Sea Haven 01 - Water Bound

blinds 91

    down in her house, and each of her sisters called twice but they didn’t ask questions.
    The huge news was that a yacht had sunk off the coast in a freak accident. The yacht was owned by a Greek businessman, a billionaire, and everyone on board was lost. Naturally Rikki’s sisters didn’t want her going out into the ocean until it was pronounced safe, which made her want to laugh. How could going out to sea ever be considered safe?
    She knew they assumed she wasn’t working because of the yacht sinking. She didn’t consider it lying that she didn’t give them facts they didn’t ask about. But she couldn’t breathe anymore, and she had to get out of the house and go where she could see the ocean and just absorb it. That meant leaving Lev alone and unprotected. Her main worry was always fire.
    She sat on the edge of the bed and pushed back his hair. The shadow on his jaw had grown into the beginnings of a real beard. “I have to leave for a little while.” She knew he was awake. She’d never go near him while he was asleep, but his eyes were closed.
    He didn’t open them, but he caught her wrist, his fingers a shackle, preventing movement. It amazed her how he could do that, know exactly where her arm was when he had his eyes closed. And she always watched his face, not even blinking. He never so much as peeked, yet he never missed.
    “Don’t.”
    “I have to go, just for a little while. I’ve checked outside and no one’s around. I think it’s safe. I’ll lock the door when I go out.”
    She could tell it was a struggle for him to open his eyes enough to look at her. The impact of that blue stare gave her a jolt in the vicinity of her stomach.
    “You’ll come back?”
    “I live here.” She was ashamed instantly. He seemed to need reassurance. Why was that so difficult for her? “Soon. Don’t shoot anyone while I’m gone.”
    “Take one of my guns.”
    She could see the worry in his eyes and that caused some sort of meltdown in her heart. Physical reactions scared her, especially physical reactions to men. Daniel had been an excellent diver who helped perfect her diving skills. They’d spent so much time together it seemed a natural progression to get engaged. But she hadn’t spent time with him off the boat.
    They’d talked about a future, diving together, but the one time he’d come to her small rented houseboat to spend the night, a fire had taken him.
    “What are you thinking about?”
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    She searched his face, his eyes, not certain what she was looking for exactly. She didn’t want him to die, not in a fire and not on her account.
    “Rikki, I need to know.”
    “Why?”
    “You looked sad. Upset. Did I put that look there?”
    She couldn’t help herself. With her free hand, she smoothed the frown from his face. “No. I am just worried about leaving you.”
    His fingers moved over her wrist and slid down to the palm of her hand to trace circles there. “I’m a survivor, Rikki. I’ll be here. The house will be here as well. Go do what you have to, but come back to me. I won’t sleep until you’re back with me.”
    The drowning sensation was acute this time, and she jumped up, pulling away from him. As his fingers slid from her skin, her stomach did a slow somersault. She backed away from him. No one had ever made her feel the way Lev did, such a gut-wrenching physical reaction. She could barely breathe sometimes and that’s why she had to leave her own house. He was forcing her out with . . . with . . . this.
    She glared at him. Scowled. Her blackest, scariest, get-away-from-me-now scowl. He should have been intimidated. That practiced look worked every time. He smiled at her. Smiled. Not just with amusement, but with a drippy, dippy, you’re-so-cute sort of look. She backed completely across the room to the door.
    “You forgot the gun.”
    “ I don’t shoot people,” she reminded him with a little sniff, and stalked out. She heard him laugh, but she didn’t turn around.
    The sound of his laughter was too intriguing. It set off little explosions in the vicinity of her womb. She really needed to get out of there and go sit by the sea, breathe in the fresh air and listen to the gulls. She could almost believe he was a sorcerer who had cast some sort of spell over her. Privately, she would admit to herself that she liked touching him. She never touched anyone. And she sure didn’t want anyone touching her. But the feel of Lev’s hands on her skin, the