Crazy For Love

CHAPTER SIX (#ulink_204c8cfe-499d-5423-8d33-3b217c81cbf2)

CHLOE CARRIED A COUPLE OF BOTTLES of water and the last two doughnuts out to the darkened porch. There was just enough light squeezing past the curtains to see the chairs, but not enough to interfere with their view of the stars.

“Your phone is beeping,” she said, plopping down into the seat.

“It’s probably just the battery,” Jenn answered, her voice a little hoarse. The return ride had been bumpy, and Jenn had turned faintly green. She was exhausted, but Chloe was still pumped up from excitement.

The dive had been amazing. Absolutely like being on a different planet, as if they were the first people to ever see it, even though the dive site was well-known and heavily trafficked. The wrecked ship had been a steamer from the early twentieth century. It had so intrigued her that she hadn’t begun to notice the fish until five minutes in. Then suddenly they’d become visible to her, sliding in and out of holes and arches. She’d even spied an eel poking its head out cautiously.

Amazing.

And she’d been able to relax and enjoy it all because Max had hovered a few feet above her, moving whenever she’d moved, like a floating guardian angel. He hadn’t explored the site for himself at all, as far as she’d seen.

Frowning, Chloe took a big bite from her doughnut. Something wasn’t adding up. So far, she’d heard several stories about Max being some sort of overgrown good-time guy, but she’d yet to see him instigate any sort of adventure, aside from playing in the sand with a couple of kids.

On the dive trip, he’d made no effort to enjoy himself, he’d just watched and given the occasional thumbs-up to her excited gestures. And the beach fire… He’d deliberately inserted himself into the scene, but instead of building up a ridiculous bonfire as was the instinct of every other man on earth, Max had kept subtle control of the flames at all times. And though the men had fit in an early-morning fishing trip right at sunrise today, Elliott was the one who’d suggested it. So Max didn’t respond to fire, diving, flirtation or fishing.

Maybe he was just bored. Maybe beach bonfires and easy, shallow dives held no excitement for him anymore. But he hadn’t looked bored, he’d looked tense. And that tension had had nothing to do with her, even when she’d wanted it to.

For God’s sake, the man hadn’t even glanced at her in her bikini. Not until after the dive. Then he’d finally relaxed. Then she’d caught him watching her past sleepy lashes as she’d stripped out of her tight wet suit.

Yes, after the dive, Max had been all quiet, good humor and jokes, and “Oh, it’s too bad we won’t be able to fit another one in on this trip,” offered in a suspiciously cheerful voice. The rest of the group had been exhausted and disappointed that the day was over.

Chloe finished off her doughnut and glared at dancing glimmers of moonlight on the sea. Warning sirens were blaring in her head, and after her recent troubles, Chloe was inclined to heed them.

“I’m so tired.” Jenn sighed.

Chloe looked over to the faint outline of Jenn’s profile. Her eyes were closed, her forehead creased. “Are you okay, Jenn?”

“I’m just sleepy,” she said quickly, eyes popping open.

“Are you sure? You seem a little tense.”

“No!” Jenn yelped, making Chloe jump. “I mean, I’m fine. You’re the one who’s been thrown under the bus by life.”

“Ouch.”

“I just mean, whatever I might worry about, mostly it’s you. What Thomas did to you…”

The words prompted Thomas to make an appearance inside Chloe’s head like a looped video. He was laughing at a joke, pretending to be the perfect fiancé. Even now, she couldn’t see the selfish, panicked thoughts that must have been turning behind his eyes for months. The truth was unavoidable, but her 20/20 hindsight wasn’t kicking in. He’d seemed fine. Would he look different now?

She hadn’t seen him since the day before the crash. Hadn’t talked to him. What was he supposed to say, anyway? “Hey. Sorry I faked my death in order to escape your love.”

Acid burned in her stomach, but, strangely enough, nothing else hurt very much. Could love wear off that quickly? And if it did, had it really been love at all?

Chloe shook her head, afraid to poke too intently at that question. “The whole point of coming here is to not think about it. Just for a few days. If I can manage that, you can, right?”

“Yeah.” Jenn tilted her head, looking in Chloe’s direction. “I just don’t want you to be hurt any more.”

“What’s going to happen? What can be worse than finding out that your loving fiancé would rather give up everything in the world than marry you? He jumped out of a plane, Jenn. He abandoned his house and his family and his job and he jumped out of a fucking plane in hopes of never seeing me again.”

“Chloe…” Jenn sounded like she might be crying.

“Come on, sweetie. I’m sorry. It’s okay. Thomas was obviously a coward. I knew he was a mama’s boy, but I should’ve seen something more than that, right? I should’ve seen something long before he faked his own death. So part of this must have been my fault, too. I’ll get over it someday. And right now, I’ll just pretend that I’m great because this is a beautiful place and I’m happy.”

“Are you? I’m so glad you like it here. And maybe, after we get back and the hearing’s over, things will get better.”

“Yeah, the press can’t possibly be interested for much longer.” Chloe’s vision had fully adjusted to the dark, and now she could make out the pale, sugary circle in Jenn’s hand. “If you’re so upset that you can’t eat that doughnut, you should give it to me. I’d hate for it to go to waste.”

“Here.”

“Jenn—”

“I’m awful company. I’m tired and the waves gave me a headache, so I’m going to bed. I’ll be more fun tomorrow, I promise. Why don’t you go see your new boyfriend?”

The coyness in her friend’s voice pushed a hesitant smile onto Chloe’s face. “Come on. He hasn’t even pretended to accidentally touch me.”

“I’ve seen him shoot you a few hot looks. And then there’s your lustful staring.”

“There is that.”

“Wander over and see him. He looked wide-awake when we got back.”

Chloe shrugged. She was thinking of wandering over, but she couldn’t decide if she should go in the hopes of luring Max into a make-out session or solving a mystery. Maybe both? The light of his front window beckoned.

Yeah, maybe both.

Jenn stood. “I’m turning in. Go get some nookie for me.” She pressed a kiss to Chloe’s head.

“Get your own nookie,” Chloe said, but Jenn just shook her head.

It was only ten o’clock. The boys were going to be awake for a while yet. Taking a bite of the last doughnut, Chloe craned her neck, trying to see if they were on the porch or not. A slightly darker area of shadow on the porch might’ve been one of the men, or it could’ve just been a chair.

She thought of Max frowning down at those dials, thought of the way he’d checked the hoses and tanks over for long minutes before any of them had splashed into the water.

He was none of her business, really. She’d only been single for a few weeks. Even under normal circumstances, that would be too soon for anything, even a fling. But at least the puzzle of Max Sullivan was taking her mind off her own problems.

Chloe dusted off her hands and headed for the men’s cabin.

Aware of the crabs that scuttled frantically around from the moment the sun set, she stepped carefully across the sand, trying not to cringe every time her foot touched something hard.

“Hi,” a deep voice said. Though she could only make out the outline of a man, she recognized Elliott’s voice. The clink of dishes drifted through the window behind him. “Max is inside.”

“Thanks. I just wanted to ask you to keep an eye on the cabin for me. If Jenn comes looking for me, tell her I’m going for a little late-night swim.”

Glass crashed inside the cabin, and before the last pieces had fallen to the floor, Max jerked the door open from inside. “Hey!” he said brightly.

“Um, is everything all right?”