HOOKED ON YOU (Paradise Cove) (17 page)

She let her hand trail down his chest, her eyes on his. He swallowed hard and stepped back. “I think I better go for that swim after all.”

Without bothering with his snorkel he dived in. When his head popped out of the water, he beckoned to her. “Come in if you dare.”

For once in her life, she did. Shimmying out of her shorts, she jumped feet first into the pristine water.

When she reached his side, he pulled her to the far side of the boat, out of sight from his son and her guests and gave her a long, hot, wet kiss. His leg wrapped around her, and she could feel the bulge in his swimsuit.

Oh my
! All her fantasies about him were true.

Then he swam away, joining his son and the others, giving them both a chance to cool off. She was the first one back onboard, and that gave her time to redress, towel dry her hair, and lay out the picnic basket. It also gave her time to reflect on the passionate kiss and the burning desire inside of her that had been lit.

Did she know what she was doing? And would her heart break when he walked away?

* * *

Colt stayed well clear of her once he was back on board. He cracked open a beer, grabbed a turkey sandwich, and sat on the side of the boat, chatting with the men. It was a much safer place to be.

Taylor avoided looking at him too. She listened to the women as they went on and on about how spectacular the diving was here, and how they didn’t have water like this up in New Jersey.

No shit! That’s why he chose to live in Paradise Cove. It really was paradise. He didn’t need the city life, or a big home. The sea was his home. Not only was it free, but it never remained stagnant. Ever-changing, it might be full of drama one minute, and calm the next. Quite like a woman in fact…and yet a man could never tire of it, get impatient with the mood swings, or want a younger model.

As a charter captain he was married to the sea. His only responsibility was to his son, and to his paying customers. That’s the way he liked it, and wanted it.

So what was he going to do about this burning sensation inside of him that wanted to claim Taylor and make her his own? He didn’t want any men sniffing around her. He wanted her in his bed, and in his life.

Well, a small part of his life anyway. He wished he could compartmentalize her. She would be the only woman he made love to, and then she could go about her life as usual and he could too. Perfect. Why should a woman demand more than that?

Sex was good. Sex was great. Like food and water. It was necessary for survival. One didn’t need a commitment or a relationship with food and water. They simply took what they needed and drank until full. Should be the same with sex. He wanted to take what he needed, and have her do the same. Good for the goose—good for the gander.

He glanced over at her. She was smiling and laughing, and looked all flushed from the sun. She caught his eyes on her and shyly looked back. She bobbed her head and blushed. She had to be the sweetest thing ever—and that was just one of the countless reasons why he couldn’t do all the things he wanted. Not to her. She deserved better. She deserved to be treated like a Queen, and have a man crazy about her. She should be given a fine home, fine clothes, and a dozen fine children.

He was in trouble. He knew it. Squirming, he got up and offered the men another beer. Taylor and the ladies were sharing the bottle of chardonnay and whispering to each other. They kept looking over at him, and he wished he knew what they were saying.

Jamie was on the fly bridge, resting in the sun after his busy day.

The sea was calm, like the calm before the storm. Just because the skies were blue right now, didn’t mean they would stay that way. A wind had picked up and the air smelled different. Colt got on his radio for the latest report on the weather—which confirmed his worries. Tropical Storm Erica had been a slow moving storm hanging around the Caribbean, but it’s direction and history brought to mind Hurricane Wilma, and more recently Sandy. That had been the highest storm surge the northeast coastline had ever seen. Wilma in 2005 had come close to wiping out the Florida Keys.

Colt truly hoped his instincts were a thousand miles off base just this once.

“Pack up everyone. Checked the storm status and Erica’s gathering strength as it heads toward Cuba. We are fine right now, but you all should go inside,” he called to his passengers.

He exchanged a look with Taylor, who nodded, and escorted her guests inside. “Jamie,” he called to his son. “Time to come down from there. We’re heading back to the marina—full steam ahead.”

The anchor came up, and he hit full throttle. The Hatteras crested the waves as he drove the boat home. If the storm was coming, “Bait Me” needed to be prepared.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

When Colt got back to Paradise Cove, he helped everyone off the boat then told Taylor he was going to take “Bait Me” to Coral Bay Marina. Whenever he needed service on his boat or yearly maintenance he’d take it there. The fact that it was on the bay side instead of the ocean gave it better protection. He knew they had dry storage for boats as large as 65 feet, but didn’t think he’d need that at this time. Removing everything from the upper deck and tying it down good should keep it safe from the approaching storm.

“I’ll catch you later,” he told Taylor. “I want to take Jamie to his mother’s and hopefully convince her to leave for a couple of days. Just have a bad feeling about this one.”

Taylor nodded. “You go do what you have to do, and I’ll see to my guests.”

Once Colt had his boat secured he had someone drive him back to his truck and went home to pack a bag for Jamie. He called Sharon to let her know he was coming and to give her a heads up on the latest status.

An hour later, she opened the door to her apartment and her troubled eyes met his. “I have a shift tomorrow,” she told him.

“See if you can get someone else to step in,” he told her. “Failing that I think once you’re through you should take Jamie and go to Miami. Stay with Grandma and Aunt Chrissy,” he told them, his hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “I’ll call them and let them know you’re coming.”

Jamie glanced up at his mother. “I’m not afraid. Are you?”

“No but it’s always best to be safe than sorry.” She pulled him in for a hug, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. “You get to skip school and take a little trip with me. We’ll both play hooky.”

“What about you, Dad? Are you leaving?” His son sounded sixteen instead of eleven.

“No. I’ve got to take care of the boat, and our home. Need to board up if things escalate the way I expect they will.”

He reached for his wallet in his back pocket. “You need some emergency cash?” He pulled out two one-hundred-dollar bills and handed them over. “Thanks for doing this.”

“Not a problem. You take care too.” She put the cash on the table. “And thanks.”

“Bye, Daddy.” Jamie hugged his middle. “I love you.”

Colt stroked the top of his head. “Love you more. See you soon, buddy. Have fun in Miami.”

“Wish you could come too.”

“I’ll see you in a couple of days. You had fun snorkeling today, didn’t you? Tell your mom all about it.” He bent down and kissed Jamie’s cheeks. “You take care of your mom, okay?”

“Okay.” He kicked his shoes off and flopped on the couch. “Is Taylor staying too?”

“I hope not,” he answered. “It won’t be safe for her either.”

“But she has the cafe and the cottages to look after.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “She should stay and look after you too.”

Colt tried not to smile, but the idea had merit. He avoided the look his ex gave him, and headed for the door. “You two just take care of each other, and we will stay safe. I promise.”

He drove right back to Paradise Cove Cottages and knocked on Taylor’s door. Taylor answered it with tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Mom isn’t here. I tried calling her, but she didn’t answer.”

He folded her in his arms, and felt her tears on his neck. “She’ll be fine. You know your mom. She’s probably kicking up her heels somewhere. What’s her favorite place for happy hour?”

“She’s always
here
for happy hour.” Taylor frowned. “She was supposed to get a pedicure and come home.”

“She’s probably on her way back now,” he said soothingly.

“I hope so, but I wanted her to catch a ride with John and Phil. They left already. Packed their bags once we got back and headed out of town.” She let out a sigh. “Why won’t she answer her phone?”

He held her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I’ll find your mom and bring her back, then you two should go spend a day or two with Kayla. She’ll love that, and I’ll feel better about it.”

“What about our cottages? I need to board up. Miguel can’t do it alone.”

“I’ll help Miguel with this place and he can help me with mine. We can get it all done tomorrow if the storm actually heads this way.”

“No matter what, the weather will affect us at some level, even if it drops down to a tropical storm—but I’m not leaving. I’ve got the supplies loaded into waterproof bins and I cooked the food that might go bad. I’ll divide it up for you, Miguel and his family, and give some to Mom to take with her to Kayla’s.”

“That’s a good idea. You do that while I search for your mom.”

She took hold of his arm as he was about to depart. “I forgot to ask. What did you do with your boat?”

“It’s tied down at Coral Bay in a good spot. I need to get back there first thing in the morning and secure it better. Got a checklist of things to do at times like this. It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried about your boat. I’m worried about you, and mom. And the cottages.”

“Then stop.” He put a finger to her brow and then kissed the spot. “You’ll get permanent worry lines right there, and I don’t want that.” He smiled. “Keep your cell phone close and call me if you hear from your mom. I’ll do the same.”

“Thanks, Colt.” She closed the door behind him, and he cursed his luck. He had more on his mind than running after Taylor’s mother, but she was a good-hearted woman who cared about everyone she came into contact with. If somebody needed her help? She’d be there in a heartbeat.

With any luck Anna had gone in search of a different happy hour since she had the day to herself. He knew just the right spot. Lorelei’s.

The white clapboard building was the “hot spot” for viewing the sunsets, listening to live bands and sipping on your favorite beverage. When he arrived the lot was busy, and the bar was pretty much filled. Lots of people sitting around the outdoor tables, too. Enjoying the music and the view of the bay. Grabbing the last of the good weather while they could. People around here knew how quickly weather could change, and they were adaptable. Rolled with the punches. Bad one day meant fine the next.

Colt waved to some familiar faces, and then paused as Anna’s laugh reached his ears. She sat at the inside bar, chatting up the bearded, younger man seated next to her. He watched her for a minute, more amused than angry. After all, she’d been working everyday for the past year and a half, and deserved a good time too.

Anna was a vivacious and slim woman with a lot of fire. All three of her daughters had that same spark in one form or another.

“Hey, Anna.” He put a hand on her shoulder.

Smiling, she turned around. “Wow. Colt. What are you doing here?” Her flashing brown eyes narrowed. “Are you meeting someone?” Her lips pressed tightly together in disapproval. “Where’s Taylor?”

“She’s at home looking for you.” He quirked a brow. “She left messages on your cell phone. Lots of them.”

“Oh, the battery died. I never plug it in.” Anna shrugged and laughed, bumping shoulders with the man next to her, who eyed him with curiosity.

“Taylor’s worried about you. Have you been tracking the storm?”

“No. I’m here to forget about it for an hour or two. Why don’t you rush on back and take care of Taylor yourself?” She gave him a wicked smile.

“She wants you to go to Kayla’s. I tried to convince her that she should leave too.” He patted the bar counter. “I’ll take care of your tab.”

“Oh, no, you don’t need to do that.” She picked up her frothy drink, as if afraid that he might take it away. “Call her for me, and say that I’ll be home in a few hours. I’ll leave first thing in the morning. I promise.”

“I’ll give you the phone. You call.”

“No. You know how convincing she can be. She’ll want me to leave right now, and I’m not ready.” Her eyes twinkled. “I know she’ll be in excellent hands while I’m with Kayla. You will take care of her, won’t you?”

He felt the trap she was setting for him as the cage came down with a loud snap. “Of course I will. I would never let any harm come to her.”

“Good. Neither would I.” She placed a hand on his arm, and her long nails raked gently over his skin. “You treat her right, Colt. My girls mean a lot to me.”

“I’m sure they do. As they should.” Colt glanced at the younger man seated next to Anna, and lifted an eyebrow. “Would you talk some sense into this woman? She knows the storm’s coming, but here she sits.” He gestured to the cool pink drink in front of her. “What are you drinking anyway?”

“A hurricane. Bill bought it for me. Yummy. Sweet though. Lots of rum and passion fruit and lime.” She lifted the tall glass. “Here, try it.”