Designer Genes - The Boyfriend Cut (5 page)

The doorman hailed me when a silver Mercedes stopped at the curb. He'd barely shut my door before the car rocketed into traffic.

"Miami International, please."

The driver gave an affirmative nod. A few minutes later, however, the airport exit sign passed. "Excuse me, but you missed the turn off." No response. All the air inside the car seemed to disappear and my palms turned sticky. I spoke louder. "You need to turn around. I can't miss my plane." A fearful shakiness appeared on the last word.

"Your flight is delayed, Miss Davis." The voice sounded familiar. I slid to the center of the backseat to see the driver's face in the rearview mirror. When he glanced up, I recognized the dark brown eyes and teasing smirk immediately, and the beginnings of an anxiety attack threatened.

"Jesse? What's going on? This isn't funny. If your mother finds out we're together, she'll call the authorities."

"By the time she figures it out, you'll be safely on your way home. Besides, we didn't have a chance to get acquainted. Nice interview by the way. I loved how you caught Mom off-guard with the 'animal' thing. Jordan will catch hell for that. She's a control freak and would detest some stranger telling her something about him she didn't know."

"I don't think the animal issue was the deal breaker."

"Huh? Did I miss something?"

"Only my total flip-out for the grand finale. Jesse, please go back."

"What happened?"

"If you don't mind, I don't want to talk about it."

He flashed another sexy smile. "Fine. Keep your little secret." The car continued down the interstate, Jesse's eyes on me and not the highway. "Want to take a side trip with me?"

Given our first encounter made my knees weak, the thought of going anywhere alone with Jesse worried me.

"I don't think so, and I'm serious—turn this car around."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of me?"

"Of course I'm not afraid of you." Petrified would be a better description. "I don't want either of us to get into trouble."

"Where's the fun in that? Mommy will be occupied for the next couple hours, anyway. She's doing another interview."

My fingernails dug into the edges of the butter-soft upholstery. Jordan requested someone else to interview?
Selection A.
Did that mean I was his first choice or The Program's? Silly of me to think I could be the only candidate Jordan Mason asked to interview. Blue banded and five diamonds ensured he'd have his pick of top candidates and after my award winning performance, the decision would be easy. I hated feeling a twinge of jealousy over some boy I'd never met.

Jesse interrupted my thoughts. "I'll let you in on a secret. You don't have to worry about other candidates. I'm sure you're already chosen."

"Then you know zilch. Trust me. I messed up, royally."

"I don't think that's possible."

"Totally possible, and if your mother has any say, I'll be the last candidate considered."

"I'm telling you, Mars, Jordan's already made up his mind."

"Mars? Don't. That's my dad's nickname for me. And how would you know anything about what your brother wants?"

"Because he's been instant messaging constantly and I told him either he chose you, or I'd sway you my way." Another playful grin curled on Jesse's mouth. "And like it or not,
Mars
sticks because someone as pretty as you can't be from this planet."

"Beyond pathetic."

Peering out the front windshield, I noticed boats, not planes come into view, and the shimmer of water appeared on the horizon. "Where are we going?"

Jesse flashed a dangerous smile, one holding a secret. "I want to show you something."

I leaned over the seat. "What about my flight? The pilot is expecting me."
Breathe Marli.
"Dammit Jesse! I can't be late!"

"Calm down. You're with your pilot."

"What? You're joking, right?" His shoulders lifted slightly. I slid back into the seat, officially trapped. I clenched the hem of my skirt and snarled my frustration. "Great! I'm a hostage."

Jesse laughed. "You're cute when you're mad. I like how your mouth does that little corkscrew thing."

I pinned an infuriated glower to the eyes watching me from the rearview mirror. He blew a loud sigh and let me fume. A few minutes later, he braved jumping back into conversation.

"So your flight here. Awful?"

"You flew me to Miami, too?"

"Sure did."

Concentrating on smoothing the creases in my skirt, I kept my eyes down and attempted playing nice. "How long have you been a pilot?"

"We actually got our licenses before our driving permits."

I'd forgotten Jordan listed "flying" among his many accomplishments.

Casually, I slung my arm over the back of Jesse's seat. "Do you fly helicopters too?"

An unreadable expression covered his face. "Not exactly."

"How do you
not exactly
fly a helicopter?"

He kept his eyes trained on the traffic. "I never took the flight test. Aced the written exam, but something came up before I got a chance to pass the practical part."

"Why don't you do it now?"

"It's complicated. And personal," he replied, all humor gone.

"Personal, I get." I let it go and perched my chin on my arm. My nose was inches from his neck, the alluring scent of his spicy cologne mixed with citrus-fragranced shampoo emanating off his skin. "So where are you taking me?" the question sounding too husky to be innocent. I eased away, catching the hint of a smile on his mouth in the rearview mirror.

Crap.

His answer came out equally rough. "The harbor. I told you I have something to show you, but I need a boat."

"Let me guess. Not a canoe?"

"Slightly bigger," he replied inside a chuckle.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the marina. The faint smell of fish and motor oil clung to the humid afternoon air. Water spouted in small bursts between the joints of the pier, spraying the toes of my new patent leather shoes. At the end of the wharf, a massive white yacht, aptly named
HER MAJESTY,
bobbed in the water
.

Definitely not a canoe.

Jesse took my hand and led me up the boarding ramp. Once aboard, I followed him down the gangway, gliding my fingers over the smooth fiberglass sides of the ship. He climbed a gleaming chrome spiral staircase to another deck. I twisted back and forth below, not knowing what to do—run, scream, or jump overboard. Given how unlucky the day had proven so far, I'd probably miss the water and hit the cement pier.

Jesse leaned over the railing from above. "You coming? We'll only be gone a couple hours, tops, and I swear I won't dump your bony ass overboard."

I chomped the corner of my lip, debating.
What harm can come from a boat ride?
I climbed the stairs, standing toe-to-toe with him.

"Two hours. And my ass isn't bony."

The cruiser slipped silently through the marina, sending ripples outward that gently rocked the vessels moored to the docks. Jesse caught my puzzled look when he slid a bright green flag into the post beside a glass panel.

"This saves us from having to stop for the border patrols."

"How do they know you're not stealing the yacht?"

"Because this ship requires special clearance before it can leave the marina."

"So you already assumed I'd come?"

"Let's say I hoped and wanted to be prepared."

After we cleared the border sentries, Jesse veered the yacht into open waters. He lifted a small radio from the control panel.

"Mike? Jess. Thanks for the clearance, but I need one more favor. Call Dr. Richard Davis in Maple Heights, Ohio, and inform him his daughter's flight is delayed. Tell him we'll arrange her transportation home to make up for the inconvenience."

"Jess, if I'd known—don’t. Turn around," squawked a demand. "It's not worth the risk."

Jesse's gaze raked over me before he countered. "I beg to differ. Better scramble the frequency on the boat, too. I don't want to be tracked."

"You'll owe me for this one, Mason."

"Put it on my tab. And stop worrying." He disconnected and increased speed.

I fought to hide my sudden panic."Scramble what frequency?"

Jesse gave my pink bracelet a spin. "You're on radar
.
I don't need the military out looking for you."

A surge of fear blossomed as I watched Miami's skyline quickly disappear at the end of a long, frothy wake.

Great, Marli. If you're murdered, no one will ever find your body.

The spring sun overhead burned bright, and sparkling ruffles resembling fine lace edged the curls of navy blue water splashing the yacht. A brisk breeze slapped my face, holding some of spring's coolness. Jesse touched my shoulder, startling me.

"Help me navigate." I stood between him and the helm, the warmth of his body behind me, chasing off the chill. He placed my hands on the wheel, covering them with his own.

When he leaned over my shoulder, our cheeks brushed and my heart jumped. "See that large island in the distance?" I played along, spying several peaks rising out of the midnight blue horizon. "Beyond there is my family's private island. The water is unbelievably clear and the coral reefs beneath are awesome. That's what I want to show you."

He banked the yacht to the left and a few minutes later, floated into a small bay. After dropping anchor, we descended the stairs to the main deck. Jesse eased a hip on a barstool in the galley.

"Have you ever snorkeled?"

A surprise giggle blurted from my mouth. "No, Lake Erie isn't exactly known for scuba activities."

"It's easy. I'll teach you."

I tugged my skirt. "I'm not exactly dressed for water sports."

"My sister's about your size and she left several swimsuits in her cabin."

"Sister?" Nobody said anything in my interview about other siblings. Another missing puzzle piece surfaced.

Jesse towed me down a small corridor paneled in rich, cinnamon-colored wood. He opened the door to a small cabin and leaned against the frame, his expression sobering.

"My older sister, Kate, was in The Program and set up to interview with some law student in Manhattan, but she never showed. The police found her broken pink bracelet in her apartment on a note saying she'd run off with one of her college professors. She called my parents a few days later and said she was safe, but not returning. We think she's living somewhere in Canada."

"Oh my. Do you miss her?"

Jesse's toe scuffed at a wood plank. "Sometimes. I figure she's happy, or she'd have come home." A smile brightened his handsome face. "Check the overhead cubby and see if you can find something to wear. I'll get the gear and meet you on the rear deck in fifteen minutes."

The words Mrs. Mason spoke earlier made sense.
"Jordan is our first to proceed this far."
Now I wondered about Jesse's story.

A slow whistle pushed through Jesse's lips when I emerged from the galley. "You fill that bikini better than Kate ever did. Too bad you didn't post a bathing suit shot on your profile."

An embarrassing burn crept over me and I reached for a towel to cover up. When Jesse called my name, I whipped around just as his pen camera clicked, capturing an image of me in Kate's green polka-dot bikini.

"Jordan's search for perfection has ended. At the very least, he'll be jealous as hell." He tilted his chin. "Come on, sexy. Time to swim with the sharks."

"What?"I gasped.

"I'm joking. I promise to keep you safe."

All sorts of perils lurked in deep water, but I doubted any as dangerous as the one watching me with intense chocolate eyes.
Sharks
had to be safer than Jesse Mason.