Page 29 of Risky Desires
“You offering to do a strip tease for me?” I blurted before I could reign my tongue in.
His jaw dropped.
“You should see your face.” I forced a giggle. “Don’t flatter yourself, Officer Fancy Pants. But this isn’t a five-star hotel. No TV or Netflix out here.”
He dried the last of the plates with a hand towel and put the plate away. “I see that. So, what do you do each night?”
I shrugged. “There’s always something to do on Rhino.”
“Come on, there must be something you do to relax? Read a book? Crochet or knit?”
“Knit!” I laughed. “Do I look like someone who crochets or knits?”
He made a show of glancing up my body, and my damn insides purred at the attention.
“I don’t think there are too many things you can’t do, Indiana Smith.”
I blinked at him, totally lost for words.
“Ha, you should see your face,” he said.
Giggling, I shook my head and stepped away from him before I did something stupid like haul his sexy ass down to my cabin, strip us naked, and show him exactly how we could spend the next few hours.
Trying to ignore the blaze of heat that flooded my cheeks, I mustered a casual tone. “Dad and I usually just hang out here, enjoying the peace and quiet.”
Dad released a massive snore that rumbled off his tongue for way too long.
Tyler formed a disgusted expression.
I burst out laughing.
“We also play cards, so I can keep Dad awake a bit longer to chat, or we listen to music.” I pointed at the record player in the corner. “Or we just sit at the bow and watch for falling stars.”
Dad rumbled another massive snore as if laying weight to our decision.
“The stars have it for me.” Tyler fed the tea towel onto a bracket, making sure it lined up perfectly. “Want another beer?”
A flutter of excitement danced in my chest, and I told my stupid body to settle the fuck down. “Sure, I’ll grab them. You grab the chairs.”
I pointed at the two fold-up chairs between the fridge and the wall.
As we strolled to the front deck, the sky was painted with twinkling stars, casting a soft glow over Rhino and the ocean around us. The air was cool and salty, a welcome reprieve from the heat of the day.
We settled on folding chairs side by side, facing the endless expanse of water before us.
The gentle lull of the ocean waves slapping Rhino’s side brought a sense of tranquility as we cracked open our beers. We clinked the cold bottles together, and the sound echoed softly in the peaceful night.
Tyler leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the sky, and the shimmering stars allowed me to see the look of wonder on his face.
“It’s beautiful out here,” he murmured, almost to himself.
I dragged my gaze from him to the Milky Way, feeling a sense of pride at sharing this breathtaking view with him. “Yeah, it never gets old.”
I took a sip of my beer.
We sat in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other’s company and the serenity of the night. The only sounds were the occasional splash in the water and the ever-present creaks and groans of Rhino swaying with the ocean currents.
I turned my gaze back to him. “How long have you been a cop?”