Kate Hewitt - Bad Blood

He picked up the final box and stowed it on board.

Katie didn’t move. ‘I think it would be best if I stayed here.’

‘No, it wouldn’t.’ Before he could talk himself out of it, Nathaniel scooped her into his arms and deposited her onto the boat, keeping his eyes averted from her long, bare legs. ‘This is one of the best dive sites in Brazil. You’ll love it.’

‘You’re afraid to leave me here in case I tell someone where you are. What do you think I’m going to do, Nathaniel? Send up smoke signals? Even if I wanted to call someone, I can’t. You locked up my phone.’

He wished he’d locked up his own. Those messages gnawed at him, acting like a block jammed in a door he was trying to slam shut.

‘You don’t need a phone.’

‘You’re afraid I’m going to tell someone about Annabelle or Carrie, but I swear I’m not going to mention their names to anyone. I don’t even know who they are!’

It was possible to feel cold, he discovered, even when the sun was pounding down from high in the sky. ‘I want you to forget you ever heard those names.’

‘Fine, I’ll forget I ever heard them. But once in a while it would be good for you to just trust someone. It must be incredibly lonely living a life where you think everyone is out to get you.’ She pushed aside the snorkelling gear and sat down on the deck with a thump. ‘I’ve never snorkelled. I’ll probably drown.’

‘You’ll love it.’

‘What if I inhale water?’

‘I’ll give you mouth-to-mouth.’ Wishing he’d never allowed his mind to go in that direction, Nathaniel sprang onto the boat. ‘Let’s go.’

Under sail, the catamaran sped through the water, swift and smooth, responding well to the light winds. The water sparkled in the sunlight and shoals of colourful fish darted beneath them.

Katie stretched her legs out on the seat and tilted her face up to the sun.

Wondering whether he’d made a mistake bringing her, Nathaniel pushed the tiller away from him and sailed towards the wind, breathing deeply as the salty air touched his face. The position gave him a perfect view of her long slim legs, so he shifted slightly.

They sailed for several hours, past numerous deserted islands, and finally attached themselves to a mooring buoy so that they could snorkel around the reef.

Ignoring him, Katie stripped off her shorts and T-shirt to reveal a tiny red polka-dot bikini.

It was the first time she’d worn a bikini in front of him and he was starting to wish she’d stuck to drab, conceal-everything clothes. Sweat prickled the back of his neck.

Wishing he’d given her a wetsuit, he helped fit her mask and then they slid into the water.

‘How deep is it here? On second thought, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.’ She held on to his arm tightly and looked around her. ‘Is anything in this water going to want to eat me for lunch?’

Just him . Wondering if she’d even noticed he was aroused, Nathaniel showed her how to clear her mask and snorkel of water, trying to put some distance between them.

A shoal of parrot fish darted beneath them, playing hide and seek through fronds of tropical sea grass, and she gave a gasp of delight and dragged the snorkel out of her mouth. ‘They’re beautiful. Can we take a closer look?’

It took only moments for him to realise that she was an excellent swimmer, her kick smooth and graceful as she slid through the water with the elegance of a sea creature. Seriously distracted, Nathaniel decided that if he didn’t concentrate he was going to drown.

Finally he gestured to the surface and they slid upwards through the sun-dappled water and emerged to hot sunshine.

Katie removed the snorkel from her mouth, laughing and gasping for air. ‘That was fantastic!’ Something over his shoulder caught her eye and she frowned. ‘Nathaniel …’

He turned his head and saw that another boat had anchored only metres away from theirs. ‘Relax. They don’t know who we are.’

‘You mean they have no idea I’m the famous costume designer? Thank goodness for that. If there’s one thing I hate it’s signing autographs in the water.’ Giggling at her own joke, Katie watched the other boat. ‘Looks like quite a party. Better keep your mask on.’

‘Do you want to dive again?’

‘What sort of a question is that? I want to do this for the rest of my life.’ Without waiting for him, she ducked under the water and Nathaniel followed, surprised by how much he was enjoying himself.

They snorkelled for several hours, exploring different parts of the reef, careful not to touch or disturb any of the marine wildlife. Each time they surfaced she burst into a torrent of chat, telling him what she’d seen and asking question after question.

It was impossible not to make comparisons with the last woman he’d taken sailing who had spent her time lying on the deck topping up her suntan and protecting her hair. The mere suggestion that she might join him in the water had been greeted by unadulterated horror. Katie’s hair hung over her shoulders in thick wet ropes but she didn’t seem remotely self-conscious. Enraptured by what was going on beneath the surface of the water, she even seemed to have lost the awkwardness she felt around him.

When they finally climbed back onto the boat, her smile was as bright as the sun. ‘That was the best thing I’ve ever done.’ Her happiness was so infectious that Nathaniel found himself smiling back.

The dark mood that had gripped him since the night he’d walked off the stage had lifted. Realising that she was the one responsible for the lightness inside him, Nathaniel frowned.

He couldn’t ever remember enjoying himself with a woman so much.

Dragging his eyes from that smile, he reminded himself that the last thing he needed in his life was a woman who believed in happy endings.

He’d stopped believing in happy endings when he was nine years old.

Sipping her drink, Katie stared at the platinum-white sand of the distant beach. Her limbs ached and her skin stung from the combination of sun and sea water but she’d never felt happier. She’d even stopped sucking in her stomach.

Her gaze slid to Nathaniel, who was neatly looping a rope.

The chemistry between them had boosted her confidence.

And he wanted their relationship to go all the way. If he’d had his way they would have spent last night together.

He was Hollywood’s hottest leading man, voted Sexiest Man by no fewer than ten leading women’s magazines. Women screamed when he arrived at premieres.

And she’d said no.

Was she mad?

Raucous laughter from the nearby boat cut through her thoughts.

Katie glanced over her shoulder and saw two of the girls flirting with the men at the front of the boat. Missing the peace and wishing they hadn’t chosen this part of the ocean for their sail, she was about to look away when movement caught her eye. Putting down her drink, she squinted into the sunshine. ‘Nathaniel, that child is standing on the rail and she’s not wearing a life jacket.’

As Nathaniel turned his head, the toddler leaned over a little too far and plopped helplessly into the deep water.

Katie shot to her feet in horror. She cupped her hands either side of her mouth and yelled, ‘Hey!’ at the top of her voice, but the distance and the music drowned out the sound and the adults on the boat were too busy partying to notice that the toddler had fallen in. ‘Ben, turn the boat! Do something! We need to—’

There was a splash from beside her and droplets of water showered her as Nathaniel plunged into the sea in a smooth dive.

Still in shock, Katie stared as he powered through the water. It was an astonishing display of athleticism and if it hadn’t been for the urgency of the moment she would have stopped and watched in awe. Instead she was frantic. ‘Ben—’