the jib, adjusting the sheet to match her course and ensure the sail filled properly. Julianna adjusted the mainsail to match the heading.
He reached back and raised the motor out of the water. Now they would really move.
La Rueca accelerated through the water. Julianna kept her course, making minor corrections as she headed upwind. She seemed to have a feel for the boat as well as the wind.
“I love it out here.” The look of pure joy on Julianna’s face took Alejandro’s breath away. “This is heaven. And you’re an angel for doing this for me.”
No angel. Not when he was getting turned on watching her sail. The gleam in her eyes. Her smiling lips. Her flushed cheeks.
He focused on the sails. They had filled perfectly, no trimming necessary.
“We’re going to need to tack,” she said.
He held onto the jib sheet. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“Tacking.”
Alejandro bent over to avoid the boom as it swung across to the other side. The sails luffed, flapping in the wind. He pulled in the sheet. She trimmed the main.
Julianna sailed at a forty-five-degree angle to the wind.
The boat heeled. She leaned over the side to stare at the bow.
As the boat headed upwind, she tacked back and forth to keep the boat moving. With each direction change, the two of them worked together managing the sails with the sheets. Words weren’t necessary. They both knew what to do. Perfectly in sync, like they’d done this a hundred times together. Alejandro continued to be amazed by Julianna’s knowledge and skill.
He’d never seen someone with such a natural talent. She handled the boat as if it were an extension of herself. She seemed to know when the wind was going to change, and the perfect course to set to maximize the boat’s speed.
With the wind on her face, she stared up at the full moon.
His heart lurched. She was truly stunning.
“This is even better than I imagined.” Julianna’s gaze met his. “Being out here on the sea like this… It’s intoxicating.”
He felt the same way being around her. “You steer like you’ve been sailing on the sea your entire life.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I love the way your boat responds.”
“I love the way the boat responds to you.” He wondered how she would respond to him, to his touch, to his kisses.
She eyed him curiously. “I’m sure she responds this way with any helmsman.”
“Guess again,” he admitted. “You handle La Rueca better than anyone else.”
“Including you?”
“Yes.”
She laughed. As before, the sweet sound carried on the wind. Alejandro wanted to reach out and capture it, a song to remind him of this perfect sail.
He wished the evening wouldn’t have to end. As much as he’d like to keep Julianna out here all night, he couldn’t. They’d sailed longer than he intended.
“Come about,” he said. “And head downwind.”
“Can’t we head up a little farther?”
“It’s time to go back.” The disappointment in her eyes knotted his stomach. “You don’t want to sneak into the palace when it’s daylight. If your maid finds a blond wig and pillows in your bed…”
“That would be a disaster.” Julianna gripped the wheel until her knuckles turned white. “Coming about.”
The boat turned around. They sailed with the wind at their backs, running with the wind.
But Julianna no longer smiled. The sparkle disappeared from her eyes. She looked so…resigned.
Alejandro didn’t like the change in her. Being out here on the water had set her free. The sailor with him tonight was the real Julianna. He didn’t want her to put on a princess mask and have to wear it for the rest of her life. “Perhaps another time we can—”
“There can’t be another time.” She sounded dejected, sad. “This is my last sail. At least until Enrique changes his mind.”
Her words echoed through his brain. He firmly rejected them. “I know it’s forbidden and you can’t risk being caught, but you’re so happy out
He reached back and raised the motor out of the water. Now they would really move.
La Rueca accelerated through the water. Julianna kept her course, making minor corrections as she headed upwind. She seemed to have a feel for the boat as well as the wind.
“I love it out here.” The look of pure joy on Julianna’s face took Alejandro’s breath away. “This is heaven. And you’re an angel for doing this for me.”
No angel. Not when he was getting turned on watching her sail. The gleam in her eyes. Her smiling lips. Her flushed cheeks.
He focused on the sails. They had filled perfectly, no trimming necessary.
“We’re going to need to tack,” she said.
He held onto the jib sheet. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“Tacking.”
Alejandro bent over to avoid the boom as it swung across to the other side. The sails luffed, flapping in the wind. He pulled in the sheet. She trimmed the main.
Julianna sailed at a forty-five-degree angle to the wind.
The boat heeled. She leaned over the side to stare at the bow.
As the boat headed upwind, she tacked back and forth to keep the boat moving. With each direction change, the two of them worked together managing the sails with the sheets. Words weren’t necessary. They both knew what to do. Perfectly in sync, like they’d done this a hundred times together. Alejandro continued to be amazed by Julianna’s knowledge and skill.
He’d never seen someone with such a natural talent. She handled the boat as if it were an extension of herself. She seemed to know when the wind was going to change, and the perfect course to set to maximize the boat’s speed.
With the wind on her face, she stared up at the full moon.
His heart lurched. She was truly stunning.
“This is even better than I imagined.” Julianna’s gaze met his. “Being out here on the sea like this… It’s intoxicating.”
He felt the same way being around her. “You steer like you’ve been sailing on the sea your entire life.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I love the way your boat responds.”
“I love the way the boat responds to you.” He wondered how she would respond to him, to his touch, to his kisses.
She eyed him curiously. “I’m sure she responds this way with any helmsman.”
“Guess again,” he admitted. “You handle La Rueca better than anyone else.”
“Including you?”
“Yes.”
She laughed. As before, the sweet sound carried on the wind. Alejandro wanted to reach out and capture it, a song to remind him of this perfect sail.
He wished the evening wouldn’t have to end. As much as he’d like to keep Julianna out here all night, he couldn’t. They’d sailed longer than he intended.
“Come about,” he said. “And head downwind.”
“Can’t we head up a little farther?”
“It’s time to go back.” The disappointment in her eyes knotted his stomach. “You don’t want to sneak into the palace when it’s daylight. If your maid finds a blond wig and pillows in your bed…”
“That would be a disaster.” Julianna gripped the wheel until her knuckles turned white. “Coming about.”
The boat turned around. They sailed with the wind at their backs, running with the wind.
But Julianna no longer smiled. The sparkle disappeared from her eyes. She looked so…resigned.
Alejandro didn’t like the change in her. Being out here on the water had set her free. The sailor with him tonight was the real Julianna. He didn’t want her to put on a princess mask and have to wear it for the rest of her life. “Perhaps another time we can—”
“There can’t be another time.” She sounded dejected, sad. “This is my last sail. At least until Enrique changes his mind.”
Her words echoed through his brain. He firmly rejected them. “I know it’s forbidden and you can’t risk being caught, but you’re so happy out
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