“We will,” Will assured her as he watched his wife hug Grey goodbye as well. “Really, the trip was amazing. We may just have to come back next year and do it again.”
“I’ll be here,” Grey told him with a smile.
It did not escape anyone’s attention that Lauren remained silent, and that was enough of a push to finally send the Muellers on their way. Lauren wrapped her arms around herself as she watched Will hop onto the dock to help the boys make the jump over, and she sighed at the feeling of Grey’s hand ghosting over her hip as Kim followed them. She did not want to think about the fact that her time aboard theVeritaswas already halfway over, or that she would soon have to go back to New York.
Grey’s lips were warm and welcoming when Lauren turned to capture them with her own, and she purposefully ignored the idea that it was because Grey was feeling the same things she was. A small shiver rolled down Lauren’s spine as Grey’s mouth opened over hers, the brunette’s tongue both ardent and demanding as it stroked along her own, and she gave as good as she got as she spun and fisted her hands in the collar of Grey’s shirt. Thoughts of New York tried to push their way back to the forefront of her mind, but they were quashed by the overwhelming need she had for Grey. Lauren kissed Grey until her head spun, and she let out a shuddering sigh when she finally pulled back far enough to draw a proper breath.
“Goddamn,” Grey muttered as she nuzzled Lauren’s cheek.
Lauren pulled back just far enough to run the pad of her thumb over Grey’s lips as she nodded. “Yeah.”
“Is there anything you’d like to do or see these next couple days?”
“You.”
Grey laughed and pressed a quick, playful kiss to Lauren’s lips. “Well, duh. But, seriously. We need to be back here around noon on Thursday to get everything ready for the next cruise, but tonight, tomorrow, and Wednesday are all ours. Anything you want, and it’s yours.”
“I just want you,” Lauren answered honestly. She smirked and added, “Preferably naked.”
“That can definitely be arranged,” Grey assured her. “But…”
Lauren silenced Grey with a kiss. She had come down to the islands with a list of things she wanted to see and try, but everything on that list paled in comparison to the woman in front of her. “I just want you.”
The earnestness in Lauren’s voice was unmistakable, and Grey nodded. “Okay. I know of a nice little bay over on Saint John that’s about as secluded as you can get during the high season. What do you say we pick up some provisions and then head over there tomorrow? We can grab a mooring ball and just hang out.”
Lauren smiled and kissed Grey softly. “That sounds absolutely perfect.”
“And…even though it’s like, the least sexy thing in the world, I really need to do some laundry.”
“Me too,” Lauren admitted with a small laugh.
“Okay.” Grey kissed the tip of Lauren’s nose playfully. “So, laundry, then some grocery shopping, and then, tonight, will you let me take you out to dinner?”
Lauren nodded. “I would like that.”
Grey could not contain her smile as she lifted her chin to press a sweet kiss to Lauren’s lips. “Me too,” she whispered, the words barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
GREY GLANCED AT Lauren as she pulled to a stop in front of the valet station and put the car into park. Though neither of them had dared refer to the evening as a date, it did not escape her attention that they had both dressed as if it were one. Lauren was stunning in a knee-length black dress that had a soft, flowing skirt and was fitted through the bodice, and Grey licked her lips as her eyes traced the curve of the neckline that revealed just the barest hint of cleavage. The dress was simple, classy, and ridiculously sexy, and Grey smiled as she imagined unzipping it slowly and watching it fall to the floor later. “I know I already told you this,” she said as she reached out and ran a gentle finger down Lauren’s thigh, “but you really do look beautiful tonight.”
A light blush crept up Lauren’s cheeks at the sincerity in Grey’s tone. She had thrown the dress into her bag at the last minute—more of a ‘why not?’ than anything else—and she was glad now that she had. “Thank you.” Lauren ignored the sound of her car door opening and let her eyes sweep slowly over Grey’s body. Grey had opted for a pair of tailored black slacks with pale gray pinstripes and a white oxford that was rolled to just below her elbows and had one button too many left open at the neck. She looked good enough to eat, and Lauren felt her pulse jump as she imagined all the ways their night might end. “You too,” she addedquietly, but a slight huskiness to her voice gave away some of what she was thinking.
A second valet had appeared to handle Grey’s door, and Grey sighed as she gave Lauren’s thigh a quick squeeze before climbing out of the car. She met Lauren under the portico that ran from the drive to the doors of the restaurant, and she tipped her head invitingly as she offered Lauren her hand. “Shall we?”
“Of course,” Lauren murmured, a small smile quirking her lips as she slipped her hand into Grey’s.
Bluewater was the signature restaurant at Kipling Resort in Frenchman’s Cove, the Kipling family’s most exclusive hotel on the island. It was always packed, getting a reservation usually meant calling weeks in advance if you were not a hotel guest, and Grey was grateful for her connections when the maître d' led them through the crowded dining room to an intimate corner of the patio that overlooked the ocean.
They took their seats at a table surrounded by manicured plants that sparkled with strings of white lights, and Grey nodded her thanks to the maître d' as she took the menu he held out for her, not even pretending to listen as he prattled on about that night’s specials. Nothing the kitchen prepared could ever be more delectable than the woman beside her, who was wearing the most alluring smile lifting as she listened intently to the description of each dish.
After he had left them with the promise of their server arriving shortly, Grey set her menu on the table and reached out to cover Lauren’s hand with her own. She had been a little worried that her choice in restaurants might be too much given their situation, but she knew that Lauren would appreciate the five-star cuisine, and she wanted to give her a nice night out. “Thank you for coming out with me tonight.”
Lauren looked up at Grey through her lashes, and leaned forward and kissed Grey softly, lingering in the connection for afew moments before pulling back with a small sigh. She smiled and ran a light hand over Grey’s jaw. “Thank you for asking.”
Movement in her periphery made Grey pull away from Lauren’s touch, and she rolled her eyes when she saw a familiar blonde approaching their table with a bottle of wine in her hands. “Surprise, surprise,” Grey drawled as she pushed her chair back and stood to hug her friend hello.
“Like you could really call Jonathan for a reservation and not have me hear about it,” Kelly Kipling replied as she returned the hug. She looked at Lauren over Grey’s shoulder, and sighed. She had spent the last week worrying about how Grey, and seeing Lauren in person did little to assuage her. Lauren was not as identical to Emily as she had feared, but the resemblance was close enough to give her pause. Kelly gave Grey a searching look as she slipped out of her embrace, and pursed her lips thoughtfully as she turned her full attention to Lauren. “Chef Murphy, it is nice to actually meet you.”
