Page 7 of Island Rescuer (Brookwell Island #6)

Chapter Six

The best kiss of her life?

The best kiss of her life.

How was that possible? He couldn’t get over it. The thought kept him up for what remained of the night, rolling through his brain on an endless loop. He had given Harper Ellington the best kiss of her life.

Honestly, he put the kiss into the same category. Off the charts.

Which caused another host of problems that plagued him through the night and into the next morning. His focus remained divided through three rounds of squats, burpees, sit-ups, and the shower that followed, despite the icy temperature of the water.

When he got downstairs, he found her at the kitchen island, working at her laptop, a thick slice of strudel on a plate nearby. Fresh coffee scented the air, confirming his theory that she was way too good for him.

He’d expected her to avoid him. Maybe he’d just been hopeful. Because for a split-second he saw himself walking straight to her and nuzzling that creamy column of her neck as if he had the privilege.

“Come on in,” Harper said. “I won’t bite.”

He blinked several times as he took her in. She was smiling. A sincere smile, in fact. “I’m making it weird.”

“You are.” She hopped off the stool and went to the coffee pot to fill a mug. She walked that full mug of coffee right over to him. He enjoyed the view way too much. Barefoot, her sunny hair piled high on her head, she wore a blue sundress that matched her eyes. Sleeveless, the hem stopping right at her knees, it left quite a bit of her available for his touch.

Not that he’d cross that line again. He took the mug, trying to match her smile and mood. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Was there an extra swing to her hips as she returned to her laptop? Most likely he was just looking too closely.

“Plenty of strudel,” she said.

“Because we didn’t share with Jess,” he said.

She laughed.

“Hey.” He leaned on the countertop, waited for her gaze to meet his. “Are we okay?”

Her head tilted and he thought the pile of hair might just come undone and spill over her bare shoulder. Wouldn’t that be a treat?

“We could be better.” Her lips twitched as she said it. “But yes, we’re okay.”

“Good.” He sipped the hot brew in his cup.

When he didn’t say more, her attention fell back to her laptop. What next? It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence and he didn’t want to risk making it that way. He helped himself to the strudel and fixed a couple of eggs to go with it while she worked.

He’d devoured his breakfast, had a second serving of strudel, and settled into the breakfast nook to review the overnight security feed by the time she stretched her arms high overhead, swaying a little side to side.

The simple motion was fluid and graceful. Mesmerizing. Then again, he found everything about her fascinating. “You danced for how many years?” he asked.

She swiveled around on the stool, then hopped down. “Most of them.” She rinsed out her coffee mug and poured a glass of water. “You looking for a partner?”

It was not an innocent comment. She was being deliberately suggestive and the spark in her eyes confirmed it. “Brookwell holds a Carolina Shag contest during the music festival,” he said. “You do lessons at the resort too, right?”

She nodded. “We do. I think we’re one of the best places to learn the official state dance of South Carolina. The tourists love it, especially when they get good enough to dance while holding their drinks like the locals.”

He chuckled. “I thought that was a myth. Some kind of origin story fairy tale.”

“Legend,” she corrected. “Rooted in truth.” She brought her water and sat down across from him. “Any word on anything?”

“Security was all clear last night.” He watched her closely. Stick to business, he coached himself. “I expect an update from Jenna soon.”

“Have you spoken to Bruce?” she queried.

“Should I?”

She shrugged. “I’m curious, that’s all. You were focused on the guy who’d jumped into the water after me. Thought maybe he’d figured it out from the multiple videos of the event. No one has recognized him?”

“Not so far.” Knox eased back. “We’ll sort it out.”

She curled her lip. “At the risk of sounding like a princess, I hope it’s soon.”

He understood. “Want me to call the doctor?”

“For what?”

“Something to help you sleep.”

Her eyes sparkled. “You don’t want me waking you up in the night?”

It was a dare. A bald challenge he was more than happy to accept. “Not with a nightmare, no. Any other reasons, bring it on.”

Her eyes rounded. “I want to believe you.” She leaned forward. “But you stopped.”

Yes, he had. With good intentions. “Feel like granting me a do-over?”

She glanced at her phone. “I’ve got an hour before my next meeting.”

His heart stuttered. Was she really suggesting?—”

“Can we discuss this while we walk on the beach?” she finished.

“Sure.” He sent Jenna a text then dropped his phone into the pocket of his cargo shorts.

Harper left her phone on the counter. “I don’t want any distractions.”

An encouraging start. Maybe she had some fantasy about sex on the beach or something.

He locked the house as they left and waited for her to open the discussion. It was her idea.

“I’m nervous,” she admitted as they crossed the dunes. “Isn’t that silly? I’ve known you for half my life at least.”

“I make you nervous?” Hard to believe.

“Yes, but it’s my fault. I’ve had a crush on you for years.” She slid a glance his way as if checking his reaction.

“Wow.” Had they really been circling around each other all this time? What a waste. He nearly pulled her into his arms, not willing to let another minute go by in confusion or uncertainty.

“Say something else,” she prompted.

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not,” she stated, plainly. “When you kissed me last night?—”

“You kissed me,” he clarified, teasing her.

She dragged in a deep breath, lacing her hands behind her back. “I started it. Yes. And I was thrilled when you took over.”

“You weren’t thrilled when I ended it?”

“Absolutely not. Though it was probably better that we didn’t just let passion blow away common sense.” She peered up at him through her lashes. “You didn’t kiss me like a man just humoring a woman after a nightmare.”

No, he had not. How much did he reveal? If he was honest about his infatuation with her, she might ask for a different protector. And rightly so.

“It occurs to me,” she continued with more confidence, “we have an opportunity here. We’re in close quarters. We’re alone.”

They’d reached the water’s edge and the tide was going out. He watched her adorable toes curling into the wet sand. With this view, wrapped up in the roar of the ocean, not a vessel in sight on the water, it was easy to believe they had the whole world to themselves.

“What do you want from me, Harper?”

“I need your protection and expertise, clearly. I need the agency to find the threat.”

“And?” He pressed. She hadn’t brought him out here to talk about security. “You’re not answering my question.”

“In a perfect world, Knox, I want you to want me.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I’m not looking for declarations or promises. It’s probably way too much information, but I’ve wanted your attention for years. I wanted to be clear that I think it would be incredible if the next time we kissed we didn’t stop.”

Aroused, he struggled to think, to give her the right words, instead of just hauling her to the sand. “Are you sure about this?”

“You think this is just about convenience?” She shook her head. “You’re my dream guy. The one that’s always been out of my reach. I’m not using you, but I don’t want any regrets. It’s just you. Yes, the situation sucks, but it created a unique opportunity. And I know you have a job to do. I’ll cooperate with the case.” She bit her lip. “I’m not asking you to take me out on dates or anything.”

“Hang on.” He couldn’t let her continue thinking it was one-sided. “Harper, I’d be willing to let you use me. Possibly honored.”

She laughed.

“I’m serious. I’ve had a thing for you for years. It’s one reason I try to avoid working in this area. Seeing you is bittersweet.” He brushed a lock of hair from her face, smoothing it behind her ear. “You’re way too good for me.”

Slowly, he reached for her, thrilled when she moved into his touch. His hands glided from her shoulders, down over her silky, sun-warmed skin until his fingers laced through hers. “You’ve been the most beautiful, unattainable light in my life. Even back when I was a stupid kid you made me want to be better. This might not be conventional and we may not go out on dates, but there is no reason to rush into anything.”

Rushing her would be a crime. He wanted to savor every minute.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes. I don’t want regrets either. We can take our time. Whoever is doing this, I won’t let him hurt you.” The hope in her gaze nearly brought him to his knees. “And if the case ends before we’re ready, we can make more time for each other. If that’s what you want.”

Never had he been so candid with a woman. With anyone. But Harper made him feel safe enough to show all his cards.

“And what if I want to jump right into bed? Or climb you like a tree right here?”

He laughed, a rusty sound. Aroused beyond reason, he tugged her close. She rested her cheek against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. Giving absolute trust, with her body and her words. He could practically hear the walls around his heart crashing down. It was a wonder she didn’t feel the sand shaking from the impact.

From his pocket, his phone screeched like a banshee. She jumped but he kept an arm around her waist. “It’s Jenna,” he explained as he answered. “You’re on speaker. What did you find?”

“Oh.” she sounded surprised. “Good morning to you both. I was expecting Knox alone.”

“I can go back inside,” Harper volunteered.

“You’re at the beach. I can hear the waves,” Jenna explained. “I will not be blamed for cutting short a beach break. Besides, you’re only going to ask him what I learned.”

“True enough,” Harper admitted.

“Are you sitting down?”

Exchanging a look, the two of them plopped down in the dry sand several paces away from the water line. The grin she gave him was worth any long-held secret. “Come on Jenna, talk.”

“I’m summarizing because I’ve been pulling text messages off Harper’s phone. Whoever this is, he’s desperate, chatty, or both. And before you ask, I’m only ninety-nine percent sure it’s a man. Regardless, we have a ransom demand.”

Harper reared back.

“From a burner phone.”

“Untraceable, yes.”

“How much?” Harper queried.

“Fifty thousand or, I’m quoting here, ‘the next time, you will go down with the ship’. There are meeting details included that I have forwarded to Knox and headquarters.”

“We will not be going to a meeting,” he said.

Beside him, she shuddered. “He’s admitting to planting the device on the boat.”

“Pretty much,” Jenna said. “I’m confident he hired it done, based on the foot traffic at the dock.”

Harper pressed her hands under her thighs, but not before he saw them shaking. “Have you found who leaked the information about my fishing trip?”

He admired her steady voice, especially after an eventful night and on the heels of this news.

“Knox is the expert in the field of course, but from what I’ve seen, it was dumb luck. The friends you were fishing with were in the resort bar the night before. There is another man who was near your friends, and I think it’s the same man out on the dock the next morning. About an hour ahead of your arrival. But the lighting sucks and the guy was deliberately avoiding cameras. Whoever is behind this is following you closely, Harper. Probably for a while now.”

“You sent everything to Bruce?” Knox asked.

“Yes, per the standing order. He’s got a team working on possible IDs as well. Trying to find another local camera with better angles.”

Knox didn’t have much confidence that anyone would find something Jenna overlooked.

“The more eyes, the merrier he said,” sliding his arm around Harper’s shoulders. “Can you send me the video from the bar?” He was still thinking about the person who’d jumped in to save Harper during the water rescue. “I’d like to take a look.”

“Me too,” Harper said. “This means there wasn’t a leak in my office, right?”

“Correct,” Jenna confirmed.

“Well, that’s two pieces of good news today,” she said, gracing him with another smile.

“Two?” Jenna perked up. “What was the first?”

“Strudel,” Knox improvised. “Thanks, so much. Talk soon.” Somehow, he ended the call before they started laughing uncontrollably.

* * *

For Harper, the days became a strange mix of moods. She and Knox were, in essence, playing house. Their inside jokes grew over shared meals, random admissions, old stories, and flirting.

Lots of flirting that led to kisses and more heated, intimate embraces though they hadn’t landed in bed yet. How was that possible?

It was only a matter of time, they both understood that. Delaying the inevitable was ramping up her anticipation. His control boggled her mind and still, she appreciated his commitment to taking things slow. She couldn’t recall the last time she enjoyed getting to know a man like this.

So deeply.

So freely.

He didn’t care about her money, he had plenty of his own. He owned a house in Columbia, though he was usually on the road. What he did share about his work revealed a passion she admired and understood. She respected how good he was at the job, not just for her, but for all the agency clients.

When she shared some of her long-range plans, he got excited for her. The confidence boost had been a happy bonus. They talked about family dynamics—the good, the bad, and the therapy that went along with both.

He’d made the comment about her inspiring him to be better, but she was increasingly convinced he was doing the same for her right now.

Through it all there was the work. His and hers. Even with the remote connection, she found her role at the resort to be a grounding point amid the rest of it.

Knox’s work during her case was eye-opening and nothing like she’d imagined. He was at his computer nearly as much as she was. He took calls, checked in with his superiors and apparently, continued to scrub every available video, text, and random detail for an indication of who was behind the threats.

They’d sat in on three official team discussions ahead of the ransom drop. And now that it was done, they were at the kitchen island once more. Gamble, Swann, and Jenna were all on camera this time.

Swann gave a full account of the staged drop in Mount Pleasant. “The person who picked up the bag of fake money wasn’t any help,” he said. “A college kid hired through texts to run the errand for a hundred bucks. We let him finish the job and he handed the bag to a luggage storage service. Our GPS tag went offline there and we’re back to square one.”

“Any ideas?” Knox asked her.

“No.” She felt terrible. “I can’t imagine anyone I know demanding a ransom, much less working out a scheme like this.”

While the others lamented losing the trail and brainstormed solutions, Harper found herself studying Jenna. The woman had strawberry-blonde curls, pale blue eyes framed by chunky eyeglasses in a colorful print, and a sharp chin. She looked too young and innocent to be wielding her tech and research skills with such stunning expertise.

“As you know,” Jenna began, “I’ve been intercepting the text messages before Harper can read them. Since the drop failed, two more have come in. Each uglier than the last. I hate to ask, but maybe Harper can infer something from the messages that didn’t resonate for me and we can get an ID.”

“Of course, I can try.” Under the counter, well out of view, Knox pressed his knee to hers. She appreciated the support now more than ever.

They’d gone through her financials, with her permission and support, for nothing. Same with her business dealings and contracts. She hadn’t reneged or cheated anyone, personally or through resort business. The ransom made no sense.

The only thing that was obvious was the person sending these texts hated her. She swallowed as she read the nasty threats, doing her best to remain objective and detached. It wasn’t easy.

“It feels more personal than ever,” she murmured, scrolling through the messages Jenna had compiled.

“Familiar at all?” Gamble queried.

She shook her head. “As you know, I haven’t been close to anyone in over a year.”

“Think about syntax, pacing, or phrases,” Jenna suggested. “I’ve run this against your other messages and didn’t find a pattern, but you might.”

Nothing jumped out at her right away. “Can you send the messages to my email?” she asked. “I’d like more time with this.” She had a meeting scheduled with Audrey in just a few minutes. Jenna agreed and a moment later, while the others continued to chat, her phone chimed.

“If anything pops,” Jenna said, “let Knox or me know.”

Harper read through the texts one more time, then put it aside while she and Audrey worked up a package deal for a fiftieth wedding anniversary party, complete with a five-day family reunion.

Once that was set, she asked about anything new going on. “We had a weird email come through earlier,” Audrey said. “It was a complaint, but pretty light on the details. It’s probably a mix-up, but I forwarded it to Bruce.”

“Send it to me, please.” The hair lifted on the back of her neck. Vague or not, the timing couldn’t be ignored.

Wrapping up her time with Audrey, Harper read the email with Jenna’s advice running in the back of her mind. Yes, it was vague and fake, she suspected. But the email resonated with the same pulsing hatred in the text messages.

She forwarded it to Jenna, apologizing for the likely duplication. Once Bruce saw this, he’d send it in as well. Then she sat quietly in the swirling morass of it all.

Who would do this? Had she really spent time with someone capable of this kind of vitriol? Forgoing business, she reviewed her calendars and the notes she kept online. A text document for personal, a spreadsheet for business. Surely there was a clue in here somewhere.

Her eyes were gritty, her stomach growling, and she had nothing enlightening to share. Sending Jenna a message confirming her uselessness, she closed her laptop and went to find Knox.

She needed a distraction. And food. In no particular order.