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No sense having him misconstrue her motives for the hot tub dip.
Hurrying back up the stairs, she spied Jack out on the foredeck, leaning over the uncovered tub. He’d turned a light on inside it so the whirlpool looked like a frothy white cauldron bubbling away in the middle of the boat, bathing him in a soft glow as he checked the gauges.
Rain plastered his dress shirt to his back, the fabric all but transparent, delineating every muscle and striation of his back and shoulders. He’d rolled up his sleeves, his forearms sprinkled with dark hair. His profile had a fallen angel appeal in the white light, his strong features softened by a dimple at the center of his squared chin. He had another dimple when he grinned, but that was one more fickle, making rare appearances in one cheek when something genuinely amused him.
Seeing him there, his hair set against his head like he’d just emerged from the sea, reminded her of what he’d said earlier—about the last time they’d been out on a boat during a storm. That day had been electric, burned into her memory in perfect detail like an elaborate tattoo. Their hunger for each other had been bottomless, the need strong and driving, just like his thrusts as he locked her legs around his waist…
Yikes.
She blinked away the image to focus on the present. And promptly encountered a new dilemma as she hid under the hardtop at the helm. If she left her towel here to stay dry, she still needed to dash out onto the foredeck in her bathing suit. And with Jack leaning over the edge of the small pool, she felt uncomfortable prancing around half dressed.
Practicality won out over modesty. She dropped the towel on the captain’s chair and darted out onto the deck. She had a brief glimpse of Jack’s eyes on her as she dropped down into the pool with a quick splash. That green gaze simmered hotter than the water burbling all around her skin.
“Ahh.” She settled into one of the built-in seats, resting her head against the bolster. “That feels amazing.”
The cool rain no longer bothered her as it spattered harmlessly onto the hundred-degree surface. The tub was deep but narrow. Thankfully, the churn from the jets hid her body from sight.
“Looks amazing, too.” Jack stared at her as he reached into a box behind him and pulled out a longneck. “You want one?”
“What else have you got?” She wouldn’t have thought a cold drink would sound appealing a few minutes ago, but she would be toasty in no time now.
With the stars spilling out overhead and the rich dark of the bay spattered with the occasional navigation lights of a passing craft farther out on the horizon, the night loomed glittering and beautiful.
“Let me see.” He turned around, settling the longneck back into a small fridge near the forward seating. “Keith has everything from pomegranate juice to diet Snapple.” He pulled up another longneck with an unfamiliar label. “Even a sarsaparilla soda.”
“I’ll try it.” She waved it over, her hand meeting his on the cold bottle as he opened the top for her.
The contact spurred a swirl of awareness in her limbs. Deeper.
Pulling the dark glass closer, she eased away from his touch.
“Do you need anything else?” He made no move to rise, his long legs splayed out on the deck beside the whirlpool as he peered up at the night sky.
She wondered if he could read the stars like the old time sailors. Idly, he ran one hand through the water, his tan skin pale in the ghostly light from within the tub. Another shiver pulsed over her skin and this one didn’t have a thing to do with being cold.
What would it feel like to have that hand on her body again?
“I should be all set,” she assured him, mesmerized by the back and forth stroke of his fingers over the water.
He didn’t crowd her. Didn’t ask to join her. But neither did he leave. They sat together in the rain on the deck, her aching body so close to a hand that knew better than any other how to bring her pleasure. She closed her eyes to try and shut out the visual of his broad palm resting nearby, but that only served to heighten her imagination. Visions of his slick touch skating up her thigh made her breath catch in her throat. Her heart skipped a beat.
The quiet settled around her, the rain dulling any sound besides the soft hum of the whirlpool motor and the stream of droplets against the deck. The freshwater scent of the storm shower dimmed the usual salty smell of the breeze. Tipping her head back farther on the molded headrest, she tried to focus on the sky instead of her enigmatic former lover with wickedly talented hands.
“Are you warming up?” he asked her finally, his voice closer than it had been before.
She resisted the urge to turn and look for herself. They’d agreed there would be no kissing, so the last thing she wanted was to find him too close, too tempting, and end up busting her own rule. When willpower was scarce, why entice yourself?
“Yes.” She stretched her toes out to one of the foot jets, the pulsating action soothing her muscles. “This is great, Jack. Thank you.”
Turning her foot over, she let the stream shoot over her ankle, up her calf until she had to admit the propulsion was more than soothing. The tickling pressure aroused in conjunction with Jack’s voice in her ear.
The sound returned now, warm and baritone next to her cheek.
“I hear those jets feel even better when you’re naked.”
The suggestion whispered over her like a teasing caress, her own decadent thoughts spoken aloud. She kept her eyes closed, unable to face him and risk breaking the tenuous connection. She didn’t want to return to reality right now that she had him beside her again, if only for a few days.
“I’m sure they do,” she breathed so softly she wasn’t sure he would even hear.
