Zach wiped the thick rag across the trim of his handcrafted wooden luxury boat. He glided his fingers across the deep indentations of the carving, wanting to discover any leftover wax debris before it settled into the creases. In his experience, nothing ensured the beauty and longevity of his girl, Freedom Key, more than regular maintenance and a good coat of high-quality wax. Nothing but the best for the woman in his life.

The little tour boat wasn't just any watercraft, it possessed two distinct personalities. Its classic elegance drew you in with its graceful lines and luxurious mahogany woodwork, while its modern technology, state of the art power, and effortless handling grabbed you. Zach's love of wooden boats went beyond mere nostalgia. The natural material fascinated him, but he loved its many technical merits almost as much.

Satisfied, Zach threw the dirty rag into a bucket. From his squatting position on the dock, he admired his handiwork. The Freedom gleamed gracefully even under the overcast skies.

Lost in thought, he hadn't realized someone approached until he glimpsed a pair of sexy-as-hell heels next to his bucket. A slow grin spread across his lips as his eyes inched their way up a pair of tantalizing, well-defined legs. Who the hell wore three-inch heels and hosiery in this humid weather? Had to be his realtor stopping in with the final contract on the property.

Not wanting to waste a good ogling opportunity, he allowed his eyes to roam further past the knee-high woolen skirt, past the tailored silk blouse that covered a nice rack, upward to…

"Holy shit." The brakes came down hard as a ghost from his past stood before him in all her conservative glory.

"You missed a spot," she said softly, giving him a shy smile.

Zach sprung up so quickly he nearly lost his balance in the process.

He rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on his faded jeans. "Free. You're back." The words escaped his lips before he could think of an adequate greeting. He wanted to curse himself for sounding eager rather than nonchalant. He had rehearsed this scenario a hundred times in his mind in preparation for the day he'd see her again.

Damn, she looked good. Free resembled all the fancy city-girl types he'd seen in the professional style magazines. Feelings of inadequacy flooded him like a fresh open wound, and his heart tore apart all over again. His stomach clenched and nausea threatened to surface.

The pent-up ache turned to anger at the bitter memories of that day eight years ago. Much like today, dark clouds had stirred on the brink of the turbulent storm that had defined their relationship. Why the fuck was she here now? Why couldn't he have been better prepared when she showed up, instead of being scrubbing his boat like a common work hand?

Free cleared her throat, and the stick that permanently resided up her ass seemed to propel her to straighten up as she addressed his comment.

"I've been away too long. It seemed like the perfect time to come home and be with my family."

He covered his mouth with his fist in a pretend cough. A likely reason.

"How long?" Zach crossed his arms to prevent fidgeting in front of the one person whose opinion mattered most.

"I'm not sure. Maybe a few weeks, maybe a month." She shifted, pushing her weight to one side. "Is she new?" Free gave him a bright smile and deftly changed the subject.

"Yeah. I had her shipped here to accommodate my high-end clients when business picked up. I want them to feel like they're being pampered while their pretty little asses sit comfortably on the ride to Sunset Key."

Her smile broadened as she spoke. "You've always had a way with words."

And she always got in the last word. At the moment, his tongue wouldn't comply and he stood there for a good minute without a response. When his mind fired up again he blurted the first thing that came to mind. "How about a quick ride across and back?"

Damn. Figures he'd come up with a way to get stuck with her longer than he intended instead of pushing her away. What he really wanted to ask her was if she'd come back to stomp on the broken pieces of his heart for old times' sake.

"Don't you think it looks like a storm is coming our way?"

"It should be okay if we leave now. We'll make it back way before the heavy rains catch up with us."

"Are you sure?"

"C'mon, I make my living off the water. I know these things. I have built-in radar that tracks the weather better than any news channel ever could."

Her brows drew together as she bit down on her luscious lower lip. That simple act made his groin leap to life. Zach hadn't forgotten those days when he'd had full reign to taste those succulent lips. If he weren't still sore with her now he'd show her what she had missed.

He watched while an uncertain look flashed across her eyes, as if she were fighting an internal battle. Finally, she agreed to his suggestion with a nod of her head.

Fuck. He had almost hoped she'd say no and high-tail it off his dock. What the hell did she want with him, anyway? He did not want to take a stroll down memory lane with Freesia Daniels. The sooner he got her out of his hair, the sooner he could forget about her all over again.

Liar! Eight long years and not one day passed that he didn't stop thinking about her. Christ, Free had been in town not more than five minutes and she already had him worked up. He wondered what condition she'd leave him in this time when she breezed her sweet-little-ass right out again.

He didn't want to know.

~ ~ ~