Page 107 of Tame Me

‘This is warm for me.’ I smile. Even though it’s technically still winter, it’s much hotter here in Brisbane than back in the South Island of New Zealand. ‘But no, I don’t want to swim.’

‘But you want to strip?’ He teases.

I just want to stare. At him. Which I don’t. I make myself look beyond him. We glide over the blue waters passing beautiful bays with gleaming gold sand. It’s invigorating and my heart soars.

‘I’ve never been sailing,’ I chirrup thoughtlessly, turning to look at him again. I never imaginedeverbeing on a boat like this.

Again he just smiles. He knows. Of course he knows that there are lots of things I’ve never done. I bow my head to hide the burn of embarrassment—I’m sogauche. But he lifts my chin, forcing me to meet his intense blue gaze again.

‘There’s no shame in never having gone sailing before,’ he says softly. ‘But now you can. With me.’ He pulls me close. ‘We’ll come back—scuba when it’s warmer.’

‘I don’t know how to scuba.’

‘I’ll teach you.’

‘You’re a qualified scuba coach as well?’

He chuckles.

My heart thunders. ‘Why did you arrange this?’

He waves a hand. ‘It’s a beautiful morning.’

‘You don’t have work to do?’

‘Maybe we both deserve a little break from work. You’ve been working your whole life too.’

My lips twist. ‘You’ve got bigger rewards, though.’

He gazes towards the bay. ‘I don’t mind sharing with you.’

For a moment I’m speechless.

‘Thank you for helping me with Ava,’ I eventually say. ‘Thank you for this. Thank you for everything.’

His expression closes. ‘You know I don’t want your gratitude.’

‘Too bad.’ I shrug. ‘You’ll get used to it eventually.’

His mouth twists. ‘And maybe you’ll eventually get used to getting what you actually deserve.’

CHAPTER TWENTY

Dain

IWATCHTHEflush cover her face. She doesn’t feel it, does she?Deserving.Given her parents’ abandonment and selfishness, maybe that’s not surprising. But she’s spent years making her own way, caring for her sister without any help...she should feelproudof all that. Surely she’s proved her worth to herself?

I really want her to have some fun and I’ve seen her in my pool throughout the week. It seems that, like me, she loves the water.

‘What else can we add to the list?’ I ask as I reach for a glass of fresh orange juice to ease the dryness of my throat. ‘Stand-up paddle boarding in Croatia? Jet-skiing in Dubai?’ I warm to my theme. ‘Snorkelling in the Caymans? Water-skiing in—’

‘I have been water-skiing,’ she interrupts. ‘Once.’

I’m instantly curious and lean close.

She reads my expression and laughs a little bitterly. ‘It wasn’t a good idea.’

‘No? Why not?’

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