Rockwell Island was large in size but had always felt like it was small on choices for Quinn. He knew if he’d stayed on the island, he’d have been railroaded into running the resort, like his father had. His grandfather had not been pleased when Trent, Quinn, and Derek had left the island to build careers elsewhere, or when Sierra and Ethan had followed their own career paths outside of the resort, even though the two of them had returned to the island to live after college.
With the encouragement of their parents, the five of them had all found ways to avoid falling under the scrutiny of Chandler as the latest Rockwell Resort employee. Their father, Griffin, however, had not been so lucky. He’d worked at the resort his entire life under the controlling and often demeaning eyes of Chandler. Although Griffin practically ran the resort now, Chandler still refused to acknowledge his son’s vital role in the resort’s success.
As Quinn neared the water, the temperature dropped and the sounds of the bay infiltrated the chaos in his head. A welcome distraction, although still not loud enough to drown out thoughts of work. He ran along the wet sand, close to the shoreline, his heart beating hard and fast as the boulders that marked the entrance of the secluded cove came into view. The soles of his running shoes pounded against the dense sand as he rounded the massive rocks, and there, nestled between a thick tree line on one side and a rocky outcropping on the other, was Mill Cove.
He smiled as he slowed his pace, fixing to stay awhile, maybe think through some of the work he had to prepare for the meeting with Rich later that week. Each footfall became less pronounced as he neared the edge of the cove, the water shrouded from the moonlight by thick, full branches and sharp boulders.
Quinn was bending at the waist, placing his hands on his thighs to catch his breath, when splashing sounds caught his attention. He shifted his eyes to the water, listening intently.
A soft feminine laugh filtered into his ears, and he turned toward it, taking a step forward and nearly tripping over an empty champagne bottle.
Great. It would be just his luck to stumble upon a couple making out in his cove.
He caught movement near the water’s edge and squinted, bringing the gorgeous curves of a naked woman into focus. She was facing away from him, her fingertips dragging along the surface of the water, flinging it into the air every few seconds, accompanied by that feminine laugh.
All alone in the water, she turned in the iridescent light of the moon, revealing a silhouette of her full breasts, the lush curves of her hips, and her long dark hair.
Quinn stood stock-still, mesmerized by her beauty and the sweet sound of her laughter. But when he shifted and stepped on a piece of driftwood, she immediately looked toward the sound of wood cracking.
For a split second their eyes locked. Sweet Lord, she was beautiful.
And then with a gasp of surprise, she was suddenly submerged beneath the water, the waves covering her head to toe.
Chapter Two
QUINN SPRINTED INTO the icy water and scooped the woman up in his arms, incredibly thankful that he had been there when she went under.
Holding her close, the first thing he did was make sure she was breathing okay. Thanking God that she was, he asked, “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
She looked up at him in confusion. “What are you doing?”
“Saving you.” His heart was still pounding way too hard as he strode out of the water with her in his arms. That split second when he’d thought she was drowning had been terrifying.
“Saving me?”
She pushed wet hair out of her eyes, and he nearly stumbled as a direct ray of moonlight illuminated her high cheekbones, full lips, and eyes that managed to look both intelligent and seductive. She truly was the most beautiful woman he'd ever set eyes on.
“I was just having fun skinny-dipping. At least until I realized you were standing there. That’s when I dropped down under the water so you wouldn’t see me naked. Besides,” she said as he finally realized she was trying to push out of his arms, while also trying futilely to cover up her lush curves, “how do I know you’re not the one I need saving from? Some guy skulking around the cove after midnight grabbing naked women out of the sea.”
“I’m not that kind of guy,” he promised her, even though he was losing the battle of trying to ignore the feel of her bare breasts against his chest, the sweet scent of her naked skin, and the fact that her voice fit the rest of her perfectly—warm and full-bodied. “I would never hurt a woman. I swear I’m just trying to help you.”