From behind her Cody said quietly, "Dolphins are playing out there. Let's see if they decide to come check us out."
"They'd come by the boat?" she asked.
Ben and Cody both nodded.
"I've seen them swim alongside a boat moving in the water," Ben said.
"Yes, so have I," Cody said, looking out where the dolphins were. "They can be very social. We'll see if these are up to socializing with us today. The water out here is still too cold for us to try and swim with them. I'll go get us some coffee."
"I'd love to do that—swim with the dolphins," Ben said. "I think it would be such a—whoa!"
Rose never heard what he thought it would be, because he had a hit on his line and it was all about bringing in their first fish. Cody appeared with coffee that he set down, and then he stood by Ben's side advising him. From the way the rod was bent, Rose was sure he'd hooked a massive fish, but in the end it was a nice-sized red snapper. She knew they could expect to find cod, haddock, grouper and snapper out in this area, all of which were excellent fish to eat.
Cody snapped a photo of Ben with his first catch of the day, and asked if they'd like to have snapper for lunch. Ben looked a bit stricken at the idea of his fish being cut up.
"Sorry, Ben, but it's not nearly as big as others you'll catch today. You're not going to end up mounting this one on the wall."
Ben laughed and agreed.
The first time she got a fish on the hook and it jerked her rod, Rose nearly dropped it in surprise.
"Hold on now," Cody said from beside her.
She was amazed at how much of a pull the fish could put on the rod, and how hard it was to hold the rod while trying to bring the fish in. Then Cody slid a harness over her head, with Ben helping, and they got her rod in the holder to keep it against her body. It was easier to manage the rod after that, but her arms were definitely getting a workout.
"You've got a big one on the line, Rose," Cody said with a grin. "Good job!"
"You're doing great, Rose," Ben said. Suddenly, he turned back to his line which had jerked and was running out. "Got one!" he yelled.
From then on it was a race to see which fish would be landed first. At one point, Ben's fish was crossing where Rose's had been and they exchanged places in the boat moving their lines carefully.
"I'm gonna lose him!" Rose shouted to Cody.
"No, you're not. He's almost in, just keep reeling him in. That's it," Cody said and readied a hand-held net to scoop up the fish.
Rose was astonished at the size of her catch when it landed on the deck of the boat. It looked huge to her.
"What kind is it?" she asked.
"That there is a black grouper, and a very nice-sized one at that. Excellent work."
A few minutes later, Ben's fish was hoisted into the boat. His face was a picture, Rose thought. His mouth was opening and shutting, his eyes were wide, and he finally spoke.
"He's so small!"
Rose started laughing. She just couldn't help it.
Ben frowned at her, but then began to chuckle. "All that fighting and he's what...five pounds?"
Cody squinted at the fish and said, "More like seven I'd bet. Tuna that size can put up as much fight as a twenty pound bluefish."
"Yeah, but...a tuna? I was hoping for something a bit more exotic than that," Ben said.
Rose decided not to gloat over her fish...or at least, not much. They ended up having the red snapper for lunch, cooked to perfection by Cody on top of the stove in the galley. Rose thought she'd never tasted fish that satisfying. Ben was all smiles at how his fish turned out for eating.
Cody wanted to know more about the movies. "Do you do your own stunts?"
"It depends on the stunt. I like doing them if I can, because it adds that extra layer of realism...plus, it's fun!"
The guys laughed while Rose shook her head.
"But sometimes they won't let me do it. The bigger you get in the business, the more insurance comes into play, and nobody wants you to get hurt. It's usually a joint decision between the director, the head of the stunt team, and the suits from corporate. The actor doesn't have a lot of say at that point...or at least, I don't yet. You have to be a big star for them to listen to you."
"Can you tell us yet what play Mr. Christopher plans for this summer?" Joe Crawford asked. He'd joined them for lunch and sat there eating quietly until he asked his question.
"Yes, since the auditions happened, I'm sure everyone will know," Ben said. "It's going to be Pride and Prejudice. Plenty of parts to go around and it's a fun version of the play."
"I love that! Well, by that I mean I loved the book," Rose said. "And I liked both versions that were put out as mini-series. You, I assume, will be Mr. Darcy?"
"Yes, that's me. He's rather a stoic fellow in some of those incarnations. I'm hoping to infuse life into him without losing the gist of the character."
"Who will be playing Elizabeth Bennett?"
"Your sister, Beth."
"What fun!" Rose said. "I can't wait to see it."
"I'm pretty sure I know who the role of the Bennett mother will go to...Lucretia."
"What?" Rose said. "The jewelry design lady?"
Cody and Joe chuckled.
"Lucretia is some good actress," Joe said in a gruff voice.
Cody explained. "William decided we should run drama classes, to basically train up a corps of actors for him to draw upon for his plays. Lucretia stood out heads above everyone else. She's a natural actor."
"I got a message last night from William that Beth's understudy will be someone from L.A., evidently an actress who wants the chance. Probably somebody who wants to get near Beth and William, in hopes it will give them an advantage in getting a part down the road," Ben said.
"That Mr. Christopher, he's some big shot director in your business?" Joe asked.
"Yes, he is. He's very well-respected. I know there were several people trying to get deals done with him for big-budget movies. I'm not sure if he's made a decision on any of them or not."
Cody shook his head. "Last I heard, he and Beth were still deciding what they wanted to work on together."
"All I know is, I feel privileged to get the chance to have him as my director. I'm sure I'll learn a ton from him," Ben said.
Cody cleared the dishes from the built-in table. Rose offered to wash them, but Joe took over and said he'd do them.
"What do you think guys? Can you handle some more fishing?" Cody asked.
"I want to put on more sunscreen and then lay out on the front of the boat, if that's okay," Rose said. "I want to feel the sun sink into my body and totally relax."
"I'll bet you need that, Rose, after all that stress you have being a...uh, model," Cody said with a quick glance at her.
Ben looked at Rose questioningly, but then she slipped her t-shirt and shorts off, and he was suddenly standing there with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. The swimsuit was a bikini that covered everything necessary and not a smidge more than that. It was made out of a lime green shimmery material.
"Would you help me with my sunscreen, Ben?" Rose asked, and then walked past him and up the stairs to the deck.
She heard Cody laugh and say, "I wouldn't wait too long to take her up on that."
The next thing she heard as she walked away was Ben running up the steps. She made her way to the spot she wanted to use, carrying her beach bag. After she'd spread out her big towel, one of two that Maggie had insisted she buy for the beach, she sat on the towel and dug around in the bag, pulling out her sunscreen and her camera.
Turning around, she snapped a picture of Ben. He frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"Just...I didn't expect you to be the photo fan type."
"Fan? I'm not a fan. I'm just taking pictures of everything out here. But if it bothers you, I can delete it easily." She felt a bit miffed, but realized after a moment of thought that he must get sick of having his picture taken by strangers.
"No, no, sorry. I'm overly sensitive to it. Have you got that sunscreen?"
Rose handed it to him and he knelt down beside her. She turned away from him so that he could put lotion on her back. She felt Ben lift her braid up, and she reached back to pull it to the front of her body.
"You've got really pretty hair," he said. "You don't often see true strawberry blondes."
"Thank you. I..." her voice trailed off as she felt his hand begin rubbing the lotion onto her back. She felt her body tense as his hand rubbed slowly up and down and in circles. He wasn't just spreading the sunscreen on. It was more like he was massaging it into her skin. The feeling of his strong hands on her body made her feel shivery inside.
"Um, that's probably got it covered," she said in a soft voice. "Thanks."
He started to speak and cleared his throat. "Sure. No problem. But you know, I think I need to redo my sunscreen too, so can you do my back?"
She turned around and saw him sit down in front of her, knees pulled up and his arms clasped loosely on top of them. Without a word, she began to spread the sunscreen on his back. Following his lead, she worked it into his skin, and she felt a jolt of surprise go through him. She knew she had strong hands as well. And she thought the skin-to-skin contact had gotten to him, too.
Deciding she couldn't prolong the experience any further, she gave his shoulder a pat and said, "All done."
"Thanks, Rose. Here, give me your camera while you do the rest of your sunscreen and I'll get you some pretty shots of the water and sky."
She gave him the camera and watched him walk off, muscles moving in his back. He was quite a hunk of a man, she thought. Not just a pretty face, either. As he clicked away with her camera, she wondered about him. It seemed almost odd that he wasn't with anyone. Could it be that he had a hidden flaw? He almost had to have at least one, since he appeared to be perfect...and she knew nobody was perfect.
Taking a deep breath, and letting it out slowly, she realized she was picking at her concept of him. Today was about relaxation, letting go of stress, enjoying the day. She finished with the sunscreen and stretched out on her back. The sun felt warm on her skin, and the boat rocked slightly in the water. There was a sound of some type of bird further away, and then there was quiet. Bit by bit, her muscles relaxed and she shut down her mind, floating on the quiet warm day.
The next thing she knew, someone was running a finger down her arm.
"What...What's going on?"
"You were asleep," Ben said, removing his hand from her arm. I thought even with sunscreen you might want to turn over. It's very bright out here on the water."
"Oh." She sat up and blinked slowly. "I don't think I've been so deeply asleep in ages."
"Then you must have needed it," he said. He handed her a bottle of flavored seltzer water. "Feel like a drink?"
"Yes, thanks." She took a long sip and sighed. "Yeah, that tastes fantastic. It is hot here now, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. Cody says he knows of a spot where we might catch some more fish. On a lake, this would not be the right time of day to fish, but out here it's different. Do you want to take a ride and find another spot, or would you rather go back into town?"
"Let's stay out, if you want to."
He grinned at her. "I definitely do. I still haven't caught the big one. Plus, I need to get at least one picture of you with my camera."
She noticed his camera was much more complex than hers.
"I've gotten some panoramic shots of the water and sky, but I need a few with you in them. Here," he said, handing her a lifejacket. "Put this on because they are putting on speed. Why don't you come and sit with me in the seats? We don't want you rolling off the front of the boat."
They gathered up her things and went to the back of the boat. As she sat by Ben, her leg occasionally pressing against his when the boat rocked, she realized she'd missed this. She'd missed there being a man sitting next to her, missed seeing the male body when it wasn't ill or injured. She looked at his face as he turned to her and grinned. Yes, she'd missed all of it, and she smiled back at him. She wasn't sure yet whether it was just her lack of a relationship this past year, or if what she felt when he grinned at her like that meant something more. But she wanted to find out.
* * * *
Ben liked her smile. He liked her face when she was serious. He liked her body. He liked her mind. He liked her.
And just what was he doing? He wondered. He'd known her only a few days and already he was this drawn to her. That didn't jibe with the way he'd been doing things lately. He'd stuck to his commitment to not go falling for another pretty face. To take the time to really get to know someone before going to bed with them. And yet, with Rose, he felt the pillars of his commitment crumbling. All he wanted was to take her in his arms, kiss her until they were both breathless, and make wild love to her.
Some of what he wanted must have shown in his eyes, because her eyes darkened and her lips parted, and he leaned just a bit toward her—and then pulled away abruptly. She looked startled and blushed, turning away from him.
What the heck am I doing, he asked himself.
The boat began to slow, and he jumped up and walked over to Cody to get his fishing rod. Cody looked from him to Rose.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, uh, yes, of course. I think Rose was going to lay out again when we stop."
"No, I'm not," Rose said from behind him.
He turned quickly and almost hooked her arm.
"Whoa, there. No sudden moves when you're getting ready to cast," Cody said with a frown. "You okay, Rose?"
"Yes," she said, looking at her arm. "It didn't pierce the skin."
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking," Ben said. "I didn't realize you were going to fish."
"Like you said, we haven't caught the big one yet."
And from that moment, the competition was on. They each ended up losing a couple of 'big ones' that afternoon. He and Rose settled into a pleasant routine of poking at each other verbally, but with a good sense of humor. In between bringing in more fish, he snapped photos of her. He was surprised by how self-conscious she was at first. Then one of them would get a bite on their line and they were back to fishing. She did manage to beat him in their quest for the biggest fish, but not by much.
"If only that cod hadn't gotten away," he said ruefully at the end of the trip. Then he laughed and Rose laughed with him.
"We'll take these to the Lobster Shack. They pay well for fresh fish, especially for Friday night dinner," Cody said. "You two can go home and get cleaned up. You'll probably sleep better tonight than you have in years."
"I believe you," Rose said. "Thanks for a super time, Cody."
"Yes," Ben said. "Thank you. And thanks to you, too, Joe."
Rose had on the cover-up for her suit which still showed off her body. She was making sure she had everything in her beach bag, and Ben quickly averted his eyes when she bent to pick up something. Instead of watching her, he clicked a few last photos of the pile of fish.
Rose came over. "Ready?" he asked.
"Yes."
He helped her step onto the dock and then they walked back to the car. There was a comfortable silence between them. Finally, he decided to speak.
"I wanted to say...awesome swimsuit."
She gave a laugh. "Thanks. Ben..."
"What?"
"Are we, you know, dating? I know, that sounds like high school, but it has been a year or so for me since I was with anyone or dated anyone."
"Been a while for me, too. But I think we are dating. I want to get to know you better, Rose."
"Me, too, with you."
"Do you want to get dinner together?" he asked.
"Sorry, but no. I am suddenly exhausted. I consider myself to be in decent shape, but that was utterly tiring."
"You use muscles just keeping your balance on a boat. But it was fun."
"Oh, yes, yes it was. I'm glad we went. I had a blast."
They
reached the car, and he drove her back to her apartment.
"Don't bother coming up the stairs with me," she said with a grin. "If your legs feel like mine, be thankful your cabin has one story. Thanks again for a lovely day, Ben."
She patted his arm and got out of the car, started up the stairs and turned back to wave once.
Why hadn't he kissed her? He knew he was right to not kiss her, yet she was so damned enticing. But she was a model, something he kept forgetting. He shrugged and left thinking he'd just have to get to know her better.
* * * *
Why hadn't he kissed her? Rose couldn't stop thinking about that question as she ran the shower and got in after unbraiding her hair and taking off her suit. It would have been perfectly normal for him to have leaned over in the car and kissed her good-bye. But he hadn't made a move.
Was it her? No, she didn't think so. She'd seen his reaction to her in the bikini. And he seemed to like talking to her. She rinsed her hair out and stepped out of the shower, toweling off. The more she considered his reactions to her that day, the more she was convinced that he was attracted to her. But for some reason, he wasn't taking that next step.
She threw on a knee-length long nightshirt and robe, and then got lettuce, scallions, tomatoes, and cucumbers out of the fridge to make a salad. Suddenly she was ravenous, and ended up eating a large chef salad after adding ham and swiss cheese to it. As she finished up, it occurred to her that she'd only known Ben a few days.
What had she been thinking? Here she was, acting as if he should have already made love to her, and they barely knew each other! Exasperated at her own reactions, she did wonder if maybe he was special, and that was why she had wanted him to kiss her so soon after meeting him.
Her phone rang after she'd put everything away in the kitchen. It was Beth.
"Well? How was it? Did you have a good time?" Beth asked.
"Yes, I did. It was loads of fun, and now I'm exhausted."
"Yeah, being on the boat can take it out of you. But what about Ben?"
"What about him?"
"Are you two...you know..."
"Beth, we aren't in seventh grade."
"Do you think something is there between you? William thinks he's going to make a memorable Darcy in the play. Practically every woman in L.A. has been after him. He's a hunk, and he's nice, and you have been too long without a man, dear sister."
Love Imagines (Sully Point, Book 6) Page 5
