Page 62 of Building Courage

I thought maybe they were hoping for a big catch of Tangs since they eat algae.”

He shook his head. “They’re not really following the ship. They’re running parallel to it. They could’ve been taking in the scenery on board,” he speculated. “Is there any way you can focus in on the boat for more detail?”

“Because I wasn’t using a long-range lens, the image won’t be clear.” She sat down at her desk and closed out the slide show. She brought up the folder from the desktop.

Tucker moved closer to stand just behind her as she shuffled through the pictures. There were so many. No one could ever say she wasn’t thorough. She ran a search and brought up another file and opened it as well. She pulled photos from both that had glimpses of the blue fishing boat and others of the boat itself.

“That’s a cabin cruiser at least forty feet long,” he spoke out loud. “Looks like they have fishing poles mounted on the center console.”

She homed in on the man at the helm inside the wheelhouse. The glare on the glass hid his features. The man on deck was easier to see, but he had his back turned. He had dark hair and was dressed in a white T-shirt and dark shorts. She shuffled through the images, but none of the others offered a clearer view.

“It just seems strange that both times I’ve had photo shoots on the water, this boat shows up and seems to follow whatever I’m shooting.”

“Maybe they’re checking you out, Brynn. You’re young, beautiful, and when you’re working, there’s an intensity that’s fascinating to watch.”

“They couldn’t see much while they were following the yacht. But then, they could’ve had binoculars. The models were all over the boat. It’s just a little creepy to me.”

“If they’re just stalking you on the water, they won’t know where you live, and there won’t be another chance for them to follow you unless you do another water shoot.” He laid a hand on her shoulder. “The next time you go out on the ocean will be when we do our next open-water dive, and I’ll be with you. How’s this Sunday for that? We’ll make sure that boat is nowhere in sight before we hit the water.”

“Okay. And this Sunday would be good. That’ll give me a few days to practice with the camera equipment.”

“You’re going to do great. You’re finning is spot on, and you assemble your gear like a pro. I’ll be right beside you the entire dive. You’ll just have a little more gear to deal with.”

She grasped his hand and rose. “I know you’ll watch out for me.”

He drew her close. “It’s hard for me to take my eyes off of you. And it’s been damn hard for me to keep my hands off of you. The first time you came out of the house dressed in your wet suit I had to keep my back turned so you wouldn’t see how much I appreciated the view.”

She laughed. “I never guessed that at all.”

“I didn’t want to rush you.” Or scare her off.

When she moved in to lean against him and her hands moved up his back, he drew in a breath.

“You’ve been beyond patient,” she said.

“Yeah, I have.” He kissed her with all the pent-up emotion and needs he’d suppressed. His hands were already under her robe as he urged her down the hallway. He tugged it free as they reached the bedroom.

She stretched out upon the bed and bowed her body in a way that had him catching his breath. At that moment, he’d never wanted anything as much as he wanted her. He stripped and joined her. The brush of her bare skin against his was as thrilling as it had been the first time.

His hand slid down her back, molding her close. Her hands were just as busy as his as they ran down his side to cup his ass. Her response to his kiss was avid. When she nibbled his ear lobe, his dick grew as hard as iron. He grabbed a condom from the nightstand and ripped the top open with his teeth.

“Let me,” she said and took it from him. That she was confident enough to take charge and actually touch him after having closed herself off for so long had him grinning. When she started rolling it down over his erection, he mentally recited the alphabet backward to maintain his control.

Had he ever been this aroused by a woman?

She straddled him and lowered herself, taking him in, then leaned down to kiss him. He ran his hands down her back, relishing the softness of her bare skin beneath his hands.

She began to move. The slow steady rise and fall of her body shoved him closer to the edge. As she quickened the pace, she stretched her long, lean body in such a way that he bit back a groan, afraid that the sound might distract her from her own pleasure.

She pressed down, taking him in as deep as she could. As he raised his hips to deepen the connection, her breathing grew shorter and choppier, and a soft moan escaped her. The way she tilted her head back and the tension in her body increased as the climax took them both was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen.

Chapter 19

‡

The annoying sound of reveille trumpeting in her ear brought Brynn out of a sound sleep. Tucker stretched out an arm and hit a button on his phone to silence it.

His other arm tightened around her, and he brushed her forehead with his lips. “Go back to sleep. I’ll get dressed and slip out. I’ll call you later.”

---