Page 37 of Shark’s Rise

A deep grunt from the overhead office speakers. “Remember that part where she refuses to see or speak to me?”

I simply nodded. I didn’t care that he couldn’t see me. Right now, I didn’t know whether to be moved he’d gone out on such a limb and shared his secrets with Abbi or to tell him to keep walking until he fell out of the tree. “I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

“Sounds like a plan. See you soon.”

We hung up, and I swung my stare up at Grant. “Feel like making a trip to beautiful Twentynine Palms?” I couldn’t believe I laughed while asking it, but suddenly, the company sounded terrific. And this pirate dilemma wasn’t going away anytime soon.

“Sure. I probably have an overnight bag in my office.”

“Imagine that,” I quipped.

“Let me go see what I have. By the time you scramble Joel, I’ll be ready too.”

He was already halfway out the door, but I was thankful for his decisive move. I needed the galvanizing force right now—despite what he said as a follow-up.

“On the way there, you can tell me what the hell is really going on. Because I can only think of one reason why he’d tell Abbi about Hensley. And then the fact that she is throwing up that much…”

I whipped up a hand, stopping him there. Like me, he was already putting the pieces together. And honestly, I just wanted to get to her, get a doctor to come to see her, and find out what we were really dealing with.

We were winding up the long driveway of the desert estate by dinnertime. When we got inside, I headed straight for the master bedroom. I didn’t bother knocking on the door, just pushed through the entrance to find the big bed rumpled and empty.

“What the—” I choked into silence, my heart again lodging in my throat, until I breathed long enough to hear the ricochets of the running shower against the master bathroom’s sprawling tiles.

A setup like this didn’t get more perfect.

“Nowhere to hide now, Little Red.”

As I murmured it, I shed my clothes. And then entered the steamy room.

Abbi was standing under the spray, head tilted back, rinsing soap out of her thick, fire-red tresses. The suds flowed over her full, lush breasts and down over her sleek, wet thighs. They swirled around her feet, with their toes painted a color to match her hair.

I was smitten by her all over again. And proved it with a low, savoring growl.

Her eyes popped wide—but, thank God, she stifled her alarmed screech.

“Oh, my God!”

Okay, most of her screech.

“Sebastian! Wh-What are you doing here?”

I answered by opening the shower door and stepping inside the stall to join her. Though she fish-gaped her mouth, no words emerged up her throat. I was just fine with that. “Happy to see me?” I murmured while wrapping my arms tight around her wet, gorgeous body. And then slicking my fingers into her warm, secret crevices…

“Hmmm. Yes. God…yesss.” Within seconds, she returned the heat of my eager embrace—many minutes passed before we were done just enjoying the feel of one another.

Finally, she pulled back a bit to look up at me. “Wow. I’m so surprised to see you.”

I regarded her past a hooded gaze. “Good surprised?”

“What do you think?” She batted my chest, spattering my face with the splashing result. “I just had no idea you were coming. Did Elijah know? Oh, my God. He’s such a—”

I cut her off with a firm but lingering kiss. “How are you feeling, baby?” I murmured when I was done.

“I’m okay,” she said at once—though never met my gaze while doing so. I decided not to push her on it, though.

Not yet.

“Are you finished in here? Or…can I help you?” I decided it was a rhetorical question. Washing her sexy body was one of my favorite things to do, and damn it, I deserved a little reward after my dusty flight. Even if she was already squeaky clean, I wanted my hands on her. She’d have to endure another round.