White-knuckled fingers clutched the metal frame as she stared out at the two pensive faces watching her through the grill.
“Okay, now it’s my turn.”
“Stay there, Naoki. Keep an eye out in case someone comes.”
“But—”
“Keep Kathy safe.”
Kathy started to protest, and then a shy smile emerged as she glanced towards Naoki. Naoki glowered, but Briana had already retreated into the shadows.
To regain feeling in her hands, she brushed them together. Granted, it was contrived, but she tossed a thumbs-up over her shoulder before venturing into the dark.
Before her, the planks of the pier faded into obscurity once the scope of the wire-meshed bulb lost its reach. Nerves numbed the tips of her fingers and set her hands to trembling. But she was determined to find something useful—something that would make Nick stand up and take notice.
Damn, I’m a fool.
To Briana’s right, a commercial craft jolted in its slip, the block letters Windward Explorer visible in the muted glow of the overhead bulb. As she progressed, it grew darker and more difficult to read the markings. The unearthly groan of the vessels made her conscious of the black water only a few steps in either direction. Briana battled images from the past that threatened to undermine her resolve. Instead, she concentrated on the slip numbers.
Twenty. Twenty-one. Twenty-two.
There it was. The Merryweather rolled lazily in the calm sea, its fifty-foot hull painted white with a thick band of color down the side. It looked like a slash of blood, but that was just her macabre imagination.
A flashlight really would have come in handy, but the darkness was an ally. Still, it was difficult to make out anything on the trawler’s deck. In these shadows any sort of atrocity was feasible, and Briana’s mind ran rampant with sinister possibilities. Cautiously, she drew closer, holding onto a wooden pillar for support. Splinters jabbed her palm, but she only gripped tighter, leaning over the edge of the jetty for a better view.
There it was. Or, at least she thought it was a pump. The hulking contour looked suspicious and mechanical by all means, and certainly not conventional fishing paraphernalia for a rented trawler. A precarious shift of her foot angled her in for a closer inspection.
Oh yeah, definitely a dredging mechanism. Now she could see the tell-tale steel net hanging limply from a winch. There was no way this equipment belonged on a civilian craft.
Goose bumps dimpled her skin even though nightfall had not diminished the muggy heat. It was so damn hard to see as she locked one hand on the splintered column and the other splayed in the air for balance. She tested her limits and leaned further out, close enough to glimpse a hint of residue inside that limp net.
From the black shadows beneath the pier, a hand shot up and seized her arm.
Briana choked on a scream. She pitched forward into the jaws of the void, ready to connect with the malignant water, but the grip on her bicep was fierce enough to draw her back. After a strangled moan, she realized that her feet were stable beneath her. Somehow, that one small fact composed her enough to draw in a deep breath, preparing to shout for all she was worth.
In a rush of air, the stealth-like figure ascended from the shadows and pressed its rigid body behind her, clamping a hand over her mouth to curtail her cry.
“It’s me, dammit.”
A shudder ran through her. She tried to speak, but the fingers were still secured across her lips. Only after her mute nod of submission did the grip relax.
Two sustaining breaths and Briana was ready to turn around. When she did so, she scarcely recognized the daunting silhouette.
“Dammit, Nick. You scared the hell out of me.” Anxiety toyed with her vocal chords. “What in God’s name are you doing skulking around down there?”
“I don’t skulk,” he replied quietly. “And what I’m doing here is not important. What the hell were you thinking? There could be a guard out here, someone with a gun.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. Nobody’s at this pier. It’s locked up at night.” Light wasn’t needed to imagine Nick raising his eyebrow. “Okay, so I climbed the fence,” she confessed. “I was curious.”
“About what?”
“This ship. And obviously I’m onto something, because look who else I found sneaking around here.”
The edge was slowly leaving Nick’s shoulders, but he didn’t slacken his hold on her. “I don’t skulk and I don’t sneak. What’s got your curiosity so piqued about this ship that you would risk possible criminal charges—if not worse?”
The contact of Nick’s hands sent chills up her bare arms. She cleared her throat and rose up on her toes to look over his shoulder, assuring that neither of her cohorts had disobeyed.
Growing increasingly acclimated to the dark, Briana began to discern the outline of Nick’s face, catching a glint of the shadowed eyes that roved over her skin. Under that alert gaze, another bout of goose bumps assaulted her.
“This boat, the Merryweather, rented out dredging equipment two weeks ago. Maybe that may seem innocent enough…but not here, not on the Windward coast—and not on a civilian craft like this.”
***
Every word was uttered in challenge, and Nick struggled not to grin at the earnest expression on Briana’s face. He also toiled with the fact that the tank top she wore stretched enticingly every time she breathed in to convey a point.
“True.”
To his dismay, Briana hugged her arms about her, ruining his view.
“True?” Her voice cracked. “You knew this, so you were out here investigating too?”
“Something like that,” he replied idly and then cleared his throat. “And how did you come about this information? Actually, the big question is why were you concerned?”
Before Briana could even respond, a low rumble of mirth sounded from deep in his chest. “You wanted to come to me with evidence that someone other than Manale Palms was responsible for what’s happening on that shoreline?” He laughed again. “You wanted to tell me off, didn’t you?”
Briana opened her mouth, closed it, and then smirked. “Something like that.”
Midnight eyes bewitched him, their spark stemming from the solitary bulb in the distance. They traced his every move, and in an attempt to flee that spellbinding gaze, he stared down at his hand, and the moisture on the tips of his fingers. The sparse light revealed a stain there. He held his hand up to catch more of the diffused glow and whispered in alarm, “You’re cut?”
Tentative, Briana reached for her shoulder and flinched. “The fence.”
“Dammit, woman,” Nick was alongside her now, gently turning her to face the light where he could better assess the damage.
It was a jagged scrape, a surface wound, but the blood still flowed. He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged out of it, busily wrapping the material around her arm.
“What are you doing?” Briana’s voice quivered. “It’ll stop. Don’t ruin a good shirt.”
Sensing her body sway, his concern mounted, and he put an arm around her for support. “You know if you wanted to tell me off, you could have just stopped by my place and done it to my face instead of going through all this trouble.”
“Well, maybe I should have.” Briana withdrew from his grasp. “Anyway, it’s too late for this argument. We’re here now, and I want to see what’s on that boat.”
“Exactly what you suspected. Dredging equipment. But that in itself is not implicating enough.”
A flash of recognition went off in her eyes. “Wait a minute! You were on board? That’s illegal.”
“And climbing that gate wasn’t?” He reached up and massaged the back of his neck. “Don’t get all pious with me, Briana. Look, as far as legalities are concerned, if those people are dredging government-protected land, we have a lot more to contend with than a little snooping on our parts.”
Briana was right, he thought. If Keo knew what he had been up to, the bulky Hawaiian would be chewin
g his ass out.
Distracted by the motion of Briana dabbing at her arm with his shirt, Nick could nearly swear her nostrils flared, taking in the whiff of the material. But when she cast a skeptical glance at the Merryweather, he was certain he had imagined it.
“But, you couldn’t find anything to implicate them could you?”
“No.” He sighed and grazed her arm with the tips of his fingers. It was a casual gesture, but it felt intimate.
Too intimate.
Reluctantly, he stepped back. “Come on, we’ll continue this discussion at my place.”
“Your place?”
“Well, yeah, I said you could come back there and tell me off, didn’t I?”
God help him, he awaited her response with his breath held.
Briana’s lips curled up into a grin. “Why, yes you did.”
Nick’s hands were on Briana’s perfectly rounded bottom, his fingers cupped around the athletic curves as he supported her climb down the fence. When she shot him a what do you think you’re doing look, he just smirked and lifted his grip to her waist.
“Just trying to help,” he offered.
“I’m two feet off the ground now,” Briana challenged. “I think I can manage the rest of the way.”
Relinquishing his hold, he watched as she leapt to the ground, and immediately his hands were on her hips again, winding around her back as he moved in with his head descending.
The sound of rushed footsteps came from the shadows. In his periphery he caught a glimpse of the anxious expressions of an odd duo as they jogged forward.
“The rest of the Musketeers I presume,” he whispered into her hair before releasing her.
“Something like that.”
“Are you okay, Bree?” Naoki’s wide eyes roved over the bloody swathe on Briana’s arm.
Only after she nodded did he turn towards Nick.
Nick felt the iciness of that bespectacled stare, and out of respect to the young man, retreated a step from Briana.
“Just a scratch,” Briana proclaimed. “Umm, Naoki you remember Mr. McCord, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
The scowl on the young man’s face was predatory, but Nick didn’t believe it had anything to do with infatuation. No, Naoki was protective of Briana, a trait he could commiserate with. When he noticed that no hand was offered, Nick just nodded.
“And this is Kathy Bishop, an intern for Pacific.”
Kathy inched closer to Naoki’s side as she stared at Nick’s chest with rapt fascination. “Is this the professor?” she whispered.
Naoki only grunted.
***
“Did you find anything?” Kathy’s owlish eyes flashed.
“Yeah,” With a sidelong glance at the man beside her, Briana cleared her throat. “I couldn’t get on board, but I saw something on deck, the dredging equipment I’m surmising. Nick was—”
The slight cough from the man motivated her to alter her summation. “Umm, Nick was getting back from running some tests off the Manale shore. Good thing that he had just pulled into port, I guess. He bandaged me all up.”
“Yeah, good thing,” Naoki echoed incredulously.
“Anyway,” she continued, “I want to go over some of the notes Nick retrieved today. Naoki, could you drive Kathy back to the office?”
The scowl of disapproval on her friend’s forehead aggravated Briana, but she knew that censure stemmed from wariness. She waited a second, and prompted, “Naoki?”
Naoki sighed and glanced down at Kathy, who was now practically draped against his arm. Briana could tell he was assessing the girl, and his expression didn’t bear disdain any longer—just curiosity.
With a sigh, Naoki relented. “Yeah, no problem. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Briana chanced a look at Nick and considered the question. Sensing her appraisal, he smiled, but only in his eyes and only for her to see. Something about that secreted smile made her pulse kick up a notch.
Distracted, she forced her attention back. “I’ll be fine.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. McCord,” Kathy tossed over her shoulder as Naoki tugged her away.
“Nice meeting you too, Miss Bishop.” This time the grin surfaced on his lips, and Kathy responded with a giggle before Naoki opened his car door and motioned her in.
“You have a way with women, don’t you?” Briana jibed.
There was silence, but she felt his heavy gaze. When she looked, she nearly gasped. Gone was any pretense of amusement on his face. Now only dark passion smoldered back at her.
***
Admirably, he had remained calm. But seeing Briana wounded, feeling her blood on his hands, had triggered emotions Nick had struggled to keep control this past week. He waited until the sedan pulled out of the parking lot and then reached for her, sinking his fingers into her hair—tipping her head back as his mouth dropped quickly to capture hers. It was a hot and demanding need that spurred him on.
“Dammit, Briana,” he breathed against her lips. “What were you doing out here tonight? You could have been seriously hurt. This isn’t a game, you know.”
Caught off guard by his kiss, Briana splayed her palms against his chest and stuttered.
“I—”
He cut her off with another searing kiss, and she yielded to it with uncharacteristic abandon. Briana made a strangled sound as her fingers weaved up his neck to delve into his hair. Nick’s response was immediate. He pulled her tight against him, his hands on her bottom, but this time with less than chivalrous intentions.
Briana wanted to speak, but Nick was there, filling her with heat. The sensible side of her brain demanded that she retreat. The wicked, passionate side could find no credible reason to do so. She clung to him and boldly traced Nick’s teeth with the tip of her tongue, toying with him to give her more. His growl of approval purred against her lips, and he accommodated with a precision that made her quiver.
Briana tipped her head back and gasped as she felt his mouth slide down the sensitive cord of her neck. With a ragged sound that was her name, he returned to her lips, possessing them wholly.
Finally, the fingers that gripped her hips began to relax. Nick lifted his head and let loose a husky whisper. “So help me God, I wanted to do that. I wanted to kiss you, Briana.”
Still reeling, she clutched his biceps for leverage. Only a thin cotton barrier separated her heaving chest from the solid planks of his. She forced her eyes open to devour that tanned plane. A patch of black curls scored an enticing trail into his jeans. Oh, how she wanted to follow it, but instead she raised her gaze and was paralyzed by the desire staring back at her.
“You—you made it sound—as if—” she gulped, riveted by his mouth. Oh, to taste it one more time. “I thought you didn’t want—”
Nick’s hands were on her again. “Let’s get something straight,” he growled. “I want.”
Briana felt lightheaded.
“Look,” he eased his grip, “I’ve got some issues. Yes, they’re hang-ups about relationships.” He pierced her with smoky eyes and rasped, “But don’t ever be mistaken. I want you.”
As if to declare this, his lips crushed hers again.
Even when he had withdrawn, it took Briana several seconds to lift her heavy eyelids. The combination of Nick’s kiss and his words still anesthetized her, but she regarded him warily.
“I sense this tremendous but coming.”
“You do have a tremendous butt,” he whispered and kissed away her laugh.
“The but is—” he continued quietly, hitching a finger under her chin, “—is that it’s not going to happen here. I want you. God, I want you. But not here.”
Briana shivered. She glanced around the dark parking lot, searching for possibilities.
The back seat of her car, maybe?
What was wrong with her? She was acting like a horny teenager. And was this really what she wanted? A quick roll in the back seat of a Nissan?
Wicked Briana screamed,
yes.
Nick watched her. He seemed to await her response, and when she held her tongue, he dipped his head.
“But it is going to happen. I am going to have you.”
It was too much. Too fast. Practical Briana possessed a calculating mind. She needed time to assimilate these foreign emotions. She needed to corral them and make sense of it all before she caved into the inevitable.
I want him too.
“Look, my jeep is in the park.” Nick began, but stopped as a pair of headlights suddenly eclipsed Briana.
“Expecting guests?” he asked gruffly.
“No.”
Nick flicked his head to the right. Briana didn’t hesitate. She obeyed the silent command and darted between two cars, crouching out of view.
“I don’t suppose that’s the Musketeers coming back?” he murmured.
The vehicle approached, the loud rotation of its front tire hinting that a rock was caught in the tread.
“No, that’s not Naoki’s car.”
“I was afraid you would say that.”
Satisfied that Briana was out of view, Nick inched up to study the looming sedan through the window of the station wagon behind which they hid.
“This could be innocent.” He dropped down. “Of course aside from you, I can’t imagine anyone coming out here at this hour. It’s after midnight.”
Keys jangled, and a moment later the protesting screech of the gate sounded as it swung open.
Nick touched Briana’s shoulder. “Stay here, I want to find out which slip they go to.”
She snagged his arm. “Be careful.”
Beneath her fingers, a muscle twitched. With a quick nod, he stalked away and merged into the night.
Briana prayed that the darkness would cloak him. Threatening her prayers was the presence of two lumbering profiles dragging a sack down the pier. Wildly, she searched for any sign of Nick, but the night did just what she had asked of it.
It held its secrets.
Choking on a scream as Nick’s breath dusted across her shoulder when he reemerged behind her, she tried to hear his words over the thunderous pulse in her ears.
HIGH TIDE Page 10
