In Deep Waters (16 page)

"What about you?"

"I'll take my chances." His fingertips gently combed through her hair. She wondered if he did that when the other members of the crew got sick. "Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Besides the
Isabella?"

One corner of his mouth lifted into a slight smile. He rose. "Let me tuck you in,"

"Do you tuck in Wolf or Monk or Zach or Fitz or--"

"No."

"Then why--"

"You're cuter and smell a whole lot better."

His voice sent a ripple of awareness through her. "I don't want to be treated any differently than other crew members. The rales--"

"Are being broken tonight." He covered her with a sheet and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams."

Her eyelids felt heavy, but she wasn't ready to say good-night. If the rules weren't being enforced tonight... "Is that all?"

"I could tell you a story." She heard laughter in his voice. "That's what I do with Madison."

"I'm not Madison." Kayla mustered her courage. "Tonight you haven't been treating me like a member of your crew and I...I like it."

Ben sat. He reached for her and his calloused fingertip caressed her cheek, his touch as light as a whisper. Soothing and comforting. "So beautiful."

He pulled her onto his lap. The heartrending tenderness of his gaze made her bury her face against him. She shouldn't want this, want him.

"Kayla."

She glanced up. Desire filled his eyes. Desire for her. Knowing she'd put that look in his eyes made Kayla feel sexy, wanted. She felt so connected. Not so alone. Not so lost.

Before she could say a word, Ben lowered his mouth to her trembling lips. His initial touch was feather soft, but then he increased the pressure. She closed her eyes. More, she wanted more of him. All of him.

Don't do this, a little voice in her head warned, but Kayla didn't pull away. She didn't want to. Ben's arms circled her and she went willingly. Into his warmth and into his strength. He was so strong, so solid, so male. Kayla inhaled his soap-and-water scent and imprinted it on her memory. She wanted to remember everything about this moment.

Kayla curled her fingers in his hair. She kissed him back, her eagerness unfamiliar to herself. She didn't care. All that mattered was Ben and his kiss. Make that kisses. Hunger and need took control.

With Ben's kiss she found the answers to her questions, the realization of her dreams. She was swimming through a haze of feelings and desires. She wasn't ready to come out of the water just yet.

Ben drew the kiss to an end. Much too soon, but she wasn't about to complain. His dark eyes reflected a glimmer of light, a glint of wonder. Soon he would believe in dreams. "Was that better?"

She nodded. "Much."

"Sweet dreams."

Kayla snuggled against her pillow and smiled. "Thanks to you."

Chapter Nine

Come on, Kay la." Madison tugged on her arm. "Uncle Wolf filled up the pool for us again."

The short climb to the bow hurt Kayla's thighs, but she felt better this morning. A good night's sleep had worked wonders. A good-night kiss had her wondering.

"I like your swimsuit," Madison said.

"Thank you." Kayla had tossed the lime-green bikini into her suitcase as an afterthought, but was so relieved she had it with her now. Her one-piece had felt uncomfortable when she put it on so she'd opted for the bikini with ties on the side. No elastic to bother her aching hips. "I like yours, too."

"It's pink." Madison was an adorable picture of pink from head to toe with coordinating hat, towel, life jacket, swimsuit and towel. Cotton candy never looked so pink. Bubble gum, either. Even Baby Fifi was wrapped in her own pink towel. "Pink is my favorite color."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's-- Daddy!" Madison threw herself into Ben's arms.

Kayla wished she could do the same. She hadn't seen him since he'd tucked her in last night, but she still tasted the sweet flavor of his kiss.

Madison placed her hands on her hips. "Why aren't you working, Daddy?"

"Because I had to see to my favorite girl." He waved a pink bottle in the air. "Did you put on sunscreen?"

Madison pursed her lips. "I forgot."

He ruffled her hat. "Good thing I didn't."

"That's because you're the daddy."

Ben's soft smile tugged at Kayla's heart.

He rubbed sunscreen on Madison. "All done, princess."

"Thank you." She kissed his cheek. "Your turn, Ka3'la."

The thought of Ben rubbing lotion on her made Kayla tingle all over. "I'll pass."

"Daddy's really good at this."

"I'm sure he is." Kayla swallowed around the Atlantic-size lump in her throat. "I, uh, I'm fine."

Madison pursed her lips. "You can't go in the water without sunscreen. That's the rule, isn't it, Daddy?"

"Those are the rules." Mischief gleamed in his eyes. "Come here."

Jumping overboard was a safer option. "It's okay. I don't burn."

"Rules are rules." The laughter in his voice matched that in his eyes.

Real funny.
Last night he'd broken the rules. So had she. Kayla could only imagine the price she'd pay if anyone found out. "I can do it myself."

"What if you miss a spot?" He feigned concern. "I'd never be able to live with myself."

"I never knew you were so altruistic."

"There are lots of things you don't know about me."

Kayla was sure of it. She already felt itchy and shivery. Being near Ben made it worse. Maybe she
was
allergic to him after all. Self-preservation was a strong instinct.

"Can I get in the water, Daddy?" Madison asked.

"Jump right in." Ben rubbed lotion between his palms, and Kayla's muscles tensed. "Relax, this isn't going to hurt."

That's what she was afraid of. She was getting in too deep. Time to head for the shallow end before she got in over her head. "You don't have to--"

"Can't mess with the rules." He touched her shoulders and she stiffened. "What would Madison say?"

A glance showed the little girl splashing in the pool. "She's too busy playing to notice."

"But I'll know." He smoothed the lotion over Kayla's back. "And after last night..."

After last night she wasn't sure what to think. Her heart said one thing, her head another. "We broke the rules last night."

His rule-breaking kiss would be a part of her memory for a long time. Possibly forever.

He kneaded her upper arms. "That's why I have to set a good example now."

A good example was one thing, but this was...great. Wonderful. Amazing. His hands were large and strong and calloused. Rough almost, though his touch was anything but. Muscles relaxed. Stress evaporated. Tension... Two out of three wasn't bad.

The smart thing would be to say thank-you and get in
the pool with Madison. But Kayla never did the smart thing where Ben was concerned, and at the moment she didn't care.

Kayla closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations his touch brought. His hot breath caressed her neck, sending a pleasurable shiver down her spine.

He massaged the lotion into her back with experienced hands. He knew what he was doing, and she would never look at putting sunscreen on as a chore again. Heat pooled low in her abdomen and emanated out.

"Feel good?" he whispered.

Much too good. She couldn't speak, didn't want to try. She nodded instead.

Madison giggled and splashed water at them. "Hurry up. You're missing all the fun."

"She doesn't understand about adult fun," Ben whispered. "I'm having fun. Are you?"

He was flirting with her. She liked it, but that didn't make it right. Kayla swallowed. Hard.

"Are you coming, Kayla?" Madison asked.

Kayla didn't answer. She couldn't. She didn't want to move. She wanted to stay like this forever.

"Are you coming?" Ben's suggestive tone teased, aroused.

She was drifting into even deeper waters. She hoped someone threw her a life preserver. The sooner the better. "Be right there, Madison," Kayla finally called out.

"I'm not finished," Ben said.

Kayla's heart leapt with anticipation. She was being silly. This was about sunscreen, nothing else. Yet her pulse quickened. She felt light-headed and couldn't blame the medicine she'd taken last night. Enough was
enough. Time to put an end to this. The rules may have been broken, but they hadn't changed. "I am."

"Your legs--"

"Are fine."

"More than fine, but I won't argue the point."

She grabbed the sunscreen from his hand and lathered her legs with the white lotion. It stung, but she managed not to grimace. "Satisfied?"

A smug smile formed on his lips. "Got your bikini bottoms in a twist, I see."

"Now you can go away."

"Yes, Daddy," Madison said. "Go away. We want to play."

Kayla blushed when she realized Madison could see and hear them. "I'm sorry, I forgot--"

"No big deal." He took the sunscreen from Kayla, leaned toward her and grinned. "But once you're finished having fun with my daughter, make it up to me by having some fun with me."

It was all she could do to keep her mouth from gaping open. Didn't he remember the rules?

Had he forgotten all the rules?

Either that or Ben was losing his mind. He studied the search grid. Halfway through the search area and no significant targets yet. He didn't care. And that was bad.

He should care. Care a lot. But his mind was focused on one thing--Kayla Waterton.

He'd been wrong. She was no angel. She'd pretended to have wings and a halo, but she was really a siren in disguise. How else could he explain his behavior? Breaking rules without a thought to the consequences? He was acting like a teenager in hormonal hyperdrive.

Not even his crew had had it this bad. Well, maybe Monk.

Pathetic, that's what Ben had become. A pathetic, panting puppy. And Kayla was holding his leash.

Attraction, he could live with. Lust, he knew how to handle. Chemistry, he understood. But this went deeper. To a place he didn't want it to go, a place inside him off limits to everyone except Madison and possibly his mother.

"Boss," Gray said over the intercom. "Get down here."

"On my way."

Ben jogged to the control room, his mind still on Kayla. Even if he were interested in pursuing her, it wouldn't work. She lived in Portland. She had a home and her work. Not to mention a damn museum. She also had dreams. Her dreams included the
Isabella,
but not him or Madison. Kayla wanted to find answers, not a family. He wasn't going to go through that again.

He entered the control room. "What's up?"

Vance smiled. "Check this out, boss."

Ben studied the images on the monitors. "Measurements?"

"It's the right length," Gray said.

"See the debris field surrounding the center mass?" Vance added.

The familiar rush of adrenaline surged through Ben. He leaned forward. "It could be anything."

Vance rose. "It's three hundred meters from where Kayla thought it would be."

Hot damn.
"You get all the--"

"Got everything," Wolf answered. "Want me to get her?"

The target had all the correct characteristics, but Ben
didn't want Kay la to be disappointed again. "Let's wait until we know more. Don't want to get her hopes up if it's not--"

"You like her, don't you, boss?" Gray asked.

Wolf flashed him a silent warning.