Unfortunately for Lorna and the single sound crew guys, no amount of happy hour booze had been enough to get me to go home with any of them. They were all nice and cute enough, but my heart—and my libido—just wasn’t in it. I was only interested in spending the night with one guy, and I was doing my best to ignore him. Which proved to be a lot easier when we weren’t within the same general vicinity.

After a few hours at the bar, Lorna ended up going to Justin’s room, leaving me alone to do exactly what I had hoped not to do—wallow. I watched the new episode and went to sleep feeling sexually frustrated, and woke up feeling the same. But I was going to stick to my guns. If I kept ignoring Dash then these feelings would go away.

They had to.

My “ignore Dash at all costs” plan was working great the next day. I managed to get myself off set by offering to run all the errands that none of the other PAs wanted to do. It also helped repair my relationship with some of them, especially since I was getting a lot of jealous flak for still having all three of my contestants in the running. I fetched coffee, ran dry-cleaning, and picked up deliveries. By the time I got back, most of the crew was gone, having headed to the location of tonight’s one-on-one dates, which had been scheduled to take place at the nearest secluded island.

Because of course the Hamptons had secluded islands that were perfect for romantic dates like the one Dash would be taking Kimmie on.

I had just returned to the mansion to drop off the supplies I had gathered from town, when Patrick popped his head out of his office and waved me down.

“Hey, you!” he called, snapping his fingers in my direction.

He obviously had no idea who I was, only that I was someone who worked for him. I forced a smile onto my face and followed him into his office.

“Can I help you with something?” I asked politely, standing near the door, which I kept open. The last thing I wanted was for him—or anyone else—to think I was someone interested in becoming another of his “fluffer PAs.” Ever since Andrea had pointed it out, I began to notice the kind of girls that would go to Patrick’s office at the end of the day. And how the crew would snicker about them behind their backs. That wasn’t going to be me.

Patrick was digging through a pile of papers on his desk, not looking at me.

“I need someone to escort Dash to the filming site,” he told me.

Shit.

“Escort him?” I asked, hoping he just meant from the house to the dock.

“Yeah, we need someone on the speedboat with him,” Patrick told me, finally finding what he had been looking for. He tossed me a set of keys.

“On the speedboat?” My stomach twisted. Not just because I had been trying so hard to avoid Dash and was now being forced back into close quarters with him, but because those close quarters were a boat. And just the thought of being on a boat made me feel queasy.

But it was immediately clear that Patrick couldn’t give two shits about how I felt.

“Why do you keep repeating what I’ve just said?” he snapped. “Am I not making myself clear? Or are you just incompetent?”

“Sorry,” I said quickly. “You’ve made yourself perfectly clear.”

“Good,” he frowned. “Then get out of my office and do what you’ve been told.”

I scurried away, cursing fate.

For a brief moment, I considered cornering one of the other PAs and pawning the responsibility off on them. No doubt, any of them would be thrilled to take my place, and I was pretty sure that Patrick didn’t know my name or even how to distinguish me from the other members of his crew. It was doubtful anyone would notice if I wasn’t the one to get on the boat with Dash.

But I had never let cowardice get the best of me, and I wasn’t going to let it get the best of me now. I was here to do a job, and dammit, I was going to do that job. Even if it meant possibly throwing up off the side of a speedboat while the hot guy I had been trying to avoid looked on.

What the hell. Maybe a little vomit would make Dash keep his distance.

Dash was standing on the dock, looking way too good in a pair of white shorts and a white shirt. Everything fit him perfectly, and he looked completely at home standing next to what was probably a very expensive speedboat. As I knew nothing about speedboats, I could only assume it was a very nice one.

As I stepped onto the dock, Dash looked over and smiled. And that smile made my knees go all wobbly. Or maybe that was the sway of the dock. Either way, I immediately felt unstable. And I didn’t like it.

“Just the woman I was hoping to see.” Dash crossed his arms as I approached. “I was starting to get the impression that you were avoiding me.”

“Good,” I told him. “Because I was avoiding you.”

He put his hand to his chest. “Well, now, that hurts my feelings.”

“I’m sure you can find someone willing to help soothe your—” I gave him a once-over. “Feelings.”

Dash laughed, and I was annoyed that my entire body seemed to warm at the sound. I was even more annoyed that Dash seemed to notice, taking the opportunity to step closer to me, and put his hands on my waist.

“Let me help you,” he said, and before I could answer, I found myself being lifted up and into the boat.

I really didn’t want to be charmed by that, but I was. There was something unbearably hot about being picked up by a hot guy. Especially one who lifted you as if you weighed nothing.

Dash followed me into the boat, and immediately it seemed to shrink around us. Not that I had time to ruminate on the close quarters.

“Keys?” he asked, and I dug them out of my pocket.

“Wait, don’t we have a driver?” I looked around. “Camera crew? Producer?” I couldn’t believe they were letting Dash go anywhere solo—and I thought I’d have a whole group of chaperones to help me “escort” him.

“Nope.” He grinned. “They’re all setting up on the island. It’s just me and you.”

He settled behind the wheel. As the engine roared to life, I grabbed onto the side of the boat, holding on for dear life. Dash was a former racecar driver. There was no way this trip was going to be slow and leisurely.

“Ready?” he asked, his smile going wicked.

I managed a nod, and we took off.

* * *

We flew across the water, and I was so exhilarated by the spray of the water and the sound of the waves that I didn’t have time to be nervous or nauseous. Dash handled the boat as if it was an extension of his own body, and his face reflected the same excitement I was feeling.

“This is amazing!” I told him. “Can we go faster?”

The grin he gave me had my knees going weak.

“Hell yes, we can go faster.” He winked at me, and the engine roared. I could feel the vibrations beneath my feet.

I could see the island just along the horizon, but I focused on the here and now. It was just Dash and me and the ocean, the sun beginning to set in the sky. Closing my eyes, I reveled in the cold splash of water against my cheeks. It was the perfect end to the day.

Suddenly the vibrations of the engine slowed and then stopped. Opening my eyes, I found that we were still in the middle of the ocean, with Dash frowning at the steering wheel.

“What happened?” I asked.

“I think it stalled,” he told me, twisting the key a few times, but getting no response from the engine.

“That’s not possible.” I felt panic began to rise in my throat. It was one thing to enjoy a ride with Dash, it was another to be stranded in the middle of the water with him.

“Anyone there?” Dash was speaking into the radio next to the steering wheel. “We’re having some engine issues.”

There was no response, and I really started to freak out.

“This is not good,” I told him, immediately picturing sharks circling the boat, just waiting for the right moment to leap out of the water and munch us both for dinner.

“Don’t worry,” Dash reassured me. “We’ll just drift for a while—they’ll find us soon enough.”

“How can you be sure?” I sat down, feeling my hands shake.

“Because they need me for the show,” Dash reminded me. “When we don’t arrive at the island, they’ll send out a rescue team.”

“What if it’s too late?” My breathing was getting a little rough.

“Too late?” Dash sat down next to me, his hand rubbing little circles between my shoulder blades. “What could possibly happen?”

“Sharks,” I gasped.

Dash laughed. “I think we’ll be OK.”

“But can you be certain?” I demanded, looking over at him.

“Can I be certain that sharks won’t get us?” he asked with a smile. “Yeah, I can be certain.”

I took a few more deep breaths until I realized I was being crazy and irrational. The waves were moving the boat gently, and I was surprised to discover I didn’t feel sick. Leaning back, I looked up at the sky which was getting darker, stars beginning to appear up above. It was nice out here on the water. Nice and peaceful.

“Beautiful,” Dash said, and when I looked over at him, I saw that he was staring at me.

“Stop it.” I pushed my hair back self-consciously.

“What?” he asked innocently. “Paying you compliments?”

“Flirting,” I told him. “It’s not a good idea.”

“It seemed like a good idea a few nights ago,” he reminded me. “Or did you forget how much fun we had in the city?”

I felt a twinge of guilt. “It was fun,” I agreed. “But that doesn’t mean it was—or is—a good idea.”

“You’ll have to be a little more convincing than that.” Dash crossed his arms. “Because as far as I remember, we had a perfectly romantic date, and then we get back to the Hamptons and you’re giving me the cold shoulder and telling me that we should just be friends.”

I was silent for a moment.

“It’s just too complicated,” I finally said.

“Bullshit,” he told me.

I raised my eyebrows at him. “Bullshit?”

“Yeah.” He turned to face me. “You know there was a real connection between us.”

“I thought there was,” I admitted. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re in the middle of a reality dating show. You’re supposed to be falling in love with one of the contestants. Have you even watched the episodes?”

He shook his head. “I don’t need to. None of that is real. You know I’m only on this show because of the money,” he reminded me. “All of this is just for show.” He gestured towards the island and at the boat.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s for show when Kimmie is sitting on your lap in front of everyone,” I said before I could stop myself.

Dash looked at me. “Are you jealous?”

“No!” I said quickly. Too quickly. “Why would I be jealous?”

“Because I’d be jealous if our situations were reversed,” Dash told me, taking my hand. “Because you’re the only person here that I want to be spending time with and it would drive me nuts to see you going out with other guys. You have to admit that there’s something here.” He gestured between the two of us. “Because I know it’s not one-sided.”

“That’s not the point,” I argued.

“Isn’t it?” he asked. “Just forget about the show for a moment. Tell me you’re not interested. Because it’s driving me crazy having you here—having you always around, just out of reach.”

With each word, Dash moved closer to me, until I could feel his breath against my cheek, could feel the heat from his body as his thigh pressed against mine, his shoulder rubbing up against me.

I wanted him. That was the truth. I wanted him so badly and he was right—it wasn’t one-sided. And it was driving me crazy, having him so close. So close and just out of reach.

I was tired of fighting it. Tired of holding back.

And for a moment, I forgot why I was even running away from this.

“Paige—” he said, but I didn’t let him finish, pressing my lips against his and cutting off whatever he was going to say.

It was like a drug—the touch of his lips against mine. Every time the sensation was more intense, more intoxicating. I slid my hands into his thick hair, the silky strands tangling in my fingers as I kissed him. And he kissed me back.

His tongue met mine, his mouth hot—so, so hot—against mine. The kiss deepened, but it wasn’t enough. Dragging my hands downward, I gripped his shirt and pulled him closer, his own hand at the small of my back, urging me to lie back. I did, and he was on top of me, that hot, heavy weight of his too perfect, too much.

The boat rocked beneath us, but the only movement I could concentrate on was the roll of his hips against mine as he pinned me to the bottom of the boat, my own legs wrapped around his waist, bringing the hard ridge of his cock in contact with my soft heat. We both groaned at the contact, so intimate and yet not enough. There were too many layers of clothes between us.

My fingers grabbed for the hem of his shirt, finally getting it up and over his head, revealing that perfectly sculpted torso, gleaming in the moonlight. But I only had a moment to admire it before he had it pressed against me again, his mouth hot on my neck, his hand slipping under the hem of my shirt, sliding upwards until it found my breast.

I wasn’t wearing a bra, and I could feel the vibration of Dash’s masculine groan as he discovered that. His thumb and forefinger captured my hard nipple, teasing me until I was practically sobbing for more. Shoving my shirt up and over my head, we were once again in the same state of undress that we’d been in back in Pittsburgh.

But I wanted more. My fingers went to his fly, but he captured my wrists and pinned them above my head. Then, with his other hand, he made quick work of my jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping them until they sat low on my hips. All the while, his lips and tongue and teeth were teasing a path down my throat.

I bucked my hips, wanting him to touch me, but he took his time. Finally he captured a nipple in his mouth and I nearly came right there. He swirled his hot, wet tongue around the taut peak, making me arch up towards him. He lavished attention on each breast before kissing his way down my stomach.

Then, he released my hands. Hooking his fingers into the waist band of my jeans, he pulled them down my legs, taking my panties with them. Then, I was bared to him on the floor of the boat, the stars above us. It was sexy and romantic and the look in his eyes nearly made me melt.

“Fuck,” he groaned, sitting back on his heels, his eyes dragging over me. “You’re so hot. I just want to eat you up.”

“Yes,” I moaned, and he grinned wickedly.

Then his mouth was on my stomach and then on my hip and then . . .

My head fell back as he licked me, his tongue hot and dangerously talented. His fingers gripped my hips, holding me in place as he teased me. I writhed against him, but he held firm. I could feel the slight stubble of his five o’clock shadow on my inner thighs and the sensation drove me crazy.

Reaching down, my hands found that thick, sexy hair of his, and I tangled my fingers in it as his tongue went deeper. He found my clit with deadly accuracy and I was moaning out loud, feeling my orgasm building inside of me. I was so close and yet he didn’t seem anywhere near ready to let me come. He hummed against me, the sensation vibrating through my entire body, making my toes curl.

I panted, rocking my hips forward, wanting more. His tongue circled my clit, sucking it into his mouth. My release was just beyond my reach, and then I felt his hand slide up my thigh, his fingers joining his mouth, one of them sliding deep inside.

I screamed as I came, and I was certain the entire boat shook with the power of my release. When I came back to earth, I found Dash smiling down at me, his hand on my hip, the grip almost possessive. I liked it.

I liked it a little too much.

He kissed me and I tasted myself. It was sexy in a way I’d never imagined, and I kissed him back, the haze of my orgasm lifting and making way for desire to slam back into me. But just as I reached for the button of his shorts, the radio next to the steering wheel crackled.

“Anyone there?” Andrea’s voice came through, immediately throwing a big bucket of cold water on the entire situation.

Scrambling for my clothes, I shoved my jeans back on and pulled my shirt over my head before grabbing for the radio.

“This is Paige,” I said. “Our engine died.”

“We’re sending a rescue party. Should only be a few minutes,” Andrea said, and for once I wasn’t pleased with her efficiency. I wouldn’t have minded going un-rescued for a least another hour. Or two.

I glanced over at Dash, who was still shirtless, a large bulge in his shorts extremely visible. Oh yeah. What I could have done with him for another hour or two.

He glanced over and caught me looking. I blushed, but he just pulled his shirt on and sidled up next to me. His body was warm. Hot. He was hot. We were hot.

“We’re just getting started,” he told me, as rescue lights appeared on the horizon.