Page 92 of False Flag

They slowly approached the edge of the reserve. He pointed to the cluster of whale-watching vessels—Zodiacs and catamarans—on the far side of the Race Rocks lighthouse. “The orcas that are feasting on a sea lion are over there. We’ll head that way, but keep your eyes open, they aren’t the only mammals we’re likely to see.”

They reached the invisible buffer zone, and Jake skirted along the edge, moving clockwise. Motion caught his eye to the south, and Staci let out a gasp and gripped his arm. She’d seen it too.

A dark fin popped up, followed by a flash of tail.

“Is that a humpback?”

He nodded. “Yep.”

She let out a happy sigh.

He shut off the engine, and they drifted as they took turns with high-powered binoculars, watching the whale swim toward the US border midway across the strait.

They lost sight of the creature after a few minutes, but still they drifted in companionable silence. Finally, Staci spoke. “It’s so beautiful here.”

Jake couldn’t help himself and scooped her up, dragging her to his lap. She twisted so she sat across and settled against his chest.

Holding her as the boat drifted on the Salish Sea was his new favorite thing. Between one heartbeat and the next, his dormant sex drive came back to life.

Staci made a soft sound in her throat as she felt his resurrection. She raised her face to his, lips parted. He didn’t hesitate and kissed her, taking her mouth, sliding his tongue inside.

The kiss was long, slow, and deep. She sucked on his tongue, giving as much as she took. Sensuous. Thorough.

Their first kiss had been amazing. It should be impossible to top that first discovery of each other, but somehow, this was better. They knew each other now. No secrets. No misunderstanding.

He pulled back just enough to whisper, “Anastacia.”

Her body reacted. Eyes flared with heat, her fingers gripped his shirt. She made a guttural sound as she tugged him down for another deep kiss.

Damn, he loved how she responded to him.

After a long, perfect moment, she pulled back and spoke with her lips still brushing his. “I think your libido came back.”

He laughed. “How can you tell?”

She wiggled her butt on his lap. “It’s a mystery.”

He kissed her neck and breathed her in. Lord, how he wanted to take her into the stateroom below and explore every inch of her. He released a heavy sigh.

She let out a similar sound and said, “We can’t do this now, can we?”

“No. Aside from being adrift in an area where a bunch of tourist boats are bound to check on us, we need to head to the island.”

“It was such a lovely little break.”

He brushed his lips over hers. “The very best.”

“I mean, I got to see a humpback!”

He laughed. “Among other things.” He glanced across the water. The whale-watching boats remained clustered on the other side of the lighthouse. “Want to see orcas eat a sea lion before we go?”

“I mean, kind of? But I think we should go.”

He nodded in agreement. He kissed her one last time. She slid from his lap and settled on the seat beside him. He started the engine, then very slowly turned the boat around.

How was it possible for an island to look sinister?

It wasn’t the island’s fault that it was owned by a megalomaniacal billionaire. It wasn’t the water’s fault that it isolated individuals who visited the landform.