Hed been impressed by her thorough, methodical approach. But in the end, she concluded that she needed to check the engine herself. There was nothing to do for the next three hours but make their way to Tyree.
It was obvious she was ready to blame herself.
But even if the breakdown turned out to be her fault, it wasnt the end of the world. And they didnt even know what had happened. It was way too early to start pointing fingers.
You should lie down for a while, he told her.
She looked tired, and there was no point in both of them staying up all night.
Im fine. She lifted her chin, gazing out the windshield into the starry night.
There were clusters of lights along the shore, only a few other ships in the distance, and his GPS and charts were top-notch. It was an easy chore to pilot the boat single-handed.
You dont have to keep me company.
And you dont have to coddle me.
You have absolutely nothing to prove, Tasha. He knew she took pride in her work, and he knew she was determined to do a good job after her promotion. But sleep deprivation wasnt a job requirement.
Im not trying to prove anything. Did you get any sleep at all? Do you want to lie down?
Im fine. He knew she was perfectly capable of piloting the boat, but hed feel guilty leaving all the work to her.
No need for us both to stay awake, she said.
My date ended early. I slept a little.
Since his divorce had been finalized, Matt and his friend TJ Bauer had hit the Olympia social circuit. They were pushing each other to get out and meet new people. They met a few women, most were nice, but he hadnt felt a spark with any of them, including the one hed taken out tonight. Hed come home early, done a little Christmas shopping online for his nieces and nephews and dozed off on the sofa.
You dont need to tell me about your dates, Tasha said.
Theres nothing to tell.
Well, thats too bad. Her tone was lighter. It sounded like she was joking. It might help pass the time.
Sorry, he said lightly in return. I wish I could be more entertaining. What about you? he asked.
As he voiced the question, he found himself curious about Tashas love life. Did she have a boyfriend? Did she date? She was always such a no-nonsense fixture at the marina, he didnt think of her beyond being a valued employee.
What about me? she asked.
Do you ever go out?
Out where?
Out, out. On-a-date out. Dinner, dancing...
She scoffed out a laugh.
Is that a no?
Thats a no.
Why not? Now he was really curious. She might dress in plain T-shirts and cargo pants, but underneath what struck him now as a disguise, she was a lovely woman. Dont you like to dress up? Do you ever dress up?
He tried to remember if hed ever seen her in anything stylish. He couldnt, and he was pretty sure hed remember.
She shifted on the swivel chair, angling toward him. Why the third degree?
Since stories of my dates wont distract us, I thought maybe yours could. He found himself scrutinizing her face from an objective point of view.
She had startling green eyes, the vivid color of emeralds or a glacial, deep-water pond. They were framed in thick lashes. Her cheekbones were high. Her chin was the perfect angle. Her nose was narrow, almost delicate. And her lips were deep coral, the bottom slightly fuller than the top.
He wanted to kiss them.
Nothing to tell, she said. Her voice jolted him back to reality, and he turned to the windshield, rewinding the conversation.
You must dress up sometimes.
I prefer to focus on work.
Why?
Because its satisfying. Her answer didnt ring true.
He owned the company, and he still found time for a social life. I dress up. I date. I still find time to work.
She made a motion with her hand, indicating up and down his body. Of course you date. A guy like you is definitely going to date.
He had no idea what she meant. A guy like me?
Good-looking. Rich. Eligible.
Good-looking? He was surprised that she thought so, even more surprised that shed said so.
She rolled her eyes. Its not me, Matt. The world thinks youre good-looking. Dont pretend youve never noticed.
Hed never given it much thought. Looks were so much a matter of taste. He was fairly average. Hed never thought there was anything wrong with being average.
Im eligible now, he said.
The rich part was also debatable. He hadnt had enough money to satisfy his ex-wife. And now that theyd divorced, he had even less. Hed borrowed money to pay her out, and he was going to have to work hard over the next year or two to get back to a comfortable financial position.
And so are you, he said to Tasha. Youre intelligent, hardworking and pretty. You should definitely be out there dating.
He couldnt help but compare her with the women hed met lately. The truth was, they couldnt hold a candle to her. There was so much about her that was compelling. Funny that hed never noticed before.
Dazzle them with your intelligence and hard work.
Can we not do this? she asked.
Make conversation?
Im a licensed marine mechanic. And I want people to take me seriously as that.
You cant do both?
Not in my experience. She slipped down from the high white leather chair.
What are you doing? he asked. He didnt want her to leave.
Im going to take your advice.
What advice is that?
Im going to lie down and rest. She glanced at her watch. You think two hours?
I didnt mean to chase you away.
You didnt.
We dont have to talk about dating. But then he took in her pursed lips and realized he still wanted to kiss them. Where was this impulse coming from?
I have work to do when we get there.
He realized hed be selfish to stop her. Youre right. You should get some sleep.
As she walked away, he considered the implications of being attracted to an employee. He couldnt act on it. He shouldnt act on it.
Then he laughed at himself. It wasnt like shed given him any encouragement. Well, other than saying he was good-looking.
She thought he was good-looking.
As he piloted his way along the dark coastline, he couldnt help but smile.
* * *
Tashas problem wasnt dating in general. Her problem was the thought of dating Matt. He wasnt her type. There was no way he was her type. She knew that for an absolute fact.
Shed dated guys like him beforecapable, confident, secure in the knowledge that the world rolled itself out at their feet. She knew all that. Still, she couldnt seem to stop herself from dreaming about him.
Theyd arrived off Tyree and boarded Orcas Run shortly after dawn. Tall and confident, hed greeted the clients like he owned the placewhich he did, of course.
Tasha had kept to the background, making sure her toolbox was moved discreetly on board, while Matt had charmed the family, apologizing for the delay in the trip, offering Montys Pride as a replacement, explaining that the larger, faster yacht would easily make up the time theyd lost overnight.
Tasha had kept to the background, making sure her toolbox was moved discreetly on board, while Matt had charmed the family, apologizing for the delay in the trip, offering Montys Pride as a replacement, explaining that the larger, faster yacht would easily make up the time theyd lost overnight.
It was obvious the client was delighted with the solution, and Tasha had turned her attention to the diesel engine. It took her over an hour to discover the water separator was the problem. In an unlikely coincidence, the water-in-fuel indicator light bulb had also broken. Otherwise, it would have alerted her to the fact that the water separator was full, starving the engine of fuel.
The two things happening together were surprising. They were more than surprising. They were downright strange.
From their anchorage in Tyree, Matt had taken the launch and run for parts in the small town. And by noon, shed replaced the water separator. While shed worked, shed cataloged whod had access to Orcas Run. Virtually all the staff of Whiskey Bay Marina had access. But most of them didnt know anything about engines.
There were a couple of contract mechanics who did repairs from time to time. And there were countless customers who had been on the property. She found her brain going in fantastical directions, imagining someone might have purposely damaged the engine.
But who? And why? And was she being ridiculously paranoid?
She had no idea.
While shed worked, diesel fuel had sprayed her clothes and soaked into her hair, so shed used the staff shower to clean up and commandeered a stewards uniform from the supply closet.
After cleaning up, her mind still pinging from possibility to possibility, she made her way up the stairs to the main cabin. There she was surprised to realize the yacht wasnt yet under way.
Did something else go wrong? she asked Matt, immediately worried they had another problem.
He was in the galley instead of piloting the yacht. The deckhand had stayed with Montys Pride, since the bigger ship needed an extra crew member. Matt and Tasha were fully capable of returning Orcas Run to Whiskey Bay.
Its all good, Matt said.
Were not under power? Her hair was still damp, and she tucked it behind her ears as she approached the countertop that separated the galley from the main living area.
Are you hungry? he asked, placing a pan on the stove.
She was starving. Sure. But I can eat something on the way.
Coffee?
Sure.
He extracted two cups from a cupboard and poured. Montys Pride is headed south. Everyone seems happy.
You were right, she admitted as she rounded the counter. Bringing Montys Pride was a good idea. I can cook if you want to get going.
He gave a thoughtful nod. This charter matters.
Because its a German client?
Its the first significant booking out of the fall trade show. Hes a prominent businessman with loads of connections.
Im sorry I argued with you. She realized her stance had been about her pride, not about the good of the company.
You should always say what you think.
I should listen, too.
You dont listen?
Sometimes I get fixated on my own ideas. She couldnt help but revisit her theory about someone tampering with the engine.
Matt gave a smile. You have conviction. Thats not a bad thing. Besides, it keeps the conversation interesting.
He handed her a cup of coffee.
She took a sip, welcoming the hit of caffeine.
He seemed to ponder her for a moment. You definitely keep things interesting.
She didnt know how to respond.
His blue eyes were dark but soft, and he had an incredibly handsome face. His chin was square, unshaven and slightly shadowed, but that only made him look more rugged. His nose was straight, his jaw angular and his lips were full, dark pink, completely kissable.
Warm waves of energy seemed to stream from him to cradle her. It was disconcerting, and she shifted to put some more space between them. The engine was interesting.
Mug to his lips, he lifted his brow.
The odds of the water separator filling and the indicator light going at the same time are very low.
His brow furrowed then, and he lowered the mug. And?
Recognizing that this is my first idea, and that I can sometimes get fixated on those, it seems wrong to me. I mean, it seems odd to me.
Are you saying someone broke something on purpose?
No, Im not saying that. Out loud, it sounded even less plausible than it had inside her head. Im saying it was a bizarre coincidence, and I must be having a run of bad luck.
You fixed it, so thats good luck.
Glass half-full?
You did a good job, Tasha.
It wasnt that complicated.
A teasing glint came into his eyes. You mean, youre that skilled?
The cause was peculiar. She could have sworn shed just serviced the water separator. The repair was easy.
Their gazes held, and they fell silent again. Raindrops clattered against the window, while the temperature seemed to inch up around her. Her dream came back once again, Matt cradling her, kissing her. Heat rose in her cheeks.
She forced herself back to the present, trying to keep her mind on an even keel. It could have been excess water in the fuel, maybe a loose cap. I did check it. At least I think I checked it. I always check it. She paused. I hope I checked it.
He set down his mug. Dont.
She didnt understand.
He took a step forward. Dont second-guess yourself.
Okay. It seemed like the easiest answer, since she was losing track of the conversation.
He took another step, and then another.
Inside her head, she shouted for him to stop. But she didnt make a sound.
She didnt want him to stop. She could almost feel his arms around her.
He was right there.
Thunder suddenly cracked through the sky above them. A wave surged beneath them, and she grabbed for the counter. She missed, stumbling into his chest.
In a split second, his arms were around her, steadying her.
She fought the desire that fogged her brain. Sorry.
Weathers coming up, he said, his deep voice rumbling in her ear and vibrating her chest, which was pressed tight against his.
We wont be Words failed her as she looked into his blue eyes, so close, so compelling.
He stilled, the sapphire of his eyes softening to summer sky.
Tasha. Her name was barely a breath on his lips.
She softened against him.
He lowered his lips, closer and closer. They brushed lightly against hers, then they firmed, then they parted, and the kiss sent bolts of pleasure ricocheting through her.
She gripped his shoulders to steady herself. A rational part of her brain told her to stop. But she was beyond stopping. She was beyond caring about anything but the cataclysmic kiss between them.
It was Matt who finally pulled back.
He looked as dazed as she felt, and he blew out a breath. Im... He gave his head a little shake. I dont know what to say.
She forced herself to step back. Dont. She had no idea what to say either. Dont try. It was just...something...that happened.