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He stands there and stares at me and I can’t seem to look away. I feel trapped and even though we might be outside, it feels oppressive, and the feeling has nothing to do with the humidity. It’s as if his will is just bearing down on me and wearing me down.
I hate it. And it’s kind of a turn on.
I huff and roll my eyes. “Boone is my brother. He always calls when I go to a new place for work to check up on me. You know, to make sure I arrived safely and all that.”
Hayden nods and relaxes his stance slightly. “Good,” he mutters. Well, I think that’s what he says, it’s almost too low to catch. “You said on the phone you’re looking for more remote locations for a photo shoot?”
“Yes?” I straighten my spine, a little thrown by how this conversation has gone. “Yes,” I say with more oomph, like I really know what I’m talking about.
“I won’t tolerate anyone ruining our beaches around here,” there’s a threatening growl in his voice which has my nipples hardening.
“I’ve seen pictures of the island, I don’t want any of the beauty of it ruined because of me or my job,” I admit to him sincerely.
What I don’t tell him is that I feel at peace here on this island in a way I’ve never felt before. He doesn’t need to know it feels like coming home from the moment I drove across the bridge and started to look around. I don’t want him to look at me like I’ve lost the plot, and it would sound like I have if I were to admit such a thing out loud.
He nods and then starts to walk off, throwing over his shoulder, “Meet me here tomorrow at noon and I’ll show you a few options.”
I watch Hayden as he goes down to the docks of the marina and then walks onto a huge boat, one where you know there must be a few rooms underneath. I don’t know anything about boats considering I’ve lived in a landlocked state my entire life, but it’s big and will accommodate the crew.
The fact that Hayden doesn’t look back stings. It’s clear he doesn’t like me very much. That knowledge has my heart sinking a little bit and I have no idea why.
CHAPTER 3
HAYDEN
Today was just one of those days. The never-ending kind where everything and everyone you encounter gets on your last fucking nerve and you’re one fake interaction away from losing your every loving shit. I’ll admit, I have more days like this one than I don’t, but it’s not entirely my fault.
I both love my business and hate it. I love being on the water and I know Candy Cane Key like the back of my hand. I love the freedom of open water and the thrill of hooking something big on the line.
I hate the tourists and their entitlement. I might run a business, but that doesn’t mean I’m anyone’s servant or little bitch.
I run my business responsibly from an environmental standpoint because I want my island to be around for a long time. That means protecting the wildlife and the ecosystem.
I don’t tolerate people littering in the water or treating the island like a damn trash can. Nope. Not going to happen on my watch.
I swear some of my charters are put into my path to test my resolve to not kill someone before I turn 35. I guess it’s good I only just turned 30 then and I only have a few more years to go because I’m not entirely sure how long I’m going to be able to hold out.
Not with the way some people come here and think they’re better than the locals and more important than the beauty they want to soak up by coming here in the first place.
Not only do the tourists get under my skin with their disrespect for my island, but then there are those who don’t respect me or my time. I don’t know which is worse at this point, but it doesn’t really matter because it sparks my already short fuse without fail.
Like the woman today, Bristol. She was late and then she was the sexiest woman I’ve ever fucking seen. I wanted to pull her into my arms and feel her soft curves mold against my harder frame. I wanted to kiss her plump pink lips, even though they were covered in gloss that was probably sticky as hell. I wanted to run my fingers through her dark brown hair while she looked up at me with her big hazel eyes.
Fuck.
Her body. Just thinking about it now has my cock thickening in my swim trunks which is uncomfortable as hell and not easy to conceal.
At least she apologized for being late and gave me a reason while not making it out to be an excuse I should just accept out of hand. She did mention to me, when we made the appointment, that she would be traveling.
I guess I should have accounted for a few issues when traveling as well. It’s not like I had another appointment or anything. It might be tourist season, but with the festival right around the corner there’s a dip in the number of people who want to go out on the water instead of staying on dry land to enjoy the festivities.
It’s nothing my business can’t handle, I do well enough. Mostly because I keep my goals low. I don’t want to get rich from my business. I want to be able to go out on the water and enjoy my days. That’s far more important than the money.
My boat is paid off and my expenses are paid for. What else do I want?
While I wasn’t put out by Bristol being late, it did cut into my plans to get out on the water and catch dinner. Fresh fish is something you can’t avoid down here and who would want to when it’s delicious and so damn easy to come by?
I want the curvy, infuriating woman more than I’m willing to admit to myself. Which is why I was even more of an ass to her than I normally am to most people.
