Page 51 of Redemption

We’d spent the night at an anchorage that had been peaceful and isolated. Our only company had been the sharks that had shown up after dinner, swimming slow circles around the Athena for a few hours.

“I’m glad we decided to press on yesterday.” She joined me at the table, tucking her leg beneath her. It had the effect of revealing more of her tanned, toned thigh, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek and glance away.

I’d already spoken with the staff at the Huxley Grand Turks and Caicos via satellite phone and confirmed our plans with the head security officer. Even though I’d hoped it was unnecessary, I’d requested round-the-clock surveillance on the Athena while it was docked. When it came to Sloan’s safety, I wasn’t taking any chances.

There’d been no new threats since she’d left London, but that didn’t mean we could let down our guard. Not until the culprit was caught. And I was determined to give Sloan the peace of mind she seemed to have reclaimed on the water.

“This was a nice spot,” Sloan said, surveying the anchorage.

“Very peaceful.”

Last night had been clear, the sky full of stars. It was the first night since starting our trip that I’d slept deeply, secure in the knowledge of her safety. She looked better rested too, and, for that, I was grateful.

Sloan sighed wistfully and stood, wincing slightly as she did so. “It is, but I suppose all good things must come to an end.”

I’d always hated that expression. Probably because I didn’t want it to be true.

I closed my laptop and stowed it away. I was concerned about Sloan’s side, but she’d assured me she was fine. And the arnica and ice seemed to have done their job. Her skin was still bruised, but her pain had lessened.

“Ready when you are.” I followed her up to the deck.

I raised the anchor, and then we motored out. The first few hours were spent beating directly into the wind, much like the past few days. We were once again reduced to tacking—zigzagging across the water.

“If this continues,” I said to Sloan. “We won’t even need GPS. All we’ll have to do is navigate directly into the wind each day, and we’ll reach our destination.”

She laughed, though she didn’t seem at all daunted by the challenging conditions. If anything, she seemed to relish them.

“Not ideal,” she finally admitted. “But better than our trip to Clarence Town.”

“True.”

Around lunch time, we raised the sails and turned south. That made a huge difference—it was as if the Athena had let out a sigh of contentment. I patted her side as she proceeded to slice through the water.

Sloan smiled and tilted her head back to soak in the sun. “That’s more like it. Athena’s happy, and the sunshine will top off our battery bank.”

I nodded, scanning the horizon. No cargo ships. No other sailors. It was as if we had this part of the world all to ourselves.

It was both peaceful and strange to sail for hours on end without seeing any signs of human life. It almost felt as if we were the last two people on earth.

“It’s desolate out here,” Sloan said, echoing my thoughts. “Beautiful, but even more remote than I’d expected.”

“What type of route do you typically sail for your annual trip?”

“It varies. I’m usually gone for three, four weeks, tops, so I stick to trips that allow for more island-hopping. I’ve done the Greek Islands, the Grenadines, the South Pacific.”

“Always alone?” The fact that her boyfriend wasn’t here still niggled, but I didn’t want to ask about him. I didn’t want to think about him.

She nodded. “Until this year anyway.”

“Damn.” I rubbed a hand over my mouth. “I didn’t realize…”

“How experienced I am?” she joked, waggling her eyebrows in a suggestive way.

I laughed, but her comment had me thinking of the first time we’d slept together. About her lack of experience at the time, at least when it came to sex.

“Are you sure?” I asked, hovering above her, my cock hard and seeking her core.

This woman was going to be the death of me.

---