Deadly Engagement. Elle James
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a lot of seafloor to cover on her days off. But Gabe was her friend. If he needed to talk to her or Dave, she could spare him a few minutes. “I can wait.”
Gabe strode across to the dock, headed straight for them, the stranger keeping pace behind him. “Emma, Dave, glad I caught you.”
Feeling at a disadvantage, standing below the two tall men, Emma climbed out of the boat and stood on the dock, still staring up at the stranger with the officer. “Hi, Gabe. Good to see you. How are Kayla and the baby?”
Gabe smiled. “Both doing fine. Tonya had her first full night of sleep without waking last night. Kayla got up twice to make sure she was breathing.” He turned toward the man behind him. “This is Creed Thomas. He arrived in town this morning, looking for assistance in a case he’s working.”
Emma’s frown returned. “Case?”
Gabe nodded toward Creed. “I’ll let him tell you.”
The swarthy-skinned man stepped forward.
Dark, piercing eyes shone down on her, sending a ripple of trepidation across Emma’s nerve endings.
“As Officer McGregor said, I’m working a case for my insurance company, and I need the expertise of a diver familiar with this area to help me.”
Gabe grinned. “That would be Emma. She knows these waters better than anyone around.”
Emma nodded. “Why? What are you looking for?”
“A boat that disappeared off Cape Churn maybe last night or the night before.”
“Devil’s Shroud,” Dave said from his perch on the boat. “People from around here know better than to get caught out in that fog.”
Creed nodded. “Officer McGregor informed me you’ll be diving off the cape today, and I could use a boat.” He glanced toward Dave before returning his attention to Emma. “And, as I said, an expert diver to help me find the boat that went down. It was expensive, and my underwriters want to make sure it did go down and wasn’t stolen.”
Her chest tightened. “I had other plans for the day. If I can fit your search in around my plans, it’s a possibility.” Emma’s eyes narrowed. “Do you intend for me to find the boat, or are you going down, too?”
He nodded. “I’d planned on diving.”
“Are you an experienced diver?” She hoped so; otherwise, he’d slow her efforts.
Creed’s lips curled upward. “You could say I am.”
“Good.” Emma’s mouth firmed. “I don’t really have time to give lessons or rescue a new diver from getting the bends. I’ve got work to do.”
His dark eyes twinkled in the sun as if he was laughing at her. “I’ll try not to inconvenience you.”
Her frown deepened. “You won’t be carrying a speargun, will you?”
His forehead wrinkled. “No. Should I?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.” Emma smiled, softening her words. “I don’t want you shooting me by accident.”
Creed chuckled. “I take it you’ve been out with inexperienced divers before?”
She nodded. “I give lessons.”
“So,” Dave said from the deck, “do we have an additional diver today?”
Emma sighed. “I suppose.” She glanced at Gabe. “You owe me.”
Gabe tipped a finger off his hat. “He seems to be on the up-and-up, or I wouldn’t have suggested he join you.” He patted Creed on the back. “You’re in good hands with Emma. Not only is she an expert diver, she’s also the best nurse in the county. She helped deliver our baby girl.”
“I don’t think I’ll need a labor-and-delivery nurse on this dive.”
Emma laughed. “God, I hope not.”
“Be careful out there.” Gabe left Creed and Emma standing on the dock.
“Guess you’re stuck with me.” Emma stepped from the dock onto the deck of the dive boat.
Creed followed with his bag. “When are we leaving?”
Dave climbed down to the deck and flipped open the engine compartment, wiggled a hose, tightened a clamp and straightened. “How about now?”
“Do you have your own gear?” Emma eyed the man’s bag.
“I do.” He set the duffel on the deck and yanked his T-shirt up over his head, tossing it onto a nearby bench.
For a moment, Emma couldn’t focus on anything other than the broad expanse of dark skin. Wow, the man had way too much going for him in the looks department. Not that she was interested. Once bitten...and all that.
Creed bent to unzip his bag.
Emma tore her gaze from his attributes, glancing at the bag’s contents, hoping she wouldn’t have to waste valuable time fitting him out in skins and breathing apparatus.
After moving another step away from the man, Emma pulled her sundress up over her head, remembering too late that she should have untied the string in the back first. With her arms caught and the dress over her face, she struggled to find the string.
“Here, let me.” Large warm hands gripped the strap around her back, loosening the tie. The back of his knuckles brushed across her bare midriff as he pulled the dress up and over her head.
Standing in nothing but her bikini and feeling more than a little exposed, Emma glanced up at Creed to offer her thanks. Her words died on her lips as she gazed up at the dangerously handsome man standing so close she could almost smell the sunshine on his tanned skin.
Dark hair hung in loose waves over his ears and neck. Deep brown eyes smiled down at her.
Emma blinked once, then swallowed hard and backed up a step. Unfortunately, she backed right into a bench seat and would have fallen if Creed hadn’t reached out and snagged her around the waist, pulling her hard against his naked chest.
“Er...thanks.” She extricated herself from his grip, careful not to fall on the bench again.
“My pleasure.” His deep voice washed over her like warm butter melting into every pore.
Off balance, Emma nodded toward his bag. “Do you have all the gear you’ll need? Namely, a wet suit suitable for these cold waters?”
He grinned. “For the record, I’ve been diving a time or two. I believe I have all I need.” He pulled from his bag the same type of equipment Emma had amassed for the underwater expedition to explore the barrier reef on the outer edges of Cape Churn.
Emma mentally ticked off all that he would need, and then nodded to Dave. “Let’s go.”
“On it.” Dave fired up the engines while Emma unhooked the rope from the dock at the bow. Creed freed the stern rope, and Dave backed the forty-seven-foot boat away from the dock and out into the choppy waters of the bay. As he pulled away from the marina, a warm steady breeze lifted Emma’s hair from her face. She entered the passenger cabin and tucked her sundress into a cubby.
While Dave steered the boat toward the coordinates Emma had instructed him to, she sat on a bench and pulled her wet suit up over her legs, then stood and tugged them up to her hips.
Creed pulled a handheld GPS tracking device from his bag.
“You put a tracking device on all the yachts you insure?” she asked.
“Only the ones we think are at risk of disappearing.”
“From poor handling or theft?” Emma asked.
“Either.”
“And which one was this?” Emma glanced up.
He