Page 54 of Unmoored

“George,” he says quickly. “Is that a yes? We’ve got a deal?”

He sounds too hopeful to change my mind now. “Okay, George,” I sigh. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Now I just have to figure out how to break the news to everyone… but that can wait until after breakfast. It’s time to get this guy off the phone, and get my ass on a boat.

Priorities, right?

ChapterTwenty

EDEN

The harbour isdead quiet at six-thirty in the morning. I’m huddled by the bow doors, looking out for any sign of a barge approaching from the town side.

But I hear a speedboat approaching from Sunrise Island. Looks like Murph isn’t entering my strait from the front… so to speak. Never thought I’d learn to recognize the sound of an engine, but the Pavlovian reflex is real. My mouth is suddenly watering, and it’s definitely not at just the prospect of breakfast.

The engine sound suddenly dies down, like Murph is throttling back his speed.

“Shit. He’s almost here!”

I sprint back to the sleeping berth, only stopping for long enough to step into my shortest shorts—more for show than function. I’ve been coping with a semi for the past hour, and I can barely tuck myself in sideways.

I glance in the mirror, and then I grin. The bulge stretches my shorts in a clear line from my crotch to my thigh, almost poking right out of the leg of my shorts.

Perfect. With any luck, they won’t be staying on for long.

I pluck the fabric once or twice more, trying to keep myself from actually unintentionally sliding free from the fabric. Then I shove the door open with my shoulder and scamper to the railing. Murph’s just looped the rope around it and pulled it taut, bringing the boat closer.

“Hi,” I tell him breathlessly, a grin spreading over my face as he glances at me—and then does a double-take. The rope goes slack in his hand as his boat gently nudges the side of mine, but he’s just staring at me with his lips parted. His eyes are dark and hungry, skimming up and down from my bare torso to my bulge like he can’t decide where to look first.

Murph’s boat deck is lower than mine. From there, he can probably see straight up the leg of my shorts. And his reaction makes me feel about twenty feet tall, and sexier than a Greek god.

“Compliment accepted,” I tease him, leaning on the railing next to the opening.

“Huh?” Murph grunts. I giggle, waiting until he sheepishly clears his throat and drags his gaze up to look me in the eye. “Oh. Right. Uh… hi. And yes. Compliment… delivered.”

“Was it?” I tease him, rubbing my chin. “I’m not sure I heard it out loud.”

He looks me up and down again, and his grunt of impatient frustration turns into a long, low groan—a guttural noise that makes a shiver of sparks run straight down to my toes.

It might not be words, but…

“Yeah. Much better,” I breathe out, my voice hoarse. “More of that, please.”

The way he’s staring at me, it makes the blood rush from my brain, straight down south. My cock thickens in my shorts, lifting the leg even further away. I’m pretty sure that if I even try to move, I’m going to pop right out of my shorts and commit some serious public indecency.

There’s a look on his face like he has a plan. I don’t know what it is, but I bet I’ll like it. He finally tears his gaze from me and hastily loops the rope a couple more times around the railing.

“Don’t stop on my account,” I murmur, shivering in the relative cool of the morning. It’s still warm even overnight, but with the sea breeze… I could use a warm body next to me, heating me up.

“I don’t plan to. I’m here to pick up a delivery.” Murph’s hand tightens on the rope again, and then he grabs the railing right next to me.

I blink at him. “Don’t you meanmakea delivery?” I hope he remembered to bring coffee and breakfast. But even if he’s just here to be my dessert, I’ll lick the whole plate clean.

“No. We’re going to my place.”

Before I can say a word of protest, Murph’s strong hands are on me. My bare toes curl into the deck. Everywhere he touches, my body just lights up like this joyful little chime is resonating through every inch of me. The heat of his rough palms slides down my sides, from my ribs right down to my hips. It’s suddenly hard to breathe.

I can’t look away from his face, or the desire written all over it. The world beyond him and me… it just vanishes.

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