Suspicion At Sea

by Nichols, Amie

  I stand and slowly take the last few steps to the sidewalk wondering if he is going to engage me. Turning my head, he is standing just yards from me. He holds his arms up and out to the side in a what-gives gesture.

  “You just going to ignore me?” he says with exasperation.

  “Oh, I thought you were walking towards them.” I point to the girls he was talking to yesterday. I soon found out they are renting the house next door. A couple of them are out on the deck, and one is leaning on the railing, watching us.

  “Funny.” He takes steps to close the gap between us. My breath hitches as he comes within touching distance. “What is the beautiful Ellie doing today?” He delivers his line as smooth as butter.

  “Just touristy stuff.” I shrug. My eyes can't help but wander over his magnificent body.

  “Were you going for a run?” He motions to my attire.

  “Walk. Thought I would do a little sightseeing on foot.” I shift my weight from one foot to the other as his eyes travel up and down my body. He's checking me out just as much as I am checking him out.

  “I would love to join you; I can show you around.” My eyes scan him up and down, more than obvious, and stop on his bare feet. “I mean, if you want to walk with me to my boat, I can change and then join you,” he says awkwardly when he realizes what he is wearing.

  “Umm...” I hesitate for a moment. What the hell; I know if I turn him down I will be pissed at myself all day. “Sure, that would be nice,” I answer and his smile grows.

  “Great. I'm just over there.” He points to a dock about two blocks away with about ten slips, all occupied with boats. We start to walk in that direction in silence.

  “Did you grow up here?” I finally ask, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

  “Yep, born and raised in the paradise of hell.” His disdain surprises me.

  “Okay, not sure what to say to that.” I laugh awkwardly.

  “It's just that although it is beautiful to look at, living in a small town surrounded by water isn't all it's cracked up to be,” he explains and I can feel him focus on the side of my face as we walk. “What about you, where did you grow up?” he asks.

  “The Midwest,” I answer as vaguely as possible. Not sure how much I want to tell this man about myself just yet.

  “Where at in the Midwest?” he pushes.

  “Oh my, these boats are so big. Which one is yours?” I act distracted as I change the subject, and turn to see the look of disappointment on his face.

  “That one.” He shakes his head at me and I guess he decides to let it go because he points to what I consider a very large boat. I would actually call it a yacht, but not sure if that is the correct term.

  “You live in that?” I know I have to sound impressed. Is this guy a wealthy frogman? He surely can't afford that boat on his pension from the Navy.

  “Yeah, I've done a lot of work to her, but she's getting there.” He smiles with pride as we reach the slip she is tied down to.

  “What possibly could there be left to do?” It looks like a brand new boat with what appears to be an upper deck. I can see into the boat as we step onto the lower deck. It leads into the bridge, or at least I think that is what the room with the steering wheel is called, but beyond that it seems to go on forever and ever.

  “I'm rebuilding the engine. Would you like a tour?” One eyebrow shoots up as he asks me. I can tell he is very proud of his home, or boat, or whatever.

  “I'll just stay here while you change,” I offer. I do want a tour; I want to see it all. I want to see his bedroom where that magnificent body lays every night. Stop it, Ellie. I force myself to stop the thoughts that are making my whole body tingle.

  “Okay, maybe later?” He wants me to say I will let him give me a tour of his boat, like he wants to hold me to something. I've been very indistinct so far.

  “Maybe.” I nod, and he shakes his head again.

  “You, Ellie, you are going to make me work for everything, aren't you?” He points his finger at me, wagging it, giving me that dimpled, cheeky smile that makes me blush. Damn, I'm acting like a stupid schoolgirl again. What the hell is he doing to me?

  I just shrug at his comment and spin around to go to the railing, wanting to hide just how turned on I am. I gaze out into the water and think how freeing it would be to know you could just go off into the deep blue whenever you want and not have a care in the world.

  “You ready?” He startles me. I felt like I was on another planet for a moment. I turn to see him pulling on a tank top as he walks up to me. In the second he was gone, he changed into dry shorts and now has on tennis shoes. My eyes travel the length of his body taking in his shoes that aren't even tied yet.

  “I was afraid you'd wander off, so I hurried.” He laughs at my expression then bends down to tie his shoes.

  “Wander off, like a dog?” I laugh, but am a little offended. I put my hand on my hip, waiting for his response. He laughs, a deep sexy laugh that literally makes my tummy do a flip.

  “Poor choice of words. I thought you would leave if I took too long.” He walks up to the railing next to me and leans against it.

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Did you think about it?” He cocks his head to the side with a knowing smile.

  “Actually, I didn't. I was thinking about being on a boat in the middle of the ocean without a care in the world.” I mock his facial expression making him laugh again. God, do I love the sound of his laugh.

  “Okay, good.” He seems relieved. “I would love to take you out on my boat sometime, have you ever been on the Atlantic?”

  “Nope, never been out on any ocean.”

  “Really? Well, I hope I can be the one to give you your first boat ride.” His eyebrows wiggle up and down.

  “You want to take my boat virginity?” I catch his not so subtle innuendo.

  “I do, I really do.” He chuckles, shaking his head.

  “I think we should go now.” The sexual tension between us is undeniable, and I know he is feeling it too.

  “Right, I'm starving. Would you like to go have breakfast before we sight-see?” He leads the way off the boat.

  “Esther told me about a coffee shop, that is where I was headed anyway,” I add. “Were you swimming earlier?” I motion back to the beach where he had emerged from.

  “Three hours of swimming,” he says and I think he is trying to impress me.

  “Wow, three hours, really? That's remarkable. Of course, you're a frogman, so really not so much.” I turn my head away from him to hide the evil smile on my face.

  “Oh, well then...” He laughs with me. “I guess I'm slipping.”

  “I guess so.” I snicker.

  Chapter 13

  Justin

  “Weren't you supposed to be giving me a tour?” Ellie asks when I'm caught staring as we walk. She looks amazing in her tight little shorts and white t-shirt that is tight enough it accentuates her curves. Damn, does she have great curves. I don't think I've ever had an urge so great to be with a woman.

  “Oh, sorry.” I turn my head away from hers. “Over here.” I point at another dock full of boats. “We have more boats, much like the ones we just left.” I try not to sound like a smartass, but it doesn't work. She punches me in the arm, hard, I might add. “What?” I rub my arm, acting very wounded.

  “Smartass.” She laughs and rubs my arm where she punched it. “Sorry.” The contact of her skin on my bare arm is like little pins of fire shooting through me. It makes me speechless for a moment. “Are you okay?” Her head turns my way.

  “Umm…yeah, here's the cafe,” I stumble with my words and grab the door to hold open for her.

  She walks in and I follow her. “What do you recommend?” She turns to me after scanning the menu on the wall.

  “They have the best apple turnovers,” I answer and she nods. I walk up to the counter and order two turnovers and two coffees.

  “Oh shit, I don't have any money,” she bl
urts out.

  “I got it, I didn't figure you did with that outfit,” I guffaw. I can see her start to object. “If it makes you feel better, you can pay me back.” I stop her from objecting, and pull my wallet out of my back pocket. Handing the girl at the counter a twenty, I tell her to keep the change. “Find a seat.” I motion with my head to the array of tables that are open by the window. Following her with the tray of food and drinks, we sit at a little table for two.

  “Thank you, I will pay you back.” She takes a sip of the coffee.

  “Not very worried about it.” I brush it off.

  “Have you found out any more about the missing brothers?” she asks as she takes a bite of her turnover.

  “No.” I really don't want to talk about this subject.

  “Did you know them?”

  “Yes, the oldest is my brother-in-law.”

  “Oh my God, I'm so sorry.” She puts her hand up to her chest.

  “It's okay, we weren't exactly friends. In fact, I hated the guy. Not saying that I wish him dead,” I quickly add, “But he was cheating on my sister. Oh, and he took all her money.”

  “Wow, how is your sister doing?”

  “She is coping. I spoke with her last night.” I really don't want to talk about this anymore because thinking about what Jade McGill has done to my sister just puts me in a bad mood.

  “Do you need to be with her? I mean, you don't have to be playing tour guide with me,” she says. Crap, now how am I going to get out of this without looking like an insensitive asshole.

  “No, no, no. She is out of town right now. There's nothing I can do right now anyway,” I tell her, and it is the truth even though Suzy is coming back this afternoon.

  “Okay, if you're sure.” She studies my face.

  “I'm sure, you are a very good distraction.” I smile and she blushes. It is fucking adorable when her cheeks turn pink. God, I love that I have that effect on her.

  “The best way to see the island is by Jeep, unless you had your heart set on walking.” I'm hoping not because after my swim I really don't feel much like walking, although I won't admit it if she still wants to.

  I have a storage unit not far from the dock where I keep my toys. One is an old Jeep Wrangler with no doors and no top. It's perfect in this kind of sunny weather.

  “Jeep sounds fun.” We finish eating and grabbing our coffees, she goes to stand up.

  I stand and rush around behind her to pull out her chair for her.

  “Thank you.” She smiles at me shyly. Something tells me she's not used to this sort of thing.

  Chapter 14

  Ellie

  “I heard Esther from the B&B talking about the Sheriff, his last name is Bennett. Any relation?” I ask Justin as we walk toward his storage unit.

  “He's my dad, and I'm sure Esther wasn't saying anything nice about the Sheriff.” He turns his head toward me giving me a knowing look and making me laugh.

  “No, in fact, she wasn't.” I forget just how small this island is. Everyone probably knows everyone.

  “She's sweet, but a little...” He stops to choose his words and decides to make a hand gesture instead, swinging his finger around the side of his head, telling me she's cuckoo.

  “I kind of picked up on that already,” I snicker. We reach the storage unit and he unlocks it. I watch his arm muscles ripple as he opens the heavy door. Inside is an old Jeep like he said, and what I am assuming is a motorcycle, at least that's what the tarp-covered object looks like. A large Dodge Ram, a jet ski on a trailer, and various other toys line the back, like a surfboard, skis, and other water related items.

  “Boys and their toys,” he says, watching me, which is what I was just thinking.

  He gets in the Jeep and backs it out while I stand off to the side.

  “Are you ready?” he asks, getting out and, like a gentleman, offers his hand to help me up into the doorless Jeep. I sit in the seat and he puts his hands up, one resting on the roll bar the other on the windshield. His face is close to mine, when I turn to see what he is doing.

  “What?” I ask as he stares at me, not moving from his position.

  “You know so much about me, and I know nothing about you. What's your last name?” He watches me closely, and I feel like he's not going to move until I tell him.

  “Marks,” I whisper, and a smile beams on his face. It's really cute how such a small detail can make him so happy.

  Like a little boy, he puts his arms down and runs around the Jeep, getting in behind the wheel.

  “You ready, Ellie Marks?” he asks, putting the old style Jeep with a stick shift in reverse. With a jerk of the vehicle he stretches his neck to see behind us and swings the Jeep around.

  “Yep,” I say, turning my head away from his gorgeous face. This guy has me hook, line, and sinker.

  Just as we pull out of the parking lot, I see a man sitting on a park bench. It's just for a moment, but I feel like he is watching us. Not only do I think he is watching us, but I think I've seen him before. He holds up a newspaper to cover his face when we make eye contact. I'm silent trying to place the man's face.

  “You okay?” Justin glances from me to the road.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “You just had a very puzzled look on your face,” he says. He seems to read me so well, something I'm not used to. In fact, I've been accused of being too expressionless.

  “Oh, did I?” I reply and he nods at me.

  “Maybe you should be watching the road.” I point toward the front of the vehicle, but he still turns his head in my direction every few seconds.

  “I just thought I saw someone I knew, but I can't place him,” I tell him to appease him so we do not crash. I wave my hand to brush it off, like I'm just seeing things.

  “Where did you see him?” Justin's interest is piqued.

  “On the park bench by the parking lot,” I answer. “It was nothing.” I'm being silly, always the FBI agent thinking someone is following me. I'm on vacation, in the middle of nowhere. I'm not on a case, nor have I been for over a year. Justin gives me a couple more good glances before he decides to drop it.

  Justin takes us down the road that runs the coast, the wind whipping my hair around as I marvel at the beauty of this island.

  “I can't believe you didn't love growing up here.” I remember his comment about paradise in hell.

  “It wasn't the island, it was the people,” he clarifies. “I loved being in the water and spent a lot of time in it,” he speaks loudly over the wind, glancing at me periodically as he drives the curvy road that follows the shape of the land.

  “Explains why you became a frogman.” I turn to his tattoo on his right arm that keeps catching my eye and I want to reach out to touch it so bad.

  “Yeah, I guess. My mother used to swear I was born with gills,” he chuckles.

  “She must be very proud.” I admire the way his face softens at the mention of his mother.

  “I'm sure she would be, she died when I was eight,” he announces and his tone changes instantly, like he is trying to be emotionless but it's not working.

  “I'm sorry, my parents are gone too.” I don't know why I say this. I guess I want him to know that I can relate.

  He turns his head my way again, and reaches over and grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. I look down at his strong hand on mine and my insides burn. I'm suddenly very mad that this old vehicle is a stick shift because he has to remove his hand to shift gears. I don't know if it's because the moment is over, but he keeps his hand resting on the gear shift after that.

  We drive around and he points out different spots on the main side of the island. There are tiny little islands we can see, and he tells me which ones he swam to and explored when he was younger.

  “This is a good beach to look for shells.” He pulls the Jeep to a stop in a small parking lot next to a small stretch of sand.

  I didn't even think about shells. The thought excites me and I unbuckle, hopping out to run tow
ard the beach.

  Chapter 15

  Justin

  I watch from the Jeep as Ellie runs to the beach in excitement. I laugh out loud when she reaches the water's edge and scans the beach, her arms outstretched in frustration.

  “There's no shells,” she yells toward me as I make my way down to her.

  “You jumped out before I could finish. This a good beach for shells after the spring tide.” The look of disappointment on her face is endearing. I find myself wanting to bombard her with questions. I want to know about her parents, how they died, her job, where she's from, and so much more. However, I'm treading lightly and taking it slow with her because I have no Idea how long she will be here and where she will go when she leaves.

  “Up there is a great view of the island.” I point to a grouping of rocks at the end of the beach.

  “Well, let's go up there then,” she says, walking beside me.

  “How long are you visiting for?” I chance a question.

  “A few weeks,” she answers, and even though I'm glad it is not just a weekend trip, the thought of her only being around for a few weeks makes me sad.

  “What do you do, you know, for work?”

  “I work for the government,” she responds with the vaguest answer possible.

  “What branch?” I question farther.

  “Should I go first?” We've reached the rocks and she ignores my question entirely. I nod and she starts climbing the rocks. There are levels of stone so it's basically like taking big steps. I watch her for a moment and enjoy the view. “You joining me?” She looks down at me, and notices the big cheeky smile plastered on my face as I watch her fine ass. She rolls her eyes and keeps going.