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

by Sheila Seabrook

  The younger woman nodded, and without hesitation, slogged into the waves. “You kind of like her, don’t you? I can tell by the way you watch her when you think no one’s looking. Kind of wary, but like you can’t resist her.”

  A wave washed up to his stomach. He saw Trudy shiver, but she didn’t complain. “You’re smarter than you let on, aren’t you?”

  She cupped her breasts, jiggled them, and rolled her eyes. “Finally, someone who notices something besides these.”

  “It’s kind of hard not to notice those.” Beneath his feet, he felt the pull of the undertow, stronger now, and he sobered. “Careful you don’t get sucked under. Hang on tight to the rope. I’ll be right behind you.”

  “I won’t.”

  One hand on the rope, she slid into the water, and hand over hand, dragged herself toward the yacht while Reed kept an eye on her. True to her word, she was a strong swimmer and they arrived at the boat without incident, where she grabbed onto the ladder and climbed up, continuing their discussion as though there hadn’t been an interruption.

  “I’ve been thinking about getting a breast reduction,” she said and Reed thought, kill me now. “I really admire Ms. Blackhorne and would like to be more like her.”

  He climbed up the ladder after her. “Is that why you’re with Bill?”

  “What?” She looked startled for a moment, then cleared her expression. “No, of course not. I hooked up with Bill before I even knew the two of them had been married.” She rang her hair out on the deck and glanced around. “I’d like to ask the boss lady to be my mentor, but now I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”

  “It sounds like a good idea to me.”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged and changed the conversation. “I suppose we’ll have to manually crank down the anchor.”

  Lifting one brow, he said, “You know your boats.”

  “A little. My parents enjoyed the water, so I grew up around boats.”

  The sun was already low in the sky and he wanted to be back on dry land before dark. He pointed toward a cupboard at the rear of the yacht. “There’s a waterproof bag with matches in there and some medical supplies. See what else you can collect for the night. I’ll crank down the anchor, then disconnect the radio.”

  “Okay.” She grabbed a smaller rope and began to tie it around her waist. “Safety first. That way if one of us goes overboard, the other one can drag them back in.”

  He watched her tie the rope around her waist using a sailor’s knot, and he picked up the other end and did the same. Then they headed off to perform their designated tasks, and by the time they were done, the sun had set and there was only the glow in the sky to light their way back.

  They jumped into the water still tied together, the bags tied between them, and made their way to shore. As they slogged out of the water onto the beach, Reed said. “Thanks. I couldn’t have done that all in one trip without you.”

  “It was fun. Thanks for trusting me enough to take me along.” She smiled, a thousand watt smile that showed her gleaming white teeth, but as she turned back to the beach, the smile faded. “I don’t see the others.”

  Reed scanned the beach, concern settling heavy in his stomach. Two piles of driftwood sat in the middle of the beach, but there was no sign of anyone. “Mom? Betty?”

  Silence greeted his shout, broken only by the waves lapping at the beach, the rustle of the palm trees along the edge of the jungle, the crunch of sand beneath their feet as Trudy and him crossed the beach together.

  Worry tinged her voice. “Where are they?”

  Reed gritted his teeth and handed her the axe he’d taken from the boat, then dug into the waterproof bag for a flashlight. “I’ll go look for them. If you want to start cutting down branches for the shelter, that would be great. Whatever you do, don’t you leave the beach too.”

  She nodded, silent, and as Reed disappeared into the dark jungle, he could feel her gaze drill into his back.

  As he flicked on the flashlight, he heard the rustle of brush up ahead. A moment later, his mom and Betty appeared. He ground his teeth together. “You two shouldn’t be out here in the dark.”

  Mary hooked a thumb toward the other woman. “The bitch made me do it.”

  Betty pushed past her and muttered, “The hag never does a thing I tell her…till now.”

  As the two women stormed past him, Reed turned his flashlight back on the dense jungle. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Marla? Dad? Bill? Where are you?”

  Silence.

  It filled him with dread.

  He trudged ahead, following the path hacked through the trees and bushes, calling out their names to no avail. As the concern ratcheted up his spine, he finally heard a sound in the distance.

  And then someone screamed.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Marla stood, hands on hips, and stared down at the inky blob on the ground. “You’re such a girl, Bill.”

  Recovered from his fall and his scream, he scrambled to his feet, and brushed himself off. “Shut up.”

  Turning her back on him, ignoring him once again, she cupped her hands over her mouth and yelled, “Hello. Anybody there?”

  A distant shout came back, and she pushed past the men and headed in that direction. “Unless you guys want to still be out here come morning, I suggest you eat some crow and answer Reed’s voice.”

  Behind her, Bill shouted, “Over here.”

  The man really was a girl, far better suited to the city and a job where he never had to get his hands dirty.

  She trudged ahead, occasionally calling out, occasionally repositioning herself so she was on the path Paul had cleared instead of fighting her way through the thick jungle vegetation. When she saw a beam of light up ahead, she had to forcefully quell the urge to sprint forward into Reed’s arms.

  The last thing they needed was someone with a broken arm or leg…or worse yet, someone impaled by a sharp tree branch recently cut down by Paul.

  When at last she reached Reed, she stopped in front of him, resisted the urge to throw herself full body into his arms, and smiled. “The other two idiots should be right along.”

  Paul’s voice carried through the darkness. “Watch what you’re saying, young lady.”

  Marla rolled her eyes and saw Reed’s mouth slowly and reluctantly form into a grin. Now that he was here, the tension of the past hour dissipated in a hot flash. Oh yeah, she was totally open to never leaving his side again.

  Once the others caught up—and Paul growled, “Not a word”—they all fell into a single line behind Reed, and followed him to the beach.

  Trudy, bless her soul, had somehow started the fire and convinced Mary and Betty to work together to help her erect the shelter. Marla made a mental note to ask her how she’d gotten the two angry women to cooperate.

  The shelter wasn’t much—a few palm tree branches laden with fronds to keep the rain out, in case it stormed again—but it was enough to get them through their first night.

  By the time the shelter was finished and Reed had passed around a bite size piece of a snack he’d produced from the waterproof bag, everyone was too tired and hungry to converse. As they climbed into the shelter for the night, Marla glanced over her shoulder at Reed.

  He stood by the fire and stared into the flames, his body bronzed by the flickering light, strong and broad shouldered and more dependable than she’d first thought. The urge to join him, to spend the night cocooned in his arms, filled her with warmth and something else, something hot and restless and itchy. She knew he was trouble and yet she couldn’t forget the look on his face right before she’d gotten lost in his kiss.

  Possessive. It sent a delicious shiver through her body and made her want to throw off her salt encrusted clothes and climb all over him.

  As she laid down on the bed of sand, certain that it was too dark for anyone to see her, she recalled the touch of his lips against her own, the feel of his hard body pressed into hers, and the sheer magni
tude of her response.

  No doubt it had been all champagne induced, just like her current lack of control was due to hunger and sleep deprivation.

  She closed her eyes and focused on the waves crashing against the beach and the various sounds from the jungle—the rustle of the wind blowing through the trees, the call of a bird in the distance. Slowly, exhaustion worked through every muscle, and she felt her body begin to relax and her mind begin to settle.

  Beside her, Betty mumbled in her sleep, something about cribs and baby blankets, then grew still and quiet, her breathing deep and even. Paul and Mary were sleeping on the other side of her and far on the other side of them were Bill and Trudy.

  Had Reed kissed her because he felt sorry for her or because he wanted to? Did he want to do it again? Was he waiting for her to make the next move? Did she have the guts to go after him, knowing full well their affair would only last for the length of time they were shipwrecked?

  Arms folded behind her head, she once again focused on the waves outside and her own breathing. Deepening it as she’d been taught in yoga class. Relaxing a little more with each breath she took. Shoving out the worries of the moment, and staying focused on the fact that everyone was alive and unhurt.

  And then a rustling sound came from the other end of the shelter, followed by Bill’s whisper. “Come on, Trudy, baby. Let me feel your breasts.”

  Startled, Marla’s eyes snapped open.

  Trudy whispered back, “Bill, not here.”

  Yeah, Bill. Listen to her.

  “They’re all asleep.”

  I’m not asleep.

  “What if they’re not?”

  Atta girl, Trudy, resist him. This is a public place. And Bill is an ass.

  “I’ve been listening to the rhythm of their breathing.” There was a rustle of fabric, then Trudy’s soft giggle. “Oh, yeah, baby, you know what you want to do to me.”

  Clothes rustled. Breathing quickened. And through the shock of it all, it slowly dawned on Marla that this wasn’t the first time for either of them.

  Maybe if she stayed still and quiet, they’d be done quickly. Bill had always been a little on the fast side.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed the palms of her hands against her ears. But she could still hear. The quickened breathing. The whispered sex talk. The sudden movement and a grunt.

  Marla shot to her feet, not caring who she woke as she hissed, “Oh, for crying out loud. Get a private room.”

  Before they could say a word back, Marla ducked outside and headed toward the fire. She stopped a couple of feet away, hands fisted at her sides, breathing like a client in deep trouble with the tax man.

  What they were doing shouldn’t bother her. She didn’t even like Bill anymore. And yet, the emotion cascading through her fed something deep and dark and ugly within her, something she’d locked away all those months ago when Bill had sat her down at the kitchen table and told her that he was no longer attracted to her.

  And now, here was Reed, definitely attracted to her, close within arms reach.

  He was lying on his side, his arm crooked under his head for support, his breathing deep and even. Okay, so the attraction would only last till they returned to Serendipity island, and he returned to his life and she returned to hers. In the meantime, maybe she should enjoy this.

  She closed the distance between them and before she could nudge him with her bare toe, his eyes blinked open. “What’s wrong? Is someone sick?”

  “Move over,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Huh?” He squinted up at her, dumb but adorable.

  Her teeth remained clenched as she nudged him harder, so that he finally shifted back. Maybe she needed a little sex to unwind her too.

  “What’s up?” he asked as she crouched down in front of him.

  Bill was up tonight but she wasn’t going to tell Reed that. “Just move over.”

  “How come?”

  “Because I’m sleeping with you.”

  There was alertness in his voice now, and wariness. “Why?”

  “Because.”

  He pushed up on one elbow and threw another log on the fire. Sparks drifted into the air, bright before they dimmed. “Not good enough. I’m going to need some explanation to use to defend myself in the morning.”

  In the starlit night, she saw a flash of white teeth and for a moment, her entire fury at her ex switched to the man lying vulnerable on the sand at her feet. “Can’t you just leave it at because? Why does everybody always have to be so nosy?”

  He shifted back on the sand, made room for her, and patted the ground between his chest and the warmth of the fire. “Well, I can’t speak for the rest of them, but there’s that little unspoken threat of my dad doing me bodily harm. While I’m sure I could protect myself from him, I’m afraid I might have to hurt him to do so. And while I find I’m interested in your life, French Fry—what you’ve been doing since I left the accounting firm, why my numbskull cousin divorced you, what’s going on in that tent that’s got you steamed like a pot about to boil—I’m also certain that I don’t want to get in another argument with my old man.”

  “Apparently so Bill could screw Trudy.” There, she’d said it. Except the sudden guilty silence coming from him caught her attention. “You knew? How did you know?” She huffed out a sigh and along with it, her anger dissipated. “Does everyone know but me?”

  He grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her down into his arms where he settled her back to his front. “I saw Bill pat her bum. Seemed a little more familiar with each other than just two co-workers.”

  She buried her face in her hands, conscious of his hand on her hip, warm and soothing and unfortunately, non-sexual. “I’m such an idiot.”

  As he wrapped his arm around her waist and snugged her into the curve of his big body, his breath warmed the side of her face. “Bill’s the idiot, French Fry. What’s Trudy got that you don’t have?”

  “No brains, two huge knockers, and youth. How’s that for starters?” There was a moment of silence behind her, during which time the fight in Marla drained away. She shivered and shifted closer to him. “Must you call me French Fry?”

  His husky voice laced through her stiff body and began to warm her from the inside out. “I thought you loved French Fry.”

  “I don’t,” she muttered. “Now shut up and go to sleep.”

  Behind her, his breathing turned soft and even.

  Marla shifted on the uneven sand, uncomfortable with the dips and rises that hadn’t yet conformed to her body, uncomfortable with the weight of a man’s arm on her waist, uncomfortable with the broad cushion of his chest against her back, uncomfortable with the heat of his body spooned against her, infusing her body with heat.

  Uncomfortable, uncomfortable, uncomfortable.

  “Settle down, French Fry.” The arm around her waist tightened as he huffed out a laugh. “So a little more sound effects than you wanted?”

  She shivered and wiggled closer to his warmth. “Go ahead, laugh it up, buster.”

  “You’re out here with me now. Forget about what’s going on in there and get some sleep.”

  Sleep? He had one hand on her ribcage, just below the curve of her breast, and it was causing the rest of her body to go all kinds of crazy. Maybe if he hadn’t kissed her, maybe if she hadn’t almost drowned, maybe if she hadn’t hit her head on the rocks and scrambled her brains today, maybe then she might have found the willpower and smarts to put a safe distance between them. But instead, like an almost-virgin dying to assuage her curiosity about the man wrapped around her, she stayed put and made every effort not to hyperventilate. “Just so you know, I’m not sleeping in there ever again.”

  His broad chest rumbled with laughter.“Wouldn’t expect you to.”

  “So you’ll help me build my own shelter tomorrow?”

  “Sure, unless we get rescued, in which case I’ll give you another bottle of bubbly and you can go hide below deck.”

&nbs
p; “Perfect.”

  He snugged her full against his body. “Get some sleep, French Fry. Tomorrow promises to be another fun day.”

  She let herself relax against him and felt the hardness of his body envelop her body. And she remembered those moments when the ocean had pulled her far beneath their depths, when she’d thought she was going to drown. She’d made a pact with herself to find a way to test the attraction between them.

  Tomorrow, she promised herself as she let her eyes close and her body relax.

  Into the silence that filled the air around them, Reed said, “Did you know that Trudy looks up to you? And that she’s a whole lot smarter than she lets on?”

  She snorted. “Not if she’s sleeping with Bill.”

  And as his huff of laughter turned to the deep, even breathing of a man fast asleep, she realized the road to her future—a golden opportunity if she’d ever seen one—had just fallen into her lap.

  If Bill and Trudy were sleeping together, and she was sleeping with Reed, then the odds of winning the partnership race had turned in her favor.

  Tomorrow, Paul would be giving her a high five.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Trudy shoved Bill aside, rolled to her feet, and caught herself before she got further than the shelter doorway.

  The part of her that rushed into things without thought urged her to follow the boss lady out into the moonlit night, and reveal every dirty little secret about her relationship with Bill that she’d kept hidden for so long.

  But the prudent part of her personality, the part that was logical and sensible and focused on the future, ordered her to stay right where she was until the other woman had a chance to cool down.

  Maybe by then she’d think up an explanation that wouldn’t put the blame for this all back on her own shoulders.

  A sliver of pain sliced down her shoulder blade and she rotated her shoulders. Once she had that breast reduction—

  From out of the dark shadows came Bill’s whisper. “Come back to bed, babe.”