by KB Winters
The rain pelted the side and top of the boat and between the frantic drumming of the rain and the slamming of the wind, I couldn’t even hear myself think. The waters turned as the wind kicked up, and I gripped the wheel to keep from falling off the side of the captain’s chair. I was glad that we’d taken the time to batten everything down, but I still expected to find a mess down below in the galley once the storm passed.
I fought through hour after hour, clinging to the wheel. It struck me as odd how time passed. In some regards, it felt as though I’d been battling the raging waters for days, but then it would change and seem like I’d only just said goodbye to Melissa. All I knew was, I had to keep holding on so I could see her, and get her back in my arms again.
Chapter Seven
Melissa
“Wheee!”
I rolled my eyes, completely flabbergasted that my son thought we were on a ride at an amusement park instead of stranded on a boat in the middle of a hurricane.
Kids.
“Jackson, honey, settle down,” I reached across the bed and tugged on his pajama pants before he could scoot off the edge. “It’s not safe for you to be running all over.”
Jackson heaved a sigh, his smile erasing as he flung himself back on the bed. “Why not?”
The boat rocked back and forth and I shot Jackson a look. “That’s why.”
“But I’m so bored!”
I glanced over at the tablet lying on the bed and saw the credits rolling. He’d been watching cartoons for the last two hours and had hit his wall. “I know, sweetheart. We have to stay here until Chase comes back down.”
The lights overhead flickered and I bit the inside of my cheek as we rocked hard again. Is this thing possessed? “Hold on!” My heart accelerated and I grabbed Jackson. If the power was on the fritz, I sure didn’t want him to be walking around the boat.
“Why don’t we find a game to play,” I suggested, pointing at the tablet as I tried to get his mind on something else. “I think Chase downloaded a cool game for you.”
Jackson’s eyes lit up and he lunged for the tablet. “He did?”
“I think he did, let’s see.” I said, trying to keep Jackson’s thoughts on something other than the rocking boat. I hated that Chase was on the bridge, alone, trying to control the boat, but the waves were getting stronger. I hoped he was okay.
When Chase had given the tablet to Jackson, I’d scoured through it to make sure it didn’t have any un-child friendly materials. Part of it had been out of my own, undeniable curiosity. To my relief, his tablet was loaded with multiple news apps, solitaire style games, and lots and lots of digital magazines—none of which involved tits and ass—on every subject from computer sciences, to cooking tips, to tattoo design.
Based on his reading habits, Chase has an eclectic mix of interests.
Maybe someday things would slow down and I could ask him about his culinary prowess or about the tattoos on his back that I’d seen after he’d stripped his shirt off the other night when we were alone in his room.
“Mama!”
I jerked from the thoughts about Chase’s bare back and leaped over to Jackson. My eyes were wide with alarm as the boat pitched to the side.
“What’s happening?” he squealed.
I smoothed his hair. “We’re going through a little rough patch right now, sweetheart. But Chase is at the wheel and he’s going to—” my words cut off as another roll tossed us like a plastic boat from Jackson’s bathtub toy collection back home. “We’re going to be all right. I promise.”
I held Jackson close as the ship rocked again. The suddenness of the storm was unnerving. If it was just the beginning, how bad was it going to get?
“Here, let’s find that game,” I said, reaching for the tablet. I needed something to take Jackson’s mind off the storm.
“Is Chase going to come down here? With us?”
“I’m sure he’ll come down to check on us as soon as he can, sweetheart. He has to keep us safe right now.”
“Because that’s his job, right, Mama?”
I smiled at my small son and the light in his eyes. He loved having a real life action hero. “That’s right.”
“Do you think he needs help?” Jackson asked. “I’m his first mate, remember?”
I laughed softly. “I remember. We’re going to help him by staying down here, out of the way, and we’re going to keep calm. Okay?”
“Okay, Mama,” he agreed, leaning back against the pillows I’d piled for him at the head of the large bed.
Jackson started playing the game but squealed loudly when the boat pitched from side to side. I looked up at the ceiling and stared at the shadow of the ceiling fan. Was Chase okay all by himself? He could get thrown overboard and no one would even know. We wouldn’t be able to even attempt a rescue.
I’d just gotten him back. I didn’t want to even think about losing him again. The prospect of running from Henry, on my own, was too terrifying to even entertain.
I took in a series of deep breaths and tried to relax my grip on the comforter. Chase had asked me to trust him and to follow his instructions. After everything he’d done for us, I knew it was the least I could do.
Jackson was fine on the outside, but he cast me nervous looks when the bigger swells rocked us back and forth. He clung to the tablet with one hand and held onto my arm with the other, tugging me close. He needed me nearby so that he knew I was all right.
For now, Chase would have to be alone.
And I would have to be strong, not knowing what was happening ten feet over my head.
* * * *
When Chase appeared in the doorway of the bedroom, an overwhelming rush of relief washed over me. The boat was still rocking violently from side to side but compared to the hour before, it seemed as though it was calming down. At least a little. And the fact that Chase was standing there meant he was still in one piece. Since leaving him, my mind had gone into a frenzy of worry and panic over all of the things that could go wrong. I didn’t know much about boats—virtually nothing—but I knew it wasn’t uncommon for boats to capsize in extreme conditions.
Matt’s boat was definitely not a dinghy, but it was far from what I would call a large yacht—more of a medium size yacht. All I could think about was the show on TV with extreme fishermen in horrific conditions. If even those skilled professionals could end up harmed or even worse, killed, then there was nothing protecting us from the same fate. I trusted Chase at the helm, and although he hadn’t been very open about his experiences as a Navy SEAL, I knew there was a good chance he’d gone through storms worse than this—I hoped so anyway. I told myself to relax and let him get us through it, but it was impossible to turn off the anxiety riddled portion of my brain.
All of it evaporated as soon as Chase arrived. “How’s everything down here?” he asked. His questions struck me as humorous. Neither his tone nor his expression was relaxed, but something about the way he asked made me think that he could’ve just been asking if we needed more snacks or something equally as trivial. As though we weren’t huddled in bed, holding on for dear life and silently praying to get through the next hour, and instead, were just watching a movie to kill time in between sunbathing rotations above deck.
Jackson perked up at Chase’s appearance as well. His hero and favorite buddy. “Come watch the movie, Chase!” He pointed at the screen in his hands. “This is the funniest part.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the shocked look on Chase’s face as he cut his glance my way, his eyebrow cocked as he wondered about my child’s sanity. I smirked at his puzzled expression. “He says it’s like being on a roller coaster,” I replied to his silent question.
Chase chuckled. “I see.” He returned his bemused glance to Jackson. “Maybe in a little while, buddy.”
“Is it almost over?” I asked, steeling myself for the answer. Something in my bones told me we were still in the thick of it and would be for quite some time.
Chase si
ghed and took a step into the room. His large body made the small room feel even smaller, and I found myself wishing that he could just take a spot on the bed and relax with us. Logically, I knew it hadn’t been even twenty-four hours since we’d been playing in the ocean, mere steps away from a gorgeous hotel suite on the shores of Cabo. It was like all of that had been a dream. The reality of how much time had passed simply didn’t line up with the way I felt huddled up in the bottom of a boat waiting out a tropical storm.
Somewhere between Chase’s startling wake-up call, running through the city to escape Henry’s mob of hit men, and then the explosion and panic over whether or not Chase was hurt, made the past day feel more like a month.
I was tempted to ask what else could go wrong, but worried that tempting fate wasn’t in my best interest all things considered.
“Everything is okay for now—” at his comments, the boat rolled so hard that my stomach swooped.
See? Tempting fate. Never a good plan.
Chase began again, “There is another storm system on the way.”
“Peaches and cream,” I grit out between clenched teeth. I did my best to keep my more colorful words in check when Jackson was present.
Chase offered a small smile that lifted one corner of his mouth. “We’re hanging tough. Apparently, Matt has budget minded preferences when it comes to interior design, but this thing’s solid.” He swept his eyes around the cabin to emphasize his point about the furnishings. They weren’t tacky or even outdated, but gave a very bare-bones, basic feel to the room. “It could be a lot worse. There hasn’t been that much water up on deck.”
My stomach unclenched and I nodded along at his report. “That’s a relief. I just wish we weren’t so far from shore.” I left my reasoning unspoken. In case things went south—further south—we’d have a better chance of making it to land in an inflatable life raft if we weren’t a day’s sail away from shore.
Chase nodded. He’d already had the same thoughts. “We’ll be okay. Can I get you anything before I head back up?”
I glanced over at Jackson, who was thankfully engrossed in his movie, and shook my head. “I think we’re okay. But thank you.”
Chase smiled. “What did I tell you about thanking me all the time?”
I laughed softly at his correction. It was nice to have a moment of normality in between all of the drama. “What would you rather have me say? No, and get out of here you good for nothing rascal?”
Chase dropped his head back and laughed. Beside me, Jackson threw off his headphones, suddenly very concerned that he was missing out on something fun. He laughed along with Chase as though he were in on the joke from the beginning. “Hey, Jackson, I think you need to teach your mom some of your pirating vocabulary.”
Jackson smiled up at Chase, his gaze full on hero worship. “Ahoy me hearties!” he bellowed.
“Yer ma just called me a rascal. What say ye?” Chase asked, cocking his head and holding up a curled finger, doing a rather charming Captain Hook impression.
Jackson clapped a palm over his face. “Oh, Mom.”
I laughed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I needed to brush up my pirate talk. What should I have said?”
Jackson jumped up, bouncing on his knees against the mattress. “Scoundrels and scallywags! That’s how pirates talk!”
“Argh! The captain has spoken!” Chase replied, jeering and trying to keep in character through a bubble of laughter that looked just about to break loose.
Jackson clapped and burst into a chorus, “Yo ho, yo ho, the pirate’s life for me!”
Chase sang along and I waved my fingers like I was conducting their off-key rendition of the classic pirating song. We all dissolved into laughter together and enjoyed the levity of the moment.
Right up until a swell sent Chase stumbling to grab a hold of the nearest wall.
Chapter Nine
Chase
“What on earth are you thinking about over there?” I asked, leaning across the table.
Melissa giggled and set down her wine glass. “Nothing good.”
I laughed and raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
She folded her arms on top of the table and leaned in too, leaving a few inches between us. “When are we going to talk about what happened…in Cabo?”
“Now?” I offered, shrugging slightly.
Her dark eyes sparkled under the moonlight and I was struck—not for the first time—how damn beautiful she looked under the night sky. “I’m sorry I was so cold to you afterward.”
“You don’t have to be sorry, but if you could tell me what you were thinking, I’d sure appreciate it. You kind of threw me for a loop.”
She laughed softly and nodded. “Fair enough. After I left, and got back to my room, I snuggled in next to Jackson and it all kind of hit me. I’ve been very honest with you that there isn’t, and hasn’t been, anything between my ex-husband and me, other than a lot of resentment and a torn up piece of paper. But Jackson—he doesn’t know that.”
I nodded. What she said wasn’t a surprise. I’d assumed that her one-eighty had more to do with her situation than something I’d done or said—although it hadn’t made her actions less frustrating or confusing. “Totally understand, pretty lady. And I don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”
“But that’s the thing, Chase. You do make me comfortable—really comfortable. Like we’ve known each other forever. I’m constantly wandering around in a state of shock, wondering how on earth you’ve managed to slip into our life so easily. It’s like…I can’t even remember what our life was like before we left California. It’s weird to think that less than a week ago, we were strangers, meeting in a McDonald’s of all places!”
I chuckled and rubbed a hand over the back of my neck. “That does seem a little weird, now that you mention it.”
“Right?” She shook her head, marveling over the oddity of it all. “I’m happy you’re here, and I think we could really…have something. And God knows, the sex is off the charts. But then, there’s Jackson. How do I explain to him you’re more than just a friend and his dad’s a monster?” She paused and then looked across the table at me. “I don’t.”
I glanced down at my hands as they came to rest on the table again. “I wish I knew the right answer, Melissa. But I don’t.”
“I don’t either. That’s the whole problem. I don’t want to betray Jackson or confuse him by starting something with you. But at the same time, I can’t not want to be with you.”
My eyes flashed up to hers. “I want to be with you too, Melissa.”
We held each other’s gaze for a long moment, each of us desperately searching for some magic solution that would erase all the stress and anxiety-riddled worries. But the truth was there wasn’t an easy button.
And we both knew it.
Melissa stood from her chair and came over to stand in front of me. I placed my hands on her waist and pulled her in between my legs. I rested my head against her, my forehead pressed between her breasts. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her hands splayed across my back, working their way over the tensed muscles.
It felt so good to hold her. She smelled like fresh vanilla, and I wanted nothing more than to peel the night shirt off her body and taste her skin again. I hadn’t been able to get her scent and the sight of her out of my mind and having her in my arms made it all rush back to the surface with renewed strength—after I’d spent days fighting it all down.
“Chase?”
I pulled away from her, noting her hard nipples protruding through the fabric, as my eyes raked up her body to meet her eyes. “Say the word and I’m yours.”
Melissa bit her lower lips, working it between her teeth as she turned over my offer. “I want you. I need you.”
That was all I needed to hear.
My hands slid from her waist, over her hips, and down the outside of her bare thighs. She shivered and sucked in a breath as my fingertips traced lightly over her smo
oth skin. “Chase…”
I teased the hem of the lightweight dress, not lifting it, but silently letting her know I wanted to get under it. Melissa moaned softly and drew a leg up to straddle my lap.
She lowered into my lap and I reached for her, bringing her mouth to mine. The kiss started off slow, our lips hardly moving against each other, but when I reached out to flick her full pout with the tip of my tongue, she moaned and opened her lips for me. I plundered her mouth, exploring her lips and her tongue, memorizing each touch as we kissed. She tasted like the wine we’d shared and I couldn’t drink her in enough to satisfy my thirst.
“Let me see you, baby. I want to see the moon reflecting off your beautiful body.”
Melissa’s eyes widened at the suggestion. “Up here?”
I chuckled at her obvious surprise. “Why the hell not?”
“Seems so…naughty,” she said, her lusty voice getting me all kinds of hot.
“That’s the perk of being in the middle of fuckin’ nowhere. You can get a little naughty and no one will care.” I ran my hands up the outsides of her legs and this time pushed right beyond the hemline of her dress, lifting the fabric until I could get a peek at her. “Oh, Melissa. Looks like someone was already being a little naughty.”
Melissa met my gaze, grinning. “All my delicates are drying downstairs.”
“Thank God…” I sucked in a ragged breath at the sight of her and could hardly keep my hands to myself.
She arched back, still straddling my lap, and I pushed the dress up her body, revealing her slowly, one delectable inch at a time. Damn, she was sexy. Every move she made was fluid and catlike. Precise and intoxicating. And this badass Navy SEAL was getting drunk off the sight of her.
She helped me free the dress and tossed it onto the floor beside the chair. At the gentle nip in the air, her nipples went harder and she crossed her arms around her chest. “Let me warm you up.” I tugged her arms free and kissed up the inside of her arm, starting at her wrist, until I reached her chest. I ran my tongue over the chilled skin and she sucked in a sharp breath when my tongue flicked over her nipple. I cupped the other breast with my hand, covering the fullness with the palm of my hand.