Chapter 1

Chapter One

Caesar scanned the faces of the would-be scuba divers as they approached the Danger Bluff boat. It was too engrained in him to stop scrutinizing those who signed up to head out into the ocean with him. He’d been out on the sea with someone who’d had nefarious plans. He’d survived that incident only with Kingsley’s help.

Today’s group appeared to be nothing more than tourists taking a vacation excursion to go snorkeling or diving. He judged most to be inexperienced. Of course, he hadn’t picked up on any clues that Mindy was something other than the fun-loving flirt she had appeared to be. Caesar hoped his ability to pick up on clues was better than it had been that fateful day.

A quick motion on the path grabbed his attention as he jumped off the boat to give the group orientation. Isla Callas. Dressed in a vivid pink shirt with khaki shorts and flip-flops, she would have caught his attention anyway. Having just seen her appear on Magnus’s screens, Caesar watched her approach with a laser-like focus.

It was hard to take his eyes off her. Her thick brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was petite but fit. Her eyes were dancing with excitement. Was she joining his dive?

His phone buzzed, and he looked down to see that his roster of the guests going out on the water with him had been updated to include Isla. A message from Sadie followed quickly.

Hey! Isla just appeared. She immediately booked your excursion, changed in the restroom, and checked her luggage until a room is available.

He schooled his features not to give away his inner thoughts and plastered his best friendly dive-instructor smile on.

“Sorry to rush in at the last minute,” Isla said as she hesitated beside the boat.

“No problem. The desk just notified me you’re going out with the group. We’re gathering over there in the shade to get our gear on,” he said, pointing her in the right direction. “My assistant, Jack, will get you set up.”

Waving a hand to invite her to precede him, Caesar forced himself not to focus on her curvy body as they walked to the covered area. Having done this orientation a few hundred times already, he shifted easily into giving the pre-departure safety information to the group.

“Okay, now on to the fun stuff. Jack, here, is my assistant on this trip. He’s going to help me get everyone set up with a wet suit. We’re all going to have great fun getting them on, and then we can head out to see all we can enjoy under the water's surface.”

Several minutes later, everyone was suited up and ready to go. As usual, most looked excited, some nervous, and two were embarrassed by their wet suit, which wasn’t flattering. Isla had flown into her suit with the ease of someone who dived regularly.

“Looks like you’ve done this before,” he said after calling everyone back together.

“A few times. I love the water and try to explore it wherever I am,” Isla said.

“That’s a good goal to have,” Caesar said. “Have you dived in New Zealand?”

“No, never.”

“Mr. Caesar, are sharks going to eat us?” a precocious eight-year-old boy asked. He looked excited by the prospect while his mother was horrified.

“Bradley James! Stop trying to scare me,” she ordered.

“Oh, there are sharks out there,” Caesar admitted, trying not to grin at his mother’s use of his middle name to warn him to knock it off. “If we’re lucky, we’ll see several different kinds. They won’t bother us if we leave them alone.”

Looking directly at Bradley James, he stressed, “Bothering them would be bad.”

The young man swallowed hard and nodded.

“We’ll start out on the water's surface with everyone using snorkels. You’ll get to see a lot of things. After that, some of you may choose to lounge around on the deck and relax in the sun. Those of you with scuba certification can join me below the water.”

“Can I go?” Bradley James asked, raising his hand.

“Not this time. You can take a scuba lesson with me in the cove later this week if you’d like to learn how to breathe with the tanks,” Caesar said easily and then watched Bradley immediately nudge his mother. There was no doubt he’d see Bradley again.

“Will there be other scuba divers out there?” Bradley asked.

“No. Danger Bluff guests are the only ones with access to scuba diving in this area. Boats can come into the bay for lunch, to swim or snorkel, but the diving and other amenities are only available to guests like you. That helps preserve the ecosystem and keep everyone safe,” Caesar explained.

After answering a few more questions, Caesar and Jack herded everyone to the boat. Each took a position on the side of the boat to help their passengers board. To Caesar’s pleasure, he noted Isla in the line in front of him.

“Come aboard,” he invited before holding his hand out to help her step onto the deck.

“Thanks.” Pushing her oversized sunglasses up, she hurried to where the others had taken a seat. “Hi, everyone! Isn’t this exciting?” she asked, greeting the other guests.

“This is our first time on a boat. I hope we don’t get sick,” Bradley’s mom said. “I gave everyone a motion-sickness pill.”

“That should help,” Isla said with a supportive nod.

Caesar smiled at the group. “Let’s start with that before we leave the dock. If you’re feeling ill, there are barf bags alongside every seat. Even if you’re only slightly queasy, grab one to be prepared before you need it. In the extremely unlikely case that we will need life jackets, they’re in the lockers running down the middle of the boat.”

He checked for questions again before moving to unfasten the mooring ropes and push away from the dock. “And we’re off!” he announced as Jack started the engines and got underway.

They didn’t head too far from shore—just out into the deeper water of the cove where Danger Bluff was located. He noted a number of the passengers taking pictures of the glorious coastline where the resort was located. It was lovely on the land, but by sea, the resort was spectacular.

Noting Isla standing by the railing all alone, he took a second to watch her and felt a flash of remembrance ignite his brain like a lightning bolt as she checked her phone, which displayed a navigational map. He forced himself to approach her and seemingly joked, “Don’t tell me you’re looking for pirate loot?”

“Maybe. It would be disappointing to have the pirates be no more than smugglers,” she answered without any deceit. “I was hoping you might be available for private explorations while I was here, or perhaps you have recommendations for someone trustworthy I could hire.”

Ceasar cringed inwardly. “How do you know I’m not a bad guy?”

“You aren’t, are you?” she asked, studying his face.

“No, I’m pure Daddy all the way through.” He hesitated just long enough to see the term register visibly in her shocked expression before excusing himself to move slightly away to prevent Bradley from leaning too far over the deck. “Keep your feet planted on the deck until we stop.”

“Bradley James, you come sit right next to me,” his mother called.

Thank goodness for responsive parents. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and returned to her conversation with another woman. He knew the young boy wouldn’t get away from her again.

“You’re good at what you do. I haven’t seen you get annoyed yet from wrangling all the guests,” Isla said quietly next to him.

“Of course not. He’s going to be a diving fan for the rest of his life.”

“You can tell that already, huh?” she said with a smile.

“Of course.”

“Just like you know I’m Little?” Isla asked boldly. The faint blush on her cheeks gave away her bravado and made her even more endearing.

“Ninety-nine percent sure,” he answered easily.

“What gave me away?”

“Nothing that most people wouldn’t chalk up to something else. For a Daddy, it’s the small clues that made me think you could be so special. We’re not through talking about this. Unfortunately, we’ve reached our dive spot. You won’t run away?”

“Nope. We have things to talk about,” she told him with a smile.

“Why does that scare me, Little girl?”

When her smile widened into an enchanting grin, Caesar had to force himself away. Damn, she’s gotten to me already.

An hour later, he left Jack in charge of Bradley James and the other snorkelers. Those who weren’t scuba certified enjoyed a snack and a beverage on board while Caesar took five of the group under the water. Leading the group around, he watched the family of four, who were skilled in diving, explore the area while always keeping him in sight. Isla, to his delight, stayed next to him.

He enjoyed watching her body language as they spotted a number of fish species, including one blue shark, several dogfish, octopi, and a scattering of sea urchins. The family hurried back to their sides when a school of dolphins seemed to fall in love with Isla and wanted to play. The sweet mammals generously interacted with everyone.

Caesar could see the regret on their faces when he signaled that it was time to head for the surface. The moment they reached the air, the family chattered happily about their experience. Isla hung back while they climbed back into the boat.

“Did you have fun?” he asked.

“The best time. I love diving. This one was magical.”

“I’m glad. It’s your turn. Head up. There are snacks and drinks waiting for you.”

Occupied with a dozen tasks he needed to take care of as they headed back to shore, Caesar’s gaze returned repeatedly to Isla, who now sat with the group. She and the family shared the wonder of what they had seen under the water. By the look on almost everyone’s faces, there would be more students than just Bradley James in his beginning scuba class. A few were happy but satisfied with their ocean experience. They’d probably show up next on Kestrel’s flight tour if they hadn’t been there yet.

That was the great thing about Danger Bluff. It allowed for a variety of activities, from lounging by the pool to pushing their muscles to the limit during rock climbing with Rocco. He smiled at the thought of how integrated they were with their new positions here at the resort.

None of his team of six had discussed what would happen when the last token was redeemed. Caesar shook his head at the thought of the team scattering to different parts of the world. He trusted these men like his brothers and cared about their Littles like a devoted uncle.

He shrugged off his worries and forced himself to focus on taking one day at a time. Caesar mentally reviewed the information he’d gathered from Kingsley’s files. He had a lot of questions for Isla when he could ask her privately.

“Is there any chance you have room in your next dive group?” Isla asked as they approached the mainland. “My room isn’t ready until after three. I’d love to go back out.”

“Let me check.” Caesar pulled out his phone and checked the schedule. “Looks like there’s two spots. Want me to call the front desk and see if they can sneak you into it?”

“Would you?”

“Definitely.”

Caesar pulled up the front desk and celebrated inside when Sadie answered, “Hey, Sadie. Isla is here in my first dive group. She’s wondering if she can get in the afternoon session. Can I let you talk to her?”

Hearing the enthusiasm in her fast, “Yes,” Caesar handed his phone to Isla as he prepared the boat to dock. “Go sit down so you won’t get bumped off balance,” he instructed. “I’ll get my phone in a minute.”

As he and Jack helped everyone step back onto the dock, Isla carefully returned his phone.

“Did they have space for you?” he asked.

“They did. Sadie said she’d send lunch to me with yours and Jack’s so I don’t get hungry. I love it here. Everyone’s so nice.”

“That Sadie is a keeper. She’s awesome at her job. We usually eat under the shelter after everyone gets out of their wet suits.”

“Perfect. Thanks for letting me hang around.”

Caesar forced himself to nod instead of answering as he wished to. He could save his thoughts until they could speak privately.