Caught Between a Rock and a Hunka Man (Caught Between Romance Book 3)

by Sheila Seabrook

  And me, he could have added, but he zipped his mouth shut before he came off sounding like the whiny teenager he used to be.

  The lush brown gaze of the woman now standing shoulder to shoulder with him fixed on him. A frown creased her forehead. “I thought it was kind of odd too.”

  Betty tsked. “You wouldn’t if you knew her. She’s not above blackmail. Paul hates the water.”

  As a seagull stumbled across the dock dragging a pair of shiny metal handcuffs behind him, Marla shooed him away and scooped up the item. “You better go help them with the luggage, Reed. I’ll finish picking up here, then get my mom out of sight.”

  “Out of sight?” But Reed was talking to the back of her head as she scurried after another bit of naughtiness.

  His gaze slipped down her rounded derrière, outlined by the tight sleeveless sundress, and legs that went on forever.

  Years ago, while he had calculated tax returns and prepared month end statements under his dad’s critical eye instead of playing football and chasing girls—which was what he’d really wanted to do—little Marla Blackhorne had worked as though her future depended on it, first doing janitorial work at the accounting office, then filing, and finally moving up to answer the phones. She’d worked her way up from the bottom until she’d become more daughter to the old man than Reed had been son.

  Marla and his dad had become like two peas in a pod, perfectly suited to car pool into the accounting office together for the rest of their workaholic lives. And in a moment when neither of them had been watching, Reed had escaped and built the life he wanted instead of the life they thought he should want.

  He headed toward the parking lot and tried to ignore the cornered feeling churning in his gut.

  It was too late to make a run for it. Too late to back out of his promise to his mom.

  With each passing second, Davy Jones’s locker looked more attractive.

  He glanced at the clear blue sky again with hopes of seeing the storm clouds on the distant horizon, then turned to watch the Olds bump across a curb and come to a stop bare inches from a light post. His dad sat on the driver’s side, hands gripping the steering wheel, jaw clenched tight, while his mom had her hand over her heart as though she had to will it to start beating again.

  Reed watched his old man climb out of the overly pretentious vehicle, cell phone in one hand, keys in the other, looking every one of his sixty-five years thanks to the over-abundance of hours he still put in at the office. His mouth was turned down in his usual sour-puss scowl, his wrinkles pronounced so he looked even more ancient than Reed remembered.

  His rap on the rooftop was filled with impatience, and when Reed’s mom climbed out of the car, she snapped, “Must you always do that?”

  His dad barked back. “Do what?”

  And every boyhood instinct for survival urged him to return to the boat and set sail without them.

  It seemed they’d been in a constant state of war forever, but he remembered they were once happy. Barbecues with the neighbors. Days at the beach as a family. Date nights, romantic cuddles that once embarrassed him…then poof, the arguing had started.

  Now he watched him mom slam the heavy car door closed and walk around to the trunk where she stopped and tapped her manicured nails against the metal. “Remember when you used to come around to my side of the car, open the door for me, and claim I was worth the wait? Now you rap on the roof for my attention like I’m a tardy servant.”

  Three days on the water, stuck on a yacht with parents who couldn’t even pretend to be civil to one another. Reed headed toward them before they had a chance to really get into it, and decided that the only way to survive this trip was to keep them separated as much as possible.

  “You’re here,” he called out, his tone deliberately jovial as his parents faced him in unison.

  His dad immediately turned his attention to his cell as though his only child wasn’t worth the acknowledgment or regard. “I’ll make you a deal, son. If you can convince your mother to cancel this whole stupid excuse for a trip, I won’t mention your life is a waste, and that you should do the smart thing and come work in the office. I won’t say anything at all. In fact, I’ll get back into the car and go home, and you can go back to pretending I don’t exist.”

  Reed restrained the urge to retort like a spoiled thirteen-year-old. Instead, he kept his expression bland—he hoped—and his tone even. “Too late, Dad. Mom wants to go so we’re going.”

  Paul’s cell phone buzzed and he thumbed the screen. “I have to take this. Help your mother with the bags.”

  As he walked away, she hissed, “I’d like to grab that phone and toss it into the deep end of the ocean.”

  “Maybe you’ll get your chance,” Reed said as he reached her.

  She turned to face him, all prickly and put out. “You never call. You never come to visit. We never get to see you.”

  He grinned and when he held out his arms, the annoyance instantly dropped from her expression. She stepped into his arms without hesitation, and he felt the warmth of her hug. “But we get to spend the next three fun-filled days together.”

  “Oh, honey,” she sighed in a wobbly voice. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  His hold on her tightened and his throat squeezed. “It’s good to see you too, Mom.”

  “Tell that to your father, then explain to him why we won’t see you for another ten years afterwards. We’re not getting any younger, you know.” Pushing out of his arms, she stepped back briskly and focused on his face, her own elongated with sadness. “I’m sorry I guilted you into this trip.”

  “No worries. We should get going though. There’s a storm brewing to the east. I’ve already adjusted our course once so that we miss it, but if I have to do so again, it’ll be nightfall before we get to the island.” Reed reached into the trunk. “Let’s get you and your luggage on board so we can set sail.”

  She swatted his hand away and snapped open the first suitcase. “While your father is busy on his phone, let me check our luggage.”

  “I’m here,” Paul said, his voice startling them both, his features rearranged into the familiar frown. “Are we done lollygagging around the parking lot?”

  His mom snapped the suitcase closed and as she started to drag it from the trunk, Reed gently shouldered her aside. “Let me take those, Mom.”

  As he lifted the suitcases out of the trunk, his gut reaffirmed that this trip had been a huge mistake. His dad would pace the deck, and when he wasn’t complaining about everything, he’d have the phone stuck to his ear. And his mom…for the next three days, Reed would have to bear witness to the unhappiness of her life.

  In silence, they walked toward the dock. A sleek sports car pulled into the parking lot and his mom lifted her hand to wave.

  “Who’s that?” he asked.

  Mary answered because Paul was talking into his phone again. “Your cousin, Bill.” She squinted toward the car. “And Paul’s receptionist. I wonder what she’s doing here?”

  “I invited her,” Paul said as he clicked off the phone and tucked it into his pocket, then under his breath added, “It’s my birthday celebration so I invited other people too.”

  She stopped and glared at her husband. “Other people?”

  Paul ignored her and stomped onboard without bothering to hide his disgruntled mood. “Smells like fish.”

  This time, Reed couldn’t hide his exasperation. “It’s not a fishing boat, Dad.”

  Paul grunted and ignored his comment. Ignored him. “You know I hate the water, Mary. I’m not going to like this at all.”

  The shrillness of her voice reached epic proportions. “For once in your life, Paul, just shut up.”

  Reed stood behind his parents and stared at their angry profiles.

  Three days on the water.

  With any luck, they’d sink before they made it out of the harbor.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Trudy Melnyk checked the side mirror outside the pa
ssenger side of the expensive sports car, and slid down on the plush seat. In the driver’s seat beside her, her boyfriend Bill Taylor caught the last of the song on the radio before he turned the key in the ignition, pulled it out, and stuck it into his pocket.

  “All ready to go, babe?” he asked as he checked the dials on the console, wiped a speck of dust off the dash, and finally peered into the rearview mirror to verify the state of his hair.

  “You look perfect, Bill,” she said. “As always.”

  “Thanks, babe.” He settled back against the seat and reached out to give her bare leg a squeeze, managing to slide his hand up her leg, under her short-shorts and twiddle her bajingo.

  “Stop that.” She knocked his hand away and rechecked the outside mirror. “We have to be careful, remember?”

  With a tug on her ponytail, he recaptured her gaze and started to lean across the seat towards her. “The divorce is final, babe. So what’s the big deal if people find out about us?”

  She stuck out her arm and elbowed him back to his side of the car. “It’s too soon. People will wonder when I started sleeping with you and worse, they’ll think I’m sleeping with you so I can climb the office ladder.”

  “What does it matter what others think? I know why you’re with me and that’s all that matters.” He unsnapped his seatbelt and opened the car door, looking back at her only when he realized she hadn’t moved a muscle. “Is that why you’re slouched on the seat hiding? It’s kind of a turn on, seeing you laid out like that. You know how I love your boobs. It pushes them up against your chin like huge melons and—”

  He half climbed back into the car, and managed to get one hand up her top and into her bra before she managed to regain control and push him away.

  Sometimes he was like an octopus. A sex maniac octopus.

  Trudy slouched lower so she could rearrange her bra, and checked the mirror again.

  Everyone aboard the Anchors Away yacht had their backs to them, so it looked like she was safe from discovery. She straightened on the seat, released her seatbelt, and vacated the car. Then she met Bill around back where he opened the trunk and handed her the backpack with her belongings before he grabbed his own more expensive luggage, a nice sleek sports bag.

  He slammed the trunk down which caused her to jump and recheck the people on board. He sighed, impatience wafting off him in waves. “Look, babe, it’s going to come out sooner or later. We can’t hide forever.”

  “Why not?” When he rubbed his thumb across her lips in an affectionate gesture, she slapped his hand away and darted a glance toward the boat. Still no spectators, just a bunch of arm waving going on. “Don’t do that. Not in public. We agreed.”

  “You’re such a kid sometimes,” he remarked good-naturedly as he picked up his leather sports bag and headed toward the yacht. He was usually good-natured, which was part of his charm. “I forget what it’s like to be twenty-one.”

  “It’s awkward and embarrassing. Even more so when the man you’re dating is nearly twice your age.” And his ex-wife was the person she admired most in the whole wide world.

  He nudged her shoulder, and she pulled her gaze away from the yacht and focused on him. His eyes were lit with good humor and affection, and she remembered why she’d let him take her out in the first place. He was funny and smart and built like Hugh Jackman, still pretty buff for an old guy.

  But still, sometimes she needed to stand up for herself and remind him she wasn’t just his girlfriend. She had thoughts of her own and usually they were deep.

  She made a face at him. “You’re an ass.”

  He waggled his eyebrows and grinned. “And you’re so hot, I don’t know how I’m going to keep my hands to myself for three whole days.”

  The straps of her bra dug into her shoulders while the weight of her breasts tugged at the muscles in her upper back. She blew out a breath and a wee bit of her tension dissipated. “Think of it this way, Bill. Three days without sex will be good for our relationship. We can spend some time talking and getting to know each other on an intellectual level.”

  The laughter in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a scowl aimed directly at her. “Talking’s over rated. That’s all Marla and I ever did, and look where we ended up. Divorce court. A man can’t survive a relationship without sex.”

  “I’m not asking you to cut sex out of our relationship,” she said as she tugged on her bra strap and gritted her teeth to control the exasperation. He didn’t like it when she got excited, unless it was in bed, of course. “It’s just three days while we’re on the cruise so people don’t find out—”

  “Three days is a lifetime to a man who’s used to getting it three times a day. Maybe we should go back to the car and have one last f—”

  “Hush, we’re almost there,” she hissed, and his normally smiling mouth thinned into father-like disappointment which made Trudy concerned that she’d gone too far. Under the cover of her backpack, she reached out and squeezed his upper arm. “I’m sorry, Bill. I’m just thinking of myself. If there’s an opportunity for some alone time, I promise to make it up to you.”

  His handsome face relaxed again, and as he winked at her, the warm, sexy smile returned. “I knew you couldn’t go three days without it, babe. There will be opportunities, I promise. I’ll create them myself, if necessary.”

  “As long as no one finds out, that’s all I ask.”

  “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about the details. Let me take care of the place and the opportunity.”

  Ho boy, Trudy thought as Bill headed up the narrow walkway onto the yacht and she fell into step behind him. He treated her like an airhead, as if the sum of her personality and brains were centered in her bra. But she wasn’t dumb about everything. She knew that if she left the time and place up to Bill, everyone on board would figure out they were having an affair.

  It seemed like every moment of her time was spent ducking and hiding and lying, and it was wearing her down.

  Trudy rotated her shoulders and tilted her head to one side to stretch her neck muscles.

  Bill’s aunt was the first to notice them. “Finally, here you are. Before we set sail, let me check your luggage.”

  “Aunt Mary, there’s really no need,” Bill stated but she already had Trudy’s backpack in her hands.

  Trudy picked at her nail polish, chewed on her bottom lip, and resisted the urge to grab the backpack out of the other woman’s hands. Mrs. Readner was always so nice to her. She didn’t mean to be nosy. She just thought it was her job to mother everyone around her.

  A noise to her left brought her attention around to the man headed their way. He was good looking, and she immediately saw the similarity between him and Mr. Readner.

  He held out his hand. “Long time no see, Bill.”

  “Greetings, cuz.” Something in Bill’s gaze hardened as he shook the other man’s hand before he turned to introduce her. “This is Trudy, our office receptionist. Trudy, my cousin, Reed.”

  Trudy stopped picking at the nail polish and gave the captain a salute. “Thank you for having me on board, Captain.”

  The other man smiled down at her, his teeth white against his tan, his smile reaching his kind eyes. “Welcome aboard, Trudy. If there’s anything you need while you’re here, don’t hesitate to ask.”

  She returned his smile. “Thank you, Captain.”

  Beside her, Bill rocked back on his heels. “So this is what you’ve done with your life.”

  Reed refocused on his cousin, his expression impassive. “It keeps me afloat.”

  “Funny,” Trudy giggled, and she felt her melon breasts shake, attracting not only Bill’s rapt attention, but the yacht captain’s too. Across the way, Mr. Readner thumbed his cell and ignored everyone, while Ms. Blackhorne, the boss lady, muttered something that sounded like dirty old man. She gave a weak smile. “Hello, Mr. Readner. Ms. Blackhorne.”

  Mrs. Readner pulled her hand out of the backpack. “Are you sure you have enough wa
rm clothes packed, my dear?”

  Trudy looked to Bill for confirmation. “It’s going to be warm, isn’t that what you said, Bill?”

  Beside her, Bill nodded. “It’s going to be hot, Aunt Mary.”

  “You can’t count on the weather reports. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” The older woman dug through the pack some more, the frown on her forehead amplifying as she dug deeper. “All you have in here is bathing suits and shorts. What if you get cold at night? You don’t even have a pair of pajamas.”

  Silence filtered through the group, and as everyone looked at her, Trudy felt her cheeks heat.

  Without a doubt, she knew they were all picturing her naked. As long as it wasn’t naked with Bill, she could deal with the embarrassment. She started to lift one shoulder in a shrug, then stopped when she felt her heavy breasts jiggle. Forcing a smile that made her cheeks tight and her stomach even tighter, she tried to assuage the older woman’s concerns. “I brought some extra t-shirts to sleep in. I don’t like to be hot at night.”

  Bill reached out and gently pried the pack out of his aunt’s hands. “She’ll make do, Aunt Mary. If Trudy needs something warmer, I’m sure one of us can lend her something.”

  Mrs. Readner reluctantly relinquished the pack, but apparently she wasn’t done yet as she turned to Bill, and looked him up and down, taking in his bright flowered short-sleeved shirt, his cargo shorts, and sandals. “Well, don’t you look like the vacationer. What’s in your luggage?”

  She didn’t give him a moment to respond as she snatched his sports bag from his hand, hefted it into one arm, and unzipped it.

  Bill jumped forward. “Aunt Mary, don’t.”

  But it was too late. Along with the multi-colored shirts, and the neatly folded shorts and socks and underwear, she pulled out a wad of folded up packages.

  “What’s this? Medication?” She squinted at the tiny writing and Trudy felt her heart sink to her stomach. “Where’s my glasses? Can someone read this for me?”

  “Someone thinks he’s going to get lucky on this trip,” the boss lady muttered, and Trudy prayed no one put one and one together and came up with Bill and her.