Chapter 5
Mac was up before the sun despite the late night of making love and catnaps. She felt wide awake and energetic like never before. Barry was in a coma on her bed. He had taken his arm off at some point in the night, and it rested on the floor next to him.
She hated waking him, but she needed to get to work and didn’t know him well enough to leave him alone in her house.
Not like there was anything to steal, but still, she didn’t know anything more about him than his body. She didn’t know where he was from or how long he was on the island for.
She didn’t even know if she wanted to know. The more she knew about Barry, the more she could get attached, and that was the last thing she wanted.
He would eventually leave. Whether it was a few days or a week. She needed to keep things unemotional. It was just sex and a few laughs.
“Barry,” she called, coming into the bedroom. Nothing. “Barry,” she said louder, stopping at the bedside.
Barry’s eyes sprang open, and he shot out of the bed as if it were on fire. She stumbled back, losing her footing and falling on her butt on the floor.
Barry looked around the room, his eyes wide and searching around for something. “Barry,” she said softly, not wanting to startle him more or worse, direct that anger at her.
His gaze swung to meet hers then softened before turning to pain. “Mac, I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“No,” she assured him, picking herself up. “Scared me, but otherwise I’m fine. I guess the real question is, are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair.
“Bad dream?” she guessed, though she had a feeling there was more to it than that.
“I don’t remember my dreams really anymore.” His words were hollow as if he were reciting them.
“Do you always wake up like that?”
“No, only when I’m startled.”
It was good thing she hadn’t touched him then. He could have really hurt her.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” Barry commented, sounding shameful.
“Hey…” She closed the distance between them and sat on the edge of the bed. Now that he was awake, there was no danger. She had heard stories from her sister about soldiers and PTSD. Rousing them from sleep could be the worst thing possible. “I’m okay.”
“It’s just…” He stopped like he didn’t know how to explain himself.
“You were in the military, weren’t you.” It wasn’t a question. “That’s how you lost your arm.”
“Yeah. It’s been a while since I woke up like that. Had I known that could happen—”
“Hey,” she cut him off. There was no sense beating himself up over it. Nothing happened and now she knew for future. “It’s fine. Now I know for next time to use a different method to wake you.”
Barry’s eyes lit up with interest. “Oh yeah?” His voice deepened to a husk. “Like what?”
Mac didn’t have time for another round, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t linger for just a moment longer. “Maybe something like this.” She leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips like one would a relative.
Barry’s bottom lip jetted out into a pout. “That wouldn’t wake me up.”
“How about this then?” She scooted closer and kissed him again in a soft, teasing motion. Licking his bottom lip before sucking it into her mouth then releasing it.
“I’m starting to like your wake-up calls.” Barry’s arm snaked around her waist and started to pull her down.
“No, Barry, we can’t.” Even though she had been the one to initiate it, she couldn’t be late for work because of a hot, sexy man.
“Why not?” he asked, kissing the column of her neck up to the base of her ear, pulling the lobe into his mouth.
“I have to go to work,” she groaned, starting to forget her reason for resisting. The man had a wicked tongue, and her resistance was wavering.
“And you can’t be a few minutes late?”
Mac glanced at the clock on the nightstand.
She was already supposed to be at the dock in fifteen minutes, and there was nothing quick about Barry.
“I’m the team lead. I need to be there. Tonight, I’m all yours though,” she promised.
She’d make sure to wrap up on at a decent time so they could have the night together.
“I’m holding you to that.”
“Meet me at the bar at five.”
“I’ll be there.”
Unable to resist, Mac leaned forward and kissed him once more.
She stood up and walked away when Barry reached for her again.
If he got his hands on her this time, she wouldn’t be able to resist. “Alright, you need to get dressed so I can go. I have coffee already made.” She ran out of the room lest she be further tempted since she knew he was naked under the blanket.
“Yes, ma’am,” he called after her, chuckling.
Mac waited in the kitchen with her travel mug in hand and backpack beside her. She had never gotten around to showing Barry her house—they had been a little preoccupied—but it wasn’t that big; he wouldn’t be able to miss the kitchen behind the living room.
It was a small one-bedroom bungalow with an open floor concept. As soon as you walked in, you could see the living room, dining room—though it was used more as an office space than to eat at—and kitchen. Bedroom and bathroom were to the left.
Mac checked her watch. She had seven minutes to get to the docks. It only took about five to get to them unless she ran. Not that the boat would leave without her. Mac just hated being late. She shouldn’t have waited so long to wake Barry.
Hopefully, he didn’t want to try and take a shower or something. She was about to check on him when she heard his soft tread on the tile floor.
Mac threw her bag over her shoulder and grabbed the two coffee mugs, meeting him in the living room. Mac felt bad kicking him out so swiftly, not even giving him a chance to shower or even brush his teeth, but it couldn’t be helped.
“I hope you like black. I don’t have creamer, but I do have some sugar,” she said, offering him his cup.
Barry took it from her and took a sip. “This is fine,” he assured her. “What time do you have to be at the dock?”
Mac checked her watch, though she’d just checked it a moment ago. “About five minutes.”
“Will you make it?”
“If I hurry, yes.”
“Well, I won’t keep you waiting then. Let’s go.” He waved her on to lead the way.
Mac didn’t linger and headed out the door. They walked at a brisk pace toward the dock. Barry easily keeping up her pace with his long legs.
“So, what are you going to do today?” she inquired, filling in the silence.
“Take a look around the island.”
“There are lots of sights to see. After dinner, I can show you more of them.”
“I look forward to that. What about if I want to rent a boat?”
“Jacques is the best person to ask. Tell him I sent you, and he’ll give you a discount.”
“And how did you manage that?”
“Not the way you’re probably thinking.”
“I wasn’t thinking anything.” He looked the picture of innocence.
“One of his charters was in trouble one day, and mine was the closest boat. He offered to let any of my people rent a boat from him for a discount for life.”
“Look at you, saving sharks and people.”
If only she were saving sharks. They were disappearing at a rapid rate that could only mean someone was killing them. The only thing was she couldn’t prove it was Miles. She needed to catch him or his people in the act.
She would direct Burt over to that side of the island to scope it out. If anything, she could take one of Jacques’ smaller boats tomorrow on her day off to get closer to the inlet.
Mac could now see the dock. Burt and her students were standing there looking around, probably for her. “I can manage from here. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Don’t want them seeing me?” Barry guessed.
Was she that obvious? “I just don’t want to answer their questions.” They were a nosy bunch, and she didn’t know what to say. It was easier to just keep him all to herself.
“That you’re having a fling with a tourist.” Well, when he put it that way.
“I like keeping my private life just that, private.”
“I get it.” Barry didn’t look offended she didn’t want to be seen with him in front of her colleagues.
“Am I allowed to kiss you goodbye, or are you worried someone might see us?”
“One kiss and then I really have to go.” The day wasn’t getting any shorter, and she had a lot to do today.
Mac rose on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss, but apparently, Barry had other plans. He gripped her biceps and dipped her to the side, kissing her like something straight out of an old movie.
Her toes curled in her shoes. Then suddenly, she was back upright and feeling unsteady. Well, the man sure knew how to give a kiss goodbye.
“Have a good day.” He grinned from ear to ear as if he knew what effect he had on her.
“You too. If you don’t mind a bit of a hike, you could head up to the falls. There is a nature park along the way.”
“I’ll be sure to check it out. Thanks.”
“Okay.” The boat. “I have to go. Bye.” Mac didn’t want to leave, but she had a job to do. She waved at him and ran to the boat, feeling a little breathless when she reached it. “Good morning, everyone, sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Well, someone’s in a good mood.” Cindy, one of her grad students, said giving her a cheeky grin as if she knew why Mac was in such a pleasant mood.
“Digrmagifyedaloog?” Burt asked with a toothy grin.
“It’s just a beautiful day, and I want to find the sharks. Burt, I want to head toward the southeast corner of the island,” she explained, looking professional and ignoring his pointed stare, but she could feel her cheeks flame, giving him all the answer he wanted.
Burt squinted at her, knowing why she wanted to head that way. “We cand go der.”
Since Miles had bought the land for the hotel, he’d bought the coastline and out into the waters.
They were now banned from going over there, which was a shame because that was where a lot of sharks hung around.
“Who’s in charge here?” she challenged, planting her fists on her hips and glaring at Burt in the eye.
Miles was hiding something there, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.
“Who de cabin?” he challenged back.
Mac knew she wasn’t going to win this war. It was a risk taking her whole team to investigate the coastline near Miles’s hotel. They could all get arrested for trespassing. She’d go tomorrow alone. “Fine, we’ll head to the west like we did yesterday,” she conceded.
“Goo choy.” He gave her a mock salute. “Les fin sim harks,” he shouted and headed into the quarterdeck to start the boat.
Mac wanted to look back toward where she’d left Barry to see if he was still there but refrained. She needed to stay focused. She helped unhook the boat, and they started to drift out to sea.
Mac sat at her table and opened her bag to retrieve her laptop. She had a program to track all of the sharks they had tagged. However, the ones that had started to go missing, their tag data turned off, all she had was their last known location.
Lucy was last spotted near the coastline where Miles’s hotel was. It couldn’t be a coincidence. It was time to do some digging.