...Nathan rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger, while he inspected the garment. “You’re right and that’s the smallest they come in that brand. Guess we’ll need to try a different manufacturer.”

She pulled the hooded jacket over her head and handed it back to him. “I’m guessing you don’t get a lot of women up here wanting to fish.”

He placed the jacket back on the hanger and turned her toward another rack a few aisles away. “Not really. If there are any women, they’re usually doing your job, so there’s not really a demand for small sizes.” He scanned the rack and pulled a bright yellow hooded jacket from its hanger. “Here, try this.”

She repeated the process until they’d finally settled on the best fitting gear he could find though, even an extra small it was still a little big on her.

“Okay.” Nathan clapped his hands together. “Now to get you a survival suit. Stay put for a minute while I talk to the clerk.”

He walked toward the counter, catching Brooke watching him while she supposedly perused the racks of outerwear. This probably seemed a bit over the top for her, considering the job was cooking. Maybe she didn’t need all the gear, but knowing she’d have it made him feel better. His reasons were simple—he wanted her prepared for anything.

After briefly speaking with the clerk, he returned to where Brooke stood waiting. “The suits usually come as a one size fits all, but there sometimes is a noticeable difference in how they fit from one person to the next. While we have several extra on our boat already I’ve seen men twice your size fit in them. I don’t think they’d conform to you the way we need them to. The clerk has a couple of suits from manufacturers that run on the small side. She’s going to dig them out for us. They’ll need to fit like a glove if you’re going to pass the coast guard inspection. I want you to try them on before we decide which one to buy.”

“Here you go, Mr. Lowery. Just let me know which one you want.”

“Thank you,” he said to the sales clerk before turning back to Brooke. He picked up the first bag and held it out for her. “Inside this bag is the one thing that’ll hopefully keep you alive long enough for the coast guard to find you if the boat should sink. Since you’ve never put one of these on before, I’m going to help you. Be aware you’ll have to learn how to don one without help before you’ll be allowed to sail out with us.” She nodded. “So what do I do?”

Nathan shook the suit free, then unrolled it so it lay flat on the floor. “You need to get in.”

“Do I leave my clothes on?”

He tried not to smile. He really did, but in the end, he couldn’t help himself. “As much as I’d like to get a peek at that gorgeous body of yours, the honorable man in me dictates that I tell the truth. Yes, you leave your clothes on.”

Her lips tilted up at the corners and her cheeks flushed a dusty rose color. He wondered if her skin looked so pink and lovely after making love. Whoa, buddy, back the boat up! Thoughts like that had no room in his head during this trip.

Taking a step back, he worked to shake loose his last mental wanderings as she climbed into the suit and began pulling it up and over her body, punching her arms through each sleeve. “It seems a little loose.”

Trying to keep his mind on the task, Nathan studied the suit. “Yeah, I think you’re right. Don’t bother zipping it. Just take it off and try the other one on.”

She wiggled out of one garment and into the other, and struggled to get her arms in the sleeves. “Is it supposed to be this tight?”

“Yes. The better the fit, the less chance the suit will let icy water in.”

She wrangled her second arm into the sleeve, then groped around for the zipper.

“Here, let me do that.” Nathan reached for the zipper. It was supposed to be a benign gesture meant to help her, but when his hand brushed against her abdomen, sparks raced through his fingers and up his arm. She sucked in a quick breath, and his gaze flicked up to meet hers. Her eyes radiated her surprise and something more. That something more drew him in and pulled at his very soul.