Boxed Set

by Brenda K. Davies

  Before his sister could argue with him further, he turned and walked away. His earlier run had helped burn off some of his excess energy, but he could feel it building within him again. He walked at an increasingly brisk pace down the road to the small house where Emma and her friends were staying.

  Emma tried not to ogle Ethan as he took her hand and helped her board the boat. Between the home they were staying in and this boat, she didn't know what to make of Ethan or his family. She knew they were only renting the house, but she imagined the rent on this place was more than some people made in a year. She could tell Jill and Mandy were as impressed and overwhelmed as she was by their gaping mouths when they looked around the glistening white boat.

  She was so busy trying to take in all the details she didn't realize Ethan still held her hand until he pulled her toward the back of the boat. Or was it the stern? She wasn't sure, as she'd never been on anything bigger than a rowboat before. He settled her into a seat before turning to help Mandy and Jill get seated.

  "I'll be right back," he told her.

  Emma admired the fit of his swim trunks on his thighs and ass as she watched him walk away. She was so focused on him that she jumped when Jill leaned closer to her and spoke. "What does his family do for a living?"

  "I don't know," Emma whispered back.

  "Maybe they're in the mob."

  "Yeah, the mob is huge in Oregon," Emma retorted.

  Even Jill had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. "Maybe they've decided to expand."

  Emma chuckled as she shook her head, but Jill's question made her recall how Ethan avoided her question when she'd asked him about what he did. There was a lot of money here, but it was his brother-in-law’s, not Ethan's. She could understand if Ethan didn't have a plan for his future, she wasn't exactly planning or doing much in life right now. Maybe Ethan felt the same way and didn't like talking about it; she hadn't told him everything about herself either.

  The boat engine firing up drew her attention to Stefan standing behind the wheel with Isabelle at his side. Ethan said something to Stefan she couldn't hear over the engine, but Stefan glanced at them before nodding. Emma turned her attention to the water as the boat started to pull away from the dock.

  Excitement built within her as the powerful vessel hummed beneath her and the wind began to kick up. The boat picked up speed as Stefan steered it away from shore and into the open water. Her hair blew back from her face; the warm, salty ocean spray kicking up around her was cool as it landed on her cheeks and tickled her face. It was impossible not to smile as the boat skimmed over the ocean and plumes of water shot up around them. She turned her body and rested her arms on the back of her chair to watch the wake coming from the rear of the boat.

  Ethan’s arm brushed against hers when he returned. She watched him as he settled into the seat beside her. Something about him and this whole moment made her feel as if someone had opened the door on the cage she'd locked herself in since Tristan. She could almost feel her wings spreading as she flew free and unexpected tears of joy burned her eyes.

  "Are you okay?" Ethan inquired.

  "Just the wind," she said as she wiped at her eyes.

  She wasn't expecting it when his hand slid into hers. The tears burned their way up her throat, but she managed to keep these from spilling as she wrapped her hand around his large, strong one. He was so powerful and self-assured, she thought he could take on anything and anyone. He would protect her. She had no reason to believe such a thing, but she couldn't shake the certainty of it as she refocused her attention on the vast sea.

  Ethan studied her profile as she focused on the water again. The flowing black cover-up she wore brought out the blonde in her hair and made her eyes appear even darker. He felt like she weaved a spell over him; she entranced him.

  The boat decelerated as they approached a secluded cove. Emma took in the amazing lava rock formations around them as the boat came to a stop fifty feet from shore. "This seems like a good place!" Stefan announced. Emma rose to her feet as Stefan went down below and came back with four fishing poles and a tackle box. "We can fish from the front and swim off the back."

  Mandy and Jill stood, pulled off their cover-ups, and dropped them onto their chairs. "Are you going to swim, Emma?" Mandy asked.

  "I'd prefer to fish." There was something enticing about just sitting there and watching her pole while soaking in the sun. She'd made sure to douse herself in sunblock before leaving the house.

  "I'll join you," Ethan said as he rose to his feet and pulled off his shirt.

  Emma felt like a cartoon character with its eyes popping out as, once again, she was treated to the delightful image of his bare chest with its sprinkling of hair across the carved surface.

  He held his hand out and helped her to her feet when she took it. Her heart pounded with excitement and apprehension as she realized the others were all going swimming. She loved the idea of getting a chance to spend some time alone with him, but she was a conversational idiot around him. Even still, she was practically bouncing on her feet as he grabbed two poles and the tackle box before helping her maneuver to the front of the boat.

  He handed her a pole and set the tackle box down. Emma popped the locks on it and began to pick through it in search of a lure. Ethan quirked an eyebrow as he watched her expertly attach the lure to the line. "I take it you've done this before."

  "Once or twice," she told him with a grin.

  He laughed as he dug into the tackle box and pulled out another lure. "I wouldn't have pegged you as a fisherwoman."

  "I'm a little difficult to peg," she teased.

  Was she flirting with him? Maybe she was only a complete moron when other people were around them. It was a pleasant thought, and it helped to ease her anxiety.

  Her whole body reacted when something hot and hungry flickered through his eyes. She sucked in a breath.

  "Let's hope you're not impossible," he said.

  Yep, she was simply going to melt into a pile of goo or jump him; she wasn't sure which one right now. She wished she’d chosen to plunge herself into the water instead, but the ocean wouldn't be enough to cool her right now. It took all she had to break eye contact with him and cast her line out. She settled onto the edge of the boat and let her legs dangle over the side.

  "Where I'm from in New York, we either fish in the summer, ride our ATV's, or sit around a bonfire," she told him as he settled beside her.

  She was acutely aware of the heat of his body as the hair on his arm tickled her skin. "My siblings and I spent our time tormenting and daring each other to do some pretty crazy things," he said.

  "That sounds like a lot of fun."

  "It was."

  Her fishing pole made a clicking noise as she reeled her line back in. "If you don't mind me asking, what does Stefan do for a living?"

  He leaned a little more against her side. "Not much." Emma frowned at him before glancing questioningly around the large boat. "Family money," he said.

  "So, he's not in the mob then?"

  He laughed as he shook back his raven colored hair. "No, he's not in the mob."

  "Jill will be relieved to know that."

  The sound of his rumbling laughter caused her to smile in return. Emma couldn't remember the last time she'd been this happy as they continued talking. He told her more about his massive family and his home in Oregon. She told him more about her mother, who was a nurse, and her father who was a reporter at the local news station.

  They lived a simple life, in a small home. She was loved and had a lot of friends through high school. She saw most of them when she returned home for breaks, and they all shared stories. Most of them were returning to live there when they finished college.

  "Is that what you plan to do, return home and stay?" he asked as he cast his line out again.

  For some reason, the question made him tense. He didn't like to think of her returning home and being so far away from him. He didn't understand where the su
dden feeling came from or why it lodged so firmly inside him. He enjoyed talking to her, and the feeling of peace she brought him, but he barely knew her, and he had no investment in her life.

  "I'm not sure. I love it there, I love my parents, but I also really enjoyed being away from home. Mandy and Jill asked me to go to California. Jill is from San Francisco, and Mandy is going to Stanford in the fall. They're hoping to get a place together and asked me to room with them too. I'm considering it; it would be fun, and I'd like to see California. I enjoyed experiencing new things while at school, and I don't think I'm ready for that to end. I'd also like to travel more."

  "Then don't let it end."

  She gave a small laugh. "It's just a matter of finding a job so I could stay there. I waitressed for a couple of years; maybe I could find work doing that again or a job in a museum. I had planned to teach history, but I think I'd prefer to work in a museum or something similar."

  "You like history?"

  Ethan couldn't help but smile as her face lit up.

  "I love it!” she gushed. “There's so much to learn from it, so many lives once lived, so many people who walked through these places, paved the roads, and built the world before us. They fascinate me, and I love to hear their stories, see the pictures, and touch things those people once touched. I'd love to see and explore as many historical places as I can before I die."

  "I never really thought about it that way," he admitted.

  "I also really enjoyed meeting different people while at school. Some of them weren't always so great." She refused to let thoughts of Tristan ruin this day. "But most of them were."

  He looked at her as if she'd just told him the ocean was purple and the clouds were full of pink giraffes. She glanced over herself but didn't see anything out of the ordinary, and she was pretty sure she didn't have anything hanging out of her nose. When she looked at him again, the strange gleam in his eyes, and the small smile on his face, warmed her heart.

  She was so different from him, he realized. She was eager to get out in the world and explore new things. She enjoyed being around other people, the one thing he couldn't stand unless he was with her. When he was with her, he could focus on something other than the blood pulsing through people's veins, and the driving urge to bury himself in the release he knew their deaths would finally give him.

  Unable to resist, he brushed back a stray tendril of her silken hair. She watched him with wide eyes as her lower lip trembled slightly. It was good to know he seemed to affect her as much as she affected him as she leaned closer to him. His gaze slid over the swell of her breasts thrust upward in her orange bikini top, and then over her rounded hips and flat belly.

  Her skin was in the early stages of a tan and the golden color brought out the dark gold in her hair and eyes. His fingers slid over her shoulder and toward her cheek, her skin was as soft as a flower petal against his, and he couldn't get enough of it. He had to forcefully pull his hand away before he forgot about everyone else and lost himself to her again.

  "I'm sure you could find work anywhere, and I think it sounds like a great plan," he told her.

  She gave him a half-hearted smile, but she missed the contact with him. "I'm not sure my parents would agree."

  "It's not their life, is it?"

  "No, it's not, but they expect a lot from me."

  "I'm sure they do, but I'm sure they're already proud of you."

  Beginning to feel a little self-conscious, she decided to steer the conversation away from her. "So, what about you, you never really said what you do."

  He cast his pole out again and began reeling it back in. "School's not my thing, never was, and I'm not much of a traveler. I like to work with my hands and mainly do odds and ends."

  "A jack of all trades?"

  "I guess you could say that. I helped to build a house last year; I enjoyed doing it. I discovered I also like to carve things out of wood around the same time."

  He didn't tell her this newfound love of his was a great way to keep himself distracted from his more disturbing impulses. He could often lose himself for hours amongst the smell and feel of the wood within his hands as he carved intricate designs into it. It was never something he'd ever thought to do, but once he started the hobby, he couldn't stop.

  "I built a gazebo for our lake at home, a porch swing, dining room table, and chairs. My favorite is a children's chest I plan to give to Isabelle and Stefan when they have a baby."

  "That's amazing."

  It also suited him, she realized as she studied his profile. She couldn't picture him wearing a suit and sitting behind a desk. It was too restricting for him, and though she barely knew him, she knew he would be miserable if he were confined. No, he belonged in a natural element of some kind, on a construction site, or on a fishing boat.

  "I'd love to see some of it," she said.

  The sun played over his handsome features and lit his eyes when he turned to smile at her. The warmth of the rays caused a thin sheen of sweat to break out on his body and made his skin gleam enticingly.

  "Isabelle doesn't know about the chest, but I have some photos on my phone I'll show you. I turned it off and threw it in a drawer when I arrived in Bermuda though, so I don't have it on me."

  She laughed as she leaned against his side; she enjoyed how easy it was to be with him and how good he could make her feel. "I did the same. There's no way I'm paying that bill."

  "Me either," he agreed.

  She swung her legs back and forth over the edge of the boat. "How old are you?"

  "Twenty-six, you?"

  "Twenty-two."

  Emma cast her line back out as they fell into an amicable silence. Neither of them even had a bite, but she found she didn't mind as she listened to the water lapping against the boat and the splashing and laughter from the others as they swam. She was getting ready to reel her line back in when he leaned toward her and placed his finger under her chin. He turned her face toward his, and before she knew what he intended, he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.

  A sigh escaped her, but just as she was about to lose herself to him, he pulled away. Her eyes searched his face. "You had a bite," he said.

  That grin did funny things to her insides and made her feel like a kid on Christmas morning all over again. "I had a what?"

  He gestured toward the pole in her hand. "A bite."

  "Oh, oh," she said again as she finally felt the tug on her pole. She had completely forgotten about it. She lifted it and began reeling it in again, but whatever was there didn't pursue the lure.

  The boat shifted; she looked back to see Stefan and Isabelle climbing on board. Isabelle frowned as she studied the two of them, but she turned away when Stefan put his hand on her elbow. She gave a brief nod before slipping into the lower cabin of the boat. Jill and Mandy climbed on next, Jill grabbed two towels off one of the seats and then handed Mandy her prosthetic leg.

  Isabelle reappeared and tossed another towel to Stefan. She toweled her hair off as she made her way toward them. "We're going to head back, Mandy and Jill are hungry."

  "Sounds good," Ethan said and began to reel in his line. Emma frowned as Isabelle continued to stand there, staring back and forth between them. She gave Emma a tremulous smile before turning and walking back to Stefan. Though she didn't get the feeling Isabelle disliked her, there was something standoffish about her that Emma didn't understand, and it made her a little uneasy.

  Gathering their poles, they walked to the back to join the others. Black clouds began rolling in over the island as they drove back to the dock in silence. The ozone aroma of impending rain hung heavily in the air as the wind started to kick up and blew hair around her face. She brushed it back and kept hold of it as Stefan slid the boat into its spot at the dock.

  Emma accepted Ethan's hand, and he helped her to climb off the boat. Their footsteps resonated on the wooden boards beneath their feet as they walked up the dock with her hand in his. Emma studied the people hurriedly gath
ering their things on the beach. Some die-hard beachgoers looked as if they would stay and ride out the storm, but others were already running for cover.

  "Would you like to go to dinner tonight?" Ethan asked. "Just the two of us."

  She smiled as she tilted her head back to look at him. "I would."

  Taking comfort in his solid presence, she rested her head against his bicep. Emma lifted her head from Ethan's arm when a man separated himself from the crowd on the beach. A shiver ran down her spine as she watched the man stroll down the sand with an easy grace. His broad shoulders were hunched forward against the rising wind, and he had his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

  He looked so out of place on a beach full of barely dressed people, but he moved as if he fit in amongst them. The thick clouds, turning day into early night, made his hair appear darker, but she knew it was a light reddish-brown color.

  Emma's heart slammed against her ribs, tremors racked her body, and despite the heat of the day, she was suddenly freezing. Closing her eyes, she shook her head and took a deep breath before opening them again. Her gaze ran frantically over the beach, but she didn't see the man amongst the crowd again.

  "Are you okay?" Ethan inquired.

  Emma reluctantly tore her attention away from the beach and back to him. She realized she must look ridiculous standing there gawking at the beach. He was staring at her with concern as she’d abruptly stopped walking in the middle of the dock.

  "I'm fine,” she replied. “I thought I saw someone I knew, but I was wrong."

  She had to be mistaken because there was absolutely no way Tristan could be here. No way he could know she was here. He'd been out of her life for a year now. Surely her mind was playing tricks on her, and she’d imagined things. Still, she couldn't shake the icy chill settling into her bones.

  Chapter Eight

  Ethan pulled the chair out for Emma and settled in across from her as the waiter placed their menus on the table and filled their water glasses. It was their fifth date this week. They had spent most of the days with his family and her friends, but dinner was just them, and he liked it. They would meet up again with the others for drinks afterward, but these couple of hours alone had become his favorite hours of the day.