In Deep Waters (8 page)

Yes,
hot
described a soaking-wet Kayla in her clinging pants and transparent T-shirt. Hell, it would describe her wearing a flannel nightgown that covered everything but her hands and head. Didn't matter. She was still trouble with a capital
T.
"Kayla's attractive."

"I told the guys you weren't immune to her--" Monk
nudged Ben with his elbow "--charms. Want in on the action?"

This was worse than high school and the navy combined. "What action?"

Monk winked. "The get-Kayla action."

Just when Ben thought it couldn't get worse... Hadn't he warned Kayla? Time to put a stop to this. "While Kayla Waterton is on board, she is a member of this crew. Not some bimbo you want to nail."

"I know that, boss. So do the other guys." Monk sounded almost earnest. A surprise, since
earnest
was one adjective Ben never associated with the man. "We're not talking about hooking up with Kayla. We're talking marriage. You know, a permanent arrangement."

Marriage
was a four-letter word to all of his crew, including himself. The only good things about weddings were an open bar and free food. Ben smiled. "You had me going there for a minute."

"I'm serious, boss."

Ben didn't believe him. "You always said marriage was for wimps, wusses and women."

"That was before."

"Before what?"

"Before Kayla." Monk said her name with a reverence reserved for sports and supermodels. "I can now break my life into two halves. Before Kayla and after Kayla."

Ben was going to be sick.

"If you want in on the action, give Wolf a hundred. But you two haven't hit it off so I wouldn't waste your money." Monk raised a brow. "Though it would be a challenge."

Ben had already learned an important lesson. Chal
lenge plus women equaled three things--disappointment, ulcer and divorce. "I'll pass."

"Smart move." Monk grinned. "I've got to find an iron before my shift starts."

Ben knew better, but he had to ask. "What are you going to iron?"

"My T-shirt. Impressions are everything." Monk waved. "Later."

Not if Ben could help it.

Time to put an end to this Kayla love-fest before disaster struck. If a confirmed bachelor like Monk was talking the m-word without any verbal threats or physical force being applied, what would the rest of the boys be thinking? This went beyond poker games and other forms of gambling the guys did to pass the time. This was entering a realm that could destroy the camaraderie of the crew--a crew more like family than employees-- and keep them from finding the
Izzy.

As he continued along the hall, his mind raced. He had to get Kayla off the ship. So far she hadn't complained about her shifts, the crew, nothing. His plan to make her want to go home wasn't working, which meant one thing. He needed a new plan.

Wolf stuck his head out of his cabin. "Hey, boss, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

Wolf opened the door and placed his hands on his stomach. "Do you think I need to go on a diet?"

"Not you, too."

"What?"

"Next you'll want to know if your jeans make your butt look too big."

Wolf glanced at his backside. "Do they?"

Ben covered his ears with his hands and walked away. "I'm not hearing this."

The others he could understand. Well, almost understand. Even he had to admit Kayla was a babe.

But Wolf, too? No way, no how. Ben's oldest and closest friend wasn't going to be taken in by a pretty face, a nice smile and a great set of...

Okay, Wolf had always been a breast man, but he was beyond this does-she-like-me-or-not high school behavior. Sensible, levelheaded. He was a rock. Ben's rock. Wolf had been his best man and was Madison's godfather. He'd seen Ben through his surgeries and recovery, his marriage and divorce, the opening of his salvage operation and now the raising of Madison. Wolf wasn't the kind of guy to be worried about love handles and the size of his butt. Hell, no man was that kind of guy.

Just shoot me now. And stop the insanity before it gets any worse.
He needed to escape. Not an easy thing to do miles from land. Luckily he knew one place of sanity left on the ship--Madison's cabin.

Her door was ajar. Two female voices drifted out. Something about French braids and ponytails? Giggles followed and then a soprano, very feminine version of the ABC song.

He glanced in. Ribbons and barrettes and rings and bracelets lay on the floor. He counted two hairbrushes, three combs and half a dozen scarves in varying shades of pink.

With a seashell necklace around her neck, Kayla sat on the twin bed with Madison's bare feet on her lap. Madison wore a rhinestone tiara on her head and had every necklace she owned minus the shell one draped around her neck.

She flapped her hands in the air like a little bird. "Are they dry?"

"Not yet." Kayla held up two bottles of nail polish. "What color do you want on your toenails?"

"Pink. Purple." Madison stopped flapping. "No, pink."

Kayla's smile captivated him, and Ben felt an odd twinge in his stomach. He should let them know he was here, but he enjoyed watching them. Ben didn't have any sisters. He didn't know a lot about girly stuff and needed to learn for Madison's sake.

"It's hard to make up your mind sometimes, isn't it?" Kayla asked.

Madison nodded. She scrunched her forehead as if debating the fate of the world, not the color of nail polish. "I don't know which one to choose."

In that moment, Ben saw the future. Decisions about how to fix Madison's hair, what clothes to wear, what boys to... Ben wasn't ready for any of that. He wanted Madison to stay little forever.

"We can use both colors," Kayla suggested.

Good answer. No matter how he might feel about Kayla's presence on the ship, she'd been great to his little girl.

"Use both?" A brilliant smile erupted on Madison's face as she realized what Kayla meant. "I want this foot pink and this one purple."

Ben wanted to tell Madison to say please. As Kayla had been telling the crew, manners were important no matter what age. The sooner Madison learned that, the better. He ignored the inner voice reminding him eavesdropping wasn't polite.

"Let's do it." Kayla opened a bottle of nail polish and started painting.

Madison giggled. "That tickles my foot."

"I'm sorry." Kayla's voice was so soft and soothing. She had spoken to him that way when she'd asked about his injury and he'd liked it as much as Madison seemed to. "Do you want me to stop?"

Madison leaned her head back and her smile widened. "No, thank you. I like being tickled. My daddy tickles me."

Kayla finished painting the right foot, put away the pink bottle and opened the purple one. "Sounds like fun."

Madison sat straighter. "Daddy could tickle you."

Way to go, princess. Ben smiled. Tickling Kayla would add a new and welcome dimension to the age-old game.

"That would be..."

He could think of a whole lot of different words to insert--fun, intense, foreplay.

"Interesting," Kayla said finally. She continued painting Madison's nails. "But I don't like being tickled."

Bummer. Ben wondered why she didn't like to be tickled.

Two little lines appeared above Madison's nose. "Why?"

Kayla shrugged. "Just don't. I'm all done with your toenails. Do you like them?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you." Madison wiggled her toes. "They're so pretty."

"Just like you." Kayla laughed. "But sit still so they can dry and then you can paint mine."

Madison's eyes widened. "Really?"

Kayla nodded. "I'll show you how."

Adoration filled Madison's eyes. "I'm glad you're here."

Unguarded emotions played on Kayla's face. She kissed the top of Madison's head. "Me, too."

Two little words, but important ones for his daughter. The look of pure joy on her face warmed Ben's heart.

"Do you want to hear a story?" Kayla asked.

"I love stories." Madison scooted closer to her. "What's it about?"

"A fairy and how her dreams come true. "

It was only one story, but still... Every one of Ben's nerve endings went on alert. His muscles tensed. Madison was so young and she wanted to believe in everything. Real or make-believe. Kayla had already shown him what a dreamer she was, and he couldn't allow her to influence his daughter that way.

As Kayla began with "Once upon a time," Ben turned away from the doorway and sagged against the wall. This was another complication, another distraction he didn't need. His crew might be falling for Kayla, but so was Madison.

She longed for female interaction, a mother figure, so to speak.

He didn't want Madison to get hurt, but worse, he didn't want her head filled with dreams. She was too young, too impressionable. He didn't want her heart broken.

Between Madison and his crew, no leeway existed. Kayla had to leave before she did any more damage. And Ben finally knew how to make that happen.

Chapter Five

Kayla stood at the stern of the ship, a safe distance away from the winches and hoists used to raise and ower the sonar sled, remotely-operated vehicles and submersible. The mixture of oil, diesel and salt in the air appealed to her, as did the well-used appearance of the gear, some of which had seen better days, because this was a working ship, not a pleasure vessel. And that fact alone gave her hope all was not lost. Hard work always paid off. Her father had shown her that.

She stared at the cables lying on the deck until they disappeared into the water. Sonar devices were attached to the submerged end of the cables thousands of feet down. She'd spent her afternoon shift staring at monitors displaying images from the ocean bottom. Nothing but mud--make that sediment. Either way, she'd wasted four more hours. At least this section of the Pacific would be mapped. But that didn't make her feel better.

How long before Ben realized the futility of his search?

Kayla had to convince him to go to her coordinates. She wasn't a quitter, yet she was discouraged, frustrated and a whole lot of other things. Her gut told her to take charge. To forget about what Ben Mendoza might think and take over the expedition. It wasn't only her right, but her responsibility. She owed that much to the museum, the investors and, most important, her father.

Touching the talisman around her neck, she stared at the shimmering water below. The dark blue contrasted with the whitecaps of the waves. The water called to her, beckoned her to jump in. She longed to feel the saltwater on her skin and swim like the dolphins she'd seen earlier. The impulse made little sense, but she believed people put too much weight on things that made sense. People like Ben.

Something hissed behind her. Kayla turned from the railing.

Ben stood next to a pump with a can of WD-40 in his hand. "Looking for anything in particular?"

"Just the
Isabella.
"

"You look tired." He sprayed a gear. "Long day?"

The longer they searched Ben's grid, the longer the days would get. She nodded.

"I thought about what you said earlier." Ben's gaze met hers. "About finding the
Izzy."

This was it. He was going to ask for her coordinates. She forced herself to remain calm, though her insides shook.

"The most important thing is finding the ship," he said. "Not who's right. Or wrong."

Kayla wanted to hug him. She smiled instead. "Exactly."

"I want to make a deal."

As he moved toward her, she stepped back and bumped into the rail. "Deal?"

"I agree to follow your search coordinates if you agree to leave."

"Leave?" Realization dawned and with it a hundred questions. She started with the two most obvious. "Leave the ship? The expedition?"