5
N o one was aboard the dive boat. I glanced around. I reluctantly got on the boat to look for my bag. I checked under all the benches and my heart sank. It wasn’t here.
“Shit. Now what?” I got off the boat and walked back to the dive shack, worried if they were gone, I’d be stuck.
The door was locked, and a sign said they wouldn’t return until the end of the day after their charter. I cupped my hands around my eyes and peered through the door window. I hoped they had my bag, but I couldn’t see it and prayed they had safely locked it away.
Cork was leaning against my car, and on his phone. He didn’t notice me approach until I was beside him.
“Any luck?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No, it’s not on the boat, and the office is locked, because they’re out on a charter. I’m screwed.”
“No, you’re not. I’m here. Your knight in shining armor.” He tucked his phone away and pushed off the car. He picked up our gear. “Come on. I’ll take care of you.”
A little tremor rippled inside me. Those words could be taken a couple of ways. The lilt of his accent fit perfectly with his claim to be my knight in shining armor. I had a feeling this probably wasn’t going to end well.
“I’m over here. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to park in the shade, so it’ll be hot inside.”
I followed him to the vehicle. It wasn’t as splashy and in your face as I thought it would be. Just a typical SUV rental.
He opened the back hatch and tossed everything into the cargo space. “Hop in, I’ll start it up to cool the interior down.
I was angry at not returning with the dive boat, because then I wouldn’t be in this mess. It would’ve been easy to blame Cork; he was the one that distracted me after all. But I couldn’t, because I let it happen. Hot air whooshed out when I opened the passenger door. I placed my palm against my cheek, feeling the heat that wasn’t from the sun.
I slid onto the seat and closed my eyes, trying to block out the image of his sun-streaked head between my thighs. It refused to go away, likely imprinted in my brain forever. I groaned.
“You okay?” Cork was beside me, and I jumped, lost in my erotic thoughts.
“Oh yes, all good. Just thinking about my bag.” There was no way I was going to tell him what I was thinking. “My keys, wallet, phone, everything I needed was in that bag. I sure hope it’s in the shop and not taken by a stranger. That would be bad.”
Cool air blew across me, and I welcomed it. I was still in my bikini with no cover-up and felt rather exposed.I wrapped my arms over my chest and crossed my legs. This was so awkward.
“I’m sure they’ll keep your bag safe. You told them you weren’t going back with them and it would be in their best interest to take care of it. There, it’s cooling off nicely.”He turned the vent so it blew across me.
“I hope you’re right.” I slid down in the seat.
“So where can I take you?”he asked.
I thought of the seaside house. If only it was habitable, I could go there. “I guess back to my rental.”
“Will you be able to get in without keys?”
I was silent for a moment. “Nope, unless I break a window, which I won’t do. Shit.”
Cork backed up the vehicle and drove from the marina parking lot. “Tell you what, I’ll take you back to my hotel. You can freshen up and I have a t-shirt and gym shorts you could wear. We’ll go back to the shop later and get your stuff.”
I looked at him, stunned by his suggestion. “That’s very kind. Thank you.”
“Right, that’s settled then. Off we go.”
Cork drove through the town to his hotel. What a turn of events that led to Daisy sitting beside him. The last thing he would do was leave her stranded.
Cork sensed her discomfort and respected it. She was in a vulnerable position. Once they got to his hotel, he’d let her do what she needed. First, he’d make sure she was comfortable and had clothes, then he’d make his scheduled calls. The end of the day would come soon enough, and he’d take her back to the marina to collect her things. And from there, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
Of course, when the marina crossed his mind, it was only natural he thought about their moment on the boat. Cork glanced at Daisy and she was looking out the window.
What was she thinking about? The same thing as he was? A rush of fire raced through him. He could still feel the softness of her skin, and the salty warmth of it under his tongue. As surprised as he was by their intimacy, he would welcome it all over again.
The night at the museum when he’d first seen her, she’d woken something in him and continued to do so the more they spent time together. He’d done his research and knew a fair bit about Daisy, whereas he suspected she only knew him by reputation. Which probably didn’t do him any favours.
He sensed she was uncomfortable sitting in her bikini and reached into the back seat to grab a windbreaker.
“Here, in case you get a chill from the air conditioning.” He handed it to her and smiled when she pulled it on and zipped it up.
“Thanks, I was getting a bit chilly. This is better,” she answered. Cork reached to turn the fan down, and she stopped him by placing her hand on his. “No, it’s okay, no need to change the setting.”
He paused, and their eyes met. She didn’t remove her hand from his and he had to pull his gaze from her to focus on the road ahead but kept his hand still to see if she would move hers.
She didn’t for a few moments.
Yes, there definitely seemed to be something developing between them, and he was open to exploring it further.
“We’re almost there.”