Prologue

“Have we pushed Ashton too far?” Richard Storm took a large gulp of good scotch and looked toward the ceiling as he thought about his words.

“What do you mean?” Joseph asked.

“He’s not the same man he was a few years ago,” Richard said, a heavy sigh showing the even heavier heart inside.

“But the goal was for him to grow up,” George pointed out.

“Yes, to grow up, but not to turn into this hard-nosed robot he’s become. I barely even recognize him anymore,” Richard pointed out.

“I hate to admit it, but I agree. I feel like we all have pushed him too hard,” Joseph said.

“He’s been busting his ass for four years now trying to prove that he’s not just another trust fund baby, that he is worthy of the Storm — and of course Anderson — name. But in that battle he’s been waging, a piece of his soul has been chipped away,” Richard said.

“I love that he wants to make you proud, Richard,” George said.

“He wants to make all of us proud, but this isn’t what I want. Yes, I want him to marry and produce kids, but above all, I want him to be happy,” Richard said, then realized his glass was empty. The stress was almost more than he could bear.

Richard’s two brothers stared at him in concern. The two Anderson patriarchs had been separated from him at birth, and they’d only met decades later, but his pain was their pain. After all, their DNA was almost identical.

“You should look on the bright side, though,” George said. “He used to be a devil- may-care bartender, but now he’s running a wildly successful business.”

Joseph piped in. “And didn’t you tell us that he used to be Mr. Playboy, just tomcatting all around both coasts? And now he’s engaged to be married. That’s another step in the right direction.”

“You’ve met his fiancée,” Richard snorted. “Yes, she has a fancy-schmancy name, and makes regular appearances in the society column. But she’s really nothing but a gold- digger out for alimony. Wouldn’t give him the time of day until she found out about his net worth. Sure, she bats her tinted eyelashes, but she’s no prize — unless you want to call her a prize bitch. … Excuse my French.”

“But what can we do?” George asked.

“I did what I could. I found the perfect match for Ashton. I gave a card to that lovely woman I mentioned before, Savannah Mills, but she never applied for the job I set up. That was two years ago, and now she has a master’s in oceanography. I can’t see her taking a job down at the docks after that.”

“Oh, yes, I remember that now,” Joseph said. “We’ve been so busy with the other kids, I’d temporarily forgotten. I’m not getting any younger, I’m afraid.”

“Do you think we move on from this Savannah?” Richard asked. “She really seemed to be The One, so I hate to give up.”

“No,” Joseph boomed — that’s what he always did. BOOM. “When love is meant to be, it’s meant to be. If she just finished her master’s and she’s set her sights on a PhD, you still have three months before the fall semester starts. Maybe now is the perfect time for her and Ashton to finally meet up.”

“But he’s still got that fiancée of his,” Richard growled.

“She won’t last,” George said. “Think about it. If Ashton sees Savannah, he’ll have to make comparisons, and the gold-digger will flame out. Your son isn’t that stupid, is he?”

“I wish I could be sure,” Richard replied, and a frown took over his face. “As I said, Ashton’s track record with women isn’t the best. And now, with him trying to prove something to himself or to us, he’s making bigger mistakes. Some young men never learn until it’s too late.”

“Ah, those boys, all of them, know how to put on a mask. I know Ashton has a heck of a lot more soul and a lot more character than he’s letting on. Somewhere inside, the real Ashton still resides,” Joseph assured them.

“I hope so, brother, because I’m beginning to think that son of mine won’t figure it out until it’s far too late,” Richard said.

Joseph threw him a determined look. “We never give up on the people we love. Sometimes we just have to bring out the electric cattle prod.”

Richard finally had a ghost of a smile. “Then let’s start planning. I happen to know that Savannah is more intrigued than ever before over sunken treasures. If she can get some free boat rides out to a site where a ship full of treasure is rumored to have sunk, I can see her finally taking that job down at the docks.”

“Hmm. Good thing Ashton does private cruises, isn’t it?” George said with a laugh. The three men bent their heads together.

Chapter One

A breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean glimmered before her as Savannah Mills stood at the top of the private docks and gazed at another spectacular sunset.

The scent, sounds, and sights of the West Coast had always filled her with joy. It was unlike any anything she’d ever experienced in the whole United States — heck, the entire world, for that matter. Okay, dammit, she’d never traveled beyond these stupid western states, but who was counting? Completely beside the point. She’d looked at the photos on the Internet, and that had to count for something.

When she began moving, she stumbled on the dock, nearly face-planting before she managed to get her balance back. Being a first-class klutz wasn’t what she prided herself on, but nobody’s perfect.

When she reached the gates barring the way down to the docks on the beautiful Orcas Island outside of Seattle — one of the San Juan Islands — Savanna pressed in the code she’d been given. The gates opened without a hitch.

Maybe Savannah loved the ocean because it was endless. If you were on it, you could run away from the rest of the world, never to be found again — unless you wanted to be. That freedom was priceless to her.

She’d been in school for what felt like forever, so this summer was her break. She was going to resist cracking a single book … nah. She knew herself better, and she wouldn’t last two weeks on that mission. But still, she was going to make it at least a week. Plus, she was about to begin a dream job for the summer before she was locked away again in the classroom, the lab, and the library.

Yes, she loved school, obviously, or she wouldn’t have a bachelor’s in biology and a master’s in oceanography, and she wouldn’t be pursuing a doctorate once three short months had passed. But in the summer all she wanted to feel was fresh wind on her cheeks and seawater lapping over her feet. Did that make her a bad person?

Nope. It made her free. Free of classes, free of homework, free of late night studying. Free!

She made her way down until she was standing before the boats. Some were smaller than others, but they all were well taken care of, and they all had Sea Storms Enterprise in bold letters across them.

This was a business that catered to those who wanted anything from private boating adventures to a smaller cruise line experience. And she was now going to be a part of that world for the next three months. She reached out to caress one of the boats when she was nearly startled into face-planting again.

“Care to tell me what you’re doing on these docks?”

A shiver rushed down Savannah’s spine at the sound of a deep, dark voice behind her. But immediately after nearly jumping out of her skin, she wanted to kick herself for her fear. Emotions would no longer hold her back, not in this lifetime. She’d had enough of all that.

When she turned, she faced a muscled chest barely hidden from her view underneath a tight button-down white oxford shirt. It took her a little while to lift her head and look into this man’s bright blue eyes. Along the way, she hadn’t missed his lips, still compelling even if they were pressed together in a scowl.

“Are you mute?” he had the effrontery to ask.

She was instantly ticked off.

“Whoa. That was rude,” Savannah said, finding her voice. One hand on her hip, she sent this man a look that had made other males cower before her. No man would speak to her this way again, not as long as she was breathing.

“I’m generally rude to anyone who trespasses on private property — even a woman who obviously thinks that because she’s pretty, she can go wherever she damn well pleases.”

“I was invited here,” she said. “I don’t think your boss will be too happy with you when he finds out how you’re treating his other employees,” she told him with a mocking grin. There was the attitude she’d been searching for.

She refused to let this man belittle or intimidate her. No freaking way. Yeah, he had shoulders that seemed to go on and on, plus a chiseled jawline, and she was more than sure he was aware of all that. Why was it that great-looking men thought they owned the whole damned world and could treat other people like dirt? Whatever. His attitude was greatly reducing his attractiveness in her eyes.

His lips turned up as he took a step toward her, and Savannah felt her heart slam against her rib cage. She stumbled backward a few inches, but she was able to stop herself. Dammit. She wasn’t going to retreat.

“And please tell me who hired you. I’d like to pass the information along,” he said, stepping even closer, way too far into her personal space.

“Mr. Storm,” she said. In your face, asshole!
“Oh, really? You spoke to Mr. Storm in person?” the man asked. What a strange thing to say.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. He approached me at my university and said I was a perfect fit.” She felt good in her righteousness. This man was obviously a disgruntled worker.

“What did Mr. Storm look like?”

“Why all these questions? I’m sure you know what the boss looks like,” she told him.

“I assure you that I do know what the boss looks like. But I’m not so sure you know how to speak the truth.”

Ugh! “Are you accusing me of something?”

“Isn’t that clear?” he said, and he didn’t even try to hide the arrogant smile spreading across his lips. “I think you’re a liar. I don’t think you’ve talked to Mr. Storm.” He took another step closer. “I also can’t figure out what you’re doing on the private docks.”

“I told you I was hired. Why else would I be here?”
“Because you’re after something,” he said.
“Do you think I plan on taking off with one of the boats?” she asked him. “Maybe. Wouldn’t be the first time someone tried.”
Damn he was an arrogant ass.
“I’ve never been so insulted in my life,” she snapped.
“I find that hard to believe.”

His smirk was insufferable. Savannah decided that working on the ocean, as much as she loved the idea, wasn’t worth dealing with this monstrous man. She glared at him before taking a calming breath. She wouldn’t yell. That would give him too much satisfaction.

“I assure you,” she said, “that Mr. Storm is going to have words with you.” The man she’d met would never want men like this to be the first face a new employee saw. No way. Mr. Storm had been kind and enthusiastic.

There was also no use in continuing this conversation. The man was obviously convinced he was king of the docks. Something he would be assured soon he was not.

“I somehow doubt that Mr. Storm will be quite pleased I’m escorting you from here,” he almost purred. He then reached for her. Hell, no!

Savannah panicked. She didn’t want this man to touch her. Taking a step backward, she pressed down. She quickly realized her mistake but it was already too late.

It was funny how she noticed the man’s eyes widen. There was no more dock behind her. She was going down — and it was going to be cold.

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