by Jill Sanders
The view was the best, the company was even better, and the food was off the charts. Not to mention Calvin sat at her feet cracking jokes back and forth with the rest of the guys, which had her entertained all through lunch.
Sarah, Kayla, Lilly, and Bella all decided after lunch to sunbathe on the deck instead of fish. Stripping off her tank top and shorts, she laid out on the cushions they had spread out on the top of the cabin.
Lying in the sun with her friends as she sipped a cold beer someone had handed her, she felt herself slowly returning to normal.
She had even started to fall asleep but then she heard another boat engine, and her brother cursed under his breath.
Looking up, she saw a small speedboat quickly approach them.
“What the…” Ben barked out as the boat came dangerously close to them, causing the sailboat to bob in the other boat’s wake. Then he handed his fishing pole to Adam. Bella was shocked when the man on the deck pulled out a camera and started snapping pictures.
“What’s going…” Sarah asked as she sat up and glanced around. Then she turned to Bella. “Cover up.” Her sister-in-law threw a towel towards her. “Get below deck.”
She didn’t get the chance to do anything, since Calvin was there, wrapping the large towel around her and pulling her down the narrow stairs.
When they were below deck, she had to blink a few times for her eyes to adjust. Tears stung her eyes as she tried to control her anger and emotions.
“How did they find me?” she groaned out.
“Who knows, but until they’re gone, we’re staying put.”
She hadn’t gone below deck before. It was bigger than she’d imagined it would be.
When her eyes adjusted, she realized he was still holding the large towel around her bikini-clad body. He’d removed his T-shirt sometime after lunch when he’d been fishing. She’d dreamed of what he’d look like without a shirt, but still the perfect muscles that stretched over him were mouthwatering.
“Thank you.” She took the towel from him and moved over to sit on the sofa area by the small kitchen area. A queen-sized bed was shoved to the front of the cabin.
“Stay put. We’ll let you know when it’s clear,” Sarah called down to them as she poked her head in the doorway and then shut the small door quickly before they had time to respond. With the door shut, they were bathed in full darkness.
Calvin moved over and sat beside her as she tied the towel around her body.
She leaned back and realized that she was still a little groggy from being woken from her nap.
“Hey.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I’m sure your brother can handle getting rid of them.”
“Oh, I’m sure he can. If he can’t, Sarah will.”
Calvin chuckled. The rich deep sound of it made her body vibrate and her eyes snake down to his lips then slowly over his chest.
She’d dreamed about how his lips would feel over her own. Over her skin. Her fingers itched to touch him, to explore his tanned, toned body.
“Did you get some sleep?” he asked her.
“Hm,” she said, licking her lips. If she tried hard enough, she could just imagine what he’d taste like.
Since they could still hear the other boat motor outside, circling them, she knew it would probably take an act of god or the police to get rid of the paparazzi.
“I think there’s a third boat.” Calvin moved closer to her and she held her breath as his bare skin moved inches from her own. Then she realized he was looking out a small porthole behind her head.
“Yeah.” He sighed. “There’s two more.”
They felt their own boat start to move. “Looks like we’re making a run for it,” he added. She closed her eyes and leaned back.
He touched her shoulder. “You okay?”
She didn’t open her eyes as she nodded. She didn’t mind being up on the deck when they’d moved, but now, feeling the rocking of the boat down here where there wasn’t any fresh air… she felt her stomach roll.
Then she felt Calvin’s fingers on her face. She opened her eyes as he brushed a strand of hair that had come loose from her braid away from her face.
“Need something to take your mind off it?” he asked softly. His eyes moved to her lips for a split second.
“Calvin,” she sighed, and pulled his face to hers. The kiss was light as she splayed her fingers in his hair, holding him to her.
The distraction worked perfectly. Instead of feeling the sway of the boat as they moved, all she could feel was her body tremble with want. At first, he’d stilled, as if he hadn’t expected the kiss, but then when she’d moaned and brushed her tongue against his lips, he’d moved.
Pushing her back against the cushions, he deepened the kiss, tasting her. She opened for him, needing more, wanting… everything.
The towel she’d wrapped around her body fell away leaving them skin to skin. Her hands moved over his arms, his shoulders, needing to explore him. She marveled at the feeling of his hard body over hers.
Slowly, his fingers left her face, brushing lightly down her neck, until they rested on her shoulders.
“Bella,” he said between kisses.
“Please,” she begged, “help me.” She didn’t quite know what she was asking. All she knew was that she didn’t want him to stop.
His hands brushed further down her body as his mouth came back to hers. When he cupped her breast, she arched into his palm and groaned as he nudged the triangle of her swimsuit top aside and ran her erect nipple between his fingers.
She felt herself grow wet. It had been too long since she’d felt this much want.
He dipped his head down, and she moaned softly as his mouth covered her nipple. He took it into his mouth and sucked lightly. Her entire body felt on the verge of exploding.
Then the engine to the boat died and he jerked back. His eyes ran over her quickly before he reached up and covered her breast with her suit. She had a moment to recover as he stood up just as the door was yanked open.
“The cops are here,” Lilly called down to them. “Stay put. We’re explaining what’s going on. The idiots are going to kill someone driving like that. I doubt they’re going to stick around much longer. But we’ve decided to head in for the day.” She glanced at Bella. “You doing okay?” she asked her.
“Yes.” Bella was shocked she’d found her voice to answer.
Lilly’s eyes moved back to Calvin and suddenly she smiled. “Okay.” She shut the door again.
“She knows.” Bella sighed and leaned back.
“What?” Calvin’s voice rose slightly, causing Bella to chuckle.
“Take it easy. It’s not a crime.” She looked up at him. He ran his hands through his hair, causing it to stand up a little more. It had been standing up since she’d run her fingers through his dark locks moments before.
“Bella, listen,” he started, his eyes going everywhere but her own.
She chuckled as she stood up quickly. “Don’t sweat it. I get it.” She nodded, trying to swallow the pain.
Chapter Eight
How could she understand why he was struggling with kissing her? Ben was his best friend. He’d do anything for the guy. There were plenty of rules about bros before hoes… he glanced over to where Bella sat on the sofa. She hadn’t wrapped the towel around her again, leaving her clad only in the small material of her bikini. Material he’d pulled aside to enjoy… Shit. He sighed and cleared his mind of what he’d just enjoyed.
“It’s just…” He glanced towards the door, trying to get the taste and the wonderful feeling of Bella out of his mind. “Ben. He’s… my best friend.”
“And,” she started as she stood up. He watched her sway slightly as the boat moved. “I’m his little sister,” she said, sounding annoyed.
“Yes,” Calvin said, relieved that she was starting to understand.
Then the boat shuttered as a wave hit them, and she started to pitch. Reaching up, he wrapped his arms around her w
aist to steady her.
His eyes locked with hers as her hands moved up to his shoulders. Instantly, the memory of the taste of her almost overwhelmed him. Her soft body was pressed up against his.
“This won’t end well,” he said softly as he looked down at her.
“No reason not to have some fun.” She licked her lips again. The simple move was more erotic than anything he’d ever seen before.
“There are plenty of reasons.” He tried to hold himself steady by thinking of her request to keep her safe while she was there.
“Cal,” she started, but then the boat started moving again. He had to reach up to steady them both.
“You’d better sit back down,” he said. “I’m going to go above deck and see what’s going on.” He dropped his arms so she could move over and sit back down.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but since he’d dropped his hold on her, she had to move over and sit or fall over.
He didn’t give her a chance to respond to him before he climbed the narrow stairs and poked his head outside.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, we’re heading in. The cops showed up and Joseph is dealing with the photographers,” Ben told him. “How’s Bella doing?”
“Good,” he responded, then he glanced back just as he heard Bella throwing up. “Shit.” He moved quickly and held her hair back as she lost her lunch in the small kitchen sink.
“Sorry,” she sighed as she held onto the counter.
“It’s okay.” He felt stupid. The reason he’d kissed her to begin with was to keep her mind off the fact that she was locked below deck. “My fault.”
When they docked, he rode with Adam, Lilly, Rowan, and Kayla, since they were heading his way.
He didn’t get another chance to talk to Bella and was kind of thankful for it. He needed time to cool off. Time to forget the taste and feeling of her tight body next to his.
Since their fishing trip had been cut short, he decided to try and get a few things done around his place that he’d been putting off.
There were a few boards on his back deck that needed replacing and the entire deck needed to be painted again.
By the time he was done working, the sun had sunk low in the sky. He enjoyed a cold beer on the freshly dried deck while the sun disappeared. When he made his way inside to catch the last of a game, he was surprised to see a few text messages from Ben.
Deciding he was too tired to read them, he called his friend instead.
“What’s up?” he asked, putting some leftovers into the microwave.
“Did you read… never mind.” Ben sighed. Ben often texted Calvin, but Calvin didn’t enjoy reading the messages and almost always picked up the phone to talk instead. “Somehow, the pictures from today are already all over the web.”
Calvin waited. “Shit,” he added when Ben didn’t say anything more.
“Cal, I’m sorry man, but it seems you made a good story,” Ben added.
“What?” He frowned as he moved over to his computer. Sitting down, he pulled up the first entertainment site he found after searching Bella’s name.
There on the screen was a picture of Calvin and Bella. The image had been taken seconds before he’d wrapped the towel around Bella’s body. Taken out of context, the image appeared to be of a couple enjoying their time on a boat together, with him holding a towel out, waiting for Bella to step into his arms. The look on his face spoke of heat while the look on hers was clear to anyone who knew her. Fear.
“Shit,” he said again.
“Yeah,” Ben said.
Then Calvin read some of the headlines.
“Bella Rothschild is officially over Michael Himes. She was caught enjoying a steamy weekend on a private sailboat with her new mysterious man.”
“Mysterious?” he read.
Ben chuckled. “Hey, it’s better than what others are calling you.”
“What?” he asked, but then he read another headline and cursed again.
“Bella’s sexy and buff new man,” Ben read. Then he added, “Bella Rothschild rebounds with muscular hunk.”
“Hunk?” He groaned.
Ben laughed again. “It could be worse. They could have called you pudgy or soft.”
“Ben.” He cleared his throat trying to find the words to explain what had happened between Bella and him in the cabin.
“Don’t sweat it,” Ben added. “The paparazzi always get these things wrong.” Calvin relaxed a little. “Hell, they claimed you and Bella were alone on the boat,” Ben added.
He closed his eyes, trying to figure out what he could say to his friend. Instead, he decided to keep his mouth shut. After all, he’d talked himself into the fact that the kiss was a one-time deal.
There was no way he was going to drop his guard around Bella again. Ben had put him in charge of making sure his sister was safe, not seducing her.
“Thanks for giving me the heads-up,” Calvin said.
“No problem. We figured it would be better to hear it from us than to see it on the evening news yourself.”
“Shit, it’s on the news?” He reached over and flipped on his set and changed the channel. Sure enough, less than a minute later, he saw the same grainy picture flash on the screen.
“Like I said, sorry.” Ben chuckled. “Sit back and enjoy your five minutes of fame.”
“Thanks,” he said before hanging up. He had to admit, looking at the picture, he realized it was a nice shot of the pair of them. Well, if you didn’t count the slight fear in Bella’s eyes.
Before he could get his food from the microwave, his phone chimed again. This time, he opened the chat from Ben and smiled down at the image he’d snapped of him and Bella earlier when he’d helped her steer the boat.
The matching smiles on their faces were much better than the looks they’d given the paparazzi. He saved the image and texted back.
“Did you send this to your sister?” he asked.
“Yeah, she’s the one that told us about the image spreading everywhere,” Ben replied.
Shit, Calvin thought with a groan. He hadn’t thought of what she must be going through. He’d seen how having her privacy invaded had affected her on the boat. He could only imagine what it would be like having her privacy constantly attacked.
Flipping his contacts open, he pulled up her number and started typing a text message.
“Sorry about all the mess today,” he typed, then erased it quickly.
“Hey, I hear I’m your new sexy…” He quickly deleted it and started again.
“I’m sorry things got interrupted…” Again, he deleted his words. After all, was he talking about the kiss or the day being interrupted?
“I’m sorry your day was cut short. Don’t let what happened get you down. I’ll be back at work tomorrow and have ensured that no one will bother you again.” He reread the message and then hit send.
Then he shot off a quick text to Stacey and Gavin. Both of them filled in for him on his days off.
“Make sure Miss Rothschild is uninterrupted. Her security is your number-one priority until I get back tomorrow morning.”
Both Stacey and Gavin texted him back right away with confirmations. While he waited for a reply from Bella, he ate his leftovers and switched the set back to the end of the game.
He had just climbed out of the shower when he received a text from Bella.
“I’m sorry about all the mess I’ve put you in,” she said.
“This is in no way on you,” he responded. “Did you at least have fun today?” he asked, needing to know.
“Yes,” she texted back. “Thank you for keeping my mind off… things.”
He felt his loins jump at the memory of how he’d distracted her. He wanted to text back with, “Any time,” but typed, “I’m sorry I didn’t complete the job.” He hit send before he really thought about those words. “Sorry, not what I meant,” he quickly typed, feeling his entire body heat.
“LOL,” she replied.
“I’ll take it though.”
He didn’t know what to say after that, so he replied, “We’ll talk tomorrow when I’m back at the resort.”
“See you then. Goodnight.”
“Night.”
The next morning, he rode the ferry to the resort with another group of employees. The daily trek was hindered only by the light rain that forced the entire group indoors.
Today it was Todd that sat behind the wheel of the large vessel. The man was about Calvin’s age and tended to flirt with all the female workers no matter what age they were.
“My mother always told me that one day I’d get in trouble,” Todd had told him once. “I’d flirt with the wrong woman and end up married.” He’d laughed. “Not me. I’m a perpetual bachelor.”
Calvin had to admit that he’d never really believed that being a bachelor forever sounded appealing. Not that he was rushing to the altar but seeing all his friends happily married had caused him some jealous moments.
He thought it would be nice to come home to someone each night. Someone to share his life with, to raise a family with, like Ben and Sarah had.
When he stepped off the ferry, the light rain had deepened. Most of the employees raced through it to avoid getting soaked. Some shared umbrellas while others just dashed down the pathway.
Since he’d carried an umbrella that morning, he shared it with Stacey as they strolled towards the front of the resort together.
“Did you have any problems yesterday?” he asked her.
“No.” She glanced at him. “We all heard about what happened on the sailboat yesterday. I can’t imagine not having my privacy.” She shivered.
Stacey was a middle-aged woman with three young kids at home. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her not smiling or laughing. Even though she was older than him and had given birth to three kids in the past ten years, she was in better shape than he was. He knew that on her off hours she was at the gym with her husband, Eric, who was one of the police officers in Silver Cove.
When they stepped up on the front porch, he shook off his umbrella and glanced up to see Bella leaning on the railing a few feet away from them, watching him. He smiled and started to make his way towards her, when he noticed the pain in her eyes just before she turned around and moved away.