Free Risky Business by Melissa Cutler Page A

water.”
    â€œIt’s not irrational and I don’t need to get over it. Fear is as natural as breathing. There’s a reason fear has survived with evolution.”
    He wasn’t going to stand on the dock embracing his boss while they had a philosophical discussion on the Darwinian importance of fear. He’d proven his point that she was completely unqualified to work at a boat rental company, much less run it. Bending into her, he gathered her in his arms again. She gave a little whimper and mashed her face into his cheek.
    â€œI think I hate you.”
    The movement of her lips against his skin gave him goose bumps. “Then I’ll consider this little field trip a success, as long as that doesn’t mean we have to have a discussion about the evolution of repulsion.”
    As soon as he’d crested the stairs, he set her down, careful to do so out of view of the office. The last thing he needed were his hockey teammates seeing him carry Allison around like she was some damn princess.
    She retained her grip on his shirt and stared up at him, as angry as she’d been earlier, complete with the flushed cheeks and fiery eyes, and the same trembling body. “That wasn’t very nice.”
    â€œYes, well, I’m not a very nice man.”
    He expected her enthusiastic agreement on that point, but all she did was stare at him. The fire in her eyes changed, as though his declaration had reminded her of a secret she was determined to keep. Dropping her focus to his chest, she released her hold on his shirt and smoothed out the material.
    â€œI’m going to go check on Katie.”
    She slid past him, toward the office. It wasn’t until they were no longer touching that he realized how right she’d felt in his arms—and how close he’d been to kissing her.
    He spun away from her, disgusted with himself. “I’m going to go fix that engine.”
    Without looking back, he stopped by the garage for his tools, then headed to the boat in need of repair. Rather than go straight to the engine, he walked through the boat and got a glass of water from its kitchenette, rattled by the confrontation with Allison and his own haywire emotions.
    He took stock of the boat’s bare walls and brown carpet. It did look drab, as Allison had said. Shawna had read the same complaint of Cloud Nine on Internet business review sites, but what was he supposed to do? Hire a decorator on the paltry budget Whitley had allotted Cloud Nine? He was sick and tired of being an employee, at the mercy of the owner’s whims.
    He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Oscar, his attorney.
    â€œYes, hello, Oscar. This is Theoren Lacroix. You know that sale of ownership proposal you drew up for me for Cloud Nine Boat Rentals? Unfortunately, the previous owner passed it to his ex-wife instead, and . . .”
    His stomach lurched. He thought about Allison, soaking wet, naked, and freezing on his couch, her baby in her arms, absolutely livid at him for saving her life. He thought about her in his arms, trembling, paralyzed with fear of the water. He thought about how badly he’d wanted to kiss her, how right she felt with her face pressed to his cheek.
    This is for the best. For you, and for her, too, even though she can’t see it yet.
    He looked through the kitchenette window at the landing office. He could just make out Allison’s silhouette, bouncing her baby on her hip. He turned away from the view. He’d warned her that he wasn’t a nice man. She hadn’t believed him, but she sure as hell would now.
    â€œI have a notarized written statement from Lowell Whitley declaring his intention to sell Cloud Nine Boat Rentals to me, and I’m interested in contesting his ex-wife’s right to ownership. How soon can you meet?”

Chapter Six
    The ring of the phone on Cloud Nine’s reception desk cut through the album of nursery-rhyme songs Allison was