changed into a pair of well-worn jeans and a white shirt. Damn, she looked good. Almost as good dry as she had wet.
He leaned against the doorjamb. “I was—”
“A jerk.”
He shifted his weight. “That’s one way to put it.”
“A tyrant.”
“That’s another.” Apologizing wasn’t his strong suit. Nor was idle chitchat. But he deserved this, too. “I…I’m…”
He thought about the Izzy. Some had called the search for the ship a pipe dream, since many believed she didn’t exist. At first Ben had seen the search as nothing more than a job. But after two seasons of looking for the Izzy, the search had become more. He wasn’t about to lose funding.
No matter how he felt about Kayla Waterton, Ben couldn’t let ego or pride get in the way now. Not when he was so close to finding the lost pirate ship and her stolen treasures he could taste it. Finding the Izzy would change his life, his crew’s lives and, most important, his daughter’s life. He wouldn’t fail.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Kayla’s brows furrowed, wrinkling her forehead. Something told Ben not to rush her. He stood and waited.
“Apology accepted.” The pink tip of her tongue darted out and wet her lower lip. “Did you want anything else?”
Besides you. The random thought hit too close to home. He hadn’t wanted anything else—anything but the Izzy—until Kayla arrived. He would have to keep his distance. Not the easiest thing to do on a ship this size, but the last thing he wanted were any personal complications that could jeopardize the expedition. “A second chance.”
Her gaze met his, and Ben’s temperature shot up ten degrees. The heat seemed to be generating between them.
She extended her hand. “Kayla Waterton.”
“Ben Mendoza.” He took her hand in his. Her skin was soft and smooth and tanned. She might spend time outdoors, but he expected the only manual labor she did was carrying books from the library. “Welcome aboard the Xmarks Explorer.”
“Daddy, Daddy.” Madison, his three-year-old daughter, barreled into him. She carried her favorite doll and constant companion, Baby Fifi. “I’m done sleeping.”
“You’re not supposed to leave your cabin by yourself.”
“But I’m done sleeping and I heard footsteps.” She grinned, and Ben smiled. Madison had him wrapped around each of her little fingers and toes. “Is this her?”
Ben stared at his daughter. Forty-odd inches of sugar, sunshine and smiles. She wasn’t a perfect child, but he wasn’t a perfect father. Together they made a pretty good pair. Loving warmth settled around his heart, as soft and comforting as Madison’s baby blanket.
“Kayla, this is my daughter, Madison.” He stepped out of the doorway. “Madison, this is Miss Waterton.”
Kayla kneeled down to Madison’s level and shook her hand. Both had long hair, but his daughter’s was as dark as Kayla’s was light. “Madison Mendoza. What beautiful alliteration.”
Madison scrunched her brows. “Alli—what?”
Kayla smiled. “You have a pretty name.”
“Thank you.”
“How old are you?”
Madison raised three fingers. “Three.” She tugged on his arm. “When does the other lady come, Daddy?”
“What other lady, princess?”
“Peyna Deass.”
Ben scratched his head. Madison was a chatterbox, but he still had trouble deciphering some of her phrases. Before he could ask her again, she slipped inside Kayla’s cabin and fiddled with a cabinet latch. “Madison, this isn’t your cabin.”
“It’s okay,” Kayla said to his surprise. “She can’t hurt anything.”
“You’d be surprised what those little fingers can get into.” He peered around Kayla. Madison played with the latch, oblivious to everything else. She was growing up so fast. Too fast. She was the main reason he wasn’t about to screw up finding the Izzy. He wouldn’t let her down.
“Figure out who she’s talking about yet?” Kayla asked.
“No,” Ben admitted. Ladies never came aboard the ship. Until Kayla.
“She’s talking about me.”
“But you’re not—”
“A pain in the ass?” Kayla whispered.
Oh, hell. He was going to have to watch his language around Madison. Normally he was better, but every so often he forgot she was three years old. He’d have to have a little talk with Madison. And one with himself, too. “Kids…”
Kayla’s eyes sparkled with laughter. So the pretty historian had a sense of humor. Why wasn’t he more relieved?
“Daddy?” Madison glanced up, her eyes wide with excitement. “When does Peyna Deass arrive? I want to roll in the hay with her.” She turned to Kayla. “Daddy says that’s what she needs to do.”
“On that note, I’d better put my little magpie back in her cage.”
“I want to see the little magpie, Daddy. Is it in your room?” Before he could say a word, Madison skipped down the passageway toward his cabin.
“She’s cute.”
“Sometimes a little too cute,” he admitted. “What she said—”
“Why don’t we make your original apology all-inclusive?”
He couldn’t believe she was letting him off so easily. “Deal.”
“Speaking of which, do you want to start over again?” A smile as wide as the Panama Canal lit up Kayla’s face, and Ben’s breath caught in his throat. She introduced herself and winked. “Third time’s the charm.”
Okay, she had a great smile and a sense of humor. Not to mention a great body and face. Not that he was interested, but it didn’t hurt to look.
“So are you going to be the lucky charm that leads us to the Izzy?”
Kayla nodded. “Most definitely.”
Over his dead body. “You sound confident.”
“I am,” she admitted. “Because I know where the Isabella is…and you don’t.”
Chapter Two
She shouldn’t have said that.
It may have been the truth, but the moment the words
