They all seem to think it’s getting too late to continue, and they disperse.
Morgan stands and saunters over to me, and I smell scotch and cedar and cigar as she grabs the front of my shirt and pulls me into a deep kiss.
I melt into her, into the taste and the heat of her, until she pushes me back. I’m dizzy, reeling.
“You really are my good luck charm,” she says, dangling the keys in front of my face. “It’s been ages since I won a yacht. Want to go check it out?”
Chapter 33
MORGAN
I’m improvising now, but the marina has plenty of airflow. So does the bay. I’ll figure it out.
Jamie leans heavily on my arm, taking a deep breath as we hit the docks.
“It’s soniceout,” he says. Despite it being fully night, the breeze still holds the day’s warmth, pulled from the rippling ocean.
“Just wait until we get out on the water.”
“We’rereallygoing out on the water? The yacht’s not…reallyyours now, is it?”
“These things don’t always stick. But I have the keys, so we’re at least taking a joyride.”
“Are you like… licensed? At boat driving?”
“Of course.”
“Where do you have time to be a race car driver, a card whiz, and a licensed boating person?”
“I don’t watch TV.”
“Oh. Right. That… that makes sense.”
It’s a small yacht, but that’s alright—I don’t plan to take itout for all that long.
I help Jamie over from the dock, and he’s busy ogling the high-end finishes as I ensure that the key fits in the ignition. The tip from the dockworker based on the former owner’s appearance was correct.
Jamie runs his hands along the leather seats.
“Do I need to get gold trim for you to look at me like that?” I tease.
Jamie’s eyes go wide, his cheeks go red. Then he finds his wits, narrowing his eyes. “Sorry for beingrespectful.”
“You should be. Stop it.”
His exhale is a silent whine.
I free the yacht from her mooring.
“Wait, are you sober enough for this?” Jamie asks.
In answer, I gun the engine and we’re off.
The wind turns Jamie’s hair into a copper stream as I steer us into the bay. The lights along the shore become streaks of gold along the inky water, and we cut across them at stomach-churning speed.
I find an open area towards the outlet of the bay and quiet the engine, then drop the anchor.
His eyes shine with the light of the moon. It’s nearly full, a pale circle floating out on distant waves.
