By Sea

by Carly Fall

Rayna nodded, and leaned into a hard turn. Seconds later, warm water engulfed her. As the lifejacket buoyed her to the surface, she saw the jet ski floating a few feet away. She certainly hadn’t seen that coming. Glancing around, she looked for Brody.

  He grabbed her around her waist from behind and pulled her close. Again, she was thankful for, yet cursed, the lifejackets. She longed to be truly next to Brody, but knew the longing had nothing but trouble written all over it. She needed to stay away from this man for so many reasons.

  “You okay?” he asked, his mouth right next to her ear. She could feel his breath on her neck.

  “Yes. I-I’m fine,” she stammered, pushing away from him despite her desire to do otherwise. “I guess I took the turn a little too fast.”

  “Hell, yeah, you did!” Brody chuckled, swimming for the jet ski.

  Rayna trailed after him. “Sorry about that,” she said.

  Brody reached for the jet ski, grabbing its side and turning to her. “No worries, Rayna. It’s not a big deal—it happens. Besides, you’re cute as hell all wet.”

  Chapter 27

  The next morning, Brody finished his swim and went to the Bridge to fill out the logs. Margarita and Rayna hadn’t said anything about leaving Magens Bay, but Brody liked to keep moving. Perhaps tomorrow they’d check out the snorkeling at Jost Van Dyke or St. John’s. Another day in Magens Bay, and he’d be ready to go.

  He checked all the instruments, satisfied that everything was running properly, then headed downstairs. Rayna and Margarita were in the Main Salon arguing about something in Spanish. As an only child, he’d never bickered with a sibling, but he always assumed people outgrew it. Apparently, he’d been wrong. He watched for a moment as they each became more heated, and then he interrupted them. “What do you two want to do today?” he asked, his voice carrying over the din. Margarita and Rayna both looked at him; Margarita crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged, reminding him of a petulant child. Rayna smiled smugly, as if she’d won the battle, and Brody wondered what they were arguing about.

  “What do you suggest?” Rayna asked.

  She wore a light blue cover-up, and he could see the yellow bikini strings wrapped around her neck. She ran her fingers through her mussed hair as she waited for an answer.

  “It’s up to you. The water is calm, so it may be a good idea to try some paddle boarding.”

  Margarita sneered. “That looks like way too much work for me.”

  Rayna rolled her eyes and said, “I’d like to try it.”

  Brody nodded, and attempted to hide his smile. He had a feeling Rayna would be up for the challenge, and that meant he got to spend more time alone with her. “Okay. Since you’ve never been, I’ll load the boards into the tender, and we’ll start at the shore. It’s a lot easier to get on the board when you have your feet on the ground.”

  “Sounds good,” Rayna said, standing.

  Brody turned and headed for the bow of the boat. He radioed Jason to help him get the paddleboards into the tender.

  “Is Margarita going?” Jason asked.

  “Nope. Just Rayna.”

  “Do you want me to stay here with Margarita?” Jason asked, his voice hopeful.

  Brody chuckled. “Do you want to stay here with Margarita?”

  “Yeah. I think I may be in love.”

  Brody didn’t bother to answer as he united the paddleboards, and he heard Jason pull the skiff to the side of the boat. As he lifted the white boards over the side to Jason, he wondered if Margarita was capable of loving anyone but herself.

  Once the paddleboards were loaded, Brody made his way to the back deck where Rayna waited.

  The rode the short distance to the shore in silence, and Brody jumped out of the skiff and pulled it up on the soft sand. Rayna got out, and Brody unloaded the paddleboards and set them down.

  “This is so pretty,” Rayna murmured. “I can’t believe how soft this sand is. It’s almost like foam or something. I don’t feel any rocks or pebbles.”

  Brody looked around the beach. White sand stretched for about a half mile, and behind that was all greenery. There were some little shops and bars made of plywood sandwiched between the trees and beach, and given it was a weekday, it wasn’t crowded. Only a few families milled about, the kids building sand castles, the moms and dads swimming or relaxing in their chairs. Gentle waves kissed the white beach. Yes, it was pretty.

  Rayna took it all in, a small smile playing on her lips. Brody inhaled sharply as a light breeze blew her hair away from her face. She was stunning, even prettier than when she visited him in Corpus Christi. It was as if she were in her element here on the beaches of the Virgin Islands.

  Shaking his head, trying to clear his thoughts, he asked, “You ready?”

  Rayna nodded. “I’ve always wanted to try this,” she said, taking off the cover-up and throwing it in the skiff. Brody tried really hard not to stare at how little the yellow bikini covered her strong, sinewy body, but was thankful he wore mirrored sunglasses so she wouldn’t catch his glances.

  He explained to Rayna how to get to a standing position on the board while he guided them out to the warm, knee-deep water. “I always found it’s easiest to start on your butt, and paddle out a little bit. Let’s start there.”

  Rayna straddled the board, and Brody practically moaned out loud at the sight while getting on his own board. This paddle boarding lesson was either going to kill him, or be an exercise in serious self-control.

  “Okay, now let’s paddle out a little bit, and then get on your knees.”

  He smiled, thinking of Rayna on her knees in front of him. Oh, man. He really needed to take his line of thinking in a different direction.

  After a couple of minutes, they were in deep enough water, and he balanced himself on his knees and stood up. “Your turn,” he said.

  Rayna tucked her legs under her and moved to her knees. Laying the paddle across the board, she rolled back to the balls of her feet as the board slightly see-sawed back and forth.

  “Now pick up the paddle and stand,” Brody said.

  She grabbed the paddle and stood on shaky legs. Seconds later she was in the water.

  “Try again,” Brody said with a smile as she heaved herself up on the board, a determined look on her face consisting of her tongue moving over her lips in a very seductive way, but he guessed she wasn’t even aware of. One thing was clear: she wasn’t going to let a paddleboard best her.

  She made it to the standing position and turned her head to look at him, a look of triumph in her face. That was replaced a couple seconds later with shock as she lost her balance and went in again.

  He laughed and went down to his knees so he wasn’t swimming as well.

  “Damn it!” Rayna exclaimed, surfacing.

  “You can do this, Rayna,” he said, not bothering to hide his smile.

  She looked at him a moment, still in the water, but hanging on to the board. “I’m glad you find this all so funny,” she said with a grin.

  “What can I say? It’s always funny when someone falls, Rayna.”

  “I bet you’re the type to just about die laughing when someone trips and hurts themselves,” she accused, still smiling.

  Brody shrugged. “Yeah, you’re right. Guilty as charged.”

  She heaved herself up on the board. “Well, I do that too, and I’d be laughing my ass off if the roles were reversed right now,” she grumbled.

  A moment later, she was standing on the board, the muscles in her legs twitching as she kept herself steady. “Okay, Brody. I can’t look at you, or I’ll lose my balance, but let’s go.”

  Brody got to his feet, chuckling. “C’mon, let’s go toward the north side of the island.”

  “Which way is that?” she asked, not looking up from her board.

  “Straight ahead, Magellan.”

  She laughed as he pulled in front of her and led the way as she obviously didn’t know which way was north. A few moments later, she paddled up beside
him, about five feet separating them.

  “I think I’m getting the hang of this,” she said.

  He glanced over, the muscles in her arms rolling beneath her skin as she paddled, but she still stared directly down at the board. Damn, she was sexy as all hell.

  “I think so,” Brody said, turning his attention back to their destination.

  After a few moments of silence, she stopped paddling and said, “I can’t believe how relaxing this is.”

  He propped his paddle on the board and looked around. They were far enough out so that the noises from the beach were simply a background hum. There weren’t any slapping waves against the shore; the only sounds were the squawking of the birds above and the water lapping gently at the boards.

  “It’s peaceful,” Brody agreed.

  “It’s so pretty out here,” Rayna commented as she looked around. “It’s different from being on the boat, even though we’re in the same waters.”

  “Yeah. I think it’s because you’re right on the water and there’s only about six inches separating you from it. You really get to see things on a different level.”

  He looked down at the clear water and saw the white, sandy bottom, as well as a few yellow fish swimming by.

  Glancing over at Rayna, Brody took in her profile, the column of her neck, her breasts encased in the yellow suit and her tight, tanned stomach.

  “Do you like your job?” he asked, wanting to know more about her.

  She shrugged. “I hate being behind a desk, and I’ve decided I hate paperwork. I’m trying to work my butt off so that I can move into field work.”

  “Don’t field officers have paperwork as well?” Brody asked.

  “Yes, but nothing like I do in research. It’s never-ending.”

  Brody stared at her a moment as she stood on the board holding the paddle in both her hands. She met his gaze and gave him a small smile conveying hope that just about melted his bones. He didn’t know much about the CIA, but he did know that women in the military had to work twice as hard as men to prove themselves and move up the chain of command. He hoped Rayna’s journey upward was a little easier.

  “We should get going,” he said, “it looks like the current is changing and we’re going to be paddling against it.”

  Rayna nodded, and they began paddling again.

  A moment later, a fin pierced the water between them, and Rayna gasped. Another fin came right behind the second one. To those who didn’t know the difference, it looked like sharks, the grey bodies beneath the surface a blur.

  “Oh my God! Brody!” Rayna yelled, looking at him with terror.

  “Rayna, it’s okay,” Brody said, trying to keep his voice calm as her fear quickly escalated, “it’s the dolphins.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked, dropping to her knees, her hand over her heart.

  “I’m positive,” Brody said, also kneeling.

  One of the dolphins raised its head between their boards and trilled at them. Brody looked around, counting six in the group. They rolled in the water, chattering with each other.

  Another dolphin swam up to Rayna’s board, nudging her hand with its nose, as if it wanted her to pet it.

  “Hi,” Rayna said, pushing her sunglasses to her head. You certainly are friendly, aren’t you?”

  She reached out and stroked its head, and the dolphin nodded in approval.

  “I can’t believe this, Brody,” Rayna murmured. “What do you think is going on here? Why are they doing this?”

  Brody longed to tell her about his ability, how the dolphins seemed to be with him wherever he went. It was one reason he enjoyed his early morning swims before anyone was up—the dolphins always accompanied him. However, that little piece of knowledge needed to remain hidden.

  “I don’t know,” he said, so happy Rayna got to experience what he did almost every day.

  As she pet one, she smiled widely. Another jumped out of the water a few feet away, while another floated on its back, chirping the entire time. Brody reached down and gently stroked the belly, wishing he understood what they were saying.

  After a few minutes, Rayna gazed over at him. “It’s like they know you or something,” she murmured.

  Brody shrugged. “I don’t see how that would be possible,” he said, as one of them splashed water in his face and the rest of them clicked and chattered as if it was the funniest thing they’d seen. Brody couldn’t help wondering if they understood what he just said and took offense to it.

  Rayna chuckled as Brody wiped the salt water from his glasses.

  “What was that for?” he asked the responsible dolphin, loving the sound of Rayna’s light and airy laugh.

  The dolphins stayed for another few minutes and then left, the sun glistening off their gray backs as they swam away.

  “Amazing,” Rayna said, watching them go.

  “I agree.”

  They stared at each other for a beat, the happiness radiating off of Rayna, and for the second time that day, he thought again that she belonged on the ocean. She seemed relaxed, comfortable and very content.

  “Ready to head back to shore?” he asked, his throat tight as desire coursed through him.

  She nodded and stood. “Yeah, I am.”

  Brody got to his feet as well, and they paddled in silence for a few minutes.

  “Thanks for taking me out, Brody. I love paddle boarding, and that thing with the dolphins . . . wow. What an amazing experience.”

  Brody nodded, wondering who enjoyed themselves more: Rayna watching the dolphins or him watching Rayna.

  Chapter 28

  Rayna tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep as she recounted the day’s events.

  After paddle boarding, they had lunch, and then spent the rest of the afternoon up on the deck sitting in the sun. Rayna dozed briefly while Margarita read, only to be woken by a dream of Brody peppering kisses down her bare back.

  Surprisingly, a day of lying around in the sun and trying not to think about Brody was exhausting.

  After dinner, Rayna had barely been able to keep her eyes open, and headed to bed where she watched a little television. Despite her fatigue, she wasn’t able to sleep, and Brody seemed to be the reason. She simply couldn’t stop thinking about him, about how much he affected her.

  She’d been with five men in her life. A couple of flings in college, one night stands here and there, but she’d never grown close to any of them. It had been simple sex, period. With Brody, she had the clear feeling the sex would be anything but simple, and her thoughts tantalized her while her curiosity grew.

  Remembering the first time she saw him at his apartment, she’d thought of him as sexy then, even when he was a complete bastard to her. Now, they had established some level of trust, and he wasn’t being nasty to her. She recognized the way he looked at her: it was a man who saw something he wanted. Brody wanted her.

  It was a bad idea on so many levels for them to get together. First, he most certainly was a wanted man by the government, and she worked for said government. If she were to sleep with him, it seemed like she would be breaking the law twice: first, she knew she wouldn’t say anything to anyone once they got off the boat. Second, the intimacy just made her omission seem so much worse. It was as though she was cavorting with the enemy, and she already felt like that when she was with her father. If the government ever found out about her father, she’d be in big trouble. If they ever found out that she knew of Brody’s whereabouts and didn’t say anything, the trouble would be tantamount. He may very well be more of a wanted man than her father.

  However, the fact of the matter was that the man made her blood boil.

  Throwing back the covers, she sat up, realizing she wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon. At 2 a.m., she guessed everyone on the boat would be snoozing, so she didn’t bother pulling on a robe over her white nightshirt.

  Quietly, she opened her door and tiptoed up the steps to the Main Salon. Dim lights cast shadows around the room. The ope
ned bottle of Merlot sat on the bar, and Rayna helped herself to a glass. She ascended the stairs to the Sky Lounge, glancing over at the caramel-colored leather couches. She debated turning on the television, but then decided against it. The silence was what she needed, and she walked to the sliding glass door, the light brown carpet muffling her footsteps. The moon sat high in the sky, gleaming over the dark water, the once pristine, green hills of the island now ominous black masses.

  As someone who kept to herself, she enjoyed her “alone time.” It was difficult for her to always be “on,” as she needed to be surrounded by her sister, Brody, and the crew. At times like this, when everyone was asleep and her only company was her thoughts, it felt good.

  No matter how much she tried to think of other things, her mind always wandered back to Brody. He seemed in his element on the boat, and given his childhood, she could understand why. In all honesty, this was the perfect job for him.

  She thought of his accident in Guatemala and wondered what he’d think if he knew he was protecting the daughter of a head of one of the biggest drug Cartels in South America, the Cartel that owned the warehouse where the explosion had changed his life.

  Again she wondered if her father had participated in the accident willingly, or if the government had used something that wasn’t theirs. She longed to ask her father about it, but they never discussed his business. In the past, that was the way she wanted it. Now, she wasn’t so sure. What if her father had participated and Brody found out? What if he discovered who their father was? Certainly, he would hate both Rayna and Margarita, and she wouldn’t blame him.

  Rayna sighed, happy that her father’s Cartel life had nothing to do with Margarita needing protection, and Rayna made a mental note to talk to Margarita about setting up some privacy and boundaries so that she wasn’t so accessible to her fan base. Hopefully, if Margarita made herself less available, she could avoid problems like this in the future.

  She’d been looking for some signs of the so-called supernatural abilities the file on Brody claimed he had, but she hadn’t noticed anything that indicated he was anything but a normal guy.