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“You’re sure we won’t sink?” Sadie asks. “Or capsize? Or both?”
John chuckles, reaching across to pat her hand. “We’ll be fine. It would take a tsunami to capsize us.”
“And this isn’t a tsunami, right?” Sadie asks.
I wrap my arm around her waist. “No tsunamis. Just a storm.”
She nods but leans even closer with the next low roll of thunder.
Once we boardedThe Oakley, Art maneuvered us out into the harbor so the yacht wouldn’t be in danger of knocking into the dock or any other ships from the wind and swells. In all my time spent on the yacht, I’ve never fully weathered a storm—at least not one like this. John gave German and me a rundown of safety and precautions while Sadie was changing out of her soaked clothes. Danny handled tidying up the lines and closed all the hatches, while Leandra secured all of the interior rooms. It’s rough, but right now, the mood is bright in our little galley.
Danny sets down his cards and rubs his palms on his jeans, pinning me with a look. “Tell me straight, bossman. Do I haveanychance with Ana? Even like half a percent?”
John and Tao practically roar with laughter. I think we’re about to have a repeat of the water fight until I clear my throat, and they manage to simmer down.
“You don’twanta chance with Ana,” I tell Danny. “Trust me.”
Sadie tenses, and I press a quick kiss to the side of her head. My fingers tighten around her waist possessively.
I hated every minute the other women were on board—Ana and Jasmine, anyway. Between their attempts to flirt, demean Sadie, and their overall attitude, it was a miserable reminder of what now feels like a very distant past life.
And I’m not an idiot. Even though Sadie eclipses those women in every way, I’m sure it’s not easy feeling like you’re competing with a literal supermodel. The last thing I want is her thinking, even for a moment, that she needs to compare herself to them.
“Not that I’m speaking from any personal experience,” I add. “I just know from being around her that she’s too selfish and high maintenance for someone like you, Danny boy.”
“She’d eat you alive and spit you out,” Leandra says.
Danny grins. “That sounds fun.”
“Give me all your kings,” Sadie says, and Danny hands over three to complete Sadie’s group of twenty. She grins proudly. “Now I only have seventeen cards.”
“Good for you,” Danny says, shooting her a glare followed by a smile. “How was Charleston, by the way?”
Sadie’s eyes meet mine, and she smiles softly. “The fried green tomatoes were amazing.”
John grins. “So, what you’re saying is that the food, not the company, was the highlight of your date?”
Danny snorts, and I lightly tickle Sadie’s ribs. She elbows me in return.
“Absolutely,” Sadie says, the smallest of smiles curving her lips in a crooked grin. “The food wasverymemorable. No offense, Tao.”
Tao glowers at us. “Where did you take her?”
“Magnolia’s,” I answer, and my chef throws his cards down and rubs his eyes. “And did you happen to bring back anything? Anything at all?”
I should have thought about it. Another night, when I wasn’t distracted by Sadie, I would have thought about my crew, or at least my chef, and brought something back. Tonight, my whole focus was on the woman next to me.
“I’m sorry, chef,” I tell him.
Danny elbows Tao. “He had other things on his mind.”
“Like the fried green tomatoes,” Sadie says with a laugh. “Or maybe the short ribs?”
“Stop!” Tao says with another groan. “You are absolutelykillingme.”
“The scallopswerepretty distracting,” I add, winking at Sadie. “But then, so was the company.”
When Sadie places her hand on my jaw, then turns my head to kiss me, I’m so surprised, I simply freeze. I’m still just sitting here, staring like an idiot, when she pulls back with a pleased smile on her face. There’s a collectiveawwww, followed by the scraping of stools as everyone but the two of us seems to have the same idea at once.
