Page 18 of Lover from the Waves

Kathryn curled her lips inward and ran her tongue along them. “Ector, I—”

The boat dipped, and a wave struck the hull, sending spray of water over the side to splash Kat. The cold water was a shock. She straightened with a gasp, pulling her hand out from under Ector’s. Her hair was wet, her shirt soaked and plastered to her back, and there was a pool of water beneath her.

Her wide eyes remained locked with Ector’s through several seconds of stunned silence before laughter bubbled up from her belly. Ector laughed along with her, seemingly unbothered by the droplets of water glistening on his skin.

“I suppose I should get used to getting wet again,” she said, brushing the water off the bench onto the floor. She paused for a moment as she considered her choice of words given her body’s reaction to Ector just before the sea had intervened. Her eyes flared, and a flush stained her cheeks. “I mean, theoceangetting me wet.”

Ector’s brow furrowed, and he tilted his head. “What else would get you wet out here when it is not raining?”

Kathryn blinked at him, her own brows falling. Did he not…? The fishermen would have been in an uproar after hearing her words, turning them into a crude but good-humored jest. “Well, it could be taken to mean…um… You know what? Never mind.”

He shook his head and laughed again. “This is a case of one of those double meanings you humans have for so many words, is it not? I have learned of so many dual meanings during my time here, and I am always interested in learning more.”

Kathryn pressed her lips together to hold in her laughter—and to stop herself from telling him. She knew she could get the words out if she really wanted to, but she wasn’t sure if she could face the potential embarrassment…or the rekindling of the heat that might have followed the explanation.

“Well… We’ll see how things go over the next few days,” she said with a grin. “Maybe you’ll have a chance to learn firsthand.”

Wait a second.Whatdid I just say to him?

She’d held back saying one thing only to blurt out another. She’d basically told him that there was pretty damn good chance they’d be having sex—not that he would know it due to his lack of understanding regarding the initial innuendo.

He narrowed his eyes, and his smile took on a sly tilt. “Something tells me this mystery will be more exciting to solve than most.”

Kat’s cheeks burned as she forced her eyes away from him. “Perhaps.”

She wasn’t used to flirtation—whether directed at her or comingfromher. But, despite her embarrassment, she found herself eager to follow this new path, to see what would develop between her and Ector.

She also couldn’t deny that she hoped he solved this little mystery. Soon.

Chapter 5

The day passed quickly, sped by Kathryn’s elation and the easy conversations she and Ector fell into—none of which grew quite as heated as the exchange that had been interrupted by the sea itself. She’d donned a wide-brimmed hat to protect her from the sun, which she’d had to tie beneath her chin to prevent the occasional gust of wind from stealing it off her head. Ector left the boat a few times to swim ahead, vanishing beneath the surface to scout for rocks and other hazards hidden in their path, and she couldn’t help worrying whenever he departed. But he always returned before long and pulled himself back into the boat with a grin.

And she couldn’t stop her eyes from straying over his glistening body every time.

As the afternoon passed, Kat increasingly turned her attention toward the shore, seeking a good place to camp for the night. She found it just as the first evening colors crept into the sky. Though flanked by sheer cliffs on both sides, the section of beach she’d spotted was backed by a gradual slope that rose in uneven tiers on its way inland. The next tier up from the sand, which looked easily accessible in several spots, was covered in long, swaying grass and large rocks, the latter of which would provide some shelter from the wind. As an added perk, it was at least a hundred meters away from the jungle.

When the boat neared the land, Ector dropped into the water. “Stay there.”

He clamped his hands over the side rail and guided the vessel onto the beach. Kat turned her head to watch as his powerful tentacles flared and snapped shut, propelling the boat forward. The receding tide soon halted their progress, dropping the boat fully onto the sand.

Ector moved around to the front of the boat and slowly went farther inland, sweeping his tentacles from side to side and creating a wide track. Kathryn watched him, unsure of what he was doing but grateful for another chance to see him move—to see that play of muscle beneath the skin of his corded arms and strong back. When he reached the bare rock that separated the beach from the first swathe of grass, he turned and came back along the same path, repeating the process.

This time, she noticed his tentacles occasionally digging deeper into the sand to pluck out a stone and toss it aside with a dullthump.

When he reached the boat, Kathryn frowned and pried her gaze away from him to study their surroundings. “The tide line is too far inland to—”

The boat lurched forward. She clamped both hands on the side rails to steady herself as she rocked back. Twisting around, she looked back to find Ector behind the boat, both hands pressed to the stern.

“Sorry,” he said, offering her a smile. “I just needed to find the right spot.” Ector slid his hands a little lower. The muscles in his arms and torso flexed, his tentacles sank into the wet sand beneath him, and the ship slid forward again—much farther this time.

He waspushingthe boat.

She’d seen it done plenty of times, but a boat this size would’ve been a struggle even for two men in their prime. Ector barely made a sound as he continued forward at a slow but unwavering pace, tentacles constantly in motion. Kathryn could only maintain her hold on the sides and stare in awe.

When he finally stopped, dropped his hands, and straightened, the bow was within a couple meters of the end of the sand. His shoulders rose and fell a little quicker than before, but he seemed otherwise unaffected by the exertion.

Ector brushed his palms together. “That should keep the boat out of the tide. The water level will be higher in the morning, at least, so we’ll have less distance to push backward.”

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