Chapter 6

It wasn’t quite as exciting as she’d hoped.

But then again, Mike hadn’t let her see what she wanted to see. The entire lower level was finished and housed an impressive home gym, a theater room, and Wade’s office. That’s where the printer was, but Mike had essentially held Taylor off at the door while he made a copy of the document for her. Taylor had been dying to go inside the office—especially to find out if this was where Wade did his writing—to touch things and look at what was on the shelves, but Mike had explained it was something his boss wanted to show her in person, and that she needed to be patient.

Pfft. Patience. It was highly overrated.

To say that she was disappointed was a given. Her enthusiasm returned—somewhat—when she got to see what equipment the gym sported: aside from weight machines and treadmills, there were also stationary bikes. “Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed. “The man must enjoy keeping in shape,” she observed, walking over to one of the bikes and staring at it in awe. “I’ve always wanted one of these. It would be great in the winter months. I have a regular outdoor bike, and I had to buy it at a garage sale.” She ran her hands lovingly over the bike and then noticed Mike’s amused expression. “I know it’s weird to get so excited over a bike, but it’s my favorite hobby.”

“Wade says you are to have full access to the gym while you’re here,” he said with a smile. Next, he took her to see the media room, and soon they found themselves back up in the kitchen. “If you’re interested, we can take a ride into town. I’ll show you some of the highlights and maybe we could grab lunch. What do you think?”

She thought it sounded like a date but kept that observation to herself. “Sounds good to me. Let me get a jacket and my purse, and I’ll meet you outside.”

Rushing up the stairs, she ran into her room and was outside within a matter of minutes as Mike was pulling another SUV out of the garage. She wanted to ask him if this was his car or one of Wade’s, but wasn’t sure how to phrase it without possibly insulting him. Not that it mattered whose car it was—there would be time to find out about Wade’s tastes later. “So where are we going?” she asked as she climbed in.

“Into town. There’s not a whole lot there—lots of mom-and-pop stores—but there’s a great diner where I figured we’d go for lunch. I eat there often.”

“Really? But you’re such a good cook.”

He smiled at the compliment. “Sometimes it’s nice to go out and let someone else cook. Plus, it’s not as much fun cooking for one.”

She was going to ask how often he cooked for two—or more—but thought better of it. They drove the rest of the way in silence as Taylor sat back and enjoyed the scenery. When they pulled up in front of the diner, Mike was at her door before she even had the chance to open it, and helped her out. Taking her hand in his, he led her into the restaurant and Taylor couldn’t help but smile.

This was definitely a date.

* * *

For such a small town, they were certainly able to kill a lot of time. Lunch at the diner was way better than she had expected, and it seemed like everyone who came in knew Mike. She met what seemed like dozens of people, and for each one who stopped by the table, Mike made sure to introduce her, engaging in conversations that centered on the other person—not Mike. Taylor made a mental note of that—the man certainly was humble and didn’t like any attention on himself. She admired that.

After their lengthy lunch, they walked hand in hand around town. Mike took her into just about every store, and he was able to give her the history of each of them along with the history of the town itself. It wouldn’t make for anything interesting in her article, but it would make for good filler material if she needed it.

She took pictures of some of the older buildings, and at one point Mike stopped someone he knew and asked them to take his and Taylor’s picture together. It meant more to her than it should have to finally have a picture of just the two of them, but she couldn’t help it. In the back of her mind she had a feeling that once she printed the photo, it was going to become the new inspirational picture that could replace the Montauk lighthouse.

Not maybe. Definitely.

The weather wasn’t as cool as she’d feared, but as they continued to walk and the sun began to set, the chill started to come back. She shivered and Mike pulled her close. “Tomorrow’s supposed to be warmer. We’ll be able to enjoy being outside a lot more.”

She looked up at him and arched a brow. “We’ll be outside again tomorrow?”

He nodded. “Actually, we’re taking a bit of a road trip tomorrow. I’m going to take you to Wade’s second home. It’s on the coast and we’ll probably end up staying there the night. I thought it would make a great addition to your article—you could tell a little more about him.”

She gave him a warm smile. “Is it big like the farmhouse?”

Chuckling, he hugged her close for the briefest of moments before leading her back to the car. “You know, I don’t remember you being this nosy or impatient when I knew you before.”

Now it was her turn to laugh. “Well, you get enough unpleasant surprises and you learn to be cautious and know what you’re getting into beforehand.”

Mike stopped in his tracks and instantly sobered. “I just wanted to give you another view for your article, that’s all.”

If Taylor didn’t know any better, she’d swear he was panicking. But why? “I wasn’t accusing you of anything,” she reassured him. “I was just answering your question—or, rather, defending your observation. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

He shook his head, feeling slightly foolish. “You didn’t and…I shouldn’t have gotten defensive. It’s just…after what you told me last night about you and Ed, I didn’t want you painting me with the same brush, you know?”

She nodded. “I don’t. I could never.”

That pleased him. “C’mon. Let’s get back to the farm. I’ve got some work to do and I’m sure you want to get some work done on the article and maybe put a call in to your editor about the document we sent over. And then I’ve got a couple of great steaks I want to grill for dinner.”

While it all sounded good, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that he wasn’t talking about picking up where they’d left off earlier. Mike was going to read her like a book. They got back to his vehicle and he unlocked the doors, opening hers. As he helped her inside, he captured her hips with his hands and leaned in to kiss her thoroughly. “What was that for?” Taylor asked, feeling slightly breathless when he released her lips.

“That was a preview of what’s to come for dessert.”

* * *

The alarm went off way too early for Taylor’s liking. She had gone to bed early—not by choice—but hadn’t slept well.

Last night held so many promises. She and Mike had shared a wonderful dinner out on the back porch with the help of a couple of heat lamps, and they talked until Taylor’s voice was almost hoarse. As soon as they had cleaned up the dinner mess, Mike got a call about a problem with some of the cattle and he’d left. He had apologized profusely but told Taylor not to wait up for him. He wouldn’t be back.

Staring up at the ceiling, she let out a long breath. It wasn’t as if she’d expected much—not really—but she had been looking forward to the dessert he had alluded to earlier. The practical side of her reminded herself that she had only been there for a couple of days and it was too soon to be thinking about getting physical with him. But the little devil sitting on her shoulder reminded her that she’d been fairly close to Mike years ago and it wasn’t like he was a stranger.

And then it hinted at how long it had been since she’d had sex.

Stupid devil.

Rising from the bed, Taylor told herself that today was a new day. They were going out of town—and spending the night somewhere else—so maybe it was all for the better. Knowing this was Jonathan Wade’s primary residence made her a little uneasy. She shouldn’t even be considering getting physical with Mike here. She had hoped he would take her to his place. It was true there was the possibility he lived on the property, but Taylor knew she’d prefer going there and doing whatever they were going to do than doing it here.

Okay, stop thinking about doing it, she admonished herself as she gathered up her things and headed for the shower. It was bad enough that she had erotic dreams of him all night long. She had tossed and turned and was now feeling more than a little on edge. The hot spray did wonders for the tension in her tired muscles but little for her wayward thoughts.

By the time she was downstairs making coffee, Taylor had begun to wonder if they were still going out of town. She had no idea what a “cattle emergency” even was or if Mike had gotten any sleep last night. For the moment, she relished time alone in the kitchen to clear her mind.

Staring out the big window and looking toward the barn, she sighed. “Did you sleep okay?” the deep voice said behind her and she very nearly jumped out of her skin. Mike placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her when she turned around. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

Taylor’s hand went over her heart to try to calm it. “Well, you did,” she said, forcing a smile. “Sorry.” She shook her head to clear it. “I slept fine, what about you? How late were you out there?”

Stepping away, he poured himself some coffee. “It was after two when I finally crawled into bed,” he said wearily.

“Does this sort of thing happen often?”

He shrugged and took a long drink from his steaming mug. “Not really, and when it does, it can’t be helped. I’m used to it.”

“If you want to postpone our trip, that’s fine with me. I’m sure I can find something to do around here to keep me busy.”

Mike placed his mug on the counter and considered her. “What would you do?”

“I’m not sure. I’m always thinking of new questions I want to ask in the interview, and I wouldn’t mind going back into town and looking around a little more. I’ll probably have to wait until tomorrow to hear back from Victoria and our legal department on the document we sent them—or,” she said as the idea hit her, “I could go for a bike ride.”

“All good possibilities,” he said after a few awkward minutes of silence. Then he turned and picked up his mug and started to leave the kitchen. “But all unnecessary. Meet me outside in fifteen minutes.”

And then he was gone.

Taylor stood there dumbfounded for a full minute before she actually moved. Then she quickly ate a cup of yogurt and took her coffee up to her bedroom to finish packing. Most of it was done, but now it was a matter of getting it all down the stairs and out to the car.

Once outside, she saw Mike pulling the SUV out of the garage. “You know, Newslink is paying for this rental. Why don’t we use it?” she suggested.

“It’s not a big deal,” he said when he took her bags and put them in the trunk. When they were both seated and buckled in, he turned to her. “Ready?”

Nodding, she smiled. “You never told me where it is that we are going.”

“Kennebunkport,” he said as they drove down the long driveway.

Unfortunately, Taylor didn’t know too much about the area, so she simply had to sit back and trust him in where they were going. They drove down many two-lane roads through small communities, and it gave her a sense of peace. “I would love to drive like this every day and not have to deal with the crazy pace of the city,” she sighed.

“Why do you stay there?” he asked, glancing her way.

“I’m used to it now, I guess. Besides, I’m rooted there. My job’s there. I have nothing to move to.” It was a sad but true statement. Taylor had no real family left. Even though it meant there was no one to keep her where she was, it also meant there was no one to move for.

“You think you would enjoy country life after all this time?”

“Absolutely. In the last two days I’ve felt better than I have in a long time.”

“In what way?”

“I’m relaxed, for starters. I find that I’m sleeping better, plus I haven’t had to yell or curse at anybody in at least forty-eight hours. That’s a record in my book!” They laughed and Taylor sat back and enjoyed the ride.

She must have nodded off because she felt herself gently nudged and heard Mike’s soft voice telling her they had arrived. Opening her eyes, she noticed they were parked by a marina.

“What are we doing here?” she asked, blinking at the sights.

“I told you we were going to see Wade’s second residence.” He nodded his head toward the marina. “It’s down there.”

“He has a boat?” she croaked. Mike was already out of the vehicle and gathering their bags from the back. He opened the door for Taylor and held it for her as she climbed out. There were dozens of boats docked at the marina, and Taylor wished she had some knowledge about Jonathan Wade that she could guess which one was his. Judging from his need for privacy, she’d imagine it would be plain and unobtrusive.

Watching Mike walk ahead of her, she was shocked to see him stop in front of a rather large yacht. Surely, he was stopping there to wait up for her. She picked up the pace and when she was by his side asked, “Well, which one is it?”

“We’re here,” he said and handed the bags to the captain waiting at the side of the boat.

“This is the boat of a man who craves anonymity?” she cried as she climbed on board. “This thing is easily fifty feet long!” Noticing other uniformed people on board, she added, “With a crew!”

Mike walked behind her, laughing. “Fifty-five feet, actually,” he corrected, and when she turned to him with wide eyes, he reached out and took her hand. “Relax, Taylor. Just because the guy likes his privacy doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy the good life. You make it sound like he should be living in a cave or something.”

He was right. Thus far, Jonathan Wade had been nothing that she’d expected—even though she’d yet to meet him. In a million years, she never would have pictured him living on a working farm, or having such a…normal home. He obviously trusted his employees with all he had since Mike seemed to have free rein of the place and all that went with it. And then there was the yacht. She didn’t even know how to begin to process it all. Shaking her head in disbelief, she let Mike lead her on the tour.

The boat housed four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large living and dining area, and a fully equipped kitchen. The captain, as well as two crew members, were there to assist them. The furniture was very modern and inviting—it was almost possible to forget she was on a boat and not in a luxury apartment. After the tour, Taylor sat down in the living room and thanked one crew member as he handed her a glass of iced water. She was still a little in awe of her surroundings and watched as he walked away. Mike sat down beside her.

“Well? What do you think?”

“I think I feel a little on display,” she whispered, glancing at the crewmen. Before she could stop him, Mike walked over to them and told them their services were not needed at the moment. Her jaw dropped. She was frowning when he rejoined her on the sofa.

“Now what’s wrong?” he asked with a dramatic sigh.

“This isn’t right,” she said as she faced him. “All of it. The car, the boat, the crew…” She stood up and began to pace. “I mean, I feel like I had to jump through all kinds of hoops to get here. I know the agreement we had, but I’m not okay with it. I should be sitting down like a serious journalist interviewing her subject, not tooling around with one of his employees!”

The look on Mike’s face told her that her ranting had hit a nerve. His jaw clenched and she saw a spark of anger in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Mike. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It’s just…well, the man should be here doing all of this himself. If he was serious about this interview, he’d be the one here, not having you drive me all over the place and entertaining me. Maybe it’s because of his reclusive lifestyle—he doesn’t realize how all of this would be considered odd.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him,” he answered in a tight tone. Standing, he walked to the kitchen to grab a beer. “You want one?” he asked coldly, seemingly unaware that it was barely eleven o’clock in the morning.

Taylor went to him. “I’m sorry. Please don’t be angry with me,” she pleaded. “I’m not used to being idle for this long. I work a lot. I don’t take vacations. Maybe he thought this would be a treat, but it isn’t for me. I was looking forward to working with a great author. Everyone back at the magazine is counting on me, but instead of working, I’m traipsing all around Maine!”

“There’s nothing I can do about it, Taylor, so you might as well concede defeat and go with it.” He took a sip of beer so he could gain a moment to get his emotions under control. “The plan was to take you out for a sail today and on a bicycle tour tomorrow. The weather is going to be unseasonably warm so I thought you’d enjoy it. We can head home after lunch if you’d prefer.” He turned to walk out before she could respond, but she stopped him.

“Wait a minute,” she called after him in an angry tone. When he turned around and faced her, she stormed over to him. “I said I was sorry, dammit. What more do you want from me?” He didn’t say a word, but a blaze of emotion flashed in his eyes. “Why is it that we’ve been able to talk about nearly anything and everything, and yet when I happen to express my feelings—my frustrations—you get ticked off? This is who I am, Mike. I’m not the quiet girl you used to know. I have emotions and there are times when I’m out-and-out bitchy. If you can’t deal with that, then okay, we’ll head back to the farm. We don’t even have to wait until after lunch. Let’s just go now.” She turned to head down the hall, where she had seen one of the crewmen place her luggage, but Mike reached out and grabbed her gently around her upper arm to stop her.

“Hey,” he said softly. “You’re right. I overreacted and I’m sorry. I guess it didn’t occur to me that you wouldn’t be pleased with all of this. Most people would kill to play ‘lifestyles of the rich and famous’ for a few days. I’m used to people being okay with taking advantage of what Wade’s money has to offer.”

“Well, I’m not,” she replied in the same quiet tone. “I don’t expect to be treated like this, like I’m somebody who needs to be pampered and spoiled. To be honest, it makes me a little uncomfortable.”

He tugged her closer. “I was hoping you’d be pleasantly surprised by the bike tour, though. I thought it was perfect for you, and technically not a very pampering experience.” A lopsided grin crossed his face and Taylor couldn’t help but grin with him. “I would really like to take you on the tour.”

“I’d really like to go on the tour. Thank you.”

He slowly released her arm and took a drink from the frosted bottle in his other hand, his eyes on Taylor the entire time. Carefully, he placed it down on the butcher-block counter and visibly seemed to relax. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll tell the captain we’re ready to go, and we can get some good time out on the water today. Would you like that?” She nodded and all the remaining tension left his body. “Good. I’ll be right back.”

“Mike?” she called out when he was halfway out the door. “I’m sorry about what I said before. I didn’t mean it.”

“I know,” he said and walked out the door.

* * *

Two hours later, Taylor felt like she had stepped into the pages of some amazing travel magazine. The view of the water was breathtaking—the weather was perfect and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. They enjoyed their lunch out on the deck and for the most part, they kept their conversation to a minimum.

Taylor didn’t mind. She had said enough earlier and didn’t want to risk saying anything else that would upset Mike. Once she was done with her lunch, she took out her camera and got some shots of the ocean. Not that there was much to see, but she had never gone sailing in any way, shape, or form in her life, so the experience was new and she wanted to capture it on film.

“We’ll continue on this course for another hour or so,” Mike said as he came to stand beside her. “Then we’ll stop for a while. I wish it was warmer so we could have gone for a swim.”

“Oh, I don’t know if I would have been ready for something like that. I’m a big baby when water is involved. And I’m pretty sure it’s super deep out here with lots of slithering creatures swimming about. No thank you.” He chuckled at her words and they shifted positions so Taylor was leaning against the rails as Mike wrapped his arms around her from behind.

It was a good feeling. Very good. Taylor couldn’t help but lean back into him so she could feel him firmly pressed against her, practically from head to toe. Without thought, she tilted her head to the side and was thrilled when he took that as a sign to begin nuzzling at her neck. She hummed her approval and soon found herself turning in his arms.

“Hi,” he said softly as she faced him.

“Hi, yourself.” Her arms came up and twined their way around his shoulders as she pressed closer to him.

“You’re missing a pretty spectacular view,” he said, leaning his forehead against hers.

“I think this particular view is pretty spectacular, too.” Then she leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips, and was rewarded when he groaned right before his arms banded around her.

“If we start this, you’re going to miss the rest of the sights,” Mike said, his voice a little gruff.

“I think I’d be more than happy with the sights below deck,” she said with a wicked grin so that Mike couldn’t miss the double entendre.

Wordlessly, Mike took Taylor’s hand and led her back into the main cabin, and then down the stairs to the master stateroom. He closed the door, watching as she slowly wandered the room, touching the furniture and the bed. She was slightly nervous. “We don’t have to do this, Taylor. Not if you’re uncomfortable.”

Looking over her shoulder at him, she smiled and chuckled. “You may not believe this, but the only thing making me uncomfortable is how much I want this and the fact that I want to…push you up against that door and have you kiss me like you did in the kitchen yesterday. Until neither of us can catch our breath.”

A lazy grin crossed his face. “And yet you’re standing all the way over there.”

Slowly, so slowly, she walked toward him until he had no choice but to back up against the door. Her breathing was ragged, and the intense look on Mike’s face was the sexiest thing she had ever seen. “Are we crazy?” she asked softly. “We barely know each other anymore.”

Mike shook his head. “We’re not crazy, Taylor. I never forgot you. Couldn’t forget you.” He reached out to stroke a hand across her cheek and she was surprised to see it was shaking. She was relieved to know she wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

“Me too, you know. I never forgot you, either. I felt guilty—”

“Shh…” He placed a finger over her lips. “I don’t want to talk about the past. Not anymore.” She nodded in agreement and stepped closer to him until her breasts were pressed against his chest. He removed his finger from her lips and caressed her cheek with it. “You’re so soft, Taylor. So beautiful.”

She blushed at his words. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. Not ever. Only him. “I need you to touch me,” she said boldly.

It was all the encouragement he needed. As she rose on tiptoes to press her lips to his, Mike’s hands immediately went to her waist before he let his hands roam up her back and then down to her bottom, where he gently squeezed, and then back up and around until her breasts filled his hands and his thumbs were teasing her nipples.

Taylor kissed him all the while, not wanting to stop, needing him desperately. Without even realizing it, he began to walk her backward toward the bed. When the back of her legs touched the mattress, she jumped, breaking the kiss. There were a million questions in Mike’s eyes as she looked at him. And her answer to every one of them was yes.

She reached down for the hem of her sweater and lifted it over her head. Looking up at Mike, she was surprised to see he was still looking at her face, her eyes. He was wearing his standard attire of thermal layered with flannel. Taylor’s hands went to work on the buttons of the flannel shirt and she smiled up at him. “I’ve been wanting to do this for days.”

“Days, huh?” She nodded. When the last button was undone and she pushed the shirt from his shoulders and down his arms, he let it fall to the ground before he took care of the thermal shirt himself. It joined the pile on the floor as well.

Unable to help herself, Taylor leaned in and let her hands finally feel the strong expanse of his chest. It was even more impressive than what she’d imagined. His skin was warm and smooth, with a smattering of hair that was perfect to her. Her mouth actually watered and she closed the distance to rain tiny kisses across his chest until she heard him hiss.

Lifting her head, she looked up at him. Their gazes never wavered as she reached behind her and unhooked her bra and let it drop to the floor. Next, she kicked her shoes off and then shimmied out of her jeans and panties. When she straightened and looked at him, she saw a fire in his eyes that excited her more than any caress ever had.

“I seem to be a little overdressed,” he said thickly, his eyes still on hers.

“I doubt you’ll stay that way for long,” she said wickedly as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and carefully pulled him down onto the bed with her.

And she was right.

* * *

Later, as Taylor lay in his arms, she couldn’t help but marvel at how right everything felt, as if her entire life had been leading up to this specific point in time. She sighed and snuggled closer to him. “That was pretty amazing,” she finally said.

He kissed the top of her head. “I have to agree. But then again, I knew it would be.”

Slowly, Taylor lifted her head. “You did, huh?” He nodded. “How could you be so sure?”

“Because it’s you,” he said simply. “I knew ten years ago when I kissed you that if we ever had the chance at more, it would be incredible.” His hand reached out and softly skimmed her cheek. “You were worth the wait.”

Everything inside of her melted and she had no idea what to say. She felt the same way about him. It was hard to be with him—and not just like this—but in any capacity and not regret the past. If she had been stronger, more confident back then, maybe she would have sought him out after she and Eddie had broken up. To think of all the years they wasted just wondering what could have been.

Leaning down, Mike kissed her thoroughly. “As much as I’d like to keep you down here all day and night, I need to go back on deck and make sure things are running smoothly and see about dinner.”

“Is it dinnertime already?” she asked, looking at the clock in surprise. They had been locked away for hours. A blush crept across her cheeks. She was going to say something flippant about time flying and all that, but it would have been ridiculous.

Mike rose from the bed and went in search of his pants. “I made sure everything was stocked for us for dinner so all I have to do is cook it up.” He glanced at the clock. “Why don’t you stay down here and relax or write or whatever you want to do. I’ll call for you when dinner’s ready. How does that sound?”

“Like you’re spoiling me,” she said as she sat up and stretched. The sheet she had been carefully clinging to slipped down around her waist, baring her to him. At first Taylor was oblivious to what she’d done, but one look at the heated expression on Mike’s face and she knew. Her hands immediately went to pick up the sheet and cover herself, but Mike placed one knee on the bed and his hand reached out to stop her.

“Don’t,” he said, his voice low. “You’re so beautiful, Taylor. I look at you and I ache.” His head lowered to her breast and Taylor felt herself slowly falling back onto the pillows, Mike’s body carefully covering hers. His lips gently suckled and a moan escaped Taylor’s lips before she could stop it.

“What about dinner?” she whispered breathlessly.

“It can wait,” he growled as he kicked off his jeans and dove under the sheets with her.

* * *

Taylor was positively boneless by the time Mike left to go up on deck, yet she felt energized. Her life was spinning out of control in the most amazing way and oddly enough, she felt motivated to get some writing done for the article. She climbed from the bed and walked to the room she originally thought she’d be staying in and grabbed her laptop. Did she go back to the room she and Mike had shared or stay here in the one with her stuff?

Thinking of how she’d spent the last several hours, she opted to go back to Mike’s room.

Sitting down on the bed, she began typing notes on the weekend thus far: her anticipation about meeting Jonathan Wade, his farm, the house, and now the boat. Could she even call it a boat? She wrote about the two different towns he resided in—one was coastal and touristy while the other was small, quiet, and isolated. Even with all of this information, it wasn’t possible to form an opinion or a vision of the man himself.

The wait was killing her, even though being with Mike was an extremely pleasant distraction. The thought of the way they had spent the last several hours made her sigh. How could she have been so blindly in love with Eddie when Mike had been right there?

It was too late to think about all that could have been. She needed to focus on the here and now. Looking at her watch, she realized a little more than an hour had passed since Mike had gone up on deck. While he had said he’d come back and get her, Taylor missed being in his company. Putting her laptop and notes away, she freshened her hair and makeup and ran up on deck to look for him. She spotted him at the bow, talking to the captain. The two men appeared familiar with one another and seemed to be sharing a joke.

Mike looked extremely handsome, especially when he smiled. He always seemed to be relaxed, but his smile could thaw an iceberg, Taylor thought. He was dressed in black jeans, as she was, but had changed out of the thermal and flannel from earlier into a deep maroon sweater and his standard work boots. Very rugged. Very masculine. As she was standing there admiring his form, he looked down and saw her. Taylor gave a slight wave and he immediately started for her.

“I didn’t want to disturb you,” he said as he climbed down the small flight of stairs. “Did you get some rest?”

“No. I did some work.” At his frustrated expression, she began to laugh. “I told you! I need to work. I don’t do vacations. Like, ever.” She could tell he wasn’t amused. “I’m a single woman who lives in one of the most expensive cities in the world with no means of income other than my writing. If I don’t work, I don’t eat.” She shrugged and tried to make light of it, but his frown didn’t ease. “So…what’s for dinner?” Maybe a change of subject would work.

As if on cue, one of the crewmen came out to announce that everything was set up for dinner. Mike thanked him and then without a word took Taylor by the hand and led her inside to a table with an open view of the entire back of the boat, where he held out a seat for her before taking his own. There was a traditional clambake waiting for them, complete with lobster, mussels, crabs, steamers, corn on the cob, and potatoes. Taylor was overwhelmed. On her salary, she didn’t eat this much seafood in a year, let alone in one sitting!

“I could get used to this,” she joked midway through the meal. “So, did your boss ask you to dazzle me with all of my favorite foods so I wouldn’t whine so much about having to wait to meet him?”

Mike chuckled. “No. He’s not that devious. The food was my idea. I thought it would be nice to have a traditional coastal dinner while out on the boat.”

“Well, you thought correctly,” she said with a smile, happy to see him relaxing again.

“And for the record,” he said with a grin, “I don’t think I should have to dazzle you with food to keep you from whining.”

She blushed. “Do you have any idea how frustrating this assignment is?” She was hoping that yet another change of topic would distract him. The last thing she wanted was to crawl across the table and throw herself at him, which was a very real possibility if he kept looking at her like he was now.

“You’re not very patient, are you?”

“Nope,” she replied with an impish grin. “I’m used to knowing what I have to do and getting it done.” They continued to eat for several minutes and as dinner wound down, she began to ask him questions that she actually could use for the interview—what it was like working on the farm and his apparent managing of all things Wade. His answers were always short and to the point and he didn’t elaborate much on anything.

Time for a different approach.

“What initially brought you up here, Mike?” Taylor realized he had never told her how his life up here had begun and what it was that made him leave New York.

“It’s a long story, Taylor, and not one I’m prepared to talk about with you.” He wasn’t being nasty, but his tone left no room for argument. Taylor clammed up immediately and ate the remainder of her meal in silence. It wasn’t that hard to do, because the view off the back of the boat was enough to keep her captivated. Other boats out on the water were getting closer to land, so there was enough to keep her attention diverted from Mike.

When the crewmen appeared to clear the table and offer dessert, she declined. Mike waved them off, but made no attempt at conversation after shutting her out of her last question. With nothing left to do, Taylor rose and walked toward the back deck. The breeze off the water was cold now that the sun was down and she shivered.

Silently, Mike came up beside her and looked out at the water with her. “I’m sorry,” he said as he continued to stare forward and not at her. “I didn’t mean to sound so rude earlier. I’m just not comfortable talking about my past with anyone. Can you understand that?”

“I suppose,” she sighed. “It’s just…I’m here waiting to interview someone who doesn’t seem overly anxious to talk with me, and then I’m sitting here having dinner with someone who doesn’t want to talk either. In my position, where talking and interviewing are my life, it’s extremely frustrating.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess I didn’t look at it like that.” He moved closer and put his arm around her to keep her warm, and then took her by the hand and led her around to the front of the boat.

“What are we doing?”

“There’s a blanket on the bench up here, and I think you’ll enjoy the view as we pull into the marina.” They reached the bench, tucked away under the upper deck where the captain and the crew members now were. They were out of sight and, as they settled in with the blanket wrapped around them, Taylor felt like they had gotten something back that they almost lost earlier.

“This is nice,” she said quietly, resting her head on his shoulder. The truth was that it was beyond nice. Even if she didn’t factor in how romantic it was to be here like this with Mike, the entire experience was something she’d never forget. Her legs were curled up at her side and she slipped her shoes off for more comfort. Mike’s arms were around her and the movement of the boat on the water was almost lulling. She shifted slightly to get more comfortable and was content to watch the shoreline coming into view.

“When I turned nineteen,” Mike began slowly, seemingly out of nowhere, “I saw how my life was going nowhere.” Taylor desperately wanted to raise her head and look at him, but she knew he was answering the question he had refused earlier. “I had been in trouble for so many years, and I knew I had to change or my life would be ruined forever.”

She hadn’t known him at nineteen. It wasn’t until several years later that they had met.

“Because of my own rebellious attitude, I’d done a lot of stupid things. I was several years older than most of the people I hung out with, mainly because I had been left back in school so many times.” He paused for a moment. “Did you realize that I’m four years older than you?” Taylor shook her head. She had known he was a little older, but she never would have guessed how much.

“Anyway, it took a while for me to actually get my shit together and to realize I was going to have to break some patterns of behavior and step away from the people I had been associating with.” He didn’t have to name names; Taylor knew who he was referring to. “I took a job in the mailroom of a publishing house in Manhattan about five years ago, and that’s where I came to know Wade.” When he didn’t continue, Taylor began to put it all together. He and Wade had somehow become friends and when Wade moved to Maine, he offered Mike a job with him, managing his properties because he saw potential in Mike that no one else had bothered to see.

She wrapped her arm across his chest and hugged him tightly before placing a soft kiss on his chest. He stiffened for a moment before relaxing again. “Was it Jonathan Wade who brought you up here to Maine?” she asked softly.

“Yes.” No more was said on the subject and they leaned into one another for several minutes. Taylor loved the feel of being wrapped in Mike’s arms, and between his warmth and the sounds of the water, she felt more at ease than she ever had before in her life.

Wordlessly, she turned and straddled his lap before taking his face in her hands and kissing him. It was an impulsive move, yet she couldn’t have waited another moment to kiss him if her life depended on it. His hands grabbed her hips and pulled her snugly against his already-growing hardness, and Taylor couldn’t help but sigh at the feel of it.

With the blanket and overhang for cover, she felt bold. She felt naughty. No one could see them. As if sensing her thoughts, one of Mike’s hands came up and cupped the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. His tongue stroked hers and he moaned with pleasure as she began to rock against him. Taylor had never been sexually aggressive, and yet something about Mike brought out that side of her.

Slowly, rhythmically, Mike rocked up into her. Tearing his mouth from hers, he whispered her name and nipped at the column of her throat. “In a perfect world, I’d be inside of you right now, under the stars, in the moonlight.” He licked a trail up to her earlobe. “I want to strip you bare and make love to you.”

Now it was her turn to moan. The thought of doing exactly what he said was more tempting than she’d ever thought possible, and when she reached between them and grasped at the button-fly of his jeans, one strong hand clamped over hers to stop her. She raised her head, her breathing ragged, and looked at him with confusion.

“We’re not alone,” he said, his voice gruff, his frustration evident. “There’s no way I’m going to compromise you and risk having anyone see what we’re doing.” He rested his forehead against hers for a moment. “Wrap your legs around me, sweetheart.” She obeyed and as soon as her ankles locked behind his back, he stood. One hand cupped her bottom and secured her to him while the other held the blanket in place.

“What are we doing?” she asked, dazed and more than a little turned on.

“We’re spending the night on the boat and I plan for our night to begin right now.”

As he carried her, Taylor looked up to where the crew was standing on the top deck. “What about them? Won’t they need to talk to you once we dock?”

He shook his head. “Once we dock and the boat is secured, they are off the clock. They’ll leave, and then we’ll have the whole place to ourselves.” Images of the two of them naked up on deck ran through Taylor’s mind and some of those thoughts must have been transparent enough for Mike to know what she was thinking. “Still too risky,” he said as he maneuvered them through the open doors at the back of the boat, through the dining area, and down the stairs to the stateroom.

Inside, he set her down on the bed before pulling the blanket away. With her hair fanned out around her and her arms thrown back in surrender, she watched him and waited. His expression was dark, possessive, and it thrilled her. She wished he would move—join her on the bed and finish what they started.

“Mike?” she whispered hesitantly.

“Someday, Taylor…” he began in a low voice. “Someday we will do that. We’ll go out on the water alone, the two of us, and then I’ll spend hours loving you under the sun, the moon, and the stars. I promise.”

She wasn’t going to question how he was going to get the boat out again. It wasn’t important. The imagery, the intent, and the emotion in his voice was quickly sending her up in flames. “I don’t need the sun or the moon or the stars right now,” she said, her eyes never leaving his.

“What do you need?”

“You,” she whispered. “Just you.”

Control be damned.