Page 16 of Falling Overboard

Frowning, I put my cloth down. “He was still in bed when I got up.”

“He’s not in his cabin. I forgot to give him a radio yesterday. If you see him, tell him to come find me so that we can get that sorted and discuss the schedule.”

“I will.”

Thomas will find him,I told myself. I didn’t have to get involved. The bosun was more than capable of tracking Hunter down.

But I didn’t listen.

I found Hunter in the gym, where he was doing pull-ups on a high bar. The way his muscles flexed and contracted in his arms stole my breath.

And unfortunately for me, he noticed me before I had a chance to stop staring.

“Hey, Lucky! Are you here to work out?” He hopped down and walked toward me. He had on a tank top and I realized that I could have built my entire life on those perfect, broad shoulders of his and I swallowed hard. The closer he got to me, the drier my mouth became.

All I could think about was the way he’d said “I aim to please” last night and how my overwhelming lust had urged me to climb up into his bunk and drape myself over him.

I hoped that he’d never say those words in front of Georgia, because she would try to prove the veracity of his statement.

Much as I wanted to do right now.

Then I realized how long I had gone without responding and it made me finally able to speak. “Not allowed!”

“What’s not allowed?” Why did that sound like an invitation?

I had to clear my throat to keep talking. I made sure to keep my eyes trained on his so that his muscles would stop distracting me.

But his face was every bit as distracting.

I shifted from one leg to the other, tapping the fingers of my right hand against my leg. “We can’t work out in the gym during a charter. It’s off-limits for us. Only the guests can use it.”

Did I sound nonchalant? Probably not, because I was feeling overly chalant at the moment.

He threw a towel around his neck. “Technically the charter hasn’t started yet.”

That he was the kind of man who would be looking for technicalities to avoid following rules was not good. I was afraid I’d be too willing to jump on board. “It will start in a few hours. Thomas is looking foryou. He has your radio and wants to discuss your schedule. And your uniform should be here soon.”

“Aye, aye,” he said with a salute that was somehow adorable. “I’ll have to figure something else out then when we have a charter. I have ADHD and exercising to burn off excess energy is helpful.”

I had to press my lips into a thin line because my body wanted me to offer alternative ways to burn off excess energy, perhaps together. Instead I said, “One of my younger sisters has ADHD.”

“Then you get it,” he said with his dazzling smile and I felt weak-kneed. “I’m just focusing on getting myself shipshape.”

I couldn’t help but let out a small groan. “Please tell me I don’t have a bunkmate who is a fan of nautical puns.”

“Well, I could tell you that but then I’d be lying.” He smiled at me again and there was this moment between us, this pulse that seemed to envelop me.

I wondered if he felt it, too.

Then I noticed a bead of sweat running down his right temple. It should have been a turnoff but it was not. Without thinking I reached out and took the edge of the towel still on his neck and patted the spot dry.

“You’re sweaty.” I whispered the words and then immediately let the towel drop. I wanted nothing more than to touch his skin, to taste the saltiness of it. To have him press his slightly damp body against mine.

He seemed to move closer, like he was leaning toward me. His gaze slipped down to my lips and he flexed his hands at his sides. Like he was going to reach for me. Then he seemingly changed his mind as he cleared his throat and said, “Right. I’ll go shower and then find Thomas.”

He left and I was so caught up in images of him standing under a stream of water that I didn’t register what he’d said. That wasn’t really how things worked here—he should have gone and found Thomas first and then worried about showering. Chain of command and all that.

But at the moment that was not my primary concern.

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