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“That’s it,” Danny says, throwing down his cards. “I give up.”
John starts to gather the cards together while Leandra and Tao clear the rest of the table. Sadie and I still haven’t moved.
“How are you feeling?”I ask, splaying my hand across Sadie’s stomach.
An hour later, the storm is still raging. There’s no hope for sleeping, and Sadie and I are sprawled on top of the covers in my bed with the lights down low. With all the talking we’ve already done, it’s been nice to just … exist.
One more thing I can say I’ve never done or wanted to do or eventhoughtabout doing with a woman—sitting in relative quiet together. Unsurprisingly, I love it. But only because of the company. Only because of Sadie.
“Is all this rocking upsetting your stomach?”
She giggles and swats at me. “I think I’m okay. But I won’t be for long if you don’t watch it. I’m ticklish. And I’m not sure you doingthatis going to help.”
The boat pitches slightly, and Sadie squeals, grabbing onto me and hooking her feet around my legs. Thunder growls, and there are several flashes of lightning in a row. What sounds like a heavy sheet of rain batters against my balcony doors.
Things quiet outside for a moment, the boat’s movements settling into more of a gentle dip and roll than the violent movements.
“Can I get you some seasickness medication?” I ask. “Just in case.”
Sadie sighs. “I don’t know that I need any. I’ve been fine since the first couple of days—is that normal?”
“Some people always struggle with it, especially if they get other kinds of motion sickness. But most of the time, it only takes a few days to get your sea legs.”
Sadie lifts one leg straight up, sending her nightshirt fluttering down her thighs and making my heart pound. I’m well aware she has on shorts underneath, butstill. There’s a lot of leg on display.
“How are my sea legs?” She rotates her foot, turning her leg from side to side.
“I think they’re pretty fantastic,” I say, then start to sit up, reaching for her. “But I might need to do a closer examination …”
“I bet you’d like that.” Laughing, Sadie gives me a hard shove, and I let the momentum carry me right off the bed, where I hop to my feet.
“Stay here,” I order, then return a moment later with a bottle of water and two pills. I hand her one. “Just in case. I’m taking one too.” I swallow the pill, chasing it with water before giving her the bottle.
I’m only taking it because I suspect Sadie won’t if I don’t. She’s just stubborn enough to resist. It’s amazing how quickly people can bounce back from being seasick and forget how terrible it was. The last thing I want is Sadie feeling that ill again.
And this storm is no small thing. I suspect it’s a little bigger than anticipated, or else John might have suggested we stay in a hotel instead of boarding again.
As if to prove my point, in conjunction with a huge clap of thunder, lightning flashes repeatedly and the lights flicker and go out.
“Uh oh,” she says. “Did your yacht just get fried?”
“Maybe,” I say, tugging her closer in the dark.
“Does that mean we’re stuck? How will Art drive the boat? Is everything up in the wheelhouse electrical?”
“We’ll be fine,” I say, hoping I sound more confident than I feel. “All of the steering equipment is on a separate system with a backup generator. Even if the rest of the boat stays without power, Art can still drive.”
Ithink. I’m pretty sure. Honestly, I know more about the kinds of shingles used on homes in the 1800s than I do about how my own yacht runs. But I’m not going to worry about that now.
Instead, I pull Sadie closer until her back is pressed to my front and my nose is in her hair. I take a deep inhale. Is it possible to get addicted to a person’s unique scent? Because I may need rehab whenever we finally get back to Oakley.
My gut twists at the thought, the fear from earlier tonight creeping back up and making my throat feel tight. I shove it away, determined to savor theright nowinstead of worrying over what comes next. Especially when we’ve had a great night. I can’t even complain about the storm when it gives me a great excuse to curl up with Sadie in the dark.
She nestles into me, tugging my arm forward and wrapping it more tightly around her waist. “Why, Mr. King—did you orchestrate this situation to your advantage?”
I smile into her hair. Obviously not. But am I milking this situation? Little bit.
“You figured me out. I’ve got Percy Jackson on speed dial and called in a favor.”
