Page 119 of Nowhere to Hide

I turned to his voice. He was leaning out of what I called his captain’s seat. I’m sure there was a more boat-worthy term, but I didn’t know it. Usually, I needed to know every last piece of information on a topic, but this entire situation had taken so much from me that I was just concentrating on myself for once.

He waved me away from the railing. The protective side of him was in control now.

Instead of heading back down to the main living area, I eased around the walkway to the stairs to his domain. I’d never actually been able to get up there with him before, but I found I wanted to get in there with him. To see what he saw and what drew him so deeply to this vagabond life on the water.

He was about to head to meet me when I smiled at him. “Can I come up?”

I saw the indecision, then he reached his hand out to me.

The muscle strain was like fire, but it was worth it when he drew me in close. I could still feel his distance and his eyes were guarded. The soldier was back. I wanted the happy Locke I’d caught a glimpse of today. The man who he might have beenbefore the death of his friend—before he was forced back into protector mode for me.

Before I could overthink it, I hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him down to me. He froze when my lips found him. I could feel the riot of emotions trapped under his need to control the situation.

I sighed his name into the kiss and his arms came around me, crushing me to him in that forceful way that made my whole body light up. I backed him into the little observation area and pushed him down into the seat. There was just enough room for me to sit on his lap sideways.

What I really wanted to do was straddle him and finally get us past this make-out session limbo we’d been exploring. I appreciated that he was worried about pushing me too far too fast, but I was going a little crazy.

For now, it was enough that he allowed me in his space. I slipped my arm around his shoulders then nipped his ear. “So, Captain, care to show me how to steer this thing?”

He gripped the wheel in front of us, his fingers tightening and loosening again and again.

He turned me so my legs were in front and tucked his chin onto my shoulder. “It’s not like driving a car, you need a longer correction time.”

I shivered. “Makes sense.”

He covered my hand, bringing it to the wheel. “This controls the aft and starboard turns. This boat has some controls to keep on a course heading, but it’s not overly complicated. I don’t have millions of dollars for one of those kinds of toys.”

His other arm slid around my middle, shifting me against his lap.

I tried to hide my smile at his growing situation.

“This is the throttle.” He moved my hand to the lever. “We’re set on a cruising speed, but if I needed help to get through aspicy current, I’d hit the throttle to either work with the current or fight against it.” His lips teased my neck. “Do you want some speed, Priscilla?”

“Yes.”

“How fast do you want to go?” His arm fell from my middle to the top of my thigh.

“I want to push the limits.”

His fingers bunched up the material of my dress. “I think we can manage that.”

We were sheltered from the sea breeze and spray in here, but I still shivered when the hem of my dress rose past my knees.

“Eyes on the horizon.”

I nodded as he gently widened my thighs.

He groaned as he got to the tops of my legs and found the barely there thong. “That’s all you had on under this thing all day?”

“Was a matching set to the bra.” I couldn’t stop the smirk. I knew the demi-cup bra was barely worth wearing. The lacy thong was for him more than me.

“Did you buy these for him?”

“No.”

Surprised at the rumbling jealousy in his voice, I covered his hand on my thigh and brushed the side of my cheek against his.

“Good. Open the top.”