Also: His mouth was indecently sexy. When she looked at it, she couldn’t help but think of him doing things with it.
“I’m not usually so impulsive,” she found herself saying. “Any detours I take are usually well thought-out and planned.” His lips twitched slightly.
“Then it’s not much of an adventure, is it?”
She laughed and tore her gaze off his face. “I suppose that’s what you think I should consider you as well?” she asked, trying to make light of things. “An adventure?”
“Would that help?” His low, mellow voice seemed to caress the side of her cheek and neck.
“I’m not very good at adventures.”
His hand enclosed hers. She glanced up at him in surprise.
“That’s okay. I am.” His eyebrows arched. He gave her that small, heart-knocking smile that always struck her as sweet and mind-bogglingly sexy at once. “I’ll keep you safe, Harper.”
For a few seconds, she just stared at him, a sense of strong familiarity going through her again. She gave an anxious laugh.
The confusing thing was, she had the strangest feeling that he hadn’t been teasing her at all. That in fact, he’d just uttered a solemn promise.
• • •
He really had arrived by water. He led her to her townhome association’s pier and a huge moored black-and-white boat. She recognized it as one of the two boats that had been tied to buoys last night at his home.
“I hope you don’t mind dinner on the water,” he said, leaping gracefully onto the boat and turning to extend his hand to her.
“No, that’d be great,” Harper assured, her feet landing on a polished wood deck. She looked around the boat while he unfastened the moorings with quick precision. He was obviously very comfortable on the water. She enjoyed boating, but had never been on a craft this large. Strangely, although it was enormous compared to a typical motorboat, its sleekness and aerodynamic design made her think of speed. “Is this a yacht?” she asked him when he approached her again.
“A small one. But it’s unique because it’s deft and fast, as well. It was specially made for me by a man I know. I liked the design so much, I decided to go into business with him,” Jacob said, his tone making it seem like it was a common, everyday practice for him to start a new company.
Which maybe it was, Harper mused.
He reached for her hand. Harper liked not only that he did it, but that he made the gesture seem so natural. Not only on his part. On hers. It felt nice, feeling his hand enclosing hers. Comfortable, and yet thrilling at once.
He led her up some stairs. Harper counted four separate levels on the small yacht. She noticed another flight of steps going downward from the main deck. She caught sight of a salon of sorts with indoor and outdoor seating, then on the next level—miraculously—a small outdoor pool and cabana. Jacob took her all the way to the top level, where he guided her over to an open-air bridge. He settled behind the controls. Harper sat in the leather chair next to him.
They didn’t talk as he maneuvered the craft away from the pier and then slowly took it out of the small harbor. The bridge had a lot of high-tech and sonar equipment that Harper couldn’t make heads or tails of, but it was clear Jacob was completely at home. She settled in her chair, surprisingly okay with the silence between them.
They left the harbor behind and soared into a gorgeous Tahoe evening. The lake sparkled and flashed in her eyes, the brilliant azure color a striking contrast to the dark green, pine-covered mountains, the pure blue sky and the white wispy clouds. She liked watching him handle the craft even more than admiring the stunning scenery. She kept stealing glances at his solemn profile and his agile, comfortable movements as he navigated the craft. Her gaze kept sticking on his strong-looking hands. She thought of what he’d done to her with those hands on the terrace last night—what he’d done to himself.
She turned her hot cheeks into the fresh breeze, cooling her flash of embarrassment and lust.
“I thought we could anchor at Emerald Bay for our dinner,” he said, speaking loudly over the sound of the engine and water rushing against the boat.
“That’d be nice,” she said, gathering her windblown hair at her nape. He did a double take, and she realized she was smiling broadly.
“You like the water,” he stated more than asked.
“I do, very much. So do you, obviously. How long have you liked boating?”
“I was around water and fishing boats my whole life, but when I was about fifteen, I moved to a place that was on a lake,” he said, keeping his profile turned to her as he steered. “I met a man there—a neighbor—who kind of took me under his wing and taught me how to drive his boats. He had a whole collection of motorboats, sailboats, and Jet Skis. I started working for him after school and in the summers. When I got a little older, he’d let me and my friends take his boats for water-skiing and camping trips.”
“Nice neighbor.”
He shrugged, his mouth going hard. Did he look bitter at that moment? “He got more than his share of work out of me in return.” He glanced over at her. “I should have warned you so that you could have brought something for your hair. Do you want to go below until we anchor?”
“No,” she said steadfastly. “It’s too nice up here.”
He returned her smile. She ducked her head, finding her purse on the deck next to her. “Besides, I have a hair tie in here,” she mumbled, very aware of the continued heat in her cheeks. They’d flamed up again at his smile.