“A nice one.”
“Now this is starting to sound like a vacation.”
I left theAvventura, hustled down the dock, hopped into the Wild Fury van, and sped over to the Seven Seas. I collected Paisley from her room, checked out of the hotel, and escorted her into the van. With my head on a swivel, I pulled out of the parking lot and drove back to the marina at Diver Down, making plenty of unnecessary twists and turns to make sure I wasn't followed.
I found a place to park, locked up the van, then showed her to the superyacht.
Paisley's eyes rounded with surprise. "When you said boat, I didn't know you meant cruise ship."
I laughed.
"This isn’t a boat. This is a mansion on the water."
"Glad you like it.” I escorted her across the passerelle to the aft deck.
"I could really get used to a place like this.”
"It's just temporary.”
She frowned at me as I slid open the door to the salon and gestured her inside. She took a step in and soaked in the luxurious accommodations.
"You have really good taste," she said.
"Thank you.”
"And you work for the county?" she said with skeptical eyes.
"No. I volunteer for the county.“
I escorted her across the salon, past the formal dining area, into the foyer, and down to the below-deck state room. At the moment, she had her pick.
I put her in a queen birth with a private en suite. "There's a fold-down TV if you get bored, galley’s on the main deck, make yourself at home. The refrigerator is fully stocked. Unlike the hotel, I don't mind if you get into the minibar. Just don't get drunk and fall overboard. You are old enough to drink, aren't you?”
She gave me a flat look. "Yes, I'm old enough to drink. I'm old enough for a lot of things," she said with a sultry eyebrow.
She was a good-looking woman, but that was a headache I didn't need at the moment.
"We’ll be underway soon. If you think you’re going to beseasick, I've got some Dramamine and some sea bands. Let me know well in advance."
"I don't get seasick."
"Good to know. We should be in Miami later this evening. Same rules apply. No phone calls, don't tell anybody where you are."
"What if you're abducting me?” she said with a mischievous smirk.
"You're free to go at any time. But if you want to go, I suggest you do it soon.”
She frowned at me. "I'm just playing with you. I kind of like the accommodations. It’s nicer than my apartment.”
I left her to get settled in, then hustled back up to the main deck. I disconnected shore power and water, and Jack took the helm. I cast off the lines. He navigated us out of the slip, and we cruised past the breakwater. I joined him on the bridge, and he throttled up.
He plotted our course on the nav screen, and I sat back and tried to unwind. We'd take turns at the helm to avoid fatigue over the next nine hours. Like Jack had said, it was a lot of boat to manage, but doable. We were plenty used to puttering this thing around Coconut Key. Taking it on a transoceanic voyage would require an entire crew.
With the amount of fuel we’d burn, this would be an expensive trip, but it was better than letting the boat get ravaged by a hurricane.
TheAvventurasliced through the teal swells, heading north. She sure was something underway. A real head-turner. Sowas Paisley. She decided to take up residence on one of the forward sun pads au natural. With skin glistening with oil and mouthwatering curves, she was hard to ignore.
“She can stay on the boat as long as she likes,” JD said.
