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Was she running away? Not just from her feelings but from him? Did he have the right to pursue her?
She was dealing with a lot as she confronted her true sexual nature for maybe the first time in her life. If he rushed her, all he’d succeed in doing would be to push her even further away.
Yet, whatever was happening between them was real. He would give her space for the time being, but he would not let her slip away, not now, not after what they’d just shared.
“Why don’t I take you back over on my boat?” he suggested. “You mentioned you enjoy sailing. We could knock your errands out and then come back here.” He placed his hand lightly on her thigh, letting just the tips of his fingers trail over the pooch of her mons beneath the tiny bikini bottoms. “I’d like to continue where we left off.”
A small, sexy shudder moved through her body at his touch. Her erect nipples were clearly outlined against the sheer fabric of her top. He could feel her heat beneath his fingers, and her desire.
Then, quick as a flash, she was on her feet again. “Sure, that’d be great. I’d love to check out your boat and sail back to the mainland.” She spoke breezily, but he wasn’t fooled.
It took all his self-control not to grab her and pull her back down onto the towel. He wanted to put his hand on her throat again and pin her with his eyes. He wanted to flip her over his shoulder, caveman style, and take her back to his room.
Instead, he forced a smile as he, too, got to his feet. “Great. Let’s do it.”
A half hour later, after a quick outside shower by the pool and a chance to dress and grab their overnight bags, Cooper and Lainey stood on the dock at the island’s small, private marina. He’d changed into jeans for the trip to the mainland, and had packed an overnight bag, throwing in a few impact toys and rope, just in case.
Lainey was still in her sundress, her hair swept up in a loose knot on her head, tendrils escaping around her sun-kissed face. Cooper liked how easy and confident she was in her own skin. It only added to her innate beauty.
When Maya, one of the staff slaves, dropped them off in a golf cart, Cooper noticed the knowing smile and small wink she’d given Lainey, who had flashed a grin in return.
Caelan had warned Cooper about the island’s steady gossip mill, but Cooper wasn’t concerned. He’d never cared what other people thought about him, and wasn’t about to start now. It pleased him, too, to think that Lainey had been talking to her girlfriends about him.
He led her to his boat, unable to hide his beam of pride as she exclaimed over it. “Wow,” she enthused. “When you said sailboat, I was envisioning a little single-sail dinghy. This is a yacht.”
“Maybe technically,” he admitted. “But for me, the real appeal of this particular model was ease of handling. Thanks to its furling and self-tacking jib, it’s easy to manage single-handedly. All lines, including halyards, mainsheet and reefing lines, are led aft through rope clutches to self-tailing winches on the cabin top. And it’s got an autopilot system. The boat practically sails itself. Hop in and I’ll toss you the ropes.”
Lainey jumped down onto the deck with practiced ease. Dropping her travel duffel, she turned to face him, legs perfectly balanced, hands on her hips. “My, she’s yar,” she said with a deadpan expression, in perfect imitation of Katharine Hepburn’s classic line to Cary Grant in Philadelphia Story.
Cooper stared at her for several seconds, stunned at the reference from what was one of his favorite classic movies. Collecting himself, he replied in his best Cary Grant, which was terrible, “Yes, Red. That she is.”
“Oh my god!” Lainey cried with unabashed glee. “You’re the only person under sixty I know who gets the reference. I love that movie. That’s it. We have to get married.”
Cooper ignored the sudden jolt her words had provoked, instead quoting Jimmy Stewart from the same movie. “That’s the blank, unholy surprise of it. You’re the golden girl, Lainey. Full of life and warmth and delight.”
Lainey grinned. “Okay. Now you’re just showing off.”
“You’re right,” Cooper admitted with a laugh. He tossed the ropes over and climbed down onto the deck. “Let’s get this baby out on the water and I’ll show you just how yar she is.”
The wind was good, and once they had motored far enough out to sea, Cooper cut the engine. With Lainey’s expert assistance, they got the sails unfurled in record time. She was good with direction and steady on her feet.
Now that money was no longer an issue, he hoped to take an extended sailing trip in the near future, maybe up along the east coast, or down to Florida and from there to the Bahamas. He’d planned to go on his own, taking the time to completely unwind with zero distractions—just him and the deep blue sea.
