own husband as though he were an employer, a mentor, perhaps even a guardian-figure. He wasn't her lover, he was sure of it. Watkins didn't give her the glances he caught Ren or Michael giving Lia or Elise. And Ian was just like a love-struck school boy, so in awe with his wife was he. Mrs. Watkins didn't get pink with color when her husband looked at her because he wasn't satisfying her in bed. Lucky would put money on it.
He cocked his head to the side and studied her troubled expression and knew he was right. "I have been around couples in love my entire life, beginning with my own parents. Without ever having been married, I know what a happy marriage is."
Though she faced the yard, he heard her clearly when she whispered. "I love my husband, Captain."
"I believe you love him, Mrs. Watkins," he said. "I do. But you're not lovers now and likely never were." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one happened to be near the door. "Look at me, Mary," he said. "Before I leave here, we will become lovers. It's not as though we can stop it from happening, because the attraction is far stronger than you and I."
Eyes wide, mouth agape, she snapped her head around and stared at him. But, she didn't argue. She couldn't in his opinion, because if she was satisfied in bed she wouldn't be looking at him as though she needed him as much as he needed her. She huffed and turned back to the view out the window.
They were silent a while. Lucky thought he heard a hitch in her breath, as though she wanted to cry but refused to. Her silence was her way of refusing him, and he'd never been refused before. For some reason it smarted, rather painfully. It hadn't been his intention to make her cry when he told her his plan, but to merely point out that he sensed something was amiss, and that he desired her.
Lucky changed the subject. "Let's finish these items on this list, and call it a day. We're both hot and tired, and feeling short-fused."
She nodded, ducked her head to the side to dab at her eyes, then stepped over to her desk and began to shuffle the papers around nervously.
"It has been a long day. Tomorrow morning we can work on the interior finish of the cabins. Though frankly," he added, "I'm sure that anything you chose would suffice. Thus far, your tastes seem on par with my own."
"I don't feel comfortable making those types of decisions without your input." He noticed she refused to meet his gaze as she took a knife out from the drawer and with shaking hand began to sharpen her pencil over the wastebasket. He almost thought he should take the knife from her before she hurt herself with it, when she dropped her hands to her side, closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "If we were talking hull design or structure, rigging or sail plans I would, but... these are personal appointments. Surely you would want to have input on them."
He shrugged. It would mean another day in close confines with her and he didn't think he could do it without kissing her. Just the thought of his lips on hers stirred his cock. Spending more time in her company would be his penance for wanting a married woman.
Mrs. Watkins sat in the chair and changed into business professional again, with a veneer just this side of impenetrable. "We can get an earlier start tomorrow, and be done with it before the heat becomes unbearable for you." They then settled in to complete the rest of the items on her exterior appointments list. After color selections for paints were made, the last item was naming the boats. It was something he and his partner had discussed before he'd left England.
"Ian is naming his the Lady S, for his wife Sarah," Lucky said, tapping his lips with a forefinger.
"And yours?"
He hesitated a moment. Initially he'd intended to name her Maura, but right then, a voice in his heart told him to change it. Only to do so might prompt another unwelcome reaction on her part. " Lady M. "
Mrs. Watkins lifted her gaze to his and quirked a brow,
He cocked his head to the side and studied her troubled expression and knew he was right. "I have been around couples in love my entire life, beginning with my own parents. Without ever having been married, I know what a happy marriage is."
Though she faced the yard, he heard her clearly when she whispered. "I love my husband, Captain."
"I believe you love him, Mrs. Watkins," he said. "I do. But you're not lovers now and likely never were." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one happened to be near the door. "Look at me, Mary," he said. "Before I leave here, we will become lovers. It's not as though we can stop it from happening, because the attraction is far stronger than you and I."
Eyes wide, mouth agape, she snapped her head around and stared at him. But, she didn't argue. She couldn't in his opinion, because if she was satisfied in bed she wouldn't be looking at him as though she needed him as much as he needed her. She huffed and turned back to the view out the window.
They were silent a while. Lucky thought he heard a hitch in her breath, as though she wanted to cry but refused to. Her silence was her way of refusing him, and he'd never been refused before. For some reason it smarted, rather painfully. It hadn't been his intention to make her cry when he told her his plan, but to merely point out that he sensed something was amiss, and that he desired her.
Lucky changed the subject. "Let's finish these items on this list, and call it a day. We're both hot and tired, and feeling short-fused."
She nodded, ducked her head to the side to dab at her eyes, then stepped over to her desk and began to shuffle the papers around nervously.
"It has been a long day. Tomorrow morning we can work on the interior finish of the cabins. Though frankly," he added, "I'm sure that anything you chose would suffice. Thus far, your tastes seem on par with my own."
"I don't feel comfortable making those types of decisions without your input." He noticed she refused to meet his gaze as she took a knife out from the drawer and with shaking hand began to sharpen her pencil over the wastebasket. He almost thought he should take the knife from her before she hurt herself with it, when she dropped her hands to her side, closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "If we were talking hull design or structure, rigging or sail plans I would, but... these are personal appointments. Surely you would want to have input on them."
He shrugged. It would mean another day in close confines with her and he didn't think he could do it without kissing her. Just the thought of his lips on hers stirred his cock. Spending more time in her company would be his penance for wanting a married woman.
Mrs. Watkins sat in the chair and changed into business professional again, with a veneer just this side of impenetrable. "We can get an earlier start tomorrow, and be done with it before the heat becomes unbearable for you." They then settled in to complete the rest of the items on her exterior appointments list. After color selections for paints were made, the last item was naming the boats. It was something he and his partner had discussed before he'd left England.
"Ian is naming his the Lady S, for his wife Sarah," Lucky said, tapping his lips with a forefinger.
"And yours?"
He hesitated a moment. Initially he'd intended to name her Maura, but right then, a voice in his heart told him to change it. Only to do so might prompt another unwelcome reaction on her part. " Lady M. "
Mrs. Watkins lifted her gaze to his and quirked a brow,
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