Dirty Summer 4

“I know how to make it up to you. Let me take you out for a cruise.”

“A cruise? You think that’s such a good idea for us today? We barely made it back to the marina on speaking terms.”

“It will be different—promise. Will you go out with me again?” His thumb was playing with the little knots on the string of her bikini bottom. He looked distracted.

Blair thought about the day on the beach, and where things were headed with the sexy boat builder. This might be playing with fire, but Maggie was gone and the house was too lonely for her. If she stayed cooped up here tonight, she’d be stuck looking for a movie to watch—alone.

“Ok. But I was about to take a shower. Can you give me a few minutes?”

Justyn bit down on his bottom lip and inhaled sharply. “Good God, girl, you really are trying to kill me.” He had looped his thumb under the string and with the other hand was making a line up Blair’s back.

“Um, ok, I’ll be right back. Thirty minutes?” She wiggled her way out of his loose entrapment and skipped up the stairs. She smiled to herself. This was going to be fun. Summer sex was back on. This time, she would be in control.

Six

Blair

Blair leaned back into the cushiony seat Justyn had affixed to the bow for her. Egrets, sleeping turtles, and the occasional jumping fish peeled past them as he steered the boat farther away from the marina. She peeked over her shoulder to see Justyn standing behind the steering wheel, eyes focused on the shallow waters in front of them.

The constant summer storms and drastic tidal shifts altered the channel and made boating in the Core Sound an adventure only to be tackled by those who understood the ways of the water.

Blair thought Justyn looked especially sexy with the wind whipping through his hair, with one hand on the wheel while his eyes searched for the subtle changes in the channel. She knew he had grown up on the island, but they didn’t talk much about their pasts. That seemed like serious relationship talk, and she was determined not to have a serious relationship. However, looking at him behind the wheel, chauffeuring her to his favorite spot, made her heart skip a tiny beat.

The boat slowed and Blair took in the little cove. The last light of setting sun dappled big orange rays on the green marsh grasses. Close to the shore, she thought she made out the white form of a heron nesting in scrubby oak. Behind her, the moon was rising higher in the sky.

“What do you think?” Justyn asked as he loosened the anchor from the side comp

artment box. He heaved it out into the water, and Blair watched the concentric circles spread from where the heavy metal sank to the bottom of the sound’s floor.

“It’s really pretty out here. And peaceful.”

The boat drifted closer to the shore until the anchor tugged at the sandy bottom and tethered them to a small radius of rope.

“This is my favorite spot on the whole island. I don’t get to come here as much as I’d like.” Justyn reached into the cooler and pulled out a bottle of wine.

“Wine? I thought you were a beer guy.” Blair stifled a laugh as she watched Justyn fight with the corkscrew.

“I am a beer guy, but you’re not.” He flashed her a wide grin that even in the dimming light she saw. “I even brought glasses.” He pointed to the bag on the other side of the cooler.

“How did you have time to put all this together?”

Blair was impressed Justyn had gone through so much trouble for their evening cruise. This day was actually turning around.

“I can’t give away all my secrets, can I?”

He steadied himself as the wake of an offshore boat passed by. Balancing one glass at a time against his chest, he poured brimming glasses of the chilled wine.

“No, I guess I can’t ask you to tell me all of your secrets.” Blair sipped the wine. “So, why don’t you come here that much if it’s your favorite place?”

“Work. It’s not like college life anymore, sweetheart. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid.”

Blair didn’t want to start sparring with him again. They seemed to fall into that habit too easily. “So, how did you and Reid decide to go into business together?”

Blair followed Justyn’s gaze as an egret took flight. “I think it was always supposed to happen this way. We grew up watching our dads work together in their family business, so it seemed like a good fit.”

“And you don’t argue about stuff?”

“Of course we do. Reid gets stressed about the numbers and the marketing plans.”