Aboard the Wishing Star (15 page)

The flame smoldering in his eyes told her he knew she wasn't just talking about putting lotion on. Again she wished they were alone.

His smile sent tingles all the way down to her sand sprinkled toes. "Want to go for a swim?"

She glanced toward the sparkling water. It looked refreshing, and she was overheated but she couldn't. "No, I don't have a life jacket."

"You don't need one. Even if you can't swim, the salt water will hold you up."

She looked at the water doubtfully, yet felt foolish for acting like such a baby.

"Trust me, Kara. You'll be fine. I wouldn't take you anywhere that wasn't safe." He held out his hand. "Come on. Aren't you getting hot? I am."

She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. They walked to the water's edge holding hands. He gave her a quick squeeze for reassurance before they went into the water.

Waves rolled in so gently the water barely moved, and she felt no tow at her feet. They waded in to her waist.

"Tell me when you think you've gone far enough, and I'll stop," Nate said with a low rasp in his voice.

Kara sensed he was talking about more than the water. He was a gentleman. He respected her. This made her want him even more. She wanted more than just this cruise together.

Try not to think of that. Of how soon he'll be gone.

He pulled her farther out until the water rose almost to her shoulders. She halted. "Wait. Far enough."

"Try to float," he said, holding her hand. "I've got you."

Floating had been the hardest thing in her swim class, and she still couldn't do it in the deep end where she couldn't put her feet back down. Panic tried to take over, but it subsided when he squeezed her hand again.

"There's nothing to be afraid of sweetheart. Try leaning back. I've got you."

Kara drew in a deep breath and leaned back into the water. Her feet lifted, and she floated on the surface.

"There you go. Not so bad, is it?" His voice near her ear comforted her.

"It is easier to float here in this cove."

"That's because it's so salty. I'm going to let go of your hand now, but I'm right here, sweetheart."

He let go. He floated on his back beside her, looking up at the sky. "This is the best way to see clouds."

"Yes, it's beautiful." Clouds floated like cotton candy in the blue sky. "I wish I could live near a beach."

"What's stopping you?"

"I've always lived in Ohio. My house is there."

"You can find a job and a house anywhere if you really want to," he stated as if the answer were obvious.

"I suppose."

"Some houses are nicer than others, and some jobs are better than others, but if you really want to live near a beach, you could make it happen."

He echoed her secret longings.
How did he know?

"I suppose. But I wouldn't know anyone, and I'd have to start new with every aspect of my life."

"It's not as hard as you might think."

"For you, maybe."

He probably picks up and moves whenever he wants. He must have women all over the world.

He watched her measuring something. "Do you like your job?"

"It pays the bills."

"Sweetheart, there's more to life than paying the bills," he said with quiet emphasis. "There is following your passion. Doing what you love."

"I think that only happens in movies. I don't know anyone doing that. Did you like your job in the military?"

"I thrived on the rush of it for years. Until I got out and went into the scuba diving business. So yes, I guess I would say yes. And I'm happy scuba diving and being out on the water. I'm in my element in the water."

Listening to him she realized how comfortable she'd become with him in such a short period of time.

He didn't feel like someone she'd just met, but like someone she'd known and somehow forgotten. As if he'd been waiting for her to find him or for him to find her. As if she could tell him absolutely anything and he would not only listen, he would hear her fully. The things said and the things unsaid.

Meeting him and talking to him felt like coming home.

And this was very real. No fairy tale wishful thinking.

Viv was wrong about men. Wrong about a lot of things. The time for listening to Viv's council had passed. Even if it had happened fast, this was more than just a shipboard fling. But as wonderful as things were with Nate; the cruise would end very soon and she if she never saw him again...

The thought made her heart hurt.

"What's worrying you, sweetheart?"

Over at the Kon Tiki the captain called everyone to board before she could think of an answer.

"I'll collect your stuff. Go on and swim over to the boat," he said as if it was the most normal thing in the world for her to do.

Swim by myself and no flotation?

He gave her a look that said she could do it, and winked before turning toward the beach and heading for her towel and beach bag.

The panic tried to come in, but she stayed still floating, forcing herself breathe normally.

He was headed for their things and didn't seem to notice she hadn't started swimming yet.

No one is watching me. He believes in me so much he's not even watching to see if I can do it. ... The salty water makes it easy to float here.
She eyed the Kon Tiki boat and slowly started to swim toward it.

Kara swam in slow strokes toward the boat.

This isn't so bad. If I had a place at home like this to swim in, I might learn to be less afraid and maybe even become a good swimmer.

Even after she'd taken the class for timid non-swimmers, she still had to fight the phobia. It hadn't cured her. She wasn't sure what would.

Kara reached the Kon Tiki boat and climbed aboard then glanced back at Nate and saw him watching her with a pleased smile as he carried her things.

She beamed back at him, feeling proud as she sat on a bench. Small grains of salt and sand covered her, and she wished they had a place to rinse off, but thrilled to have swum to the boat, the thought barely registered before Nate sat beside her.

"Sweetheart, you did great. I'm proud of you."

Kara beamed and he kissed her cheek.

"I didn't think you saw me."

"I was watching you the whole time. I saw you hesitating and then you faced your fears and swam right over to the boat." He'd seemed nonchalant as if he wasn't looking, but all the time he'd watched her, making sure she was okay. That knowledge warmed her even more than his arm wrapped around her.

He kissed her ear and it sent tingles down her spine. "Let's have dinner alone. Just the two of us."

"Can we do that? Have a table to ourselves?"

"Sweetheart, we can do whatever we want."

"Then yes. I'd like that."

"Good. I think we should celebrate."

"Oh? What are we celebrating?"

"A woman learning to conquer her fear."

She blushed, feeling proud all the same.

On the ride back, the crew covered the glass bottom and set up poles for the limbo contest. Kara clapped with the music as Nate, Adam and Viv all did the limbo. They couldn't convince her to join them. She'd done one daring thing today swimming to the boat and one was enough. She just wanted to bask in that for now.

Watching Nate's strong, sun-kissed body cross under the limbo poles, her heart beat more rapidly. She watched the muscles in his thighs and her heart drummed with the pulse of the music as the passengers sung, "How low can you go, go, go."

Other women watched him with appreciation. But he only watched Kara.

A warm glow rippled through her.

Nate made her feel alive, attractive and desirable. And braver. Already she'd tried things she'd never done before. She had Nate to thank for that.

She hated the thought that the cruise would end and she'd never see him again. She pushed away the thought as she watched Viv do the limbo next. Short and feisty, Viv bounced as she went beneath the bar.

I don't want to be like Viv, moving from one man to another like it's no big thing. I give my heart too deeply to recover and move on to the next guy. I just can't do casual sex. That's not for me. And Viv is wrong. All men are not the same. Just as there'd never be another Neil, there will never be another Nate.

And I think he is the one.

No, I know he is.

One night with him before this cruise is over, that's all I wish for, one wonderful night to remember for the rest of my life. To say goodbye and never to have made love, I think I would die a very slow death. A death of the heart and soul.

The thought brought a tear to her eye, which then tried to roll down her cheek before she brushed it away and forced a smile back onto her face.

How had she gone from elation to tears? Goodness, she had to get a grip on herself instead of letting her emotions take over.

The contest was finished and Viv had won because she was so much smaller than the others. She wore a triumphant smirk and everyone congratulated her.

The boat had been moving along and they were soon back at the pier ready to disembark.

Nate cupped her chin in his hand. His touch was almost unbearable in its tenderness. In the back of her mind, the clock ticked away and reminded her their time together would soon run out.

"Well, sweetheart, time to go clean up for our private dinner. I'll call you once the arrangements are made."

He bent and kissed her in front of the passengers who hadn't disembarked yet. His kiss was tender and light as a summer breeze.

"I'll see you at dinner." The look on his face mingled eagerness and tenderness.

A burning desire, an aching need for another kiss and more than a kiss coursed through Kara. "Yes, I'll see you at dinner," she echoed.

They parted and Kara went to get ready. Tonight's theme was Island Night, and there'd be an island deck party later on. She chose to wear the new yellow sundress and banana earrings.

Viv was still primping when Kara left for dinner.

It was nice not to have to wait on Viv. Tonight they'd barely said two words to each other beyond Viv's comment that Kara looked like a banana in yellow. A comment Kara ignored.

She was ignoring a lot lately. Viv's moods and comments grated on Kara's nerves.

Nate waited for her at the entrance to the private dining room. His look caressed her shoulders, and she sheepishly said, "I got a bit too much sun again today."

His smile curled her toes. "Take care of your skin, sweetheart. It's too beautiful to ruin."

The admiration in his eyes heated her cheeks beneath her already heated skin.

"You look so fresh and pretty in that dress, sweetheart."

"Yellow is my favorite color. It's cheerful."

"It goes with your golden hair.

"Viv called me a banana."

"She's crazy. You look great."

"Thank you. I've never owned a yellow dress before."

"Terrible." He shook his head and smiled.

"That's why I treated myself."

"As you should."

"You remind me of an exotic tropical bird." He winked. "Yes, I think I'll call you yellow bird." His whole face lit with a smile.

Kara giggled. He made her giddy as a schoolgirl. "Yellow bird." She returned his smile. "I like that."

The host seated them at a private table for two off in a quiet corner. They ordered, sipped fine wine, and took turns feeding each other shrimp cocktail, lobster tail and crab legs. Kara had never had such an intimate meal before and anticipated each delicious morsel he fed her.

They decided to share dessert. Their waiter brought out a large slice of chocolate cake drizzled with caramel and two forks.

Kara liked sharing desert.

There was something about the way a man ate, the way a man shared or didn't share his food, which suggested what kind of lover he'd be. Though she'd known only two men intimately, something told her this was a truth. She watched Nate savor his food, and it reminded her of how he seemed to savor her body.

"You can have the last bite, sweetheart." He slipped it onto his fork and held it out to her.

He'd be considerate and generous to his wife, and she'd know she's well loved. It doesn't do to think about the future with a man I've just met. It doesn't do to think of growing old together in some fantasy happy ever after land when you know you could never be with the man you loved. When you knew he would leave.

Why was she thinking such thoughts when the most she could hope to have was one night together, one special memory to hold onto? Kara pushed all those thoughts away.

After dinner they went up on deck, where everything was decorated for a tropical evening. The waiters wore leis and tropical print shirts.

The activities director stood ready to teach a native dance to the passengers.

"Go on," Nate said. "I'll enjoy watching you."

She joined the dancers. Nate's gaze upon her made her feel exotic, like a tropical bird, rare and valuable. She danced only for him, blushing and rolling her hips. His smile deepened.

The conga line around the room was the grand finale. Nate stepped behind Kara and whispered in her ear, "I'm right behind you, sweetheart."

His warm hands slid around her hips and rested there lightly, her body tingling from the contact. She wished he'd pull her back against his chest so she could feel his arms around her. She hungered from the memory of his mouth, his touch.

The dance stopped and his hands dropped from her hips. She turned to face him. "Are you looking forward to the show?"

"I'm looking forward to the entire evening," he said, his hand closing over hers. "Sweetheart, I'm just happy we're spending it together."

Kara couldn't remember when she'd felt so happy. It was almost a giddiness within that made her want to spin about the room and laugh. She'd been ready to be bold like Viv and suggest they find one of their empty cabins, and he was just happy to be spending time with her. Within her must live a wild and wanton thing. She was a little afraid of that, so she made the decision to follow along where he might lead. The child in her really did want to see the show. Chinese acrobats that she'd heard were fabulous.