Perilous Seas

by Lily Harper Hart

  That was for the best because Quinn loved smoothing her hair.

  “What are you thinking?” Rowan murmured as she shifted to stretch.

  “I thought you might sleep a bit longer,” Quinn replied truthfully. “You know you don’t have to get up with the sun when we’re at port, right?”

  She raised her hands above her head and sucked in a breath as she regarded him. “It should be against the law to wake up looking as good as you do.”

  His smile was quick and flirty. “Oh, yeah? I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

  “I don’t think you were.”

  “Oh, but you would be wrong. That’s exactly what I was thinking.” He shifted lower on the bed and tickled her until she gasped. “I think you look like an otherworldly being sometimes.”

  “Are we talking an alien?”

  “I was going for angel.”

  “Ah, continue.”

  He grinned at her playful demeanor. He worried that her father being rushed away the previous afternoon would get her down. Obviously she was making a concerted effort not to let that happen, though. “All you’re missing is a halo.”

  “And I think you’re bucking to get lucky this morning.”

  “No. I really think you look like an angel.”

  She sighed, the sound long and drawn out. “Fine.” She rolled to her back. “Make it quick. I’m starving.”

  He barked out a laugh and tickled her harder. “Despite your generous offer, that’s not why I said it. I was simply thinking how peaceful you look when you sleep. There was nothing sexy about the thoughts.”

  “Really?” Rowan arched a dubious eyebrow. “Are you losing interest already? That’s disappointing.”

  His smile slipped. “I’m never going to lose interest. In fact, your uncle and I were talking about that yesterday.” Quinn had given the discussion about the house a lot of thought. He realized after the fact that cutting Rowan out of the conversation was the exact wrong move. “What did you think about the house?”

  Rowan absently scratched the side of her nose and frowned. “What house?”

  “The house Nick and Paul bought.”

  “Oh, I think it’s nice. I like the beach access and how remote it is. I love the trees. I’m not a big fan of finding hands on the beach, but I’m betting that was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

  “I certainly hope so.” He slid his arm under her waist and tugged her back to him. Mornings were his favorite time with her because she was snuggly and warm and he didn’t want to miss out. “Nick suggested that, once this is all over and done with, we might want the house for ourselves.”

  Rowan was taken aback. “I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t think Nick and your father are going to live together forever. Nick mentioned he prefers being close to town and he’s the one who bought the house.”

  “And he wants us to buy it from him?” Rowan was legitimately puzzled by the conversational shift. “Huh. It’s an interesting idea, but that’s clearly a million-dollar home. I can’t swing my half of that.”

  “Well, I have some money put away, but it’s not enough to buy that house outright. Nick isn’t talking about selling it, though. He’s talking about giving it ... to you.”

  “To me?” Her eyebrows practically flew off her forehead. “He can’t give me a house.”

  Quinn had to bite off a chuckle at her response. It was just so ... Rowan. “Well, he seems to think he can. He pointed out that he makes a lot of money ... and your father makes a lot of money. He also said he missed out on a lot of birthdays and Christmases.”

  “Not a million dollars’ worth.”

  “I don’t think he sees it that way. The thing is, he mentioned we might like it ... and I kind of like the idea. I would make sure they put the house in your name because that’s only fair, but it might be fun to have a place for ourselves when we’re not out at sea. We could hire a property manager to check on it when we’re on cruises, but it would be a place for us to retreat.

  “Then, after we’re finished with our contracts, we’ll have a decision to make,” he continued. “I’m not sure I want to stay with The Bounding Storm for the long haul. In fact, I’ve been thinking about going into business with Fred. We would start our own agency.”

  Rowan worked her mouth as she absorbed the new information. “Wow. That’s a lot to ponder.”

  “It is,” he agreed. “The thing is, we have time. You signed a two-year contract. You still have a year and a half left, which is fine. My contract runs out in a few months. I would sign another contract — just for a year — so I could stay close to you. During that time, I would be working with Fred to shore up our business partnership. I would finish a few months ahead of you, which means I would either need to sign a monthly contract, which I don’t think they’re going to like, or only see you when you’re docked here, which is something I’m not going to like.”

  Rowan was flabbergasted. “I see you’ve been giving this a lot of thought.”

  “I have,” he agreed, dragging a hand over his short-cropped hair. “I want to be with you regardless. I don’t think we can make our life on a ship forever, though. It’s fun and we’re having a great time, but eventually we need to build a life that’s not broken up by how often we land here.”

  “Yeah.” Rowan rolled to a sitting position and immediately started combing her fingers through her hair. “This is a lot to take in.”

  “What part?”

  “What do you mean? All of it.”

  “Actually, I thought it was all pretty much a given,” he admitted. “Are you saying you don’t want to spend your life with me?”

  “Of course I do.” Rowan’s eyes filled with fire as she slid him a sidelong look. “Don’t say things like that. It’s just ... it’s a lot to come out of nowhere.”

  “It’s not coming out of nowhere. We need to talk about these things so we can make plans. I’m going to have to sign another contract, and I’m fine with that. The money is good. Although ... I was thinking about making a request with my new contract. There are several suites that are rarely used for cruises. I’m going to make one of those part of my negotiation so we can have a bigger space.”

  Rowan merely chuckled. “You have everything planned out.”

  “I have ideas,” he corrected. “I want to hear your opinion of those ideas. And, for the record, I don’t simply want you to agree because you think that’s what I want. This is a relationship that should be give and take, so tell me the truth.”

  “The truth, huh?” She rubbed her forehead. “The truth is that I like the idea of a suite. We’re on top of each other here, which is fun sometimes, but I’m afraid it’s going to cause problems down the line if one of us is grumpy.”

  “Duly noted.”

  “I don’t want you to sign on for extra months after your next contract is over,” she continued. “You need that time to get your business up and running with Fred. That’s going to be a busy time for you anyway. While I’m at sea, you can be working. Hopefully that means the time we have together for those few months will be even better because we can completely focus on each other.”

  “We’ll talk more about that when it gets closer,” he hedged. “I honestly don’t know if I’m going to be able to deal with being away from you for an extended period of time those few months. Perhaps we’ll be able to arrange it so you’re fired instead.”

  She shot him a withering look. “I am not bucking to get fired.”

  “Well, we’ll talk about it then. That’s still a year and a half away.”

  “Good point.” She rubbed her hand over his bare chest as she contemplated the rest. “I need to talk to Nick about the house. I really did like it. The beach and dock are awesome. I loved how isolated it is.”

  “But?”

  “But he can’t just give us a house. It’s too much.”

  “Well, I think he wants to give you a house. We’ll be living together, but the gift is clear
ly meant for you.”

  “Oh, let’s not get into a semantics argument.” She rolled her eyes and caused him to bark out a laugh. “I still need to talk to him. Maybe I can figure out a way to pay him back ... although I have no idea what I’m going to do when I’m finished on The Bounding Storm. There isn’t exactly a need for full-time photographers these days now that everyone has a camera on their cell phones.”

  “You have a year and a half to decide that, too,” Quinn pointed out. “We’re going to come up with a plan that works for both of us. I promise you that.”

  “Yeah?” Her lips curved. “Do you really think you’ll be able to get a suite? That would be amazing. Of course, our friends are going to hate us even more if we make that happen.”

  “They can suck it up. As for making it happen, consider it done. I’m an excellent negotiator.”

  “That’s exciting.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I thought so.”

  They lapsed into amiable silence for a few minutes. He was the first to break it when her stomach growled.

  “Speaking of exciting, how do you feel about breakfast at our favorite restaurant on the strip? You’re clearly hungry.”

  “I could eat breakfast. Dinner was great last night, but the portions were tiny.”

  “I wholeheartedly agree.”

  AN HOUR LATER, QUINN and Rowan were dressed and holding hands as they strolled across the deck. Demarcus had apparently been waiting for them because he ducked out from under the cover of the tiki bar and moved to cut them off before they could make their escape.

  “Hold up,” he called out.

  Quinn slid him a sidelong look. “What’s wrong? We’re just going to breakfast. I’ll be back later. If this can wait ... .”

  “Unfortunately, this can’t wait.” Demarcus’s expression was rueful. “You have a visitor.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “He’s at the tiki bar,” Demarcus supplied. “He’s been here twenty minutes and he’s a barrel of laughs. I can’t tell you how funny this guy is.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Says his name is Mitchum Sterling. He’s Patrick Sterling’s brother.”

  “Oh.” Quinn exhaled heavily and shifted his eyes to Rowan. “I should probably talk to him.”

  “Probably,” Rowan agreed, patting his arm. “Don’t worry. We have plenty of time to get breakfast. This probably won’t take very long.”

  “That would be nice, huh?” He clutched her hand tighter as he pulled her toward the tiki bar. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Mitchum was a tall man. From what Quinn had seen on television, he was much taller than his brother. He boasted the same dark hair, though, and his eyes were red-rimmed and weary when Quinn stepped into the bar.

  “Mr. Sterling.” He bobbed his head in greeting. “I heard you were looking for me.”

  “This is Quinn Davenport,” Demarcus volunteered. “He led the rescue effort for your family.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Mitchum squared his shoulders as he stood. “I’m sorry I showed up out of the blue like this, and so early, but I wanted to make sure I caught you.”

  “It’s fine.” Quinn released Rowan’s hand and shook the one Mitchum extended in greeting. “This is Rowan Gray. She’s the ship photographer.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Mitchum nodded in her direction but didn’t seem interested in her because he kept his attention on Quinn. “I wanted to thank you for what you did. I’ve been informed that it was a miracle you found Patrice and the others. I mean ... what are the odds you would happen to be going by at that exact time?”

  “I don’t know.” Quinn held his hands out and shrugged. “I don’t like to think about that. The most important thing is that we found them.”

  “Yes, because of you, my brother’s legacy will continue in the form of Ben. He’s my brother’s lone heir now that Barbara is gone.”

  “Well ... I’m sorry for your loss.” Quinn felt out of place given the man’s reaction. Mitchum was treating their interaction as if it was a business meeting and nothing more. “Even though part of your family was saved, you still lost a brother and niece. That has to be difficult.”

  “It’s exceedingly difficult,” Mitchum agreed. “Still, you turned what could’ve been a total loss into a partial win. That’s why we want to reward you.” He dug into his pocket and came back with what looked to be a folded piece of paper. “I know there’s no amount we can give you that will truly express how grateful we are, but I hope that’s at least a small indication.”

  Quinn furrowed his brow as he unfolded it, and then almost fell over when he realized it was a check. “I ... you ... this is a check for a hundred thousand dollars,” he said finally.

  “It is.” Mitchum’s tight smile never slipped. “We’re eternally grateful.”

  It was rare that Quinn found himself on unsteady ground, but he honestly had no idea how to respond. Finally, he went with his gut. “I can’t accept this.” He handed the check back to Mitchum. “I appreciate the sentiment — I guess — but I was doing my job. I don’t want to be rewarded for that.”

  “My understanding is that your job is to ensure the safety of the people on this ship,” Mitchum countered. “You risked your life to take rescue boats into the darkness, where anything could’ve happened, to save my family. That’s going above and beyond.”

  “But ... it’s not. I was doing my duty and I don’t want this.” Quinn waved the check in Mitchum’s face. “People shouldn’t be rewarded for doing the right thing. I did the right thing and I’m not sorry.”

  Mitchum’s forehead wrinkled. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m absolutely sure.” Quinn moved his arm to Rowan’s back because he needed something to do with his hand. He felt antsy. “I’m glad you got at least part of your family back. Losing your brother must be difficult, especially since his hand was found on the beach the way it was.”

  The words were out of Quinn’s mouth before he thought better about uttering them. It was a test of sorts, he recognized that, but he was mostly interested in the way Mitchum would react. To his utter surprise, the older man allowed a wave of shock to wash over his features as he momentarily slumped before straightening. “W-what?”

  Huh, Quinn internally mused. Mitchum clearly didn’t yet know about the hand. That was interesting. “There was a hand found on the beach in Tierra Verde yesterday. It was only about a half mile from your brother’s compound. I was told the hand was identified as belonging to your brother.”

  “But ... that’s impossible.” Mitchum’s confusion was profound. “My brother disappeared on the other side of the state. There’s no way his hand could’ve ended up over here.”

  “Perhaps the police are mistaken,” Quinn suggested. “I mean ... it wouldn’t be the first time.”

  “Perhaps.” Mitchum didn’t look convinced. “Um ... thank you for your time.” He folded the check and shoved it in his pocket. “Most people would’ve jumped at the money. You’re clearly a man of character.”

  “I’m just a man who likes to do the right thing.”

  “Yes, well ... thank you anyway.” With those words, Mitchum turned on his heel and hurried away from the tiki bar.

  Quinn exchanged quick looks with Demarcus and Rowan before moving to follow. “I just want to check something,” he muttered as he left the shaded area.

  Not wanting to be left out, Demarcus and Rowan opted to follow him. By the time they caught up, Quinn was perched next to the railing and watching Mitchum hurry across the parking lot. A large black limousine was parked in the middle of everything, and that’s exactly where he headed.

  “What do you think?” Rowan asked as she caught up with him. “Was he lying about the hand?”

  “I don’t think he knows anything about the hand,” Quinn replied. “I mean ... that could simply be because the cops are informing them of the discovery today.”

  “Or?” she prodded.

  “Or somethin
g else is going on.” Quinn grimaced when the limousine door flew open to allow a woman to exit. He recognized her from a hundred yards away and started shaking his head when Mitchum began berating her over something they couldn’t hear.

  “Patrice,” Rowan muttered, surprised. “What is she doing with her husband’s brother?”

  “That’s a very good question.” Quinn rubbed his cheek as Rowan lifted her phone and snapped a photograph. “What are you doing?”

  “Just checking,” Rowan murmured low enough that Demarcus couldn’t hear her, pulling up the photo and frowning at whatever she saw. “We should head to breakfast.”

  Quinn correctly read the look on her face and nodded. “Right. Breakfast.” He held out his hand. “Demarcus, I will check in with you later. I’m going to want to make a few calls about Mitchum ... and that hand.”

  “I bet. This is turning into a regular mystery.”

  “It is indeed.”

  8

  Eight

  “One of them has the omen.”

  Rowan waited until they were seated in the restaurant and had placed their orders to announce the obvious.

  “I figured that out by the look on your face,” Quinn said, patting her hand on top of the table. “Never play poker, sweetie. People will take all your money if you try.”

  She shot him a harried glare. “This isn’t funny.”

  “I know it’s not funny.” He was calm in the face of her agitation. “There’s a lot about this situation that isn’t funny, and I don’t think you’ve actually absorbed all the big concerns.”

  “And what are the big concerns?”

  “Well, for starters, the fact that Pat Sterling’s hand was found close to his family home seems to indicate to me that he was never on that boat ... or at least he wasn’t on that boat as long as his family seemed to indicate.”

  Rowan’s mouth dropped open. “But ... he had to be on the boat. People saw him on it after the engagement party. I saw them on television. Quite a few of them gave interviews.”