“I knew I couldn’t have you from the moment I saw you. You were off-limits and I needed to stay away, but I couldn’t. Everything about you draws me in,” I explain. “I thought getting off the boat, cutting contact, was me righting that wrong. Fixing what I shouldn’t have started.”
“Oh great,” her hands fly up around her, “now I’m a mistake. I’m done.” She reaches for the handle of her bag, readying to walk away from me again, and I can’t have that.
I reach out, grasping her wrist and pulling her to me. “Will you fucking listen for a minute?” Our faces are inches apart, both of us breathing heavily. “The only thing I regret is fighting the pull I have to you. All that time wasted…” My free hand drifts up to her jaw, cupping it gently.
Hannah breathes deeply, her eyes sliding closed. “You’re an idiot,” she says softly, making me chuckle.
“I never said I wasn’t,” I add, my thumb stroking along her lower lip.
“Did you mean what you said?” She asks, voice hesitant. “That you love me?”
A wide smile crosses my face, “Of course, baby. I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you. Didyoumean it?” I ask, wanting to see if she’s aware of those muttered words from that night. Her eyes pop open, sliding to mine.
“Yes, I remember.” She smiles up at me, stealing the breath from my lungs. Her hands glide over my chest and cup the back of my neck, pulling me down to her. “I love you, Captain.”
I don’t hesitate to bring my lips to hers. She lets out a soft moan as we explore each other, our lips and tongues gliding together. I hold her close to me, reveling in the feel of her, the taste of her. Those haunting memories that kept me company while I was away from her are dull and faded compared to the real thing.
With great effort, I break our kiss, pressing our foreheads together as I fight to control my body’s urge to take her against the nearest wall.
“Is that for me?” She steps back and reaches for the stuffed animal that I’ve somehow managed to keep ahold of, its body dangling as I hold it from a tentacle. She takes it from me, her eyes brimming with newfound tears.
“I remembered how much you love Henry, I thought you’d like one from me. An apology gift.” She chuckles, hugging the plush toy to her chest.
“I love it,” she mumbles. “Maybe they should only be for special occasions though,” she laughs. My face must come across confused because she quickly adds, “If I get a Squishmallow every time you mess up, I think I’ll run out of room.”
Chuckling, I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close, kissing her temple. “C’mon, baby. Let’s get out of here.”
Hannah looks up at me, her blue eyes gleaming in the sunlight. “Yes, Captain.”
Epilogue
Two Years Later
Hannah
Ibounce on the balls of my feet at the edge of the dock waiting for the ship to come into view. The wind whips through my hair, threatening to pull me backward, but nothing could pry my feet from this dock.
People walk up and down the docks, the water of the Mediterranean reflecting the sun’s rays.
In two years, I’ve worked my way up from third stew to chief stew and I’ve never looked back. Including not going back to work on theSiren. It was fun while it lasted, but there are too many memories, both good and bad, that haunts me whenever I think about it.
Blocking the sun with my hand, I look to the horizon seeing the familiar outline of the boat I’m waiting on:The Hannah.I can’t help the cringe that crosses my face anytime I think of the corny name, but Anson wouldn’t budge.
“You and this boat are the only things I need,” he said when he first told me. “My two greatest adventures share the same name.”
Talk about romance.
The first few months after leaving theSirenwere rough. I had a job as a stewardess, and he had his goal of owning a boat. It killed us both to have to spend so much time apart, but we’ve gotten into a routine.
When I’m on charter, he’s out on the boat. When I’m off charter, he picks me up and we have an adventure.
I can have my cake and eat it too. At least, I think that’s how the phrase goes.
I watch as he gets closer to the dock, excitement thrumming through me. It’s been six long weeks on charter and I’m ready for my man.
There are times that he docks at the same dock as the boat I’m working on and on nights off, I manage to sneak away. With permission from the boat’s captain, of course.
The Hannahsweeps over to the dock, its engine kicking up silt from the harbor floor. When all the lines are tied down and the engine shut off, I take off running.
