“I don’t know,” I said.
Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. Joshua looked up, and a strange look came over his face for half a second.
“This guy bothering you?” Nate grunted.
I turned around. “Oh, Nate. This is Joshua, one of my dad’s business associates. Joshua, this is my new stepbrother, Nate.”
Nate and Joshua shook hands, and Nate held on for half a second longer than was normal, looking Joshua right in the eye. There was a strained tension between the two men. Nate was clearly the larger of the two, taller and broader, with muscles like crazy. Joshua was smaller and wore an expensive suit, his hair gelled up and styled.
“Good to meet you,” Joshua said.
“Likewise.”
“Joshua here was just inviting me out. I’m sure you’d like to come too, Nate.”
Joshua gaped for a second before composing himself. “Uh, yes. I’m sure that’d be great.”
Nate stared at Joshua for another second, his body imposing and serious. “I’ll think about it.”
“Great,” Joshua said, “just great. I’ll let you two get back to work.” He quickly turned away, returning to Al.
“Creep,” I muttered.
Fortunately, though, I was almost positive we would never hear from Joshua again, or at least about that little trip he wanted to take me on.
“That guy bother you?” Nate asked me.
“Just another banker asshole my dad is trying to set me up with.”
“He do that a lot?”
“Yeah,” I said, “he really does.”
Nate frowned at Joshua for a second and then looked back at me. “You have any issues with guys like him, you come find me. Understand?”
“Okay,” I said softly.
“Seriously, Claire. Any issues, you find me. I’ll handle it.”
I nodded quickly, my heart skipping a beat. “Okay. I will.”
He leaned back against the railing. “So, interested in that guy?”
“No, not at all,” I said quickly.
Too quickly, clearly, because Nate’s face lit up in a huge grin.
“Defensive?”
“No,” I muttered.
“Seems like you’re a little embarrassed to be caught getting hit on.”
“Its not my fault my dad wants me to marry some proper investment banker just like him.”
“It’s weird he’s doing that. Isn’t that usually a mom’s job?”
“Yeah, well, ever since my mom died, my dad took up the slack.”
“Shit. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s okay.”
“If it helps, my mom gave up trying to set me up a long time ago.”
“Why’s that?”
“Apparently proper ladies are intimidated by me.” He stood up and moved close to me. “Truth is, though, they usually ended up throwing their panties at me and begging for it. But Mom doesn’t know that.”
“I’m sure you obliged.”
“I’m a gentleman, after all.”
The day went like that for another few hours. Nate and I went around helping people and serving lunch while Tommy answered questions about the area. Finally, our time was up, and we helped everyone pack away their rods and their catches, though nobody got much of anything.
Back up in the pilot’s room, Nate began to sail the boat back toward the harbor. I felt relieved to be hidden up away from everyone. Joshua and his associate, Al, kept giving me looks all afternoon, but whenever Nate got too close they would instantly look away.
Part of me was thrilled to see that. Part of me loved that Nate could scare other men away simply by being near me. I loved that he was powerful and masculine enough that he didn’t even have to try. And yet part of me was afraid of him and how easily he could posses me.
I knew I was skating on thin ice. There was a razor-thin margin between us, and one tiny slip up would leave me reeling and in the palm of his hands.
Once there, I knew I’d never get away.
“Almost back,” Nate grunted.
“Yeah.” I looked out the window and down at Tommy giving the customers his last little speech. “Listen, Nate.” I bit my lower lip, not sure what I wanted to say. “We shouldn’t do this.”
“Drive the boat back?”
“No. I mean, you shouldn’t scare guys away.”
“Scare who away?”
“Those guys. Joshua and Al.”
“Seems to me they needed scaring.”
“We’re stepsiblings now. My dad is going to be throwing guys at me all the time.”
“And you’re going to want to date one of them.”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
Not at all, not even slightly. But whatever I needed to say to make that tiny margin wider would be good.