Joe left Lynn at the wheel of the boat to come stand on the other side of Kal. “Just like that?”
With a humble expression, Kal shrugged. “I made sure I’d read the research of each biologist before I contacted them. It was intense. You don’t get to where they are without publishing a substantial library of work, but that’s the kind of reading I enjoy. So, when I met them, I not only knew what they were working on but what had led them there. That made connecting with them much easier since most people’s favorite topic is themselves.”
I packed the bait into the first BRUV, checked with Lynn that she was ready, then dropped it along with a buoy over the side of the boat. As soon as we stopped at the next site, she switched off with Joe and asked Kal, “Who else did you contact? Oh, my God, this is my dream. Tell us everything. What were they like? What did they show you?”
Kal packed the next few BRUVs while sharing stories of meeting the biggest names in marine science. He described their work with such a wealth of background knowledge and detail that we were all spellbound. None of what he shared came across as bragging. It might well have been a documentary, if they were delivered by a gorgeous man with a quiet sense of humor. Intelligent, well-spoken, an impassioned advocate for environmental issues—being Invio really must have been killing this man.
It was fascinating to watch Kal take the interns from being intimidated and attracted to him to wanting to join him on whatever he chose to do next. He’d not only won them over, but he’d also inspired them to push harder for what they wanted for their own careers.
I knew right then that he wouldn’t be packing shelves during the day to take night courses. He might not see it yet, but I was by far not the only person drawn to him. The universe’s power of attraction was real. As soon as he put himself out there, more opportunities than he ever dreamed possible would come to him.
Who would I be to him then?
As if my question had reached him, he turned and offered me his hand—his fish-scented, sticky hand—and I took it and beamed a smile up at him because mine was just as bad.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“About?” I’d missed the last thing that had been said.
“Could you see me doing a social media series? Could I be a save-the-ocean influencer? Is there really money in that?”
The interns started talking over each other in their excitement. I hadn’t done much with social media, but if passion for a subject equated to success in it, Kal couldn’t fail.
He leaned closer, winked, and flexed. “I’d keep my clothes on.”
Lynn sighed in audible appreciation.
Yeah, he’d be fine. “You’re going to soar.”
He pulled me to his side and kissed the top of my head. “Just like you.”
Just like me. When he looked at me that way, I felt not just beautiful, but treasured for the first time in my life. Whether this man was meant to stay for a day or a lifetime, I knew I’d be better for our time together. I wanted his time with me to do the same for him. “Call some of those biologists you met. Tell them about your idea and I bet they’ll jump at the chance to work with you.”
His expression sobered. “Do you really believe that?”
I cupped his face between both of my hands. “Amazing things are about to happen for you, Kal. Try not to forget me when they do.”
He gathered me against him, took a deep breath, then bent to say into my ear, “The only thing I’m sure about in all of this is you.”
Had we been alone I would have kissed him then, but instead smiled up at him and tried to lighten the mood. “That won’t always be the case, but for now I’ll do my best to be your rock—your safe haven—your well of wisdom . . .”
He laughed and stepped back. “So that’s how it’s going to be, huh?”
“Your mentor—your coach—the one you turn to in your hour of need,” I continued with humor.
“When I’m big on social media and traveling the world to document all those projects, you’ll ask to join me . . .”
“And?” I asked.
“I’ll say hell yes, because with you together is always better.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I swayed before steadying myself by grabbing the rail of the boat. He’d just said together like he meant it, and I was all for it.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Kal
Monday morning while Jade slept, I dressed and took my phone and my wallet with me onto the balcony of her apartment. I found the card the red-haired woman had given me after my last show and sent a text: I’m ready to meet Dominic.
An answer came almost immediately. A car is on its way to pick you up.
I was tempted to ask how she knew where I was, but I was sure I didn’t want to know. I headed back inside, showered, wrote Jade a quick note, then tucked it beside her pillow. The last few days had been some of the best of my life. We’d spent a quiet Sunday together. When we weren’t making love, we were either napping in each other’s arms, swapping stories about our lives, or researching the process of monetizing social media posts.
I’d come to Florida angry and frustrated. Although I still had concerns when it came to my family, I was feeling invigorated, motivated, and optimistic about the future. Jade took the information we’d gathered online and put it in a spreadsheet with goals, then took each goal and broke it into workable tasks. She didn’t ask if I was capable of anything she’d put on the list—she believed in me.
I didn’t say it, but I was falling hard for her. I wanted to be the man she saw in me and there was nothing I wouldn’t do for her. Except wake her.
She knew I was leaving that morning and we’d talked about why. She offered to come with me, but meeting Dominic was something I had to do on my own. I needed to look him in the eye and determine if he was or wasn’t a danger to my family. Until I had that answer, there was no way I’d let him near Jade.
I bent and gave her a light kiss that was enough to stir her, but not wake her. If she woke it would only be harder to leave her, so I tucked the blanket tighter around her and headed down to the street to wait for the car. I left my computer and things with Jade because I had no intention of being gone long.
I wasn’t down on the street more than a few minutes before a black SUV pulled up and the driver asked me if I was Kal Ragsdale. When I said yes, he opened the back door for me. I looked over my shoulder at the window of Jade’s apartment. Meeting Dominic didn’t intimidate me. If he was a danger to my family, I’d do whatever was necessary to protect them—even if it cost me my future.
“Is everything okay, sir?” the driver asked.
“I have no idea,” I said with a laugh that was directed at myself. “But hopefully that’s about to change.” I slid into the back seat of the SUV. As we drove, I did my best to keep an open mind. Everything I knew about Dominic had come from secondary sources: online searches, my mother, my sister, some redhead who claimed she’d known him a long time.
When we pulled through a gate to a private airport my brother’s wealth became evident. An army of staff and security met the car. One rough-around-the-edges man in a dark suit stepped forward and offered his hand in greeting. “Marc Stone. I’m here to escort you to your meeting.”