the boat first and reached for her hand. She advanced carefully down the steps. But when the boat rocked slightly, she lurched forward. Wade grabbed her and their eyes met as their bodies collided. Intense heat sizzled between them. She was soft where she needed to be soft, and firm in all the right places. Wade held her for only a second before stepping aside.
He showed her the open space that would serve as a living room and then they walked through the galley where he had fixed them a mid-morning snack of fresh fruit, cheese and coffee.
Next he explained about the VHF radio and the SSB, the Single Sideband system used for a wider perimeter of communication. He’d even explained to her how she should call for help in case of an emergency. “But don’t worry about that. The weather is clear, the wind perfect, I’m in good health and we’ll be in Catalina before lunchtime.”
Gina nodded, but he didn’t miss her wide-eyed expression when he described to her how she could reach the coast guard if necessary.
“And what’s in there?” she asked gesturing toward a doorway.
“The master bedroom and bath. There’s two more bedrooms on the opposite end of the boat.”
“You don’t expect, uh, you don’t expect me to sleep down here.”
Wade wouldn’t get a lick of work done if she did. “That’s not in your job description. You’ll have a room in the finest inn on the island.”
“And you?” she asked. “Where will you be?”
“Right here. I stay on the boat when we moor. I don’t get as much time as I’d like on the boat. So I’ve set up an office in one of the spare bedrooms.”
He guided her back to the stairs, catching a whiff of her perfume, some exotic fragrance that reminded him of sultry tropical nights. As she climbed up the steps to the top deck he admired the wiggle of her bottom and those long tanned legs as he followed her up.
“Ready?” he asked.
She drew another deep breath into her lungs then put on dark sunglasses. She looked mysterious in them, a superstar trying to conceal her identity. And in a way Gina was a mystery to him. He didn’t know her mind, how it worked, what made her tick. He’d known her body and, hopefully, would try his best to know it again, but he would never believe he knew what she was thinking. He refused to make that mistake again.
Wade prepared the yacht for their departure, untying the ropes and setting the sails. Soon they were moving through the marina, past the rocks that harbored the bay, picking up wind that would take them into the Pacific Ocean.
Gina shook with fear the moment the boat began its journey out of the calm marina waters. She took a seat in the cockpit area as salty sea spray lightly drizzled her. With slight desperation she tried to block out images of the last time she’d been on the water, the last time she’d seen her parents alive.
She prayed for enough courage to sustain her through this trip and placed her faith in Wade and his sailing abilities. She watched him move along the sheets and sails, making adjustments and setting the course.
In faded blue jeans and a white tank, Wade might have looked like a typical sailor except his muscles strained harder, his body held more steadfastly, the concentration on his face appeared deeper than on any man she had ever known. Studying his fluid movements along the rigging, Gina could only admire him.
His kiss last night had been something.
But it had meant nothing to him.
I need you.
Yes, she understood that he needed her as his personal assistant, a right-hand man and a secretary all rolled up in one. He didn’t need her in any other capacity. Not in the way she had needed him nine years ago.
Wade took his place behind the wheel and they sailed in silence for a short time. The boat rocked and waves smashed up against the hull as they sailed along. Gina shuddered, unable to suppress the trembling of her body.
Wade turned at that very instant, catching her in a moment of fear. Their eyes held for a moment before he angled around again and Gina hugged her middle, tamping down the tremors that passed through her.
A few minutes later, Wade left the wheel and handed her a life jacket. “Put this on. You’ll feel better.”
Gina didn’t bother to protest. He was right. But though wearing a life vest might help with her fear, it wouldn’t erase the memories she had locked away that were surfacing. She put her arms through the armholes and closed the jacket taut.
Wade helped her fasten the snaps and tied it for her. And when she thought he would return to the wheel, he surprised her by taking a seat by her side. “Feeling seasick?”
She shook her head. Her queasiness had nothing to do with the motion of the sea. “No.”
“You’re trembling and pale, Gina.”
“I’m not—”
“You are.”
“No, I meant to say, I’m not seasick, but this is the first time I’ve been on the water since…the accident.”
Wade’s dark brows rose. He appeared genuinely surprised.
“I realize that this is the ocean and the accident happened on a lake, but—”
“You haven’t been on the water since?” he asked.
Gina closed her eyes. Memories flooded in of the ski boat, the laughter, her mother’s smiling face and then…the collision. Gina went flying into the water, out of danger. Her parents hadn’t been so lucky.
She shook her head and stared at the hands she’d placed in her lap. “No. I haven’t had the courage. It’s been almost ten years.”
“So, why now?” Wade asked softly.
But she sensed he was really asking her, “Why me?” Why would she take her first boat trip with him? She’d been desperate for work she’d wanted to tell him. She needed the money and was determined to start her business again, without anyone’s help this time. She’d been betrayed, but not destroyed. She wouldn’t give up, and if that meant facing her fears, then so be it. She peered into a face filled with concern, an expression reminiscent of the sweet, caring Wade Beaumont she’d once known. “It’s time, Wade. That’s all.”
Wade leaned back in the seat and put his arm around her. “That’s not all. Tell me about the accident.”
“I—I don’t talk about it.” She’d never really spoken about that day except with a support group that had really helped and understood what she’d been through. Losing both parents had been devastating enough, but to be the sole survivor of the crash that had taken four lives had been equally difficult. The result was major survivor guilt.
“Maybe you should. Maybe it’ll help you overcome your fear of water.”
She shook her head and gazed out upon the open sea. “I doubt that.”
Wade took her hands in his and the look on his face, serious but earnest, urged her on. “Try, Gina. We’re
