by Vivian Wood
“It’ll be warm enough in a minute that you’ll wish it was less so,” I promise everyone.
Mal comes up to whisper in my ear. “I think the weather means we had better keep today pretty short.”
I nod to her. “Works for me. I think it’s going to rain before long anyway.”
The clients are already looking around the shelter, curious about their surroundings. I imagine they are glad to be off the boat.
One of the engineers has a pack full of canned wine and sodas. He cracks that open and passes them out.
I take a seat at the plain wood table in the corner. Now that everyone is relaxing and chatting again, I feel less pressure to stay alert.
Luna sits down across from me with a gentle smile. “Hey.”
I glance at her. Other than being a bit windblown, she looks perfect, the apples of her cheeks reddened. “Hey.”
To my surprise, she pulls out a long, thin box made of light colored wood. “Want to play chess or checkers?”
Arching a brow, I shrug. “Sure. Why not?”
She smiles, unpacking the board. Her fingers stir over the pieces. She glances up at me. “Why don’t we start with checkers? I get a little bit too competitive over chess.”
Her cheeks darken a little as she starts setting the flat round pieces on the checkerboard pattern. For some reason, that makes me smile.
A part of me is very curious what Luna looks like when she’s really trying to win.
“Okay,” she says, straightening a checker. She looks up at me. “Are you all right with being red?”
I nod. “That’s fine by me.”
We start to play, each of us moving fairly quickly through our opening gambits.
Luna dampens her lips, looking up at me with those blue eyes of hers. “What do you do when you’re not captaining a ship, Gabe?”
She catches me off guard, asking the question just as I turn a wary eye toward the sky above. If I’m not mistaken, the sky has darkened even in the half an hour that we’ve been here. It takes me a second to process her question.
“Umm…” I sit back, making a face. “I don’t know. I work on my other boat a lot. It’s kind of a piece of junk, but it feels good to work on something.” I sigh. “I don’t know. Sometimes I go to the movies with my sister.”
Luna looks down at the chess board before her, moving a piece. “So you don’t hit the clubs in Las Vegas regularly, then?”
A huff of laughter escapes me. I look over to make sure Mal isn’t within earshot, then I shake my head. “Definitely not. That was bizarre behavior on my part, not to be repeated.”
A corner of Luna’s mouth curls up. “Yeah. The fact that we… you know… met back there… and then we work together now…” She shakes her head. “It’s a total fluke.”
I shift in my hard wooden seat, just a little uncomfortable with the topic. “Yeah. A fluke. I definitely never thought that I would see you again, that’s for sure.”
Luna looks up at me, her gaze seeming to go right through my flesh. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing, Gabe?”
Before I can answer that, Mal calls to me. “Hey. The guests want to look around outside. You were right, it is warm in here.” She flashes a smile. “We’ll be within shouting distance, okay?”
I nod at her, watching everyone else leave the shelter. Luna shivers, glancing back to where they filed out the door.
“I guess we don’t have to worry about being overheard now.”
I just slide a checker piece forward, unsure how to answer that. “I should check on the fire,” I rumble, getting up.
“Oh! Let me just—" Luna says, standing up.
As I go, I catch a delicate scent… not perfume exactly… but definitely feminine. Unable to help myself, I lean closer to Luna, curious.
She turns her head at just the right moment, her lips brushing my cheek. Her eyes widen.
“Oh, I’m sorry— “
For a second, I can’t hear her excuse. I see her lips moving.
I remember how they felt pressed against mine when we were in that club in Vegas. I’ve never kissed anyone quite like Luna before or since; sinuous, weaving herself all around me, sucking at my air.
I want to have that again. Without thinking it through, I slide a hand behind her back and press her close.
I forgot how electric things between us were. Just standing here, we throw off sparks.
I lean down at the same time as she tips her head up. Our mouths meet, hers so sweet and hot that for a second I am seared through.
This.
This energy, bouncing back and forth between us.
This is what I still crave.
She makes a soft sound, pressing up onto her tiptoes. I growl into her mouth, deepening the kiss and closing my eyes.
Suddenly a clap of thunder breaks through into the haze. My eyes shoot open and I look up at the sky.
With another crackle of lightning, a hard rain starts falling. A few drops at first, but only half a minute later it’s pouring.
“Oh!” Luna says, stepping back from me.
Mumbling a curse, I help her pack up the chess board. “We have to get back to the boat. We could be stuck here otherwise.”
“Do you have my medical bag?” she asks.
I nod, my jaw tensing. “I’ll bring it.”
Hurrying her out the door, I see Mal running back into the clearing. “Back to the boat?”
I nod. “As fast as we can go.”
We herd everyone up and drive them back to the sea. I follow last, letting Mal go first.
Luna hangs back and watches me like a hawk. “We’re okay, right?”
I glance up at the sky as we rush through the woods. “We should be fine.”
If that lightning stays away while we are loading the boat, anyhow…
When we break out of the trees, Luna stumbles. I pick her up, holding her hand in mine.
In a moment of crisis, it just feels natural. I don’t give my grip on her hand much thought because soon we are rushing down to the beach and getting on the skiffs.
As I’m helping Luna on board, there is a quick moment between us. Our eyes meet. That same electricity cracks in the air between us, as potent as lightning.
“Thanks,” she says softly.
I nod, jumping in the little boat right behind her. We waste no time in hightailing it back to the yacht.
Once the last person has boarded the ship and headed downstairs to ride out the storm, I finally feel like I can breathe again.
But that same energy that Luna and I somehow created is still surrounding me, even lingering into the wee hours.
In the dark I lay in my bed and think about her, despite knowing full well that she is not for me.
16
Luna
“There you go,” I say, finishing wrapping Sofia’s ankle. “You should stay off of it as much as you can for the next few days, okay?”
“Thank you,” she replies tearfully. “I cannot believe that this happened while we were on vacation.”
I stand up in the master bedroom, gathering up my supplies and putting them into my leather medical bag. “It’ll feel like a new ankle in no time. But for today I would like you to have a few ibuprofen, just to take the swelling down and manage the pain.”
I raise a small pill bottle, shaking the contents. She looks at me gratefully.
“Thank you again, doctor.”
My smile tightens a hair. I’ve tried to explain to the clients that I’m not a doctor yet, but obviously my protests haven’t been heard.
“No problem. I’ll send Emma in to fetch you something to drink.”
She bobs her head, dismissing me without another thought. As I turn, I’m a little taken aback.
Gabe’s words come back to me. I bet they’ll treat you like the rest of us sooner or later.
He was wiser than I gave him credit for, apparently. Though Sofia didn’t exactly snub me, she definitely forgot I was even in the room there at the
end.
Which makes me wonder… have I ever treated anyone like that? Surely not… right?
A sigh breaking on my lips, I head to find Emma and let her know that Sofia needs something to drink.
Then I head back down the hall, lugging my medical bag.
“Luna.”
I pause, my brow knitting. “Gabe?”
He ducks out of an invisible-to-me doorway. He lifts his chin in greeting. “Come here.”
Curious, I follow the place I just saw him disappear into. To my surprise his doorway is built into the hallway’s sleek wood finish. If I wasn’t looking at it, I wouldn’t even know it was there.
He stands in a tiny bedroom, ducking a little because the ceiling is too low for someone his height.
“Is this where you sleep?” I ask, feeling dumb. I hadn’t really thought much about it, other than noticing that he has a hammock strung up in the pilothouse. I guess I just thought he sleeps there.
Gabe shrugs. “Yeah, for this trip. Sometimes this bunk belongs to a client, but not this voyage.”
I step inside, my eyes scanning the tight quarters. He has a small port hole that is currently letting a little light in. And to the right side of the bed is a small nightstand, with a couple of silver framed photographs, a tiny white lamp, and a pile of books.
“It’s nice,” I say, my eyes still roving. “Cozy.”
Gabe sits down on the bed, his eyes narrowing slightly. “What, does is not meet with your approval, Lady Leone?”
I flush. “Did you call me in here just to antagonize me, Gabe?”
He rolls his eyes. “No. Tonight Mal is in charge of piloting the boat, so I thought…” He turns to the nightstand, opening the single drawer. Producing a bottle of amber liquid and two glasses, he raises a brow. “Want to share a glass of whiskey?”
My surprise shows on my face, I think. “Oh! Uhh… sure.”
Stepping inside the room fully, I put my heavy medical bag down with a thud. Gabe stands up and closes the door partially with his shoulder.
I arch my brow and he just shrugs. “The clients don’t know that this room even exists. I’d rather keep it that way, if that’s all right with you.”
Butterflies start flapping their wings somewhere below my ribcage. I nod nervously, taking a seat on the silky black comforter that covers the bed.
He presses the door closed all the way, then finds his seat again. It’s a queen sized bed so at least we aren’t sitting all over each other… but my stomach won’t stop flip flopping at his closeness.
He pours us both a dram of whiskey, handing me my glass. I accept it, biting my lip.
Gabe puts the bottle on the floor with a clank, then lifts his glass in the air. “To having a night off.”
Smiling softly at his toast, I clink my glass against his. “Cheers.”
We each take sips of the whiskey. It burns on the way down but it isn’t too harsh. He seems interested in my reaction more than anything.
“Did I already tell you that my brother owns a bar?” I ask.
He smirks. “You did. I remember, you like a French 75.”
I grin at him. “Well, my brother really really loves whiskey. Thus, I have learned to like it.” I wrinkle my nose. “Well, sort of.”
He nods, taking another sip. Then he stretches out on the bed, his back resting against the wall. “I see. What’s your brother’s name?”
I set my glass of whiskey on the bed. “Luca. He’s married to my best friend Cate… and there is also my other best friend, Harper.” I think for a second. “Actually, Harper was the one who invited me to the yachting gala.”
He looks thoughtful. “Oh. A little taller than you, with dark hair and a pink dress?”
I nod. “That’s the one.”
“I see.” He takes a sip of his whiskey and then sets his glass aside onto the nightstand. “You’ve already met my sister. And she’s pretty much my only confidante, so…”
He spreads his hands. Smiling at that, I nod.
“Yeah. It must be nice, having a sister that’s so close.”
He shrugs. “Mal is pretty awesome. I wanted to have a brother, but I guess my parents were done with having kids.”
Chewing on my lower lip, I take my time in responding to that.
“Maybe it wasn’t a choice. Maybe your parents struggled to conceive.”
His eyebrows fly up. “I guess? It’s possible. I don’t like to think about it. Not that I could ask now anyway…”
That makes me look up. “Why not?”
A tense look crosses his face. “I’m not really talking to my mom. And my dad… well, you met him. He is not the kind of dad you ask about… you know… women’s stuff.”
“Did you and your mother have a falling out?” I ask.
Gabe stretches his neck, making his answer seem more cavalier. “We disagreed over the course my life was taking a few years ago. I told her to butt out, she wouldn’t do it…” He shrugs a shoulder. “It was a stupid fight, but now it just seems too hard to talk to her.”
Sucking in a breath, I decide to tell him a little more of my story. “Luca and I were raised almost entirely by people who weren’t our mother. My mother was very young when she had us. And… it was easier for her, I think. To just leave us in the care of that year’s nanny and telephone on holidays.”
He nods very slowly. “I see. That was probably hard to understand as a kid.”
Now it’s my turn to shrug. “I guess. I don’t remember it being on my mind a lot.”
Grabbing his whiskey, he has another sip. I do too, to fill the spaces in our conversation.
“Do you want a family?” he asks.
I look up, a little surprised. “Why do you ask?”
He looks down at the glass of whiskey in his hands. “I just… I don’t know. I wonder if I could do it better than my parents did.”
His mouth twists to the side and he sloshes the last bit of whiskey around in the glass.
“I think I could, sometimes. But other times I’m just like… I don’t know. My parents were years younger than me and they had so much responsibility…”
He trails off, seeming absorbed in thought.
I take a deep breath. “Well, to answer your question… yes, I do. At least, I think so.” I pick up my glass, taking a sip. “I would at least let my children know that they were wanted, if I have them.”
When I look up at him again, he’s drinking me in with that eerie gaze of his. If I had a choice in the matter, he would only look at me just that way from now on. “You think that’s the only thing you’d do differently?”
I give him a little smile and shake my head. “No. It just sounds like the best place to start.”
“Ah.” He nods. “That makes sense.”
My eyes wander to the stack of books on his bedside table. I jerk my chin at them. “What does Captain Gabe read in his downtime?”
He glances over at the bedside table and then sets his glass down. “I like science fiction, usually. So I’ve got some Haruki Murakami here… and some old Neal Stephenson…” He fishes a book out of the pile. “And then this is a book of maps.”
I lift my eyebrows curiously. “What for?”
He puffs out his cheeks, flipping open to a page that’s been dog eared. “The yacht race that the gala was a fundraiser for? I’m in it.”
My cheeks redden. I know this, but to keep him talking, I will ask some questions. “Is this the course?”
I trace my finger along the sharpie marked there on the map.
Gabe nods. “Yeah. It’s actually more than just a race… it’s a treasure hunt. At the beginning of the summer, they mail out a list of clues to all the contestants. And we are supposed to chart our course based on that.” He glances up at me, spearing me with his blue-green eyes. “This is all very hush-hush. There are a ton of people who would kill for a leg up in this race.”
Oh god. Dr. Montgomery didn’t say why he would need Gabe’s chartered course, but it is all
sliding into place.
“Umm…” I stare down at the map, trying not to look too guilty. “Why? Why cheat?”
“Money.” He flips the map book closed. “There is a huge cash prize for the winner. Plus the winner gets first pick of yacht charters. Essentially there are like ten teams that are blue collar workers just like me… and every single one of us want to win the regatta.”
My eyes slide away into the corner. My mouth clamps shut. “Mm! Mm-hmm…”
Gabe puts the book of maps back on top of the stack of books, a smile on his face. “You don’t have to look so interested.”
My cheeks redden. I mumble into my glass. “Sorry. I… I got distracted.”
“By what?” he asks, casually flinging his hands around. “There is nothing here.”
My heart pounds. I look at him, biting my lip. Would it be so wrong to mislead him about this?
It would only be the tiniest white lie…
“I was thinking of how your lips felt on mine,” I say, turning red as a beet.
Gabe’s eyebrows rise. “Were you?”
I nod, keeping eye contact with him. His blue-green gaze pins me in place. When his eyes drop down to my lips, I can’t help but wet them.
It might not have been true before, but it’s definitely true now. I want him to kiss me again.
I want to feel the way his big hands span my waist, pushing me into his heavy frame. I want him to make me feel the way I felt that night in Vegas.
I want him to pull those sounds and sighed pleas from my lips again.
He moves forward, his gaze alight with carnal intent. Before he even touches me, I swear I can feel it; maybe those are the echoes of our night together, come alive in my imagination.
Gabe reaches for me, one hand slipping to my back, one to cup my jaw. He tilts my head up, his movements slow and decided. He bites his lip, looking at me.
Then he kisses me, so slowly that it’s torturous, so hot that I can barely breathe. At first, he merely brushes his lips against mine, leaving me wanting. I clutch his t-shirt, pulling him closer, seeking what I know is there.
My skin feels alive suddenly, buzzing with the sensation of power. Power that builds with every second his lips are on mine.
