Free Loving by Karen Kingsbury Page B

the sofa. “Is this … normal?” She’d never been on a yacht. Her parents had taken the family on a cruise years ago and she remembered the gentle feel of the ocean beneath her. But the way the boat pitched and yawed now made it feel like they might capsize.
    “Yes.” He chuckled and moved carefully from his sofa to hers. “Come on … let’s go up. It’s a better view.”
    She felt the doubt in her expression. “When it’s this rough?”
    Brandon smiled. “You won’t fall.” He held out his hand. “Come on.”
    “You’re crazy.” She took tight hold of his hand, but when they reached the stairs she kept a death grip on both sides of the railing the whole way up. He followed her, and as she stepped onto the top deck, she turned back to him. “We’re safe?”
    “Yes. I promise.” He laughed, but she barely heard him over the sound of rushing wind and water and the yacht’s engine.Brandon yelled so he could be heard. “We’re fine. I promise.” When they reached the top deck, they fell together onto one of the cushioned bench seats.
    The view from up top was stunning — they were alone, with sparkling deep blue water as far as she could see, the shoreline of Southern California far in the distance. Bailey held tight to the railing and relaxed a little. As she did, Brandon slipped his arm around her shoulders.
    “I’ve got you, Bailey.” He spoke close to her ear. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He brushed a strand of hair from her face. “There.” His voice mixed with the wind, soft against her skin. “Now I can see your eyes.”
    She waited, lingering in the moment. “What do you see?”
    “Fear … walls.” He hesitated. “You’re ready to run.” He soothed his hand over her hair, still close to her. “What’s wrong, Bailey? What did I do?”
    The boat was further out now, the water and wind less rough so she could hear him more easily. She didn’t look away, didn’t break the connection between them. “It isn’t you.” Still, Bailey held tighter to the handhold. How was she supposed to tell him she wanted to leave, that she wanted time? “I’ve been thinking about everything.”
    “About us?” Surprise and hurt shone in his eyes. “I thought this was because of the paparazzi, us being chased all the time.”
    “It’s that. But it’s all of it, everything about living here.” Bailey put her hand alongside his face. “It feels so —”
    Before she could finish her sentence, the rotating sound of helicopter blades broke the serenity of the early afternoon. “What in the —” Brandon stood, whirled around and caught himself on the frame of the canopy.
    Bailey turned too, but she didn’t stand. She didn’t have to. The helicopter raced along the water straight for them and as it grew closer Bailey knew what was happening. There could beonly one reason a helicopter would come after them. “Paparazzi.” Bailey grabbed Brandon’s hand and rushed to her feet. “Let’s go back down.”
    “No!” Brandon stood straighter than before, glaring at the approaching chopper. “If they want pictures of us on my yacht, they can take them.” He turned to her, the anger from earlier blazing in his eyes again. “Right? I mean, so what? Why should we move for them?”
    “Brandon.” Captain Alex hadn’t said anything until now, but he adjusted his sunglasses and stared at the helicopter, “She’s right. If you stay up here they’ll come pretty close. Could be dangerous.”
    “It’s fine.” Brandon seethed, his body rigid, ready to fight.
    She wanted to argue with him, but instead she sat down, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it through her whole body. He took the seat opposite her, so he could see the helicopter.
    “Don’t run, baby. We have a right to sit here.” He clenched his teeth, his eyes locked on the chopper, which had almost caught up to them. Bailey shivered and crossed her arms, looking from the captain to Brandon. This was