Oh yeah, he got it all right, he thought as he refastened his mouth to hers. She was drunk and if he took advantage of her, he’d be a bigger ass than his cousin.
From somewhere in the distant recesses of his brain, he heard the sound of a footstep behind him, felt the alarming tilt of the boat, and raised his head to see his dad directly behind him. “What’s going on?”
“The storm.” His dad raised his voice so it would carry over the sudden howl of the wind outside. Reed faced him, Marla still in his arms. “You better come quick. It shifted and hit without even registering on the instruments.”
Reed glanced down into Marla’s confused gaze, where disappointment and desire warred within the lush brown of her eyes, then without further thought, shoved her into his dad’s arms. “Get her into a life jacket. Get everyone into a life jacket.”
As he raced up on deck, scaling the steps two at a time, he realized that he’d been about to close the door, lock everyone out, and keep her to himself until he’d inhaled all of her, which would probably take longer than the three day cruise. Instinctively, he knew that whatever happened between the two of them would be explosive.
The intensity of the wind and the rain lashed at him, catching him off guard, and it registered that they were in far more danger than his dad had let on. He pushed away the last vestiges of desire and focused on what needed to be done to keep everyone safe.
As he reached the helm and and took the wheel from Bill, he checked the instruments. Nothing, not even a blip on the radar.
By the time he radioed out a distress call, everyone had gathered at the helm, holding on to whatever was locked down tight with firm grips and frightened expressions. His dad passed out lifejackets, his voice lost in the howl of the wind and the rock of the boat and the panicked shouts of the other passengers.
A bolt of lightning showed the outline of a small island in the distance. He adjusted course, taking his eyes off the rocks ahead only long enough to check the condition of his passengers.
Bill and Trudy had their lifejackets on and fastened. His mom and dad were almost there. Marla still had her lifejacket slung over one arm while she helped her mom close the fasteners. She appeared awkward and clumsy, no doubt a direct result of the champagne she’d consumed.
The memory of the swell of her hips under his hands, and the way she’d fit so perfectly against him, caught him off guard. He turned his attention forward and refocused.
Wave after wave crashed against the boat, each one bigger than the last. Overhead, lightning flashed and thunder cracked, revealing another look at the rocks ahead.
Beyond that dangerous path, the sheets of stinging rain nearly obliterated the faint outline of a beach.
Reed aimed the yacht toward land.
If he could beach the yacht without any more damage than a scratch, they could continue their journey when the storm passed or choose to return to Serendipity Island.
The driving rain stung his face and arms and impeded his vision. Lightning flashed in quick succession, followed by the roar of thunder. He maneuvered the yacht toward the safety of the beach, dodging outcrops of rocks and boulders that one moment were hidden by the waves…and in the next, rose like dangerous roadblocks before them.
Inch by inch they closed in on the beach, successfully avoiding the threat to the underside of the yacht.
And just when they were so close to the beach he felt certain they were out of danger, just as hope surged through his body in a wild and crazy adrenaline rush, they crashed.
Reed heard the tear of wood beneath his feet, felt the jar of their sudden stop in his shoulders and arms as he clung to the wheel.
And then a monstrous wave swept across the deck.
Blinking water out of his eyes, he glanced over his shoulder at his passengers, and saw the wave catch Marla full frontal, propelling her into the drink and the fury of the storm. She hit the swollen waves like a rag doll and disappeared.
As he felt the bottom of the yacht drag through the sand in a forward momentum, then stop, Reed grabbed his dad by the arm and yanked him to the steering wheel. “Set the anchor and don’t let go.”
Determined to finish what he’d started with Marla in the cabin below, he dove into the churning water, the memory of the taste of her lips making him hungry for more.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
As her feet were knocked out from under her, Marla caught a glimpse of Reed’s horrified expression a split second before she tumbled head over heels into the churning ocean water. The swell of the waves yanked the lifejacket from her shoulder and the undertow sucked her down, hurtling her body against the rocky landscape of the ocean floor.
Each time she clawed her way to the surface, the boat and the island appeared further away.
She opened her mouth to call out, only to get a mouthful of water as a wave washed over her head.
Then she went down again, way down, eardrum-pressure down, dark as the abyss down. She squeezed her eyes shut against the raw edge of the salt water and flailed her arms against the power of the ocean currents.
Somewhere in all the turmoil, she realized that she could drown. Just when her life had started to get interesting, she was going to die.
Panic threatened to overtake every reasonable thought, but as she rose to the surface again and popped out of the water, she gulped in huge breaths of air and squinted against the lash of the rain.
Another wave came her way and dragged her deep.
She was not going to drown, she vowed, and she thought of her mother who was stubborn to the core. Betty Blackhorne would not let a little thing like the undertow stop her from anything, especially with the possibility of a grandchild in her future.
She thought of Reed and how he’d looked at her and how he’d kissed her, and she knew without a doubt that if he could, he’d come after her. All she had to do was fight and keep fighting so that she wouldn’t get dragged further out to sea.
Once again, Marla clawed her way to the surface where she coughed and sputtered and searched for something to grab on to. Too late, she spotted an outcropping of rocks directly in front of her. The massive waves slammed her face first into the hard surface, stunning her, then sucked her back under.
Somewhere in the back of her head was the memory of a lifeguard and swimming lessons and survival, pounded into her brain by a college student who had cared more for his young students than he’d cared for his summer tan and muscles.
Thank goodness.
There were moments when she didn’t know whether she was up or down. Moments when she was spun about like a rag doll and scratched by the coral on the ocean floor. Moments of sheer terror. Moments of swimming toward the boat with all of her might.
Arms and legs trembling with exhaustion, she silently vowed that if she survived, she would take a risk that Reed hadn’t kissed her out of pity. Even if all they had was a three day affair, she wanted to test the chemistry between them.
Because she’d always had a crush on him and it was high time she took action.
And then while she desperately fought to survive, something brushed past her, and that something grabbed hold of her arm and yanked her toward the surface.
Her head burst free. She snagged in a desperate breath of air and opened her eyes…there was Reed, holding her up, refusing to let another wave steal her from his side. She threw her arms around his neck and held on.
“You came,” she breathed, and he wrapped her into his arms for one quick hug, then held her away and looked into her eyes with such seriousness, she had to focus to concentrate on what he was saying.
His words nearly vanished in the crash of the waves and the howl of the wind. “Hang on tight and don’t let go.”
Together they worked their way toward the boat, and as the storm slowly abated, she caught sight of the boat listing in the waves, the bow smashed between an outcropping of rocks near the beach.
Her shipmates stood on the deck—one, two, three, four, five—forlorn a
nd drenched and scared.
When they reached the boat, Reed pushed her onto the deck, his hand on her butt, his weight behind hers. He climbed up after her and appeared to silently count bodies.
Then his attention laser focused in on her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, so thankful for his presence and the strength and security of his big body.
His gaze turned to the others. “Is everyone okay? Is anyone hurt?”
One by one, they took a physical inventory. They were banged and bruised and still in shock. A scrape here, a gash there, but nothing seemed too serious, and Marla followed Reed as he checked each one, because she wasn’t letting him out of her sight ever again…at least not till they returned to Serendipity Island and he went his way and she went hers.
A thought which she found strangely depressing.
She pushed it away, and by the time the physical inventory was done, her arms and legs no longer felt like limp noodles, and her lungs were no longer burning for oxygen.
They were all lucky to be alive.
As the sky lightened, beams of sunlight shone bright and beautiful against the dark clouds while the waves continued to pound the boat against the rocks.
Beside her, Reed raked his hands through his wet hair. “I need to anchor the boat to shore as soon as possible.”
From somewhere down the line of bodies, Trudy’s voice rang out. “I’m a strong swimmer. I can help.”
Reed opened a side compartment, pulled out a heavy length of rope, and tied it to the railing. “I’ll drag this to shore and tie it off, then you can all hang on to it to get to the island.”
Tying it around his waist, he dove into the churning water.
Marla wrapped her arms around her mom. “I thought I’d lost you, Mom.”
“Oh honey, I thought I lost you too, like I lost your dad.”
She gave her mom a hug. Right now, it didn’t matter that the woman drove her crazy most of the time. All that mattered was that they were all safe and alive.
Reed made it to the beach, securely anchored the rope around a palm tree, and they all followed him ashore. The bump on Marla’s forehead had started to throb. Ignoring it as best she could, she grabbed a panel of wood with part of an A on it out of the water. “I’ve had just about as much fun as I can have in a day, Reed. When do we go home?”
Paul didn’t give his son a chance to reply. “Did you call out our position on the radio?”
“Yes.” Reed stood a few feet away, the now gentle waves lapping at his bare feet. “I’m not sure it got through. Lightning may have fried the equipment.”
The old man kicked at a beach town that rolled in on a wave. “Just what I would expect. You’re irresponsible to the core.”
Mary tsked. “Don’t get excited, Paul. You know what the doctor said.”
“Doesn’t matter what he said. We’re good as dead if we’re stuck out here.” He waved his hand to encompass the tiny beach and beyond, then turned back to his son with a death stare. “If I ignored all my responsibilities like you do, I’d be out of business by now.”
Reed, bless his soul, remained calm as a rock. “I had the equipment checked thoroughly before we left dock. Everything worked as it should.”
Before her boss could say anything more, Marla stepped forward. Quietly, not wishing to scare anyone, she asked, “Now what?”
Paul switched into boss mode. “We head inland and find a good water supply.”
Reed shook his head. “Shelter and fire first. We’ll search for water tomorrow.”
Paul folded his arms across his chest and glared at his son. “I’m not putting the safety of my people in your hands.”
In a barely legible whisper, Trudy said, “The captain is right. It’s in all of the water safety books. Find shelter and build a fire first.”
Bill shushed her with a look, then went to stand beside their boss, arms folded across his chest like a mini-Paul. “I agree. We need water. We’ll die without it.”
Reed’s jaw worked. He tugged off his shirt and started to tear it into thin strips of material. “If you two want to head inland, go for it. It’ll be dark in an hour or two. Don’t get lost. I’m staying here to build shelter and a fire.”
Paul eyed each member of the group. “Who’s with me?”
Bill raised his hand, then nudged Trudy in the shoulder. As if it pained her greatly, she slowly raised her arm. “Sorry, Captain.”
Marla stepped forward, her heart in her throat as the sun made its descent toward the distant horizon. “Reed’s right. It will be dark soon. We should wait till morning.”
Paul froze her with a glare, his tone sarcastic. “Picking sides already?”
Before Marla could say a word, Reed got a hard look on his face and turned his back on her. “Go ahead. I can take care of the boat and shelter and fire myself. Our moms can collect driftwood for the fire. Hopefully, there’ll be a search party out by tomorrow.”
The group turned silent until Marla dared ask, “And if there isn’t?”
He turned back, his face totally void of expression. “Then tomorrow we find food, gather supplies from the boat, and survive until we’re rescued.”
He said it with a nonchalant shrug of his broad shoulders, as though getting stranded on a deserted island was an everyday occurrence. As voices erupted around her, Marla gritted her teeth and tried to shush the panic. She went with logic instead of emotions, what was best for the group instead of her personal desire for the partnership. “Reed’s right. If we wander through the jungle at this time of night, we could get lost. Without flashlights, it’ll be pitch black in there. I vote we wait until morning.”
Ignoring her, ignoring his son, Paul turned on his heels and strode up the beach. “We’ll be back long before dark.”
With a frown, Bill glanced between Paul and Reed, then made his choice and sprinted up the beach.
Mary grabbed her son by the arm. “Stubborn old goat. Do something before he gets into trouble.”
Reed grabbed the rope attached to the yacht and hand over hand, tugged the listing vessel closer to the beach. “He won’t listen to me, so there’s no point wasting my time or energy.”
Trudy jumped up and down nervously on her feet. “Ms. Blackhorne. Do something. They’ll listen to you.”
“I doubt that.” She gazed after them, then slid a doubtful glance toward the younger woman. “You said you were a good swimmer?” At Trudy’s nod, she continued. “Then stay and help. I’ll go see what I can do to save those two from themselves.”
Reed peered over his shoulder, a frown of contention on his handsome face. “Don’t let my dad talk you into anything foolish.”
She tried to appear relaxed, but the thought of a confrontation with Paul had already tightened her stomach into knots. And with Bill to back up the older man’s every idea, she wasn’t sure what she could say to stop them from making the trek. “No worries. I’ll be back in a flash.”
There was concern in his gaze. “Once we get the yacht anchored, I’m going to swim out and try to salvage the radio.”
Trudy nodded. “We should get going. It will be dark soon.”
Marla eyed Reed back. What he was about to do was probably more dangerous than Paul and Bill wandering in the jungle in the dark and getting stuck there. The urge to step into his big strong body and hold on tight slammed into her like the stormy waves. Her look encompassed them both. “You two be careful.”
“I’ll bring him back safely,” Trudy promised as she stepped into the surf.
Reed turned to the two older women. “Mom, Betty, you two collect firewood. I have a waterproof bag with matches onboard. Trudy can grab that while I’m disconnecting the radio.”
Mary stepped forward, gave Reed a peck on the cheek, and whispered, “Don’t blame yourself. This isn’t your fault.”
Betty winked at Marla. “It’ll give us time to, you know, get cozy.”
“I’m not getting cozy with you,” Mary muttered as she bent t
o grab a piece of driftwood and Betty responded with, “If you try, you’re dead.”
With a glare at each other, Mary strode off one way down the beach while Betty turned the other way.
Now that everyone had something to keep themselves busy and their minds off the fact that they were stranded for the night, Marla ran up the beach to catch Paul and Bill. They stood at the edge of the thick vegetation, slashing at the undergrowth with the sticks in their hands.
When she reached them, Paul turned, sweat dripping down his face, a satisfied smile cracking the harsh lines of his face. “Changed your mind, did you? Smart girl.”
She skidded to a stop in front of them. “I haven’t changed my mind. This is foolish and dangerous. Please Sir, wait until tomorrow when we can all go together.”
He turned his back on her and slashed at the tall vegetation, unmovable as a rock. “If you continue to side with my son, you’ll get us all killed.”
She planted her hands on her hips and glared at her ex. “Bill, it will be dark soon. We can search for water tomorrow.”
Bill smirked that male grin that made her want to wipe it off his face with the flat of her palm, and leaned in close to her ear. “Siding with my cousin won’t get you the partnership, babe. You know he’s never coming back.”
She glared at her ex and silently agreed that he was right. “Then this is pointless.”
As Paul disappeared into the dense vegetation, Bill smirked. “There’s only one way to become partner, and that’s always siding with the old man.”
And then he plunged into the jungle behind the man who called the shots, and disappeared into the murky darkness.
Bill was right.
Marla took a deep breath, glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching, then plunged in after them. As the shadows grew longer and the jungle floor became impenetrable, the fear of becoming lost—or eaten—grew stronger than her desire for the partnership.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Reed watched Marla disappear into the jungle and disappointment washed through him. Despite their kiss, she was still Paul’s minion. He forced himself to turn his back and address Trudy. “Ready?”
Caught Between a Rock and a Hunka Man (Caught Between Romance Book 3) Page 8