She fought the eyeroll. “If you find him for me, let me know.”
“That’s not how it works.” Wyatt sighed. “What you need is to breath in the ocean air. I’m sure you miss fishing, with a pole that is.”
“It’s been six days, but I do miss it. What I don’t miss is working thirty-six hours without a break.”
Wyatt’s eyebrows rose. “That would be difficult.”
“I needed those six days to recoup.” She glanced around. “Guess I could at least go greet people.”
“Go! You brought on two of us who can handle the wheel, so you don’t have to worry.”
When she relinquished control, relief came over her. Did I come back to work too soon? She usually fell right into the swing of things. Sal flashed through her mind yet again. Or I’ve gone insane!
Downstairs, Sal laughed with Chris’ brother as they lounged inside. A woman walked into the main cabin, and his jaw dropped. “I’m hallucinating.”
Roselyn turned at his voice. No way! She stared at Sal as an odd sensation came over her. What is it about him? The urge to touch him couldn’t be ignored. She wove through the crowd and stopped feet from him. “Hey, strange to see you on my boat.”
“Your boat?” Sal’s gaze flitted around. “You own this yacht?”
“That I do.” She looked him over in his khaki shorts and t-shirt. “Obviously you’re here to fish.”
He inspected himself. “Oh, yeah. Chris invited me. Guess this is your offseason job—well, income source.”
“That it is. Worked my ass off to buy this boat.” She patted his arm. “I’m going down below to change into something fit for fishing. Would you like a tour of the rest of the boat?”
His eyes lit up. “Sure, sounds awesome.”
Roselyn led the way below with Sal’s hand in hers. Her entire body reacted to his closeness. How can he affect me like this? She peeked at him, and he winked. Her lips tingled with the memory of their last kiss. Is it possible he’s my soulmate? Nah, it has to be something else… like I’m in lust with him.
His feelings for her were impossible to sort out as well. Her hand in his sent sparks up his arm. We need to explore this before I go nuts! He had no plan, since he hadn’t expected to see her for a while. I gotta kiss her!
To distract himself, Sal admired the décor. “This boat is beautiful. You must have worked hard on it.”
She nodded. “I did. Bought it in Oregon. Took me a few years to get it how I wanted. Was worth it.” She opened the door to her bedroom suite. “Never had a complaint about the accommodations.”
“Bet not.” His eyes widened when they stepped inside. “Very nice.” He followed as she slowly made her way through the living area. They entered her bedroom, and he whistled. “Never seen a stateroom this big.”
She let his hand go and sat on the bed. “Have to be comfortable if you plan on long trips once in a while.”
His gaze shifted when she ran her hand over the comforter. He imagined her spread eagle. A shake of his head shoved the picture away. We need to back up a few steps if we want this to last. His cock twitched, announcing its willingness to satisfy her. Will you behave!
Since Sal didn’t take the bait, Roselyn strode to him and lifted his shirt. “We have some time to kill, so why don’t we use it. Love this devil tat.” With a coy expression, she pushed his shirt as high as possible with his arms down. “I could use a few orgasms to relax me.”
Sal helped her take his shirt off, despite his need for more than sex with her. “Thought this was a tour of the boat.”
“It is… starting with my bed. We can see the rest later.”
He snatched her hands when she unzipped his pants. “Slow down.”
“Why? I want you.” She winked. “How about a kiss then?” When he nodded, she rose to her toes and pressed her lips to his.
Sal wove his fingers into her hair, desperate for more contact. He deepened the kiss and sighed. God, she tastes good! He growled and took ahold of her side. When she slipped a hand into his underwear, his eyes closed, and he groaned. “Wait!”
“For what?” She nibbled his bottom lip and gripped his erection. “You want me. I want you. Sex will fix both those things.”
He snatched her hands and met her gaze. “It might ease the ache in my dick, but it won’t do anything for this thing between us.” He took a deep breath and shut his eyes for a moment. “Do you believe in fate?”
She shrugged. “Not really.”
“I do.”
“Oh, and what brought fate to mind?”
He lifted her hands to his chest and smiled. “Finding you again… twice by accident. You can’t tell me you don’t find it odd. I’ve never gone fishing from this bay, and you never told me you owned a boat.”
“True.”
“So then how did we find each other twice without any intervention?”
“Coincidence?” That seemed impossible even to her.
“No way. Let’s go on one date.” He tugged her into an embrace. “If you don’t think it’ll work between us, we can go our separate ways.”
She stared at his chest, unsure. That would risk an emotional connection. Why do I keep denying we already have one? Because I didn’t expect it to ever happen again.
“So?” He gripped her chin and kissed her lips. “Are you willing to give me a chance… outside the bedroom?”
“Yes. Keep in mind… I haven’t done this in a long time.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Dating?”
“Yep, it’s been a bunch of years.”
“OK, I can be patient.” He rubbed her nose with his. “You’re worth it.”
“I should probably change now.” She stepped back and yanked her top off.
He turned away. “I’ll wait inside.”
“Why?” She let out a laugh. “We had sex two days ago.”
“But now we’re dating.”
“Sex better not be off the table, or I’m changing my answer!”
He walked into the other room. “It’s not. Just think we should slow down at least for today.” He checked out the photos and décor around the room. When she appeared again, his jaw dropped. “Damn.”
Sal stared at the black tank top with a large purple ribbon, then the tight workout shorts. His gaze darted from her tattoo sleeves, to her thighs, to the angel spread across her chest. Love those tats. He admired the sexy curves that enhanced her strong physique.
“I’m ready to go fishing.”
He hummed in appreciation. “You sure are.” He cleared his throat and averted his eyes. “Can I see the rest of the boat now?”
“Of course. Even the restricted areas.”
“Lucky me.” He trailed her into the hallway. “Oh, we didn’t plan when we’re going out yet.”
She peered at him through her lashes. “Is tomorrow too soon?”
“Nope. I’m in.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Already bought our tickets,” Sal mentioned as he held the door to the movie theater open. “So we don’t have to wait in line.”
She walked before him. “I wanted to go Dutch.”
“This is a first date. And I asked you out. I should pay. You can pay next time, OK?”
“Fine.” She grinned when he clasped her hand in his. “Oh, we’re doing the full-on date.”
He squeezed her fingers. “Here’s hoping I get a kiss goodnight after I take you home.”
It had shocked her when he politely asked to pick her up for their date. Maybe it’s only for show. Is he going to turn into a monster a year down the line? Should I do a background check on him? Ugh! This is why I don’t date. She took a deep breath and let the fear go. He would’ve shown signs already. Just enjoy this.
Her sudden silence worried Sal. “Something wrong?”
“Oh… no.” She swung their hands as they headed to their assigned row in the theater. “I’m fine.”
He blew out a long breath when they settled in their seats. “I should’ve ask
ed if you want popcorn. Sorry, it’s been a year since I went on a date. Fishing and all.”
“Relax. I’m not expecting romance or the perfect date, just some fun.”
“Good to know. I’m not the romance type, but I try hard.”
“That’s important.”
He hesitate for a moment, then asked, “We’re also going to have intimate conversation, right?”
“Pillow talk?”
“Nope… deep stuff. The real get to know you type conversation.”
“OK.” She swallowed hard.
He lifted her hand and pressed it to his lips. “Whatever has you freaked out… I’m here for you.”
“Thanks. I’ll be fine.”
“So then… should I go get popcorn?”
Her gaze flitted to the screen, which only showed commercials. “Yeah, that would be cool. And a bottled water.” She pulled out her wallet.
“No. This date is my treat.” He pushed her hand away. “You can get the next one. I’ll be back.”
While she waited, the many moments together over the past weeks came to mind. They chatted easily even while on the Passionate Dreams. After he stopped being an ass. Can we really make something solid out of our friendship? Just relax and enjoy the ride.
“Got candy too,” Sal said as he sat down again. “Hope you like Junior Mints.”
Roselyn cocked an eyebrow. “How dare you assume what type of candy I like.” It took half a second for her to burst into laughter, but she stifled it when she realized where they were. “Sorry, I like them. I’m not really picky about anything. Except my coffee. I take that black with two sugars.”
“I’ll remember that.” He handed her the box. “I take mine with hazelnut creamer.” The room darkened. “Got back just in time.”
☆¸.•*¨*★☆ * ☆★*¨*•.¸☆
“Which is your favorite?” Roselyn pointed to the long list of items on the ice cream shop’s menu.
Sal shrugged. “How can you choose just one? Ice cream is the best. That brownie explosion thing looks good.”
“Yeah, but so does the banana sundae.”
“We could get both and share.”
She hooked her arm in his. “I like that idea.”
He ordered, and they stayed silent until both desserts were ready. “Wanna sit outside?” When she nodded, he led them outside, once again holding the door open for her.
“Such a gentleman.” She winked. “Let’s go sit in the corner.” She pointed to an area free of other patrons. Once they settled down, she eyed both dishes. “I’m gonna be running a few extra miles tomorrow because of this.”
“Sorry. Thought ice cream would be a good end to the night.”
“Got ya!” She smirked. “I’m serious about the extra miles, but this will be so worth it.” She stuck her spoon into the brownie concoction. “Next date we end up at my place for chocolate lava cake.”
He groaned, and his face contorted as if having an orgasm. “Holy shit, that sounds awesome!”
“If tonight goes well, it’s a promise.” She licked the spoon clean and moaned. “This is amazing.” She took a spoonful of the banana dish and sighed. “Yep, so is that. Good choices.”
His gaze stayed on her tongue as she again cleaned her spoon off. He fought the lewd remarks on the tip of his tongue. Does she know she’s doing that? He watched her take another chunk of his dessert and play with it. So mean.
“I owe you a blowjob,” she deadpanned as she sucked ice cream off the spoon.
He bit his bottom lip. “Why do you say that?”
“Because I offered one that night at the strip club and you didn’t get much. Not really fair.” When she glanced up, she realized she’d be torturing him with her enjoyment. “You have some willpower. If I were you, oral sex would be happening already.”
“A date means politeness and chivalry.”
“Just be yourself. I’d rather have that.”
He swallowed hard. “Will that make you open up to me?”
“It might.”
“If we want this to work, we need to be honest with each other.”
She set her spoon down. “That’s true.” After a moment to collect her thoughts, she asked, “Did you move away from Seattle to strip in Los Angeles? Or is your family too much to handle?”
“No, for a girl. Although living far from home helps me hide my side job. No way would my parents understand.” He tasted her dessert and hummed. “That is good. Anyway… As you already know, my dad’s a fisherman too. I grew up on boats, but we caught mostly salmon. When my girl got a job in LA, we moved here.”
“You have a girlfriend?” She glared at him.
He rolled his eyes. “She left me when she landed her first lead role… by cheating on me.”
“Ouch!” She winced. “You have a painful history too.” No wonder we click.
“It hurt, but I got over it.”
“At least you jumped back on the wagon and dated again.”
He shrugged. “Sort of. Haven’t met anyone worth more than one date… until you.”
“This one’s not over yet.”
“Yeah, but you can’t tell me you don’t wanna see me again.”
She chewed on her bottom lip to hold in a crude response. It took seconds to realize he was right. If he dropped out of her life, she’d miss him something awful. “I do wanna see you again.”
He barely heard her words, but they made his chest swell. “Glad to hear it.”
“OK. Back to the question… why’d you stay here instead of going home?”
Sal met her gaze. “I like it here, for the most part. After a while, I missed fishing. It’s in my blood, like it’s in yours. My dad had a full crew so I tried my hand at crab fishing. By the way, it’s nothing like you see on TV.”
She chuckled. Many greenhorns had said the same over the years. “Most don’t make it more than one season.”
“Yeah, well, I liked that it wasn’t all year round. My dad was out all the time. We were lucky if we saw him for Christmas. Lately, he’s been scaling back some. The life is catching up with him. He’s in his 60’s now. It’s time.”
“Does he want you to take over for him?”
“He mentioned it once, but I refuse to kill myself all year and wind up like him.” He peeked at her. “Your turn to tell me something. Preferably something juicy.”
She grinned at his wild expression. “Hmmm…” A few things flashed by, but she dismissed them. “Oh! So, when I got my period for the first time, my father freaked out. He hadn’t told me anything, and school had yet to adapt sex ed for the younger kids. I cried, thinking I was dying. His female friend, Kris, who he claimed wasn’t his girlfriend but I saw through it, well, she came over with a package of pads and explained it. She and I became closer. I see her as a surrogate mother now.”
“That’s crazy.” He rolled his eyes. “My dad handed me a condom and told me to always use them. I was ten, and I had no idea what they were for. Good thing for his crew. They showed me dirty magazines and revealed all the mysteries about women.”
“Bet they missed a few key things.”
“Try a lot.” He chuckled. “I’ve met your father and brothers a few times in Dutch. Your dad terrifies me. Imagine if I have to tell him I’m dating his daughter.” He swallowed. “Will I have to do that?
“Only if this thing gets serious.”
They both returned to their food for a while. Sal enjoyed watching her eat even though it still threatened to give him the boner from hell. So sexy. He imagined her tongue licking the head of his cock, then down to suck the whole shaft in. Dammit! He dove a hand into his jeans to adjust the raging hard-on.
“Maybe we should talk about something else so you don’t hurt yourself over there.” She bit her lip. “Need help with that?”
He sat up straight. “Nah, I’ll be fine.” When she tossed her spoon in the cup before her, he took her hands in his. “This was a fun night.”
“We still have to get
home, so we have time to ruin it.”
“Not possible.” He rubbed the purple ribbon tattoo on her hand. “Can you tell me about this?” The sudden change in her demeanor gave him a clue. His chest constricted when tears filled her eyes. He held her hand in both of his. “Are you willing to let me in, so I can understand?” Her silence worried him. “Is this why you fear getting close to me?”
She nodded. “Not many people know… Ciara does.” Her gaze drifted to their hands. “It’s why I took kickboxing classes… and why I sometimes come off as a bitch. I won’t let anyone do that to me again.”
“You have no fear of any of that from me. I swear.”
“I know,” she whispered.
He waited, but she stayed silent. “Were you married?”
“No.”
“A boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
He wanted to drop it, but she seemed to need to let it out. I can sense her feelings. That means something, doesn’t it? Without an answer, he shifted closer to her and cradled her hand. “If you want to end the conversation here, I understand.”
Roselyn’s eyes closed. Memories assaulted her. As a teen, she dated a man five years older and hid it from her family. He seemed fine until he snapped one day and beat her. She came home with bruises but went back to him the next day. After his apology, she assumed things would return to normal. His outbursts continued. Eventually, he refused to let her leave and planned to take her to Utah. If not for her brothers’ nosiness, they never would have found her.
A hug from Sal startled her, but she sank into him. “I’m sorry. This is hard to talk about.”
“It’s OK.” He kept his voice soft. “Just tell me one thing. Did your brothers kick his ass?”
“Yes, but the police don’t know that. Please don’t say anything to anyone.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you. I moved to California to leave it all behind.” She paused for a moment, then added, “I help out the local shelters as much as I can. No one should feel like they have to stay in that environment.” The memories faded as she remembered how strong she’d become. “I run free trips for them, so they can get out and know they’re safe with me.”
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