Love Bites: A Sugar City Novella (Entangled Bliss) (4 page)

“This’ll be fine,” she said. “Thank you.” She headed toward the companionway, about to lug her stuff down the ladder, when the space where her bag sat was suddenly empty.

“I’ve got it,” said a low voice at her side. The sound sent a fresh image of last night to the front of her mind. Her mind reminded her body—complete with the phantom feel of Jeff’s hot hands low on her hips…which was terribly inconvenient. When she didn’t follow, Jeff turned his head and shot her an impatient look that said,
Why are you standing there? Come with me.

Her heart gave a few hard, jumpy beats but she forced herself to calm down.
Not the time to go stupid swoony again
, she thought. The second they were inside the empty helm, she reached out and grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a hushed voice, not wanting anyone aboard the
Mad Hatter
to hear. She did feel she owed Jeff an explanation, though.

He glanced at her hand resting on his arm, a cold yet blank expression on his face. Not at all like how his blue eyes burned through her last night, begging her wordlessly to go with him, how the touch of his rough lips made her feel like she could burst into flames.

“For what?” he said, indifference coloring his tone.

She blinked, thrown by his coldness. “For last night. For…”

He shrugged and glanced past her shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Oh? Ohhh, so that’s the way he wants to play it. Though I guess he has a right to be pissed.

Sharona quickly removed her hand, and Jeff headed toward the companionway. He got about three paces, then stopped. She braced herself, ready for another hurtful comment hurled her way.

“Sorry,” he said after a deep sigh, his back to her.

She blinked, thrown again.

Jeff slowly turned around. “That was—” He cut himself off. Then his blue eyes lifted to hers, just as piercing as last night, making her remember other things from their interchange, then subsequently making her knees wobble. Or maybe it was the sensation of the boat rocking that always made her dizzy.

“Look, what happened, or
didn’t
happen,” his voice dropped a notch, “it would be very unfortunate if that information were known. It wouldn’t do either of us any good.”

“I know,” she said.
I’m not an idiot.
“I have just as much to lose if this gets out.”
Probably way more
, she could have added. “But I can’t pretend it didn’t happen, either.”

He looked at her, his gaze steady, his jaw tight. “Well, that’s exactly what we’re doing.” He pointed toward a narrow doorway. “Lockers down below. Take whichever is empty.” Then he walked through the door leading out to the deck.

Bastard
.

Chapter Three

As Jeff marched away, he felt like a great white arse. But it was necessary. The second he’d been alone with her, the number of questions that flooded his brain was paralyzing. Number one on the list:
Why did you disappear last night?
And number two:
Was it really some twisted game?

He wasn’t about to ask either. No way. It would’ve been better if he’d kept up the charade of pretending like he didn’t know what she was talking about, hadn’t recognize her the second their eyes met…and how his body reacted almost immediately at the sight of her.

He’d tried, but that
brilliant
plan had lasted a whole ten seconds. Yes, she’d ditched him last night without explanation, but he didn’t have to be crass. All those boyhood etiquette lessons taught him better. And she’d looked so hurt when he’d said he didn’t remember her; like he could forget the way she’d dove into their kiss. It had barely been twelve hours, and he could still feel her soft curves in his hands.

It took everything in him to point her in the direction of the bunks below, then get the hell out of there. Their undeniable chemistry was welcomed last night, but things were very different in the light of day.

“What’s up, boss?” Pax asked when Jeff walked out onto the deck. Manny and the other deckhands were readying the ship to undock.

“Nothing,” Jeff muttered, sliding his hands in his pockets.

Pax snorted. “Already under your skin.”

“Who?”

After Pax nodded in the direction of the cabin, Jeff shook his head and blew out a long breath.
You have no idea
, he felt like saying. “What are you talking about, mate?” he said, kicking a pile of rope over to a corner of the deck.

Pax laughed. “I know it’s gonna suck having her aboard today. You’re frustrated. I can tell.”

“Of course I’m
frustrated
, but not about…” He thrust a hand through his hair. “Never mind.” They both turned when the sound of clinking and creaking came from below. Sharona Blaire must be sitting on one of the squeaky bunks. The thought of her and a bed made his chest sting hot, most inopportunely. “Let’s get the computers set up.”

“We won’t be at the spot for an hour.”

Jeff didn’t care. He needed something to keep his brains and hands busy. “Never too early to prepare,” he said, grabbing one of the laptops. “Let’s go.” They headed into the helm, plugging in under the main control console of the ship. Manny was behind the wheel, steering the
Mad Hatter
away from Sydney and up the coastline.

“Not bad, if you ask me,” Manny commented as if they’d been in the middle of a conversation. “Nope, not bad at all.”

Jeff glanced at him, figuring what he meant. He’d known Manny a long time; if anyone would see through the charade, it was his oldest friend. “Yep,” he muttered, noncommittally, jaw clenched, staring through the glass toward the clear, morning sky.

Manny chuckled. “Whatever, mate. Did you see her legs? What I could do with those stems.”

Jeff tried to ignore how his blood started to boil. Why was he feeling territorial over a woman he hadn’t even known the name of until a few minutes ago? Sharona. What the hell kind of dead-sexy name was that?

“I didn’t notice her legs,” he lied. After her eyes, lips, and curves, her long legs were the next place Jeff’s eyes had settled when she’d stepped aboard the ship. Why the bloody hell was she wearing formfitting khaki shorts like she was going on safari?

“For all I care, she’s just a passenger,” he added, almost laughing at his unconvincing tone.

Pax took the seat next to him and opened their second laptop. “Boss is nothing but focused on today’s agenda, Cap,” he said, like the loyal assistant he was. “When he’s motivated like this…” He whistled. “The woman could walk around buck naked and he wouldn’t notice.”

Jeff struck the wrong key, nearly deleting the chart on his screen. Sharona in the nuddy. Damn it, he’d have a devil of a time getting that image out of his head.

Maybe it had been a blessing in disguise that she’d never come back last night. If they’d gone through with what they’d both wanted, how the hell would he be able to concentrate today? The memory of her kiss and his hands on her body was bad enough.

“What’s all this?” Sharona asked as she emerged into the room.

Again, Jeff’s fingers tripped over themselves on the keyboard, as he caught a whiff of her perfume or hand lotion. All flowery and sexy. He wondered how an elegant woman like that would smell in the roughest Outback or after a few days at sea. He’d always loved the hint of salt water on skin. He was sure Sharona would smell even sexier. But that was
not
where his thoughts should be.

He’d mixed business with pleasure once, and that resulted in the biggest mistake of his life. Jeff had fully trusted very few people since then. Only a handful with work and exactly zero with his heart.

“Technical stuff,” Pax said to Sharona, tilting the screen of his computer away from her. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Would you mind explaining it to me?” She pulled out a computer tablet and swiped a finger across it. “It’s why I’m here.”

She came around to stand on the other side of Jeff, probably sensing that Pax was being overly protective. He should applaud the behavior and do the same thing. He hated people snooping around his job, throwing up unnecessary road blocks. Asking too many questions.

But he’d already been rude to her. It wasn’t her fault that she was the one woman in the world who he could not have any kind of relationship with. Of course, as dumb luck would have it, she was also the one woman in the world who stirred something in him he’d thought was dead.

“This here,” he pointed at the computer, “is a Macbook.” He was going for charm. That usually worked when he wanted someone off his back.
Sharona on her back, however…has a nice ring.

“Hilarious.” She rolled her eyes, loosening up. “I’ve got a list of items I’d like to go through with you. I know how much they cost to buy and repair, but I’ll need to understand their importance and significance. For example…” She swiped a finger across her tablet again. “What is the Bose Nautical Sonar LX?”

One of the most complicated pieces of equipment we have aboard,
he wanted to say
. So don’t touch it
. “In layman’s terms,” he said instead, after a deep breath, “it measures sound against movement under water.”

“What is its necessity in regards to this project?”

She slid on a pair of reading glasses, looking not only sexy but smart.

“What do you know about this part of the ocean?” he asked.

She didn’t reply for a moment. “Well, from what I understand, it’s deep. Past the reef and up the coastline, it drops off. Isn’t that where the sharks…”

Jeff nodded. “Yes, where we’re going is a common area for great whites.” He swiveled around in his chair to face her. “They love cool, deep water. And murky. Hard to track when they go farther than a certain depth. We need special equipment.”

“I see.” She typed with one finger while chewing her bottom lip. “Deep water,” she said like she was talking to herself.

“They love warm, shallow water, too,” he added. “In fact, sharks can be found in just about any body of water at any time of year. They’re pretty much unavoidable.”

He noticed her shudder. “Do you have a problem with sharks, Ms. Blaire?”

She held her tablet close to her chest and started twirling the rings on her fingers. She had three on each hand; she’d worn none last night. “I’ll admit it’s an irrational fear. I blame Peter Benchely.”

Jeff couldn’t help smiling. “I reckon he did give sharks an unfair rep.”

She nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. Jeff felt the desire to hold her and protect her from whatever made her afraid. Where had that come from?

Pax started to laugh, mockingly. “You’re afraid of
sharks
?” he said. “Better wear a life jacket, then. Not that it’ll do much good.” He closed his computer, grinned at her, then walked out onto the deck, humming the theme song to
Jaws
as he left.

Jeff felt like punching him. Those movies weren’t the only culprits for giving great whites a bad name.

“Sharks are like any other creature,” he said to her. “They’re on this planet to live and thrive in their own territory. It’s only when man started infringing on that territory that the troubles began. If someone broke into your house, wouldn’t your instinct be to protect it?”

“I don’t have rows of razor-sharp teeth, a double-jointed jaw, and speeds up to twenty-five miles per hour,” she pointed out.

Jeff wanted to laugh. At least she knew a thing or two about great whites. “I guess I’m lucky you don’t.”

She pushed her glasses up on her nose. “I don’t plan on getting anywhere near them,” she added. “I’ll be fine as long as I can keep my equilibrium under control. I sometimes get a little…seasick.”

“Yet you took an assignment that puts you in open ocean?”

She turned to stare out the window. “That’s a long story.”

She was being intriguing again. Like last night. Mysterious. Jeff didn’t like that. Then again, he
really
liked it.

Unable to control his curiosity, he asked, “So you didn’t volunteer for this job?”

“I’m sent where I’m needed,” she said but then began worrying on her bottom lip. “Actually, I
did
ask for the next assignment that required travel.” She waved a hand through the air. “Another long story; personal stuff.” She glanced at him and lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t do personal.”

He nodded, remembering that about her from last night.

Sharona went back to her tablet and asked Jeff about a few more pieces of equipment, what they were used for and if she could see them later. He did his best to give the bare minimum information. Despite his annoying attraction toward her, he didn’t know this woman, and was not going to divulge more than necessary.

“And what are all these dots?” She pointed at his computer screen.

“Part of a control group.”

She pulled back her pointing finger like she was afraid of being shocked. Or
bit
. “Sharks, you mean.”

Jeff nodded, again intrigued as to why she was here…why she’d taken a job that put her on the water if she was afraid of sharks and got seasick.

“O-oh.” She swallowed and seemed to shrink back a bit.

“These are the animals we’ve been tracking the last few years.” Jeff pointed at each of the seven dots on the screen, getting nearer the farther up the coast they went. “We know they’ve come back to this part of the ocean.”

“Tracking?” she asked, tapping on her tablet. “How, exactly? I don’t recall seeing tracking devices on my list.”

Jeff tried not to groan aloud.
She’s just doing her job
, he thought. It was a nice reminder that he should not be wondering if her red lip gloss was the same flavor she was wearing last night. Strawberry.

“We attached a sensor to the dorsal fin. May I see your list?”

Sharona met his eye, her fingers curling around her tablet. “Why?”

“If you can’t find it on your list, it might be labeled differently.” This wasn’t exactly true, but he did want a look at that list. He held out his hand. “Do you mind?”

After a pause, she exhaled and handed it over. The list was extensive. He probably didn’t have such a detailed inventory back home at the lab. He ran a finger over the face, flipping pages. “This is one of the older trackers,” he said, handing it back. “A box of them is stowed below.”

“Thanks.” She entered something into her database. “You mentioned attaching them to the dorsal fin. How?”

“Is that part of your audit?”

She shrugged and removed her glasses. “No, but I’m curious.”

“Scientists have been doing it for decades. There’re many ways to do it. Most common is a kind of combination between a dart and a hole punch.”

Sharona lowered her tablet and gaped at him. “That sounds brutal.”

“Actually, it’s not. The dorsal fin is almost 100 percent cartilage, not many nerves. The initial insertion is a shock to them, but after a few seconds, they don’t seem to notice it.”

“
Seem
?” She repeated his word, though her tone was filled with skepticism. “They’re helpless animals and you come at them with a spear?”

“They’re hardly helpless.” He laughed. “Don’t tell me you work for PETA in your spare time?”

She blinked and gazed toward the water. “Well, no. I just care.”

So do I
, Jeff was about to reply, but was cut off.

“You say they don’t feel it, but how could you possibly know?”

“Because I’ve been studying them for a very long time. And before me, others have. It irritates them initially, sure, but it’s by no means brutal.”

She folded her arms. “Says you.”

Grrr! Why was her sassy attitude turning him on rather than off? He felt like kissing her just to shut her glossy mouth.

“Look,” he said, crossing his arms so he would have something to do with his hands. “There’s no law against how we track these fish. Not in Australia, and not in international waters. You’re here to do an audit on how I’m spending the uni’s money—fine.” He pushed back his chair to stand. “But if you think you’re going to catch me doing something inhumane, Sharona Blaire, plan on a very boring day.”

He shut his laptop and walked out to the deck to stand in the sun, annoyed with her but mostly with himself.

A hole-punch?
If that wasn’t the definition of inhumane, she didn’t know what was. The blue-eyed man she’d met last night had been so charming and gentle. Was that all an act to get her naked? Working closely with Garry and other biology research teams, she’d known a few scientists who were all about making the next discovery—no matter what the cost to nature. Sharona couldn’t help feeling disappointed that Jeff Cruz was like that, too.

From her place inside the helm, she watched him through the glass. The ocean wind blew through his short dark hair. She noted the broadness of his shoulders. She’d noticed them last night, too. Had even felt them through his shirt—how muscly they were and how sturdy and strong. He’d been dressed up last night, looking crisp and sharp in a white shirt and pressed pants. Today, he was all casual, and—much to her chagrin—he looked even hotter. Probably because he was more at home on a boat than on land.