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moth fluttered toward the bulb.
    He flipped open a door and disappeared, having to tilt his head slightly to get through the gap.
    I sucked in a deep breath. I’d thought of this moment so many times. In fact, I’d been preparing all week for naked time with my new man—hairdressers on Monday, facial on Tuesday, manicure and pedicure on Thursday, and an appointment with the dreaded wax strips on Friday to make sure not a hair was out of place anywhere on my body. I’d even had a layer of fake tan applied, just so I wasn’t too pasty, and had lost those extra five pounds I’d kept meaning to.
    Shame he wasn’t going to be appreciating my efforts. What I’d thought was going to be my first time with a man other than Thomas in over ten years wasn’t going to happen.
    “Come on down,” he repeated, appearing at the entrance to the galley. “But hold on, it’s a bit of a drop.”
    “Yes, I’m coming.”
    I held on to the rail and carefully checked my footing on each of the three steps that led to the inside area of the boat.
    Once down, I had a look around.
    Sullivan had been right. Dolly Bird was indeed all set up for crew, and the kitchen well equipped. It was bigger below deck than I’d expected, perfectly adequate as a place to live for a week, especially when the main attraction was the great outdoors anyway.
    “Look, here’s the cold stuff,” he said, lifting a light wooden work surface in the galley and exposing a box that functioned as a refrigerator. “Everything you need, including breakfast.”
    In it sat a bottle of champagne, wine, cheese, bacon, a pat of butter, and a carton of milk.
    “Thank you.”
    “And in here, tea. I know how you like Tetley Tea.”
    His arm bumped my shoulder in the small space as he opened a cupboard and showed off the blue packet of my usual morning drink.
    “You have a good memory,” I said, stepping back a little toward a small, cushioned bench that had a table in front of it. On it sat a bowl of sugared almonds, my favorite.
    “I have an exceptionally good memory when it comes to you,” he said, studying me seriously.
    I didn’t reply.
    For a moment, he just looked at me, then he turned away and closed up the cupboard and the refrigerator. He removed his keys and wallet from the deep pocket on his swim shorts and set them on the counter, the rattle of his keys loud in the small, quiet space.
    “In here,” he said, taking a step past me, “is the bathroom. It’s compact but functional.”
    He pulled open an oval door that had a lip around the bottom, so that it was necessary to step into the tiny room.
    “Yes, it is compact.” Everything appeared to be in miniature, including the mini porthole. There was no bath, just a kind of shower with a hose-like attachment.
    “Well, I manage,” he said, his easy grin returning. “And I’m twice the size of you.”
    “I’ll be fine.” It was for only one night.
    “So,” he said, shutting the door and glancing down at his feet. “I guess it’s goodnight.”
    “Yes.” I studied the way his long fringe fell forward, the points of the strands of hair tickling his eyebrows. “See you in the morning.”
    “Kay.” He looked up, his eyes narrowed and a line plowed across his brow.
    My heart skipped a beat. If only it had been different. If only he’d been ten years older. Damn, I’d be ripping that T-shirt off him right now, shoving at my own clothes and finding the bedroom, wherever the hell it was. Actually, no, forget the bedroom, right here would do. Up against the bathroom door or sitting on the work surface that covered the refrigerator, perhaps on the steps that led up to the deck.
    The warmth of desire heated my belly and tugged between my legs. I stared at the neck on his top. It was a little frayed, obviously a favorite T-shirt, and his skin in the hollow of his throat, looked so lickable my mouth watered.
    ‘I’d back you up against the wall, some place outside, an alley. It would be private, no