Lost Wishes (4 page)

“My phone!” My jaw drops back to the boat floor. He threw my phone in the ocean and then just walked away! “My phone,” I scream again in disbelief.

“Fuck your phone,” he yells back with a wave of his hand, making his way to the captain’s chair.

Hands clenching, I take a step forward. “You had no right to do that.”

He stops, turns, and comes to me fast, halting an inch from my body. “You had no right to sneak onto my boat. No right to almost get yourself killed on my fucking boat.” He jabs a thumb at his chest. “My! Boat!” His voice grows louder, muscles shaking on his large body. “You could have fallen into the water.” He points out at the ocean. “Tell me, what if I hadn’t looked back.” He grips my arms and squeezes them hard. “What then!” Eyes alive with anger, his fingers tighten on my arms. “You could have died!”

 My first reaction is to defend myself, but I get what’s going on here. I scared him. And he’s right. Who knows how long it would’ve been before he looked back at me again? I could have died. And then he’d have another person’s death on his conscience.

I look right into his livid eyes and surrender to my onus. “I’m sorry.”

He stares at me for a brief moment, eyes feral and lips thinned. He releases his tight grip on my arms and steps back. I think he’s going to walk away, but something catches his eyes.

“Fuck,” he hisses under his breath. His hand reaches out, and I follow it. He gently touches the red mark from where he grabbed me. He softly strokes it, and not in a million years did I think that this man had a gentle bone in his body. But he does.

Those guilt-ridden eyes lift to me. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay. I know,” I whisper.

His hand moves to my shoulder, my flesh tingles beneath his touch. He continues with that soft touch up my neck, stopping with his warm palm against my cheek. Something changes in him. The guilt dissipates from his eyes; replaced by what, from his expression, I can’t entirely be sure. I don’t even think he knows what he feels as he gazes at his hand upon my face. His thumb carefully slides along my cheek, just once. The slow trace leaks through my skin and bleeds deep into me, warming me everywhere. Those distant dark eyes move to my mouth. His breath quickens. My breathing has stopped. I’m holding the air in my lungs, waiting.

“It’s not okay,” he says, leaning in closer. “I’ve never marked a woman’s flesh.” Lifting those heavy lids, the hazel in his eyes darkens. “That is…unless I’m fucking her and she wants me to.” His hand turns, and paralyzed by his words, unable to respond, I feel only the back of his fingers brush the side of my face. “I wager you’d like that, though.” His knuckles slide across my chin. “So used to being in control, aren’t you, stowaway? But I bet the second your clothes come off, you like to shed some of that control, too. You crave for someone else to take over, to give you what you really want, what you desire.”

“What I desire?” I choke out with a nervous laugh, ambiguous as to why I’m continuing this conversation. “Now that’s a pretty big order.”

“I’m sure it is,” he says as the back of his hand moves down my neck. “And that’s why,” a finger traces the edge of my tank top, “not just any guy can fill it.”

My eyes go wide, knees weaken, and pussy tightens. Lewd or not, he’s right. God knows no man’s outright satisfied me. And with his I-take-whatever-I-want kind of attitude, I know he’s a man who could get it done. He doesn’t play by the rules. The men I’ve been with must have had the damn playbook in their back pocket. They never made me wet just from a look, a few words, and a simple stroke upon my cheek.  

So yeah, I want him to draw outside the lines. I want him to mark me everywhere. The thought of how he would do it messes with my head, turns me on, and when he walks away, it leaves me speechless. Now all I can think about is how bad I want to fuck him. Shit! I have to get off this boat! I need to get away from the notorious Fallon O’Conner, right now!

Chapter Five

FALLON

The marina’s packed solid with boats. I carefully maneuver mine to the dock. Glad I didn’t try this last night. No question about it. My fucked-up ass would’ve smashed into something. Glancing back, the stowaway’s still in a fit. Arms crossed over those perfect tits, she’s shooting blades at me. The ones she’s been sharpening for the past hour. I pissed her off, again. No sweat off my back.

I’d hoped that my comment about her determined ass needing some taking care of would’ve caused her to back off. And it had. I just didn’t expect myself wanting to do it.

While she was back there sharpening her daggers, it was all I could think about— exactly how I’d take care of her sassy ass. And you’d think the way it was acting that my cock didn’t get any the night before. It’s so hungry for the little stowaway.

Damn Jessina for sending her.

Those crystal blue eyes, that soft skin, and that mouth—fuck—she’s getting to me. The feel of her flesh awakening under my hand and those pink lips, I nearly lost myself and leaned into them earlier. No mouth’s ever lured me like hers. I need to get her off my boat. Hell, just to be sure that I don’t pursue what my dick wants, I gotta put the fucking ocean between us, and get her right off this damn island.

Turning back to the dock, I spot Twigs. Her small stick-like arm is waving in the air as she calls out, “Boatman!” 

Why can’t I get rid of that damn kid? I swear she has some kind of internal radar on me. I pull into my slip, shut down the motor, and as routine, toss Twigs the ropes. She starts to tie the boat down, and I know why I can’t get rid of her. She won’t let me. She’s always here. She’s the only person who waits for me.

“You’re late,” Twigs says, finishing with the last rope. Her long braid swings around her shoulder as she stands. Her eyes snap from me to my unwanted guest. “Who’s this?”

“A stowaway,” I say, yanking on a t-shirt as I go to lock up the cabin.

“Don’t be rude, Fallon,” I hear Katie hiss.

I turn around.

“Haha!” Hand on her belly, Twigs points a finger at me. “Now, I know your name, Boatman.”

“You’ve always known my name, Twigs. You just don’t use it.” Holding the bag up to her, the reason I had to rush right back, I say, “Here. Next time, don’t wait until the last minute.”

Twigs snatches the bag. “Hey, I’m only twelve. I got other things on my mind. Kid stuff.”

I step out of the boat and give her a hard look. “Don’t give me that shit.” I reach out my hand and turn to Katie. “Come on.” I flick my fingers. “Let’s go.”

Katie gathers her things, and to my surprise, she lets me help her out of the boat. Her hand clamps onto mine, her warm skin melts into my flesh. I guide her around the waist with my arm, getting a dose of that feminine scent along the way. For a split second, I contemplate pushing her in the water just to get away from her.

Once safely on solid ground, she looks down at Twigs. “Hi. I’m Katie.”

“Oh, so you do have a name.” Twigs smacks me on the arm, and then beams up at the stowaway. “I’m Twigs, and it’s real nice to meet you.”

Before Twigs gets the chance to weasel her way into the whole stowaway situation, I interrupt the niceties. “Is Glen still around? Katie needs to catch a chopper back to California.”

“Nah, he’s gone for the day. Think Hamley is gone, too.” Twigs looks at Katie. “But you don’t want to use him anyway. He’s a jerk. He’ll charge you triple the price ‘cause you didn’t book the flight earlier.”

“Well, he does sound like a jerk.” Katie smiles at Twigs.

“Shit.” That’s not good. I rub my chin and try to pull myself from Katie’s smile. It’s nice to see her smile. She has a great smile. “We’ll figure something out.” Fuck, we have to. I gotta get away from Katie Rustle.

“Hotels are all booked, too. With the festival, it’s a busy weekend,” Twigs says.

“Surely there’s a boat that can take me back.” Katie’s wide eyes turn to me. “Right?”

“Yeah, but like I said, Jessina will have my ass if I let anything happen to you. I’m not about to send you off with one of those assholes.”

“I can’t stay here. I need to get home, get out of these clothes, and get back to the real world.”

“She can stay at your place until you figure it out,” Twigs says. Let the weaseling begin.

“You live here?” Katie’s eyes narrow. Amused by her response, my brow lifts.

“Yeah, where did you think he lived, on his boat?” Twigs answers for me.

“No, ahh…” Katie stammers. “I don’t know, maybe.”

“I get that.” Twigs giggles. “But, really, he’s got a place here. It’s just up the road from the beach. I’ll take ya to the plaza; you can get something to wear there, and then we’ll meet Boatman back at his house.”

“But I—” Katie starts to argue.

“That’ll work,” I cut her off. I gotta get away from her and Twigs. I need a second alone; I like being alone. All this together shit is taking a toll on me. “And I’ll go check to see if Hamley has really left yet.”

“I told you. He left.” Twigs stomps her little foot as her face scrunches up and turns bright red, diminishing her freckles. “What, you don’t believe me?”

I disregard her childish outburst and pull my phone from my pocket to check my messages. Just one from Lucky. My brother’s the only person who has the number. I take a second to listen to the message while Twigs chats up Katie.

Lucky’s met a girl. Good for him. It’s about time he let someone in. But he’s having problems getting the loan for his two new tattoo shops. Not good. The guilt of my absence drops hard into my empty heart. I click the phone off.

“Here.” I hand the cell to Katie. “Need to make any calls?”

She stares at it, eyebrows stitched together. “Ah.” She takes it from me. “Thanks.” She punches in a number, and as she walks away, I hear her asking to speak with Mr. Lennox.

Twigs ebbs over, dark brown eyes twinkling. “Your stowaway,” she tips up on her toes and whispers, “is pretty.”

“Yeah, she is.” I tap her on the nose. “But she’s not staying.”

She snorts. “Then why not send her away right now. Blake, Johnny, heck, even Miss Mary could give her a boat ride back. Miss Mary ain’t an a-hole.”

“Stay out of it, Twigs.”

“How can I,” her arms come out in the air as she back steps, “when I’m taking her to the plaza.”

I haul in a deep breath and then catch up with her and Katie.

“That’s pretty,” Twigs says, pointing to the necklace around Katie’s slender neck.

She touches it with a faint smile. “It was my mother’s.”

“Where does your mom live,” the inquisitive little shit asks.

“Oh, she’s gone,” Katie fiddles with the small charm, and I know that look. “She died.”

“My mom’s gone too, but she ain’t dead. Nope. One day she left on a boat and never came back. My sister Jenna takes care of me. She works for the Queen’s Resort here on the island.”

Katie’s head tilts and her eyes soften. “I’m sorry.”

“About my mom? Nah, I’m better without her.” Twigs shrugs and the kid’s right. Her mother was a drunk, a whore, and a bitch. Both girls are better off without her.

“Time to go,” I say, not wanting Katie to stow away into my life here, too. I got enough to deal with when it comes to Twigs. The kid demands too much already, always trying to make me give a shit about stuff. And her tiny fingers might cling to what little heart I have left, but if anyone demands any more from me, it could cause a complete break and detach me from everything. It’s why I don’t return Lucky’s calls. Why I steer clear of all who care about me. I have one agenda. Revenge. When it comes, it’ll no doubt be the end of me. No need to drag anyone else through that shit. Twigs, I make her no promises. Still, she won’t go away or leave me alone. And this is where I go to get away from everything. So I have no choice but to deal with the kid.

“Come on, Katie,” Twigs waves, “plaza’s this way.”

Not making eye contact, Katie hands me my phone and heads off with Twigs. I follow behind as they make their way to the road, listening to Twigs tell her all about the ins and outs of Avalon.

“So, how do you know Fallon?” I hear Katie ask.

“Oh, I’ve known Boatman for years,” Twig starts to explain, but I stop her.

 “Yeah, and she’s been nothing but a pain in my ass,” I chuckle. Twigs and me, we don’t talk about how we met. She knows better. We talk about other things, what’s going on around Avalon, shit like that, and that’s it.

“But you like me.” Twigs turns to me with a smirk. “And I put up with his cranky butt.” She looks back at Katie. “How do you know Boatman?”

 “His cousin, Jessina,” she says but quickly changes the subject. “What’s in the bag?”

“Oh, this,” Twigs lifts the white bag. “Candy.” She laughs. “No, it’s not, but I wish. It’s my insulin.”

“You’re a diabetic?”

“Yeah, since I was eight. Boatman says he can get it cheaper for me in California.” She leans in closer to Katie and drops her voice. “But he never makes me pay for it.”

Shit! Katie’s head slowly turns and her eyes land tenderly upon me. Like someone took the switchblade from my pocket and sliced me wide open, my vulnerability is exposed. I know Katie sees it. Not what I want. I don’t even like to see it. I don’t let myself. But there it is; I do have the ability to care. I care about that little girl. But I have nothing more to offer. That’s it, just Twigs.

Besides, accepting that I care means that I feel. And I refuse to let anyone else in my life or into my head.

Definitely not into my heart.

I refuse to feel that pain ever again.

Chapter Six

Katie

I never thought twenty-four hours ago that I’d be on some island in some stranger’s home standing in nothing but a sundress. I’d forgotten to purchase underwear so I’m going completely commando. The dress Twigs talked me into, well, a bra doesn’t flatter it at all either.

When we got to Fallon’s house, they both bailed on me. Twigs had to go home for dinner but said she’d be back. Fallon, he didn’t make any excuses. Just said he was leaving and would catch up with me in the morning.