Chapter 5

We Meet Again

Poe climbed down from the cliffs, cautiously navigating his hands from rock to rock. As he neared the bottom he pushed himself off from the rock face, landing lightly on his feet. He took a step back and marveled at how far of a climb he just completed. He opened his satchel and admired the bright fuchsia flower in his bag. He did the work for Fusho, now it was time for the slug to hold up his end of the bargain.

Poe pulled down his rope and pulled it around his hand and elbow to tie it neatly in a loop. Once secured, he tossed the rope into his boat. He reached for the hem of his wool sweater and pulled it up over his head, tossing it on top of the rope. Working up a sweat from the climb he pulled on the collar of his undershirt, letting the crisp air cool him.

He had rented this boat from the dock on the far side of the lake. The smallest boat that they had was a fishing boat that was big enough for 2 or 3 people and was powered by a small motor at the stern. After a few minutes of patrolling the water he was finally able to spot what he was looking for high on the cliff face.

Even for experienced climbers, that flower would be extremely hard to get to. He wasn't surprised that Fusho had asked him to collect this flower for him. Best scenario, Poe was able to retrieve it and Fusho would be able to cash in for huge credit. Second best scenario, Poe failed and instead fell straight to his death and Fusho could collect on whatever reward the First Order had for his head. Either way, Fusho was in a win-win situation. Poe just needed to make sure that he came out alive.

Thankfully, all those years spent climbing the rocks and ruins on Yavin-4 left him skilled in base climbing as well as knowing how to maneuver on slightly damp rocks. Even with a couple close calls and missteps, Poe was able to successfully retrieve the flower and remain in one piece. "All in a day's work," Poe said to himself as he smirked.

After climbing into the boat, he went to the steering console and started the ignition. The boat vibrated beneath his feet from the purr of the engine as he pulled away from the rocks. Noting that there was still some light left, he decided to make a loop around the lake before making his way back to the dock.

As he rounded around the opposite side of the rock something splashing in the water caught his eye. Instinctively he slowed the boat to a gentle purr, not wanting to disturb whatever was in the water, in case it was an animal. The last thing he wanted was to be capsized and going toe to toe with a predator in their natural habitat.

As he drifted closer, he saw the form of a person come into focus. Eventually his eyes widened as he saw that it was that of a female.

And she was gloriously naked.

He turned off the engine of the boat, allowing it to coast with the waves towards her. He leaned forward slowly, not wanting to add any more movement. Last thing he wanted was for whoever this woman was to see him and end his show.

Getting close enough to get a good look at the woman he remarked at how skin reminded him of deep velvet, the water glistening from the waning sunlight. When he looked at her face, his breath caught. It was her.

She was floating in the water, her head submerged. She was completely motionless, the water from his boat causing light ripples to move across her naked form. She looked peaceful, her brows relaxed as if she were sleeping.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there watching her. He knew he should turn away. She didn't deserve to have him leering at her, but he found it impossible to turn away.

She took his breath away and he wanted nothing more than to breathe in the sight of her. She called to him, beckoning him to come closer. She was a Melodie, a mermaid that was as alluring as they were dangerous. He leaned towards her and he felt the urge to leap into the water with her, let her take him in and damn the consequences.

As his eyes unapologetically roamed her body he began to feel a drop in his stomach. Something was off. She looked too peaceful.

Had she moved yet?

His brows furrowed as he scanned her to check for any signs of life. He hoped for a rise and fall of her chest, a slight feather of a finger, or a lazy kick of a leg. He wanted to see her open her soft brown eyes. But he didn't get any of that, and his heart quickened. She was completely motionless, and he was no longer filled with awe but instead filled with intense dread. The boat had gotten close enough for him to reach down and touch her shoulder.

To his relief that seemed to startle her awake and she bolted up out of the water in surprise.

"Well isn't this my lucky day," he said with pleasure.

The woman let out an earth-shattering scream as she thrashed. Her head hit the front of the boat and Poe's smile vanished as he watched her go limp, her body quickly sinking below the water.

"Shit."

Without giving a second thought Poe dove into the water after her, kicking his feet urgently as he caught up with her sinking body. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, hooking his biceps under her armpits. He kicked his feet, propelling them both up to the surface.

She gasped for air when they broke the surface and he cursed as he saw her head was bleeding from where she hit her head. He reached the boat with a few kicks and with a heave he pushed her body up over the lip and onto the floor. He quickly climbed up over the side of the boat and knelt beside her, concern washing over his face. "Are you—"

"Don't fucking touch me you creep!" she yelled as she covered herself with her arms and backed herself into the corner of the bow of the boat. Poe steadied himself as the boat bobbed forward with the unexpected shift of weight. When her eyes focused on him her eyebrows raised in surprise before they narrowed at him. "You!" she spat.

"I should be saying the same to you. Last time I saw you, you left me high and dry and tied up in that seedy club!" Poe volleyed back in her same tone. He wasn't sure why he was yelling at her. She wasn't the one who tied him up. He should have thanked her. Without her giving him that knife he had no idea where he would be. He didn't know why she caused such fire in him. That was something that he would have to ponder over later. Right now he had to deal with the fact that he got caught being a creep, and he had absolutely no excuse for his behavior.

She rolled her eyes as she brought her knees up to her chest, covering her body more from his gaze. "Oh, stop crying. I gave you a way out, didn't I? And you seemed to have made it out just fine." She looked around the boat, searching for something to cover her body.

Poe reached behind him and picked up his sweater that he was wearing earlier and threw it to her. She grabbed the sweater but kept her eyes on him. He turned his attention to the bow of the boat, giving her privacy.

As she pulled the sweater up over her head she scoffed, "Don't try to act all honorable now. You already saw all the goods." After a few moments she cleared her throat. "You can turn around now."

He turned and looked at her. He wasn't a large man, but she was much smaller than him. He took note of her miniscule frame, remarking at how she was practically swimming in his wool sweater. He hadn't noticed how small she was when he first saw her at the club, his mind was focused on her other assets. Shivering from the water, wet hair matted around her face and knobby knees folded against her chest, she looked waiflike. She continued to have her eyes trained on him, her gaze apprehensive. Who could blame her? He was caught watching her like some peeping tom and it pissed him off knowing that she was right. What the hell had gotten in to him?

He resisted the urge to reach out and caress her skin and instead eyed her. His eyes immediately focused on her head when he noticed that she was still bleeding from her temple. When he reached out to touch the wound she flinched and recoiled against the side of the boat.

Poe braced himself again from the sudden movement of the boat. Bracing one hand on the edge, he held up his other hand with his palm up and facing her. "Sorry… I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that you're bleeding. Here," he leaned over to an orange bag that was clipped to a rope on the side of the boat.

The bag was standard issue to boats and would contain a first aid kit. He reached into the bag and pulled out the small medical kit. He pulled out a bandage and went towards her slowly. He held up the white gauze so that she could see what he intended to do.

"I just want to stop the bleeding." He remained crouched, his hand raised as he waited for her response. After a few heartbeats she nodded once, letting him know that it was alright for him to approach her.

She stayed completely still as he reached forward and pressed the gauze firmly against her temple. When he pulled it away he pulled out some rubbing alcohol and blotted it on the gauze. "This is going to sting a bit," he warned.

She remained motionless as he put the gauze back against her head. He held his hand in place as he counted to ten. She fluttered her eyes upwards to him and watched him. Her mouth opened slightly as she breathed in deeply.

"Sorry…" Poe mumbled. "I'll try to make this quick. I know it stings."

His words seemed to pull her attention back into focus and she closed her eyes. He finished cleaning the wound and when the blood was gone, he was relieved when he saw that it wasn't a deep cut but instead just a scrape.

After applying an ointment to the area, he pulled out a fresh bandage and firmly pressed it over the scrape, securing it with tape. The bandage was a bit over kill but he wanted any excuse to keep being near her.

"Do you always come to the lake to ogle naked women?" Her dry voice cut through the silence that had formed between them.

"Depends," he began, "How often do you do this?" His eyebrow raised in question.

Her lips pressed together in a line. "Not often," she replied in a clipped tone.

"Shame," he said with mock sadness.

"You're disgusting." She shook her head as she straightened her back, removing her legs from her chest and curling them underneath her.

"I've been called worse things," he smirked and shrugged as he cleaned up the remaining tape and bandages and put them back in the orange bag. He turned away from her and quickly tied the bag back to the side of the boat.

After a moment she cleared her throat. "So, what are you doing out here?" She questioned.

He looked over his shoulder back at her. "I could ask you the same thing you know. This is a free planet. This lake is public property and I have every reason to be here as you do. But now since you asked me, I'm curious. What are you doing out here?"

She eyed him for a few moments before she replied quietly. "Barnacles."

He tilted his head. "Excuse me? Was that a curse?" He said bemusedly. "If so, I am not going to lie. That has got to be the cutest curse I ever heard in my life."

"No. I was fishing for barnacles." She said impatiently.

"Do you normally fish for barnacles in your birthday suit?"

"No, I use a wetsuit. It had been a long day and I wanted to relax. Typically, no one is out this late and people tend to avoid this section of water," she explained. She played with the hem of the sweater, trying to cover as much of herself as the sweater would allow. Poe wanted to know how she looked wearing other pieces of his clothing. The thought of her gliding towards him wearing nothing but his leather jacket would be one hell of a sight.

"Well I guess it is just my lucky day then," he grinned.

"Well I answered your question, it's your turn to answer mine. Why were you out here? This isn't a prime fishing location."

"I had to procure an item for someone by the cliffs over there," he pointed to the large mountain face. "I decided to explore a bit and take the long way back to the dock."

Poe saw that she was becoming uncomfortable and regret started to set in deeper. He was feeling disgusted with himself. He shouldn't have eyed her like she was the finest dessert. He ran his hand through his hair and down the back of his neck. "Look, i'm sorry. I shouldn't have ogled you like that. I should have given you the respect you deserve."

Her head snapped back as if she hadn't expected his apology. She went to open her mouth as if to say something but then she closed her mouth remaining silent. The air between them became heavy with tension and he immediately felt awkward with the position he was in.

"So…" he began slow. "Why were you fishing for barnacles?" he asked, hoping to refocus their attention. "Most people don't casually go barnacle diving. From what I know, it can be dangerous work, and there are easier ways to get food."

"I uh… I sell them. To the local restaurants," she said slowly before adding, "It's a good way to make money."

He rubbed his palm along the side of his neck as he studied her. "So, what… you are a fisherman by day and hot bartender by night?"

"Among other things." She shrugged.

"'Among other things' she says." Poe took a seat at the stern of the boat and started the ignition. "Okay, I'll admit. It seems like we got off on the wrong foot. Let's start over. My name…"

"Is Poe Dameron. You've already told me," she said impatiently. "Can you just take me back to my things at the shore?" She pointed towards a small bank off the alcove they were drifting in. "It's getting late and I need to get back home so I can get ready for my shift tonight."

"Yes, right." He moved to the steering console and started the boat. They began a slow crawl towards the shore. "Well kitten… you know my name. I have yet to catch yours." He prodded.

"That's because I didn't throw it," she spat, not looking at him as her eyes narrowed on the approaching shore.

He held up his hands, trying to calm her down. "Easy tusk cat. You can put away your claws."

"Stop calling me that," she said with a heavy sigh of irritation.

"Well give me something else to go with."

She looked ahead, as if she was contemplating whether she could endure his little pet name for her any longer. After what felt like endless minutes she gave a tired sigh. "Amara."

"Amara…" He said softly, enjoying how the sound of her name rolled off his tongue. "Well Amara, do you know why your friend decided to tie me up?"

He did not miss how her eyes darted to the side quickly before she seemed to catch herself and refocused her gaze back out towards the water. She had slipped and he knew that she was going to try and deny it.

As if on cue, she shrugged casually. "No idea," she said in a level tone.

"Come on tusk cat…" he prodded. "You know more than you let on."

Her jaw clenched. "I don't know the reason. Nor do I care to know," she stated, a little too quickly. "All I know is that you seem to have a lot of enemies flyboy." He smiled as she called him by her little nickname again. He liked this little game of flirtation they were playing.

"Well I can't argue with that." He shrugged.

"My stuff is over there." She pointed to a small pile of things that was sitting on the wet sand.

Unfortunately for her, Poe was having a little too much fun and he wasn't ready for this conversation to be over.

"But we're having such a wonderful conversation," he teased as he moved the boat so that it was travelling parallel to the shore, not close enough for her to get out without having to swim. "Aren't you enjoying my company?"

"Look Flyboy, if you don't want to be a gentleman and take me back to the shore then I'll just swim the rest of the way." She stood up and moved to jump into the water. "It was nice knowing—"

The boat violently lurched forward and sped off. Amara screamed as she fell backwards, landing hard on her backside.

"Are you crazy?!" she shrieked as she glared up at him.

"I've been called that before." Poe belted over the roar of the engine with a sideways smirk. He turned the boat and sped it away from the shore, taking it for a cruise around the perimeter of the large lake. His hand gripped the throttle as he maxed out the speed of the tiny vessel. "Maybe I am crazy. Maybe I'm not. Like I said… I've been called that and worse."

"Do you think you can just kidnap me?" she yelled as she gripped the side of the boat and pulled herself to a crouched position. He tried to steady herself as the boat bobbed violently up and over the waves.

"Just answer my questions and I'll happily take you back to your things." He said cheerfully. When she didn't respond he began with his first question. "Question one. Are you with the First Order?"

"What?" She said in astonishment. Her hand went to her face and she wiped the spray from the water out of her eyes with the back of her hand. She slipped again as she stumbled from a large wake in the water. Poe took a sharp turn, causing Amara to slam against the side of the boat. "Stop it!" she cried. She rubbed her arm and winced from the pain.

"Are you with the First Order?" He repeated calmly, but a bit louder as he made sure to enunciate each word. His eyes remained focused on the waters ahead. He was going to get an answer out of her and if he had to intimidate her into talking then so be it.

"No! I am not with the First Order!" She yelled.

"Are you lying to me?" He probed again. His eyes narrowed in on her face as he waited for her answer. He couldn't help himself in remarking at how beautiful she looked, but the last time he fell for a pretty face he found himself knocked out and tied up against his will. He wasn't going to let that happen to him again.

Fool me once.

"I swear I am not with the First Order!" Her eyes closed as her grip tightened on the rim of the boat, her knuckles turning white from the tension.

"And your friend?" He added. He took a wide turn just before he reached the docks and hooked around so that they were heading back in the direction that they came.

She took in a deep breath. "She is not my friend," she hissed before taking another breath. Her eyes remained closed as her head fell forward. "And honestly, I do not know. I do know that she does a lot of jobs for some questionable people. I am smart enough to know not to get involved." She took another deep breath and tilted her head back so that it rested against the boat, her eyes still closed tightly. "Can you slow down? I'm starting to feel sick." When he didn't slow down she open her eyes and looked at him pleadingly. "Please Poe…"

His heart thumped at the sound of his name on her lips. He wanted to hear her say his name over, and over again.

He wanted to hear that whimpering plea of, "Please Poe," again.

He wanted to hear it every night. He wanted to hear it as he was pressed against her.

Hear it as he was teasing her, inch by painstaking inch before she cried out for him to stop this torture.

He wanted to—

"I think I'm going to throw up." She gulped and pressed her hand against her mouth. Her skin had gone pale as her eyes closed again.

Deciding that he didn't want to lose his cleaning deposit on his boat rental, Poe slowed the boat to a leisurely wake. Amara sighed in relief as she leaned over the side of the boat, her chest rising and falling as she took in slow deep breaths. When she looked like she had regained her normal coloring Poe cleared his throat and spoke.

"You said her name was Chee—"

"Chiara." She finished for him. "She is in charge of the entertainment at the club." She took a few more deep breaths as she tried to settle her stomach. Poe waited. When her breathing resumed at a normal pace she opened her eyes, focusing on him. "All I know is that when some people go upstairs with her, not all of them come back down."

"Where do they go?" He asked carefully, although deep down he already knew the answer.

"I make it my business not to know," she answered flatly, her eyes not leaving his.

The solemn look in her face confirmed his suspicions. Poe was all too familiar with resistance contacts dropping off the face of the galaxy unexpectedly. What went unsaid was that most members of the resistance knew that they most likely got caught by the First Order. The First Order never left prisoners. Only death was left in their wake. Not many questioned by the First Order and then sent on their merry way.

Amara sunk down against the side of the boat and sat with her knees tucked against her side. Poe eyed her up and down as he studied her. She was more than what she let on. She was not just an innocent bystander. She had layers to her, and Poe wanted to peel back everyone until he got to her core. He needed to know exactly who she was.

"What's your story?"

She tilted her head and she furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean 'what's my story'?"

"Whose side are you on?" He prodded.

"Whose side?" She shrugged. "I already told you that I don't work for the First Order."

"Are you with the resistance?"

She shook her head. "I don't have that kind of luxury."

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"It means that I have to look out for myself." She stated. "Death comes to those who pick a side. And I do not have a death wish." She shook her head as she spoke, as if reminding herself of what she was saying.

Poe couldn't stop a chuckle that escaped his lips. "Picking a side is easy. You fight for the good guys. Simple as that."

"In war, the good guys always become bad guys," she said softly. She held her hands in her lap in front of her, as she slowly pulled at her fingers. She seemed anxious. And that set alarms off in his head.

"You seem to speak from experience," he said in a quiet but curious tone. He didn't like her shift in body language. He preferred her rough, clawing nature, not this quiet retreat. She didn't respond but instead her eyes moved to the horizon and focused on the setting sun.

Good guys always become bad guys.

Her words echoed in his mind as he continued to steer the boat in the water. She was avoiding his questions. She wanted to stay under the radar and he wanted to know why.

Hosinian Prime was a thriving cosmopolitan planet that many people thrived living in. There were not many who worked below the poverty line. She seemed to make a good enough wage from the cantina based off the tips he saw her pocket after helping customers, yet she was working side hustles to get more money. More money for what? What was she going through that she felt that she had no one to look out for her. His eyes wandered back to her. Her face remained pensive as it gazed out at the setting sun.

His thoughts went back to the image of her floating in the water and he remembered how peaceful she looked. In his mind her face moved from that of serenity to something else. He had seen that face before. He had seen that face in his fellow pilots. She had the face of someone who knew that they had reached the end of their fight. She seemed defeated. She was no longer floating as a means for relaxation but instead was allowing herself to sink as a means of escape. After a moment something struck him, and his eyes widened in revelation.

"Who are you running from?"

Her eyes shot to his. "Wh—what?" She stammered.

Bingo.

He slowed the boat to a halt, stopping just a few meters from the shore. "Who is he?" he prodded.

"What makes you think it's a man?" She said cautiously.

"So, you admit you're running from something." He took a step around the steering console and he moved so that he was within arm's length of her. He crouched down in front of her and gazed into her eyes. "Who are you afraid of Amara?" he asked with a gentleness that surprised even him.

She blinked. "No—I—you—" She shook her head and adjusted her legs so that she was sitting with her back upright. "You're putting words in my mouth."

He continued to crouch in front of her, not removing his eyes from hers. "I can help you, you know. The resistance can help you." He spoke with complete seriousness. He wanted to help her.

"I need to help her," he thought.

She scoffed as she lowered her head, breaking their gaze. "Yeah… and at what price?"

He leaned back on his heels and shook his head in disbelief. "What makes you think we would ask you for something in return for helping you?"

"Everything has a price in this galaxy," she said quietly.

Poe decided to peel away another layer. "Is that why you're working side hustles?" he asked with a bit of heat to his tone. "Saving money so you can get away from whomever you're running from?"

She shook her head in disgust. "What is this? Are you psychoanalyzing me now?"

"Just trying to understand that's all." He remarked nonchalantly.

"Understand what exactly?" she asked.

"Why you feel the need to run away from anything when you can be running towards something. Something bigger than all of us," he said tenderly.

"Oh god I can't believe this. You trying to understand me? If anything, you need to take a step back and look at yourself and ask yourself why you feel the need to keep me trapped on this boat with you and play this sick game of twenty questions!"

"Oh, I already know why I haven't," he said in a matter of fact tone. "And you seem like a smart woman. I'm sure you know why I haven't taken you back to shore." His eyes connected with hers and he saw her body flush. Heat was rising between then, and he knew she had to feel it too. Although, it could have been his pride talking but at that moment, he didn't care. He held onto the hope that she felt this fire between them too.

You'll know it. You'll feel that fire. It will be so strong that you will be afraid to touch it. Afraid that you will be burned. That's how you'll know you've found the one.

Poe's heart skipped as he remembered his mother's words. He hadn't heard her voice in a long time, but when he did he couldn't help but listen.

"Well, you're incorrect," Amara said, snapping Poe back to the present. She crossed her arms over her chest. She was getting defensive. Poe knew that the more defensive someone got the more he knew he was hitting the nail right on the head. She felt it too.

"Hmm… my mistake then," Poe said with a hint of smugness. Deciding to drop the subject, he decided to ask his final question. "I just have one last question for you before you go." He waited a few beats before lowering his voice. "Why did you kiss me?"

"Oh." She drew out the word. Her eyes lowered and focused on his lips, before her eyes darted back to his eyes. Her cheeks reddened. Poe smiled as he realized that he caught her again. "Call it temporary insanity," she said offhandedly. She straightened her posture and once again Poe saw the claws start to come out and he smiled. He was beginning to like her claws.

Poe eyed her carefully. "You seemed pretty sane to me," he taunted.

"It was nothing."

Nothing? He shook his head in disbelief. He pushed a hand through his hair in annoyance. "That definitely didn't feel like nothing."

"It was just one kiss, flyboy. Don't flatter yourself."

"A light kiss on the lips… that's just one kiss." He leaned forward and spoke into her ear. "What you did was straddle my hips and sucked the very life out of me. What you did was definitely more than 'just one kiss' baby.

Being this close to her he was able to see goosebumps begin to form on her supple skin. Her breathing quickened as he whispered in her ear again. "You kissed me like you were aching for it."

She shook her head and spoke shakily. "L-Look… I just wanted a kiss. That's all. It was payment for helping you out."

"You took my watch as payment," he interrupted. "And by the way… You got a shit deal from Fusho for it."

Her cheeks reddened at the mention of her fencing his watch.

"Just admit that you wanted me just as badly as I want you," Poe said confidently.

She shook her head in complete disbelief. "Oh my god. Get your head out of your cockpit."

"Call me what you want kitty cat… but I know hunger when I see it." He whispered once more in her ear. "And baby… you were absolutely starving."

She swallowed, and the movement of her throat caused a tightness in his pants that made him shift uncomfortably. Her lips pursed together, forming a small oh as her breathing quickened. He held back a groan as he imagined that beautiful mouth pursed elsewhere on his body.

His voice lowered. "I felt your arousal on my leg," he said thickly. "And I bet if I probed… I'd find that same sweet wetness right here and now."

"You're perverted," she said irritably as she continued to stare at him. He didn't miss her eyes moving downward, her eyes focusing on his throat. He knew she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He could cut through her arousal with a knife, but still she denied it. "It was just a kiss. Nothing more. I felt absolutely nothing."

Poe couldn't help but take her words to heart. He hated liars, and he knew that she was completely full of shit. "Then prove it."

"Prove what?" she asked.

"Kiss me again and show me that you felt nothing." He kept his eyes on her as he waited for her to decide how to react.

After a moment of staring at him, she surprised him when she laughed. "You really are crazy aren't you."

"Don't have the guts?" he taunted.

She continued to laugh. "Guts? This isn't about guts."

"Then what is it about?"

"I have no reason to kiss you."

"What about just wanting to?" he asked.

"You really are cocky aren't you."

"I'm just telling it like it is." The boat slowed to a stop as it finally reached the shore, the bottom of the boat lightly dragging on the sand. "We have arrived."

Poe waited for her to jump out of the boat. He watched she stood and placed her hand on the side, her fingers tapping on the metal carefully. He noticed how she was hesitating to jump from the boat. His eyebrow raised in surprise when instead of stepping off, she turned to face him.

He was about to question her but was silenced when she took two steps towards him, placed her hand on the back of his head and pulled his head towards her, crashing her lips against his. His breath hitched in surprise, but before he could respond she pulled away and looked him in the eyes.

"Like I said, it was nothing." She turned and hopped onto the shore without saying another word to him.

She quickly ran to her bag and scooped it up into her arms. She quickly filtered through her things and eventually pulled out a pair of crumpled up sweat pants. She quickly pulled them on and turned to face away from him as she pulled off his sweater. She reached into her bag and pulled out a shirt that she quickly threw on over her head, covering her bare chest.

Once dressed she picked up his sweater and turned to him, holding it out for him to take. "This is yours."

He looked at the sweater, his mouth still burned from the feel of her lips against his. When he looked at her he could see that her cheeks were slightly flushed but her expression was businesslike. He shook his head and smiled.

"Keep it. Wear it to bed as you dream about me tonight." He winked. He didn't wait for her reply. He had a feeling that she wasn't going to give him the warm goodbye he wanted, and that made him smile even more knowing that he got under her skin. That's exactly where he wanted to be. "For now," He thought. He quickly put the boat in reverse and pulled away from the shore. As he turned the boat he called out to her, "Good night Amara," and he sped off towards the docks.

Amara stood there on the shore, her hands tightly gripping the sweater as she watched him peel away from the shore and speed off towards the sunset. She clenched her jaw as she watched him disappear around the rocks and out of her sight.

"Asshole," she growled as she wrung the sweater in her hands and stomped towards the water. She raised the sweater behind her head and went to throw it into the dark water.

Cocky prick.

As she was about to hurl her arm forward and get rid of the sweater her breath hitched.

She was hesitating.

Why am I hesitating?

Her arm remained arched up over her head as she stood there frozen, her arm growing heavy and refusing to move. She stood there in silence as she watched the last sliver of the sunlight finally recede over the horizon.

"God damnit…" she cursed as her arm dropped to her side, her fingers still clutching the sweater. After a few moments she put the sweater over her head and slowly put her arms through the sleeves.

"I'm going to regret this," she grumbled as she turned towards her belongings. As she picked up her rucksack she paused. "Wait… wear is my…" she mumbled as she looked around.

The barnacles.

She gasped. The bag was gone. Her eyes frantically searched the area before they narrowed on a set of hoofprints in the sand.

"Shit. Shit. SHIT!" She yelled as she stomped her foot on the ground, throwing her bag off into the distance in anger.

"Sir, should we move in?"

The man peered through the binoculars, adjusting the lenses so that they zoomed in on Amara's face. He watched as he she lowered her head as she walked over to her bag that she threw in anger. He examined her as she slowly schlumped it over her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around her body as she walked up the hill towards the city.

"Sir?"

He zoomed in closer, studying her. Her long slender fingers lightly feathered the sweater she wore. He did not miss the small hint of a smile as she quickened her step. His hands gripped the binoculars tightly, the metal creaking from the pressure.

"Sir? Should we—"

"Let her be," he said flatly. "For now."