Chapter 6
There was a warm summer breeze, the smells of saltwater and sunscreen instantly reminding Cowboy of the beach. He walked along the wooden pool deck, his eyes searching for Abby among the arms and legs that lined the area like a line of can-can dancers.
Finding her, Cowboy stretched out on a lounge chair beside her. He was still in shock, unable to believe Charlotte was not only on board but propositioning him for a week of unbridled sex.
And he’d just turned her down.
He gestured toward the pool, where the royals were swimming together. “Anything interesting with these two while I was gone?”
“Not really. There was a guy here earlier who was watching them rather intently, but he might've recognized them.”
Cowboy nodded. “I'm surprised how little that’s happened, considering their wedding was just all over the tabloids in every grocery store in America.”
“Does anyone read those things?”
“Somebody must. Has the captain been by to talk? He’s supposed to check in with us at some point.” Abby reached into her bag and withdrew sunscreen. “Not yet. What about you? Did you get ahold of the security team?”
“Yeah. They showed me all the security feeds and gave me an updated copy of the passenger manifest. I haven't had a chance to go through it yet.” Charlotte's name was probably on there this time.
If he'd known she was going to be here, he would've done his damnedest to talk her out of it and prevent the scene he’d just been a part of.
He couldn’t believe she’d sought him out like this. Talk about spontaneity. He grinned. You had to admire her for that. And he liked the way she talked back to him, verbally pushing him around.
Hell.
Why couldn’t she be anyone other than Logan’s sister?
“You mind?” Abby held the sunscreen out toward him.
“Sure.” He squirted some onto his hand and began to rub it on her shoulders.
She moaned softly. “God, I need a woman. This feels way too good.”
“You seeing anybody?” he asked.
“Not since my ex moved out a few months ago. She took a job in San Diego.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “Wasn’t meant to be. She asked me to go with her.”
“Do you miss her?”
Abby laughed. “Only when I need someone to put sunscreen on my back. What about you? You seeing anyone?”
He instantly thought of Charlotte, remembering how she felt in his arms, her whole body pressing against his. “Nope.”
Abby put sunglasses on and leaned back in her chair. “I hate people.”
Cowboy stared at the royals splashing each other in the pool and laughing.
They were a good-looking couple—him tall and lanky, her smaller with graceful proportions.
They could’ve been anyone and they still would’ve caught his eye, their happiness drawing his attention like a striking sunset that made him look twice and smile.
It wasn’t every day you saw a couple who looked that happy.
From the corner of his eye he saw a red bikini, and he turned to watch a woman with a killer figure and a big sun hat walking toward him. He hummed appreciatively in the split second before he realized who it was.
Charlotte.
Charlotte noticed him in the same moment. He could tell by the pause in her purposeful stride.
“Nice,” said Abby.
He laughed. “Sorry, she’s on my team.”
“How can you tell?”
“Because I know her.” Cowboy pushed his glasses to the top of his head as Charlotte approached. “Howdy.”
Charlotte stopped at his chair. “Hi.”
Abby sat up and extended a hand. “Abby Granger.”
“Charlotte O’Malley. It’s nice to meet you.”
Abby looked from Cowboy to Charlotte. “Did you two just meet on the ship?”
“My brother works for HERO Force with Cowboy,” said Charlotte.
Cowboy cringed.
“Oh,” said Abby. She turned to Cowboy. “Are you two together?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Not exactly,” said Charlotte, grinning at Cowboy.
Abby tilted her head. “Oh.”
“It’s complicated,” said Cowboy. “I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself.”
“You know what they say. What happens in the middle of the ocean stays in the middle of the ocean.”
“It was nice to meet you, Abby,” said Charlotte. She winked at Cowboy before walking off.
Time would tell if that was true and Abby could be trusted to keep a secret. Jax wanted to grow the team. Hire a few women. Abby’s role on this cruise made her a potential candidate and he didn’t need her to know more about Charlotte than she already did.
Cowboy’s cell phone rang. It was Jim Harrison, the security director for the ship. He was cooperating with HERO Force on their mission to protect the royals. “Hey, Harrison.”
“There’s been an incident. I don’t think it has anything to do with your assignment, but I wanted to make you aware of it nonetheless.”
“What’s going on?”
“There’s been a murder.”
Cowboy’s eyes opened wide. “Who?”
“I don’t know. There’s no body, but from the amount of blood and the lack of any mortally wounded passengers in the infirmary, it’s pretty clear someone has been killed. It happened in an area that’s only accessible to crew members.”
That was some relief. “What now? Do we turn around?” Cowboy asked.
Abby sat up and took her sunglasses off, her eyes questioning.
“The cruise line has spoken to the Coast Guard,” said Harrison. “The decision has been made to continue with the voyage.”
“Let me know if I can be of any help. Thanks for letting me know.” Cowboy hung up and turned to Abby. “It looks like someone was murdered on the ship. They didn’t find a body but there’s a lot of blood.”
“Holy shit. Any concerns for the royals?”
He shook his head. “No. It happened in an area of the ship that’s not open to guests. Probably one crew member killed another.”
Abby leaned back and put her sunglasses back on. “Well, that doesn’t bode well for the rest of this trip.”
“It has nothing to do with us.”
“Everything has something to do with everything else. It’s the way of the universe. And somebody getting offed on this ship does not bode well for any of us.”
Cowboy settled back in his chair. “Is there anything you want to do this week? Rock climbing? Skydiving simulator?”
“I want to go to the spa for a massage. You?”
He thought of Charlotte and the sexual gymnastics he wanted to put her through. “I’m just gonna sit in the sun and work on my tan.”
And my fucking self-restraint.