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“What are you looking for in a relationship?” Luna asked, bringing his attention back to her.
“Why? Are you planning to set me up with someone?” His tone was too sharp, not usually a problem for him. He made an effort to soften it. “I suppose that’s your job. Try to make everyone happy with a significant other.” Since Luna had started a retreat designed to help people with their relationships, that must be important to her.
“I think there’s someone special for everyone. It’s a matter of finding that person. Then, the real work begins—making it last. So tell me, what qualities do you want in a woman?”
He shrugged, trying to dodge the question, but Luna just kept looking at him expectantly. He was going to have to give her an answer of some sort. “Hadn’t thought about it a lot. I don’t have much to offer a woman until I get my life figured out.”
“And what do you think that will look like? What’ll make you happy?” Luna knew how to pry in a gentle, but insistent tone.
“I don’t know exactly. I haven’t found anything as satisfying as being on a SEAL team. What’s come closest has been guarding Sophie and helping her with the investigation.” That wasn’t a fabrication—and it was more than simply the thrill of the hunt. He’d taken jobs with the private detective and enjoyed them, but he liked working with Sophie better.
“Hmmmm… Is it the work or who you’re doing it with?” Luna asked.
He liked digging into the mystery and tracking bad guys. He was a hunter by nature. Doing it with someone who kept him on his toes and was smart, funny, and sexy? Yeah, that was pretty damn good.
“Both, I guess,” he admitted.
Luna smiled at him and stood up. Behind her, he could see Sophie headed in his direction, a plate in each hand. “I’ll see you at the pool at two.”
“The pool?”
“Today’s required session. Hope you packed your swim trunks,” Luna said. She waved to Sophie and moved onto the next table to chat with other couples.
“What was she up to?” Sophie asked, sitting down across from him and digging into her omelet.
“Just talking. How long have you known Luna?” he asked.
“We were college roommates. She knows me as well as anyone does, except maybe Helen. Why?”
“Just wondered.” If Luna thought that Sophie and Eduardo were a good match, she was probably right.
And he didn’t like that one bit. But he put that aside and focused on making casual conversation with Sophie. Throughout the rest of the morning and early afternoon, he treated her like a colleague as they talked over the case. They spent the time digging deeper into the backgrounds of museum employees and known associates of Wilson and completely lost track of the time. At twenty minutes past two, they realized they were late for the pool session. After sprinting from their cabin to the main lodge where the indoor pool was located, Sophie whipped open the door and they raced in to find that the other couples were already in the water.
“There you are.” Luna came up to them. “Glad you could make it.”
“I’m sorry,” Sophie said in a low voice. “We meant to be here on time.”
Luna smiled. “I might make you stay after class. Here’s what we’re doing. The idea today is to build trust between the partners. One of you floats with the support of the other. And then you switch places. The goal is to feel comfortable and build your confidence as a couple. Who’s floating first?”
Sophie glanced at him. “I don’t think floating is much of a challenge for you.”
A huge component of SEAL training was being in the water. He was completely at home there. “True enough.”
“Right. I’ll go first.” Sophie pulled off her coverup. Underneath she had on a black bikini—more athletic looking than string, but plenty sexy all the same.
Sophie gathered her hair into a ponytail, and he tried to ignore the way her breasts shifted with her arms’ movement. He’d known she had a great body, but damn. This floating session was going to be tougher than any of his SEAL training. He forced himself to look away as he removed his own T-shirt.
By the time he focused on her again, she was slipping into the waist deep water.
“Your job,” Luna said to him, “is to help her be comfortable floating. Give her enough support that she knows you’ve got her but don’t do too much.”
He got it. Supporting a partner was all about knowing when they needed help and when they could do something on their own. He dropped into the water, going to Sophie. Her eyes went down his chest and back to his face, where he caught an appreciative gleam. He didn’t mind the perusal since he was doing the same to her.
“Got your work cut out for you, mister,” she said softly. “I’m not great at trusting others. I like to do things myself.”
“Oh really?” He laughed. “Maybe it’s time you start to learn how to trust your teammates. I won’t let you sink.”
“Where do we start?” she asked. Around them, other couples were switching roles, already halfway through the session.
