasn’t funny, it wasn’t even slightly endearing. It was downright creepy. She was a creep. An assessment Annie was certain Marissa would agree with wholeheartedly.
Annie got up and took a shower before she talked herself out of doing the right thing.
The house was still dark and eerily quiet. As she descended the stairs, she realized she was the only one awake. Determined to tell Terence the truth, she considered pushing her luck and waking him up for the second morning in a row. Maybe he’d ask her to crawl into bed with him for an early morning wake up call. She doubted it. If he didn’t want her on the privacy of his boat, he certainly wouldn’t want her with his daughter right down the hall. Besides, she didn’t have a clue which room he was in.
As quietly as possible, she made her way to the kitchen and scrounged up a can of Kona Coffee. Annie never tasted that blend before, but the idea of having coffee with an island flair appealed to her. When the coffeemaker had gurgled out its last drop, she poured a cup and stepped outside.
Annie looked at Lena’s incredible ocean view and decided that no matter how the day ended, she had been extremely fortunate to have been a guest here. The tide was high, and yesterday’s beach was almost fully submerged. A slight breeze rustled through the trees, but the sea was calm. She sipped the warm mellow brew and headed down to the dock to watch the early morning light float out across the ocean.
The aging dock creaked under her weight and disturbed the stillness of the new day. The paint on the Erika Rose was peeled back, but in the soft dawning light, Annie didn’t think the damage looked like much.
She sat on the edge of the dock and swung her legs over the side. The water rippling beneath her feet was too inviting to resist. Annie sat her mug down and scooted further over the side to tickle her toes in the water. A voice behind her gave her a start. Annie lost her grip and fell in.
The water was warmer than she expected. If she hadn’t just showered, going for a swim might have been nice. She broke the surface and saw Terence smiling down from the cabin doorway of the Erika Rose. The sight of him took her breath away. Her high school choir had not been wrong. Fresh from sleep, his tousled hair, bare chest, and low slung jeans revealed his six pack abs, trim waist, and broad shoulders. Treading water, she called out, “You haven’t been feeding the fish around here, have you?”
His eyes filled with laughter. “Only the big ones.”
Annie took that as a no. She swam back to the dock and hauled herself out of the water. Self-consciously, she pulled at her sopping wet pink t-shirt, which no longer left anything to the imagination, away from her chest.
“Would you like a towel?” Terence asked.
“Yes, please,” she replied as she tried to avoid making eye contact.
He went below and returned with the same ratty towel he used to dry the seats off with the night before and tossed it to her. It smelled like sea water, but it didn’t matter, so did she.
Annie patted her skin dry. Terence’s eyes were on her face, but with every blink, his gaze dipped down to sneak a peek.
She shot him a dirty look and clutched the towel over her breasts. “Do you have a sweatshirt I could borrow?”
He flashed a sly smile. “I hope not.”
This time when he emerged from the cabin, he climbed out onto the dock and tugged the sweatshirt over her head as Annie held the towel protectively across her chest. He worked her arms through the sleeves, then he caressed them through the soft fleece. She wasn’t cold, but instant warmth flowed throughout her body. She dropped the towel, closed her eyes, and leaned into him. Tilting her head, she waited for his kiss.
Terence did not disappoint her. A soft moan resonated in his throat when their lips met.
Annie luxuriated in what could be their last kiss. There was a change in him. Last night’s kiss had been hot and heavy, but an uneasy tension rode just below the surface. That tension was gone. Annie knew he was hers for the taking, but just before she reached the point of no return, she pulled away, determined to have her say.
Terence’s deep voice whispered in her ear. “I wasn’t going to stop.”
She hesitated, wanting nothing more than to take this man below deck and get to know him much better, but her conscience, having reappeared, refused to be silenced. She placed her hands firmly on his bare chest and prevented him from getting any closer. “I have to tell you something first.”
His hands slid down past the small of her back. He drew her in closer and brought them pelvis to pelvis.
Her resolve weakened. “Wait!” she insisted, but her gaze focused on the tips of her fingers as she played with the dark curly hair of his chest. Annie caught her bre
ath and reluctantly pushed him away. “Last night you asked me why I was here. I think you need to hear the entire answer.”
He stiffened and released her. Terence stepped back and picked her mug up off the dock. “May I?”
Annie breathed a sigh of relief. “Sure, it’s all yours. Just stay there until I’m finished.”
He cocked a questioning brow in her direction and took a sip.
Watching him drink out of her mug intensified the feeling of intimacy between them, and for the third time that morning, Annie almost changed her mind.
She started talking. Annie talked fast and tried not to leave anything out. She told him how his high school yearbook had been passed around her choir class and about his unauthorized claim to fame. She told him about Marissa’s phone call and what a horrible friend Annie turned out to be.
She talked and talked. Annie didn’t stop until she spewed out every single embarrassing detail.
When she finished, Annie reached out needing to touch him again. She couldn’t read his expression. It was a lot to take in. She dropped the arm, which Terence had left hanging in mid-air, and waited patiently for his response.
He took one last gulp of her coffee and tossed the last cold remnants into the ocean. “I’m sorry. You went to a lot of trouble for nothing. I went to school on Maui.”
Of all the things Annie imagined he might say after she told him the truth that was not one of them. She shook her head. “I’m not wrong, and neither was Marissa.”
“Look,” he explained, “my senior photo was black and white. You saw some guy with dark skin, dark eyes, and dark hair. That’s a pretty common combination on the islands, so is the name Javier.”
“And a mustache,” Annie countered. “You had a mustache.”
Terence shook his head. “It wasn’t me.” He wrapped a sympathetic arm around her shoulders. “Lena has a computer inside. It might take some time to track down your fantasy man, but you’re welcome to try.”
She jerked away. “You’re him. I know it.” Annie couldn’t understand why he was doing this. It didn’t matter how many other Javiers were listed on the web, there was only one Terence, and he was standing right in front of her.