Born Into Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

old is this?”
    “Two years.”
    “How long is it?”
    “A little over sixty feet.”
    Diego backed Dorada out of its berth and maneuvered it between the rough water that rushed between the rock jetties. “This is a no wake zone. We have to go slow. But past the rocks, we will gain speed.” Retreating, Mercedes straddled the threshold between the enclosed bridge and the outside deck. “Have I scared you? Is that why you keep your distance?”
    “No. I want to fill my lungs with this great air.”
    He appreciated her efforts for her bosom heaved and fell in a physical tide he enjoyed. “Come here. Try your skill at steering.” He wanted a wheel for show, but the actual controls were computerized and integrated. The simple wheel reminded him of the voyages he took with his brother when a manual touch played a critical role.
    She approached, not through any command of his, with a determination in her eyes that bordered on a challenge. Where had she acquired so much spunk? Perhaps he should first ask how she came to have it.
    “What’s our course?” she asked. Then she placed her hand on the wheel.
    “Not to worry. Our course is set.”
    “I’m not really steering, am I?”
    “No, but you are having fun.”
    She smiled. “ That’s true.”
    After several minutes of two-footers slapping the hull, she bit her lip. “What’s the matter?” he asked. Luz had mentioned previously that men did not ask this question enough.
    “I’m staring into darkness. I don’t like it. Makes me think the world’s disappeared.”
    “Let me turn us to port.” It was a simple procedure. “Do those coastal lights make you feel better?”
    She nodded. “Can we anchor here?”
    He used the controls to drop anchor and set the engines.
    Mercedes peeked around him at the deck. “I can barely see your mate. He’s a big shadow. Shouldn’t he be wearing something white? What if he tumbles overboard?”
    “He is fine. Would you like to visit the salon?”
    “Okay, provided I don’t panic when the horizon disappears.”
    “There are portholes, windows even.”
    Below deck he offered her wine and something Luz insisted were nibbles. He provided three packages of different chips and deposited them into crystal bowls.
    “Where’s the steward?”
    “Tonight he is in the crew’s quarters. I can handle the food preparation for one evening.”
    Mercedes scooped a handful of the spicy potato crisps. “Got a napkin?”
    He opened four drawers before he found them.
    “How about a tour?” she asked.
    They made an effort not to touch on the spiral staircase to the lowest deck and intensified their effort in the narrow galley. When she peered into the master bedroom, her eyes widened. “No windows.” She dismissed the queen-size bed. “Takes too much space, makes the room claustrophobic.”
    “Whatever you do, don’t spare my feelings.”
    “I think you like hearing the truth.”
    “When did I become transparent?”
    “When you swam past the pier to rescue me and the dog.”
    Two seconds later she assessed the crew’s bunk beds that resembled berths on a train.
    “Way too narrow. They remind me of a crypt.”
    And had been used as such. “Care to retreat to the salon?”
    “Aye, captain.”
    “Does that mean you will obey?” No one had used his rank since Rodrigo and he cut their way through the jungle. Diego’s Toledo sword, his lance, all lost in the Amazonian rainforest. He refused to unearth them in his thoughts a second longer. Mercedes brought him back to the present.
    “There’s little chance I can be obedient.”
    Diego sat on one of the banked sofas. The lights were low. “Nevertheless, mi casa es tu casa.”
    She settled on the leather sofa adjacent to his, removed her sandals, and tucked her legs under her body. Six feet separated her from him. The gap felt wider than the Gulf of Mexico. Even from that distance, he knew his hand would feel at home on the curve of her back. Such knowledge did not come from