Surrender To A Scoundrel by Julianne MacLean

the companionway, then hoisted himself up onto the third step to look outside. “The fog is moving out. We can at least get started, though we won’t set any records.” He downed the rest of his coffee in a few gulps and descended with swift, eager steps. “You can wait here if you like, while I get us away from the mooring, but I would prefer to have your assistance.”
    “Assistance?”
    “I’ll need you to hold the wheel steady for me once or twice.”
    That didn’t sound too difficult, so Evelyn agreed and finished the last of her coffee. He locked the cups away, then led her up on deck and gestured to the bench near the wheel.
    “Take a seat right there,” he said.
    She did as he asked, and he immediately set to work moving around the boat, rigging the mainsail and jib. She enjoyed watching him work, admiring the swift grace of his hands as he tied knots and fed lines through blocks and cleats.
    He moved past or around her a number of times as he went from one end of the boat to the other, and she leaned forward or back to stay out of his way.
    “There’s a good breeze now,” he said, hopping down onto the deck directly in front of her. He bent to pass under the boom and stepped up onto the foredeck on the other side. He set about hoisting the mainsail, doing everything very quickly.
    A few minutes later, they were free of the mooring, and he was standing at the wheel, glancing up at the sails and down at the water. As soon as they were under way, he reached for Evelyn’s hand and pulled her deftly to her feet.
    “I’ll need you to take the wheel now,” he said.“Just for a minute while I raise the jib.” He slid his hand around her waist and guided her to stand in front of him.
    “I don’t really know what to do,” she told him.
    “You don’t have to do anything. Just hold it steady right here.”
    His large, warm hands wrapped around hers and he showed her where to grip the spokes. She could feel his firm chest against her back, and the contact upset her balance. She adjusted her stance while she fought to suppress the feverish excitement in her belly.
    His lips brushed against her ear, and she felt the moist heat of his breath when he spoke. “That’s it,” he said. “You might feel it tugging, but don’t let it turn. Keep it in this position.”
    She held it firmly and tried to keep her breathing under control. When he seemed sure she was comfortable, he let go. “I’ll just be a moment.”
    Though she did not feel altogether confident, she nodded and watched him go to the forward sail. Again, he moved quickly and skillfully, his body straining as he pulled on the ropes to hoist it. Before she knew it, he was hopping down into the cockpit again and sliding up next to her, taking over the wheel. His nearness caused the passionate fluttering in her belly to return.
    “Well done,” he said.
    The boat picked up speed, and she felt thechilly wind on her cheeks. “There’s quite a strong wind now, isn’t there?” She reached up to hold onto her hat.
    He looked up at the mainsail. “Not exactly. It just feels that way because we’re sailing upwind. On our return, we’ll have the wind at our backs, and it will seem almost completely calm.”
    Still holding on to her hat, she looked up at the mast. Both sails were pulled tight. “I’ve always wondered how it’s possible to move forward when you’re sailing into the wind.”
    “We never point directly into it,” he explained. “If you look at the direction of the waves and feel the wind on your face, you’ll see that we are sailing at an angle toward it, and with the sails trimmed just right, we’ll get where we want to go.”
    “And where is that, exactly?” She supposed she should have asked that question before she agreed to sail with him today.
    “I plan to take you around The Needles.”
    “The Needles. What in the world…?”
    There was laughter in his eyes. “Be patient. All in good time.”
    Evelyn tried to relax