The Devil She Knew (A Lantana Island Romance Book 2)

by Talia Hunter

  “At least we didn’t run into that rock.” She tilted her chin up. “No thanks to you.”

  “My self-drive system was steering us around it.” He turned and went back to the cockpit.

  Self-drive system? Why hadn’t he said so right away? Had he meant her to think they were going to hit it? She stormed after him. He was testing the steering wheel, turning it gently from side to side.

  “I wouldn’t have noticed that rock if you hadn’t sat next to me. You wanted me to see it, didn’t you?”

  His hands stilled and he turned his face to her. “I didn’t expect you’d rush for the wheel.”

  She hadn’t expected a note of admiration in his voice, and it dampened her anger. “Why would you do that?”

  “Why did you turn sunbathing into a spectator sport?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” But it was difficult to keep an icy tone with a guilty warmth creeping over her cheeks. “Anyway, can you get the engine started?”

  “By the smell coming from the electronics, we’ve fried a circuit. I might be able to jimmy a bypass, but I won’t know until I take a closer look.”

  “How long will it take?”

  “Depends how bad the damage is.” He peered at the exposed electronics. He’d attached a laptop into the mess of circuits and wires. How on earth could he make sense of it?

  “Let me know when you get it figured out.” She went down the steps to the saloon, then into the yacht’s biggest bedroom where she’d stashed her bag. At least the sea was dead calm so there was no chance of getting seasick. Pulling out her phone, she sat on the double bed to dial her sister’s number, and looked out the small rounded window to the sparkling water as it rang.

  “Hey,” she said when her sister answered. “How are you this morning? How does it feel to be married?”

  “Great,” said Laura. “You should try it.”

  Suzie gave a grunt, which was the only response that comment deserved. “You were asleep when I left this morning. I’m on a yacht, heading back to Port Denarau.”

  “You’re what?” Laura sounded startled. “I thought you were going on the ferry?”

  “So did I, until I got a knock on my door this morning. The resort manager said the ferry wasn’t running today and I had to go on the yacht instead.”

  “Oh. Well, as long as you’re okay.”

  Suzie bit her lip. “Guess who’s driving the boat?”

  “Who?”

  “Nate Mason.”

  “Good. I hope you two sort things out.”

  Suzie grunted. “How come he was at your wedding? You guys keep in touch?”

  “He lives in New York now, but we Skype sometimes. Last year, when I was doing that research project, he helped me figure out some of the more complex calculations.”

  Laura had asked for his help with numbers? She was genius-level smart, so what did that say about Nate?

  “I didn’t recognize him,” she said. “He’s changed a lot since school. Must have been working out as well as tapping a keyboard?”

  “I suppose so.” As smart as she was, Laura wasn’t getting that Suzie was fishing for more information. She sounded distracted, like she was about to say goodbye.

  “How come Nate and Harrison moved away before my last year of school?” asked Suzie quickly.

  “Their mother died, so they went to live with their father in Florida.”

  “Oh.” Suzie was silent a moment. She remembered Nate’s mother, a slight woman who used to work hard in her store. “That’s sad.”

  “It was a long time ago.”

  “Remember how I used to call him Milhouse?”

  Laura clicked her tongue. “He didn’t like it very much.”

  “It still seems to annoy him,” admitted Suzie. “But he’s not a scrawny kid with thick glasses anymore, so I don’t get why he’s still bothered.”

  “Go easy on him, Sue.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just… be nice.”

  “I’m pretty sure he can handle himself,” Suzie said, a little taken aback. She was the victim here, not Nate. “Anyway, I doubt he cares what I call him.”

  “Nate would be a big step up from the men you usually date. No prison record, for a start.”

  Great. As much as she loved Laura, her sister had a knack for making her feel an inch tall. “I’m not interested in him. Didn’t you hear me last night?”

  “He’s the smartest man I know.” Laura went on as though she hadn’t objected. “Apart from Luke, of course. Has Nate told you about his new project?”

  “Sorry, sis, but we don’t exactly get on. In fact, I’ve never met a more arrogant pain in the ass.” Besides, Suzie didn’t need a second genius in her life to compare herself against. Her self-esteem couldn’t take it.

  “What about if you pretend he’s one of those bad boys you like so much?”

  Suzie had a sudden memory of Nate ripping her dress and shoving her bra aside to fondle her breasts. A thrill like an electric charge ran over her skin and she swallowed hard. “No chance of that,” she lied. “Anyway I’ve got to go. My phone’s running low. I just called to say goodbye and tell you again how happy I am for you guys.”

  “Have a safe trip home,” said Laura. “Call me when you get there.”

  After hanging up, Suzie went into the master bedroom’s tiny ensuite bathroom to collect herself. Thinking about last night had made her nipples hard, and in her bikini that was something she couldn’t hide. There wasn’t much else to do but go back on deck to sunbathe while she waited for Nate to fix the engine, but if he saw her like this, he might get the wrong idea. And then he’d probably open his big mouth.

  At least if he came out with one of his asshole comments, her nipple erection problem would be solved.

  7

  Suzie woke up outside, lying on hard boards. She moved slowly, wincing at the stiffness in her limbs when she sat up. She’d fallen asleep on the yacht’s wooden deck, and the sky was growing dark. Splashes of red still glowed softly on the horizon from a sunset she’d just missed. Taking off her sunglasses, she shivered. Now the sun had gone down, it was getting chilly.

  She hadn’t gotten enough sleep last night, so no wonder she’d fallen asleep in the warm sunshine. Now she felt groggy and terribly thirsty. Her mouth was so dry she must have been sleeping with her mouth open. How embarrassing. The stickiness on her cheek told her she’d been drooling. She could only pray she hadn’t been snoring as well.

  The evening was quiet, with no sound of an engine. Nate must not have managed to get it working. Oh man, her flight. She was going to miss it for sure.

  She scrambled to her feet and stretched, trying to clear her head of the cotton-wool feeling she’d gotten from sleeping in the sun. She pulled her dress back on over her bikini, then moved toward the cockpit.

  Nate was still bent over the yacht’s controls in almost the same position he’d been in when she’d lain down hours earlier. He hadn’t bothered to put his t-shirt back on and still wore only a pair of swimming shorts that hung low around his waist.

  She was used to men with tattoos, but Nate didn’t have a single one. The lack of ink somehow made him look more naked and vulnerable than she would have expected. A blank canvas. The idea was strangely appealing. And the way his muscles flexed as he angled his body forward to use his screwdriver was more attractive than any amount of decoration.

  She didn’t trust herself to speak yet, because her voice would no doubt come out croaky. She needed a drink. But to get down to the yacht’s kitchen — the galley — she’d have to push past him, keeping her face turned away so he wouldn’t get a face-full of what was sure to be stinky breath.

  Maybe she could sneak past him quickly, before he had time to notice?

  But as she stepped into the cockpit, he turned. “Finally awake, sleepy head.” The amused glint in his eye made her heart sink. She’d definitely been snoring.

  She pushed past him, ignoring the feel of his bare
flesh as it grazed her arm and holding her breath until she was safely inside the saloon. Then she grabbed a warm cola out of the basket Rosa had given them and gulped half the can before swishing the sweet liquid around her mouth. Better.

  Climbing back up the stairs, she gave him her best irritated look. “What’s going on?”

  His mouth twisted. “I thought I’d found the blown circuit, but after overriding it, the engine still won’t start. It’s getting too dark to work, so I’m covering the dashboard so moisture won’t get in overnight. I’ll get it started in the morning.”

  “Can we call someone to get rescued? I have to get to the airport or I’ll miss my flight.”

  “Catch a later one.”

  She let her breath out in an irritated hiss. “I have an important job coming up. I need to get home to prepare for it. And my neighbour’s been looking after my dog for a week. If I don’t get home and take Rusty off her hands, she might not want to dog-sit for me again.”

  “As soon as it’s light, I’ll get the engine going. We’ll be rid of each other soon enough.”

  She gritted her teeth. “Just make the call.”

  “Already did. I spoke to Dalton and told him not to worry.”

  “Can’t he come and get me?”

  “In the dark?” Nate shook his head. “Too many reefs.” He motioned to the master bedroom at the back of the boat. “Besides, we’ve got a perfectly good bed right there. And if I can’t get the engine going in the morning, we can sail to the mainland easily enough.”

  One bed? No, there was another in the bow, and he’d have to sleep in it. If he thought she’d jump in the sack with him, he’d better think again.

  “How long would it take us to sail to Denarau?” she asked.

  “Depends how much wind there is.” He pushed past her, heading down the steps into the galley. “And now, seeing as our lunch is long gone, I’m going to check the cupboards to see what else we’ve got to eat.”

  At the mention of food, her stomach rumbled. “Fine,” she said reluctantly, following him down. “I’ll call the airline and transfer onto a later flight. But I’m not sharing a bed with you.”

  Nate stopped on the stairs and she almost ran into his back. She could feel the warmth coming off his body. The cockpit must have been hot, because there was a bead of perspiration still on his neck, and she took a deep breath of his manly aroma. It was so unfair that even his sweat smelled good. Why couldn’t he give off a disgusting stench, instead of a warm, musky scent that made her want to lick the salt off him?

  “I didn’t hear any complaints last night when you were ripping my shirt off.” He turned to face her.

  “You started it.” Dammit, that had come out sounding like a petulant child. She softened her tone. “I’d had a little too much to drink. It should never have happened.”

  “At least we agree on that.”

  She realized she was staring at his bare chest and forced herself to look away. Couldn’t he put on a shirt instead of standing around half-naked, posing like an underwear model with an arrogant smirk on his too-handsome face?

  She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of letting him know how he made her knees go weak. The last thing she needed was to get intimate with a guy who’d make her feel stupid, when she needed all the confidence she could get.

  Last night’s kiss didn’t change her cast-iron rule: no geeks, no brainiacs, no smart-ass nerds. And she’d especially never want to be with a man who could write software, pilot a yacht, fix an engine, and look like a Bachelor Of The Year centerfold while he was at it. If Nate was this good at everything he did, where did that leave her?

  “Excuse me,” she said, her voice stiff. “I want to get past.”

  Instead of going to the bottom of the steps to let her through, he moved to one side so she had no choice but to squeeze by. Her arm rubbed against his and their hips brushed. Damn the yacht’s tight spaces. How annoying was it that even the most casual contact with him sent shivers over her skin?

  She went into the master cabin and used the tiny ensuite bathroom to shower and change. Then she called the airline. After a long wait, they eventually changed her flight booking. There was only one direct flight a day from Nadi to LA. She rebooked for Monday night, which meant she’d get home Tuesday mid-morning. Later than she’d wanted, but enough time to prepare for the wedding.

  Finally Suzie called the neighbor who was looking after her dog to let her know she was going to be late home. By the time she hung up, her phone was out of juice and beeping at her, so she attached the charger and plugged it into the power socket next to the bed. She could call Laura again in the morning.

  She sniffed the air. Something smelled utterly delicious, and for a change, it wasn’t Nate’s musky man sweat. Was he cooking sausages? The scent was both meaty and spicy.

  When she opened the door, the saloon was dark except for an old-fashioned hurricane lantern flickering on the dining table, and another in the galley. Surely Nate hadn’t lit them to make their dinner romantic? If he had, she’d set him straight right now.

  “What’s this?” she demanded.

  He was stirring a pot on the stove and the aroma made her stomach growl. At least he’d put a T-shirt and jeans on, so the hunger in her belly didn’t have cause to move any lower.

  “If you’ve finished in the cabin, please turn the light off,” he said without turning around.

  “Why?”

  “We need to save the battery. It was low when we started, and we weren’t under power for long enough to give it a decent charge. If it goes flat, we’ll be in real trouble.”

  Okay, she could deal with low, romantic light for one night. It wasn’t like she was going to spend the evening staring into Nate’s soulful brown eyes. And just because he’d cast some sort of evil spell over her body didn’t mean she was in any danger of acting on it again. No, she had herself firmly under control.

  She flicked the cabin light off, then tried to see over his shoulder. “What are you cooking?”

  “Dinner was ready a while ago. I’ve been keeping it warm.”

  It was only a mild rebuke, but she defended herself anyway. “I was on hold all that time, waiting to speak to someone from the airline. They next flight they could get me on leaves tomorrow night.”

  “If you’d used Journeyman you could’ve had it rebooked in a few minutes. I would have lent you my laptop.”

  She shook her head. “I’d rather spend an hour on the phone than use your software.”

  “Don’t you think that’s petty?”

  In the dim light, his features were as perfect as a painting, as though somebody had started with a dark square of charcoal and carefully picked out the details of his strong chin and high cheekbones with an eraser.

  “Not really. I lost a business I loved, and it was partly due to your software.” And when she was suddenly unemployed, it had sunk in how limited her options were without a high school diploma. Not that she’d ever tell Nate she hadn’t graduated with the rest of her class. No doubt he had as many letters after his name as Laura did.

  “If I hadn’t written Journeyman, someone else would have. You can’t stop progress.”

  “And progress matters more than people’s livelihoods?”

  “You may as well be a candle maker and complain about Edison inventing the light bulb.”

  Jerk. He thought he was so clever. “Comparing yourself to Edison? Arrogant much?”

  He flushed. Good. Her jibe had hit home.

  “You found a new job anyway,” he said.

  “That’s right. I have a catering company.” The lie came out before she could stop it, and she bit her lip. So it had taken her a long time to pick herself up after the failure of her travel business. She should be done feeling bad about that. Why did she care so much what he thought of her? Besides, if she was only working part-time for Marianna and barely making enough to survive, it was partly his fault.

  “I’m catering a big wedding on
Friday, and I need to prepare for it,” she said.

  His eyebrows lifted. “That’s why you’re in such a hurry to get home? A wedding that’s five days away?”

  “Since when do I have to explain myself to you, Milhouse?” He might think a single catering job wasn’t important enough to worry about, but it was a big deal to her.

  His jaw tightened. “Don’t call me that. If you’re going to act like a child, I’ll punish you like one and put you over my knee.”

  “In your dreams.” She squeezed her hands into fists, fighting against a thrill at the mental image of him drawing her panties down and spanking her bare ass. No, that thought would not turn her on.

  He took another step forward until he was so close the air rushed out of her lungs. His face was kissing distance away and she could almost taste him. Her heart sped up and her blood was suddenly liquid heat, searing through her veins. Every nerve ending was alive, and between her legs she felt a familiar ache of need.

  “Don’t tempt me.” His voice was harsh.

  Her lips parted. She wanted to object, but her voice was lost deep inside her and she wasn’t sure if she could form a coherent word. Tempt him? It was as though he had her body on remote control and could throw her into absolute confusion at will.

  “I don’t—”

  Then she felt his hand slide around her back and he pulled her against him. His hard length jutted angrily into her belly. She felt suddenly weak.

  “You do.” He let her go and she stumbled backwards. Her backside hit the edge of the table and she grabbed it. Her legs were so wobbly it was either hold on or fall down. Sweet mother of mercy. Did that just happen? Her mind was whirling, her heart thudding, and she couldn’t drag in a breath.

  Air. She needed fresh air.

  Spinning around, she rushed up the stairs to the cockpit, then onto the deck. It was pitch black outside, but the slight breeze was refreshing. Fresh air filled her lungs. Better.

  Crossing to the rail, she stared into the darkness and cursed herself. Running up here had been a mistake. By taking off like that, she’d only showed him that he’d affected her. She should have pushed him away, told him to keep his hands off her. Stood up for herself.