by Drea Stein
Darby almost blushed at that. Her wild side had only come out with Sean. With him her body felt powerful and sexy and, well, it just made the experiences, all of them, that much more exciting.
“So are you in?”
Sean checked his watch. “I have to be back in about an hour.”
“Can you stretch it to two?” Darby asked.
“Well, since you’re the captain, I guess I have to,” Sean said.
“Perfect. Here,” she said, going to the steering wheel, “you can cast off.”
#
Darby knew just where she wanted to take Sean. Dyer’s Cove wasn’t the only secluded spot in the harbor. She kept the speed low as she skirted the edge of the mooring field, then as they entered the channel, she pushed down on the throttle, and the boat leaped forward. Sean sat in the seat next to her, sunglasses on, leaning back, enjoying the sun.
“Want to take the wheel?” she asked.
“I suppose I’d better not hit anything with Big Reg’s boat.” He looked just like a kid who’d been given a free pass to a candy store.
“Nope, that would definitely not be a way to get on his good side,” Darby agreed. Sean stood and took the wheel in both hands. Just in case, she stood next to him, one hand near the throttle.
“We can cut to port—that’s left to you, landlubber, and head here,” she pointed toward a flat, low line of land. He turned the boat and had them headed in the right direction.
“And now you can go faster,” she said.
“How fast?”
“Pretty fast, since there’s no speed limit in this part of the harbor.”
Grinning, he pushed down on the throttle and the boat responded underneath him, charging forward. Sean gave a whoop as the boat surged through the water.
The little spit of land came into view quickly.
“Now we have to go in slow,” she said, and Sean eased down on the throttle.
“What do I do now?”
“Just keep going, nice and easy; I’m going to get the anchor ready.” Darby went up to the bow of the boat, checked the anchor and line and stood there, ready.
When they were about twenty feet out she told Sean to cut the engine. She dropped the anchor and the boat drifted, and then she felt as the anchor caught, digging into the bottom. She tied the anchor line down and went back into the cockpit.
“Now what?”
“We go ashore.”
Sean looked at the distance that separated them from the rocky beach.
“How?”
“We swim, then we wade in. Unless you’re afraid of getting wet?”
He shook his head. “Lead the way, sugar.”
“I told you not to call me that,’ she said, playfully.
“Yeah, but that was before you decided you liked me.”
“And I like you now?” she asked, her heart skipping a beat as she looked at him. He gave her a grin and then took her hand.
“I sure hope you do, because I’m beginning to like you.” He kissed her hand. “A lot.”
Darby didn’t want to think too much about what that meant. He liked her, but he said nothing about love. And that, Darby thought, drawing a breath, was a good thing, right? It was too soon to talk about more, to complicate things, even if both her brain and her heart were telling her differently.
“Like me enough to do this?” Darby quickly stripped off her shorts, leaving her in just her bikini. In one graceful move she stood up on the edge of the boat, turned so she was facing Sean, and did a back flip into the cool salty waters of Queensbay Harbor. She sank down into the water and then propelled herself upwards towards the light and the surface.
Sean was still in the boat, looking at her.
“Are you going to come in?” she asked.
He looked down at her and then into the water. “Are you sure that it’s safe in there?”
“What are you afraid of? Sharks? Seaweed.”
“Are you calling me chicken?”
“Absolutely,” she said.
“Well then, I guess if my manhood is in question, I need to prove myself.”
He went in headfirst and came up sputtering. “It’s cold.”
She laughed. “Only at first. It’s refreshing. C’mon.”
With that she set out toward the shore with steady, strong strokes.
Sean had said he wasn’t much of swimmer, but his long arms and legs propelled him forward so that he easily caught up with her.
They hit the sandy bottom of the beach at the same time and she turned over, so she was half in the water and half out, letting the sun and water wash over her. She had guided them around the lee side of the little island, where she knew they would have privacy. Around them, they could still hear the sounds of the harbor but it all seemed far away.
“So what do we do now?” he asked, turning over. She glanced at him with half-lidded eyes. He had shed his t-shirt and just wore his shorts. She allowed herself to admire the ripple of his stomach muscles before answering his question.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? What, we don’t explore, or . . . .”
“You could, but it’s really just a little hump of an island. There are a few trees and the birds like to nest here. So if you get too close, they’ll dive bomb you.”
“So we just sit here?”
“Yup, just sit here, the two of us.”
Sean looked around. “Ahh, I see what you mean. So what is this, your private little necking spot?”
Darby shrugged. “Not exactly. I mean, I heard about it when I was in high school, but no one would ever take me here.”
“Why not?” Sean asked.
“I don’t think any boy was brave enough to date me. My dad has a way of scaring off guys.”
“Really.” Sean had inched closer to her; she could feel it without looking at him. She relished the heat layered between the two of them.
“So this is some high school dream of yours to make out with a boy on your little lover’s beach.”
Darby nodded, “Pretty much. Too bad Daddy left me the keys to his boat and went on vacation an ocean away.”
Suddenly she was on her back, her head on the sand and he was over her, his body hovering, his lips just inches from her face. “Why, Darby Reese, aren’t you the bad girl!”
“Let’s just say I’m trying to play by my own rules,” she said, as she pulled his face down to hers. His mouth clamped over hers, and he let out a little moan as his arms slid down her shoulders to cup her breasts in his hand. His thumbs scraped against her already taut nipples and she arched her back into him. A knee slid between her legs, gently opening them up as his hand trailed down her bare stomach and ran a line along the top edge of her bikini bottom.
She could feel him, hard and ready for her, as she ran her hands through his hair and down the strong muscles of his back. She ground her hips up to him, already knowing she was ready for him.
“Are you sure we’re alone?” he whispered.
“Absolutely sure,” she managed to pant as his fingers slid into her bikini, finding and then gently brushing down her mound and into the v of her legs. She was slick and moist and his fingers moved in and out, pushing her, pushing her closer and closer to the edge until she practically sobbed his name.
His head came down and he took one of her nipples in his mouth and she let out a strangled cry as she felt her whole body draw tight with sensation. God, she wanted him; all she could think about was him inside her. She whispered, “Now, now,” but the only answer was a throaty chuckle as his mouth found her other nipple and she bucked against him as his fingers pushed her ruthlessly farther and farther.
Her arms tightened close around his shoulders and her body trembled. Then when she thought she could stand it no more, she felt her bathing suit bottom slide off and one of his hands returned between her legs, continuing to push her toward the edge. She saw him quickly remove his own shorts.
She looked up at him and could see that he was more than re
ady for her. She spread her legs for him and he took the invitation, plunging into her, riding her with quick, assured thrusts that pushed toward the edge and over it. Her head came back as she cried out, and he quickly silenced her with his own mouth as she felt him climax too.
She lay there for a moment, Sean’s weight on her. Her eyes were closed, and she opened them slowly. Above was still the cloudless blue sky. Around her was sand and water. A boat motor droned in the far off distance and she could hear her own heavy breathing, mingling with Sean’s.
Carefully he rolled over on his back so that he too was looking up at the sky.
“I’m sorry,” he said for a moment.
She panicked, wondering what for, what was coming next.
“I think you’re going to have sand in some places that will be pretty hard to get out.”
She laughed. “I’ve heard that’s one of the perils of sex on the beach, but all in all, I think it was worth it.”
“Worth it?’ Sean gave a grunt and then rolled over and kissed her. “That was pretty hot, Captain. It’s not every day that a guy gets pirated away for a little romantic interlude on the beach.”
“The joys of living by the water,” Darby murmured as she met his kiss.
#
“You know, you never told me why you decided to quit being a lawyer,” he said as they swam back to the boat.
She looked at him. “I did. I told you I didn’t want to sit in an office all day. And ever since I was a little girl I loved cooking for people.”
He looked at her, one hand hooked on the side of the boat, his legs treading water. “But that wasn’t your moment.”
“What do you mean by moment?”
He laughed, “You know, the moment when you knew that this was what you wanted to do.”
She didn’t answer at first, just ducked her head under water. When she came up he was still there, looking at her, not letting her get by without answering.
“I’d been working at my firm about two years. I’d been told I was on the fast track already, that if I put in my time and kept up the good work, I’d probably become a partner. It’s sort of like being handed the golden key. Not everyone gets told that, and it means that you get the best assignments, the right mentor. In other words, everyone is looking out for you.”
“What happened?”
“I walked into my mentor’s office. We were supposed to have our monthly ‘check in’ lunch and she was at her desk, tears streaming down her face, looking at a picture in a frame on her desk.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Apparently some big issue had come up and she had missed her kid’s concert. Again. And when I asked her about it, she burst into tears and said that she’d made a huge mistake, that she’d given up her dreams to do something safe, to make her parents proud and that not all the money in the world could compensate for her missing her kid growing up and not writing a book like she wanted to . . . . It went on and on and it turned out that she was miserable and that her advice to me was that if I ever had any dreams, that I should go for it sooner rather than later.”
Sean looked at her. “So what happened to her?”
“She quit,” Darby said, pulling herself up into the boat. Sean followed her. “And last I heard she became a teacher at the high school in her home town and was working on writing a novel.”
“And what did you do?” Sean asked.
“Enrolled in that class at the Culinary Academy,” Darby said, grinning. “Remember that?”
“I keep hoping you’ll forget it,” Sean said, looking at her closely. “Know that I’m not that person anymore. That a guy can change. Be changed by things that happen.”
Darby was about to give him a light answer, make a joke of it, but it seemed he wanted more.
“I never think of it anymore” she admitted, as she pulled him closer for a kiss.
Chapter 29
“And there you are.” Mandy’s voice floated above and across the open refrigerator door. Sean sighed as he shut it. He had actually thought that Mandy had checked out, but here she was again. He was in the middle of the dinner prep and the last thing he felt like doing was chatting with her.
“I thought I gave you my answer,” Sean said.
“Well, I have something that may change your mind,” Mandy said, looking at him, arms crossed so that they just managed to push her cleavage to the forefront of her blouse. Sean looked around, caught Kevin, the line cook, ogling her and snapped, “Get back to work.”
Mandy shook her head, “I thought you weren’t yelling at people anymore?” she said.
“That was speaking firmly,” Sean said as he carried the tray of pork ribs over to the counter.
“Well, whatever. Look, they’ve sweetened the pot,” Mandy said, her voice direct.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, his mind thinking ahead to the night’s dinner. The Osprey was booked solid and it promised to be a busy night. He was wondering if he had enough of the seafood special to go around.
“The producers. Apparently they really want you. The video that Will made, well it went viral, and now you’re an internet hit.”
Sean felt a flare of anger and took a deep breath. “I thought you were going to get that taken down.”
“Oh, I did, but apparently, not quite soon enough. It turned out better than you might think, since it means you’re a hot commodity to them now. Go in, audition for this, and I’ll let it be known you’re shopping around for a new gig and who knows who will bite? This could be it, the break you’ve been waiting for.”
All around them, the kitchen was warming up, beginning the dance necessary to prepare over a hundred dinners a night. Sean watched his crew, noted how a couple of his line chefs joked and chatted while they worked but still managed to stay focused. The waitresses were looking over the dinner specials, familiarizing themselves with the items. It was beginning to heat up in the kitchen but that’s what Sean expected. It was time to get cooking.
“Mandy,” he stopped and looked at her. “No way. My place is here. Tell them I’m not interested.”
“Look Sean, that was a great tactic, the first time, and it got you what you want, but I don’t think it will fly again. This time they’ll take a look at someone else.”
“What, like Will Green? They can have him, if they want him. No, seriously, Mandy, I’ve got a business to run.”
“But, Sean,” she leaned over and grabbed his arm, her talon-like nails digging into him. He took a deep breath, resisting the urge to throw her off.
“Seriously, Mandy, it’s time to move on, okay? I’m just not going to do it. Got it?” His voice rose a little, he noted, but no more than was necessary to make his point above the buzz and the hum of the busy kitchen.
“Are you saying you’re going to throw your career away over some little tramp? Looks like she’s trapped you good, Sean. I made you, don’t you know that? You can’t walk away from me.”
Sean almost saw red, at Mandy’s words. He wanted to defend Darby but realized it would only lead to a shouting match. He was about to calmly and rationally explain things to her when there was a loud bellow behind him.
He turned and saw that Kevin and one of the busboys, Sam, were toe-to-toe, eyes narrowed and fists balled. Sean moved quickly, out of instinct, sensing the fight before it actually happened.
“I told you to keep your hands off of her,” Kevin shouted, his finger pointing right at the center of Sam’s chest. Kevin emphasized each word with a definitive poke in the chest. Sean saw right away that Sam wasn’t going to take it.
“She’s eighteen, a grownup, able to do whatever she wants,” Sam said, his voice taunting.
“Look, guys,” Sean started to say, but he was a moment too late. Kevin took a swing at Sam, who ducked easily and grabbed Kevin low around the waist in a grapple. Kevin went staggering back toward a counter loaded with vegetables. Julienned carrots went flying as Kevin hit the counter hard.
Sean could sens
e all the other people in the kitchen drawing closer toward the action, forming a ring around the two duelers. It needed to be stopped. There wasn’t going to be any fighting in his kitchen.
Kevin got back up and Sean could see the rage coursing through him. With a swift movement he stepped in between Kevin and his adversary, but Kevin was quicker than he thought. He already had his fist out and no doubt he meant to catch Sam straight in the jaw but instead it caught Sean in his stomach, a good hard punch that knocked the wind out of him. Sean staggered back, his head hitting something and a blinding pain made everything go black for few seconds. He sensed rather than heard a few shocked screams, but then there was silence.
It took a moment for Sean to shake it off and when he did, Kevin was just standing there, staring at him, a mingled look of fear and horror in his face. Sean turned and saw the same look on Sam’s face.
He took a deep breath. “Kevin, go take five; get some fresh air.”
Kevin nodded, then murmured, “Yes, Chef.” Sean watched as he scooted out the back door.
Sean turned to Sam, who held up his hands. Before Sean could hear any of his stammered excuses, he cut him off.
“Sam, get a broom and a mop and clean this mess up.”
There was a pause and then the room seemed to swarm into action, everyone going back to their stations as if nothing had happened. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mandy slink off. Sean sighed. It was probably for the better. He didn’t have anything else to say to her, and right now, the back of his head was throbbing.
“Here.” All of a sudden Chase was in front of him, tossing him a bag of frozen peas. “These always seemed to help me when I got a whack in the head.”
#
It took a little while to sort things out. Sean took himself off to the bar area where Chase poured him a drink that Sean decided he didn’t need. Sam came in, apologized and then Kevin, after his ten-minute cool-off period, did the same. Sean even made sure they said sorry to each other and watched as the two them went back into the kitchen as if nothing had happened.
“Guess they were fighting over a girl,” Chase said, shaking his head.
