by Hornsby, Kim
Nikki was just finishing the breakfast dishes when she heard a yell from up on deck, then a loud splash. Her immediate thought was that they hooked a seal.
“God dammit,” Pete yelled. Another splash. Something or someone had fallen overboard. From the sound of things, she guessed it was Tony. She burst through the hatch.
Pete shouted from the water. “Yes, Tony, it’s cold,” he said.
“Here, Pete.” Connie threw a life ring while Tony looked on from the railing.
Pete swam on his back to the swim ladder with Elvis in his arms. Elvis wore his yellow life jacket and was perched on Pete’s tummy. “Oh, my God, Elvis.” Nikki yelled. “What are you doing?”
Pete glanced up. “Elvis decided to go for a little dip.” His blue mouth barely worked.
“I’ll get towels and a blanket.” Connie disappeared below, while Nikki ran to the stern and leaned over the swim step with her arms extended for Elvis.
“Why did you go in after him, Pete? Elvis can swim, especially in that life jacket.”
Pete grabbed the ladder at the stern, handed off the dog, and pulled himself out of the green water. “He fell off the boat. He looked like he was fighting for his life.”
“That’s how he swims.” Nikki set Elvis on the deck, and the little guy shook off and wagged his tail like it had been a great adventure. Connie and Nikki wrapped blankets around Pete.
“I’m okay.” His teeth chattered and he looked vulnerable in his wet clothes. “I was trying to get him to come to the stern, but he was heading away from the b-b-boat.”
Nikki looked up to see a seal dip below the surface, forty feet off the bow, and knew what Pete hadn’t seen. “You need to get those clothes off.”
“If you insist, Nikki. but we hardly know each other.” Through his shivering, Pete shot her a look that made her blush.
“You know what I mean, Pete. Get downstairs and take off your clothes.”
“Okay, but don’t be long.”
Nikki slapped him on the arm, and he smiled through blue lips. Connie continued vigorously rubbing Pete’s back with the towel.
“No seriously,” he said, “someone is going to have to help me undress. My hands are numb.” His arms hung uselessly, and Nikki remembered the day she almost drowned.
Connie backed off. “I’ll go make tea. Tony, don’t you fall in.” Her son was back at the bow, pulling a piece of kelp off his fishing hook.
Pete turned to smirk at Nikki. “I’m not kidding, my hands won’t work.”
Taking a deep breath, Nikki reached up and undid his jean jacket buttons then pulled it off him.
“Faster, Nikki, I think I’m developing hypothermia from going in after your dog.”
Nikki harrumphed. “He would have come back, once the seal disappeared.”
“Oh, he would have come back all right. Belly up. Wait? There was a seal out there?”
She felt his icy-cold hands.
“You don’t believe I’m cold?”
“Just checking.” She undid his shirt snaps in one big rip.
“Oh, baby.” The look on his face made her knees weak.
“Relax, cowboy. You can do your own pants.” She pulled off the shirt and threw him a blanket, then rubbed his back and arms with a dry towel. Elvis pranced around the deck looking for the seal, oblivious to the cold. “Come here, Elvis. I’ll do you next.”
Pete grabbed Nikki’s shoulders, took one look to make sure Tony wasn’t watching, and kissed her. Not long and not deep but a nice kiss. His lips were soft, cold, and Nikki melted into him. A tingling down below made her deepen the kiss, but too soon Pete drew away. “That warmed me up.” He kissed the tip of her nose.
“Your arms are working fine now.”
“Why, yes, they are. And it’s more fun kissing you as an unmarried man—” He drew back. “—and even though you probably want to now, I’ll do my own pants.” Pete disappeared below to change clothes while Nikki stood mesmerized on deck.
The rest of the morning passed like any other day, except the mood was slightly different. Nikki and Pete danced around each other flirting and touching each other. Connie tried to stay out of their way which was no easy task on a small sailboat. But something had changed between Nikki and Pete, and Connie knew.
That afternoon, they pulled up to small uninhabited island, no bigger than a football field. Pete set the anchor and then asked everyone if they’d like to go ashore. “Elvis can have a real pee on land,” he laughed, “and Tony can run around, find sticks.”
The feeling was festive as they bunched in the dinghy and motored into the only access point. As they came in to the small beach, Nikki pointed out a State Park sign. “Guests Welcome. Pack out your trash.”
Walking around on land felt tippy, and Tony joked at everyone’s drunk walking. Elvis took off into the trees, his tail whirling behind him like a helicopter blade. Nikki knew she didn’t need to call him back. There were definite advantages to living on an island with total privacy. Maybe one day she’d buy one.
“What are you thinking with that dreamy look on your face, Nikki?” Pete stood on the beach with his hands on his hips.
It had been four hours and fifteen minutes since he’d kissed her. “I’m thinking I might buy an island.” She laughed at the ridiculousness of having so much money that she could buy herself an island. “I have too much money, I guess.”
Pete laughed too. “I’m sure you work very hard for your money.” They’d talked the night before about Goldy’s charitable foundation, and Pete had said he was impressed that a rock star would “do more than entertain the world.”
“I wonder if the parks department would sell me this one.”
“Oh, you’ll need a bigger one for Elvis alone. And you’ll have to stock it with chipmunks and bring in seals.”
They laughed like they didn’t have a care in the world.
****
Sitting around, eating fast food, checking the internet for news of Goldy was excruciatingly frustrating. The opportunities presented couldn’t be thought of as lost though. Maybe it was time to send another letter and see if it flushed out the prey. The letters had done their job, filling Goldy with fear. It was amusing to think of the effect they had on the rock star who could have anything she wanted in the world. Anything but safety from a crazy fan. Anything but peace of mind. She’d learn her lesson.
The press had rushed her house and she’d disappeared before anyone knew what happened. But, she couldn’t stay away from Quinn for long and that’s when it would all go down. When Goldy came out of hiding, everything would fall into place As long as Quinn was living out in the open like this, all that was needed was time. The view outside the window promised another gray day in Seattle. A light drizzle swept against the hotel window as the man on TV touted the virtues of a juicer. After this, it would be good to leave the coast and return to normal. Or take the reward and run.
Seattle was the setting, Goldy was the prey, revenge was the motive. How perfectly sweet.
Chapter 20
That night, when Connie and Tony went to bed, Nikki snuggled under a down-filled blanket on the outside cushions. She pretended to be staring at the stars but was hoping Pete would join her. When he came out of the cabin and sat down inches away, her heart raced like a schoolgirl. Nikki loved how they’d been flirting all day, but she wasn’t sure if he was just passing time.
“Tell me what you’re going to do with the rest of your life, Nikki.” He’d run out of Corona and was now drinking tea.
“I wish I could. With a baby on the way, it’s all up for grabs.”
“Music?”
“Only if it doesn’t interfere with being a mother. No performing.” Nikki hadn’t said that out loud before. “Maybe film scores or song writing to keep my creative juices flowing but nothing with an audience. Talk led her to telling Pete about Shakespeare, the letters, other stalkers, and back to the sad story of Yellow. “She was a copycat fan. The papers said she was a pale ver
sion of her idol Goldy. The first night I met her, she wanted an autograph in cuts on her arm. She told me to cut her deep, so she could always remember this moment. She looked thrilled, crazy.”
“What did you say?”
“I said, ‘I can’t do that, sweetie. Put away the knife. Cutting is not okay. Look, you have beautiful arms, don’t hurt yourself. Let me sign your arm with a Sharpie.’ But she insisted. ‘No! Cut me,’ she screamed at me.
When she pushed a pen knife in my hand, security escorted her off the property. I asked them to suggest she get help. It was after that she wore a gold dress, black boots, and arm cuffs, and insisted she was my daughter. I told the press that I didn’t know her. They took a photo of me rolling my eyes, attached it to the headline ‘Cuckoo Fan Pesters Goldy.’ Another magazine published a doctored side-by-side photo of us, with captions that must’ve been hurtful and insulting to her.
Then a pipe bomb was found under the tour bus, she even threatened to kill Quinn, and finally, Yellow killed herself.”
“I remember reading about it.” Pete hung his head, listening.
“She was only seventeen, a runaway. I wrote the family a letter to express how sorry I was, but what can you say at a time like that?” She and Pete had talked so much about Goldy in the last few days, Nikki wanted to change the subject. “What about you? What are you doing after this?”
“Before I take off to Mexico, I need to learn to sail, obviously, but I also need to get back in the water.” He stopped, as though wondering whether to go on. “I almost drowned last year. I haven’t been able to swim, voluntarily.” He chuckled. “Even after two water rescues in the last few weeks, I still hyperventilate when I think of swimming.”
“How did you jump in after me?” As well as rescuing her, he was such a competent-looking man, fit and sure of his own skin.
“Instinct. I didn’t think first. Today too, with Elvis.”
Nikki nodded. “I can get you swimming.” She was sure she could with the right tactics.
“Right after you brew me Chinese tea? Sounds like you need someone to take care of.”
“You might be right.” She laughed. “So many people have taken care of me over the years maybe I’m craving that now.” She looked boldly at Pete. “Tell me about your marriage to Marnie.”
Pete shifted in his seat. “We were married for two years when Marnie got pregnant. We were happy.” He smiled, remembering. Something in the way he looked told Nikki to sit very still, not break the moment. “We saw a counselor after, but she couldn’t be around me without thinking about Brandon’s death. When she told me that for her to get on with her life she needed to leave, I knew it was over.”
Nikki encircled him in her arms, saying nothing. She laid her head on his shoulder and tried to ignore the lump in her own throat, thinking of the couple whose hopes had died with the baby.
Pete was still. “Losing her immediately after losing the baby was the hardest part. I felt like I might get over the death of our son eventually. At least put it in the back of my heart, but to lose Marnie…It made me feel like it was my fault somehow.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It’s crazy to think that way. When she first told me she was pregnant, I was upset because I was just getting ready to go on a placement and we’d agreed to wait to have a baby. I got over it really quickly though, and then I was excited about becoming a dad. I think when she had to blame someone...”
“I’m sure that’s all it was. It’s a coping mechanism to find blame.” She turned her head and kissed his shoulder.
Pete put his arm around her and pulled her in, kissing the top of her head. “It was so long ago, but I’ve never talked to anyone about it.” Pete stroked Nikki’s hair with his hand. “You’re a good listener for someone used to the spotlight.”
Nikki pulled away and smiled at him. “That’s actually a beautiful compliment.”
He drew her into his arms. “Ah, Nikki.”
Not sure what he meant, she nestled into his chest. Staying this way, all night seemed entirely possible. She could hear him breathing. “Pete?” She nuzzled her face into his neck, rubbing her lips against his skin. No answer. “Pete?”
“Hmm?” He sounded like his eyes were closed.
“What am I going to do?” She paused. “I have a giant crush on you.” Could he tell she was smiling?
Pete pulled her away, examining her face with squinted eyes. “For starters, you can applaud your good taste.”
Her smile widened, her eyes fixed on his lips. Pete lowered his head and kissed her softly. “It’s mutual. I like you too.” He kissed her again, longer. Deeper. He whispered against her lips. “You taste good.”
Nikki sighed. She loved the smell of this man, salty and rough. And the feel of his lips on hers, taking what he’d wanted for months. When things escalated quickly, she wasn’t surprised. It had been building all day, all week.
Their mouths hungrily devoured each other, their hands exploring. She was surprised by Pete’s intensity. He felt so different from Burn. So solid and reassuring. His hands slid under her coat and he ran one up under her sweater, in search of skin. Higher.
Nikki chuckled. “I have so many layers on…..”
“Yes, you do…but I’ll find what I’m looking for, don’t worry,” he whispered into her hair. “Ah…there you are.” His warm hand found a breast. “Hmm.” Pete encircled her nipple with his thumb.
“Yes….” They sank back into the couch and as Pete shifted on top of her, he fondled her breasts with his hand. Nikki could feel his hardness against her leg. Was this the first time he’d thought about her in this exact way? She sighed against his face, “I do like you,” kissing him everywhere she could reach.
He pulled the blanket over them and undid her coat, then pulled up her sweater. His tongue played with her breasts while she dug her fingers into his hair and moaned. “We have to be quiet.”
“Hmmm. No rock star screaming.” When he slid back up, she reached between them to check his readiness. He was rock hard. “We have to slow down,” he said.
“Why? I want you right now. Inside me.” She looked deep into his face and he froze.
“But you’re pregnant.”
“I can still do this.” Nikki tried to keep the momentum. She kissed his neck, his chin, his cheek, tasting his skin. She wrapped her legs around his and pushed her pelvis into his hardness.
He groaned and shifted to the side, to take the weight off her. “Wait. Hold on.”
She licked his throat.
“I don’t think I can do this.”
“Yes, you can.” She moved on top, her pelvis pressed into his groin. “Pregnant women have sex all the time.”
He wasn’t participating anymore. Just her. “I don’t want to do anything to hurt your baby.”
“Pete, the baby is the size of a blueberry and deep inside me.” She reached down to rub her hand against the bulge in his pants. He wasn’t rock hard anymore.
He shifted her over to the side.
“Elvis will turn away.” She grabbed his sleeve to pull him to her.
“I’m trying to use a little restraint.” He moved to sit up and ran his hands through his hair.
Nikki swung her legs over the side of the couch to wrap them around him, pull him back to her. “You don’t have to be careful of the baby.” Then it dawned on her. “Oh! You don’t want to. Another man’s baby and all that.” She froze. “Ah. I’m not sexy.”
He laughed without smiling, like he’d been holding his breath. “No, you are extremely sexy. You are the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever met.” His looked penetrated her heart and then he turned away. “You are…” He laughed. “The most fascinating person I know, the most beautiful woman, and I want like hell to…to…do this. And being pregnant doesn’t make you less desirable. Probably more.” He motioned to her. “But…” He shook his head. “Nikki, I can’t do this, not just because I am afraid of hurting the baby but, now that I think ab
out it, I’m actually at work right now and I need to stay focused.”
“And you think people don’t do this in the workplace?” She straddled his lap.
He laughed. “You’re funny. And I’m sure they do, but I don’t. Not with this job.” Pete turned and hugged her to him almost crushing her in an effort to make her stop tempting him. “I want to,” he whispered into her hair. “God knows I want to, but with Tony and Connie just downstairs and we have certain codes we follow and I can’t do this ethically, as a U.S. Marshal. If this boat was suddenly surrounded by the men looking for Connie and I was busy with you…”
He hugged her tighter, and Nikki switched gears, knowing that it was over. For now. When he released her, she chastely kissed his forehead and climbed off his lap, falling back to the couch to arrange her sweater and zip her coat.
Pete looked at the black sky and took a deep breath. “This is my last job, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the mission’s success, including falling for a woman I’ve been lusting after for months.”
Nikki smiled from the couch beside him. “You have been lusting after me?”
Silence.
“That’s funny, considering I was doing the same thing for you and beating myself up about you being married. I guess I should be satisfied being called a gorgeous creature and a fascinating person.”
Pete ran a finger along her jawline. There was a feeling of finality to the evening. She was moments from going to bed.
“I’m impressed,” she said. “You have enviable self control,” she said.
He smirked and shook his finger at her. “Don’t look at me like that, you brazen temptress.”
In several choice moves, she could have him hard again, on top of her, sliding around under the blanket, but it wasn’t necessary to make him break a code of ethics. Or to traumatize him about hurting her baby just to satisfy her need to be desirable. “Exactly when will this assignment be over?” She pretended to look at her watch.