Tempest - Kris Michaels Page 0,33

and snatched her phone from her pocket. It took ten seconds for the phone to connect to the number which had called her this morning.

"Captain Collins."

"Yes, Captain, this is Pilar Grantham. I'd like to confirm my charter for today."

"Yes ma'am, we're fueled up and ready to go anytime you're ready to depart."

"Excellent. I'll be there within the hour."

"Yes ma'am, thank you for your business."

Hitting the end button, she called her driver.

"'Ma'am?"

"Cody, I need the car. Also, come to my rooms when you arrive. I have luggage."

"Yes ma'am. I'll be there in less than twenty minutes."

"Thank you." She disconnected and stared at the suitcases. What was she forgetting? She glanced at her foot. Shoes. Open toed sandals, flats. God, did she even have flat shoes other than the ones she wore to the doctor? She limped back into her closet and searched her shoe racks. "Well hello." She grabbed a cute, embellished pair of flip flops and one other pair of flat sandals. She shoved the sandals into an outside pouch of her bathroom bag and carefully put the flip flops on. Oh man... if she was clumsy in her bare feet, she was awkward as hell trying to walk in a flip flop. She used her arms to steady herself on anything solid and made her way to the main door of her rooms. Just as she reached it, Cody knocked. She hobbled as she backed up when opening the door. "Ma'am didn't the doctor advise you to stay off your foot?"

She blinked up. Concern lined the man's brow. "He did, and that is exactly what I'm going to do for the next two weeks."

The furrows in his forehead deepened a bit. "By traveling?"

She chuckled. "I'm going to go get on a very nice ship and for the next two weeks do nothing but bask in the sun and keep my foot elevated."

"Very good." Cody smiled. "May I?" He asked permission to go into her rooms.

"Absolutely. The two bags on the bed."

He moved past her and picked up the luggage easily. Man, how had she ever thought he'd overstepped yesterday. "I'll get these settled and come back to help you down the stairs and to the car."

"Thank you." She waited for him to pass her and shut her door behind her.

Good to his word, Cody met her at the top of the stairs, and she leaned on him, letting him hold the arm of her injured wrist and gripped the bannister with her good hand to ambulate down the stairs.

"You know, I believe I owe you an apology for yesterday."

"Ma'am?"

"When you asked if I needed any help. I'm not accustomed to genuine concern."

Cody opened the front door and helped her across the threshold before he closed the door and offered her his arm again. "No need, ma'am. I overstepped." He opened the door for her and helped her into the vehicle before jogging around the black sedan and getting in the driver's seat. "Where to?"

"Palm Beach Yacht Club and Marina, pier three."

"Yes ma'am."

The throb of her toe demanded action, so she shifted in her seat, picked her leg up, and settled her foot upon the leather bench seat. She dropped her head back and closed her eyes. Sleep hadn't come last night. The heartbeat in her toe and overall shock of seeing Luke again had guaranteed that. His gold-flecked green eyes had haunted her for so long, seeing them with the whites clear of blood had shocked her. She'd tried to imagine what he would look like healthy. Normally, her suppositions ended with a verbal admonishment that he was probably dead. She drew a deep breath. She’d often wondered if he'd died at her mother's hand. Thank God he hadn't. She shook her head and reprimanded herself again. The kiss last night wasn't sexual. A press of flesh against flesh. A thank you of sorts. Probably. No, definitely. But if he wanted more... A shudder of hunger raced through her veins. Yes. The answer would be emphatically, yes.

Chapter 10

Tempest watched from the darkened windows of the bridge as the Bentley drove to the end of the pier. Smoke and Browning hustled from the deck, down the long pier, to the car. He stayed out of sight. Browning carried two suitcases, and Smoke strolled slowly along with Pilar as she limped down the long stretch of pier. The ship was too big to fit in a slip and was tethered to the end of the pier. If he’d been down there,