okay?’ His instant concern could undo her resolve not to give in to the attraction between them. ‘You seem to be hurting more than usual.’
He noticed that pain struck her sometimes? ‘I’m good. An injury I received in the army is playing up, that’s all.’ She gasped. She never, ever mentioned that, not even light-heartedly.
His concern deepened. ‘Are you serious? Is that why you got out?’
She shook her head, wanting to deny the truth. But she couldn’t lie. ‘I took an honourable discharge. My back acquired a dislike to humping around overweight packs and war gear.’ She’d tried for light and friendly, thought she’d succeeded until she saw something in Chase’s steady gaze that said he wasn’t fooled. Something that drew her to tell him, ‘I took a severe wound to my thigh and twisted my back. It’s taking time but I’m coming right.’ She turned towards her patient, needing to shut down this conversation.
Chase said softly, ‘Glad to hear that, Kris.’
Her eyes closed and her head dipped. ‘Kristina.’
He chuckled. ‘Kristina.’
‘You...’ she spluttered as she turned back to him. ‘You’re deliberately winding me up.’ She laughed, for real this time.
‘Worth it to see your eyes widen as though I’d swiped one of your chocolate biscuits when you weren’t looking.’
Which he had a penchant for.
As Kristina absorbed Chase’s presence, her feet once again glued to the floor, the sparks that had flickered on and off between them since they’d met over Antoine suddenly became a raging fire in her veins. Worse, Chase was recognising her reaction.
Definitely time to put any dumb ideas about letting this attraction rule her head into the recycle bin. The only way to do that was to front up and explain she wasn’t interested. In other words, lie her heart out. Tonight she’d do something about it, despite Chase never acknowledging the magnetism hovering between them. There were moments when he looked at her as though he wanted her. That was when her body really hummed; and her mind argued with it. Tonight she would not go to her bunk the moment she’d eaten dinner to get some sleep before the next draining shift began. No, she’d face up to Chase and deal with this annoying interference that crossed her day too often, sending her into an uncontrollable tailspin.
* * *
‘Hey, Reid, how’s things?’ Chase settled his butt against the bulkhead of his private corner and stared out to sea, the phone hard against his ear.
‘I’m good. You?’
Chase let out a long, satisfying breath. ‘Another day almost done; more people helped, saved, fixed.’ The relief was immense. He could rest easy—until the next day got under way. Ethan would understand where he was coming from. ‘Not sure you’re aware you left your tablet on board. I can send it out on the helicopter and have them courier it to you.’
‘Keep it there till I come back. I don’t need it for the next couple of weeks. Claire doesn’t leave me time for reading.’ Ethan chuckled.
‘Glad to hear she’s keeping you on your toes.’ Chase grinned, and couldn’t deny the envy sweeping through him. ‘You decided where you’re going to look for work after you finish with us?’
‘I’ve been talking to the local refugee centre. If there’s a vacancy coming up in Marseille then I want my name on it.’ Ethan filled him in on what he’d been doing since he and Claire had left SOS Poseidon.
Chase listened avidly, enjoying the camaraderie—something he hadn’t known since he’d withdrawn from getting close to people after the loss of Nick. He was still hesitant about letting loose and talking about anything and everything, but every day over the past six weeks when Ethan had worked on board they’d inched closer and the tension had eased somewhat. He still wasn’t ready to let go the guilt about not saving Nick. And until he did that Reid would never get close.
For a span of time, standing here in his own small zone, letting Reid in, he could almost accept he’d made up for the past, could almost believe he deserved a chance at a future. Almost. Until he hit the pillow and the memories came knocking, and Nick appeared in his head. Then he’d have to get out of bed to start over.
‘Anyone special in your life?’ Ethan asked. When Chase growled, he added sadly, ‘Just learning about you. You know?’
Yeah, he knew. There was so much between them, and yet even more they hadn’t a clue about. ‘The answer to that should be obvious. There’s no one for a very good reason.’ Chase ignored the flare of pain. And the image of Kristina Morton that flashed into his mind. She might be as sexy as anything, but there was something about her that said don’t touch unless you’re serious. He was serious about having sex with her, but nothing more.
‘So you’re not interested in Kristina?’
Silence. He couldn’t lie. Neither would he give Reid ammunition to give him a hard time.
Ethan sighed. ‘She makes you laugh when no one else does. As for the sparks between the two of you, they had me looking for the fire extinguisher.’
Again Chase ignored him. Those comments were too close for comfort. If this was what having a friend was like, he didn’t need one. Except over the previous six weeks he had begun to look forward to moments talking with Ethan. ‘Nothing’s going to come of those sparks. I’m all work and no play.’ He already had parents and a sister who loved him and who he couldn’t risk letting down—like he believed he had Nick even knowing he couldn’t have changed a thing. The guilt did that to him. This getting a little friendlier with Reid didn’t mean he was capable of allowing a woman close.
The breeze moved around him, fanning his face. ‘Got to go. Talk to you again.’
Kristina slipped up beside him. Apparently she had no qualms about intruding into his private spot out here. From the first trip of the summer it had got around that this particular corner was his, and no one encroached. No one until tonight. Sure, he’d rung Ethan, and been relaxed about talking to him here, because it had been his choice. But... ‘Kristina?’
The breeze also held that scent of pine and flowers. That sweet and spicy aroma went with her all over the ship. Sometimes it followed him into sleep at night. Those were the times he woke restless and in need of a cold shower.
Why did she invade his privacy like she had a right to? Funny how he couldn’t find it in him to care. Instead, he felt unusually happy she’d joined him, a feeling he couldn’t explain, neither was he about to try. It didn’t mean he was letting her close. He hadn’t lost all his faculties. They might’ve locked eyes over breakfast, sending the temperature in the room off the scale, but he’d had to deny the need boiling in his gut. Had to. How they’d walked away from each other was a mystery. So send her away before it happened again.
‘Please, don’t call me Kris.’
‘Kristina. Got it.’ That morning he’d kept crossing paths with her as they’d gone about their patients, and the tension in his body had wound tighter and tighter. Calling her Kris had been a deliberate wind-up. He’d thought she’d be angry, but instead she’d made him laugh.
‘Good.’
‘Other
