by Sammi Franks
I began to wander over to her. Everything happened really fast. She seemed to have felt the vibrations of my footsteps or something. Isla saw me and jumped up. In that instant, I realized her bikini top wasn’t hooked, since it was still lying on the chair while she was sitting straight up.
Her hair had been in a bun on the top of her head, but she undid it and long brown hair cascaded over her shoulders. My jaw dropped open at the sight of her smooth bare skin, impossibly flat stomach, and all too perfect yet completely natural breasts.
“I’m sorry,” I blathered. “I just wanted to apologize for earlier.”
“So now you’re going to have to apologize for your apology?” Isla giggled. “Oh, and by the way…you’re still staring.”
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled as I whipped around so she could cover herself, only to find Max and Bodhi standing there. My shoulders drooped, my stomach sank, and I shook my head feeling completely defeated.
“Wrap up in a towel, Isla,” Max growled. “No one wants to see you naked around here.”
Bodhi elbowed him and grinned. “I don’t know. I think Hawk might.”
4
Isla
* * *
Max did not find Bodhi's comment amusing. Honestly, I didn’t either, but I wasn’t going to say anything.
Bodhi was the type of brother who gave me shit and treated me like one of the guys. He took me seriously as a businesswoman and didn’t censor his jokes or colorful commentary just because I was a woman, which I appreciated.
Max, on the other hand, treated me like all big brothers treated their little sisters: like I was a precious porcelain doll who needed protecting. Max, too, took me seriously as a businesswoman and he would ask me for advice if he needed any, not that he needed any ever, which made me feel needed. He respected my mind and my independence. But he was not as easygoing as Bodhi was about my dating history and, to be honest, it felt nice to be protected. Daddy didn’t really care what I did with my life because he was always going to see me as his little girl, and Mom, I think, resented me too much to put a vested interest in it. It wasn’t my fault Bodhi and I were the spitting image of Dad while Max had more of her features. She never let us forget it, either.
“What’s he doing here anyway?” Max growled as he glanced over at Muscles, who still stood awkwardly on the deck. I wasn’t sure why he was still lingering there, his hands behind his back, but he looked like a little puppy dog, waiting for someone to throw him a bone.
“For one thing, he lives right there,” Bodhi noted, pointing to the sailboat in the next slip, “I drove him back here hours ago. It wasn’t like anyone knew princess was going to sunbathe topless.”
“I wasn’t topless,” I interjected. “I had the bikini top. It just wasn’t tied because I was sunbathing. So, when I sat up…”
“You’re wearing a string bikini,” Max pointed out flatly. “Why do you need to untie the things anyway?”
“I would still get tan lines, Maxi,” I told him. “If no one cares about me having a mind for business, then I might as well make the most of my body.”
He rolled his eyes and wiped his face with his palm.
“So,” Muscles asked quietly, “am I fired?”
“I’m debating,” Max responded flatly.
“No.” Bodhi shook his head. “Just because my brother owns the bar doesn’t mean he dictates my hiring process. I’m managing the place. You’re still hired, Hawk.”
“Hawk?” I gave the gorgeous specimen an odd look. “Is that your real name?”
“Hawkins,” he explained. “Logan Hawkins.”
Hmm. Not a bad name. Masculine. Kind of sexy, if I was being honest. Not that I would admit that to him.
“Rogers,” I told him. “Isla Rogers. Which I was trying to explain to you before you treated me like some trespasser. If I was trespassing, why would I go to a bar that hadn’t even officially opened anyway? That makes zero sense.”
“I’m not paying him to make sense,” Bodhi reminded me. “I’m paying to protect the place.”
“I can hear you, you know,” he said. “I actually have my bachelor’s degree.”
My brows shot up.
“Why is that surprising?” he asked.
I giggled before I could stop myself. Luckily, it didn’t appear as though he heard, but it wasn’t him I was worried about.
“Did you just giggle?” Max asked, shooting me a look.
“Uh oh,” Bodhi whispered.
“I did no such thing.” I pursed my lips angrily and arched a brow in challenge.
“Stop lying,” Max grumbled. “You giggled.” He looked at Bodhi. “That’s it. You heard it. She giggled. You need to fire Hawk.” He looked down at the guy. “No offense.”
Hawk tilted his head. “None taken?” He looked genuinely confused.
“Here we go,” Bodhi muttered under his breath.
I chuckled.
Max’s eyes widened. “Twice.” He held up two fingers. “Twice, Bodhi. That’s twice she’s giggled. You need to fix this.”
“You know I’m right here,” I huffed.
“Why are giggles the reason I’m getting fired?” Hawk asked. He looked cute with his face squinted in the sun and his arm raised, his hand shielding his face from the blinding light. “I’m not trying to make her giggle, if that makes any difference.”
I bit my bottom lip to keep myself from giggling again. Oh, God. I was in serious trouble.
“Bodhi,” Max snapped.
Bodhi gave max a long look. “No, bro.” He shook his head. “How is it Hawk’s fault that he came upon princess over here sunbathing topless?”
“It doesn’t explain why he’s here,” Max pointed out.
“I can explain that!” Hawk exclaimed. “I came to apologize for what happened today. With not letting her in. I was just doing my job.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself, bro,” Bodhi called down to him. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Bodhi,” Max growled. “Do you really want to work with someone who has seen your sister topless?”
I shot Bodhi a look, already knowing how he was going to answer that. “Don’t be cute, Bo,” I snapped.
“I can’t help something I was born with,” he said with a shrug. “Any more than you can help your need for attention by flashing your boobs.”
I smacked his arm.
“So,” Hawk said slowly. “I’m still slightly confused. Am I fired?”
“Absolutely not,” Bodhi cut in, ignoring the glare Max was shooting him. “In fact, you’re getting a raise for not letting a little brat like Isla push you around and use her feminine wiles to woo you into letting her in.”
“Feminine wiles?” Max and I questioned in unison.
Bodhi ignored us. “What are you doing just standing over there, bro?” he asked, waving Hawk toward the table. “Come hang out for a bit. We’re talking fascinating wedding bullshit and it would be cool if you could rescue me from that colossal waste of time.”
“My wedding is not a waste of time.” Max growled.
“Let’s get a drink.” Bodhi clapped his hands together, turning away from his older brother, and focusing strictly on Hawk. “You a beer man? You look like a beer man.”
Hawk hesitated, but he nodded slowly. “What does a beer man look like, exactly?” he asked.
I giggled a fourth time and my eyes opened wide. I slapped my hand over my face, my eyes now bulging. I was in deep shit if I didn’t watch it. The problem was, Hawk was nice to watch. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him if I tried.
5
Hawk
* * *
“So, what brings you to Westport?” Bodhi asked me.
I stretched and folded my hands behind my head while I tried to decide how much to share with him. It didn’t help that Isla was at the end of the table, staring at me like I was dessert and she hadn’t eaten in days. I swear, the more aloof I acted, the more the ladies loved me. Finally, I mumbled, “I�
�ve been looking for someplace I felt at home ever since I left the Corps.” Then I sat and waited to see if they’d let that ride.
“Where are you from?” Max asked quietly. The guy had been practically glaring at me ever since he found me with his topless sister.
I cleared my throat. “I’ve been moving my whole life.” I leaned forward, balanced my elbows on my knees and rubbed my palms together. “I was born in Idaho. My parents split up and my mom moved me and my little sister to Arizona.” I glanced at Max. “I understand what it’s like to be a big brother, too, man.”
He nodded tersely, but said nothing.
“We stayed there all of two years before she moved us to Texas. That time, she stuck it out with a guy who worked on one of those oil rigs.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I spent a lot of time on the water, but I still chose the Marines over the Navy.” I chuckled, but stopped when I realized no one else was laughing. I shrugged. “The Corps had me all over, but after a few tours in Afghanistan, I decided I was done killing people.” From the corner of my eye, I saw Isla’s eyes widen. Good. Maybe now she’d stay away.
“Sounds intense, dude,” Bodhi commented. “You need another beer.”
He disappeared below deck to grab me another one from the galley, leaving me alone with Max and Isla. I watched Max carefully, trying to figure out how I could soothe his fears. Before I could come up with anything, A woman showed up with a kid in tow. Max nearly jumped to his feet in his eagerness to greet her. “Victoria,” he murmured as he kissed her on the cheek.
Bodhi returned and greeted her daughter first. “Tater tot! Come with me. We’ll go grab you a Kool-Aid pouch.” He passed me the beer and then disappeared with the little girl.
“Hey, can we go to your cabin and talk?” Victoria asked coyly, which had me thinking there would be very little actual talking taking place.
I had cracked my beer and taken several gulps. Max was hesitating and no doubt the reason was his reluctance to leave me alone with Isla. I decided to make it easy on him. “I’m gonna go. You have family stuff. You have my number if you need me.” I shrugged. “Or you could just shout over the side of the boat.” I jerked my head towards my slip. Then I set down my partial beer and wandered back to my boat without even glancing at Isla.
As soon as I boarded, I ripped off my shirt, pulled everything out of the pockets of my swim trunks, and dove off the back of the boat. No, this wasn’t the safest place to decide to swim, but I needed to cool down after sitting in the sun on the yacht. And as long as I stayed close to the back of the boats, I should be safe from boats entering the marina.
I’d swum a few laps back and forth from one end of our row of docks to day dock and back. Climbing onto the back of the boat, I realized I hadn’t exactly worked out all my tension. Time to pull out the big guns. Or in this case, time to sail. I checked the engine and added gasoline. Then I checked the weather. Finding it pretty perfect for an evening sail, I untied from the dock, wound up all the ropes, pulled in the bumpers, and began backing out of the slip, mindful of the current.
Soon, I was driving out of the marina and into the main channel where I could unfurl my main and my jib. I loved watching them fill with wind, loved the sound, the way it felt when I caught it and ran on wind power alone. This was my happy. This was relaxing. I could actually feel the tension melting away.
“Shit! We’re moving!”
I stiffened. It couldn’t be. I glanced down below. “Oh goody. A stowaway. You’re determined to get me fired, aren’t you?” I grumbled as she made her way up the ladder.
“Listen, I came aboard…”
“You’re supposed to ask permission.” I glared at her, which was a bit of challenge since she looked so damn cute.
“Oh, like you asked permission when you boarded the yacht?” she countered, her hands on her hips, until she started to fall backwards off the ladder and caught herself.
“I asked permission. You had on the earphones and didn’t hear me. Completely different.” I huffed. “Or I would’ve asked permission if you’d have responded when I called your name,” I muttered under my breath.
“Okay, so maybe I didn’t want to give you a chance to say no to me.” Isla pouted.
“Listen, little sister, I’ve done nothing but say no to you since we’ve known each other,” I reminded her.
Isla tilted her head. “You know what? You’re right.”
“Holy shit.” I grabbed at my chest.
“What?” Her eyes widened in alarm.
I smirked. “You admitted you were wrong.”
She shook her head, her lips twitching playfully. “I did no such thing.”
“You said I was right!” I reminded her.
“Yes, but does that necessarily make me wrong?” She stared at me innocently and I wanted to get lost in those eyes.
I shook my head, determined to focus. “Are you trying to fuck with my mind?” I cringed. I’d just sworn in front of a lady.
“Not at all, but if you wanted to fuck my body, I’m all in, sexy.” Isla batted her eyelashes at me.
With her acting like this, I had no idea whether or not to take her seriously, but for the first time in forever, I wanted a woman. And I hadn’t wanted anyone for longer than I could remember. I stared at her a moment, unsure of what to say next.
“Are you at least considering it?” she murmured shyly.
I sensed I might have actually wounded her ego. “I’m more than considering it,” I replied. “In fact, I’d actually take you up on it if I didn’t think Max would castrate me.”
6
Isla
* * *
I nearly rolled my eyes at the mention of Max. Max was definitely going to be a problem. I went over to him and without hesitating, I dragged my fingers up his abdomen. He was as solid as he felt and I lost myself in the ridges of his toned torso. I wanted to feel it pressed against my naked chest. I felt my mouth go dry just thinking about it. I cleared my throat so I could speak again. “Well, Max doesn’t need to know.” I raised my brow.
The wind started to pick up slightly, rustling my hair. I wished I had pulled it back but I decided to leave it down now. I kept my eyes on his, trying to decipher those baby blues. I could tell he had baggage, secrets he might not ever share with even those closest to him. I didn’t need that. I didn’t want that. I didn’t need warm words and support. I didn’t need commitment. I didn’t need any of the relationship things. I just wanted to feel his body on top of me, pinning me down, holding me hostage until I screamed his name. I felt myself get wet just thinking about it.
Hawk took a step back, forcing my hand to drop to my side. I could see the desire cloud his eyes. I knew he wanted me too, knew from the way those eyes turned a shade of midnight. I could feel the way his muscles twitched in response to my touch and I knew I had power over him. I knew he wanted me. Why, then, would he fight it? Why would he step away?
“I can’t,” he said. His eyes were suddenly guarded again and any possibility of us being together went out the window.
“Why not?” I asked.
I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling my cheeks pinch with embarrassment. I didn’t throw myself at guys, but the few that I went after always responded. I wasn’t used to getting rejected and I hated the feeling I got from it. Shame. Embarrassment. I wanted to crawl underneath my sheets and never come out. I wanted to jump off this boat and swim back to the yacht where it was safe. I wanted to punch a pillow - better yet, a nice pair of abs - to vent my frustration.
He swallowed. I watched his Adam’s apple bob. “You wouldn’t understand,” he said. I could hear the dismissal in his tone. I was being written off. Again. This reminded me of my father all over again.
“Let me guess,” I said. I was defensive with him. I couldn’t help it and I didn’t particularly care. “You think, like most everyone else, that I’m a spoiled brat who’s used to getting my way.” The waves of the ocean were small but they pushed a little harder than I
expected and I nearly lost my balance. “And you think that this falls into the same category as that.”
Hawk furrowed his brow as though he didn’t quite understand what I meant. But then he shrugged those incredibly broad shoulders.
“Listen,” he said. “I’m not going to lie and tell you spoiled little rich girl wasn’t one of my first impressions of you,” he replied. “You did use the ‘do you know who I am’ card, after all. But I can also appreciate that there’s more to you than I know, just like there is to everyone. Your brother, Max, looks at me like I’m going to steal you away from...I don’t know what, exactly. But I get it. I have a little sister too and I would probably feel the same way he does about you. I just need you to know that I see you.”
I furrowed my brow. “And what does that mean?” I asked. I almost stomped my foot but that might play into my spoiled reputation and I didn’t want him to tell me so.
“It means I know you’re hiding underneath your sexual confidence,” he said. “You’re just someone who wants to be loved. You want to be accepted. You want to know you’re good enough. It’s related to your daddy issues.”
“Daddy issues?” I snapped.
He nodded once. This time, he crossed his arms over his chest, causing his biceps to strain. I couldn’t stop staring at them. Which really hurt the attitude I was trying to give him.