Intimate Strangers
by Tara Mills
Can she ever forgive herself? Will she ever forget him?When newly engaged couple, Mac and Kate take a celebratory fishing trip off the island of Pelican Cay, they never dream their romantic bliss is in jeopardy.
What happens will test Kate in ways she never saw coming, make her question what she understands about her own heart, and lead her into the arms of another man.
Excerpt:
There was a spring in Kate and Mac's steps when they hustled down the dock, clasped hands swinging between them on this bright and early morning. In truth, it could have been simply the give of the walkway under their feet, but she chose to attribute it to their blissful mood. Her skin still tingled from making love with him back at the hotel. Both wore smiles that wouldn't quit.
Kate turned her wrist, and his, to admire her beautiful new ring. The breathtaking diamond caught the light and shimmered back at her, utterly captivating her all over again.
Mac shot her a quick glance and chuckled as he gently tugged her along. "Come on. You'll have all kinds of time to stare at that rock once we're on the boat."
"I can't help it." She laughed, still thrown by his unexpected proposal. "I love it!"
He turned her hand so he could admire the ring himself then winked at her. "It looks good on you." Mac craned his neck and spotted their chartered boat. "I see 'em." He shared a nod with a man watching them from a fly bridge just ahead.
The man chuckled as he made his way down a chrome ladder to the deck to meet them. "You beat my other crewman." Turning, he reached for Kate's hand, hauling her into the boat as Mac boosted her by the hips from behind. Her fiancé leaped gracefully onto the boat after her, and they both faced the captain.
"Welcome aboard the Sea Sprite. I'm Brady Finn." Still holding her hand, he gave it a hearty pump.
He didn't look any older than they were, but his sharp features were weathered from the wind and sun. The lines framing his smile gave his tan even more warmth. Her eyes strayed to his sandy hair. Generally, she preferred men who were more clean-cut, like Mac. But the way Brady's shaggy hair fluttered and feathered in the breeze, with the sun glinting off his natural bleached highlights, was undeniably appealing. As if saving the best for last, only now did she meet his unusual blue-green eyes. Set off by fine lines radiating out from the corner of each, they were beautiful, so striking she was thrown for moment.
No question-most women would find Brady Finn attractive. Trying very hard not to think about it, she blushed at her delayed response to his introduction. "Kate."
As always, Mac saved the day. Offering his hand to their skipper next, he grinned. "And I'm Mac Schafer." He glanced around, taking it all in. "Wow, this is some boat."
"Thank you." The captain was noticeably pleased at the compliment. "Ah … here's Rome. He's going to help you haul in your monster fish today."
"Rome?" Kate raised her eyebrows as she shook the Latino's hand.
His lips tightened. "I prefer it to Romeo."
Brady gave him a good-natured cuff on the arm and told the passengers, "He's not as big a fan of Shakespeare as his mom."
Chuckling, Mac clasped hands with him and brought back the man's easy smile. "Good to meet you, Rome."
A sigh of contentment escaped Kate as she gazed at her fiancé. Mac had a way with people, a gift for diffusing tense situations. It's what attracted her to him in the first place.
Stepping back, she was startled to catch the captain watching her, studying her. She had an uneasy suspicion he was very aware of how carefully she'd examined him moments ago. Looking evasively away, she reached for Mac. Pressed against his side while he chatted, Kate rubbed her hand up and down his spine, in dire need of a little of his calming mojo herself all of a sudden.
Oblivious to her tension, Mac smiled at Brady. "You said there's a bathroom on board?"
The captain pointed to his left. "Through the salon and down the stairs."
Mac gave Kate's waist an affectionate squeeze. "See. Told you. You'll be fine."
"You can't miss it." Brady's gaze landed on her again. To her relief, he didn't linger this time. "We'll head out as soon as Manuel gets here. Excuse me. I'll see what's keeping him."
Rome waved the couple into the cockpit. "How about a quick tour?"
There was a spring in Kate and Mac's steps when they hustled down the dock, clasped hands swinging between them on this bright and early morning. In truth, it could have been simply the give of the walkway under their feet, but she chose to attribute it to their blissful mood. Her skin still tingled from making love with him back at the hotel. Both wore smiles that wouldn't quit.
Kate turned her wrist, and his, to admire her beautiful new ring. The breathtaking diamond caught the light and shimmered back at her, utterly captivating her all over again.
Mac shot her a quick glance and chuckled as he gently tugged her along. "Come on. You'll have all kinds of time to stare at that rock once we're on the boat."
"I can't help it." She laughed, still thrown by his unexpected proposal. "I love it!"
He turned her hand so he could admire the ring himself then winked at her. "It looks good on you." Mac craned his neck and spotted their chartered boat. "I see 'em." He shared a nod with a man watching them from a fly bridge just ahead.
The man chuckled as he made his way down a chrome ladder to the deck to meet them. "You beat my other crewman." Turning, he reached for Kate's hand, hauling her into the boat as Mac boosted her by the hips from behind. Her fiancé leaped gracefully onto the boat after her, and they both faced the captain.
"Welcome aboard the Sea Sprite. I'm Brady Finn." Still holding her hand, he gave it a hearty pump.
He didn't look any older than they were, but his sharp features were weathered from the wind and sun. The lines framing his smile gave his tan even more warmth. Her eyes strayed to his sandy hair. Generally, she preferred men who were more clean-cut, like Mac. But the way Brady's shaggy hair fluttered and feathered in the breeze, with the sun glinting off his natural bleached highlights, was undeniably appealing. As if saving the best for last, only now did she meet his unusual blue-green eyes. Set off by fine lines radiating out from the corner of each, they were beautiful, so striking she was thrown for moment.
No question-most women would find Brady Finn attractive. Trying very hard not to think about it, she blushed at her delayed response to his introduction. "Kate."
As always, Mac saved the day. Offering his hand to their skipper next, he grinned. "And I'm Mac Schafer." He glanced around, taking it all in. "Wow, this is some boat."
"Thank you." The captain was noticeably pleased at the compliment. "Ah … here's Rome. He's going to help you haul in your monster fish today."
"Rome?" Kate raised her eyebrows as she shook the Latino's hand.
His lips tightened. "I prefer it to Romeo."
Brady gave him a good-natured cuff on the arm and told the passengers, "He's not as big a fan of Shakespeare as his mom."
Chuckling, Mac clasped hands with him and brought back the man's easy smile. "Good to meet you, Rome."
A sigh of contentment escaped Kate as she gazed at her fiancé. Mac had a way with people, a gift for diffusing tense situations. It's what attracted her to him in the first place.
Stepping back, she was startled to catch the captain watching her, studying her. She had an uneasy suspicion he was very aware of how carefully she'd examined him moments ago. Looking evasively away, she reached for Mac. Pressed against his side while he chatted, Kate rubbed her hand up and down his spine, in dire need of a little of his calming mojo herself all of a sudden.
Oblivious to her tension, Mac smiled at Brady. "You said there's a bathroom on board?"
The captain pointed to his left. "Through the salon and down the stairs."
Mac gave Kate's waist an affectionate squeeze. "See. Told you. You'll be fine."
"You can't miss it." Brady's gaze landed on her again. To her relief, he didn't linger this time. "We'll head out as soon as Manuel gets here. Excuse me. I'll see what's keeping him."
Rome waved the couple into the cockpit. "How about a quick tour?"
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About the Author:
I write stories I like to read-contemporary romances with identifiable characters and themes. Life is hard. Love makes it bearable. If you enjoy stories with heat and humor, I have a title for you.
I'm a pampered wife, lucky mom to three amazing sons and one wonderful daughter-in-law, and I recently became a very young grandma. I should probably underline the word very. Oh heck, why not the word young too? Nah, you get the picture. I'm also the daily monitor of one naughty dog with attitude.
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