Seven had come and gone. I was in the process of releasing the last of the ropes where I’d temporarily docked my boat when from a distance I caught sight of someone running toward me waving a hand.

After Reagan caught her breath, she said, “Sorry I’m late. I thought I missed you.”

“Almost,” I said nonchalantly, holding out a hand to help her on board.

That was when I spotted movement and an unmistakable sound of a camera.

“What was that?”

She already seemed skittish. The last thing I wanted to do was tell her that most likely someone had taken our picture. As it was, I would have to break the news to my mother via text just in case. Whoever had found me, I didn’t yet know their motive. Were they looking for the son of a senator, or bastard son of a convicted felon on death row, or both?

Once she was on board, I took her to a bench at the bow of the boat to hide her from whoever had found me. Then I raised the mainsail with the halyard before casting off, trying to find the good mood I’d lost when I thought she wasn’t coming. Add to that the asshole with an agenda in the form of a camera.

The weather had been chaotic the last few weeks, with highs and lows out of the normal range. Today, it played nice and there was a promise of abnormal warmth.

I moved about, leaving her to enjoy the brightening sky. Into the open bay, I manned the wheel until I found a quiet spot to drop anchor. The sky turned bright. I dropped the halyards and cruised to a stop before I did so.

She stood and I took in her white shorts and white button-down shirt with sleeves rolled up to her elbows. “It’s pretty out here.”

“From where I’m standing it is,” I admitted.

The sky may have been painted with even blue strokes and no hint of anything to mar the color. But it was the red of her lips that held all my attention. “Are you hungry?”

She appeared thoughtful for a moment. “I guess I am.”

Before I betrayed my need to kiss her again, I said, “I can show you the cabin below.”

She hadn’t let the edges of the bench go. Her knuckles were white under the strain.

Her head shook and I let it be. Clearly she was frightened. I gave her credit for trusting me. I wouldn’t press my luck. I went below deck to get the blanket and basket of food I’d stowed earlier.

To my surprise, after the rocking caused by my movement stopped, she helped me spread out the blanket. Her grin was hesitant but infectious.

I wanted to taste her again, feast on her lips as she sat patiently while I got out our breakfast of fresh strawberries, grapes and pineapples. Then I took out two individual containers of plain Greek yogurt to dip with.

“I would have never pegged you for a yogurt guy.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

She nodded and then used a fork to dig into the fruit. I brought out a couple of pastries, donuts and croissants, not knowing what she’d like. I added some cheese slices to the spread as well.

She ended the silence. “Tell me why you love sailing.”

I finished my bite before answering. “My dad loves to sail. When I moved to England, he taught me and I haven’t looked back.”

“Do you prefer rowing over sailing?”

So she’d remembered that I rowed for the school.

“Not exactly. I enjoy them both, for different reasons.” Changing the subject, I asked, “How about you? Do you play any sports?”

A look of horror crossed her face. “Oh no, not me.” Her head continued to shake or maybe that was a shudder that ran through her.

“Why not?” I was amused by her answer.

“I’m more of an indoorsy person.”

We ate some more until she took another stab at conversation. I’d been happy just watching her blush under my stare.

“You know what we haven’t talked about?”

I lifted a brow in question.

“What’s your major?”

She had me. “Don’t judge me based on my answer.”

“Try me,” she offered, putting a strawberry in her mouth. Could you be jealous of a fruit? I wanted to be in her mouth.

“Economics, though I’m taking a pre-law track.”

She tapped her chin. Why did she keeping drawing my attention to her kissable mouth? “Do you plan to be a senator one day?”

Did I want to follow the path of my dad and his dad before him?

“I’m not sure. Maybe. You?”

Her posture straightened. “Criminal justice with a minor in international studies of language and culture.”

I popped a strawberry in my mouth. “I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting that.”

Her hair slid down to shield the side of her face, before she tilted to give me a curious look. “What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know. Science or math. I figured after that boating project…”

She laughed, pointing a grape at me that was pinched between her index finger and thumb. “Okay, you have me there. But after analyzing me the other night, you could double as a psych major.”

“So I was right?”

There was that shy smile that hit me in the chest every time.

“Maybe.”

We managed to eat all the fruit and yogurt. A half of a croissant was left, and all the donuts and pastries were untouched. As I began to pack it all up, she asked, “When did you get all this stuff?”

“I have my ways.” I winked at her and set the basket on the other side of me, leaving nothing but the empty blanket between us.

She lay there with a bit of yogurt at the corner of her mouth. It was too late to stop myself. I scooted over and tangled my fingers in her hair, pushing it from her face. My arm brushed her soft breast.

“Wait,” she said, holding up a finger.

Before she could warn me off, I admitted my mistake. “I’m sorry. It was an accident.”

She glanced down at her chest, rolling her lip inward to gently bite at it.

“I believe you. But I just want to be clear that I’m not going to sleep with you.”

“I should hope not. It’s too great of a sailing day to sleep away this warm weather.”

She grinned and it was the prettiest thing I’d seen in a long while.

“You know what I mean.”

She had to be a virgin for all the roadblocks she kept hinting at. That meant giving up on the idea of getting between her thighs. I wasn’t as disappointed as I thought I would be.

I sighed. “I won’t lie and say it hasn’t crossed my mind. But I’m also content just to hang out with you.”

When I’d decided to ask her out, it wasn’t for a quick fuck. She was different in a way I didn’t totally understand. I just wanted to get to know her.

A breeze blew her hair away from her face, giving me an unobstructed view.

“I want to trust you.”

To prove to her that I meant what I said, I kissed the corner of her mouth before ghosting my lips over hers. I pulled back, waiting for her approval. She leaned in and I went in for a real kiss after her mouth curved. She opened for me and tasted like fruit and sweetness.

Her simple kiss caused an ache in my balls so deep I had to pull away and get to my feet. “If it wasn’t January, I would suggest a swim.”