Chapter 8

Pippa rushed for the exit to the marina, but her legs shook so badly, she turned toward a bench and collapsed onto it. She buried her face against her knees, hugging her legs to her chest in an attempt to stop trembling.

She concentrated on her breathing. In. Out. Again. The sound of another boat’s horn, indicating it was leaving the harbor, had her head jerking up, terrified all over again. God, I can’t do this. Not on a boat. Ever.

Pippa had grown up around boats and at one time had loved sailing, yachting, and even scuba diving. She’d lived to be on the water, soaking up the sunshine and the waves, but all of that had changed after her mother’s tragic accident six years ago. Since then she’d steered clear of deep water.

The first year after her mother’s death, she’d suffered from horrible nightmares every single night. Her father had taken her to a plethora of counselors and she’d undergone every therapy under the sky from hypnosis to disassociation. It had worked…somewhat.

She’d stopped having the horrific nightmares and she could handle being in the pool or around the ocean. But not on a boat. The terror of deep water and what it could do had never left her.

As she regained control over her breathing and her emotions again, she sat up straight and looked at the bobbing white boats in the marina. This time her vision didn’t blur. She’d set foot on a boat and nothing bad had happened.

With one hand she reached for her backpack, just to realize it wasn’t there. After a few moments of panic, she remembered that it must still be on the Moana. In her rush to get off the boat, she’d forgotten her backpack with all of her belongings.

There was no way around it, she had to return. She was halfway to where River’s boat was tethered when she saw him coming toward her, holding her backpack in his strong hand.

Her feet stalled, as her eyes remained glued to his shirtless torso, awakening the butterflies in her stomach. How was she supposed to deal with her intense attraction to him and her fear of water? She wasn’t sure she could fight two intense emotions at the same time.

But the moment he came within a few feet of where she stood and looked at her with his impossibly blue eyes, the fear vanished. On his boat, she’d been effected the same way by just his presence. It was if being with him protected her from all evil, even the monsters created by her own imagination.

“Thanks,” Pippa murmured as he handed her the backpack. An awkward silence ensued, and the little voice in her head screamed at her to beg his forgiveness. Tell him you really want the job.

With a tiny gasp, she let herself fall into the safety of his eyes, his concern for her so evident there, he could have voiced it. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. One day she would have to face her fears, why not today? With the man by her side who made her feel safe. Of course, he didn’t have to know, because while she appreciated the way he made her feel, she wouldn’t allow herself to fall in love with him.

She wouldn’t allow herself to fall in love with anyone.

“I’m sorry I took off. Please if you can forgive me, I…if you still need help, I’d still like the job.” Pippa had a hard time holding his gaze, but she managed, not missing the indecision flashing through his eyes. He’s having second thoughts. Great.

“I really could use some help. Can I show you my boat now?” he finally said.

Relief flooded her system, but was washed away by a gnawing discomfort. She nodded and dug her fingernails into her palms for courage. River took the backpack from her other hand, where it indented her palm, and hefted it to one shoulder. “Let’s go.”

She followed on his heels like a well-trained puppy, her eyes trained on his muscled back that so effortlessly shouldered her heavy bag. As long as she was near him, she’d be fine. Everything else would find itself.

For a moment she stared at the gurgling black water beneath the dreaded gangway, but seconds later his hand reached out for hers and the feeling of security returned. Thankful for the soothing effect his presence had on her, Pippa didn’t bother to dig deeper into her emotions. One step at a time. One moment at a time.

“So, like all of the others, your cabin is downstairs.” River pointed to the deck, “I’ve had the Moana specially outfitted for diving. The oxygen tanks are stored in that metal cage. We can take up to ten scuba divers on each trip.”

Pippa was more than a bit curious about her new boss. “Do you live on the boat even when it’s not out on a trip?”

“Yeah. This is my home.” His eyes shone when he talked about his boat. “My cabin is at the end of the main hallway, behind the salon. It’s absolute taboo territory for guests and crew.” His blue eyes bored into her and something passed through them, which she couldn’t quite decipher. With all the emotions roiling through her, she didn’t want to. Deciphering her crazy attraction to him could be dealt with later. 

“Moana. That’s an unusual name,” Pippa said. Below deck the gnawing feeling in her stomach had dampened down. In the salon with wooden walls, panoramic windows and comfortable looking leather couches, she could pretend this was just another hotel. One of the many hotels she’d stayed with her parents or Daniel.

“Moana is Hawaiian and means Ocean or Open Sea,” River explained and the gnawing intensified again. But he seemed to sense her distress and took a step closer, smiling. “No need to worry, as long as you’re with me you’re safe.”

Pippa stared at him wide-eyed. How did he know?

“Come on down and you can stow your gear.” He motioned for her to follow him down the stairs. Her breathing became shallow again, but at least her pulse stayed within a normal level.

“You’ll be the only one using this cabin, so feel free to spread out.” River unlatched the door and showed her inside the small double cabin.

“I’ll unpack later.” Pippa tossed her backpack onto the lower bunk.

“Great. I’ll give you the grand tour now, then.” She followed him around and listened as he spoke with pride about his baby. “She has two engines and two generators. I didn’t want to worry about having to take on fresh water, so I had her equipped with two desalination units, each one can put out a ton of fresh water daily, and there is a seven-ton storage compartment onboard as well.”

He led her to the cabin housing the controls and pointed out the various equipment. “We have state of the art radar, VHF and a GPS plotter, as well as a variety of other gadgets I like to play with.”

“Boys toys?” Pippa remembered well how her father had always bought the newest, shiniest tech gadget for their yacht under the disguise of security equipment, but in fact it had been to show off.

“That’s what my sister says.” He gave her another one of his panty-melting smiles and her body temperature rose. “Let’s go to the main deck now.”

Pippa swallowed, but nodded. She resisted the urge to grasp his hand for the comfort he provided.

“Life vests are stored in that box over there. Fire extinguishers, the first aid kit, oxygen and additional masks in that box above.” River led her up to the sundeck. “Now for the fun parts of the ship. I showed you where the cabins are located. The master suite is at the end of the hall and I have a safe inside there as well as a private bathroom. All of the double cabins have their own bathroom.”

“Isn’t that a little bit unusual?” Pippa asked.

“Yes, but I have a total of eight double cabins onboard. Sharing bathroom facilities didn’t seem a smart thing to ask paying guests to tolerate. The main deck houses the salon, which includes the dining area and bar. There is an ice maker installed behind the bar counter, as well as a full suite of electronics for entertainment purposes.”

Pippa looked around, liking the polished wooden floors and clean lines of the décor. Each cabin was air conditioned and separately controlled for individual comfort. It seemed that River had thought of just about everything his guests could need to fully appreciate paying his fees.

“The boat is wonderful,” she said, sincerity in every word. At one time, it was the kind of boat she would have been thrilled to be on. Now, she just hoped she could forget it floated on a watery demon.

“Feeling more comfortable now?” he asked as they climbed up to visit the sun decks.

Pippa gave him a small smile and nodded. With him right beside her, the fear melted away.