Beyond Me (8 page)

His control confirmed another layer of my trust. Did he do it on purpose? And if so, did it really matter? We both wanted each other. We had the week stretched ahead of us, and my goal was to let go a bit and live. What was I fighting so hard to protect?

I relaxed in his arms and enjoyed being wrapped up tight. Safe. Weird, I was always the one in charge and taking care of people. Had anyone ever made
me
feel protected? “Thank you,” I finally said. “Things got a bit out of control.”

His chest rumbled with laughter. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I like the idea of getting you so hot you forget we’re in public,” he teased. He pulled back and tipped up my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “But don’t get me wrong, Quinn. I’m not going to be able to wait much longer. You make me a little crazy.”

I smiled. “Crazy is good, right?”

He kissed me again, slow and sweet, with the moonlight streaming over us. “Yeah,” he said softly. “Come sailing with me tomorrow.”

I tried to think if I’d made any plans. I had none. Mackenzie had been insistent we separate until our breakfast meeting on Tuesday. It was all in her master plan to make sure we came back with two less virgins and one who finally orgasmed. So embarrassing. “That sounds like fun.”

“Good. Come to the marina at eleven.”

“You have a boat?”

He grinned. “Sure. My parents taught me all the necessary skills for success in life. Tennis. Sailing. Keeping a stiff upper lip. And preserving appearances at all costs.” Darkness flashed and stole some of the humor in his eyes, but then he was kissing me again and I didn’t care. He groaned and finally stepped away. “You’re addicting. I can’t keep my hands off you.”

Pleasure tingled in my veins. I wasn’t the type to inspire men to want to rip off my clothes, they usually would rather discuss a situation or be friends. I was glad the dark hid my pink cheeks so I didn’t look like a virginal idiot. “Fishing?” I asked.

“Do you want to?”

I shook my head. “No, I feel too bad for the fish.”

“Then we’ll let the water take us wherever we want.”

The image of being with him alone on a boat in Key West made excitement unfurl in my belly. Oh yeah. I’d be sleeping with him tomorrow if everything went okay. But did I trust him to be out on the water without anyone else?

Yes. Hell yes.

“I’d like that,” I said.

“Good. Let’s exchange numbers.” We input our respective contact information, then he grabbed my hand and tugged me away from the water. “I’ll walk you to the hotel.”

The stroll back was leisurely and quiet. It was nice to relax and not worry about conversation, and he seemed to enjoy it just as much. He swung my hand was we walked, commenting here and there on some areas of attractions I may want to see during the week, and when we reached the hotel lobby, gave me a gentle kiss on the lips.

But his eyes blazed a promise I wanted him to keep.

“Night, Quinn.”

“Night, James.”

He waited until I went inside. My legs trembled as I got to my room. I barely got through the door before my phone rang. I jumped—no one usually called me when texting was so much easier. I glanced down, saw Cassie’s name, and almost panicked.

“Are you okay?” I asked as soon as I heard her voice.

“Fine. Are you?”

Weird question. “Sure. Why?”

A pause. “Just checking. I met this guy—” She trailed off. “He convinced me to call to make sure you got home in one piece.”

My body slumped in relief. Why did I always have to be the paranoid one in the group? I couldn’t help the little chuckle that escaped. “Oh.” I figured he was right there and she couldn’t talk, but I couldn’t help teasing her a bit. “This guy sounds pretty special if he’s checking up on your friends.”

“Shut up.” I heard the grin in her voice. “Are you at the hotel?”

“Yeah, just walked in. Where’s Mackenzie?”

“Found her hot musician with tattoos. Dumped me pretty quick. Did you find someone to replace Ivy League Dude?”

I collapsed on the thick mattress and groaned. “Yeah. Ivy League Dude.”

“He followed you?”

“Yeah. But he was okay.”

She laughed. “Your tone says better than okay. Guess you forgave him, huh?”

“Guess so. Go back to Very Considerate Hot Guy. Mackenzie will never leave you alone if you don’t get laid this trip.”

There was another deliberate pause and I imagined her glancing at her companion, checking him out. Good for her. Cassie put so much into her studying, she deserved some frolic. “’K. Catch up with you tomorrow.”

“Stay safe,” I reminded her. Not that Cassie needed reminding, but I still felt like the worried mother hen of the group.

“Always.”

I clicked off the phone and stared at the spotless white ceiling. Maybe this trip would end up being a surprise for all of us.

Monday

“T
HAT’S YOUR
boat?”

My mouth dropped open as I stood on the deck overlooking the huge catamaran with the massive sails tugging in the wind. It looked about forty feet, with gorgeous teak wood and equipment galore. I knew nothing about sailing, rarely venturing into the water except for a quick swim, but I knew this was mega expensive. I had expected a small motorboat we’d tool around in for the day. Should have realized my Ivy Leaguer would impress the hell out of me.

He pushed his sunglasses up on his head and grinned. God, he was gorgeous. The light played on his midnight brown curls and soaked into his tanned skin. Tiny lines crinkled around his full lips as he smiled, and those eyes rivaled any body of water in the world—a searing light blue that lasered right to the soul. He wore white shorts, boating shoes, and a collared blue shirt that stretched over his broad chest and emphasized the powerful muscles of his biceps. Oh my. Thank goodness I had donned the daring red bikini Mackenzie had bought me and I refused previously to wear. Right now, it was hidden discreetly under my black tank top and khaki shorts. With my ponytail and Ked sneakers, I felt about twelve years old next to his masculine yumminess.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

“It’s huge.” I expected something cozy with just us. Surely this came with a crew.

“I thought bigger was better.”

I pursed my lips at his little quip, but couldn’t help the laugh that spilled out, and quickly turned into my awful pig snort. I decided to give it back to him a bit. “Big is nice, but you have to know how to use it.”

His eyes darkened. “Oh, I know how to use it.”

A delicious shiver raced down my spine. I shrugged. “So you say. We’ll see.”

He laughed and I grinned. I was terrible at flirting, but with James, it felt natural. Like teasing him was part of the fun and the sexual spark. “Brat.” He pulled playfully at my ponytail and my scalp tingled. “Got everything you need?”

I showed him my gaily striped beach bag with towel, lotion, bottled water, phone, and a change of clothes. “Where are we going?”

He grabbed the bag and guided me toward the catamaran. “I’ll show you some sights first, head down the Gulf. I staked out a pretty place for a swim and a picnic. We’ll let the day guide us.”

The sheer freedom of those words made me giddy. No plans, no timetable, no responsibilities. How long had it been since I was able to let go? Too long. Emotion choked the back of my throat. “Sounds perfect.”

He studied my face, then smiled as if he liked what he saw. “Good. Welcome aboard.”

The marina was buzzing with activity and packed with an array of schooners, catamarans, and smaller powerboats. Men yelled back and forth to each other, seagulls screeched in outrage or happiness, and lines formed by booths for private charters and excursions. The sun was blinding and hot, scorching delicate skin and dousing the choppy water with glittering sparkles. James gave me a quick tour, and I was amazed at the amount of space on the boat. A shower, huge cabin, and fully stocked bar was down below. Long teak benches were set up to lay out, and the brilliant white canvas was shocking against the stinging blue of sky.

“Where’s the rest of the crew?” I asked.

“Just me. No worries, I’ve been sailing since I was ten, and I know boats and the water in Key West well. Been coming here a long time. Do you trust me?”

The words meant more than boating, and I knew it. I also knew my answer. “Yes.”

His face softened. “Then I won’t let you down,” he said lightly. “Let me get started and we’ll pull out in a few.”

I settled down to watch from behind the safety of my sunglasses, sipping from a bottle of water, and admired the ripple of muscles as he moved back and forth and we drifted away from the marina. As the crowds shrank and the noise dimmed, I was taken to another dimension where only nature ruled. I’d only been on a boat once before, a ferry cruise for sightseeing with my dad. The event, as usual, had ended in disaster. I’d begged him to just drink soda, but he snuck to the bar a few times for his beer, got drunk, and fell down the spiral stairs. He only avoided serious injury because he was so inebriated he literally bounced. The humiliation from the public attention was brutal. I’d never gone on another boat since.

But I didn’t want to think about the past right now.

I pushed away the memory and concentrated on today.

I
WONDERED
what she was thinking about.

Her face darkened, as if a shadow of a bad memory drifted past, and then she seemed to calm again. I wondered about her secrets. She seemed to have everything together, so unlike me, yet something I wanted to probe simmered beneath her surface.