“Do you have to spend much time on ships?”
He shook his head. “Not as a SEAL. I mean, we got to see the world, but most of what we saw was water. Did you know that less than thirty percent of the world is land? The rest of the surface is water. Everywhere.”
“That’s wild. I guess I really haven’t seen much of the world. The first time I saw the ocean was after I escaped. I was in San Francisco. It was so much bigger than I thought, and I guess it’s really a lot bigger.”
“The world is a huge place. I don’t think people really grasp how big it is.”
“Did you ever feel lost, insignificant when you were out there?”
He shrugged. “Not really.”
“When I was younger, I’d go outside at night and stare up at the stars. I felt so small. My parents didn’t let us do it, so it was always something I snuck around to do.”
“Dang, I can’t imagine parents stopping a child from being curious.”
“Watching the stars promoted idle time and thinking. We weren’t supposed to ask questions, and the stars promote questions.”
“That’s just insane.”
She nodded. “It was. They didn’t make the best decisions. Cults do that. I think I need to study what has been written about cults before I do more writing on my own.”
“I don’t know.”
“But why should anyone listen to me?”
“Because your perspective is good. People don’t need information only from professionals, they need to hear what it was like for you.”
“I want to do the subject justice.”
“I’m sure you will. Plus, there will be edits.”
A shudder shook her and he stepped closer, putting his arm around her. It felt good holding on to her.
“Edits? I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“I’m sure the book will be wonderful. And I’m sure you’ll work hard to make it good. You can certainly read some stuff about cults, pick up books and see what else had been said. But your experience is valid.”
She nodded and moved around the room to look at another exhibit. “I understand. I just feel like I’m not qualified.”
“You experienced it all firsthand, so it’s valid.”
They moved back to the gem exhibit, and she stood in front of an amethyst display. “Thank you for being so supportive. I really appreciate it.”
“Of course.”
She glanced up, and heat slid through him. He wanted to get her home and get her undressed, but he wasn’t going to rush her. They had time to make love, and anticipation would just make it sweeter.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Blakely kept her hands off Jump, trying to give him time to heal. After three days she was ready to jump him.
Jump came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulder. She glanced up, seeing the heat in his gaze. She stood, raising her eyebrows as he lifted his arms.
“Is your arm doing okay?”
He nodded. “It still hurts, but it’s so much better.”
She stepped closer, putting her hands on his waist. A shiver snaked through her. She wanted to feel him pressed up against her. This time, she wanted more than touching. She wanted to feel him slide into her.
