Stowaway (19 page)

She shifted her gaze from the rearview mirror and stared at him, one brow cocked. “Your family lives on a boat too?”

Her tone made him grin. “No, but they own one, and I swear nobody will get close enough to blow it up.” A full-time security team guarded that big ole water vessel.

He saw indecision in her eyes and didn’t want to give her time to change her mind. With one last, sweeping glance behind them, he jumped out his door and rounded the SUV. After gathering the shopping bags from the backseat, he opened her door and she joined him on the pavement. Handing her a few bags, he hung a couple on his bad arm and slipped it around her waist, leaving his gun hand free.

They made their way slowly through the sea of people and headed down the steps to the docks. A marina guard tried to stop them, but Nick told him they needed to get to the opposite end of the pier. He knew the guards had instructions not to offend other owners, so he allowed them to pass.

They skirted the confusion near the
Adrianna
and slowly walked by it like any of the other curious bystanders. Anger curled in his stomach as he gazed at the darkened, smoldering carcass of his cruiser, but he didn’t stop to watch as they pumped water onto her charred decks.

When they cleared the main congestion, he exchanged nods with a short, stocky man standing just beyond the wreckage.

Nick touched the bill of his hat to Gus Puppuna, one of his family’s security team. The other man’s expression didn’t show a spark of recognition but relief flashed briefly in his dark eyes as he returned the nod. Gus had worked for the family so long he’d become a trusted member.

He and the others would be alarmed by the annihilation of the
Adrianna.
Nick hated that they worried so much about his job and lifestyle. Just a few hours ago, he’d assured them all he was safely home. The destruction of his cruiser would cause his parents more worry and stress. He wasn’t too damned pleased about it, either.

The farther they walked the fewer people they passed. Nobody followed them as they moved from the center of activity. Gus had his back, and nobody could slide past the long-time bodyguard unnoticed, so Nick allowed himself to relax a little.

“Do you actually have a destination in mind?” Keri interrupted his thoughts with a complaint. “Or are we just going to walk off the end of the pier?”

“Almost there,” he assured her.

The slips for smaller crafts gave way to extra wide slips for bigger crafts. They passed two empty ones and then approached the
Gianovelli
. The beautiful white yacht gleamed in the sunlight. The words
Gianovelli Chocolates
graced the side in bold red lettering. His steps slowed as he neared it.

Then Keri came to an abrupt halt. Nick wondered if she’d explode or gush. He should have known she’d be less predictable.

“Gianovelli?” she asked in a soft, inquisitive tone that worried him a little. “That’s your family name?”

“My mother’s family. I carry my dad’s family name.”

“Your mother sells candy?” she said in a little louder tone. Her irritation grew with each indrawn breath. “You told me your mother sold candy. That’s like saying the Pope says prayer. This is how you describe the matriarch of one of the world’s finest names in chocolate?”

“The finest,” he corrected, but the distraction didn’t ease the tension he felt in her body. Nor his own as he registered her level of annoyance.

She pulled from his grasp and glared at him. “You expect me to meet your family looking like something the cat dragged in? My hair’s a wild mess, I’m filthy and more than a little battered. I cannot go aboard a yacht like that,” she pointed to emphasize her words, “looking like this!”

“None of the family is aboard the
Velli,”
he assured her
.

“You have a nickname for the family yacht?”

“It’s really not much bigger than the
Adrianna
. Technically, it belongs to the company and it’s just part of doing business in a port city.”

“Except your family owns the company?”

The sudden appearance of another big, broad-shouldered man saved him from having to respond to her question.

“Brice,” said Nick, stepping forward and offering a hand to his mother’s head of security. Brice Carlisle’s Italian heritage had a blend of Scotch Irish to make a tall, striking man with dark eyes and auburn hair. He grabbed Nick’s hand and then slapped another on his arm, shaking firmly.

“Good to see you, man. We’ve been worried.”

Nick gave him a smile and nod of understanding before turning to Keri. She watched them with a wary, calculating expression. Never quite sure how she’d react in any given situation, he introduced the two.

“Brice, this is Keri Merritt. Her dad is the sheriff in Thornsbury where I spent the last couple weeks.”

“Ma’am.” He nodded to her and they briefly shook hands. “You just got back?”

“Last night.”

“You spent the night aboard the
Adrianna
?” Although the other man’s voice didn’t alter much, it held a rare touch of alarm.

“Left early for breakfast.”

Brice gave them a quick once-over and his jaw tightened. “You came back to an explosion?”

“That’s about the size of it,” said Nick. “We need a shower and change.”

“Sure thing. When Gus gets back we’ll pull up anchor. You’re goin’ out to the house, right?”

“Right. When I talked to Mom yesterday she said they planned to leave for Italy.”

To Keri, he explained. “We have extended family over there. My folks go a couple times a year and combine business with an extended visit.”

“Your mama refused to leave until you called yesterday and assured her you’re okay,” said Brice. “But they flew out last night.”

“We need to disappear for a few days too,” Nick told him.

“Good idea. Anyone know you’ve got company?”

He shook his head and slipped an arm around Keri’s waist, pulling her close to his side. He shot Brice a look that made words unnecessary. He’d wanted her under the umbrella protection extended to any member of the Lamanto family.

Brice gave him a slow nod of understanding and gave Keri a more thorough scrutiny.

“If you two are done exchanging macho, irritatingly silent messages, I’d really like a shower,” she declared tersely.

“Now, honey,” Nick placated, bracing for the elbow he knew she’d slam into his ribs. She did, and he grunted. Then her sexy country accent deepened as it always did when she was pissed.

“Don’t ‘now honey’ me, Lamanto. My mood is rapidly deteriorating.”

That surprised a bark of laughter from Brice. “Looks like you have your hands full, pal.”

“You might say that.”

“I’m standing right here, wiseasses!”

Brice reached out a hand for the shopping bags. “Let me take those. You two go ahead and board while I wait for Gus. I’ll see if he learned anything. There are plenty of supplies.”

“We’ll shower first, but Keri needs some clean clothes.”

“In the bags?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll have Gus wash ’em up when he gets here. He’ll bring ’em down when they’re laundered.”

Nick handed him the keys to her car. “Dark green SUV in the parking lot with Tennessee tags. It got hit pretty hard with debris. Can you arrange to have it repaired?”

“Sure thing.”

“I have insurance,” injected Keri. “I don’t know the policy on bomb damage, but I’ll take care of it myself.”

He didn’t want his problems costing her more time or money, and he wasn’t ready to have her tracked down by the Thornsbury sheriff’s department.

“We need to get it off the lot now before someone notices the out-of-state tags. You’ll be under suspicion for the bombing and they’ll run a background check.”

After a few heartbeats, she nodded understanding and stopped protesting. He took her elbow and guided her onto the yacht. The interior saloon looked similar to the
Adrianna’s
but more spacious and elegant. It featured genuine leather seating, chandelier lighting, a stocked bar and state-of-the-art entertainment options.

“There are four staterooms, the master one my parents use, a VIP one and two smaller guest rooms. The master and VIP both have their own showers, so we can use them to get cleaned up. There should be spare robes and toiletries in each room. Gus’ll bring fresh clothes soon.”

“There’s a laundry room aboard?”

“Yeah, all the modern conveniences.”

“Pretty impressive.”

He didn’t want her judging him by his family’s lifestyle. In the past, women had both loved and hated him due to the Gianovelli wealth. He’d stopped sharing this side of his life years ago. “Don’t be too impressed, it doesn’t belong to me.”

Keri didn’t respond but stared at him and lifted a brow at his prickly tone. He signed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Sorry. I’m a little testy this morning.”

Her expression softened a little. “Why? Just because someone destroyed your home in an effort to kill you?”

Her mild teasing made him smile. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, loving the way she molded her body to his. The fit was perfect. They shared a long, slow kiss. He eased his tongue into her mouth and shuddered as she slowly sucked it deeper. His whole body reacted to the caress. He wanted to lose himself in her again and block out the rest of the world. He wanted days and weeks and maybe more to explore the extraordinary chemistry between them.

The sound of the anchor being retracted snapped him back to reality. He withdrew from her seductive kisses and eased some distance between them.

“We’d better get a shower. It won’t take long for us to clear the dock, and I want to show you around the bay when we leave the port.”

“Point me in the right direction,” she said.

Nick showed her to the VIP stateroom and told her where to find the necessities. Then he took a long, hot shower in his parents’ room. His left arm still smarted when he moved it in certain directions, but the stitches had healed nicely and the bruising had faded to a dull green. It no longer throbbed and it felt stronger each day.

The bureaus in the master stateroom always held a variety of spare clothes for the family, so he donned a pair of black swim shorts and a gray T-shirt.

Less than half an hour after leaving her, Nick crossed the hall and entered the VIP room. Keri exited the shower wrapped in a white terry robe and drying her hair with a towel. The robe stopped at midthigh, giving him a glimpse of bare, shapely legs. The sight kicked his libido into overdrive, forcing him to stifle the urge to disrobe her.

“You’re quick. Ready to go up top?”

She finger-combed her hair and tossed the towel onto the back of a chair. “I can’t go on deck in a robe.”

“Sure you can. That’s more than some guests wear. Not much different than a beach cover.”

She looked unconvinced, but then conceded and crossed the room toward him. “If you say so.”

“I say so.”

As he took her hand to lead her through the saloon, he felt the tremble of the powerful engines. By the time they reached the deck, the yacht had begun to ease from the slip. After a few minutes of maneuvering, their horn sounded and they started to glide through the heavy traffic toward the inlet of the bay.

“The color and clarity of the water is amazing,” commented Keri as she gazed around them at the white sand beneath the deep blue.

“Bayside is beautiful,” he agreed. “A lot more congested than I’d like, but definitely special.”

They settled on a wide, cushioned deck chair. “Who’s our captain?”

Nick looked up toward the highest level of the yacht. “Brice is in the cockpit. He and Tony, who probably went with the folks, can handle the
Velli
with ease. Gus, not so much.”

“Gus is the short, stout-looking man we passed near the
Adrianna
?”

He gave her a long look. “You noticed Gus?”

“Law enforcement officers aren’t the only people with honed observation skills. I noticed the flicker of relief in his eyes when you tipped your hat to him.”

“Gus is a treasure. There’s not much he can’t do except pilot this thing. He’s worked for the family for as long as I can remember.”

“Doing what, exactly?”

“Lots of stuff. Chauffeuring, shopping, cleaning, even a little gardening when he’s in the mood.”

“And bodyguarding?”

“That too.”

“Does your family have a big need for bodyguards?”

“Maybe not full time, but a certain level of wealth necessitates state-of-the-art security.”

“Because that level of wealth also entices a high level of criminal mentality?”

“Yeah, unfortunately.”

Nick didn’t want to talk about wealth or bodyguards or anything else right now. He slid his good arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. Then he placed his other hand on her knee, slowly edging his fingers under the hem of her robe.

Her quickly indrawn breath pleased him immensely.

Chapter Thirteen

“I owe you a little payback for some earlier teasing,” said Nick, caressing the warm, supple flesh of her thigh. “Do you have anything on under this robe?”

“A bright purple thong,” she said, shifting out of his reach and modestly tugging the sides of the robe together.

“You’re puttin’ me on. You’re not the thong type.”

“That’s how much you know,” she shot back at him. “When I pack spare undies in my pocket book, I have to keep them as tiny as possible. You should see the itty-bitty matching lace bra.”

His breathing shattered and his imagination went wild. Just a tiny little strip of fabric tucked between smooth, rounded cheeks. Only a scrap of lace covering those beautiful breasts. Her nipples probably peaked through the lace. He uttered a low groan of regret because the chance of him getting her alone anytime soon was slim to none.

“I think you might have a sadistic streak,” he charged.

“I think you should concentrate on showing me the sights.”

He sighed deeply. “Okay, I’ll play tour guide. If you look to the port side,” he pointed to show her, “we’ll soon be approaching Millionaire Row.”

“And what is Millionaire Row?”

“It’s a barrier island with shops, restaurants and homes only millionaires can afford.”