“Mmm,” she responded, easily giving over, nestling into his muscled chest. “I really like this.”
“Just a quick hug,” he stated gruffly, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “I know you want to make sure everything is fastened securely down here, and then you need to eat. So, while you take care of business, I’ll get our food on the table.”
Bobbie wouldn’t argue. But shewasa bit distracted. Normally, she was very comfortable in the little cabin of her boat; having space to spare when she was alone. She’d never imagined that Buck’s presence would make her digs seem positively miniscule. He took up so much frigging space, and had to duck to make himself fit. It was going to be hilarious to see what he did with his big body and his knees, attempting to cram into her little dinette.
Bobbie took one last sniff of Buck’s chest, then edged by him, her entire body tingling as she purposely rubbed her breasts against his ribcage. He gave her a sassy swat which made her giggle before she headed forward to inspect the bow-hatch above her mattress to make sure it was tightly shut against the weather.
It was, and she’d known it, but it never hurt to check. As she turned to send a practiced eye over the rest of the cabin, she caught sight of something shiny on the floor, partially obscured beneath the comforter that hung over the end of her bunk. Before it could slide away with an incoming swell, she picked it up. It was a stray wrench she’d used earlier to tighten downa cleat, and it was lucky she found it. She didn’t relish getting clunked in the noggin with any stray hardware.
Into an overhead cabinet it went.
The food, by this time, was all laid out and sending its enticing aroma throughout the cabin. As much as Bobbie’s thoughts hadn’t strayed much from the hunky man who, later, was hopefully going to make all her dreams come true and erase her self-doubts, her eyes honed in on the expansive repast.
“Damn. You weren’t kidding when you said feast,” Bobbie marveled as she perused the offerings. Her table with its raised edge that would keep the food from sliding off as the rocking motion of the boat increased, was jam packed.
“Scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, toast…” she emoted. “How are we going to eat all this?”
Buck laughed, pointing over at two tiny, expectant faces.
Cooper and Reyghan sat on Reyghan’s doggie-bed, but their eyes were laser focused on the food.
“Oh. I see,” Bobbie teased. “And whose fault is that? You’ve been feeding Cooper from your table? And now the two of you are trying to corrupt poor little Reyghan?”
Bobbie would admit to nothing, but of course she was guilty of the same thing. Reyghan had most assuredly shared in her meals over the past couple days.
“Just some sausage,” Buck looked sheepish as he shrugged. “Then, don’t worry, I’ll be able to finish what you and the dogs don’t.”
Bobbie laughed. “As long as you don’t stuff yourself so full that you can’t move, later,” she teased, giving him a hip check not only to get him to sit down, but to move him out of the way so there’d be room for her to slide into her side of the little table.
Buck folded himself down into one tiny seat with more ease than she could have imagined. But she should have figured. Again, she hadn’t taken into consideration where he’d been forthe past fifteen years. Living on a small ship with a gazillion other huge-ass sailors had to have taught Buck how to become not only agile in compact spaces, but pretty darned near foldable.
“Plates? Flatware?” Buck asked, snagging a piece of bacon as Bobbie reached into a utility cabinet above the table to grab two table settings. She pulled them out along with salt and pepper, placing them amidst the food before taking two sideways steps to her itsy-bitsy galley. She opened the small, box fridge and snagged two OJ singles with straws. She had plenty. They were her go-to beverage for blood sugar lifts while she was sailing.
“There,” Bobbie said, placing them within reach before taking her seat. “Now we’re ready to eat.”
A whine sounded from the bed on the floor, followed by a second.
Bobbie laughed. “Yes. And so are you two.”
Before she could reach over and break a sausage up into bite sized pieces, Buck was already at it.
“You start eating and I’ll take care of the pups,” he ordered, then grew sly. “You’re clearly hungry, and I’ll warn you. You’re going to need every one of your calories for later.”
Of course he’d give tit-for-tat on the sexual innuendo gradient, and wasn’t that just like him.Andher, she tittered inside. They’d always been so competitive.
His eyes continued smoldering in her direction until he finally bent and gave the dogs their treats.
Yup.She was a goner.
They ate in companionable silence, and by the time Bobbie’s plate was empty, her brain was completely consumed with just how fast she could drag Buck into the forepeak…
…and strip him naked.
CHAPTER 24
Buck couldn’t helpbut notice the hunger in Bobbie’s eyes every time he looked up from his plate and caught her gazing at him. He almost said screw it and pushed their food away, but Bobbie reallydidneed her calories because Buck planned to keep her very busy for the rest of the day.
He noted that the boat was rocking vigorously. The storm had clearly arrived, but the motion was nothing the pair of them couldn’t handle. They were both lifetime sailors, and nearly immune.
