Jenn’s hand touched hers. “So if you’re moving on, I’m happy about that and you should be, too.”
“Okay.”
“So tell me about making out with Max Sullivan.”
The tears had taken something dark with them. Chloe felt lighter than she had in a long time. Maybe even months. So she smiled and told Jenn exactly what had happened on the sand. By the time she went to bed, her eyes were swollen, but her sides ached from laughter. Not a bad trade-off, really.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE WAVES SLAPPED the sides of the boat as the wind pushed spray above the bow, and Max’s heart pounded. Another day on the water. Another day of making sure his brother didn’t sail into a storm or flip t
he boat or wreck them on the rocks.
But this time Max’s heart wasn’t pounding with anxiety. It was pounding because Chloe Turner was lounging on one of the captain’s seats, her feet balanced against the railing as she grinned into the wind. Her red bikini glowed like a siren in the sun, alerting him to what they’d been doing the last time he’d seen it. Wow.
“Slow down as you come up on these buoys,” he said to Elliott without taking his eyes off Chloe’s belly. His fingers tingled at the memory of that soft skin. “Keep the red on the starboard side and the green on the port. That’s left.”
“Got it.”
She turned to look out at the water, her thighs flexing with the movement. God, he had to touch her again, soon.
This celibacy thing was backfiring. His mind was swimming with the taste of her mouth and the firm push of her nipple against his palm and the slick heat of her sex beneath his fingers…
“A little slower,” he murmured. The pitch of the engine didn’t change, so Max sighed and pulled his gaze from Chloe’s body. “A little slower!” he called out, and Elliott gave him a thumbs-up and cut the speed.
The water was rougher today, so they’d decided to take the boat all the way back to the protected waters of the bay. A forty-five-minute trip, but what the hell. Chloe was there, totally relaxed, sending him secret winks every time he made a move to control the situation.
God, she was hot.
“Does this look good?” he asked Elliott, gesturing toward a little curve of the shoreline. What he meant was Stop here. But asking for input was a much more effective way to maneuver people. When Elliott nodded, Max said, “I’ll drop the anchor.” The engine cut off and a faint ribbon of peace washed over him with the silence. The sound of water was more muffled here in the protected confines of the bay. The most prominent sound was the trilling of birds and the rattle of insects and the soft laughter of the two women who’d asked if they could accompanying the men on their fishing trip.
Max took a deep breath and let the anchor fall. Then he turned toward Chloe and her bright grin. She clearly enjoyed being in on his secret, and Max felt lighter than he had in years.
Chloe was… Chloe was an oasis.
Perhaps that was an odd metaphor in the middle of a warm bay, surrounded by lush greenery. But there was nothing peaceful for him here. Nothing but Chloe.
“Hey, Max!” she called out, the corner of her mouth edging up. “Can we take off our life jackets now that we’re stopped?” She’d already pushed the boundary by leaving only the top buckle buttoned, but since she’d exposed her stomach, he hadn’t complained. Much.
“Shush,” he called. “I told you the Coast Guard has eyes and ears everywhere. After that incident with the admiral’s twin daughters, he’s out to get me on any trumped-up charge he can. The life jackets stay on.”
“Oh, the twin daughters. Right. Got it.”
“Welcome to my crazy world.”
Laughter danced in her eyes. “You got a rod for me?”
He raised an eyebrow and grabbed a fishing rod as an excuse to go sit next to her. “Have you ever fished?”
“It’s been a long time. My dad used to take me out when I was little, but he took care of all the details. The worms and the…fish.”
“Right.” His knee brushed hers, just as it had the night before. He looked down at the creamy skin of her thigh. What would’ve happened if they hadn’t been discovered? She’d just been starting to make the best sounds. If he’d—
“So are you going to take care of it for me?”
“Hmm?”
“The worms?”