Turbulent Waters (Billionaire Aviators 3)

There was more than one way to impress the girl, he thought. He should have thought about wowing her sooner with his Coast Guard suaveness. Maybe he’d gotten knocked in the head a bit harder than he’d originally thought. But now, more than ever before, he was determined to break through the good doc’s defenses.

They moved through the base, and Nick felt sweet anticipation in the air.

CHAPTER NINE

Chloe was almost as giddy as a child as Nick helped her zip up in an official Coast Guard wet suit. Though it was a practice run, they took it seriously and wore full gear. She grinned at Nick as the two approached the large boat they’d be going out on. Nick was sore, she could see it by the way he was favoring his good leg.

“We can go back, you know,” she said, trying not to show the disappointment in her tone.

“Are you afraid?” he asked with a wink. His hand lingered near her neck and a tremor washed through her. Nick looked so damn good in a wet suit that she was sad to see it covered by the large life vest that he placed over it.

“Not at all, but I’m your therapist, and I can see you’re hurting,” she said.

“I promise to sit while on the boat,” he assured her.

Chloe was too excited about going out on the water to fight him any further. She knew she should, but as they reached the boat and she looked at the beautiful red-and-white vessel, she assured herself she’d done her best to stop him.

“Welcome aboard,” a man said as he held out his hand to assist her.

“Thanks so much for letting me come along,” she said, trying to contain her excitement.

“Your first time?” he asked, grinning.

“Back off, Jed, she’s mine,” Nick said with a scowl.

“It’s not every day we get such a pretty passenger. Doesn’t hurt to try,” the young man said before he laughed. He then led them to the front of the boat.

“What was that?” she asked Nick when the young man left them.

“You have to realize that the crew are a bunch of horndogs. You’re going to be flirted with left and right,” he told her, his frown still in place.

“You’re exaggerating,” she said. “And I don’t belong to anyone,” she told him. There was no way she was allowing him to get away with that one.

“We’ll see,” he said. The frown fell away, though, as he reached out and took her hand. She tugged against him, but after a moment, gave up. She liked how her hand felt in his a bit too much. She pushed down the feelings of betrayal to her family.

For this moment, she could have an enjoyable time. She knew she needed to be asking questions, trying to find information on Nick, but the bottom line seemed to be that all the men seemed to like and respect him. He also held the regard of his captain and the other people at the base. Everyone had seemed happy to see him. It appeared she was the only one, at this point, that knew an investigation was under way. She also knew he’d soon be getting served. Would that change how people were going to react to him? Would it make a difference to him? She wasn’t sure.

They moved out into the water, and the wind whipped through Chloe’s hair as she enjoyed the calm waters and the conversation between the men. She was trying to think of questions she should be asking him, but she didn’t want the moment ruined.

The radio began to crackle, and Chloe heard official-sounding chatter that had all the men onboard coming to attention. Nick stiffened beside her, and Chloe glanced up in concern.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“It appears the training has just gotten aborted. A 911 call just came in from a recreational boat caught aground in a low tide,” he told her.

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” she said.

“No. But the sea is unpredictable, and things can change on a dime. We’re rerouting to the location to help. It’s probably nothing, but a lot of people who own boats don’t know the first thing about safety. If someone gets knocked out or panics, they can get swept out to sea,” he said. “We take it all seriously.”

“I’m sorry.” He was so anxious. This was another clue that just didn’t add up. Nick did not seem like a man who would be careless about the safety of his men.

“I want to help,” he said with a frustrated sigh as he gripped his sore leg.

“You will again,” she said before cringing. If her father gained the right evidence on him, he wouldn’t be helping anyone ever again. He’d be locked up behind bars. That somehow seemed wrong to her. How many heroes were truly out there in the world? Chloe would guess the number was surprisingly small.

The Coast Guard boat sped through the water, and Chloe remained where she was with her eyes glued to the area. Finally, she saw the small boat, half submerged with what appeared to be two adults and two children on deck. They were waving their arms frantically as the water tugged against the craft, seeming determined to spill it over.

“We can’t get in there. The water’s too shallow. Those rocks are too close to them, and I’m afraid they’re going to get hurt if we don’t get them out soon,” one of the men said.

“Call the helicopter in. We’ll stay here,” the captain told them before picking up a megaphone and calling out to the frantic people of their plan.

Chloe couldn’t tell if they were happy or not about the situation, but as their tiny boat drew closer to the rocks, their panic seemed to escalate. It seemed forever before she heard the engine of the helicopter overhead as it drew closer. was more than one way to impress the girl, he thought. He should have thought about wowing her sooner with his Coast Guard suaveness. Maybe he’d gotten knocked in the head a bit harder than he’d originally thought. But now, more than ever before, he was determined to break through the good doc’s defenses.

They moved through the base, and Nick felt sweet anticipation in the air.

CHAPTER NINE

Chloe was almost as giddy as a child as Nick helped her zip up in an official Coast Guard wet suit. Though it was a practice run, they took it seriously and wore full gear. She grinned at Nick as the two approached the large boat they’d be going out on. Nick was sore, she could see it by the way he was favoring his good leg.

“We can go back, you know,” she said, trying not to show the disappointment in her tone.

“Are you afraid?” he asked with a wink. His hand lingered near her neck and a tremor washed through her. Nick looked so damn good in a wet suit that she was sad to see it covered by the large life vest that he placed over it.

“Not at all, but I’m your therapist, and I can see you’re hurting,” she said.

“I promise to sit while on the boat,” he assured her.

Chloe was too excited about going out on the water to fight him any further. She knew she should, but as they reached the boat and she looked at the beautiful red-and-white vessel, she assured herself she’d done her best to stop him.

“Welcome aboard,” a man said as he held out his hand to assist her.

“Thanks so much for letting me come along,” she said, trying to contain her excitement.

“Your first time?” he asked, grinning.

“Back off, Jed, she’s mine,” Nick said with a scowl.

“It’s not every day we get such a pretty passenger. Doesn’t hurt to try,” the young man said before he laughed. He then led them to the front of the boat.

“What was that?” she asked Nick when the young man left them.

“You have to realize that the crew are a bunch of horndogs. You’re going to be flirted with left and right,” he told her, his frown still in place.

“You’re exaggerating,” she said. “And I don’t belong to anyone,” she told him. There was no way she was allowing him to get away with that one.

“We’ll see,” he said. The frown fell away, though, as he reached out and took her hand. She tugged against him, but after a moment, gave up. She liked how her hand felt in his a bit too much. She pushed down the feelings of betrayal to her family.

For this moment, she could have an enjoyable time. She knew she needed to be asking questions, trying to find information on Nick, but the bottom line seemed to be that all the men seemed to like and respect him. He also held the regard of his captain and the other people at the base. Everyone had seemed happy to see him. It appeared she was the only one, at this point, that knew an investigation was under way. She also knew he’d soon be getting served. Would that change how people were going to react to him? Would it make a difference to him? She wasn’t sure.

They moved out into the water, and the wind whipped through Chloe’s hair as she enjoyed the calm waters and the conversation between the men. She was trying to think of questions she should be asking him, but she didn’t want the moment ruined.

The radio began to crackle, and Chloe heard official-sounding chatter that had all the men onboard coming to attention. Nick stiffened beside her, and Chloe glanced up in concern.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“It appears the training has just gotten aborted. A 911 call just came in from a recreational boat caught aground in a low tide,” he told her.

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” she said.

“No. But the sea is unpredictable, and things can change on a dime. We’re rerouting to the location to help. It’s probably nothing, but a lot of people who own boats don’t know the first thing about safety. If someone gets knocked out or panics, they can get swept out to sea,” he said. “We take it all seriously.”

“I’m sorry.” He was so anxious. This was another clue that just didn’t add up. Nick did not seem like a man who would be careless about the safety of his men.

“I want to help,” he said with a frustrated sigh as he gripped his sore leg.

“You will again,” she said before cringing. If her father gained the right evidence on him, he wouldn’t be helping anyone ever again. He’d be locked up behind bars. That somehow seemed wrong to her. How many heroes were truly out there in the world? Chloe would guess the number was surprisingly small.

The Coast Guard boat sped through the water, and Chloe remained where she was with her eyes glued to the area. Finally, she saw the small boat, half submerged with what appeared to be two adults and two children on deck. They were waving their arms frantically as the water tugged against the craft, seeming determined to spill it over.

“We can’t get in there. The water’s too shallow. Those rocks are too close to them, and I’m afraid they’re going to get hurt if we don’t get them out soon,” one of the men said.

“Call the helicopter in. We’ll stay here,” the captain told them before picking up a megaphone and calling out to the frantic people of their plan.

Chloe couldn’t tell if they were happy or not about the situation, but as their tiny boat drew closer to the rocks, their panic seemed to escalate. It seemed forever before she heard the engine of the helicopter overhead as it drew closer.