Maddie opened the door and said hello to Bruce, who stepped back to let her pass. He bent down to rub the dog’s head and accept a lick.
Fluffy trotted off after Maddie.
“Hi, Sarah.” Bruce entered and shut the door behind him.
She shot a glance at him, and her hormones came to life. He wore a cool blue T-shirt that matched his eyes.
“Thanks for bringing me home. I’m sorry about last night.”
“I’m not,” he said.
“What?”
He came across the room and stopped in front of her. “Sorry about last night.”
“I don’t understand. I—”
“You said a lot of things that weren’t true. I’m here to set them straight.”
Oh God. Her mind raced, but she came up with nothing. “What did I say?”
The corners of his mouth turned down. He placed his hands on her shoulders and rubbed his thumbs under her collarbones.
Her unsettled stomach fluttered. She hadn’t expected him to ever touch her again.
“You told me about Mark and how he thought you were too much work.”
She winced. “I’m sure you didn’t want to hear about that.”
“Actually, I did.” He moved a hand to the side of her neck. “I’m not him.”
Her head hurt. He couldn’t possibly mean he thought they had a shot at anything together. But his warm hand on her skin was giving her other ideas. “Look, I don’t need you to feel sorry for me. I’m over it. He was a jerk. So don’t—”
“Agreed. Only a dick would let you go.”
She gazed into his eyes and wrinkled her brow. He wasn’t making any sense because twice he’d kicked her to the curb. And on that subject, he’d lost the right to touch her. Her traitorous body heated up from the smallest contact. She tried to step out of his reach, but he tightened his grip on her shoulder.
“I’m not done.”
“Well, then talk with your hands off me because—”
“Point taken.” He let go of her, and she backed up, crossing her arms.
“Let’s get this over with. What else did I blurt out last night?”
“That you wanted to kiss me all the time.”
Shit. Those cosmos had sure loosened her tongue. She blew at her bangs. “I don’t see what purpose this is serving. I babbled like an idiot. I’ve apologized. Can you please go now?”
“No. Not until I ask what I came to.” He moved closer.
She dug her nails into her arms, his proximity making her pulse speed up. “What?”
“I don’t deserve it, but I want another chance with you.” His eyes burned with intensity.
She stared into them and fought for control of the feelings warring inside her. He couldn’t be serious, yet he’d come to talk, and the grave lines on his face screamed of sincerity. A little voice squelched the hope in her soul. Been there and done that. She uncrossed her arms and rubbed her neck. “Why? What’s different now than the last two times you’ve told me this?”
“I realized I fucked up and made you think the wrong things.”
“Like what?”
He extended his hand but stopped short of touching her arm. “May I?”
The room seemed to shrink, and the space between them charged with energy. The sound of her own breathing filled her head. She should say no. She should step away and tell him to leave. She should give him a push right out the door. Only, her hands ached to touch him. And all she wanted was to wrap her arms around him and take the leap. She gave him a tiny nod and held her breath.
His eyes lit, and he stepped closer. He brushed her cheek with his knuckles, sliding them down to her jaw. Her skin quivered under his touch.
“You told me you thought I didn’t want you.” He circled her waist with his other arm and pulled her close.
His hard length pressed against her.
Oh.
“Don’t ever think that again.”
She rested a hand on his soft shirt and pushed back, raising her gaze to his. “I don’t doubt your attraction. But that hasn’t been enough before to keep you from shutting down.”
His eyes pleaded with her, and a tiny vein jumped in his cheek. “It’s not just physical. I see who you are. You’re caring and kind. Generous and beautiful.” He rubbed his fingers up and down the curve of her waist. “Last night when I saw you with that other guy, I lost control.”
She winced. She’d never seen him so unhinged. “Yeah, about that—”
“You had a right to be pissed.” He shook his head.
“I don’t understand. I thought this whole stalker thing was too much for you. You told me on the hike I was right about it being a mistake for us to go out.”
“It didn’t have anything to do with you or the stalker.”
“Then what?” She frowned. “You said it was a bad idea for us to be together.”
“Doesn’t matter now. I was wrong. And I promise, if that bastard comes near you, he’ll regret it.”
The fierceness in his eyes caused her to blink. “I don’t know.”
“Please.” He threaded a hand through her hair. “Can you give me another shot?”
His warm breath caressed her cheeks. He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead and stroked her side.
She wanted to believe him. She’d be risking it once again, but she couldn’t walk away without knowing. Resting her head on his chest, she sunk into him. “Okay.”
He let out a breath and squeezed her tight. “You won’t regret it. I promise.”
When Fluffy barked outside the door, he loosened his grip.
His mouth curved with a smug smile, and he traced a finger along her cheek. “Now that you told me how much you want to kiss me all the time, I’m going to find it hard to hold back.”
Ugh. She had talked his ear off last night.
“You’re gorgeous when you blush.” He ran his thumb over her lips. “When does Maddie leave?”
“Wednesday. Why?”
“Because I want to take you on a real date. How about Sunday?”
“You know I can’t do a real date out in public.” She bit her cheek.
“How about going out on my boat? We’d be alone.”
Alone. That conjured up all sorts of possibilities. Her insides warmed. “You have a boat?”
“Yes. I live by the water and keep it at the marina next door.”
“I had no idea.”
“Are you up for it?”
“Sure.” As long as they weren’t in public, she’d be fine.
“Great. I’ll come by around nine?”
“Okay.”
“Promise I won’t hurt you again.” He touched his lips to hers. “Sorry I ever did.”
She swallowed hard.
The doorknob jiggled for a few seconds. Maddie giving notice.
“I better get going.” He crossed to the door and stopped. “You might want to get a bathing suit. Or not. We’re going swimming with or without one.”
He gave her a heated look and let himself out, saying goodbye to Maddie on his way.
Sarah blew out a long breath. Bruce stripped down to bare skin. She could barely control herself with him fully clothed.
Her knees went soft.
Chapter 29
Morgan sat at her computer and tapped her fingers on the table. From what she could tell, things had cooled off between Sarah and Bruce. All week they’d danced around each other, not even talking. But Bruce still shot heated looks at her behind her back. Time to get the ballet whore the hell out of town.
Sarah had gone out with her sister last night in some disguise, giving Morgan the perfect opportunity to dig around in the suite. And it had paid off. She’d found a letter from Sarah’s mother with a return address that was about to come in handy. Also, Sarah’s real license, with the last name, Cooper. Figures, after Morgan had just paid Pete for that information. No matter, she had what she needed. Morgan’s mouth curved into a wicked smile as she typed.
* * *<
br />
Dear Hugh and Jennifer,
I’ve found your daughter, Sarah. It’s impossible for her to hide from me. See how easily I’ve located you? I’ll use whatever means I need to get my ballerina back. Parents, siblings…Don’t worry. Soon it will all be over.
* * *
Morgan slipped on gloves, printed out the letter, and tucked the license inside as proof she’d been in the suite. Sarah would freak out. That and the postmark from the town should be enough to send her packing.
Of course, Morgan could send the note directly to Sarah, but that was no fun. Let her fear for the safety of her sappy parents and crank up the tension.
Morgan opened her phone calendar. Saturday, less than two weeks away, she and Bruce would be taking a trip to North Carolina to see a horse. That would require an overnight stay. If she timed it right, the letter would arrive while they were gone, and Sarah would leave when Bruce wasn’t around to stop her. Morgan had plenty in mind to keep him busy on their trip. He’d never be able to resist her. No man ever had. When they returned, she could at last reap her ultimate revenge with the ballerina bitch out of the picture.
She ran her tongue over her lips.
Time to go shopping for the trip.
Chapter 30
Sarah pulled a pair of shorts over the bottoms of the black string bikini she’d purchased in town. The only bathing suits left on the rack had been skimpy. If not for Maddie, she might not have even bought one. Her sister had only been gone a few days, but Sarah already missed her. At least the boat trip would take her mind off it. She waited for Bruce in front of the house.
He drove up and hopped out of the truck. She lowered her gaze to his muscular thighs under red swim trunks. Her blood surged to lower parts.
“What are you looking at?” He stopped in front of her.
“Nothing. I’ve just never seen you without pants.”
He grinned, and her face heated.
“That didn’t come out right. I—”
“I know what you meant.” He stroked her arm. “Try to relax. We’re going to have fun today.”
Fun. With a hot guy. On a boat. She could do this.
They drove to the marina with the windows open. Sarah let the wind push her hand up and down as she held it out the window. Beach music from Bruce’s iPod played through the speakers. She sighed and leaned her head back against the rest.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you relaxed like this.” He squeezed her leg. “It looks good on you.”
“I’m actually excited. I’ve never been on a boat. Have you always had one?” She glanced at him as a shadow crossed his face.
“No. I bought it a few years ago. It’s my getaway from the world. I sleep overnight on it sometimes.” He kept his gaze on the road.
“Do you take a lot of people out?”
He shrugged. “Not really. Everyone’s always busy. Scott and Joe have gone fishing with me a couple of times. That’s kinda it.”
“Oh, just guys.” Good. He’d never slept with anyone on the boat. Warmth spread up her neck.
He glanced at her and hitched an eyebrow. “Why are you blushing?”
Shit. He knew exactly what she’d been thinking. She shifted in her seat.
“There’s a first time for everything.” His mouth curved.
He pulled into the marina and grabbed the cooler. “Can you bring those bags?”
“Sure.”
Seagulls screeched and dove to the water, snatching out crabs and fighting over them in midair. The cool breeze blew her hair and tickled her toes in flip-flops.
She followed Bruce down the long pier. People waved and said hi as they passed. Some were loading their boats while others sat in chairs drinking coffee and chatting. A couple of kids and a man at the end of the dock cast fishing lines into the water and reeled them back.
“We’re here.” Bruce set the cooler down next to a big, white-lidded box with the name Escape on top in big, black letters.
She eyed the large, shiny boat. With sinks, lounges, and carpet, they wouldn’t be roughing it. A door led to what had to be a cabin beneath a long expanse of a bow with a window in the middle that popped up. Kind of like a mini-house.
“Wow. How big is this?”
“Twenty-eight feet.” He jumped onto the swim platform and unsnapped the cover.
“What can I do to help?” Sarah glanced around.
He reached up to graze his hand along her ankle. “Just stand there and look gorgeous.”
She smiled down at him. Not a bad view from her vantage point.
His biceps flexed as he pulled off the cover. He’d donned shades. The man screamed cool and sexy. After tossing the cover on the dock, he hopped out and stuffed the canvas into the white, hinged box. He leaped back onto the platform. “Ready?”
“You’re like a Mexican jumping bean. All over the place.” She laughed.
He held a hand out. She took it and stepped onto the boat.
“Ah. The first place for a kiss.” He tapped a foot on the deck.
His lips brushed hers, and they tingled.
“We’re going to work our way around the boat,” he said in a throaty voice against her mouth.
Confetti exploded in her stomach.
He stepped aside. “Go ahead.”
She went through a half-door, passed the seating area, and stood by the steering wheel, out of the way. He reached up and grabbed the cooler from the dock. Bulging muscles. So hot.
The engines fired to life. After checking some gauges, he pointed to steps leading to the front of the boat.
“Can you climb up there and undo the ropes when I tell you to?”
“Sure.” She kicked off her flip-flops and stepped up the stairs.
“Mostly, I just wanted to watch you do that,” he said loud enough for her to hear.
She smirked and untied the ropes. After she climbed down from the top, he backed the boat away from the dock.
“Where are we going?”
“Out into the Chesapeake. I know a place we can anchor and swim.” He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the seat next to her.
Oh God. Ripped. As if she’d expected anything less. From his well-defined pecs to the six-pack abs and the dark trail of hair that led farther south, he was sex on a stick. She bit her lip as Maddie’s words came to mind.
Then she spotted the bullet wound, inches from his heart.
She caught her breath. Multiple jagged scars hid beneath his curly chest hair. Something terrible must have happened, like torture. Her eyes blurred.
He fiddled with the GPS before turning to her. “Once we pass the marker we can...”
His gaze followed hers, and he stiffened. In a matter-of-fact voice, he said, “Some souvenirs from my tour. Sorry. Didn’t mean to—”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Deep inside, she ached for whatever he must have gone through and thanked God he’d come back. A tear trickled down her cheek.
He pulled back and ran a hand down the side of her face. “Don’t. It’s okay.”
“No. It’s not. What if you’d—”
“But I didn’t.” He cupped her chin and looked into her eyes. “Let it go. Please, I brought you out to have some fun today.”
She nodded. He must be fighting his own demons, and her sympathy probably only added to the pain. Talking about it might cause him to relive things he’d rather forget. To lighten the mood, she waved a hand at the gauges. “Can this thing go fast?”
“Hell yeah, but we need to pass the no-wake buoy first. If you’re warm, you can take that off.” He tugged at her T-shirt. A slow, predatory smile formed.
Her pulse raced. Bruce, in his element on the water, was seductive. Sexy, bold, and unreserved, he defined smoking-hot. Not another boat in sight. No wonder he liked it. And she didn’t have to worry about the stalker or anyone else seeing her. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, running her hand over his broad shoulders.
He lowered his h
ead and found her lips. “That’s three places. Next kiss on top.”
When he wrapped an arm around her, she pressed her cheek against his bare chest. She resisted the strong urge to slip her tongue out for a taste of his hot skin. A lollipop she’d like to lick. Damn that Maddie. This was what she was talking about.
They passed a marker and Bruce said, “Ready to go?”
She nodded.
He pushed two levers forward, and the engines roared. The front of the boat rose out of the water, and they picked up speed. Wind whipped at her face as they bounced over the waves. Holding on to the back of his seat, she quickly learned to keep her knees soft and roll with the bumps. “This is amazing.”
Bruce grinned and cranked the levers farther to send them flying across the water. She glanced back at the white foamy trail they made as the power and energy of the boat coursed through her body. What a rush. He brought his mouth close to her ear to yell over the noise of the engines as he pointed out places along the shore. Her body shivered in response.
They reached a point where he slowed the boat and steered into a narrower path of water.
“This inlet has a cove. It’s not too shallow for my boat. I anchor overnight here sometimes.”
Trees lined both sides of the deserted shore and blocked the view from the bay. Sarah glanced around. “It’s certainly private here.”
“That’s what I was shooting for.” He climbed up the steps and went forward to drop the anchor. When he came back down, he shut off the engines. He flicked a switch, and music played through the speakers.
“Cool. You have a stereo?”
“Yup. Want to see the cabin?” He pointed down a set of steps.
“Sure.” She descended, glancing around. “Holy crap. You have a full kitchen down here?”
“Yes.”
She stopped in front of a large V-shaped bed. Complete privacy. In the mirror above it, she met his gaze, and her cheeks blazed.
“You wanna swim?” he asked.
“Sure.” But not really. She was in a room with a bed and a half-naked man who made her blood hot.
Love in Hiding Page 20