Her moans grew louder. She bit her lip and pressed her mouth closed. Suddenly shy? It only made me want to hear her scream out all the more.
She bounced up and down in my arms. Her legs flexed as she met every one of my thrusts. We sped together in synchronous motion like a machine. A groan rumbled from my chest as the pleasure overcame me. Gianna’s legs shuddered in my hold.
When our gears wound down, she yanked herself forward. Her head fell to my shoulder. We stayed like that until the hot water gave out.
“See,” she said once I’d jabbed the knob to shut off the water, “I told you we’d be in there longer if you joined me.”
Twenty minutes later we’d dressed in robes and opened the glass doors to our cabin. I’d have stepped out naked, but Gianna shook her towel wrapped head.
“Not that I wouldn’t mind,” she said, “but remember what Pavel said the last time you traipsed around the boat naked.”
“Good point,” I admitted before slipping on the robe. Neither of us wanted to see the captain naked.
On the way to the door, I grabbed my phone. Gianna left hers charging on the nightstand, but yanked my arm to see my screen.
“No news,” I said as she stared at it, “your father is still listed as missing at sea.”
“I spoke to my lawyer back in New York,” she said with a sigh. “Normally, it takes three years for a missing person to be declared dead. I can petition a judge to have it declared faster.”
“That’s not a…” I began but she covered my mouth with her hand.
“I know, it’s not a good idea.” She finished my words with a mock glare. “Given that he had no will, I’m the sole beneficiary and it looks suspicious with how close he disappeared to my known position.”
“Your father didn’t have a will?” I asked when she freed my mouth.
“Oh, he did.” She shrugged. “A draconian one that put all his assets in a trust until I got married. Then they went to my husband, outside a pittance for me. His lawyer, well, my lawyer now is in the family business though. When you have a living client offering you a few extra points, you dump the dead one.”
“Diabolical,” I said and leaned down for a kiss; a brief one it turned out. I had another question. “But you still have to wait three years.”
“I would have, but I’m not the only one who wants him declared dead,” she replied, that predator smile reappearing. “His business partners don’t know about the lack of a will. They are already petitioning to declare him dead.”
“Never stop your opponent from making a mistake,” I said before my eyes widened. “When that gets settled, we’re going to have to have a conversation about room and board.”
“What!” She pulled back and glared at me through narrowed eyes.
“The yacht doesn’t run for free.” I held up my hand, counting fingers off. “There’s fuel, maintenance, the captain’s salary and you have expensive tastes. My liquor budget alone has been €2,000 since you’ve been aboard.”
“I would have hit Ceci with a different bottle if I knew you stocked your damn bar with 50-year-old rum,” she countered, playfully poking my chest. “That’s on you.”
I snatched her hand in mine and tugged us toward the open wall. Night had fallen and Pavel cut the ship’s lights for the meteor shower. Next to the table where we’d had our first dinner together sat a telescope as thick as a paint can on its tripod. We’d picked it up in Athens at Gianna’s request.
“You know, my intelligence report never said anything about an interest in astronomy,” I said as she bent over to peer through the eyepiece.
“I never really had one, not until I saw the stars from your little boat,” she replied, still watching the sky. “Right after we… you know, I stepped out here and it was like I’d never really seen the sky.”
“I made you see stars.” I chuckled at my own joke.
“You helped me realize I could have more.” Her head leaned up until our eyes met. “But you still shouldn’t have kidnapped me.”
“You’re never going to let me forget that, are you.” I huffed in mock indignation before sitting next to her.
My hand fell on her back. As she bent over the eyepiece again, my fingers rubbed circles.
“Never,” she replied, not looking up.
The telescope shifted on its tripod. She leaned into me, her eye not leaving the sight. My hand rested on her side.
“Here, take a look,” she said and leaned away from the eyepiece, “there’s already a lot of activity.”
