His warm forehead pressed to mine, lids closed as he released a relieved breath.
“You do not know how long I’ve waited for this.” He pulled back and met my gaze. “I love you with all the twisted, shattered pieces of my heart. I am constantly amazed by you and want to be there for you every day, to cherish you the way you’re meant to be and support you like a true partner in life should.”
Cupping his face between my palms, I pulled his mouth to mine. My lids fluttered closed as I parted my lips, pouring all the hope and love I had for the man into him with a passionate kiss that had my stomach twisting as desire pumped through my veins. When a soft moan escaped, I felt fingers thread through my hair. A gentle tug pulled me from West’s lips, turning me to meet bright green eyes.
“None of that here, shortcake. We’re not out of the woods yet. I think they’re gone, but we need to get the hell out of here.” He slapped my ass hard. “We can play at home.”
I pushed my lower lip out in a full pout, making him chuckle.
“Fine,” West sighed. “Be the responsible one, thinking of our safety.”
Langston grinned, but it fell just as fast. “I have no damn clue where that smaller boat went, and that has me on edge.”
“Another boat?” With a quick peck on West’s cheek, I wiggled out of his hold and fell into Langston’s captain’s chair. “That doesn’t make sense,” I said, totally bewildered. “Unless we broke up some kind of drug deal or something.”
“Or something,” Langston muttered to himself. “West, keep your gun close. We need to stay on alert until we’re back home, safe at the docks.”
He stared off into the night, studying the area where we’d last seen the ship—and the extra boat, it seemed. “I want to do a quick pass by where they were. See if they left anything behind that would tell us what the hell we just interrupted.” The cushions molded beneath my palms when I pushed off the seat to stand, but Langston shook his head. “You stay right there for now, where I know you’re safe.” He kissed the top of my head before gripping the wheel with one hand and the throttle with the other.
I wrapped both arms around his waist and squeezed. “Same.”
West plugged in the spotlight, directing the blinding beam over the dark water. I scanned the waves, not noticing anything floating among the whitecaps. A few moments later, West jerked the light, moving back a few feet.
“Did you two see that?” he muttered. “Get closer to where I’m spotlighting. I think I saw something floating.”
“What was it?” Langston asked, already turning the wheel to do as West asked. The engines roared to life, pushing the boat through the water.
“It was orange, I think. The color of those cheap life preservers.”
I sat forward, palms on the seat to keep me steady.
“Remember that scream and splash? Could be that someone fell in,” I suggested.
“There,” West exclaimed and jutted out his index finger, cutting through the light to help isolate where he pointed. “You see it?”
I sat up, holding on to the edge as I leaned forward, but I still couldn’t see a damn thing.
Langston grunted something and pushed on the throttle, clearly seeing whatever West did. Frustrated, I doubled my effort, straining to see whatever it was.
The boat shifted; the waves had calmed for a split second. A surprised gasp escaped and my hand flew up to cover my parted lips when I finally saw it.
I wish I hadn’t.
“Is that…?” I couldn’t finish, too focused on keeping my breathing steady so I didn’t pass out. Turning, I buried my face in Langston’s side, not wanting to see the floating life vest and person attached to it as we drew closer.
The two men whispered over my head, their tones low to keep me from hearing the conversation. If only it worked.
“What the fuck should we do?” The panic in West’s tight voice made me want to hug him.
“We can’t leave the body out there. Not only is it cruel to the deceased, but it’s evidence of what went down tonight.” Langston’s deep voice vibrated in his chest, tickling my cheek.
“Evidence of what?”
“Fuck if I know. Fuck if I fucking know.”
West’s radiating body heat vanished from my back as he went to… I didn’t want to know.
Yet I did.
