Chapter 19
Aslice of sunlight across my face stirs me awake. I peel my eyes open to find Maddie peering over the king-sized bed, shaking her head at my makeshift pallet sprawled on the floor.
“Seriously, Jack? We”re adults. This bed could fit five people,” she grumbles.
I offer her a sleepy half shrug from the plush rug as she flounces up, rifling through her suitcase, then disappearing into the bathroom.
Sleeping on the floor beats lying awake in a bed with a raging hard-on any day of the week.
I lace my hands behind my head, preparing to doze off again. Compared to rugged SEAL missions sleeping in foxholes, this accommodation feels downright decadent.
Suddenly, Maddie is hovering over me wearing some kind of backless summer dress that has all remnants of my grogginess evaporating real fast.
Sweet baby seals.
That scrap of silky fabric should be illegal. I clamp my jaw tight as every muscle instinctively tenses.
Focus, man. Surely, you can handle a little exposed skin without losing your cool.
But from my vantage point, I catch a glimpse of cleavage that has me questioning that confidence.
Maddie saunters breezily toward the door, casting me a coy look over her shoulder.
“Well? You coming to breakfast or what, soldier?”
“Just give me one minute,” I call, rolling swiftly to my feet. I grab the first clean shirt and shorts I extract from my suitcase, darting into the opulent ensuite bathroom.
As I vigorously brush my teeth, I recall boyhood spring breaks here. I would lounge on these same sun-washed beaches, wasting the endless days of my vacation while my father played golf and closed business deals from his makeshift office.
Bounding down the curved staircase behind Maddie, I glimpse Noelle through the arched dining room doorway busily filling crystal glasses from an ornate pitcher. I smile, remembering her sneaking me cookies and patiently teaching me rudimentary Creole vocabulary. Her salt-and-pepper hair is pulled back tidily, her frame perhaps a tad thicker, her smile creases a touch deeper. But her chocolate eyes still radiate the same warmth that comforted me as a boy.
At the sound of our approaching footsteps, Noelle glances up, dropping the pitcher with a joyous cry. “Jackie boy!” She bustles over faster than her petite frame suggests would be possible, throwing her arms around me in a fierce hug. I return her embrace wholeheartedly, the familiar earthy scent of her triggering a nostalgic wave.
As we pull back, both grinning ear-to-ear, I turn to Maddie. “Noelle, I want you to meet my fiancé.” Her astonished delight doubles as I introduce her.
Walt”s voice booms behind us as he enters with an elderly couple in tennis whites. He gestures toward the silver-haired gentleman chuckling beside him in an immaculate polo and madras shorts. With dawning surprise, I recognize Roger Walsh.
“Jack, you and Roger know each other, right?” Oblivious to my tension, Walt beams. “His firm is competing for the VR infrastructure contract.”
“Nice seeing you again in this informal setting,” Roger intones politely. “We at Walsh Dynamics are excited at the prospect of a mutually beneficial alliance.”
I keep my tone neutral, though unease prickles in my throat at his aggressive business pursuit. “Nice seeing you here, Roger. Meet Maddie Emerson, my fiancé.”
“And this is my wife, Alicia.” He turns toward a stunning blond to his left, a proprietary arm around her waist. “We”re delighted for a weekend of fun with dear friends.” His entitled presumption makes me bristle. I inhale slowly, pushing aside my irritation.
Noelle appears, balancing a tray of dishes, the aroma of her cooking transporting me to childhood vacations. “I made pain frire for you, Jackie boy.” Noelle beams, placing a plate of fried dough fritters in front of me.
“They were my favorite.” I turn, thanking her. As we eat, I translate the Creole food names for Maddie, keeping my tone light.
“Have you set a wedding date yet, you lovebirds?” Walt asks loudly between bites of his egg white omelet.
“We were thinking of next fall for the ceremony.” Maddie smiles, looking at me pointedly.
As they chat about weddings, Maddie nodding persuasively, I take a bite of the delicious dough drizzled with honey. Sweet golden syrup clings to the corner of my mouth.
“My love, you”ve made a sticky mess.” Maddie turns to me and tuts with mock concern. Without warning, her thumb swipes the glistening droplet, then lifts it slowly toward her own parted lips. Heart racing, I watch her suck the honey from her thumb with deliberate relish, eyes locked intensely on mine.
“Mm, delicious,” she purrs, eyes glistening with mischief. Before I can form a response, she leans in, her swollen lips pressing where her thumb just traced. Her tongue flicks out, lapping the remaining nectar lingering at the corner of my mouth. My startled intake of breath melts into a low groan. On instinct, my hungry tongue swipes over her mouth, the sweet fullness of it coaxing me. But she pulls back, smiling coyly.
“Best clean up the rest of that later, hmm?”
I struggle to calm my hammering pulse, staring at her lips still slick from mine. Her touch sets off a molten wave of longing in me, burning so hot I could burst into flames.
A pronounced throat clearing snaps our gaze to the amused audience. Walt pointedly rustles his newspaper.
“Young love, eh?” he pronounces into the charged silence.
Maddie just continues smiling while skillfully redirecting the conversation back to the wedding.
“Indeed,” I manage awkwardly into the charged silence while I discretely rearrange the tablecloth over my lap.
As the others start dispersing after breakfast, I linger behind to help Noelle clear the dishes.
“I have missed you, Jackie boy. It’s not the same around here without you,” she chides me gently.
I squeeze her hand. “It”s good to be back. I know my going off to enlist worried you over the years.”
“I prayed for your safe return every day.”
“How are your children? Your husband, Jacques?” I attempt to change the topic.
Noelle launches enthusiastically into proud updates about her twins’ scholarships and Jacques’s contractor business keeping him busy. I nod along to tales of her bustling household. As talk meanders, Noelle grasps my hand gently, her eyes glistening.
“Now that you are back, I will be seeing more of you in St. Maarten, yes?”
Before I form a response, Noelle pats my cheek fondly. “With your lovely Maddie. I can see it clear as day that the light has found you again.” She winks exaggeratedly toward the patio where Maddie disappeared, her lilting laughter carrying on the breeze. “Love will help you start this new chapter of your life.”
I chuckle. “You and my father think alike.”
Noelle clasps my hand firmly, voice sweet yet stern. “He’s right. Hold tight to that angel, Jackie boy. “
I nod, and with a wave, head out into the sunshine.