Page 17 of Austen

And he hadn’t even been in the room when she became the mysterious woman who danced with Steinbeck at the reception of said wedding.

So no, he didn’t spare her a glance.

But Ivek did.“We’re casting off.Shore leave’s been canceled.”

She looked at him, caught her breath.“No, I?—”

But Raphael and Tyrone were already pulling in the gangway.And sure, she could force her way off—even take a dive into the drink—but then she’d attract attention.

Steinbeck might see her.

And unlike Declan, he knewexactlywho she was.

She ducked into the shadows, watching Steinbeck through her sunglasses as Teresa backed the yacht away from the dock.

He’d returned to loading his boat.

Maybe it wasn’t him.Probably.

Aw, shoot.

She knew Steinbeck Kingston when she saw him.And with that realization, she caught her breath and held in a strange swell of emotion.

He’dlived.

Maybe that information was enough.

They pulled away from the harbor, cutting a small wake as they headed out to sea.

“You’re needed in the galley,” Jermaine said as he walked past her toward the salon.“We have guests.”

Right.“Yes, sir.”

But first chance she got, she was off this boat.

And maybe Steinbeck Kingston would haunt her no more.

THREE

Just stay afloat.

Austen spat out seawater, refusing to give in to the urge to gulp it down.Good way to die of dehydration—by drinking salty water.She wore her mask—the only way to protect herself from the waves—and occasionally she’d duck her head under the rim of water to check for any predators.

At least her BCD stayed filled, acting as a life preserver, and she had hung on to her tank, hoping the steel might reflect sunlight, the empty aluminum also buoyant in the water.

Someone flying overhead might spot her.

But after more than twenty-four hours in the water...yeah, she might need to adjust her expectations.With the sun dropping toward the horizon, she might be in for another overnight at sea.Fantastic.

Last night, something had bumped her.But in the darkness, she hadn’t been able to see what, although she’d turned on her dive light and searched the vastness, trying not to let the endless gulf beneath her take hold of her bones.

The current had grabbed her, flushed her away from the DR out toward the open sea.

Atlantic Ocean, here she came.

Okay, that might be too morbid.

Don’t.Give.Up.What was it Stein used to say—the only easy day was yesterday?

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