Seduced - Book Three - Surrender Series

by Anne, Melody

  “I really wish they had an airstrip here. These boat rides take forever,” she said as she followed behind him.

  “Quit complaining. It doesn’t suit you. I prefer to travel by boat, anyway.”

  “Well, then, I guess whatever you prefer is the way it has to be.” She knew she was acting petulant, but she couldn’t seem to keep the words from spilling from her mouth. His only response was laughter, which he quickly covered up by coughing.

  She wasn’t fooled.

  Lia decided to keep her mouth shut as they reached the dock and she approached his so-called boat. She wouldn’t exactly call the magnificent vessel a boat. It was a large, sleek gray yacht. At least she felt comfortable on it, since she’d traveled the waters many times with him before their short romance.

  It wasn’t as large as her brother’s yacht, but it was Shane’s personal vessel, and he had no desire to do any business entertaining on it. Still, it had three bedrooms, plus the master suite, which was indecently large and luxurious. She also enjoyed the upper covered deck, where she had a full view of the ocean, but was still protected from the breeze created when it sped through the water.

  “Are you going to gawk all day, or board?”

  “Can you be any more rude, Shane?” she snapped as she accepted his hand. “Where’s the crew?”

  “They’re off today. This won’t take long, so I’ll play captain.”

  Lia didn’t like the idea of being all alone with him in the middle of the ocean. There were only so many temptations she was capable of resisting. At least the yacht was big enough that she could avoid him. Plus, he’d be busy piloting the thing. He wouldn’t have time to pursue her.

  Lia followed Shane to the control area and then stood by as he checked everything before he began moving slowly away from the dock. Before she knew it, the island was becoming a small dot on the horizon, and Shane was in his element as he navigated the choppy waters.

  “It seems a little windy out today,” she commented, looking around at the storm clouds threatening to move in. They were far enough away that Lia didn’t feel any real alarm.

  “Yeah, just a small storm on the horizon. I haven’t heard anything, so it’s nothing to worry about,” he assured her.

  “Well, I’m going to enjoy the sundeck. There’s no need for me to stay in here for the two hours it takes to get to the mainland. Maybe I’ll spot some dolphins,” she said. She moved to the top deck and got comfortable in one of the chairs.

  They passed islands and she enjoyed the warm sun streaming through the window until one of the dark clouds covered it, casting her in shadows. Well, at least she wouldn’t get a burn, she thought; she closed her eyes and decided to nap.

  * * * * *

  Shane’s shoulders were tense as he navigated his beloved yacht through the aqua waters off the coast of Italy. Normally, he could spend hours on the sea without a single negative thought, but he’d been pursuing Lia for the better part of two weeks and not getting anywhere, and he was becoming a little desperate. Not that he’d ever give her such an advantage as telling her that.

  She’d chased him for years, but once he’d accepted that they were going to be together, she started giving him the cold shoulder. Well, he wouldn’t allow that for long. Not anymore. Lia needed a strong, passionate man, and that was exactly what he was going to give her.

  They were made for each other; they had so much in common. Plus, he didn’t want some simpering female. He wanted passion and fight. He wanted romance and love. He wanted what he’d never thought he’d have, and the only one he wanted it with was Lia.

  When they got back to the island that night, he wasn’t letting her out of his sight until they had it out — they would work through this.

  The farther out on the water they traveled, the more Shane relaxed. This was his element, where he belonged. The fresh sea air, the rolling waves of the ocean, and no one for miles around them. Maybe they should have their talk before arriving back to the island, where she could easily hide from him.

  With that thought in mind, he steered off course, and drifted further out to sea, heading toward a group of private islands he was familiar with. Finally, he had Lia all to himself, and he wasn’t letting the opportunity escape him.

  An hour passed and Shane started to become a bit worried as the sky darkened dangerously and the water began churning too much for his liking. Determination to get Lia alone kept him going, but he was certainly paying attention to his surroundings now.

  When the waves starting acting up even further, he decided to find out how close the storm was. Maybe they should turn around. He wanted to keep Lia to himself for a while, but not at the risk of their getting trapped in a storm.

  He glanced at his touchscreen navigation and switched over to the weather report. Crap! He’d been so intent on getting her alone, he hadn’t been paying attention. A wicked tropical storm was brewing and it was right behind them. He didn’t have time to steer back to Italy, or get back to their island. All he could do was move ahead and hope like hell that he outran the bad weather. If he had been thinking with anything other than his lower region, they wouldn’t be in this mess.

  After another half-hour passed, things looked desperate. His radio crackled to life and the storm warning came over its line. He picked up the handset and tried to call in his position, but didn’t get a response.

  “What the hell?” he muttered as he pushed the buttons, trying to get a signal. The thing went dead. That wasn’t a good sign — not a good sign at all. No, it would be OK. They were going to be fine.

  Using every bit of concentration he had, he focused on trying to keep the boat steady as the waves picked up in height and ferocity. They were getting tossed around too much for his liking and he really wished that Lia would get back in the control room so he could keep an eye on her.

  “Shane?” Lia was standing next to him, making him sigh in relief. Her skin was flushed and her hair messed as if she’d just climbed from bed. He couldn’t get them to safety while she looked like that. Tearing his eyes away, he focused on the emergency at hand and cleared his throat.

  “You need to hold onto something, Lia. We’re right smack in the middle of two storm fronts, and they’re fighting each other to see who can sink us the fastest.”

  She wasn’t a novice boater: she’d been on the water many times in her life. Though he tried to hide his rising panic, he knew that she was well aware of the danger.

  “I was worried about the clouds,” Lia said. “How long until we hit the mainland? I fell asleep, but it must not have been for very long.” Her voice was slightly tense, but not overly so. After all, their whole trip was less than two hours.

  “I…uh…had to take a detour.”

  “A detour? Seriously, Shane? The clouds were building up when I fell asleep a bit ago. You had to have noticed!” she exclaimed.

  “I did, but it wasn’t so bad,” he said, knowing he sounded ridiculous.

  “You weren’t thinking at all, Shane! I can’t believe I fell for your stupid trick. Did you believe a nice, romantic boat ride would win my favor back?”

  Well, yeah, actually, he thought, but he stopped himself from saying so. “Look, Lia. It doesn’t matter. There’s a group of islands not far away now. We’ll take cover there, wait out the storm, and then reach the mainland before you know it.”

  “You’re a pain in the ass, Shane! Do you have any idea what you have done?” she snapped, but he saw the way she was looking out at the rough seas. The ocean could turn from a thing of beauty to a dangerous place in the blink of an eye.

  Yes, he knew what he’d done, and he wasn’t proud of himself. He’d just been trying to get some time alone with her, not put her in danger. Maybe she was the smarter of the two of them. Not that he was saying that out loud, either.

  A hard wave knocked against the boat, flinging Lia against his side. Shane reached out and caught her before she went stumbling to the deck. Her face was inches from his as her curve
s pressed tightly against his body, and Shane felt himself sinking into her eyes.

  “Don’t you dare even think about sex,” she said, but the husky quality of her tone gave him hope. He wouldn’t mind at all getting stuck with her overnight. The storm was now looking like a bit of a blessing — that was, if he could get to safety in time.

  As the islands came into view, still too far away for Shane’s comfort, the airstream picked up, whipping through the control room. “Shut the windows,” he called above the screaming wind.

  For once, Lia obeyed with no argument. As they came closer to the islands, the waves swelled larger, angry splashes of water rising high around them, as if on a mission to pull the large vessel deep into the ocean, to take another victim in her merciless grasp.

  Just as Shane started to breathe easier, the boat lurched, then suddenly stalled, nearly knocking him off his feet. Gripping the wheel tightly, he looked out, horrified when he saw the hole in the side of his yacht. He must have hit a reef.

  The boat was going down. “Lia, we have to abandon ship. Grab the emergency pack and we’ll get in the lifeboat.”

  When she didn’t answer, Shane turned to find her on the floor, knocked unconscious. Letting go of the wheel, he rushed to her side, bending down and feeling her neck. He let out a sigh of relief when he found that she was breathing.

  Not hesitating any longer, he lifted her into his arms and rushed through the yacht to where his emergency raft was holding on tight. Shane carefully laid her inside and dashed to the cupboard opposite so he could grab the emergency supply bag. He tossed it into the boat, following behind it quickly before he released the safety, dropping them into the surging waves of the ocean.

  The waves had been frightening when they’d been in his giant vessel; they were deadly in the small emergency boat. Turning the engine on, he navigated the waters as best he could, grateful they were so close to one of the islands.

  As they moved through the storm, he saw two giant walls of water on either side of him. The small craft was having a difficult time reaching their peaks and getting closer to safety, but she was doing it — just barely.

  As they neared safety, he looked back, his heart nearly breaking as he watched the last of his yacht disappear beneath the heaving black sea. So many memories had just been sucked below to the cold ocean floor. But Shane had no more than a second to dwell on it, so he faced forward and aimed toward the safety of land.

  Nearly there.

  “Shane?”

  This wasn’t the best time for her to wake up. “It’s OK, Lia. We’re almost to land.”

  Shane spoke too soon. With a jolt, the boat was thrust forward as two waves converged on them, determined to not allow their escape.

  “Hold on!” Shane called as Lia was lifted into the air. This could be it — the end. Almost in slow motion, Shane watched in horror as Lia’s head slammed against the side of the boat for the second time in less than an hour.

  He reached out as her body was flung from the vessel. It capsized, the ocean waves greedily swallowing her in joyous victory.

  Chapter Five

  Ari

  Ari fumbled with her computer bag as she walked toward the doors of her classroom.

  “Computer? Check. Pens? Check. Sanity?… Check,” she mumbled to herself before looking around and making sure no one was paying attention. She shouldn’t be so nervous. They were just students, exactly what she’d been a few months ago.

  Even now, as she worked toward her doctorate, she was a student, but it felt different somehow. It was a lot of work, which was why she was teaching only one course. Still, these kids didn’t have it out for her — not yet, at least! — so she had nothing to be nervous about.

  No matter how much she tried convincing herself of this fact, it didn’t encourage or comfort her in the least. She was still shaking as she moved through the doors. Without thinking about it, she looked around the half-full room, then sighed.

  Was she feeling relief or regret that Rafe wasn’t there?

  Relief! Of course it was relief. She didn’t want him chasing after her. She had been just fine on her own and didn’t need him in her life, messing everything up again. The first months after she’d walked away had been hell, and it had taken everything inside her to be strong. She was strong now, and she wouldn’t allow him to undermine that strength.

  Just as the clock struck the hour, when she faced the class, a giggle sounded. Ari didn’t need to look up to know Rafe had arrived. Only one man she knew could elicit the sigh she heard coming from the front row. Rafe was simply that stunning.

  Refusing to cower, she reluctantly lifted her head and locked eyes with Rafe. With an instilled arrogance, he sent her a wink before taking a seat on the aisle halfway into the room. The girls were whispering and making eyes, and a few of the men were grumbling.

  It was going to be difficult to keep the classroom’s attention if he was there.

  “Everyone in here needs to be registered for class,” she said and pulled out her newest roster. She hoped Rafe’s name wasn’t there so she could boot him from the room.

  No such luck. When she saw his name right where it should be, under P, she nearly groaned in frustration. He was smarter than she’d given him credit for. Rafe didn’t take no for an answer, and he was apparently on a mission.

  She wondered. If she just bent over her desk and let him take her one more time, would he lose interest? Was this all a game for him? Did he just have to be the last one standing — the one to end their relationship?

  Of course, she would never know, because she had enough pride in herself not to strip down and beg him to take her for the rest of the night. Not that it would be a bad night if they did end up on her desk, but that wasn’t the point.

  She was confusing herself, and she didn’t like it. All she knew for now was that he had a mission in mind, and he wasn’t leaving until he followed through on it.

  She knew she was defeated…for now, so she jumped into her lesson. “I hope you completed Monday’s assignment. There will be a quiz next Monday, so make sure you pay attention today.” With luck, he’d fail and she could tell him to take a hike.

  There was some grumbling, and a few more whispers. She was sure they were complaining that she had a test coming so soon. Too bad. This was the real world, and they’d better get used to it.

  Halfway through class, she was shocked when Rafe raised his hand and easily answered her questions. He’d actually read the material. Her respect was grudging, but she had to give him his due. He was taking this seriously, or at least putting some effort into her assignments.

  Did she even know this new Rafe?

  Pulling herself together, Ari focused on her class. “Does anyone know the date the Civil War officially began?” Silence greeted her question. Great, no one had read the material.

  “April 12, 1861.” Ari looked up in surprise to see Rafe smiling at her. OK, he’d gotten one more answer correct. He was a smart guy. It didn’t mean that he’d actually done the homework. That was absurd. He wouldn’t have any reason to do homework.

  “Very good. Do you know why that’s the beginning of the Civil War?” She looked around the room, hoping anyone other than Rafe would answer. She was out of luck.

  “This was the day the Confederate army fired on Fort Sumter, beginning hostilities. It had been occupied by the Union army in South Carolina a few days after the state had declared its secession in 1860. After the fort’s surrender, President Lincoln called on all states to raise troops to retake lost forts. Within two months, four additional pro-slave states joined the Confederacy, making eleven in total.”

  She didn’t want to admit to being impressed, but she couldn’t help herself. He’d either done a Google search or he’d actually done his homework. Either way, he wasn’t just sitting in her class; he was participating. She didn’t want to feel any emotions toward Rafe, but she found her heart rate increasing.

  “Does anyone know how long the Ci
vil War lasted?”

  Ari waited, and finally a girl in the front row quietly said, “Four years.”

  “Very good, yes. The war lasted from 1861 until 1865. With every war, we study it and try to uncover ways we could have prevented the bloodshed, but why is there so much more emphasis on this war?”

  “Because this was where the United States tried to break apart. Had this occurred, we wouldn’t be who we are today,” a student said.

  “Very true, but that’s not all. During this war, though there were threats of foreign intervention, we were on our own. In four years, hundreds of thousands were dead and the South was nearly desolated. The war ended when the Confederacy collapsed, and of course we know that slavery was abolished. But we were left with a people who were told they now needed to put down their guns and all get along. There was a lot of hatred among the soldiers, and many didn’t want just to lay down their weapons. The end of the war didn’t mean it was over for everyone. Too many lives had been lost; too many people had been forever changed.”

  “How does a nation pick up the pieces after something like that?”

  “Very good question. I guess the best answer would be to focus on what was most important. The South needed to rebuild, and the North needed to step in and help. This was also one of the first industrial wars. During its four-year term, railroads and steamships were used heavily. Communication was carried on through the telegraph, and weapons were mass-produced. And of course, many women stepped up and began working outside of the home since the men were at war. The same thing happened during World War I — those of you who continue in the history sequence will discuss that next semester. The point is that the destruction contained the seeds of the nation’s rebuilding, because instead of brother fighting brother, the country’s people now had to come back together to restore their lives.”

  “So they were able to just put it all behind them?”