Making Waves (13 page)

“You know, I’m really better off not answering that question.”

Juli lowered her sunglasses and peered over the top at him with narrowed eyes. “Really? Because I’ve got some more questions for you to answer.”

“Can I ask mine first? Because I was just wondering why Phyllis is down in the cockpit in her bra looking really happy about driving the boat.”

“What?”

Alex put on his sunglasses and stretched. “Jake looks pretty happy about it too, for that matter.”

“Oh, hell,” Juli said, and jumped out of the lounge chair, heading for the steps.

Alex watched her go, enjoying the view.

“If it’s any comfort, her bra covers more than that bikini top you’re wearing,” he yelled after her before settling into her abandoned deck chair. He leaned back, noticing the smell of coconuts and lemon on the cushion. The same smell he’d enjoyed the night before in bed with Juli, nuzzling against her hair, devouring her body.

Okay, maybe he’d been dumb to kiss her last night. And he’d been
really
dumb to take it further than that, especially with so many questions about who she was and what she was doing out here. He really didn’t know what he’d been thinking. She’d just looked so beautiful lying there in the half-lit room, those crazy curls spread across the pillow and her mouth looking warm and soft and inviting.

And yeah, he had to admit it—the genius thing was kind of a turn-on. He knew it made her uncomfortable, but seriously—was there anything hotter than a smart woman who was also funny as hell?

But getting in bed with her had been a stupid idea, and he wouldn’t do it again. He was here on a mission. A mission to rescue his pension, to regain his identity, to help his friends do the same. There was no sense getting involved with a woman he didn’t trust. Not when he was broke with no career future. He’d learned that lesson once before.

He needed a romantic entanglement like he needed a French manicure.

Alex sighed and closed his eyes, trying to ignore thoughts of Juli as he enjoyed the feel of the sun on his eyelids. He must have drifted off to sleep, because the next thing he knew, he felt a shadow fall across his chest. He opened one eye and peered up at Juli.

She wasn’t smiling.

“Did Phyllis put her top back on?” Alex asked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact she did.”

Alex yawned, stretching his arms overhead. “Too bad for Jake.”

“I’m not concerned about Jake right now. What I’m concerned about is the fact that you intend to handcuff me in my room during the pirate heist.”

Alex groaned and closed his eyes again. “Phyllis told you?”

“Never mind who told me. Were
you
ever planning to clue me in?”

He opened his eyes and sighed. “Come on, Juli—”

“Don’t
come on Juli
me,” she said, her eyes flashing with indignation and something that looked a lot like hurt. “I thought we agreed I wasn’t a prisoner. I thought I was going to be a part of the team out here. I thought—”

“Juli, there’s a lot you don’t know about this mission. A lot you’re better off not knowing about us, about me, about what we’re all doing here.”

“Like what?”

Alex threw up his hands in exasperation. “Did you just miss the part where I said you’re better off not knowing?”

Juli rolled her eyes. “Give me an
example
then. What’s so top secret?”

“Has it really not occurred to you that we don’t exactly fit the profile of real pirates? That there’s probably more to this mission than you realize?”

“Gee, Alex, no it didn’t. I thought pirate heists were really what you did for a living.”

“Juli, let it go. Seriously. Just let it go.”

She folded her arms over her chest and stared hard at him. “And you’ll do what?”

“Huh?”

“What will you do for me if I let it go?”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “I don’t know that you’re in a position to be negotiating.”

Juli sighed. “How about a challenge then?”

“A challenge?”

“Right. Give me a chance to win the right to help you guys with the heist.”

“Juli, I really don’t think—”

“Just one chance.”

He sighed. “What sort of challenge do you have in mind?”

“A game.”

Alex snorted. “I’ve played games with you twice now. The first time I had my sexual prowess mocked onstage in front of several hundred strangers, and the second time I got roped into giving you a foot massage.”

“You got a foot job out of the deal, if I recall.”

“Foot job?”

“Like a hand job, except—”

“Right.”

“And we both ended up five hundred dollars richer in the first game, sailor boy. It wasn’t all bad, was it?”

No
, he thought as he watched her moving fluid and warm under that bikini top. Watched her eyes flash with fury and passion and that quirky brand of humor he was pretty sure had been keeping them all from throwing themselves overboard in the midst of all this high-seas drama.

Definitely not all bad.

“Fine.” Alex sighed, sensing there was no way he could possibly win an argument with Juli.
Ever
. “What are you thinking?”

“One game of Battleship. My rules. If I win, no handcuffs. And I get to be a part of this mission.”

“And if I win—”

“You can handcuff me without argument. I’ll sit in my cabin like a good little wench while you four go off to pillage and plunder.”

“You make it sound so tawdry.”

“Isn’t it?” she asked.

“Probably.”

“Do we have a deal?”

Alex considered for a moment. “One game of Battleship?”

“One game.”

“Winner takes all?”

“You could say that.”

“Sounds easy enough.”

Juli smiled. “You’ve never played with me before.”

Alex tried to ignore the dread pooling in his gut. At least he thought it must be dread, but lust was another contender. It was tough to tell these days. “Why do I have a feeling there’s more to this game than you’re letting on?”

“There’s always more to the game,” Juli said, looking him up and down once before turning away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a date with Cody to catch our dinner.”

***

“So what are we fishing for?” Juli asked, adjusting her pole as she glanced over at Cody’s hulking frame.

Cody leaned out over the railing and fiddled with his line. “A sailfish or a marlin would be great, but I have a really good recipe for zebra-striped wahoo that I’ve been wanting to try.”

“You too?” Juli mused as she cleaned the lenses of her sunglasses on the hem of her shirt.

Cody grinned, either appreciating her humor or genuinely anticipating a recipe exchange. Juli wasn’t sure. She still couldn’t figure out how to read Cody.

At any rate, it was nice to be out here with him in the sunshine, enjoying at least a brief, uncomplicated interlude in a journey that hadn’t had many uncomplicated moments thus far.

“I can’t believe how big these poles are,” she said, adjusting hers to let a little more line run out. She glanced at Cody, whose impressive bulk made the pole look like a chopstick in his hands.

“Deep sea fishing is pretty different than fishing in lakes or rivers back home,” Cody agreed. “I’m just glad I brought the ingredients to prepare a variety of marine life. I mean some of the basic staples are the same, but obviously you wouldn’t use alder to wood-fire a Pompano filet the way you might with salmon or something.”

“Obviously.”

“Anyway, I’m really glad we have the chance to catch fresh fish out here.”

“Me too,” Juli agreed. “Your cooking is fabulous.”

Cody’s cheeks flushed pink, and he adjusted his line as Juli leaned forward, admiring the sparkle of the ocean beneath them. She listened to the wet smack of waves hitting the side of the boat and considered how terrifying that sound might have been just a week ago. Now that she had her sea legs, she was actually beginning to enjoy the water.

Just to be safe, though, she gave an extra tug on the straps of her personal flotation device and checked for the hundredth time to make sure she was properly tethered to the side of the boat. No sense taking any chances. Satisfied she wasn’t about to topple into the water, she grasped her fishing pole again and turned her attention back to Cody.

“So how did you get to be a pirate, Cookie?” Juli asked, trying to keep her tone innocent.

Cody’s smile evaporated, and he looked down at his feet, suddenly very interested in the toe of his sandal.

“Alex said we’re not supposed to talk with you about our mission,” Cody said apologetically. “And Jake still thinks you might be a spy.”

“I promise you, I’m not a spy. I tried to join the CIA once, but they required this polygraph test, and I kind of screwed that up.”

“That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Well, there was this whole complicated family business with the mob and—well anyway, it didn’t work out.”

Cody sighed. “I’d better not say much. Alex doesn’t want us to give details, and I don’t want to make Alex mad.”

“Is he—violent?”

Cody looked startled. “Alex? No. Not violent.”

“What about Jake?”

Cody shrugged. “They’re nice guys.”

“Nice guys can do bad things.”

“Not these ones.”

The vehemence in his voice was enough to make Juli drop the subject. She studied the side of his face, waiting for more information.

“So how long have you known Alex?”

Cody thought about it. “Three years or so. He was a lot higher up the food chain at—well, at work. But he was always really nice to me. Invited me to be in the football pool and took me out for a drink when I got picked as employee of the month, even though he was a big shot at the company and I was just a—”

He stopped, then frowned down at his feet. He’d obviously been coached not to reveal his job title or company name.

Juli smiled. “That sounds like Alex. I mean, I don’t know him well, but he doesn’t seem like a guy who’s very hung up on job titles or who makes how much money or the lines between one level of employee and another.”

Cody looked at her oddly for a moment, then turned back to the ocean. “I guess not,” he agreed.

“What?”

Cody shrugged. “Jake’s known Alex a lot longer than I have. He says Alex almost got married once.”

“Married?”

“To someone besides you, I mean.”

“Right,” Juli said, annoyed at the sudden pang of jealousy that socked her in the gut. “So what happened?”

“Alex hadn’t gotten his job at—well, he wasn’t in a job that made much money yet. And the lady he was planning to marry wasn’t happy about that. She wanted to start having kids right away and stay home with them, and she couldn’t do all that if they both had to work, right?”

“I see. So she—”

“She left. Married someone else. A dentist, I think.”

Juli swallowed. “And Alex?”

Cody shrugged again. “I don’t know. I think he had a lot of girlfriends, but they weren’t really around very long. He worked a lot but—” Cody stopped himself and looked at Juli. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this stuff.”

Juli blinked. As intent as she’d been on fishing information out of the crew, there was something about this that felt a little too personal. Cody was right. She should let the subject drop. “It’s okay. I won’t tell Alex. It does give me a little more insight into who he is, though.”

Cody nodded. “And now we all know who you are. World’s Smartest Woman. That’s kind of cool.”

Juli gritted her teeth. “Sometimes it is.”

“Being smart seems like a good thing.”

“It is, but—” she stopped herself, not wanting to feel more pathetic than she already did. “It is.”

Cody looked at her. “But?” He gave his fishing line a tug, but he didn’t take his eyes off her. “But you’re too smart for most men.”

She stared at Cody, taken aback by his observation. “Well, I—I guess that’s part of it. Too smart, I mean. But the smart thing maybe makes me a little—well, different.”

Cody grinned. “That’s why you fit in with us then.”

He turned back to the ocean then and became absorbed in adjusting something on his pole. Juli just stared at him, struck by this new side of Cody. She’d pegged him as just another dumb jock in an apron—not that she’d met many dumb jocks in aprons, but she knew the type.

It was obvious now there was more to Cody than she’d guessed.

Suddenly, Cody jerked forward. Juli stepped back and watched as something gave a vicious yank on the end of his line.

“Fish!” Juli shrieked. “Cody, you have a fish!”

“Cookie.”

“
Cookie!
Get the fish!”

She watched Cody’s enormous shoulders strain as he worked the reel, pulling his catch toward the boat. He leaned back, sweat springing up on his forehead as his pole bent nearly in half. He kept cranking on the reel, working it expertly as he brought the fish in closer.

“Holy cow, it must be huge!” Juli panted.

“It’s heavy!”

“Don’t fall in!”

“Get the net!”

Juli squealed and grabbed the net they’d set on the deck behind them. Cody grunted, and Juli held the net out, braced to capture the monster fish. Cody gave another heave, his apron fluttering in the breeze, and he jerked the line.

“Ohmygod!”

Juli closed her eyes and lifted the net, bending her knees a little to brace herself. There was a loud grunt from Cody and then something heavy dropped into the net. Juli’s shoulders sagged, and the net hit the deck with a thud.

She opened her eyes. They both stared at their catch.

“You think we should poach it in a court bouillon?”

Juli looked at the waterlogged shipping crate, empty and covered with grimy barnacles. “Maybe with an aspic glaze?”

Cody grinned. “That sounds delicious.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Alex stared at Juli in disbelief. It was 8:00 p.m., and he was back in her stateroom—against his better judgment—and sitting on her bed—
really
against his better judgment.

But it wasn’t his judgment giving him heart palpitations at the moment.

Juli smiled. “You’ve never played Battleship this way?”

Somehow, her voice was both innocent and taunting all at once. Alex grimaced and ignored the fact that he desperately wanted to shove the game boards aside and toss her back against the pillows.

He sighed. “I don’t actually recall reading about this in the instruction booklet.”

“Are you chicken?”

“Chicken? No. Sane? Yes. This wasn’t part of the deal we made.”

“One game, my rules. You agreed.”

“You failed to tell me the rules.”

“You’re just afraid you’ll lose.”

Alex shook his head, wishing like hell all the blood didn’t leave his brain whenever Juli came around. “I am
not
afraid I’ll lose,” he insisted.

“Then what is your problem?”

“My problem is that I’m not in the habit of playing Strip Battleship with insane women who’ve stowed away on my boat.”

“That is a problem.” She opened the box top and began unpacking the game parts.

Alex watched her and tried to ignore the little voice in his head that insisted any game that offered the possibility of seeing Juli naked was definitely worth playing. And fine, if he had to admit it, the game did sound fun.

“What’s wrong with regular Battleship?” he asked.

“I’ve been playing regular Battleship with Jake and Phyllis and Cody for three days,” she said. “I’m bored with it.”

“I see. So if I’d only agreed to play sooner, I’d be off the hook and Cody would be down here ready to lose his boxers.”

Juli grinned as her gaze traveled down his shoulders and chest and lingered awhile in the middle before journeying back up. She shrugged. “Probably not,” she said. “I know how to pick my battles wisely.”

He sighed and grabbed one of the game boards from her. “Fine. One game.”

She laughed. “That’s the spirit. You’re going down!”

“If my memory serves correctly, I already did.”

Juli’s cheeks turned pink. “Thanks for that.”

“My pleasure,” Alex said, grinning. “Truly,
my pleasure.
”

Her color went from pink to bright crimson, and Alex couldn’t believe how beautiful she was. He considered offering to skip the game and satisfy her again.

“Let’s play.” Juli popped open her game board, angling it carefully away from him as she began sorting the white pegs from the red ones.

“Give me some of those,” Alex muttered. “Do I have all my ships?”

“There should be five. An aircraft carrier, a destroyer, a submarine, a patrol boat, and of course, your battleship.”

“Quit looking at my board.”

“Relax, sailor boy. I’m not that desperate to see you naked.”

Alex snorted and began placing his boats on the game board in strategic locations.

“G4,” Juli said, eyeing him.

“Will you wait a minute?”

“Hurry up.”

“Fine, I’m ready. What did you say again—G4?”

“Well not now. Now you’ve had a chance to move your pieces around. B9.”

“Miss,” Alex said, pleased she’d failed to hit him on the first try. He angled his board a little, shielding it from her view.

“Your turn,” she said as she smirked at him.

Alex glanced at her over the top of his game board, considering his move. Juli leaned forward, dashing his hopes of catching a glimpse at her board but giving him a nice glimpse down the front of her shirt.

“C6,” he said, tearing his eyes away from the view.

“Miss,” Juli said, clearly delighted. “E2.”

Alex frowned. “Hit.”

“Excellent! And I’ll take your shirt, please.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “You got to pick the game. You don’t get to pick the clothing. Have a shoe.”

He reached down and pulled off his deck shoe, handing it to her without ceremony. Juli shrugged and took the shoe from him, tucking it behind her on the bed.

“Makes no difference to me,” she said. “I’ll have it all before too long.”

“A6,” Alex said, ignoring her.

“Miss! E3.”

“Ha! Miss. J7.”

“Hit!” Juli shrieked, and Alex felt himself grinning at her enthusiasm. She leaned down and pulled off her flip-flop and Alex grew light-headed as he tried not to look down the front of her blouse again.

“Here you go,” Juli said, slapping the shoe into his palm with more force than needed. “And I’ll take F2, please. And how about your wristwatch, if it’s a hit. Which I know it is.”

“It’s a hit,” Alex said, unsnapping his watch. “What, you don’t want the other shoe?”

She accepted the watch with a smile, brushing her fingernails over his wrist in a way he was sure was deliberate. “Just trying to keep things interesting,” she said.

“Right. Because we were running the risk of boredom.”

Juli grinned, and Alex had to admit he was beginning to enjoy losing. Not as much as he’d probably enjoy winning, but still.

“I7.”

“Good guess. Hit,” Juli said and handed him her other flip-flop. “And since it hasn’t sunk yet, I’ve obviously got either your aircraft carrier or your battleship, so let’s go with D2.”

“Miss! Ha!”

“I’m still sinking your boat, sailor boy. You won’t be laughing when I get your other shoe.”

Alex studied his board. “Actually, I might. The shoes smell pretty bad.”

“All this charm, how did I get so lucky marrying you?”

“Can it and play, blondie. H7.”

“Hit. You sank my submarine.”

“Excellent. And hand over your top.”

“Patience, Pirate Alex, patience,” Juli said, grinning at him as she moved her fingers to the buttons on her blouse. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes challenging him.

“You sure about this?”

Alex tried not to stare, then gave up. The game was her idea, after all. Wasn’t staring the whole point? “Positive,” he said, ignoring the voice in his head that told him he wasn’t being a gentleman. “Take it off.”

Juli grinned, apparently unconcerned with gentlemanly conduct. With obvious deliberateness, she began to unfasten the buttons on her blouse. She started at the bottom, her fingers graceful and nimble as she slid the metal bits through the fabric, angling her torso away from him slightly to impede his view. She held the edges of the shirt together, not showing any skin at all, taking her time.

Alex swallowed hard, trying to remain unaffected but failing miserably. He couldn’t see a thing, not even a sliver of skin as she worked the buttons, deftly holding the shirt closed. Even so, he found himself struggling just to breathe evenly. Juli clutched the edges of the blouse together with one hand, her modesty somehow more arousing to him than if she’d just torn the shirt right off. Her other hand reached the last button and hesitated. She looked at him and smiled, her fingers poised at the final buttonhole.

Alex didn’t breathe.

Juli unfastened the last button.

Alex blinked. “You’re wearing a tank top underneath? That’s not fair.”

Juli laughed, visibly pleased with herself. “Life’s not fair, sailor boy. Technically, it’s a camisole and not a tank top. G2.”

Alex frowned and glanced down at his board. He’d forgotten for a moment they were even playing a game. And dammit, there was his boat, on the verge of sinking.

“Hit,” he muttered.

“The other shoe, please.”

Alex sighed and handed it over.

“Bet you’re sorry you didn’t wear socks, huh?” Juli chirped. “You could last a whole lot longer if you had.”

“Your concern for my staying power is touching. Unnecessary, but touching. Let’s try F5.”

“Miss. H2.”

Alex sighed. “Hit. You sank my funny-looking whatever boat.”

“That’s your battleship. Have you never played this before?”

“Not since high school. And I don’t recall anyone taking my clothes from me at the time.”

“Pity. Hand over the shirt.”

Alex pulled the T-shirt over his head, conscious of Juli’s eyes on him. Conscious of the fact that she wasn’t even pretending not to stare.

She kept watching him, her eyes wide, her voice silent for the first time all evening.

“What?” he asked, settling back on the bed as he handed her the shirt. Juli reached out and took it, a smile crossing her face as her fingers closed around the cotton. The color had risen in her cheeks, and her eyes were still fixed on his chest. She glanced up, meeting his eyes.

“My my, Pirate Alex,” she said, her voice teasing. “We’ve been doing our ab workouts, haven’t we?”

“Phyllis would beat me up if I didn’t. She’s been the office drill sergeant for the last twenty years.”

“Office?”

“Stop chatting and play. H10.”

“Miss. I5.”

“Miss,” he said. “C3.”

“Miss. D7.”

“Miss,” he said. “How long are we going to do this?”

“Until I win and you’re naked. Did you miss that part of the plan?”

Alex shook his head and grinned. “You’re nuts, you know that? H2.”

“Miss. You suck at this.”

“I don’t see you getting any hits.”

“A1.”

“Damn,” he said. “Hit.”

“Yes! Shorts, please.”

Alex raised an eyebrow at her. “This is your idea of fair?”

“Fair?”

“You’ve got a tank top, a bra, your shorts, and underwear. You started with a lot more clothing than I did.”

“You sure about the underwear?” Juli asked, crossing her legs with a saucy smile. “Maybe I’m going commando again.”

Alex ignored the sudden rush of blood to his head as he stood up and stripped off his cargo shorts. He kept his eyes on Juli, almost hoping to see her blush or turn away. Anything to see he was beating her at her own game. Instead, she stared openly, her gaze approving as she sat there in her thin little tank top—a garment that, honestly, left little to the imagination. Did she even have a bra under there? He couldn’t tell.

Alex kicked his shorts aside and Juli grinned. Alex sat back down on the bed and pulled his game board close.

“Boxer briefs,” Juli said, smirking at him over the top of her board. “You have excellent taste in underwear.”

“Quit ogling and play. C9.”

“Hit. It’s about time, sailor boy.”

“And yet, you’re still wearing a top.”

He sat back and watched her, no longer caring that it was a piggish thing to do. She’d suggested this game after all, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t expected to lose an article of clothing or two.

You knew full well you’d both end up naked.

He should probably feel bad about that, but he was too busy watching Juli to care at the moment.

She stood and, with an unself-conscious grin, stripped off her top. Alex watched her arms crossing and uncrossing beneath the flimsy fabric, her ribs appearing one by one like a row of piano keys. Her belly was flat and firm, her navel the perfect dimple in the middle of it all.

And just like that, she was standing in front of him in her bra. A bra that left nothing to the imagination.

“Jesus,” Alex muttered, wishing he were a better man who could force himself to look away politely. “If Phyllis had worn that bra this morning, Jake would have had an aneurism and fallen overboard.”

“You think?” she said, grinning through her mock simper. She pivoted a little, clearly enjoying the effect she was having on him.

“I think that bra might be illegal in several states.”

“It’s sheer.”

“No kidding.”

“The lace is French.”

“God bless the French.”

“So where were we?” Juli asked, sitting back down. “My turn, right?”

“What?”

“B1,” she said. “And stop staring.”

“Miss. D9. And if you didn’t want me to stare, you wouldn’t have suggested the game.”

“Good point,” she said, grinning. “Also, that was a hit. Now you’ve got a choice to make.”

Alex was feeling light-headed, not sure he was up for any decision more important than what sort of preserves to have on his toast in the morning.

He looked at her. “What choice?”

“A choice. Shorts or bra?”

Alex swallowed. “I get to choose?”

“It’s the least I can do, since you’re going to be naked on the next round anyway. You may have several ships left, but you’re out of clothes. Your game is up, Pirate Alex.”

Juli’s eyes flashed in challenge. Alex watched the slow rise and fall of her chest, her breasts moving with the weight of her breath. A gold curl drifted lightly over her shoulder, coming to rest against the sheer lace of her bra. Her nipple tightened.

Alex made a noise in his throat. Juli smiled, her breath coming faster now. She pushed the curl back and met his gaze.

“What’s it going to be, sailor boy?”

“Neither.”

Her eyes registered surprise. “Neither?”

“Neither. I want something else.”

Her face flushed, and he watched the column of her throat ripple as she swallowed. She rested a hand on her game board, her fingers brushing the forgotten ships along the clear surface.

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

“What do you think?”

She bit her lip. “I thought we weren’t going to do this.”

“You’re the one who suggested getting naked. You started it. Did you really think it wouldn’t end up like this?”

She smiled. “My intent was to get your defenses down. Anything else was just a bonus. The stripping seemed like an easy way to win.”

“Yeah? That mirror over my shoulder probably helped too.”

Juli’s eyes widened in surprise. “You knew about that?”

“It was pretty obvious. You could see my board the whole time.”

She laughed “But you didn’t say anything.”

“We’re both mostly naked now. At this point, is there really a winner or a loser?”

Juli stared, words obviously failing her. Alex stared right back, cooler than he actually felt.

“So now what?” Juli asked, her voice almost a whisper.

“Well, the way I see it, we’ve got a couple choices.”

“Only two?”

“Option one—”