Kate Hewitt - Powerful and Proud - Beneath the Veil of Paradise / In the Heat of the Spotlight / His Brand of Passion

Chase tossed her a mask. ‘Look for the shells. We only need one or two.’

Dubiously she put the mask on. This was so out of her comfort zone, which was precisely why Chase had chosen to do it. When he’d said lunch she’d envisioned a picnic on the boat, gourmet finger-food and linen napkins. As if.

Still, she wouldn’t give Chase the satisfaction of seeing just how uncomfortable she was. Squaring her shoulders, she adjusted her mask and followed Chase into the water. He was already cutting easily through the placid sea and with a deep breath Millie put her face in the water and gazed down into another world.

Rainbow-coloured fish darted in the shoals and amidst the rocks, prettier than any she’d seen in an aquarium. The sea water was incredibly clear, so the whole ocean floor seemed to open up in front of her, stretching on endlessly. Her lungs started to burn and she lifted her head to take a breath.

‘You OK?’ Chase had lifted his head too, and was glancing at her in concern.

‘I’m fine.’ She felt a strange stirring inside that he’d asked, something between gratitude and affection, that he was worried. He might be pushing her, but he wasn’t going to let her fall.

And she wouldn’t let herself either.

Chase kicked forward. ‘Let’s swim a little farther out.’

She followed him out into deeper water, and they swam and dove in silent synchronicity, the whole exercise surprisingly relaxing, until she finally saw a conch, pearly pink and luminescent, nestled against a rock. Taking a deep breath, she dove down and reached for it, her hand curving around its smooth shell as she kicked upwards to the surface.

Chase was waiting for her as she broke through. ‘I got one!’ Her voice rang out like an excited child’s, and she gave him an all-too-sloppy grin.

‘It’s always a thrill. I got one too. That should be enough.’

They headed back to shore and Millie sat on the beach and watched while Chase retrieved a knife, cutting board and a few limes and shallots from the boat.

‘You come prepared.’

‘It’s a quick, easy meal. But delicious.’

The sun dried her off, leaving salt on her skin as she sat with her elbows on her knees and watched him at work. She should have known he wouldn’t let her sit back and do nothing for very long. Giving her a sideway glance, he beckoned her over.

‘You can help.’

‘You want me to slice some limes?’ she asked hopefully, and he grinned.

‘I thought you’d like a challenge. You can clean the conch.’

Bleh. Still, she wasn’t going to argue. She eyed her wet tee-shirt drying on the boat, conscious that she was still only in her bra and pants. At least they were both sturdy and definitely not see-through. Chase caught her glance and shook his head.

‘Your unmentionables are more modest than some of the bikinis I’ve seen, you know.’

‘I’ll bet.’

‘Come on, Scary. You can do this.’ He handed her a knife and instructed her on how to insert, twist and bring out the entire conch. Grimacing, Millie tried, and finally succeeded on her third try.

‘Well done. Now we just need to fillet it. I’ll do that, if you like.’

‘Please.’

‘You slice the limes.’

They worked in companionable silence for a moment, the sun warm on their backs. When everything had been sliced and diced, Chase fetched a wooden bowl from the boat and tossed it all together. He divided the salad between two plates and presented one to Millie with a courtly flourish.

‘Your lunch, madam.’

‘Thank you very much.’ She took a bite, her eyes widening in surprise at how tasty it truly was. Chase smiled smugly.

‘Told you.’

‘Don’t rub it in.’ Unthinkingly she nudged him with her foot, a playful kick, and Chase raised his eyebrows. Too late Millie realised it could have looked like she was flirting. But she hadn’t been, not intentionally anyway. She’d just been...enjoying herself.

And when was the last time she’d done that?

‘A penny for your thoughts,’ Chase said lightly. ‘Or how about a bottle cap? I don’t actually have any spare change.’

She glanced up and realised she’d been frowning. ‘This is delicious, but it does seem a pity to eat such beautiful creatures.’

‘They are pretty,’ Chase agreed. ‘They’re actually endangered in US waters. But don’t worry, they’re still plentiful here. And the resort monitors the conch population around the island to make sure it never falls too low.’

‘How eco-friendly of them. Is that a Bryant policy?’

He shrugged. ‘A Chase Bryant policy. And economically friendly as well. If we don’t conserve the island, there’s no resort.’

Her salad finished, Millie propped her chin on her hands. ‘But I thought you don’t have anything to do with the resort.’

‘Not really. But I’m interested in environmental policy, so...’ He shrugged, but Millie wasn’t fooled.

‘Something happened?’

He tensed, and although it was barely noticeable Millie still felt it. Curiosity and a surprising compassion unfurled inside her. What had gone wrong between Chase and his family?

A second’s pause was all it took for him to regain his usual lightness. ‘Do I need to invoke the “no talking about the past” clause of our contract?’

‘That was my past. Not yours.’

‘I assumed it went both ways.’

She smiled sweetly. ‘Fine print.’

Chase polished off the last mouthful of his meal before collecting their dishes and tossing them back into the boat. ‘Fine. I was a bit of a reckless youth, made a few significant mistakes, and my father decided he’d rather I had nothing to do with the family business.’ He shrugged, as if it were such ancient history that none of it mattered any more. ‘So I went my own way, and am happy as a clam. Or a conch.’

Millie gazed at him, sensing the cracks in his armour. He was just a little too deliberate with his light tone, and his story was far too simple. She wasn’t about to press him, though. She’d been the one to insist that this week wasn’t about emotional honesty or intimacy. But then, what was it about? It had been half a day already and they hadn’t even kissed.

Yet she’d relaxed and enjoyed herself more than she’d ever thought possible.

‘Come on,’ Chase said, standing up and reaching a hand down to her. ‘Let’s explore the island.’

‘That should take all of two minutes.’

‘You’d be surprised.’

He hauled her to her feet, his strong, warm hand encasing hers, his fingers sliding over hers, skin on skin. Millie nearly shivered from the jolts that raced up and down her arm at that simple touch. When they did have sex, it was going to be amazing.

Mind-blowing.

Her heart slammed against her ribs as the realisation hit her again. Was she ready for this? Did she have any choice?

‘Stop hyperventilating,’ Chase said mildly. ‘If it sets you at ease, I prefer a bed, or at least a comfortable surface. A beach seems romantic, but the sand can get into all sorts of inconvenient places.’

‘You’ve tried it?’ Millie tried not to feel nettled. Jealous. She’d never had sex on a beach.

‘Once or twice,’ Chase answered with a shrug. He was leading her away from the boat, towards a small grove of palm trees. ‘Trust me, it’s overrated.’

Millie’s mind buzzed. OK, a bed. What bed? Her bed at the resort? At his villa? How were they going to do this? Well, obviously she knew how, but how without it being completely awkward or embarrassing? She hadn’t had sex in over two years and then only ever with one man. What on earth had she been thinking, suggesting a fling? She was the least flingy person she knew.

She also knew it was way too late to be thinking this way. She should have considered all the uncomfortable practicalities before she’d made the suggestion to Chase. Before they’d agreed on a deal.