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didn’t think she was used to sitting on
a man’s lap. She approached him awkwardly, lowering herself in a tentative
manner, as if she were afraid something would break—or perhaps it wasn’t
hesitation, it may have just been pain from her scrapes and bruises. Moving
just as cautiously, he enfolded her in his arms, pressing her cheek to his
shoulder, and pulled her more firmly against him. Taking her weight was no
problem, and apparently she figured that out. After holding her breath for a
few heartbeats, she gradually relaxed in his embrace, finally allowing herself
to grip the shoulder of his T-shirt with one hand, while the other arm clamped
around his waist.
    He breathed in the scent of his soap and shampoo mixed with
her underlying feminine fragrance, and bit his lip hard in an effort to control
his body’s reaction. When he felt the trickle of tears dampening the front of
his shirt, he forgot all about wanting her, though. He stroked one hand through
her long, damp hair, wishing he knew what to say to give her comfort. In nearly
eight decades of walking among humans, he’d lost many friends and it always
hurt. But he didn’t think he’d ever let any of them get as close to him as
Heidi and her partner had obviously been to each other.
    She sat there on his lap, weeping silently, for maybe ten or
fifteen minutes. Jake simply continued to hold her close, rubbing her hair and
back, feeling more helpless than he could remember. When she finished, they sat
there for a few minutes longer. Finally Heidi wiped her cheeks with the back of
her hand and turned her face up to Jake’s.
    “Thank you,” she said around a sniffle. Her voice was raw
and husky from crying, but sexy as hell.
    “No problem,” he replied. “Honestly, you’re holding up
better than most people would. It’s okay to need a shoulder to cry on.” He told
himself he had to turn away, had to stop staring into those watery blue eyes
before he did something stupid.
    “Well, thanks anyway.” She leaned up a few inches and
feathered a kiss on his cheekbone.
    Jake knew it was an idiotic move, but his body went on
autopilot. He turned his face and pressed a small kiss on her full lips. Her
breath hitched, and he thought maybe his stopped entirely. Time hung suspended
for a moment before she brought her hand up into his hair and began to return
his kiss.
    Cautiously he stroked his tongue along her lips, testing her
response. When she opened her mouth, he dove inside, heedless of the things he
should be thinking about. She tasted sweet, from the tea he’d given her. Her
own tongue slid silkily along his, tasting and exploring. Jake cupped the back
of her head with one hand while the other slid upward from her waist to cup the
side of one round breast.
    “Whoa!” Heidi broke off the kiss and pulled back abruptly. “Jesus,
what the hell just happened here?”
    “I’m sorry, Heidi,” Jake began. “I didn’t mean—”
    “No, I know that.” She scrambled off his lap, moved back out
onto the deck, toward the hatch down to the cabin. “I think I should be the one
apologizing but…oh hell, I have no idea.” She opened the hatch and started down
the stairs.
    “There’s coffee in the galley, if you want some,” he called.
    “Thanks.” She didn’t even turn, just called the word over
her shoulder as she fled.
    * * * * *
    “You awake?”
    Heidi’s words and the hand on his shoulder jolted Jake out
of a semi-doze. He spun the captain’s chair quickly, almost knocking the coffee
cup from Heidi’s hand. He caught it, offered her an apologetic grin. A glance
at the clock on the control panel told him she’d been below for maybe twenty
minutes.
    “I saw your empty cup in the galley, thought you could use a
refill.” She held two cups, he noticed—his oversized mug advertising a San
Francisco coffee house and the black sea turtle one from Honolulu he’d put her
tea in earlier. She had the open pack of sandwich cookies he’d left on