The Devil She Knew(27)

She scrambled to untie the rope holding her to the boat, then went back  to the motor. It was idling. Turning the handle revved it, but she  wasn't going forward. Stupid engine. She swiped angrily at her tears.  There had to be a gear lever here somewhere. Was that it on the side?

"You couldn't wait even a few minutes?"

Suzie jerked her head up. Nate stared down at her from the yacht, his  expression hard. If only he'd show some sign that she meant enough to  him to fight for. If he'd give her something to work with, maybe it  didn't have to be this way.

"What about your things?" His voice was harsh.

Crap, she'd forgotten her suitcase and purse. She was so worked up she  would have motored off in just the clothes she was wearing without a  cent to her name.

"I didn't think about … " The words choked off, the lump in her throat getting in the way.

He turned and went below. She put her face in her hands as she slowly  drifted away from the yacht. What was she doing? Running away wouldn't  soften the pain. She'd stay and talk it through with him, if only he was  willing to drop his defenses.

"Here." He climbed onto the transom with her suitcase and purse, and  managed to throw them the short distance into the dinghy without losing  either to the sea.

"Nate, I … " What good was it trying to talk when his mouth was set in a  hard line? His eyes were the coldest she'd ever seen them.

"I'm sorry," she managed.

"Goodbye, Suzie." He turned and went below.

She stared at the empty deck for a moment, tears running down her  cheeks, wishing he'd reappear. Every second she sat there, the Coast  Guard boat got further away. But it couldn't end like this, could it?





17





When he heard the tender's engine roar away, Nate stuck his head up from re-attaching the new battery to watch her go.

It hurt like hell that she could end their relationship so easily. But  maybe it had been a lucky escape. If the pain was bad now, it would only  have got worse later. This was exactly why he hadn't wanted to get  close to anyone.         

     



 

Only, as he watched the Coast Guard vessel slow to let her come  alongside, he didn't feel lucky. He felt miserable. The last couple of  days had been so spectacular he'd let himself be lulled into a false  sense of security, thinking maybe it would be okay. He should have known  better.

The crew pulled Suzie on board. After a short conversation, one of them  got in their own tender and started towing their one back to him. What  had she told them? Would the young man in the boat think Suzie was  desperate to get away from him because he'd done something awful?

He steeled himself as the man got close enough to pass him the tender,  but the man just gave him a nod. "We're going to drop her at Denarau,"  he said. "We're not usually a taxi service, but we're heading there  anyway."

"Thanks." Nate wasn't thanking him for taking Suzie away, but for  letting him know she was going to be okay. And for not treating Nate  with the suspicion that Nate would have no doubt felt if their positions  were reversed.

Suzie had disappeared from sight on the Coast Guard vessel, and he had a  sudden urge to ask the guy to bring her back. Or to go over there  himself, so he could convince Suzie to get back on board with him.

If Suzie came back, he could tell her that the last couple of days had  changed him. He felt like they'd been discovering something wonderful.  In spite of the way she'd left, he already knew he was going to miss  Suzie like crazy.

He'd fallen for her. Head over heels. He had to be, for it to hurt so badly. So what now?

Nate glanced towards the dashboard. Maybe he hadn't managed to bypass  all the blown circuits. If he convinced Suzie to come back on board but  couldn't get the engine started, she'd never forgive him.

He raised a hand in farewell as the man turned back toward the Coast  Guard vessel. Better she stayed where she was if it meant she was  guaranteed to catch her plane. Besides, heading to Port Denarau on his  own would give him the thinking time he needed. Time to decide if  opening himself up to someone who could inflict this kind of pain on him  had been the worst idea ever. To wonder whether it was possible to  evict her from his heart. Could he cut his losses and run?

And without Suzie on board, he had time to run his tests properly and be  sure his software was going to work. Yeah, this way was best.

Still, he waited at the rail, watching until the Coast Guard boat was  out of sight. Half hoping it would turn around and come back, that Suzie  would jump back on board, her blue eyes flashing as she berated him.

It wasn't until the boat had disappeared in the distance that Nate  turned back to the battery. Ah, he saw where he'd gone wrong. He'd been  in too much of a hurry. Once he wired it properly, the engine would  start. At least, that's what he hoped.

Nate did the work, then held his breath as he turned the ignition key to  the starting position. The ignition light came on, so at least the new  battery was working and the engine had power. He turned the key all the  way and the engine coughed, then caught. The roar cut through the  silence, shattering the serene beauty of his surroundings. Nate sighed.  He should feel overjoyed it had started. Instead there was an empty  place in his heart.

"See, Suzie?" he said aloud. "If you'd trusted me, I would have got you there."

But she hadn't trusted him. No, Suzie had jumped ship the first chance  she'd got. She'd left without giving him a serious chance.

Every time Nate had loved someone, it had damn near destroyed him. First  his mother. Then Yasmina. Worst of all had been the endless years he'd  spent waiting for Harrison to kill himself. And still, like a fool, he'd  opened his heart up to Suzie. What had he been thinking?

She'd got him so turned around, he didn't know what the hell he wanted  anymore. No regrets? That was a joke. If he could wipe the last few days  out of his memory and go back to the way he was, he'd do it in a  heartbeat. Anything was better than this.

Instead of using the electric winch, Nate lifted the anchor by hand. He  wanted to sweat and strain and forget about Suzie. His software was what  mattered. He'd prove it worked, go back to New York, and throw himself  into creating something special.

Nate secured the anchor, then went to the steering wheel and put the  engine in gear. As he motored away from the rocks, he had to force  himself to keep looking forward, and not glance back at the place he was  leaving behind forever.





18





"Holy mother of mess ups." Suzie put her hands over her face and tried not to panic. "It's all going wrong."

Marianna took a piece of calamari out of Suzie's frying pan and chewed.  "The flavor's good, but it's tough. Did you leave it on the heat too  long?"         

     



 

"I don't know what I did," Suzie moaned through her fingers. "Damn, damn, damn."

"It's okay. Look, we have all the ingredients for mini quiches, and  you've prepared them a hundred times. Honestly, it's safer not to make  anything so fancy. The bride might have been okay with the switch, but  I'm sure she won't mind if you go back to the original plan."

Suzie took a deep breath, trying not to cry. Her last chance to do  something different on Friday night was blown. Marianna was about to  leave for her holiday, and the recipe Suzie had been going to wow her  with was a disaster. She was a failure. Again. And this time it was  official.

Marianna checked her watch. "I'm sorry hon, but I only have a few  minutes before I have to go. You're a great cook when you make the usual  things. Now's not the time to try something new."

Suzie nodded, her throat too tight to say anything.

"You're going to do great tomorrow night," Marianna got her lip gloss  and compact out of her handbag. "I only wish I could be there to enjoy  it. I'll be back on Saturday morning and I want a full report."

Suzie's cellphone rang, and she fished it out of her handbag to check  the display. Nate. When he'd called yesterday, she'd been so shocked to  hear his voice that she'd made an excuse and hung up.

"Don't you want to answer it?" Marianna slicked gloss over her lips and pressed them together.

"No."

It stopped ringing. Suzie waited but it didn't ding. No message. She  wanted to talk to him, but she wasn't ready yet. First she needed time  to think things through.

Marianna dropped her makeup back in her handbag and snapped it shut.  "Was that the guy you've been so upset about? Why won't you talk to  him?"

"Because he's not who I thought he was. I mean, I thought he wasn't a  regular guy. But it turns out he's as far from regular as its possible  to get."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, Suzie picked up her phone and found one of the  articles that had come up when she'd Googled Nate. An eight-page article  in Newsweek, devoted entirely to Nate. It was titled, The Industry  Disruptor and included pictures of him lounging in a huge penthouse  apartment with spectacular views over New York.