Page 13 of Deadly Waves

5

Five

“Are you ready?”

Mandy stepped out of the bathroom, her new black bikini hugging every curve and a towel wrapped around her waist, and lifted her head as James glanced in her direction. He was dressed in simple swim shorts and sandals, and when he looked her over his heart flipped thanks to her unadulterated beauty.

“Come here.”

Mandy couldn’t identify the odd look on James’ face, but she happily did as he asked, stopping when she was close enough to touch him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong,” James replied, running his hands over her shoulders. “It’s just … you don’t have the same body you did when we got married.”

Mandy stilled, unsure how to respond. “I don’t know what that means.”

“You look a little different,” James said, tracing the slim lines of her waist.

“Is that a good or bad thing?” Mandy asked, nervously licking her lips.

“Oh, I’m not falling into that trap,” James said, chuckling as he shook his head. “I love you either way.”

“I don’t know what you’re getting at,” Mandy said, opting for honesty. “Now I feel a little self-conscious.”

“Don’t do that,” James chided, wagging a finger. “It wasn’t meant as a bad thing. It’s just … you’ve spent so much time in that pool you’re all sculpted muscle now. You used to be … softer.”

Mandy widened her eyes. “Is that code for fat?”

“Absolutely not,” James answered. “You’ve always been the hottest woman in the world as far as I’m concerned. I love your body however it is. I just realized it was different, though. It’s not a bad thing. In fact, I’m incredibly turned on. We could forego hanging around the pool and get naked here if you would prefer.”

Mandy snorted as she kissed his chin. “Very cute, but I promised Ally we would have piña coladas. She’s waiting for me.”

“Does that mean you don’t love me?” James’ expression was teasing. “Have you grown bored with my body?”

“Ha, ha,” Mandy intoned, making a face. “That will never happen. You’re too … pretty.”

“No, you’re pretty, my baby,” James said, drawing her in for a hug. For some reason, ever since he reclaimed his wife from Clint’s evil clutches, he couldn’t get enough of her. He wanted to hold her every minute of the day. “You’re my beautiful wife.”

“Oh, so cute,” Mandy said, rubbing her nose against his cheek. “You know I’m going to have to tell Ally what you said about my body, though, right? We’ll be dissecting it for hours to see if it’s really a good or bad thing. She’s probably going to have questions and comments at some point.”

James’ smile slipped. “You sure know how to suck the fun out of a mood, wife. You know that, don’t you?”

“Something tells me you’ll live.”

“Something tells me you’re right as long as I have you,” James said, grabbing her hand. “Now, come on. The pool and piña coladas await.”

“Ah, the best words to start a vacation with ever.”

“MAN, THEsun is really beating down on us,” Sophie complained an hour later, making sure the nearby umbrella completely covered her seat so her fair skin wasn’t subjected to any of the sun’s damaging rays. “You two are going to look like old purses if you’re not careful.”

Mandy and Ally ignored Sophie as they reclined on their loungers, mixed drinks in their hands and their chins tilted up for maximum tanning effort. James sat in the chair next to Mandy’s and smirked when he glanced in his wife’s direction.

“It’s not as if we’re doing it all of the time,” Ally argued. “This is a special occasion. I can’t go home white.”

“Just be careful,” Jake warned. “If you get a sunburn, you’re going to put a crimp in my plans … and no one wants that.”

James scowled as he slapped his friend’s arm. “That’s still my sister, man,” he said. “You can’t talk like that in front of me.”

“No, that’s the woman who is going to be my wife,” Jake corrected. “Wife trumps sister.”