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Her gaze slid down his naked chest, rock-hard abs and then up the tattoo sleeve. Desire tightened low and hot in her belly and she inhaled a swift breath.
“I raided the minibar,” he said, finishing up a candy bar. “I think we deserve it.”
She pulled her eyes off his tattoos and forced out a laugh. “Yeah, I’d say.” Almost dying made you hungry, she realized, and reached for a snack while he headed toward the bathroom. She let her gaze soak in his broad shoulders, smooth back and delicious ass.Damn,she thought, and bit into the granola bar. She wished she was biting into him instead.
Focus, Hollis. Work first.Then, wherever things went...they went.
She gathered all their research and spread it out on the bed, doing her best to not think about Dylan. But, her thoughts strayed when she heard the showerhead begin to blast water. The idea of Dylan naked in the shower with water sluicing down his hard body made the last bite of granola bar stick in her throat. She forced it down and slid off the bed in search of something to drink. The minbar held an array of tiny bottles of alcohol and she grabbed one and twisted the cap off.
Hollis took a swig and the lights flickered. The storm was growing worse. Over on the desk, she had noticed a couple of candles and decided to light them before the power went out completely. The idea of being caught in the dark with Dylan was enough to make her pulse throb. Make her entire body throb.
Dylan showered fast and when the bathroom door opened, steam poured out. He was tying the belt shut on the hotel robe as he stepped out and their gazes met. Heat flared between their dark eyes.
Hollis cleared her throat. “I thought we could try to re-navigate the course,” she said and motioned to the open folder in front of her.
“Good idea,” he said. His eyes flicked from the burning candles to the tiny bottle of vodka in her hand, an almost quizzical look on his face.
How embarrassing. He must think I’m trying to create a romantic atmosphere.“The lights flickered,” she said. It sounded so lame.Does he think I’m trying to seduce him?she wondered.Does it really matter?her more wicked side asked.Because isn’t that what you want?
God, yes.
With a nod, he wandered over to the little fridge and grabbed a bottle of vodka for himself. Sitting on the bed across from Hollis, knowing they were both naked under their robes, he’d need to knock back a few of these, he thought.
Thunder rolled and a torrent of warm rain drenched Havana. While the tropical storm raged outside the open balcony doors, Hollis and Dylan sat across from each other, absorbed in maps, notes, manifests and survivor accounts from the shipwreck.
The candles burned on the nightstand where Dylan’s Ka-Bar laid. A salty breeze blew in, rustling their papers, and after clearing out the best snacks in the minibar, they found the energy to work for hours.
Right before midnight, Dylan jotted down some coordinates. The serious furrow between his dark brows evaporated and a long, slow smile appeared on his handsome face. “We just re-navigated the course,” he announced. Amazement laced his deep voice.
“We have an area to search,” Hollis said. With a whoop of joy, she clinked her small bottle of vodka against Dylan’s. As they toasted their success, the lights flickered and then went out completely. Only the soft candle glow and occasional lightning illuminated the room.
Hollis curled her legs beneath her, shifted her weight on the bed, eyeing Dylan as she took a swig of vodka. “Can I ask you something?” she asked, voice low.
As Dylan’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, her face came into focus. And, she looked stunning. He felt an odd skip deep within his chest. “Sure,” he said reluctantly.
“Do you really think Diamond is behind this?”
He relaxed and took a sip of his vodka. “Anything’s possible when millions of dollars are at stake.”
“I guess, but-” She frowned and he waited for her to continue. “He was always like a second Dad to me. He told me their falling out was over my mom.”
“I kind of figured.” Surprise lit her eyes. “It’s always over a woman. Or, money.”
“I suppose so,” she said. Then, she reached for the knife he always wore-- either tucked in his boot or strapped around his thigh when he went diving. She turned it carefully in her hands, examining the inscription and sharpness. “You don’t ever go anywhere without this.”
“After a shark bit me, I’ve never been without it,” he admitted.
“Your calf…” Her gaze dropped and Dylan turned to reveal his leg and the jagged scar she had noticed earlier. “God. That must’ve been awful.”
“I was diving at night when a bull shark did a bump and bite. I just remember being in a state of shock. There was this incredible pressure on my leg and I remember looking down and seeing blood swirling through the water. And, I thought that was it. Thank God, I was with other divers. One of them, a Navy guy, he had his Ka-Bar. When the shark came at me again, he moved in front of me and lashed out at the gills.”
“God, that must’ve been awful,” she said. Then, when she looked back down at the knife, something clicked in her head. “My Dad used to have one of these. From when he was in the Navy-” Her voice broke off and she looked up at Dylan, suddenly and completely aware that she held her father's knife.
“He’s the one who gave it to me,” Dylan said.
Goosebumps rose on her flesh and, in the flickering glow of the candles, Hollis finally understood Dylan’s appreciation and respect for her Dad. And, a part of her finally began to understand him.
“He saved my life.”
