Through the Maelstrom by Rebekah Lewis Read Free Book Online

and read or listen to her iPod. To sip fancy alcoholic drinks that were so fruity it hid the taste of rum or tequila and had itty bitty umbrellas sticking out the top.
    When they'd made it through the throng of tourists and past the first enthusiastic batch of locals trying to sell them anything from shirts to handmade jewelry to koozies, it didn't take long to find a nice, nearly secluded, sunny area of beach. Becky Ann's color was much improved since Serena saw her last and she said as much as they spread out their towels and ditched their cover-ups before sitting.
    Becky Ann grinned, raising her arms up over her head and stretching like a contented feline. "They said I can go back to the room for the remainder of the trip if I keep taking the motion sickness meds." She rolled onto her side and tilted her bright red cat-eye shades down to the tip of her nose. "Unless you need me to stay in medical so you can surrender the booty to your pirate. Argh!"
    Serena chucked her sunscreen at her, but it made Becky Ann laugh harder and add, "Sorry. I forgot you tend to go full vanilla. It would be more like this shirt I saw in one of the Nassau gift shops: 'Ye can have me chest, but leave me booty alone.'"
    She couldn't help but bark out a laugh. Who thought of this crap? "That is not written on a shirt."
    "It totally is." Becky Ann tossed the sunscreen back to her. "Pirate innuendo is the best thing to happen in gift stores, I swear."
    "Becky..." Serena sat up, yanking off her shades and shielding her eyes with a hand. A blond man was making his way across the beach, straight toward them. "That Christophe guy is heading over here." How the hell had he found her that fast?
    You went to the first beach you saw, moron. You can still see the ship in the distance. It's not like you made it difficult.
    Her friend craned her head but shrugged. "I don't see a pirate. Are you sure you weren't tipsy and made him up to rub one out? Respectable if so. No judgment."
    She loved her friend, but sometimes wished she could take things more seriously. "Um...I'm pretty sure I didn't get tipsy until after I got rid of him." Because I couldn't stop thinking about him. "He doesn't look like a pirate today because he's not dressed like one. Must be off duty." But clocked in to his moonlighting specialty: stalking.
    Surely disappointment did not course through her at the observation. He'd made a really great pirate. Today he wore a pair of blue jeans, white boat shoes, and a dark gray polo shirt. His long hair had been brushed, pulled back in a low ponytail, and a lock had come loose over his left temple. The only accessories he'd retained from his pirate getup were his silver rings, and she was developing a perverted fascination with those ring-clad, long fingers and how they would feel—
    She coughed, derailing that train of thought. Becky Ann would approve. When Christophe noticed her catch sight of him, he paused, set his jaw, and continued his trek. Serena glanced around frantically. There was no place to hide. Anywhere. She was exposed. In the open. A lamb away from the flock waiting to be picked off. "What do I do?"
    Becky Ann sat up and stared at her, slack-jawed. "Girl, you look like you just caught sight of a swamp monster." She paused to peer over her shoulder at Christophe again. "If you run, I'm going to tackle you like an NFL linebacker. He's sexy as hell and obviously into you." She pouted and arched her back, tossing her hair in the process. Her friend looked like she was in the process of posing for Sports Illustrated . "See. No ogling all of this hotness right here. He's either into you or gay."
    Please. He was still far enough away that if he shifted his gaze, it wouldn't be noticeable. "How do you know he's even looking at me and not someone else on the beach?"
    Becky Ann made a facial expression she usually reserved for small, adorable puppies. "There's no one behind you, sweetie."
    She was right, the beach behind her was empty but for