by Anne Marsh
The tsunami had wrecked a number of coastlines. All that mud and churn. Torn-up wood, dead animals and cars. Stuff that had once been a part of people’s lives, but was loose in a deadly flood. Shock had had him good by the time he’d reached the bird’s floor.
He hadn’t realized until much later that the pilot had been circling and circling, searching for the missing swimmer until there’d been no more fuel and therefore no more time.
“Surgery followed by eight weeks of rehab back in Japan, then shipped stateside. I’ll be fine by the end of summer. Strong again.”
“And then you go back.”
“Yeah. I think so.” No, he was certain. The rest of his team was waiting for him and, as soon as he could pull his own weight, he’d be there. Right now, though, he was a liability. He hated that truth, but he couldn’t shake it. He wouldn’t be helpful to anyone in the field, not with his leg the way it was. And never mind his head.
He was done examining his head, he decided, and what had gone wrong that day. The expression on Dani’s face was all caring. He didn’t want her pity.
He swept her up into his arms and dashed for the water.
“If you don’t want ice cream, you should at least have that swim you came here for.”
He tossed her gently, and all that control and sleek elegance vanished as she broke the surface of the water and then shot back up with a loud shriek, arms flailing. He let her call out while he dived in and got his arms around her, steadying her. Yeah. This was a lot better than pity.
She quickly shoved away from him, slogging toward the shore.
“Next time,” she hollered back, “I’ll opt for the ice cream.”
Her use of next time was good, but at heart she was still a play-it-safe girl, while he—well, he wanted to get this going. See where their attraction could take them.
“You’re sitting on the sidelines and thinking the water might be cold,” he called. “Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. But you’re never going to know until you’re all in. Testing the water won’t help, not really. That’s not enough to tell you anything at all.”
She made it to the sand and turned around, hands on hips. She didn’t seem happy, but she’d stopped muttering. And she was still talking to him. “You’re telling me to jump.”
“You got it.” He turned over onto his back, floating. “I am.”
“And when I’m in and it’s cold? What then?” she challenged.
“You won’t be cold, princess. I promise you that.”
* * *
THE SWEET MOON cabins were the perfect scene for a seduction.
Unfortunately, Dani was alone, when every honeymoon with hot, raunchy sex she’d ever fantasized had required two people. She flipped on all the lights when she reached her cabin because the hundred watts killed the romantic mood. To kill it even more, she shed the bikini, dropping the swimsuit on the floor and grabbed her thick, terry robe.
Feeling dry, finally, and a lot more comfortable, Dani had a serious look at the cabin’s main room. It was truly pretty, sporting an enormous four-poster bed draped in swathes of white tulle. White candles of all sizes had been artfully arranged by the bedside and over the mantel of the fireplace, giving the air an exotic scent.
She wanted to shove the candles into the closet, but she’d done that yesterday and housekeeping had simply replaced them. She couldn’t catch a break.
Grabbing the night’s complimentary bottle of champagne and the plate of chocolate-covered strawberries, she cracked the bottle open and settled in. Outside the sky was starting to cloud over again.
At least her appetite wasn’t shot. Sure, she was on her own, but at least she hadn’t gone through with the ceremony and married Rick. It would have been the biggest mistake of her life. Still, she couldn’t get Daeg’s face out of her mind. He’d changed, but she shouldn’t have been surprised. She had changed, too. No longer was she the naive girl who’d once chased him down that beach ten years ago.
Her thoughts returned to her hot navy man. Daeg seemed harder, more serious. He tried to act the part, but his carefree attitude had all but disappeared. Whatever he’d seen and done during his military career, he’d brought those experiences back with him.
He would have come back here with her.
She revisited their kiss on the beach, replayed the scene in her head.
The question was: Should she go for it? Followed by: Could she? A fling with Daeg Ross, of all men?
Hooking up with Daeg Ross would certainly prove to herself that her ex-fiancé’s claims were all hot air. In truth, she wasn’t going to have sex just to make a point. That was a bonus. No, if—when—she went to bed with Daeg Ross, it would be because she wanted to.
Because she really wondered what she’d missed out on all those years ago, and she liked how she felt around him. She was different. Somehow more. More alive, more real, more herself. Those were all good things. He made her want to take chances, which was also very different.
But she liked it.
A lot.
Too bad she was such a chicken. She refilled her champagne glass and snuggled deeper into the luxurious bed. What she actually needed was to get on with her life. But she’d start with Daeg. She needed to take the plunge. He was right about that.
Where to start?
Grabbing a pad of legal paper, she sketched columns rapidly and added headings. Action. Reaction. His action. Her reaction. For a moment she felt foolish, but she was alone and it wasn’t as if anyone would ever see her list of potential seduction setups. She eyed the fireplace. She could always burn the pad if it came to it.
That fireplace was a good start. She could easily imagine curling up in front of it with Daeg. What would she do if she had him here, down on the faux-fur throw in front of that heat? Would she strip off his shirt again, admire all that golden, bare skin? Would she tell him how and where she wanted to be touched?
Or maybe she’d just want a conversation. A little heart-to-heart in the dim light. Those could be good moments, too. Her pen flew. If he stretched out one long arm, pulled her in close for another hot kiss, what would she do then?
Swimming naked was out because no amount of fantasizing was going to make her forget the ocean came with critters, but her cabin had a private hot tub on the back porch. What would she do if she happened to be soaking amid the bubbles and Daeg Ross showed up? His boots would hit those steps, the worn denim clinging to his backside as he bent toward her and dipped his fingers into the warm water. Would she invite him in? Yes. Or, she could leave him standing there. Watching. Teasing could be fun.
She included these ideas in her columns. She was probably the only woman on Discovery Island with an organized list of fantasies but hey, she’d spent a lifetime preparing actuarial charts. This was a lot more fun.
Setting the pad aside on the bedside table, she flopped back onto the pillows. For now, it was just her and her fantasies.
5
BY THREE O’CLOCK the following afternoon, Dani knew it was time to go.
The weather forecast was bad and the National Hurricane Center had issued multiple tropical storm advisories. The winds barreling up the Pacific toward Discovery were on track to become a category-one hurricane. For now, that meant rain and more rain, but the longer-term prognosis was ominous. The residents of Discovery Island were already moving into a more secure shelter in the middle of town.
She needed to do that, too. For once, she was glad that Sweet Moon was light on guests. The young couple vacationing for the first time together had opted to head to the mainland earlier that day, despite the ferry’s choppy ride, so that left just the older couple in cabin five.
The rain coming down wasn’t bad yet, but it was steady and creating plenty of puddles in the driveway. Grabbing an umbrella, she ran to the Ramseys’ cabin. Eithe
r they agreed to follow her into town or she had to rethink the evac plan. If this storm was as strong as the forecasters were predicting, the Ramseys were far better off at the community center. There’d be food and water, medical supplies and plenty of volunteers.
Mr. Ramsey swung the door open as soon as she knocked. That was a positive sign. He was dressed for the outdoors as well, a rain slicker open over his sweater and cords. Better and better.
“We’re asking all our guests to head into town now to the storm shelter.” She met his eyes and waited for him to react. She couldn’t force him to leave, but she had an arsenal of facts ready if he protested.
“On it.” He stepped away from the door, gesturing behind him to the mound of suitcases. Mrs. Ramsey wasn’t a believer in traveling light—to Sweet Moon or anywhere else, apparently. “Let me put that lot in the car and we’ll go.”
She gave him her best professional smile. “Follow me and I’ll show you where the shelter is.”
She took their matched set of roller bags and headed for the Ramseys’ rental car. Daeg’s cabin looked plenty empty as she splashed past it, the lights off and the Jeep missing. He’d left her a terse message that he was going to Deep Dive, so he’d be fine.
Thirty cautious minutes later, she had the Ramseys inside the shelter and a whole new problem on her hands.
“I forgot my Friday,” Mr. Ramsey said apologetically.
“Excuse me?” She could feel the headache starting behind her eyes.
“I left my pills behind,” he explained, although how the couple could find anything in that mountain of luggage was a miracle. Apparently, however, Mr. Ramsey had parted company with his days-of-the-week pill carrier without taking the day’s meds. Anxiously, his wife patted down his pockets before turning their bags inside out.
Again.
“What do you take?” Maybe the pharmacy here in town could replace whatever it was he’d lost. The list Mr. Ramsey rattled off was impressively lengthy, and some of it sounded far from routine. She tried to think while Mrs. Ramsey continued to ransack their possessions.
“I’ll just pop back to the cabin,” he told her, “and grab the pills. I must have left them on the bedside table.”
She shook her head. She didn’t care for wet-weather driving, but she couldn’t unleash Mr. Ramsey on those roads. He’d driven at a snail’s pace into town, and he wouldn’t make it to Sweet Moon and back before the worst of the storm moved in.
It was better if she took care of it herself. It was raining harder now, but she knew the drill and was familiar with these roads. If she drove carefully, the storm wouldn’t be a problem. “I’ll go,” she said.
Mr. Ramsey opened his mouth to argue, looked out the window and thanked her.
* * *
DEEP DIVE’S COMMAND center was the civilian incident hub for the island’s storm response. Working closely with the coast guard and Homeland Security, Daeg had been monitoring the Doppler radar map, tracking the storm’s movement over the ocean. The satellite imagery showed an average-size storm, but the surface winds were strong, and that meant storm surge would be a concern. The anticipation of the storm had them all on edge. They were ready for this fight. Ready to do whatever they could to lessen the hurt and destruction that was surely coming their way.
Brennan was wedded to the frequent weather updates on the coast guard’s emergency channel, but they were mostly for the mainland. Flooding had started there; it would get worse out here on the island. The long-range cameras positioned around the island showed all too clearly that conditions on the ground were getting worse. The island’s main road was already underwater in many places.
Daeg shoved away from the counter and stepped outside on the covered porch. The sky was all storm now. It was almost impossible to see more than a few feet. Rain whipped down vertically, soaking everything. Deep Dive’s backup generator was online, and they had freestanding generators ready to deploy around town after the storm passed. Emergency supplies had been distributed to the shelters, the island’s residents contacted and the list of key personnel and contractors for recovery efforts afterward activated.
From where Daeg stood, he had a ringside view of the unstoppable storm. The waves were a feral roar of sound as they pounded against the beach. He needed to go in, dry off and possibly consider moving to higher ground, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the siren’s lure of the water.
He couldn’t do anything about the storm tearing up the island—no one could. But he and his buddies were determined to do everything to mitigate the danger, to pit themselves against those waves, see what they could wrestle back from the angry wind and water. That was why he’d probably be re-upping when his R & R was over in a month. Sitting still wasn’t something he did well.
Inside, the phone signaled an incoming call. He took a final glance at the bay. That wind had to be pushing more than fifty knots out there. That there was still any cell phone service was a small miracle.
Brennan beat him to the phone, punching buttons to put the call on speaker and upping the volume to hear it over the wailing storm. “Deep Dive.”
The woman’s voice on the other end was familiar, her greeting muffled. “Cal, it’s Dani.”
Instantly, Daeg’s heart spiked. This wasn’t a social call.
“I’m out near Sweet Moon,” she continued. She was speaking rapidly, barely concealing the obvious panic in her voice. She sounded breathless. Concerned.
“You don’t stay put in a storm like this one,” Brennan bit out. “Not unless you’ve got some solid walls and a room full of supplies. There’s a shelter at the community center. You should be there.”
Daeg had helped Brennan transform the center into an impromptu shelter earlier that afternoon, hauling loads of bottled water and mattresses to the site. The main room had no windows and the construction was comparatively new, which made it a good place for the island’s civvies to hole up safely and wait out the storm.
“I know.” Dani paused, then pushed on. “I brought the guests into town, but then I had to drive back for some meds. I’m just down the road from the cabins, but now I’m not sure I can make it.”
Brennan muttered a curse and launched into an explanation as to exactly why Dani needed to be taking shelter, rather than being out in a car. Too late for words, as far as Daeg could tell, so he got moving, assembling the necessary gear. The only route to Sweet Moon was low coastal road—and the long-range cameras had shown sections under water. The rest would flood soon, if it hadn’t already.
Dani’s next words confirmed that suspicion.
“There’s water all around the car, Cal. I don’t think I should get out.”
Hell. Daeg dialed back his own knee-jerk reaction to Dani being out in this storm. She needed help and she knew it. Tag was coordinating the shelter and Brennan was doubling as an on-call EMT for the town, so he couldn’t leave right now.
Daeg could.
Brennan frowned. “Where exactly are you?”
“Maybe a mile away from the cabins. I’m on Bayside, over by the sea wall.” Daeg packed faster and reached for his wet-weather gear. “The water’s rising and I don’t think I can make it to the cabins on foot.”
He yanked on a slicker. “What’s she driving?”
Brennan looked at him. “Blue sedan.”
Hell. She needed four-wheel drive and some kind of suspension to take on a flooded roadway. The sedan wouldn’t cut it.
“Tell her to stay put and to stay in the car,” he ordered, slinging the bag over his shoulder. Daeg could estimate the current; she wouldn’t get the door open now, but even if she went out the window, she ran the risk of being knocked off her feet. She didn’t have the body weight or the experience to hold her ground against storm water.
“The water’s rising, Cal.”
Brennan wa
ved Daeg toward the door. “Don’t get out of the car, Dani. I mean it. You got power locks?” When she answered negatively, he continued. “Good. Roll a window down now. Pick the side away from the wind if you can. If that water gets too high, starts coming inside, you climb out the window and you get on the roof. You’re going to be okay, though. I have someone coming for you right now and I’ll remain on the line with you until he’s there.”
Snagging the keys to his Jeep, Daeg hit the porch fast, boots pounding as he took the wet planks at a careful run. Hydroplaning wouldn’t help Dani, and his Harley didn’t have the clearance or the engine power to make it up those roads. The Jeep was a workhorse and would get him where he needed to go.
Straight to Dani.
* * *
THE WIND HIT her small economy car like a freight train. With each powerful buffet, Dani felt the car shift, moving her away from Sweet Moon’s cabins. And sliding her farther down the road toward a sheer drop into open water. Oh, no.
At Cal’s suggestion she’d cranked down a back window in case she needed a quick exit. Now she was soaked as rain blew through and over the car. According to the red numbers blinking on the car’s dash, forty minutes had passed since she’d phoned. The floodwaters were already lapping the bottom of her side mirror. A few minutes more and she’d have to climb out and up, like she’d promised Cal. He’d had to go, so he hung up a short while ago after promising that help was almost there.
She tugged on the collar of her raincoat, doing whatever she could to protect herself from the downpour.
Real soon, getting wet was going to be the least of her problems.
The wind gusted violently and something floated by the car. Too close. Broken lawn furniture? Whoever was coming to help her needed to hurry up.
She eyed the cell phone, but the battery was almost dead. She was fairly certain the signal’s strength had dropped. Whatever charge remained, she needed to save, because things weren’t getting any better here. She’d hung up on Tag when she’d hit the last bar of juice.