Hugh had taken hundreds, shooting on location in all kinds of exotic places. She started thinking of him as her faux hero, a guy with all the trappings and none of the substance. Being with him reminded her of binging on junk food. You knew it wasn’t good for you, but for instant gratification it couldn’t be beat.
They found a place within walking distance that rented small sailboats and they happened to have one left. Kate was a decent sailor, but when Hugh said he could handle the boat, she decided to sit back and let him do it so she could take pictures. Some time later, after he’d successfully navigated out of the harbor and around the Castle Hill Lighthouse into Rhode Island Sound, she grudgingly had to admit he knew what he was doing.
She also had to admit that she was having a good time. The wind carried them along at a good clip, which was how she liked it. At this speed the boat heeled sharply to starboard, so she did her job as the crew and hung on to the port side to help balance. Flying along like this reminded her of driving her Miata, except that here she had the rhythmic slap of the waves and the occasional spray of saltwater to make the experience even more invigorating. Gulls wheeled overhead and people from nearby boats waved in greeting.
Kate couldn’t help being proud that she was out here with someone who looked like Hugh. Faux hero or not, he made a damned fine sight sitting in the stern of the boat, his capable hand on the tiller, the wind ruffling his dark hair, the sun glinting off his aviator shades. They’d both worn the bulky orange life jackets issued to them in the beginning, but after leaving the harbor they’d both agreed to shuck them for the duration. The Coast Guard wouldn’t like it if they got caught, but the darned jackets were hot.
So there he was, the wind molding his T-shirt to his muscled chest and making him look sexier than ever. She took an entire roll of film, and a good part of it included him. She wondered if she’d go see the movie he’d been shooting before he came here. Might not be wise.
He’d followed her lead and worn shorts today, which gave her a nice view of his solid calves and strong thighs. Every time she glanced at his knees, though, she remembered how he’d balanced her there while they were in the tub. When he changed his grip on the tiller, she thought of the way he’d touched her in so many creative ways. His smile brought memories of his kiss.
How naive she’d been to imagine that when they’d kissed, he would know he’d found his soul mate. All he’d found was a hot little companion for the weekend. In his tales of Hollywood, he’d painted a picture of a life where relationships were intense and fleeting. No wonder he’d been so delighted to find her waiting for him in the airport. She must have seemed like the perfect candidate for a weekend fling.
“This is great!” he called above the steady slap of the waves. “You were right, I wasn’t crazy about this idea at first, but there’s a huge difference between sailing your own boat on a sunny day and swimming back and forth in cold water from one boat to the other, in the dark, lugging deadweight.”
“You’re a good sailor,” she said.
He smiled, showing off those beautiful teeth that had nipped gently at her skin. “Thanks. So are you.”
“Do you sail a lot in California?”
“Whenever I can. I took lessons a few years ago. Every skill I pick up makes me more marketable as a stuntman. I know a little bit about a lot of things.”
And a lot about making love. “So you do the kind of stuff the actors either can’t or won’t,” she said.
“That’s about the size of it.”
She knew some actors used body doubles for nude scenes. “Have you ever been a stand-in for someone who didn’t want to take his clothes off?” The question popped out, and the minute it did, she knew she’d made a mistake.
“Yes.”
“Oh.” She was not going to ask him which movie.
He told her anyway, and it was a film she’d seen, one she’d be able to rent anytime she wanted. She vowed that she’d never watch it again. Never. Of course not. Well, maybe once.
Hugh gazed at her. “That was an interesting question.”
“I can’t imagine why I even asked it.”
“I can.” He paused. “You’ve never had sex just for the hell of it, have you?”
She hesitated. If she said yes, she’d be lying, but if she said no, she’d look like little miss provincial, a girl who didn’t have the courage to have the kind of Sex in the City life that urban professional women were supposed to have these days. She’d already acted prudish by accusing him of wanting casual sex. In today’s world, there was nothing wrong with that.
“I’ll take your silence as a no,” he said. “It’s okay. We need to understand each other, that’s all. You don’t have sex for the hell of it, and that’s the only reason I do have it. We can’t get confused about that.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
“I only bring it up because I can tell you’re still thinking about the sex we had.”
“I am not!” Which of course she was, whether she intended to or not, and that’s why she’d accidentally asked him about the nude scene.
“Are so.”
“What an ego!” She felt as if he’d backed her into a corner, and she came out swinging. “I am so not thinking of having sex with you!” She forgot how sound carried across the water.
A sleek racing sailboat passed them, and a guy in the boat made a megaphone of his hands. “Hey, go ahead!” the guy yelled. “It’s a beautiful day, and life’s too short!”
Kate flushed, but she was on a roll and the devil had control of her tongue. “Well, so’s his schnitzel!” she yelled back.
Hugh’s bark of astonished laughter made her glance over at him. She shrugged, trying to pretend nonchalance. “Just having a little fun.”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” He pitched his voice low enough that only she could hear him. “You don’t get to play those games and get away with it.”
“You started it.”
“No, I most certainly did not. Not now, and not yesterday. Watch your head. We’re coming about.” He pointed the boat toward shore.
She dodged the swinging boom and moved to the starboard side of the boat. “What—what are you doing?”
“Finding a quiet place where we can talk.”
“Um, that’s okay.” She couldn’t decide if the squiggles of sensation in her tummy were panic or excitement. Maybe a little of both. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“Probably not.”
“Let’s just keep going.” She tucked her camera back in her purse and stashed it under the hull. Now was not the time to be taking pictures.
“Let’s not. I talk better when I don’t have to worry about navigating.”
“But we don’t have anything to talk about.” She’d made a mistake letting him take charge of this boat, but there wasn’t much she could about it now.
Well, she could grovel. “Okay, you’re right! I’m having a tough time forgetting about last night, probably because I don’t do the casual sex thing. But I promise not to bring up a single charged topic of conversation again. I shouldn’t have asked you about the nude scene. That was uncalled for.”
He didn’t respond, just kept tacking the boat toward shore.
“And I shouldn’t have yelled out a comment—an untrue comment, I might add—about the size of your, um… Anyway, I shouldn’t have done that, either. Sometimes I get carried away.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Hugh, you can’t just beach this sucker, you know. There’re cliffs, and rocks, and you said you were no good at saving us if we wreck, so why don’t we keep going?”
Smiling serenely at her, he continued on course toward shallow water.
As they glided in, she peered over the side. “Yikes, there’re boulders under there, Hugh. Big boulders.”
“I know. That’s why we’re going to tie up to that buoy ahead. Lower the sails, Kate.”
“Why would you want to tie up?” She had an inkling, though. She wa
s in trouble.
“I have my reasons.”
She’d bet he did, and they had to do with teaching her a lesson. But she didn’t want to make things worse by arguing with him and possibly causing them to run up on something, so she lowered the sails. As he guided them toward the red and white buoy bobbing in the water ahead, she leaned over the prow with a line.
When the buoy came within reach, she grabbed the metal ring on top and secured the boat. She doubted the owner of the buoy would mind. It probably belonged to a lobster fisherman who wouldn’t come out to check his lobster pots until later in the day. Once they were moored, she turned to discover that Hugh had tied the boom out of the way and was sitting on the starboard side of the boat, watching her.
She swallowed a lump of nervousness. “Now what?”
He gestured to the bench along the port side. “Have a seat.”
She sat down facing him as the boat rocked gently on the waves. By moving closer to shore, he’d isolated them more than a little. And since there was no beach tucked into the rocks here, no one would have reason to come near the rocky cliff beside them.
Farther out on the water they’d been surrounded by power boats, yachts and smaller sailboats like this one. Now all that traffic skimmed by in the distance. The roar of outboard and inboard motors was muted here.
She was within arm’s reach of Hugh, but he didn’t try to grab her. Instead he sat with his forearms braced on his thighs, his hands hanging loosely between his knees. He was easily the most handsome, sexy man she’d ever shared a sailboat with. Or a sports car. Or a whirlpool. Or a king-size bed.
He gazed at her. “I hope you know I want to strip you naked right this minute.”
She gulped and laced her fingers together, gripping them hard as her pulse raced out of control.
“But I won’t. I didn’t bring any of your condoms along, for one thing.”
“And I’d scream my head off, for another thing.”
His smile was almost predatory. “I know you would…eventually. You do get loud about it, which is something I happen to enjoy. But out here on the water, as we’ve just seen, sound carries, and I wouldn’t want to bring unwanted visitors down on us.”
So he wasn’t planning to seduce her. She was relieved, of course. Definitely relieved. Right. So relieved.
“You should see the color in your cheeks. I’m betting you’re secretly sorry I didn’t tuck a couple of those little raincoats in my pocket.”
“No, I’m—”
“Never mind. It’s just that you always look so damned sexy that I keep getting sidetracked.” He paused and cleared his throat. “But I have some questions for you, and the first one is, where in the hell did you get the term schnitzel?”
Her heart beat faster. “Oh, that.”
“Yeah, that.”
“Kim and I came up with it. We had a few code words we used mostly in front of our mom, so she wouldn’t know we were checking out guys. I haven’t thought of that word in years and, in the heat of the moment, it slipped out. I’m surprised I even remembered it, to be honest.”
“To be honest,” he repeated. “Do you really want to be honest?”
She wasn’t sure. Up to now she’d always tried, but total honesty with this guy could sink her, but good.
“I can see that’s a hard question,” he said. “So I’ll go first, because I like the concept of honesty. I like it a whole lot.”
“Me, too, but—”
“But you’re scared to death, right? You have urges you can’t control, and that’s not a comfy feeling, is it?”
Yes, she had urges. Like right now, as he sat with his knees apart, she could see the considerable bulge rounding out the seam of his crotch. In hers and Kim’s teenage world that would have called for a major schnitzel alert. “If I’d known who you were from the beginning, none of this would be happening,” she said.
“So you’re sorry about last night?”
She took a deep breath. “No.”
“Well, that’s something, at least. Because I can guarantee you that I’m not sorry. If it took a twin mix-up for you to strip down and jump into bed with me, I’m delighted you thought I was Harry. But now that you know I’m the evil twin Hugh, I’m wondering if either of us can put all that chemistry back in the bottle.”
“I’m going to try my damnedest.” She didn’t know if her damnedest would be enough. She was discovering something shocking about herself. Last night she’d had sex with this man because she believed he was a hero and quite possibly her soul mate.
Today she knew he was neither of those things, and she wanted to have sex with him, anyway. The memory of the pleasure he’d given her was permanently etched in her mind, and it would take only the barest of touches to ignite the blaze once again. The rocking of the boat and the soft slap of the water against the hull seemed almost sexual, but then everything seemed sexual at that moment.
“What’s the point in fighting it?” he asked gently.
Her body turned to maple syrup when he used that tone of voice. “Look, it would be easy for you to say that. Sunday you’ll fly back to L.A. I’ll be the one left to deal with the teasing and innuendoes. I mean, if they ever found out that I went to bed with you without having the slightest idea who you are…”
“They don’t ever have to know that.”
“But they could suspect it, if we’re too friendly with each other when we’re together. You know how people jump to conclusions.”
“I know.” His breathing was steady, but now his hands were clenched together, so he wasn’t quite as relaxed as he might want to appear. “But they don’t have to jump that far. Did you tell Kim where you were when you called her back?”
“No.”
“There you have it. Just imply that you dropped me at the inn, thinking I was Harry, but when you came down this morning to spend the day with me, you knew exactly who I was. So we’re attracted to each other. Is that a crime?”
“Let me think a minute.”
He leaned back, propping his elbows against the boat. “Take your time. But not too much. It’ll take us a while to sail back and get those condoms.”
She decided the sunlight and sea air must be messing with her head, because she was beginning to see the sense in his logic. Why shouldn’t a twenty-six-year-old, unattached woman enjoy herself with the handsome stranger from the West Coast? Where was it written that every sexual experience had to lead into a long-term relationship with someone she might eventually marry?
Come to think of it, she’d never really expected to marry anybody she’d been sexually involved with in the past. Oh, she’d tried to pretend it was love, and that those men would somehow morph into the kind of hero and soul mate she required, but deep in her heart she’d known they’d never make the grade.
Hugh was suggesting that the two of them continue what they’d started, and now that she’d experienced sex with him she was sorely tempted to experience it again. And again. If she was denying herself because of what other people might think, then she needed to grow up and get over that. She wasn’t worried about her reputation when she thought they were star-crossed lovers, so why not be that brave now, when she was only after some really amazing sex?
However, if she doubted that she could tell him goodbye on Sunday without remorse and regrets, then that was a legitimate reason for saying no. Or was it? She might as well face the truth—she’d never taken a certified risk in her life. Here was her chance.
She’d go into it knowing he’d be looking for a new chickie-babe on the other side of the country once this adventure was over. She would be a notch in his belt but, viewing it another way, he’d be a notch in hers. He would be her first thrilling, terrifying, heart-stopping risk.
She cleared her throat. “If we agree to be, um—”
“Lovers?” he suggested helpfully.
She really wanted him. Really, really. “If we do, then you have to promise me that you won’t discuss that with anyone. I
f they pick up on it, that’s fine, but—”
“Whoa, whoa.” He sat up straight. “I think I’ve just been insulted.”
“I’m only asking you to be discreet.”
“I’m going to forgive the insult because you think you don’t know much about me, considering how little time we’ve spent together. But you know me better than you think. A man says a lot about himself during sex.”
She couldn’t think too hard about that or she was liable to leap over there and start unzipping his shorts. “Well, of course, you were very…very considerate, and obliging, and…” And hot.
“I treated you with respect. A man who respects the woman he’s involved with doesn’t go around discussing their mutual sexual activities with other people. Locker-room talk is for immature little boys. Don’t put me in that category.”
Oh, she certainly would not. As he sat across from her, his shoulders looking as broad as the whole darned boat, she would put him in the all-man, all-the-time category. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I should have known not to imply that you’d gossip about us.”
“I’ll do better than that. I’ll protect you from gossip as much as I can.” He leaned forward. “Are you telling me that you’re interested?”
Her heart rate picked up. “My first obligation is to Kim. I couldn’t ever let myself get so distracted that I let her down in any way.”
“Goes without saying.”
“When the weekend’s over, so are we.”
“Understood.”
She took a shaky breath. “Then…yes.”
He sat very still, and if she hadn’t seen a muscle in his jaw twitch, she would have thought he was totally unaffected by her answer.
Then he let out his breath in one long, controlled sigh. “God, I was afraid you were going to say no, and that would make this one of the most miserable weekends of my life.”
“Really?” She looked at him in surprise. “It’s only one weekend. I’m only one woman out of—how many?” Those were the kinds of things she’d keep reminding herself. He made love like an angel because he was a devil with women.
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