“We played less than twenty games a season. Jordan played over eighty. I’ll take the heat over the beating his body took.”
Her eyes widened. “Damn. I don’t blame you. But I don’t envy you either.” She laughed.
“That’s what air-conditioning is for, and swimming pools.” I nodded toward the dock that framed the side of the house, the lot on the corner of a canal, and the bay where my fifty-four-foot yacht was parked. “And that.”
“That’s your boat?” She stayed in my arms but turned around to face it. “Wait, don’t answer that, of course it’s your boat. I don’t know why I would be so silly and ask.”
“I like toys, Emily. The bigger, the faster, the better—and she’s all those things.”
She reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck. “I have no experience with boats aside from the touristy ones that go out of Boston Harbor.”
“Those are nothing like that beast right there.”
“Probably a dumb question, but aside from how pretty it is, what makes it so special?”
“Why tell you when I can show you.” I took her hand and led her off the patio to the dock and helped her get on board. “First off, you can’t see the engines—they’re underneath where we’re standing—but the horsepower on this vessel is cranked up and double than most yachts.”
“Which means?”
I laughed, holding her chin so she looked up at me. “It goes hella fast.”
“Tell me more.”
I opened the sliding glass door to the galley and brought her inside, where there was a full kitchen, living room, dining area, and captain’s seat.
“I don’t even feel like I’m standing inside a boat. I feel like I’m in an apartment. You could live on this thing, it has everything.”
“It has more than you even realize.” I pointed out the dishwasher, the separate freezer, the wine fridge—things I’d had added while the boat was being built—along with the two hidden TVs across from the couch, the extendable table, the electronic window coverings, and mood lighting. “We’re going to take this on trips. The Keys, the Bahamas—that’ll be part of our summer adventures with Ben.”
“I cannot wait.” She kissed me. “I’m assuming the sleeping quarters are downstairs?” She was now looking at the staircase.
“I wouldn’t call themquarters. The rooms are fairly large for a boat.”
“Rooms? As in . . . plural?”
“There are three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a laundry area.”
“Jesus,” she groaned. “I want to see your bedroom.”
I took her down the steps, my stateroom located at the bottom of the staircase. I slid open the door, bringing her inside the large space that held a king-size bed, a couch, a small desk, two nightstands, a tiny walk-in closet, and a full en suite.
“This is bigger than my bedroom at my old apartment.”
“So you’re saying you’d be comfortable traveling in this to the islands and spending a week or two on it at a time?”
She snorted. “You’re kidding, right?” She moved closer after peeking at the en suite, her arms locking behind my neck. “I could permanently live on this and wouldn’t be mad at that at all.”
“After all the kids are out of the house, I can make that happen.”
“Kids.” She released a breath that was full of pleasure. “I love the sound of that.”
My hands went to her face. “Kiss me.”
I fucking loved that she did.
And the more her mouth stayed on mine, the more I realized there was no way I could leave this cabin without tasting her.
My hands dropped to her ass again, and I lifted her into the air and set her on the end of the bed. Before my body went on top of hers, I worked on getting her naked, removing her oversize shirt, unclasping her bra, tearing the leggings down to her ankles, slipping those off along with her nursing shoes.
