Page 26 of To Steal a Heart

“You ready to eat?” Crew asked, breaking into her thoughts.

“Yeah.”

Eating the delicious food helped restore a sense of well-being as she and Crew chatted about general topics ranging from movies they’d seen recently to their favorite restaurants in San Francisco. It was uncanny how similar their tastes were. Both loved action and thriller movies, and Crew loved all types of fish, including sushi. Arden could eat sushi every day, but that wasn’t exactly practical, so she tried to get her fix at least once a week.

After the meal was over, Arden lowered the anchor as the two sat back and relaxed. The gentle rocking of the boat mixed with the warm sun and her full stomach caused a contented haze to drift over Arden. She was taken off-guard when Crew suddenly jumped up from his seat and plopped down beside her. In a swift motion, he stretched his arm out behind her shoulders.

He removed his sunglasses and positioned them on his head. “All of that unnecessary space between us was starting to wear on my nerves.”

She laughed in surprise as her heart increased its pace. “Is that right?” He was close enough for her to notice the faint freckles dotting his nose. Also, she could see the beginnings of blond stubble over his square jaw and chin. In the sunlight, his eyes had tiny specks of both green and gold.

“Yep,” he chimed as he peered into her eyes. “So, Arden Croft, what’s next on the agenda?” He looked at her lips, his expression a curious combination of both bold and beseeching.

“What’s wrong with talking?” she murmured as dizzying currents zapped through her.

“Talking is good.” Absently, he trailed a finger over the pattern of her collarbone, his touch leaving a trail of tantalizing warmth in its wake. “If that’s what you want.”

Her heart jolted and pulsed like it had been charged with energy. Everything in her wanted to give into the temptation to kiss him long and hard, but it was fun making him work for it. “Talk is good,” she uttered with a deviant smile.

A low chuckle sounded in his throat. “Okay, we’ll talk.” His hand moved to her hair, where he caressed the length of her tresses. “You have the most incredible hair,” he observed. “Out here in the sunlight, it’s a fiery auburn. And yet, when I first met you, I thought it was brown.”

“It changes colors.”

“Your eyes are so green that I feel like they shoot straight through me.”

Her smile widened. “Look who’s talking. You’re the one with the pristine blue eyes.”

“Thanks,” he said softly. “Is that enough talking?”

She laughed. “Oh, no. I wanna know all of your darkest secrets.”

His eyes widened in feigned horror. “Oh, no you don’t. If you knew all about my skeletons in the closet, this would be a record-short relationship.”

She rocked back. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re serious?”

He flashed her an enigmatic smile as he removed his hand from her hair and sat up straighter. “Okay, Arden Croft. I’m an open book. What do you want to know?”

“Hmm …” She folded her arms over her chest as she assessed him. “Where did you grow up?”

“Salt Lake City, Utah.”

“What were your growing-up years like? Were you and Hank close?”

“Super close.”

A pang of sympathy went through Arden. She could only imagine how tough it must’ve been for Crew when Chloe chose Hank over him. She peddled her hand. “Care to elaborate?”

He took a deep breath. “Let’s see … I was born a poor white kid.”

Laughter gurgled in her throat as she shoved him. “Be serious.”

“I was serious,” he countered with a quirky grin. “Sort of. My dad left when I was three.”

Arden made a face. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said easily. “I don’t remember much about him. Hank and I were raised by our mom. She was a saint. She worked long hours as a salesclerk in a department store. Also, she did laundry and ironing for neighbors. Basically, she did all she could to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads.”

“That must’ve been tough.” Arden couldn’t help but think of her own privileged life. She had so much to be grateful for.