and fallen in love. Stupid, so stupid. Be an adult, put on your shoes, and walk away. He’d been teasing her when he’d used the word “proposal”.
Drawing in a heavy breath , and trying like hell not to cry, Teri lifted her right foot and slid it into the shoe. She rose on the teetering heel.
“The problem with the Sally-Rose is she’s too big to sail alone. I’d need a first mate,” Jared said, his voice clear.
She nodded as if he’d been speaking to her when he was probably talking to the honeymooners. To confirm, she gave him a sideways glance through her hanging hair, but couldn’t see him through a swim of tears.
She blinked several time and then slid her second shoe on. Her toes protested and her insteps felt stretched by the high arches. But damn it all, she would get through this. She’d gotten through a humiliating jilt at the altar so she could damn well managed to walk away from this dock without collapsing.
A shadow fell across her feet. Deck shoes, blue jeans. Jared. Oh, God. He was going to be kind.
“But if I were to have a first mate, she’d have to know how to bake.”
Teri blinked and leaned toward the blue jeans and the deck shoes and Jared. Blindly she held her arms out to him. He swept her up into a hard embrace. Her feet dangled as he turned her face up to his and plastered his lips to hers in front of the new clients, Jean-Paul and everyone else on the dock.
He lifted his head and groaned next to her ear. “Those high heels are going to have to come off, Ma’am.” He said it for her ears only.
“Really? I can join you this week?” She sniffed. “Because I am so ready to take another week off with you.” She tugged one shoe off and then the other, tossing them to the dock.
Jared kicked them into the sea.
“What are you doing?” she asked, aghast. “Those were high-end designer–”
He kissed her lips fast and hard to stop her complaint. “I said I’d need a first mate. And I’d need one real bad.”
Hope blossomed in her heart first, and then rose to her head. Her mind finally engaged on what was really happening here. No longer blinded by fear and loss she smiled. “This first mate,” she said, “could she use her contacts in the TV and movie industry to help build your charter business?”
“She damn well better because I’ll need all the help I can get.” The hum of electricity they shared zapped from one to the other. In response, Jared skimmed his hands up and down her arms with a sexy grin. “Starting with helping me present my offer.” He nodded toward the Sally-Rose .
“ Hm, sounds a lot more like a partner than a first mate.” He nuzzled her neck, setting her skin afire. “And for a business meeting, I should dress the part. Starting with those shoes you just tossed.”
“You never have to wear those shoes again.” His voice was determination in stone.
She grinned up at him happier in this golden moment than she’d ever been before. “I love you, my pirate.”
His face glowed with the kind of heat only a man in love, deeply in love, could generate. “Be my wife, Teri. Share my life, my passion and we’ll be free together. I love you so much it hurts.” He looked as if he wanted to say more, but she placed her fingers over his lips to stop him.
“You can tell me how much it hurts later, after we get our clients settled. They’re on their honeymoon, after all.”
She copied Jared’s leap over the railing onto the deck of the SandJack , thirty-five feet of decadent luxury filled with intimacy, love, and honeymoon joy.
Hours later, the honeymooners were enjoying their first candlelit formal dinner below while Teri and Jared sat on the deck with a picnic of cold cuts, fresh French bread, salads and crisp, white wine. Teri sipped delicately from a tumbler because the crystal flutes were for paying guests.
The newlyweds had been happy to accept a discount on their week because Jared and Teri took some time to approach the owner
Drawing in a heavy breath , and trying like hell not to cry, Teri lifted her right foot and slid it into the shoe. She rose on the teetering heel.
“The problem with the Sally-Rose is she’s too big to sail alone. I’d need a first mate,” Jared said, his voice clear.
She nodded as if he’d been speaking to her when he was probably talking to the honeymooners. To confirm, she gave him a sideways glance through her hanging hair, but couldn’t see him through a swim of tears.
She blinked several time and then slid her second shoe on. Her toes protested and her insteps felt stretched by the high arches. But damn it all, she would get through this. She’d gotten through a humiliating jilt at the altar so she could damn well managed to walk away from this dock without collapsing.
A shadow fell across her feet. Deck shoes, blue jeans. Jared. Oh, God. He was going to be kind.
“But if I were to have a first mate, she’d have to know how to bake.”
Teri blinked and leaned toward the blue jeans and the deck shoes and Jared. Blindly she held her arms out to him. He swept her up into a hard embrace. Her feet dangled as he turned her face up to his and plastered his lips to hers in front of the new clients, Jean-Paul and everyone else on the dock.
He lifted his head and groaned next to her ear. “Those high heels are going to have to come off, Ma’am.” He said it for her ears only.
“Really? I can join you this week?” She sniffed. “Because I am so ready to take another week off with you.” She tugged one shoe off and then the other, tossing them to the dock.
Jared kicked them into the sea.
“What are you doing?” she asked, aghast. “Those were high-end designer–”
He kissed her lips fast and hard to stop her complaint. “I said I’d need a first mate. And I’d need one real bad.”
Hope blossomed in her heart first, and then rose to her head. Her mind finally engaged on what was really happening here. No longer blinded by fear and loss she smiled. “This first mate,” she said, “could she use her contacts in the TV and movie industry to help build your charter business?”
“She damn well better because I’ll need all the help I can get.” The hum of electricity they shared zapped from one to the other. In response, Jared skimmed his hands up and down her arms with a sexy grin. “Starting with helping me present my offer.” He nodded toward the Sally-Rose .
“ Hm, sounds a lot more like a partner than a first mate.” He nuzzled her neck, setting her skin afire. “And for a business meeting, I should dress the part. Starting with those shoes you just tossed.”
“You never have to wear those shoes again.” His voice was determination in stone.
She grinned up at him happier in this golden moment than she’d ever been before. “I love you, my pirate.”
His face glowed with the kind of heat only a man in love, deeply in love, could generate. “Be my wife, Teri. Share my life, my passion and we’ll be free together. I love you so much it hurts.” He looked as if he wanted to say more, but she placed her fingers over his lips to stop him.
“You can tell me how much it hurts later, after we get our clients settled. They’re on their honeymoon, after all.”
She copied Jared’s leap over the railing onto the deck of the SandJack , thirty-five feet of decadent luxury filled with intimacy, love, and honeymoon joy.
Hours later, the honeymooners were enjoying their first candlelit formal dinner below while Teri and Jared sat on the deck with a picnic of cold cuts, fresh French bread, salads and crisp, white wine. Teri sipped delicately from a tumbler because the crystal flutes were for paying guests.
The newlyweds had been happy to accept a discount on their week because Jared and Teri took some time to approach the owner
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