Free Untamed (Vampire Awakenings, Book 3) by Brenda K. Davies

before. He settled her into a seat before
turning to help Mandy and Jill get seated.
    "I'll be right back," he told her.
    Emma admired the fit of his bathing trunks on
his thighs and ass as she watched him walk away. She was so focused
on him that she jumped when Jill leaned closer to her and spoke.
"What does his family do for a
living?"
    "I don't know," Emma whispered back.
    "Maybe they're in the mob."
    "Yeah, the mob is huge in Oregon," Emma retorted.
    Even Jill had to bite her lip to keep from
laughing. "Maybe they've decided to expand."
    Emma chuckled as she shook her head but
Jill's question made her recall the fact that Ethan had avoided her
question when she'd asked him about what he did. There was a lot of
money here, but it was his brother-in-laws, not Ethan's. She could
understand if Ethan didn't really have a plan about his future, she
wasn't exactly doing much in life right now or have any big plans.
Maybe Ethan felt the same way and just didn't like talking about
it, she hadn't told him everything about herself either.
    The boat engine firing up drew her attention
to Stefan standing behind the wheel with Isabelle at his side.
Ethan said something to Stefan she couldn't hear over the engine,
but Stefan glanced at them before nodding. Emma turned her
attention to the water as the boat started to pull away from the
dock.
    Excitement built within her as the powerful
vessel hummed beneath her and the wind began to kick up. The boat
picked up speed as Stefan steered it away from shore and into the
open water. Her hair blew back from her face; the warm, salty ocean
spray kicking up around her was cool as it landed on her cheeks and
tickled her face. It was impossible not to smile as the boat
skimmed over the ocean and plumes of water shot up around them. She
turned her body and rested her arms on the back of her chair to
watch the wake coming off the rear of the boat.
    She was so focused upon the clear blue of the
water that she didn't realize Ethan had returned until his arm
brushed against hers. She turned to him as he settled into the seat
beside her. There was something about him, and this whole moment,
that made her feel as if someone had opened the door on the cage
she'd locked herself in since Tristan. She could almost feel her
wings spreading as she flew free and unexpected tears of joy burned
her eyes.
    "Are you ok?" Ethan inquired.
    "Just the wind," she said as she wiped at her
eyes.
    She wasn't expecting it when his hand slid
into hers. The tears burned their way up her throat but she managed
to keep these ones from spilling over as she wrapped her hand
around his large, strong one and squeezed it. He was so powerful
and self-assured that she thought he could take on anything and
anyone, that he would protect her. She had no reason to believe
such a thing but she couldn't shake the certainty of that thought
as she turned her attention back to the vast sea.
    Ethan studied her profile as she focused on
the water again. The flowing black cover-up she wore brought out
the blond in her hair and made her eyes appear even darker. He felt
like she was weaving some kind of a spell over him; he was
definitely entranced by her.
    The boat began to decelerate as they
approached a secluded cove. Emma took in the amazing lava rock
formations around them as the boat came to a stop fifty feet from
shore. "This seems like a good place!" Stefan announced. Emma rose
to her feet as Stefan went down below and came back with four
fishing poles and a tackle box. "We can fish from the front and
swim off the back."
    Mandy and Jill stood, pulled off their
cover-ups and dropped them onto their chairs. "Are you going to
swim Emma?" Mandy asked.
    "I'd prefer to fish." There was something
entirely enticing about just being able to sit there and watch her
pole while soaking in the sun. She'd made sure to douse herself in
sunblock before leaving the house.
    "I'll join you," Ethan said as he rose to his
feet and pulled his shirt off. Emma