Our-World
Shelter Cove Marina
Shelter Spring, North Carolina
26 months ago
“He said it was this way,” Gina Hallstrom said, threading her way down the boardwalk. “Supposedly, we’ll know it when we see it.”
Gina wore cut-off denim shorts and a blue string bikini top. Her hair was pulled back beneath a black baseball cap, and her sunglasses rested above the caps bill as she scanned the edge of the dock for the boat they intended to board. She adjusted the strap of the small daypack slung over one shoulder while spinning in a slow circle. Frustrated, she waved to Piper and Allison with a “move your ass” gesture.
“She’s really excited about this boat,” Allison grumbled.
Piper laughed. “I knew that when she was up and out of bed at 7am on a Saturday. I don’t understand why. It’s just a boat.”
The sky was clear, and the sun was already well above the horizon, as it was nearly nine in the morning. The weather forecast predicted highs in the mid-90s, promising an incredible day for boating on the Atlantic. Gina was 19 years old, while Allison and Piper were just a couple of months older, having recently turned 20.
“It’s not about the boat,” Allison clarified, as they both struggled to keep sight of Gina while she turned the corner and headed onto one of the many wide wooden docks lined with pleasure craft of every shape and size. “It’s about a boy.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “Ya think?”
“Slow down,” a voice called from behind them. A big, stone block of a kid was struggling to keep up, heavily burdened with baggage. Overloaded backpacks hung from each shoulder, a massive cooler was pinched between his meaty paws, and a bulging duffle bag thudded against his hip with every hurried step he took. “We all know what Gina’s interested in,” he wheezed. “But I heard about the boat—and I don’t want to miss it.”
Jimmy Kell was the same age as the girls, but that’s where the similarities ended. While each of the ladies was petite and feminine, Jimmy looked as though he’d been carved from a block of granite with a dull chisel. He stood six feet two inches tall and weighed two hundred forty pounds, every ounce of it hard-won in the gym or on the football field. His head was all flat planes and hard angles, resembling one of the Easter Island statues brought to life.
Piper knew he wanted to see the boat, but also understood he was looking to spend time with Allison. The lug had been crushing on her since they met at a study group six months earlier. Since that day, he’d never missed an opportunity to spend even a little extra time with her. Unfortunately, Allison was oblivious, and Jimmy might let them all die of old age before he finally made his move.
Piper saw Gina stop and wave both arms at someone out of her line of sight. Gina was about forty yards ahead of them on the dock. “Hang in there, Jimmy. I think we found our ride.”
Doubling back, Piper grabbed the duffle bag from Jimmy. It was large and overstuffed. Something hard inside was poking her, so she was glad she had chosen to wear an insulated long-sleeved pullover for the drive to the coast. If she had been dressed like Gina and Allison, who had already changed into their bikini tops, her ribs would have been destroyed when they arrived.
“Jimmy,” she winced. “What the hell is in the bag? I’m going to break a rib!”
“Sorry about that. Want me to take it again? It’s a couple of parts that Levi needed for the yacht. I picked them up last night and told him I would bring them by when we came this morning.”
She shook her head and mumbled that she had it. If Jimmy could carry the bag and the rest of their crap, the least she could do was lug the duffel the last couple dozen yards. Her foot caught on an uneven board on the deck, and she stumbled. Struggling to maintain her balance, she questioned the wisdom of her choice.
The group had become good friends over the past six or seven months. Most of them had classes together. Allison was studying sociology while Jimmy was taking an advanced structural engineering class. He looked like some kind of meathead jock, but he was sharp and much more intelligent than he let on. She couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he ever caught Allison’s eye. They could make a cute couple, even if seeing them together was amusing. She was a fraction of his size, and the thought of the two of them together… she really didn’t want to contemplate that.
Gina was in a class of her own—almost literally. She had changed her major twice in the past six months, which technically shouldn’t have been possible. From what Piper understood, this wasn’t unusual. Gina was a free spirit, and she tended to follow her passions.
That was what led them to the dock and in search of the aforementioned boat. Gina had been seeing a guy named Levi Hyde for a while. And by seeing, in Gina’s words, that meant Levi had felt her up in the hallway of a Starbucks and finger-banged her in the parking lot outside her apartment. As she put it, they were taking it slow.
Gina was the freest of free spirit.
But apparently, Levi worked on boats—not just any boats, but yachts. That’s why they were on the docks on a Saturday morning. He was putting the finishing touches on a salvaged boat that his employers would auction in a couple of months. Given all the recently completed work, it was necessary to take the craft out on open waters for what Levi called a shakedown voyage. They needed to see how the systems performed and log any glitches.
Levi told Gina to invite some friends so they could make a day of it.
Piper wasn’t convinced. A sketchy watercraft on the open seas wasn’t her idea of a productive afternoon. But as Allison and Gina had pointed out in nauseating detail, Piper wasn’t one to throw caution to the wind. And while this was hardly a Girls Gone Wild scenario, it might at least challenge her comfort zone.
So, Piper relented and wondered what kind of rust-bucket Levi would take them for a ride on.
As they walked down the dock, Piper was surprised by how many people were out so early in the morning. Looking more closely, she realized this was something different. Stanchions had been arranged nearby, seemingly reserving a section of the dock for something special. The cordoned-off space was empty so far, and oddly dressed individuals were already gathering before the unusually open series of slips that normally accommodated watercraft. Most onlookers wore ties and dress shirts—business casual attire—who seemed to have shed their sport coats in concession to the already eighty-degree weather.
What’s with the press?
Gina seemed oblivious to the spectacle, simply turning down the next walkway suspended over the bay and continuing on. Before Piper knew it, Gina was walking up the wide plank to a boat. Piper froze in mid-step. The boat had to be close to seventy feet long. It had a flawless, gleaming white hull. Polished silver railings lined the forward decks, and mirrored windows shaded the cabins of the main deck.
“Holy shit,” Jimmy mumbled as he stopped beside Piper. “I’d give Levi a handjob for a ride on that thing, too.” Piper elbowed him in the ribs. Jimmy just shrugged and headed for the boarding ramp. “Well, it is Gina, after all,” he mumbled.
The guy at the table had his attention focused on the paperback in his hands. His feet were propped up on the spare chair beside him at the four-top. Piper noticed his sandwich was only half-eaten, but his drink was nearly empty. Iced tea, if she had to guess. The book was well-worn. It could have been secondhand, but she suspected this wasn’t his first time reading it. There was something about how he held the old book that suggested an attachment.
Piper was never good at starting a conversation, so when she approached the table, she blurted out, “I love that series; what do you think of it?”
The boy looked up at her and smiled. He shifted his feet off the chair and moved the ball cap from low on his brow, where it had been blocking the early morning sun. “Sorry? What was that?”
She pointed at the book in his hand. “It’s one of my favorites. I really love the series. I was curious what you thought of it.”
His grin turned sheepish, almost embarrassed. He took a long moment to look at her, but she noticed that his gaze never left her eyes. His was an odd shade of gray, almost silver. They seemed to glow when he looked at her. The focus of his attention sent a chill up and down her arms. It was neither familiar nor unwelcome. After what felt like a long time, he held the book up in a modest show. “The binding’s pretty much shot,” he said. “This might be my sixth or seventh time through it.”
She felt her brows arch at the admission and saw him cringe.
“I know,” he said. “Scary, right?”
She laughed and dropped into the chair his feet had occupied only a minute earlier. “Hardly,” she chuckled. “I’ve read the entire series at least as many times. I’m crazy about the characters.”
Piper realized she had just invited herself to his table, and her face must have shown it. A rush of embarrassment washed over her, and she began to stand up.
The boy half rose before she could. “No, please,” he insisted. “I was going to ask you to sit, but I didn’t want to seem creepy. A pretty girl wanting to talk about a book would make geeks come running from their mothers’ basements at the whiff of the rumor. I just didn’t want to press my luck.”
She laughed—well, snorted, more accurately. The sound was embarrassing, which made her laugh again, instantly breaking the tension.
“In all seriousness,” she said, her face still flushed, “I’ve been a fan of Alastair Rose since his first book. My friend Reese actually met him.”
The boy seemed confused by this. “Are you sure about that? I read he’s never been identified. There’s a bounty or something, payable to anyone who can find the man behind the novels. I thought his publisher claimed never to have met him.”
Piper hesitated. She nodded and remained silent for several long seconds. Glancing over her shoulder, she suddenly had the impression that the walls were listening.
“What’s wrong?” The boy asked. He leaned closer, concern clouding his countenance.
Piper took a deep breath, her expression dour. “I shouldn’t even be talking about this, and you’re not going to believe me anyway—just some girl who walks up to you…Reese sort of proved it to me. Obviously, Alastair is a pen name, right? It’s the reason he’s gone unidentified for so long.”
The boy nodded.
“Well, it turns out he writes other books under a different name and in a different genre. I’ve read those books. All of them. There’s no doubt in my mind it’s the same author… and no one has made the connection. She must be telling the truth.”
To his credit, the boy looked intrigued. “What genre?”
She grinned. “Romance.”
His mouth dropped open. Seconds went by, and she could see him sorting through what likely amounted to a dozen different questions. “You’re sure?” was all he eventually asked.
Piper nodded, a proud, satisfied grin stretching wide across her face. She could tell she had made him a believer. For some reason, that had brightened her day.
“And…they’re good?” He still looked skeptical.
She nodded again, perhaps a bit more enthusiastically than was appropriate for the conversation.
He took another few seconds to consider this. “What’s the pen name?”
Oh.
All of her enthusiasm waned, and she sagged visibly. “Um…I can’t say.”
“What? Why not?” He looked more confused than hurt.
Piper rocked her head back and forth as she considered her words. “No one knows this. The connection hasn’t been made. If I tell you, the cat’s out of the bag on a really big secret.” She took a deep breath and observed him for any sign of irritation, but all she saw was amusement. “It’s not my secret to share. Does that make sense?”
He nodded, and instead of being disappointed by the reply, he appeared somehow fortified by it. “I never introduced myself. My name is Grady Ledger. My friends call me Gray.”
She shook his hand. “Piper Hudson.”
Piper heard her name being called from down the dock, a reminder of her purpose for being there. She opened her mouth to speak, but Gray spoke first.
“You say his romance books are good,” Gray said with what she judged as a hint of reluctance.
She nodded.
“I’ve never really been sure what that means.”
Her face scrunched. “It’s good writing. Every bit as good as his sci-fi. It’s just, you know, different.”
“No,” Gray said. “I understand that. You’re touching on something that has always confused me about people’s opinions and how they evaluate different genres. It seems like each one has different expectations, and therefore a different rating scale.”
Piper didn’t follow at first, but when she began to consider it, she realized how that could be true. Even so, she still didn’t understand where he was heading.
“Alastair Rose serves as a great example. I know what to expect from his sci-fi, and I love it. His writing is strong in the sci-fi genre, but what defines good writing in other genres? Does it vary based on expectations, and can one author be considered a good writer across all genres if they maintain the same style? Or does it rely more on the expectations of the genre than on the quality of writing?”
“You lost me.”
He shrugged. “It’s okay. I really shouldn’t be asking this. It’s just been bothering me for years, and I never found anyone I thought could provide insight.”
Piper was curious. “Try me.”
Gray took a deep breath. “I know what I expect from quality sci-fi,” he explained. “I want an exciting adventure, but I also crave creative fiction that pushes the limits of my reality. I’m looking for something that takes me out of the every day and gives me some science or technology that expands what I see in the real world. Laser guns, aliens, spaceships, teleportation—it doesn’t matter. Just give me something fascinating that makes me think.
“Thrillers are the same way. The expectation is for action, adventure, and people in dangerous situations—perilous scenarios that have nothing to do with our everyday lives. Readers want something that thrills and captivates them, something that immerses them in a different place or time.”
Piper nodded. “Sure. Makes sense.”
“Well, if a writer can deliver on those points and do so with writing that is logical and not clumsy, they can be considered a good writer—both because they can string together words and because they meet the expectations of the genre.”
Piper nodded.
“So what makes a good romance author? Are they writing to give the reader a tingly little thrill, or are they really only ringing the best seller bell if half their readers are touching themselves by the end of the chapter?”
Piper erupted in a racking, teary-eyed laugh that left her doubled over and gasping for breath.
It was minutes before she regained her composure. For Gray, this seemed like a genuine question, although he appeared satisfied with her answer.
“I’m guessing you haven’t asked that question at your book club before, have you?” Piper finally asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
He shrugged. “As much as I want to know, I’m kind of afraid of the answer.” He leaned in close but didn’t invade her personal space. Then he whispered in a mock conspiratorial tone, “But if you have an opinion, feel free to tell me all about it.”
She laughed again. Her face was still red from earlier; she was certain of it. Her name was called from behind her, this time more forcefully and from close by.
Rolling her eyes, Piper said, “Let me think about it.” She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. “My friends are being less than subtle. The boat’s ready, and they want to head out.”
Gray nodded and offered his hand. “Fair enough. It was great meeting you. If you get—”
“Actually,” Piper interrupted. “It’s a big boat, and there’s room for one more…you know, if you feel like going for a ride?”
An odd expression crossed Gray’s face as he glanced down at the table for a brief second. His gaze swept over the pier, scanned the water, and then the shore as if he were searching for something. She followed his line of sight but had no idea what he was contemplating. When she looked back, he was looking into her eyes. “Sounds fantastic. Count me in.”
She observed a section of the beach about half a mile away, where some kind of commotion was taking place. It was difficult to discern from her vantage point, but it appeared that a perimeter of some sort had been set up, possibly with police tape. Individuals in uniforms and suit jackets were moving purposefully across the sand. It seemed that temporary structures were being put up. They were tents, but quite elaborate and sturdy—not the type of gear that campers or beachgoers would typically use.
“Didn’t some kind of electrical storm hit the beach last night?” Piper asked as she watched Gray lay a twenty-dollar bill on top of his receipt and then secure it with what was left of his drink.
Gray nodded. “I slept through it, but it’s all anyone’s talking about.” He tilted his head toward the circus along the beach. “I guess there were multiple lightning Airbikes. No one was injured, but the Airbikes did some interesting things to the sand. Someone mentioned there was something unusual about it all, so an investigative team is coming from a government agency.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And all of that doesn’t make you curious? Isn’t it worth taking a closer look?”
He grinned. “That was the plan until you made me a better offer.” Pointing to the gathering press several dozen yards down the boardwalk, he said, “Unless whatever this is keeps your boat from setting sail. Is this related to that thing down the beach?”
Piper shook her head. “Someone said there’s a naval recovery team arriving any minute. It’s a World War II salvage operation involving the Navy or Coast Guard and the university. It was all very hush-hush until the press release yesterday. I guess they’re bringing the recovered vessel into port this morning. Apparently, a Nazi submarine making landfall in the U.S. is significant news, even so many years after it set sail.”
A look of concern briefly crossed Gray’s face. Piper was unsure whether it stemmed from the mention of the Nazi derelict or the spectacle being created.
“Come on,” she said. “Let me introduce you to my friends.”
The press event delayed them by another fifty minutes. The docks were more crowded than Piper had ever seen. They watched as the submarine was pulled into the bay and then the marina, with surprising efficiency. Fearing further delays, Levi ushered everyone aboard and quickly set sail. From the start, Levi took his role as captain seriously, directing Jimmy and Gray on how to cast off the moorings. Fifteen minutes after clearing the cove, they were officially in the open waters of the Atlantic. As promised, the seas were calm and the skies were clear.
Piper was relieved to see that Levi was every bit the captain Gina had promised. He seemed to know every inch of the ship and could control it with precision. Most impressive of all, the goofball demeanor he displayed when hanging out with the group was nowhere to be seen when he was at the wheel of the yacht.
Once they reached open waters, the frenetic pace of their departure settled, and everyone prepared for recreation. Chairs were pulled from storage cabinets, and a large table was set up on the stern deck. Since the girls had mentioned sunbathing, they laid out padded mats along the rail of the stern in preparation. Piper watched Jimmy, Levi, and Gray as they arranged the teak furniture and marveled at how Gray had managed to fit in with the guys in less than an hour. The quiet guy from the dock was already revealing many facets of his personality. It made her wonder what else there might be to explore.
“Allison found my bag,” Gina said. Someone put it in the wrong room. “Come on. I’ll show you what I’ve got.”
Piper looked again at the guys working on the stern deck, then at the water flowing by the starboard rail. “Should I be worried that Levi isn’t at the wheel? He’s assembling chairs. He’s not even paying attention to where we’re going.”
Gina laughed. “It’s some kind of autopilot radar…thing. He tried to explain it to me, but all I wanted was to suck on his tongue. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
Piper rolled her eyes and laughed as she followed her friend through the ship’s narrow corridors. “Just make sure Levi’s priority is to drive. You convinced me to take this trip, and our lives are in his hands. What did he call this trip? A shakedown? He mentioned he’s looking for issues with the boat. That’s not exactly reassuring, if you ask me.”
Gina turned a corner into a cabin and found a pair of bags on a king-size bed. Both bags were unzipped, presumably by Allison when she had been trying to sort out the mix-up with the bags while Piper worked through her wardrobe indecision.
Like Allison and Gina, Piper had dressed for the beach before leaving home. However, unlike her friends, she felt less enthusiastic about the outing. While the girls had left their apartment ready for the sun in shorts and bikini tops, Piper had opted for a more conservative look, wearing shorts and a school hoodie over her swimsuit.
She was now grinding her teeth in frustration but didn’t know if it was due to the morning’s choice of conservative swimwear or her uncharacteristic desire to change it. The shorts and the hoodie weren’t the issue. It was the one-piece suit she had picked when she wasn’t interested in impressing anyone on her day at the beach.
But an hour after meeting Gray, she felt significantly bolder. It was an exhilarating experience that terrified her.
“I still don’t know why you brought more than one suit,” Piper said.
Gina turned to her with an expression of determination that seemed entirely out of place on the young woman’s face. “Don’t get upset,” she said. “Allison and I talked. We thought that if we were having fun, we might stay out here all weekend.”
“All weekend! I wouldn’t have come if you told me that!”
Gina giggled while holding up an outfit in each hand. “And now you can thank me because I haven’t seen you smile like this in…forever. You’re already having the time of your life, and if you choose one of these little beauties and ditch your old lady gear, I have a feeling your good time is only going to get better.”
Piper glanced at the disturbingly small patches of fabric in Gina’s raised hands and felt her cheeks flush. It had seemed like a better idea when it was merely a temptation lurking in the back of her mind.
“Oh, cheer up,” Gina giggled. “You’ve got a banging body. God forbid you show it off. It’s just one boat ride with a guy you’re already making googly eyes at. If it doesn’t work out, we can call it a day after a quick run up and down the coast. If things are going well, we let it ride until tonight. If things are going really good, you let him bang your brains out and have the weekend of your life!”
Piper let out a heavy sigh and dropped onto the foot of the bed. “That’s not me,” she groaned. “I’m not built that way.”
Flopping beside her, Gina draped an arm over Piper’s shoulder and hugged her awkwardly. “Fine, banging your brains out is optional. But you should seriously consider my advice. “You think I’m too casual about these things… and maybe you’re right. But I can say one thing with absolute certainty: no one ever went to their deathbed satisfied that they avoided every possible thrill and kept their chastity belt fastened and locked until the end of the ride. You need to live a little.” She shook Piper by the shoulders. “For the love of God, cut loose! It won’t kill you!”
Piper hung her head. She took a long, deep breath and blew it out with a sigh. “Fine. Get out. I’m changing.”
“Cool!” Gina hopped to her feet and pranced to the door. There she stopped with the exit half closed and shot a look back at Piper. “And when you say you’re changing, are we talking about your clothes or your mindset?”
“Out!”
Everyone was gathered around a rectangular table that sat beneath a shaded canopy on the raised stern deck by the time Piper returned from her cabin. Some kind of card game was in progress. The boat was moving at a mild clip, and a comfortable, gentle cross breeze kept the heat of the 90-odd degrees early afternoon sun at bay. She was surprised by two things. The first was that the cards on the table weren’t being blown all over the place by the wind. Then she noticed that the surface of the table was coated in metal. The cards seemed magnetic because every time someone dropped a card, it adhered to the table with an almost adhesive quality.
The second thing she found curious was that everyone on the boat was gathered at the table. There was nothing wrong with that, except that the boat was moving. Clearly, no one was at the wheel. Gina had explained that luxury boats like this one had sophisticated automatic navigation systems, but she found reliance on them disconcerting, particularly if they were out here for a shakedown cruise—essentially just zipping around to ensure all the onboard systems worked as intended.
What if there were a problem with the auto-navigation system? Would they discover it before crashing into something? Levi always struck her as too impulsive to be responsible for anyone’s life…let alone everyone’s.
Piper was trying to decide how to tactfully express her concerns when the boisterous conversation around the table suddenly stopped and the eyes of Gray, Allison, Levi, Gina, and Jimmy all turned to her and stared. The sudden focus of attention caused Piper to freeze mid-step.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice tight with concern.
Gina was the first to break the silence when she laughed. “I think you picked the right one.”
Piper wore a white string bikini top and bottom, her hair down and a beach towel draped over one shoulder. She had felt self-conscious about her choice when she left the cabin but ultimately decided that Gina’s carefree attitude toward such matters was worth experimenting with, at least this once. It wasn’t as if she was jumping out of an airplane or anything. There was nothing death-defying in her attempt to push the limits of her comfort zone. She merely fought the bile churning in her stomach and forged ahead.
However, the confusion of seeing the captain of the boat playing cards and wondering why the cards were not blowing in the breeze had managed to distract her. Now, the stares brought her situational awareness crashing back to the forefront of her consciousness, and she froze in her tracks.
“Damn, girl!” Levi exclaimed. “Why in the hell would you hide a body like that under a sweatshirt all day?” There was an amused, flirty Southern twang that seemed to color his voice when he neglected to engage his verbal filter. The goofy grin on his face didn’t falter as he jumped from his chair to pull a spare one out for Piper. “I saved a seat for you right here.”
Levi’s lack of subtlety elicited chuckles from everyone at the table, except for Gina, who responded by punching him just above the knee. The Airbike must have been as aggressive as it appeared because his leg buckled, and he had to catch his weight by bracing himself on the back of his own chair.
“Oh, sorry, honey,” Gina said with a tone thick with mock sweetness. “You’re such a klutz. Let me help you with that.” She pushed Levi back into his chair with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “Pretty sure Piper would prefer sitting with Gray, don’t you think?”
Laughter erupted around the table. The break in tension also shattered some kind of barrier in Piper, allowing her to move again. She saw Gray pull an empty chair closer and nod his head toward it with a smile that eased her anxiety even more. Piper took a cautious step forward and found herself moving on unsteady legs. She hadn’t experienced a panic attack since her early teens but felt on the verge of one.
Allison must have sensed it, because she was at her side in an instant. She slipped an arm around Piper’s waist and playfully slapped a hand on Piper’s bare hip while giggling. “We’re burning that one piece you like to wear,” she said. “Honey, with your body, you were born to wear this. I’m never letting you go back.”
Unsure of how to respond, Piper simply said, “It’s Gina’s. I’m not sure it fits me quite right.”
Allison guided Piper around the table as they headed for the spot beside Gray. Piper was a little narrower in the hips, slightly larger in the bust, and several inches taller than Gina, but there wasn’t enough to the outfit to make much of a difference. “I’m going to tell you something that Gina has already realized,” Allison whispered as they drew closer to the group. “This looks better on you than it did on her.” She winked, gave Piper a pinch, and then moved past her to resume her circuit of the table alone as she returned to her seat.
Gray stood, holding the chair for Piper. The chivalrous gesture made her cheeks turn pink, and she whispered a thank you. Gray dropped into his chair but seemed to take an extra second to study her eyes. He offered a smile that seemed to convey understanding. Then he turned back to the table. “We didn’t complete that deal yet, so why not start over and deal Piper into the game?”
And just like that, attention shifted away from Piper and back onto the game. It took only seconds for the conversation to resume, and it seemed like everyone was laughing and talking at once. Piper reached over and gave Gray’s hand a squeeze. No words were spoken, but she was confident he understood her appreciation.
They had been playing cards for a couple of hours, and the boat was on the southern leg of the coastal cruise when Levi started paying more attention to the tablet he kept standing vertically at his end of the table. The screen allowed him to monitor the ship’s course, radar, and even displayed a video feed from the pilot’s station on the bridge. Once she saw the technology Levi was using to track the ship’s navigation while he socialized with his guests, she felt much more comfortable with the day trip. After Gina explained that the tall, thin mojito glass Levi was constantly sipping from was alcohol-free, she became more confident that he was taking his responsibility as Captain seriously. The glass, Gina explained, contained water flavored with mint. Nothing more.
The first signs of trouble surfaced when Levi began to focus more on the display of his tablet. He became distracted and was unable to keep up with the game. It started with a furrowing of his brows, but she quickly noticed an overall darkening of his expression.
Piper leaned close to Gray, resting a hand on his knee. He glanced at her and grinned, but his smile faded at the sight of her serious expression. She tilted her head toward Levi and whispered, “Something’s wrong.” She had been reluctant to raise the alarm, but whatever was troubling Levi appeared to be escalating quickly.
Piper felt Gray’s hand rest atop hers. “I’ve been watching that too,” he whispered back. “Can you see the screen? There’s too much glare. He doesn’t like something—I just can’t figure out what it is.”
She shook her head. “We’re a long way off the coast. I’m getting nervous.”
Gray looked her in the eye. A hint of a smile lifted the corners of his lips as he nodded almost imperceptibly. “I’m on it.”
He pushed his chair back and stood slowly. She watched him carefully. There wasn’t even a hint of concern in his appearance now, even though she’d seen it in his eyes only a second before. He stood a few feet from the table, seemingly enjoying the ever-present ocean breeze on his bare skin. He was bare-chested, wearing only a pair of cargo shorts that were presumably swim trunks. She had no idea where he’d changed. But he looked calm, comfortable, and completely at ease. He also looked good, she thought—and not for the first time. He was a few inches under six feet, trim, with wide shoulders and solid muscle definition. He was well-built without being over-toned like a swimmer or overdeveloped like a weight lifter. This made her wonder what he did with his time. She’d assumed he was a student but now realized they hadn’t talked about that yet.
Gray circled the table and approached Levi. There was something about the way he did it…she couldn’t put her finger on it. She knew he was going to check on their wannabe captain, but the way he engaged in the conversation was smooth. The interaction seemed entirely spur of the moment. There was nothing in his approach that would draw anyone’s attention at the table. She realized that was the point. Gray was just as concerned about Levi as she was, and he didn’t want to involve others in that conversation.
When Gray knelt beside Levi and began speaking to him in hushed tones, the effortless way he had engineered the approach was both skillful and simple, making her smile. Gray was so sensitive and disarming; he must have training in psychology. Was he studying to be a therapist? Either that or a spy, she thought with a chuckle.
Gray was back in five minutes. He dropped into his seat and gazed out toward the mainland, his thoughts seeming a million miles away. She slid her chair conspiratorially closer and touched his bare knee. His attention shifted, and he looked into her eyes. A smile spread across his lips as he glanced down at her hand. “I like it when you do that,” he said softly.
She grinned and bit the corner of her lip. Her eyes remained fixed on his, but her hand slipped to the inside of his knee and slid slightly up the inside of his leg. It was the tiniest effort on her part, but she noticed the light dancing in his eyes and the way his chest shuddered ever so slightly at her touch. “Guess you like that too?” she whispered.
He sat back in the chair and took a slow breath as he looked her up and down. “Piper, the slightest touch from you and I’m this close to forgetting what you wanted to know about our predicament.” He held his thumb and forefinger a quarter inch apart. “You’re kryptonite to my attention span.” He leaned in within inches of her ear and whispered, “Are you at all interested in what we can do about that?”
Piper felt her heart race with the warmth of his breath on her ear, and she realized her eyes and breathing likely mirrored the same reactions she had seen in him. Goosebumps tingled up and down her arms. Gray leaned back in his chair. She became increasingly aware of just how little clothing they both wore.
Clearing her throat, Piper said, “Um, does Levi have a problem?”
The two or three seconds Gray spent eyeing her felt like an eternity. Finally, he nodded. “Could be. He says it’s too soon to tell, but one of the props is vibrating erratically. He mentioned he slowed us down to half of our previous speed to see if things improve. He’s watching and should know more soon.”
Gray didn’t seem fazed by the change in topics, and Piper felt relieved. She appreciated the flirting and was really enjoying it, but it felt like too much too soon for a boy she had just met on the dock that morning. Her libido was in overdrive, which conflicted with her well-earned sense of self-preservation.
“I don’t know anything about boats,” she admitted. “Is that dangerous?”
Gray waved a raised hand in the air. The gesture was frustratingly noncommittal. “Not to us directly. The boat has two propellers that operate in tandem under normal conditions. If there’s an issue with one, the other can carry the load and help the ship make it back to the dock for repairs. This seems to be one of the issues that’s popping up from the shakedown cruise. For some reason, he can’t shut down just one prop. He can run both or shut down both, but he can’t operate only one. It’s either an electrical issue or a software problem.”
“So what can the vibration cause?”
“It’s hard to predict. That shaft could blow, and the prop could shear off, creating a hole in the underside of the hull, which would lead to a leak. But in the worst-case scenario, if the vibration is resonating back down the drive shaft to the engine, it could physically damage the engine. If that happens, we would be stranded.”
Piper felt her face grow pale and her skin turn cold. She wasn’t fond of the water. This trip wasn’t an issue as long as they kept the coast in view. When she agreed to come, she hadn’t been aware they were planning to take the boat so far out to sea.
Gray took Piper’s hand in his. “It’s not an emergency,” he said in a smooth, soothing tone. “We have a radio and the ability to call for help whenever we need to. There’s no problem we can’t solve right now, and there’s no need to send out an SOS.”
The yacht had been stopped for almost twenty minutes, and Levi had explained the situation to everyone. One of the props was out of balance, sending vibrations throughout the engine. If they continued to operate as they had, the imbalance would worsen and likely lead to substantial engine damage.
Levi had even gone overboard to inspect the prop for himself. The imbalance wasn’t enough to be obvious to the naked eye, but he had enough diagnostic data to be certain which of the two props was causing the issue. He even had a spare part on board. The only problem was that he didn’t have the dive gear required to stay submerged long enough to perform the relatively simple task of removing the series of bolts responsible for keeping the prop in place.
“We’ll have to call the Coast Guard and get towed back to port,” Levi concluded his summary of their current problem. “We either need diving gear, or we need to put the boat in dry dock. Unfortunately, we’re not in a position for either.”
As the group processed the end of their day filled with fun in the sun, there was some grumbling, but Piper was impressed that no one directed their disappointment or anger at Levi. They had all signed up for this cruise and received what they had been warned might happen.
“Quick question,” Gray said over the general grumble of the collected group. He was looking at Levi, who stood along the portside rail with his hands jammed deep in the pockets of his shorts, looking as dejected as Piper had ever seen the young man.
Levi nodded for Gray to continue.
“You said you have a spare prop onboard. Does that mean you also have the tools to make the swap?”
Levi nodded again.
“So we don’t need a tow from the Coast Guard as much as we need someone—anyone—with scuba gear to help us swap out the prop ourselves. Then we’re good to go. From there, it’s back to port, or maybe even, what…party on?”
The entire group fell silent at the comment. All eyes turned to Levi, who appeared to brighten at the suggestion. He glanced at his tablet and pursed his lips. He tapped and swiped at the screen, presumably studying the data. Finally, he nodded. “There’s no sign of persistent damage. I caught this in time. I’d say there’s a good chance we could keep going if we can find someone with the tanks we need to do the swap on site.”
Levi swiped the screen of his tablet and began to appear less convinced. “That’s not so simple, though,” he grumbled. The confidence had drained from his voice. “Looking at the radar, I don’t see any ships in our general area. If we call the Coast Guard, they’ll insist on towing us back to port. We could hail any passersby in the area, but to be honest, I’m not too fond of the idea. We’re not far off the coast of the U.S., so we don’t have to worry about pirates, but there’s really no telling what kind of people might respond to our hail.
“These days, the seas resemble the backroads of Arkansas. You can hitch a ride, and the odds are good you’ll be picked up by someone safe. But there’s also a better than zero chance you’ll get picked up by someone who will stick a knife in your belly and leave your body in a shallow grave after doing nasty, nasty things to your corpse.” He shrugged. “It’s terrible, and it’s going to cost me a fortune in fees, but the best option is to contact the Coast Guard and ask for help.”
Piper understood what Levi wasn’t verbalizing. He had taken responsibility for them, and there was only one choice that wouldn’t result in undue risk. He needed to make that choice for everyone’s sake. Her respect for Gina’s boyfriend increased.
When Piper looked around, she saw Gray standing at the stern rail, gazing into the water. She joined him but couldn’t discern what captured his attention. The water gently slapped against the rear of the boat and appeared fairly clear. She suspected they could see six or eight feet before the depths turned into a chilling, opaque abyss.
“What are you thinking?” Piper asked, leaning in close and feeling a rush of warmth that had nothing to do with the temperature when Gray wrapped an arm around her waist.
“I’m just trying to think outside the box,” he said quietly. “I need to ask Levi a few questions. Would you mind bringing him here before he calls the Coast Guard?”
Piper’s curiosity was piqued. She nodded, squeezed a hand she hadn’t realized she was holding, and then headed off to collect Levi.
“It’s not that complicated,” Levi explained. “It just takes more time than I can manage while holding my breath.”
Levi, Gray, and Piper stood at the aft gunnel discussing Gray’s questions. The sun beat down on them, and they all felt the intensity of the midday heat.
“There are six bolts,” Levi explained. “They’re all new, recently replaced, and free of corrosion, so I know they’ll come loose with little fuss. But I can hold my breath for maybe a minute at most when I’m doing that kind of labor. Working underwater like that will take me five or six minutes to remove all the bolts. Once they are off, pulling the prop only takes about thirty seconds. Putting it back together is the same process, just in reverse.” He thought for a few seconds, “except for the torque wrench. The bolts need to be torqued to spec. We do have the wench.”
Levi shrugged. “There’s no way to do it without tanks. I’d drown before I could get one of the bolts off. It’s as simple as that. I can’t believe I didn’t bring tanks.”
Gray leaned back against the rail. Piper watched as his eyes slowly swept over the rest of the group. They were once again gathered around the card table, passing the time until Levi decided how best to deal with the problem at hand. Gray seemed to be giving something serious consideration. Piper wasn’t sure what it was, but she could see some kind of inner turmoil in his eyes.
“I can switch out the prop,” Gray said at last.
Levi erupted with laughter. “What? You have scuba tanks in your bag with your underwear?”
“You can’t,” Piper interrupted. “No one can. You’ll drown.”
Gray looked at Levi. “Grab your tools. If you have a mask, that would help too.” Gray placed his fingers on the side of his neck to check his own pulse. “We need to start in ten minutes or less, so please don’t ask questions. Just get moving.”
Levi looked confused, but he must have been swayed by Gray’s conviction. He darted off for the doorway leading below deck.
“Gray,” Piper said. “This is insane. It’s not worth the risk.”
Gray guided her by the arm and led her to a corner of the deck where they would have a better chance of privacy. “It’s more complicated than I have time to explain,” he said urgently in a whisper. “I’ll need to surface several times but should be able to remove the prop in three or four dives and reinstall it in just as many.”
Piper didn’t know what to say. His words sounded insane, but when she looked into his eyes, she sensed he was completely confident in what he was explaining. She wanted to argue, to tell him he was certifiable… but something about his words or his expression when he gazed at her convinced her he could somehow achieve the impossible.
“We tie a line to you,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “At the first sign of trouble, we’ll pull you to the surface. And if I have to give you CPR, you’ll never hear the end of it.”
He grinned. “It’s a deal.”
Ten minutes later, Gray stood at the stern with a rope and a tool belt around his waist, a headlamp strapped to his forehead, and a pair of thinly insulated textured gloves on his hands. He still wore only shorts. He was breathing slowly and deeply, a technique he had explained to Piper that would help add extra oxygen to his blood. She had read that swimmers often did something similar by breathing quickly and deeply right before diving. Oddly, Gray was making an effort to breathe slowly and steadily. He seemed to have a plan and some experience to inform his approach, though he said he’d never tried this technique in swimming before. That left her wondering precisely what he had used the breathing trick for in the past.
She hoped she’d have the chance to find out.
Gray climbed onto the rail and turned to face the group. Everyone had gathered to watch, and no one spoke. It seemed as if they had collectively held their breath in a show of solidarity. Piper felt on the verge of panic. Suddenly, the anxiety she’d felt just hours before about walking out on the deck in a bathing suit in front of her friends felt so trivial. This was literally life and death, yet Gray was chillingly at peace. He smiled at the group, then eyed the water.
Piper rushed forward just before Gray could step off the rail. She climbed the short set of steps that had been pushed to the gunnel to allow easier access and brought herself to eye, well, chin level with him. Before she realized what she was doing, she was kissing him. It was deep, passionate, and probing. When their mouths parted, she was short of breath and instantly wondered what she had just done to compromise his dive. But he only smiled broadly, winked, and stepped backward to plunge into the water.
That was the last she saw of him for almost seven minutes. During that time, the group had nearly pulled the retrieval rope at least half a dozen times. The only thing that stopped them was the slow, languid, yet always purposeful movements of the headlamp in the dark water. Spotters were positioned at the corners of the aft beam, each leaning as far over the water as possible for a glimpse of what was happening beneath the back end of the boat. Incredibly, through all that time, Gray somehow managed to remain not only alive but functional.
Finally, he resurfaced. His head and shoulders broke the surface of the water without so much as a splash. If it hadn’t been for the diligence of the spotters, no one would have known he was back. Cries went up from Piper and Allison in their respective corners. Everyone rushed to the rail and leaned over. Gray had already pushed the goggles back on his forehead and was wiping water from his eyes. He was breathing slowly and deeply, presumably preparing for the next submersion.
“Any luck?” Levi asked.
“Are you alright?” Piper said.
Gray gave a thumbs up to Piper and nodded at Levi. “Three bolts free and three to go. It’s going smoother than we expected.”
Piper had stepped to the center of the deck and was leaning over the rail, directly above Gray. “You’ve been under longer than we expected. Are you okay?”
He nodded. “Really? I kind of lost track of time. Yeah, I’m okay. Let me remove these last three bolts, then just be ready with the spare prop. The water is a little cold. I’d like to get this done as soon as possible.”
Now that she was focused on it, she noticed a slight quiver in his lower lip.
It took only one more hour to finish removing the prop but three more to replace it and the six bolts. As time went on, fatigue set in. He wasn’t able to stay under as long; his blood wasn’t remaining oxygenated due to exertion and the cold. When he surfaced for the last time, he could barely bend his fingers, and his limbs were stiff. A life preserver was thrown overboard; Gray slipped his shoulders through the doughnut before being pulled to a wide boarding ladder. Even then, Jimmy carried him up the ladder on his back in what Levi called “a grown man’s piggyback ride.”
Some may have found the experience humiliating. Gray was exhausted and on the verge of hypothermia, yet he still managed to laugh at himself throughout the ordeal.
The repair efforts were a complete success, as Levi quickly confirmed. He started the engines and ran a diagnostic test that yielded encouraging results. When he began running the drive shafts, he was even more satisfied. The vibration he’d observed in the prop was entirely remediated. Though he knew that a bend in the prop blade had caused the imbalance, there was always a risk that the vibration had warped the drive shaft before the drive system was shut down. If that had happened, no amount of repair to the prop would restore operational status.
This, however, was news to Piper, and she was furious that the risk had not been shared before Gray put his life on the line. It turned out that Gray had been aware, at least to some extent, so he had gambled knowing all the variables. That was something. Perhaps by not knowing, she had been better able to cope with the risk. Now she would never know, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
The boat was underway once more. The group gathered around the table, though this time the playing cards had been stowed. Everyone was drinking. The sun hung low on the horizon, and the temperature was dropping. Only Gray had changed his clothes. He had been soaked, but the rest of the group appeared mentally and physically drained by the day’s experiences. Four propane-powered heating pods had been set up around the table, ensuring everyone was comfortable for the moment. No one was in a hurry to move. Refilling drinks was the furthest anyone was willing to go for the foreseeable future.
Gray had changed into another pair of cargo shorts and now wore a gray sweatshirt with his black ball cap turned backward on his head. Piper sat on his lap, a heavy down comforter draped over both of them. She sat sideways across his legs, one arm around his shoulder, pulling herself close to his chest. Shivers ran through him occasionally, though they’d been less frequent over the last half hour. During the first hour they were like this, she had been seriously worried. They didn’t have proper medical gear on board for an assessment, but she suspected his core body temperature had plummeted due to his time in the water.
“We could head to Barker’s Bay,” Levi suggested. He had been examining the tablet as the group discussed their options. “There’s a medical center just a block from the docks. We can get there in about forty minutes, give or take. They’ll have everything necessary to check on Gray. It’s the closest port and the best option.”
Nods of agreement were exchanged around the table. No one offered a counterargument.
Except for Gray.
“I thought you folks wanted to make a weekend of this joyride,” he said, taking another long sip of the hot spiked cider that was constantly being refreshed in his mug. “If you quit on me because I’m a little chilly, I’m going to be cranky. There’s no reason for it. Seriously, I’m already seventy-five percent better. A little more fluid, a couple of extra blankets tonight, and some quality shuteye, and I’ll be back to normal by morning.”
Piper eyed him with concern. “This entire situation has been a huge shock to your body. There’s no way to predict how you’ll recover.”
“I’ve been through worse. This is fine.” He glanced around at the faces at the table. “To be honest, I’m really having a great time hanging out with all of you. I know I was a last-minute addition to your outing, but you’re really good people. If you’re wrapping it up because the party’s over, that’s okay. But please don’t do it on my account.”
The table was silent for a long time. No one seemed willing to speak. Finally, Allison cleared her throat. “I don’t understand how you held your breath for that long. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I never would’ve believed it.”
Heads around the table nodded. Beneath her, Piper felt Gray’s entire body tense. This was a subject he wasn’t comfortable discussing. Personally, she had been pondering the question ever since he resurfaced after the first dive. As far as she knew, there was no precedent for a man being able to hold his breath for that long. It was superhuman.
Gray took a deep breath and looked at each person around the table one by one before speaking. “I need to ask all of you to keep what happened here today to yourselves. No one can know about this. I participated in a drug trial some time ago and had to sign a very comprehensive nondisclosure agreement. It’s kind of a serious matter.”
Levi’s eyes widened as he leaned across the table. “Are you saying there’s going to be a treatment that will allow us to do that kind of thing one day?”
Gray shook his head. “Not a chance in hell. The side effects were some of the most horrible you can imagine. More than 99% of test subjects experienced bleeding from the eyes, nose, ears, anus, and penis. More than 80% had a body part literally shrivel up and fall off. Anything from an ear to a finger to…” he glanced down at his own lap.
Everyone at the table looked horrified. Levi looked like he might vomit.
“I was one of three people who didn’t experience any negative side effects. However, the company behind the project went bankrupt and is still being pursued by lawyers and insurance companies, as well as upset next of kin. It’s about the worst situation you can imagine. All I can say is, when you see those flyers offering cash to participate in a drug trial, think twice. Think more than twice.”
Piper scanned the faces of everyone at the table. She didn’t completely believe the story Gray had just told, but she recognized that it was a sensitive subject for him. There was likely more to the tale. Whatever had led him to do something so extraordinary, he’d risked a lot to do it in front of a group of people he’d only just met. The story might have been a fabrication, but it was still an effort she could respect.
“So what’s the final decision?” Piper asked the group. “Should we head for port or stay out for the weekend?”
Across the table, Gina cleared her throat. “What’s your vote, Piper? You were in favor of a day trip the last time we talked.” A knowing smile danced in her friend’s eyes.
Piper felt her cheeks flush. “I’ve warmed to the idea of some quality time with old friends,” she said, looking at Gray and adding, “and new ones. If there’s no risk to Gray’s health, let’s stay out.” She leaned close to his ear and spoke in a breathy whisper, “If you’re sure about this, I’ll insist on keeping you under observation all night.”
There was an unmistakable stiffening shift in his shorts beneath her backside. She bit her lip and pulled the heavy blanket tighter around them both. She already had herself pressed against his chest, ostensibly to share body heat. It was just a shame he was wearing the sweatshirt, she now decided. Then she focused on the hand clamped on her knee ever since she’d cuddled up in his lap. “There’s more body heat here,” she said and moved his hand halfway up her leg and squeezed it between her thighs. In truth, it was only half as daring as she’d wanted to be, but there were too many people around. All the same, she was satisfied by the further stiffening beneath her.
Gray looked around the table. “I think the party’s just getting started.”
“There are two cabins,” Piper said. She was in the galley with Allison and Gina. They were crushing ice, operating a pair of industrial blenders, and making enough pitchers of frosty drinks to last them well into the next day. “Obviously, you and Levi will want one,” she said to Gina. “That’s already well established. But if I’m with Gray, that doesn’t leave Allison much flexibility when it comes to Jimmy.”
Allison and Gina shared a knowing smile.
“What?” Piper said.
Gina handed her half a bag of ice cubes and rolled her eyes dramatically. “Looks like you’re not the only one making a connection on the high seas. I walked in on Ally making out with Mongo—”
“We were just kissing,” Allison insisted.
Rounding on her, Gina backed Allison up to the counter with a raised accusatory finger. There was unbridled amusement in her expression when she said, “Neither one of you was wearing a top—I’m going to call that a little more than ‘just kissing.’” She turned to look at Piper. “Seriously, the two of you treat me like I’m the little miss slutsy tipsy of our group, but from what I’ve seen on this trip so far, you’re both vying for the title. Allison finally decides to stop waiting for Jimmy to make his move and decides to swallow his tongue,” she said, waving one hand at Allison, then turned to wave the other at Piper. “And you’re over there grinding on everyone’s new friend and hero.”
Piper grinned. “I thought I was being more subtle.” Strangely, she didn’t feel the slightest bit embarrassed by her lack of discretion and wondered if she had just expanded the limits of her shallow personal boundaries or perhaps sacrificed an unexamined personal value.
Then she decided, fuck it. She sincerely was tired of living a callow existence.
“You were subtle,” Gina clarified. “The facial expressions—yours and his—give it away. You’re surprising each other, and it shows.” She walked up and playfully swatted Piper on the backside. “I say, ride the lightning. Enjoy every moment of this while you can. It never lasts as long as you want, and the connection you’re already making with that boy is something special. I can see it from a mile away.”
Piper froze with her finger on the blender’s start switch. “You think?”
Allison’s head bobbed with enthusiasm. “A mile away,” she agreed. “It’s why I decided to take the initiative with Jimmy. Watching you gave me the courage to step out of my comfort zone.”
Piper didn’t press the start button. Her hands fell to her side, and she leaned back against the counter. Never in her life had she been the leap-before-you-look type of personality. If anything, she was more of the measure twice and cut once kind of person. Now Ally was taking cues from her, and she had somehow managed to impress Gina…
What is the world coming to?
“Point being,” Gina said, “Ally will just be sharing a room with Jimmy for one night. Maybe they can explore the boundaries of their relationship like you and Gray are. But regardless, no one bothers me and Levi tonight unless you want a black eye. He’s under a lot of pressure with all this engine trouble and everything. I’m going to help him unwind, but he’s easily distracted. Let’s keep distractions off the agenda tonight, capeesh?”
Crisis averted. Forcing Allison into an uncomfortable situation was the only thing that could put a damper on the night for Piper, and that was no longer an issue. She hit start on the blender, grabbed the first completed pitcher, gave Allison a playful bump with her hip, and headed for the stern deck with Gina. Gina carried a tray of clean glasses, and Allison was going to finish mixing the last pitcher before joining them.
The sun was just setting in the west, and the four vertical heating stations had been adjusted around the rectangular table. Piper was relieved to see Gray still positioned in his chair, the thick down comforter from their cabin cocooning him. Only his neck and one shoulder were exposed, with the fluffy wrap surrounding both him and the chair he sat in.
Gina arranged the glasses, and Piper began pouring the drinks. The girls and Levi opted for the thick daiquiri mix they had just prepared in the galley, while Jimmy and Gray sipped tequila from rocks glasses.
Piper poured another generous splash into Gray’s glass and placed her own beside it. “Are you warming up at all?” she asked.
“The drink helps,” he said. “But you know what helped even more?” A seam opened in his cocoon, allowing her access. The smile danced in her eyes as she stepped closer. Then she slipped the sheer wrap from her shoulders and draped it over the empty chair just two feet away. She was still wearing her bathing suit, and her skin immediately prickled in the cool evening air.
A second later, she pulled her legs up into a ball on Gray’s lap, snuggling against his bare chest. She didn’t know when he had taken off the sweatshirt, but she was relieved to feel the heat radiating from his body. She pressed the palm of her hand against his chest and felt the steady, though slightly rapid, beating of his heart. It was strong, but the way it raced was concerning.
She tipped her head back to ask him about it, but was interrupted when his mouth met hers. His kiss was intentional and intense, yet gentle and all-consuming. It caught her off guard and took her breath away simultaneously. Seconds melted away, and when they finally parted, she noticed for the first time that his arms were wrapped around her in a way that cradled her body to his.
A slow gasp escaped her lips as she looked up into his eyes. Then she noticed the stillness at the table. All eyes were on them, and no one was moving.
“Do it again,” Gina said. “That—that was awesome!”
“Wow,” Allison whispered.
“That was fucking hot,” Levi mumbled.
Jimmy was nodding. “Not bad, new guy.”
Piper buried her face in the overstuffed comforter and nestled into the crook between Gray’s neck and collarbone. “I guess you really are feeling better,” she said into the blanket.
An hour later, the couples at the table had mostly broken into their own subgroups. Gina and Levi were flipping through a maritime magazine or catalog by the dim light of the nearest heating station, discussing something related to the yacht or its parts. Piper had only overheard part of the conversation, but apparently, Levi had just come clean about his true motivation for all the time he’d spent restoring the reclaimed yacht to pristine working order. It seemed he was financially well-off and had been trading his time working for the salvage company to gain the experience required to refit the boat himself. He wasn’t so much interested in saving money on the yacht as he was in learning everything he could about it while putting the old bucket back together. The weekend shakedown cruise was his opportunity to put the ship through its paces and to tell Gina he wasn’t exactly who he’d made himself out to be over the course of their relationship.
For her part, Gina didn’t seem to care about Levi’s money, his deception, or the fact that the boat was his. She simply wanted to know if his feelings for her were genuine or just part of the fabrication. When Levi said that was the one thing he had never embellished, she was fine with the rest of the deal. She honestly didn’t mind that he had pretended to be someone he wasn’t. As she explained in reply, everyone did that when they first met. Dating was all about learning who the other person really was.
Piper marveled at the back-and-forth between Gina and Levi because she knew it was really that simple for her friend. One discussion, all cards were on the table, and Gina was genuinely honest when she said she was satisfied. They were already moving on as if nothing had happened.
“Have relationships ever come that easily to you?” Piper whispered to Gray. He had observed the same sequence of events, and she was curious about his perspective view.
“Is this your way of asking me if I’ve had a lot of relationships?”
She smiled, realizing how the question could be interpreted that way. “I’m only asking if those two are so easygoing that it makes your head hurt. Maybe it’s just me.”
He shook his head. “No, that exchange was something else. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. They might be perfect for each other. It’s as if they can share life-altering revelations with the same ease as deciding what’s for dinner. There’s nothing normal about that.”
Piper had been more or less lying in Gray’s arms, enjoying the way his fingertips ran up and down the back of her bare leg. His touch was both sensual and relaxing. She felt like she was melting into him, yet she also sensed the unmistakable electricity of his touch with the slightest brush of his hand. “Do you have anything like that?”
He ceased the rhythmic caress of her skin and looked down into her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Any life–altering revelations waiting in the wings?” She grinned.
A serious expression crossed his face, and she felt his entire body suddenly grow more rigid. She had clearly struck a nerve, so she propped an elbow on the arm of the chair and sat upright to look him squarely in the eye. “You know I was just playing, right?” She said.
Gray remained silent for several long seconds, but Piper could see the calculations happening behind his eyes. She sensed he was stuck on something guarded, something he wasn’t comfortable discussing.
“I’m not pressing for anything,” she said softly. “Really…There’s no pressure.”
His gaze softened, and he shrugged just a little. “Everyone has something waiting in the wings,” he conceded. “My stuff is just a bit more unconventional. You’ve already seen part of it, so I’ll tell you this because I trust you. What I did with that underwater thing—”
“Holding your breath?”
He nodded. “It wasn’t a drug trial like I told everyone. There’s technology integrated into my blood and brain. Sometimes I can utilize it in creative ways. I had never attempted anything like that before, so I wasn’t sure it would work.”
What he was saying should have seemed preposterous, something out of the books they both enjoyed, and she wanted to voice that. But then she had seen what he could do. What other explanation was there?
“Does it hurt?” she asked instead.
He shrugged. “It’s mainly there to prevent me from getting hurt, but I’m still learning the limits.”
She contemplated his words for a few seconds before leaning in to kiss him. She was willing to accept some things on faith. He had demonstrated his courage when he risked his life to help repair the boat, and now he was at least ready to share the strange secret of how he had managed to do it.
Her kiss started slow and sustained, but as the seconds ticked, she felt her temperature rise and her heart rate. The probing of her tongue became more aggressive, as did his. Then his hands began to roam. They had privacy beneath the massive blanket, but that suddenly didn’t seem like enough for what she needed.
He cradled her head and kissed her even more deeply, then he cupped her breast and caressed it with his remaining hand. Finally, she thought. He’d been so careful to stop short of anything she might find too aggressive, and the anticipation proactively had her crawling out of her skin. Now, she just wished he’d do away with the bikini top so they could get the show on the road.
A siren blared and Piper jumped. When she did, she must have applied pressure in an unfortunate place because Gray instantly winced. They both glanced around the table and seemed to recall their friends were there at the same time. “Um,” Piper whispered.
“Yeah,” Gray replied.
Piper double-checked that the blanket was still providing them the necessary degree of privacy and was relieved to see that Gray had managed to keep it pinned in place. No one seemed to be paying attention to them. Everyone was suddenly focused on the blaring alarm coming from Levi’s tablet. Levi was already tapping on the screen. The boat’s speed had been cut in half. Darkness surrounded the boat, so they couldn’t see more than a dozen yards beyond the rail; whatever was out there must have shown up on the radar.
A wide smile crossed Levi’s face. “Dolphins!” He laughed and pointed to the west. “Thirty yards off the port rail. It looks like a dozen or more. Flashlights are in the galley.”
In an instant, everyone at the table fled. Hurried footsteps seemed to emanate from every direction. Seconds later, hushed voices were heard, and obscured beams were directed somewhere in the distance.
Piper and Gray didn’t move from the chair. She repositioned, slipping her legs through holes beneath the armrests and straddling Gray, who pulled the blanket over them to blot out the dim light from the heaters and the stars above. Piper instantly felt Gray’s mouth press to hers and responded with a probing, hungry tongue. He grabbed her by the hips and slid them aggressively against his own. She put her hands down to brace the arms of the chair and repeated the action enthusiastically. She felt him stiffen, his erection extending down the inside the left leg of his shorts. Adjusting her position to match, she applied pressure and heard him moan. She could feel him through the desperately thin material of her bathing suit and it picture in her mind made her short of breath.
“Too much?” She said it in a whisper that sounded more like a gasp. She was grinding hard, and it felt amazing, but she didn’t want to hurt him.
His silent response was to squeeze the cheeks of her ass with both hands and use his tongue to keep her from speaking. She shuddered with excitement and anticipation for what would come next. She rocked awkwardly on his lap as she executed a delicate maneuver with less grace than she had envisioned, but he seemed completely unaware.
That was good.
Finally, she pushed back, gasping for air—literally gasping. They both were. Gray started to speak, but she pressed a finger to his lips. Glancing around, she confirmed they still had the cover of the blanket. How it remained in place, she had no idea…but they wouldn’t need it for much longer. Her chest still heaving and teetering on the edge of hyperventilation, she gazed directly into Gray’s eyes and playfully bit the corner of her lip with anticipation. Then she leaned to the left and reached deep beneath the blanket. Her hand pushed back the left leg of his shorts as far as she could, then continued upward when that was no longer possible. The fingers of her left hand deftly danced along the length of his engorged member. His entire body shuddered at her touch, and his eyes sparkled with newfound excitement.
The moment seemed to stretch for endless seconds, her eyes locked on his. It felt like oxygen wasn’t finding its way into her lungs. She was lightheaded with excitement and a sense of lust she’d never experienced in her life. She ran her fingertips down his length one more time before pulling back. Very gently, she leaned forward and kissed him. As she did, she slipped something into his right hand. Then, tipping her head back, she took a deep breath of the cold night air. She emerged from the embrace of the chair and Gray’s arms, wrapping herself in the massive white comforter as she did. Everyone was still at the railing, pointing flashlights out at the water and discussing dolphins.
As Piper walked slowly toward her cabin, she glanced over her shoulder at Gray, who sat alone at the table with a confused expression on his face. She smiled when he looked down to see what she had pressed into his hand as she stood up and pulled away. Holding her gift up to the light, he realized it was the top and bottom of the bikini she had been wearing just a moment before.
Piper heard Gray’s chair tip over as she opened the cabin door, knowing he would be only seconds behind. She left the door open and let the comforter drop to the floor.
