Adrift, page 15
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Becca Sandoza hot and heavy with a hottie in the Outer Banks.
Rick dropped the newspaper he’d been reading onto the coffee house table and focused on the TV in the corner. While he stared at the headline, an entertainment reporter was excitedly talking about a breaking story on Becca.
“The steamy shots of Becca and this mystery hunk have everyone talking this morning. The rare, intimate pictures of this incredibly private star surfaced last night on social media, and quickly went viral. So far, the unknown man hasn’t been named, but we’re working on finding out who he is. Stay tuned for more developments in this tantalizing story as the day goes on.”
Rick stared at the screen, transfixed, heat pulsing through him. The pictures were candid shots, taken without Becca or her lover knowing. And there was no mistaking the heat between them.
He got hard, thinking of switching places with the guy. Of tying her up, rendering her totally helpless while he did whatever he wanted to her. Just like he had to her mother. The haughty little bitch deserved to be taken down a few pegs.
“We have people in the southern Outer Banks looking for more intel right now,” the woman went on.
The Outer Banks? Shit, he was in Virginia Beach, only a couple hours’ drive north. And the pictures had been posted last night. She might still be in the area.
He was supposed to meet another potential buyer for the latest shipment he was looking to offload—three eighteen-year-olds someone had taken from a bar up north somewhere, but now… This was more important.
His pulse drummed in his ears, his stare focused on Becca. She’d told him she didn’t have the money to pay him this time, had sent him a fraction of what he needed. Total bullshit, and it infuriated him to have to wait for the rest.
His bank account was dangerously low. He’d been waiting for word about her, wondering where she was. Suspicious that she was talking to the cops. To find out she was so close today…
Maybe this was a sign that he was meant to act now.
He turned his attention away from the screen, his hands clenching around the newspaper. She was less than a hundred miles away, fucking some guy she’d hooked up with. Happy, rich, not a care in the world until those photos had been leaked, while he was waiting on pins and needles for her to get the rest of the money he needed together.
She didn’t deserve to be happy when he was so miserable. She deserved to suffer.
He stood abruptly, his chair scraping back across the tile floor. Before he’d reached his car, he had his phone out, dialing his contact. “Something’s come up. I need to reschedule our meeting tonight.”
“Until when?” the man said, his irritation clear.
“Few days, maybe. I’ll let you know.”
A shocked laugh followed. “You think I’m gonna sit here waiting for—”
Rick ended the call and got behind the wheel, his breathing erratic, and his palms damp. He wouldn’t allow this to continue. Would go after Becca today.
Once he found her, he would make her pay for everything she’d cost him.
Chapter Eighteen
“Come on, grab your stuff. We’re heading out.”
Becca looked up from texting her assistant and blinked at Chase in surprise. He wanted to go out again in public with her after what had happened? “Where are we going?”
“Home.”
His home, he meant. “Are you…sure?” Her team was performing damage control and trying to plant other fake sightings of her outside the Outer Banks to try and disguise her true location.
Meanwhile, she’d been organizing her finances and cashing in investments to cobble together a payment for Rick. As soon as everything cleared, she could send it.
Chase fired off a text to someone, slid his phone into his back pocket, and walked toward her with a predatory grace that made her heart skip a beat. Grasping her hips, he tugged her against him and brushed his lips across hers. “I’m totally sure. Get your stuff.”
Within minutes, they were driving north back to Kill Devil Hills. She kept looking around them, watching to see if anyone might be following them, unable to relax.
He reached for her hand, twining his fingers through hers, and gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s gonna be fine, promise,” he murmured, lifting her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles. “And there’s a surprise waiting for you at the house.”
She wasn’t that into surprises, always careful where she went and what she did, to avoid exactly what had just happened. “All right, I trust you.” She did. Even though she was still upset about those photos, and anxious about the payment to Rick.
“Thank you.”
She hadn’t thought it was possible to relax after what had happened this morning, but during the drive she found her anxiety level easing slightly. Chase was just so steady and calm and capable, it soothed her.
“What made you decide to try stunt work, anyway?” she asked to take her mind off everything.
“Wasn’t sure what to do with myself when I got out of the military. Private security or contracting wasn’t my thing, and neither was a desk job. One of the guys I served with put me in touch with a cousin who did stunt work. I contacted him, talked for about an hour, and decided to give it a shot. Flew out to LA the next week to meet him, did a few workouts and watched him on set. I did some background work as an extra, joined SAG, and sent my resume to every stunt coordinator I could find.” He glanced at her. “What about you?”
“My high school drama teacher. He was friends with a guy who owned a small agency. I started out doing background work too, then got small roles in Hallmark movies and commercials. I got a few other small parts, but it took a few years before I was cast for a TV drama series.”
“Did you make enough to get by?”
“No,” she said with an ironic laugh. “I waitressed to fill in the gaps. It kept me busy and paid the bills. Besides, most of my income back then went to my mom’s care.”
“Still can’t wait to meet her.”
A smile lifted her lips at the thought of introducing him to her mom. Even when things ended between her and Chase, either when she left for LA or soon after that when they both got busy and he inevitably moved on without her, she’d always have these special memories of him. The kinds of memories she likely wouldn’t have again with anyone else.
If there was anyone else. “She’ll be happy to see us.”
The drive back was thankfully uneventful, and they arrived at his house in Kill Devil Hills just before noon to find the driveway was full of cars, including a black muscle car. “Looks like the gang’s all here,” he said, parking along the curb out front.
“Who?” she asked, suddenly on edge again.
“Just my family. Come on. You need family right now.”
But do they really want me here? She hesitated. “Do they know what happened?”
“About the pictures? Yep, and they want you to come out on the boat and have a good time with them.”
She’d never had a family. No one to have her back growing up, and it was sweet of Chase’s to include her right now.
She followed him around the side of the house. At the end of the dock, his family was busy loading things onto Bowie’s boat.
Standing inside it with Aspen and Ryder, Bowie caught sight of them and straightened. “’Bout time y’all got here. We were fixin’ to leave without you.”
“Would’ve chased you down,” Chase replied.
Harper rushed toward them, her expression full of concern. “Heard you had a run-in with the tourist paparazzi last night,” she said, giving Becca a sympathetic smile and pulling her into a hug. “Forget them. You’ll hang out with us today, and no one else will get near you.”
Becca returned the hug, an unexpected lump forming in her throat at the show of inclusion and protectiveness. “Thank you. I haven’t been out on a boat in forever.”
“Then it’s long overdue.” Harper caught her hand and towed her to the boat. “Permission to come aboard,” she called up.
“Granted,” Bowie answered, and Ryder appeared at the side to reach a hand down for Becca. He helped her aboard, then Jared pulled Harper up and in, locking his arms around her and stealing a kiss.
“Hey, keep it family friendly, guys, or we’ll leave you behind.” Chase handed up another cooler that had been waiting on the dock, then jumped aboard.
“Everyone ready?” Bowie asked, looking back at them all.
“Ready,” Chase said, tugging her down beside him onto the cushy seat in the stern and wrapping a muscled arm around her. She flushed a little, even though it was ridiculous, a part of her delighted that he was claiming her in front of his family. The others would have seen the photos of them by now.
“Did you set this up for me?” she asked him.
He lifted a shoulder. “Maybe. Nobody’s going to try to follow or bother you now.” His eyes twinkled. “Would kinda like to see them try, though. Bowie’s as badass with a boat as he is on the racetrack.”
“Something tells me you are too.” She’d seen the way he handled various vehicles in his stunts, with skill and utter confidence, and now she knew those same qualities transferred to the bedroom as well.
His smile widened, scattering tingles through her belly. She was looking forward to experiencing more of his skill and attention later, once they were alone. “I might be.”
The boat engine rumbled to life, sending vibrations up through the floor. Bowie reversed from the dock, cranked the wheel, and steered them out onto the water with the exact same confidence she’d seen in Chase. Yeah, both the Davenport boys had sex appeal in spades, though Bowie couldn’t compare to his little brother in her eyes.
“So, how you doing?” Aspen asked, dropping down on Becca’s other side. Concern shone in her pale green eyes, the shock of white at the front of her bangs blowing in the wind.
“Much better now.” As soon as they left the dock, her anxiety eased. It was as though they were leaving the rest of the world behind, and the break was welcome.
“Good.” She patted Becca’s knee. “You hungry? I brought treats.”
Becca snickered. “Of course you did.”
Aspen grinned. “Can’t help myself.”
“Ugh, you guys are hell on my eating regimen.” She’d eaten more, and more forbidden things in the past few days than she had in the last five years.
“Help you burn it off later,” Chase whispered in her ear.
Arousal slid through her, sending a rush of goosebumps across her skin. He’d been more than generous last night, without wanting anything in return. She’d never been with a guy like that, and couldn’t wait to repay the favor later. With her mouth this time.
“I don’t know what you just said, but stop embarrassing her,” Harper told him, snuggled up with Jared on the left-hand side of the boat. Ryder was up front, talking with Bowie.
Chase glanced down at her in surprise. “Are you blushing?”
“No,” she said quickly, though it was plain she was.
“Leave her alone,” Harper said, chucking a cushion at him.
Chase caught it easily and settled it behind Becca. “Nope. No can do,” he said, squeezing her. “I’m already hooked.”
Becca blushed harder and didn’t answer. It felt as if he was officially claiming her in front of his family, and it startled her how much she liked it.
“Look up there when we come around the point,” Chase said, pointing off the bow. “That bridge is the best crab fishing spot in the Outer Banks.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time I go crabbing,” she said wryly. She was still a little embarrassed at what his family must think of seeing them making out in those pictures, and worried about her location being exposed. Hopefully, her team’s efforts would help mitigate that.
He grinned. “Ever done it?”
“No.”
“Gotta mark that off your bucket list before you leave. How long are you here for, anyway?”
Good question. The shorter the better, because every day she spent with him made it that much harder to go back to her life and her problems, alone. “I’m not sure.” She didn’t want to hurt him, and the look in his eyes made it clear he wanted a lot more than she was prepared to give.
“Just warning you now,” he said in a low, intimate voice. “I’m going to do everything I can to convince you to stay even longer.”
She lowered her gaze and leaned back into the cushion to avoid looking at him, already aching at the thought of having to leave. But she couldn’t stay here for much longer, she had obligations back in LA to take care of, and the situation with Rick wasn’t going away. There was no magical plan to stop it, and she cared enough about Chase to spare him all of that. He might miss her at first, but he would be better off in the end without her.
A bittersweet pain lanced her chest, and she forced her gaze up as they passed beneath the bridge that led from Colington to Kill Devil Hills. They traversed a narrow waterway, and then the sound opened up again.
“You guys ready?” Bowie called back over his shoulder.
“Born ready,” Chase yelled back.
His arm tightened around her. Bowie’s grin flashed as he turned away and opened up the throttle. The boat shot forward with a throaty roar, the bow lifting. She laughed as the wind whipped over her, making her hair stream out behind her like a flag.
Chase squeezed her, and the enjoyment on his face made her breath catch. He belonged here, in this special place, with these special people who loved and cared about him. His home and heart were here. Her life was in LA.
Bowie sped them along the water for a while, then slowed, but the nearest land was still a long ways off the bow. Becca looked at Chase questioningly.
“He’s picking a good spot.”
“For what?”
He gave her a startled look. “Fishing.” He nodded at the rods stacked on the floor that she hadn’t noticed before. “Don’t tell me you’ve never fished?” he said, correctly interpreting her expression.
“Okay, I won’t.”
“Seriously?” He shook his head. “Well, that all ends now. By the end of the day, you’ll be…hooked.” He winked at the terrible pun, making her chuckle.
Once Bowie stopped and handed out the gear to everyone, Chase showed her how to bait the hook and helped her get her line in the water. She watched the tip of her rod, the line and hook deep in the water, then glanced up at him. “Now what?”
He grinned. “Now we wait and see who gets the biggest fish.”
“There’s a prize for the winner,” Harper added, expertly working her rod while Jared lounged behind her, clearly admiring his view of her.
It was the three couples and Ryder against each other. While she studiously watched her rod the others all trash talked each other, even Aspen and Harper tossing in some good-natured insults while they passed around drinks and treats and settled back to enjoy the sunshine and conversation. Since she’d never had a family or siblings, Becca was struck by the dynamic she was witnessing.
A faint buzzing sound caught her attention. “Hey, that’s you,” Chase said, hurriedly setting down his beer to grab her rod. He handed it to her, moved in behind her to show her how to reel whatever was on the end of the line in.
“Aww, man, beginner’s luck,” Harper grumbled from the other side, then she got a bite too. She whooped in excitement and swung around to grab her rod. “Mine’s bigger,” she announced.
“How can you tell?” Becca asked, frantically reeling the line in. Whatever had swallowed the bait felt huge and heavy.
“The angle of the bow in my rod compared to yours. Look.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Chase said. “Last time she caught a toilet seat.”
Becca laughed and kept reeling, the competitiveness she didn’t often show coming to the surface along with her fish. “Whatever it is, it’s fighting me.”
“Don’t worry, I gotcha.” His hands were right there to steady the rod, his solid body and arms surrounding her.
It made her think of them in this same position later, but naked. Chase’s powerful, bare chest against her back. His strong hands guiding her forward as he bent her over the edge of the bed and plunged into her from behind.
“I say she should lose at least six ounces off the weight for getting help,” Harper called out, jerking Becca from her wayward thoughts.
“I say you’re being a bad sport,” Aspen teased, smacking Harper on the butt with one hand and holding her and Bowie’s rod with the other.
Across the boat, Jared caught Becca’s eye and shook his head, his expression sardonic. “This is probably the most competitive family you’ve ever met in your life. Just warning you now.”
“Are not,” Chase, Harper and Bowie replied as one.
Becca laughed and looked up at Chase. “I don’t think he’s wrong.”
His lips quirked and he lifted a shoulder. “It’s all in good fun.”
“Mostly,” Harper muttered, determination stamped all over her face as she pulled back on the rod and kept reeling.
Something started rippling the surface of the water where Becca’s line was coming in. “Oh, I see something!”
“Yup. Keep going,” Chase said.
She resumed reeling, the muscles in her arms starting to ache. Then a fish leapt out of the surface, startling her. Oh. It was a lot smaller than she’d thought it would be.
Chase left her to grab the net. “Okay, bring it in.”
She did. A little silver thing. Chase leaned over the side of the boat and managed to get it in the net. “Bluefish,” he announced. “Nine inches long.” He glanced up at her. “They taste a little on the fishy side. Wanna keep it, or let it go?”
“Let it go,” she said, not even having to think about it. Fishy fish weren’t her thing, and she also didn’t want to kill a living creature for sport.
He lifted the net and set it on the floor. The fish flipped and flopped on the deck. She went to grab it, but he blocked her with an arm. “These guys have sharp teeth and can give nasty bites,” he cautioned as Bowie came over to help.
