“Uh, maybe. We don’t know what kind of condition it’ll be in when Liam and Jamison get back.”
Annabeth snickered. “They’re only supposed to check out the dock and come right back. But yeah, if I had a chance to have you alone on a boat right now, we’d spend about five seconds looking for some stupid dock before things got dirty.”
“Oh, really? And what exactly would you do?” Draping his arm around her shoulder, Rowan squeezed her close as they headed back inside. “Be specific. Don’t leave anything out.”
Chapter 11
“That’s where CeCe died.”
They were coasting away from the house, the boat gliding down the dark waters of the bayou. Liam stood at the helm, guiding them along the winding channel that stretched from Haven’s dock to the distant bay, roughly three miles out. According to the map beside him in the pilot’s chair, their route would hug the swampy shoreline, weaving through inlets in search of hidden launch sites before reaching Watson’s place.
“We estimated it was right about there.” Liam pointed to a sandy patch surrounded by reeds swaying in the breeze. “They found a few manchineels in that spot and nowhere else.”
Neither of them spoke as they drifted past the place where CeCe had spent her final moments. Jamison left the pilot house, stepping out to stand on the padded bow bench. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d taken a boat directly from Haven’s dock, certainly not since CeCe’s murder.
“How did he get her out there?” she asked, returning to Liam’s side after they passed the small barrier island. Dropping into the co-pilot’s chair, she propped her feet up. “Toby said he drugged her, but someone at a marina would’ve noticed a guy carrying an unconscious woman.”
“It’s one of those details I didn’t follow up on.” The muscle in Liam’s ticked jaw with annoyance. “Too many moving parts back then. Not an excuse, but now look where we are.”
She gave his bicep a light punch. “Stop blaming yourself.”
“Who else should I blame?” He smirked as she shook her hand, trying to get the feeling back into her fingers. “This is on me, and I take full responsibility.”
“Well, you shouldn’t.”
Liam focused on steering, keeping a low wake as they passed the old mill and its remaining pilings protruding from the water. Through a thinning patch of trees, the graveyard could be seen. Just beyond it, the manchineels waited, their twisted branches claiming more of the shoreline every year.
“Your dad contacted a company out of South Florida,” Liam said, eyes still forward. “They specialize in removing manchineels. The plan is to start the extraction process sometime next year.”
They rode in silence for a long stretch, the forest unspooling endlessly beside them. High in the sky, the sun shone down on them once they hit the widening pass, and knowing they were nearing Watson’s place, Jamison decided it was the perfect time to reveal her bathing suit.
At the back of the boat, the bench seating offered the best view and the most sun. She strolled over, peeled off her T-shirt, and casually tossed it aside. The top of her suit was little more than string and two tiny triangles that barely covered anything. She wasn’t overly endowed in the breast department, but the minuscule coverage gave her shape a nice definition.
Liam glanced back and did a double take. “What the fuck?”
Even over the whine of the motor, she heard him loud and clear, but refused to smile. Discarding the jean cut-offs, she adjusted the thong bikini bottom high on her hips and turned to give him the full view.
“Where the hell did you get that?” he shouted, the boat suddenly losing speed. “Come here.”
Running her hands over her hips, she crawled onto the white leather bench, deliberately angling her ass in his direction. “Do you like it?”
The engine dipped into a low hum, and Liam ripped off his sunglasses, no longer paying attention to where they were going. “Are you seriously asking if I like seeing my woman in a thong bathing suit?”
The boat veered sharply, cutting across the gleaming water toward a narrow inlet ahead. It wasn’t deep, but it curved just enough to keep them out of sight.
“What are you doing?” she asked, feigning innocence as she settled onto the bench and spread her legs ever so strategically. “I thought we were supposed to be looking for docks.”
He didn’t answer, slowing the boat to a crawl. The silence stretched as he worked the anchor, every second fueling the anticipation sparking in her chest.
“Liam?”
“Get in here.” His voice was tight, the small remaining shred of his sanity reaching its end. “The cabin bed is big enough for both of us.”
“No.” She leaned back, resting her arms on the bench as she stretched across the cushions. “I like it out here.”
He stopped what he was doing and arched an eyebrow at her. “We’re doing this in the open?”
“Oh yeah.” She tapped the bench between her thighs, spreading wider as she tipped her head back to soak in the sun. “Right. Here.”