Her steps slowed as she advanced, not recognizing Nick among the group and wondering if it was the right boat. She had come to a complete stop when she saw him emerge from the cabin below, looking every bit the boatman with windblown hair and a light jacket. A smile creased his features when he saw her, and then he nimbly maneuvered around the others and off the boat.

“Any problems?”

“No. Your directions were perfect.”

“I’m glad you could make it.” He brushed his lips over her cheek. “Come meet everyone.”

“Everyone” turned out to be three of his classmates from medical school and their significant others, plus an exceptionally attractive woman named Dana who was the sister of one of the other women. Although Lina’s arrival undoubtedly thwarted a setup attempt, the other women were friendly, and after a couple of mimosa, Lina felt herself relaxing and enjoying Nick’s friends.

“So, how do you know Nick?” one of the women asked Lina.

“I—”

“Our boys are friends,” Nick answered before she had to. “They attend the same school.”

The conversation turned to education, and as the group conversed, Lina only half listened, her attention more focused on Nick as he and one of the other men put up the sails. He made it all look so effortless, and she felt her attraction to him growing as she watched his hands gripping and maneuvering various ropes while he skillfully handled his boat. When he was done, he held out his hand to her. “Let me give you a tour.”

The tour ended in the cabin, which looked like a small apartment. “You could actually live here,” Lina said.

“People do it all the time. I prefer a little more space.”

She stopped before a map, which had red tacks in various locations. “Are these all the places you’ve been?”

“In this boat.” He was directly behind her.

“Which one’s your favorite?”

“If I had to pick, I’d say the French side of the Virgin Islands.” He reached around her and tapped the map, his chest pressing into her back.

Lina closed her eyes. With the alcohol in her system, she had no willpower to resist him. “We shouldn’t,” she whispered.

“Shouldn’t what?” His hand slid down her waist and gripped her hip. “Look at a map?”

“Stand so close.” Even as she uttered the words, she was leaning back into him.

“You smell so good,” he whispered against her ear.

“I thought we were just friends.”

He ran his hand over her stomach, pulling her back still farther. “My mind isn’t in control of me right now.” He brushed his lips over her earlobe, eliciting goose bumps from half her body.

“Hope I’m not interrupting,” came a booming voice as one of Nick’s friends entered the cabin.

“You’re definitely interrupting,” Nick said, stepping back from Lina. “I was showing her my favorite Caribbean destinations.”