He was her ride.

Surfer Boy.

Sexy, sinful, Surfer Boy.

Heather swallowed hard. Even from a distance, her body reacted to him. Her first instinct was to shut it down, but she’d had two of Mick’s red drinks, plus a beer, and though she was far from drunk, she was…looser. Besides, she’d been thinking.

Why did she have to shut any thoughts down? She didn’t have anyone to report to. She was a free woman. And she could definitely do with a little fun.

No.

She could do with a whole lot of fun. It was a rebound thing. Isn’t that how it was supposed to work? She was expected to fall into bed with some sexy stud, who’d make her forget her cheating ex and the disappointing life she’d left behind. It was a rite of passage. She’d be doing herself a disservice if she didn’t pursue it.

“I see you found Ash.” Mick appeared at her side. He raised his arm in a wave to Surfer Boy, who was watching them. He waved back.

“Ash?”

“He’ll be your taxi driver. He kinda works for Sherri. Taking her supplies and running guests back and forth when she needs it.”

“Kinda?”

“I guess so. He never takes any money from her, from what I can tell. But he’s always there for her.”

“Are they…together?”

Mick laughed. “Nah. It’s more like a mother-son relationship. You’ll see when you meet Sherri. Although, with Ash you never…nah.” Mick dismissed his own thought with a laugh. “You want me to take you over there and introduce you?”

“No.” Heather hefted her pack to her back. “I got it. Thanks, Mick. You’ve been great.”

He pulled her into an unexpected but not unwelcome hug. “Whatever you need, chica. You know where to find me.”

She walked down the dock toward Surfer Boy. Knowing Mick stood behind her, she felt oddly comforted by the older man. Or maybe it was the town itself that gave her comfort? Despite—or maybe because of—the shambles of both the place and the people, in the few hours she’d been in Bocas Town, her initial distaste for the place had disappeared, replaced by a strange sense of belonging. She felt like for the first time she might have found a place where, for whatever reason, everything might be okay.

Surfer Boy watched her pick her way across the broken dock, carefully stepping over the rotted boards and exposed nails. She didn’t speak until she stood directly in front of him and his very full boat. “I think you’re my ride.”

He raised one eyebrow. His smirk said everything he didn’t need to. She could feel her face flush. There was a chance it could be mistaken for a sunburn. It was a chance. But not a very good one. Might as well own it.

“To Sherri’s place.”

“Of course.” He crossed his arms over his bare chest and for the second time that day, Heather had to force herself not to focus on the tight muscles and golden skin that just begged for her fingers to run over—

“So you’ll take me?”

His face split into a sinful smile. “Absolutely.”

It wasn’t going to be a conversation she’d be able to get out of gracefully. “Then you’re just the guy I’m looking for.” And he absolutely was. She hadn’t realized just how true that was until she closed another foot of distance between them and once more felt her entire body come alive at his nearness.

Damn.

She needed a man.

This man.

They stared at each other for a few moments. A challenge? Or a request? It was the boy who pushed between them, carrying a box of something that looked heavy before he jumped down into the boat.

Ash stepped back, ran a hand through his shaggy hair and surveyed his boat. It wasn’t much more than a wooden dingy, but longer. Heather was used to riding in similar boats, although the ones at the marina looked to be a little newer and in better shape. Surfer Boy’s boat didn’t even have a place to sit. Or if it did, it was completely covered in packages. There was nowhere for her to ride.

“Is there room for me in there?”

Ash turned to the boy, who was tucking the box into place. “Miguel? Are we done?”

“Last one, Señor.” The boy looked up at his captain with a smile.

Ash shrugged and turned back to her. “I’m sure we can squeeze you in…”

“Heather.” She offered her hand. Instead of shaking it, Ash took it and with a quick jerk, pulled her down to the boat. She only stumbled slightly before his arms were around her, bracing her and righting her body against his.

He still held her hand, and as soon as she took a half step backward to put space between them, he brought it to his lips and pressed a kiss on her knuckles. “It’s nice to meet you, Heather.”

She should be offended, or outraged that he’d manhandle her in such a way. But it wasn’t anger that flowed through her veins. She didn’t pull back, but let him hold her hand to his mouth and she felt every breath of air as he said, “I’m Ash. And I’ll make sure you get out to Sherri’s place, even if you have to be on top.”

Oh, sweet baby Jesus. If it was possible to spontaneously combust from desire, Heather would be lit up like a Christmas tree. It was all kinds of wrong, and went against everything she’d ever done or stood for as far as a moral code, but as far as she could tell, her morals weren’t going to have much of a say in anything when it came to Ash. Because if it came down to it, her body and every single feel-good hormone racing through her at top speed were definitely going to win out.

She slipped her hand from his. “I know who you are.”

“You do?” He raised an eyebrow. “My reputation precedes me, I see.”

“Maybe it does.” She smiled, enjoying the easy flirting. “But Mick told me.”

“Don’t believe anything.” He laughed. “Make yourself comfortable. I’m almost ready to shove off.”

Heather looked around and finally decided the only place for her backpack would be on her lap. The little boat was packed well, but her first assessment had been spot on. There wasn’t anywhere for her to ride. But she couldn’t stand. She picked her way through the packages and found a wooden crate toward the bow that looked as if it might be stable enough to support her. She perched delicately and watched while Ash dug in the pocket of his cargos and handed Miguel something. Judging by the smile on the boy’s face, it was likely cash.

“You ready?” Ash hopped into the boat, nimbly making his way to the stern, where he pulled the starter. The engine roared to life.

“Yes.” Her voice floated away on the air. There was no way he heard it over the rev of the engine. “Yes,” she yelled at the exact moment the engine settled into a low purr. “Yes. I’m ready to go,” she said again at a much more reasonable level.

He winked at her and gestured to Miguel to untie them. The moment the boat moved, she shifted on her perch. The fingers of her free hand gripped the crate beneath her while the other struggled to keep hold of her backpack.

“Are you okay up there?”

She nodded. It’s not as if she’d never been on a boat before. She had. Once or twice.

After all, she’d spent the last five years living at a marina, surrounded by boats. She’d been on her fair share of yachts of all kinds. Sailboats, and power boats big and small. But small was relative. And she’d never been on a boat quite as small as the one she was on at the moment. Especially one that was as loaded as Ash’s. For all intents and purposes, she’d lived a fairly sheltered life at the marina. The life of a dockmaster’s wife wasn’t all that demanding, and for the most part, Heather sat in the restaurant, visiting with guests from around the world, dreaming about going to those places. She didn’t actually participate much as far as the business was concerned.

Ash maneuvered the boat slowly through the docks. Even at the low speed, Heather knew her placement was precarious. Mick had said it was about a twenty-minute boat ride. She scanned the boat again, searching for an alternative.

There wasn’t one.

* * *

“You’re sure you’re okay up there?”

There was no way she was okay up there. He slowed the boat and let it idle. He admired her stubbornness. Hell, he found it sexy. But it wasn’t going to be very sexy fishing her out of the ocean. An image of her T-shirt, wet and stuck to her breasts, filled his head.

Okay, maybe it would be sexy.

Ash resisted the urge to turn the boat sharply so she’d fall out. No doubt it wouldn’t go over as well as he’d like it to. Although seeing her with her shirt skintight, wet, showing every line and curve on what was no doubt a ten out of ten body, would be worth it. It would be very worth it.

With a sigh of regret, he left the throttle, and took two steps toward the bow, holding out his hand for her. “Come on.”

“Honestly, I’m fine up—whoa.”

A boat passing by sent out a wave that threatened to make the decision for both of them. Ash stretched out and grabbed her arm moments before it happened. “Gotcha.” He took her backpack with one hand and without releasing her arm, helped her to the back of the boat. Heather’s eyes were wide, but she didn’t look scared. Instead, she looked as if she was fighting back laughter. Sure enough, the moment she plopped down across from him on a bag of rice, she burst into laughter.

He waited a moment, scratched at the scruff on his chin and finally tucked her backpack in beside her before her laughter died down.

“Sorry.”

Ash chuckled. “Never apologize for laughing. I’m just glad you didn’t go in.” That was a lie. The image of a wet T-shirt was still very much in his head. “Besides, it’s a beautiful sound.”

She blushed at the compliment, the flush trailing down the deep vee of her shirt.

“Are you settled now?”

She looked much more stable situated on the rice in front of him. It would make navigating a little more difficult, but Ash had no complaints staring at the beautiful woman in front of him.

She nodded. “I’m good. Are you sure you can see?”

“I can see everything I need to.”

She blushed again, but this time smiled before any conversation was swallowed by the roar of the engine. He navigated the boat past Bocas Town, which literally hovered on the edge of the sea. In places, it looked as if the pieced-together buildings were falling into the water.

Leaving from the main dock, there was a much larger, nicer boat painted bright blue with Turquoise Cove painted on the side. It was filled with the resort tourists. Those were the people who’d signed up to spend a week or two at one of the exclusive resorts tucked far enough away from Bocas Town that the guests would be able to forget about the poverty and sense of desperation they’d caught a glimpse of when their plane landed. They had no clue that there was more to the world than their carefully constructed bubbles.

Ash saw Heather watching the bright-blue boat, and could tell she had the same opinion of those people that he did. Not that they were bad, just that they were missing out. He turned the boat away from town and aimed it toward the maze of mangrove forest on the other side of the bay. He used to be one of those people. He’d lived his own carefully constructed life, working twelve hours a day for the promise of a better future. When he did take a vacation, it was exactly what those people were going to: a tropical version of what he had back home. Complete with Internet access and a full office so he didn’t have to leave the office behind.

That was a different world. A world he didn’t like to think about.

Ash revved the engine, pushing the little boat hard through the waves.

Heather had spun on her perch and was turned away from him, looking out at the water and the thick mangrove forests. No. She wasn’t looking at all. Her eyes were closed, her face tilted up into the wind. Some hair had escaped from its tie and whipped around her face and neck but it didn’t seem to bother her. Ash felt almost as if he were intruding on a private moment, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away.

There was something about her. Beautiful, wild, and sexy as hell.

For the next few minutes, they drove in silence. The boat sliced through the calm waters as they raced toward Casa del Sol. He loved it when the seas were quiet; they often weren’t, even sheltered in the mangroves the way they were. But so late in the day the way they were now, it was particularly special to see the shadows dance with their reflections, everything cast in a glow of orange, pink, and yellow as the sun started its slow descent.

He would have happily taken his time to get back to the B&B, and it was easy to see Heather would enjoy the ride. But they were losing daylight quickly and it was never a great idea to drive around in the dark, especially not with a full load. Besides, Sherri would start to worry, and she hadn’t seemed like herself the last few days. It was probably better to spare her any type of stress or concern.

Heather turned around and smiled at him in a way that he could tell she hadn’t done in a long time. Probably too long.

Screw it.

He turned the boat to the left. Away from Casa del Sol and directly toward a tangle of mangroves.