Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Leon
With my arm around Erika’s waist, we make our way down the sun-warmed walkway toward the private yacht waiting for us.
I’m nervous because I’ve planned a whole day for her that is full of surprises, and if everything goes to plan, it will be perfect.
Two attendants stride behind us, shading us from the sun with white umbrellas.
The smell of salt from the surrounding plant life along the shore is something I’d like to bottle, as it will always remind me of what can only be described as tropical bliss.
“Do we really need someone to shade us from the sun?” Erika asks through the side of her mouth as we follow the yacht captain, signaling readiness and preparing for boarding to the deckhands positioned on either side of the walkway.
“Yes, we do. It’s hot.”
“The captain looks very sharp in his uniform. How does he keep it so white?” she whispers under her breath.
“Why don’t you ask him?” I suggest, loving how curious my wife is.
“He’s very professional,” she states.
So he should be. I pay him well enough. He walks with quiet authority, just a few steps ahead of us, his eyes surveying the vessel as if he’s checking, double-checking, ensuring she’s set for sailing.
Standing like soldiers lining the deck, six deckhands stand to attention, their tennis shoes whiter than untouched snow.
I send myself a mental note to compliment them on their appearance once we settle in.
As we approach, one of the deckhands extends his hand to the side, as the scent of freshly polished wood swirls softly around us. The smell also screams new and shiny, the yacht glinting in the sunlight as if showing off how beautiful she is.
“Leon, this is beautiful,” Erika gasps, taking in the seventy-foot yacht that can comfortably host twelve guests.
“She is.” It’s her maiden voyage, and today she’ll be hosting Erika and me. I can’t wait to show her around.
As we approach the gangway, the private canopy of umbrellas vanishes as the captain politely offers Erika a welcoming hand to help her on board.
Before she steps on board, something must catch her eye as she stops in her tracks and says, “The Keira.” She gestures toward the name emblazoned along the bow in black, hand-lettered script. “I wonder who Keira is?” she asks inquisitively.
“It’s an anagram,” I state, looking directly at her.
“For?” She tilts her head to the side curiously, as if trying to figure it out, her lips moving, reading the letters to solve the puzzle, but I kill her probing mind.
“Erika,” I say firmly. “It’s an anagram of Erika.” Why do I feel like I’m suddenly a billion degrees hotter, and my hands feel clammy?
“What?” she exclaims as the penny finally drops. “This is your yacht?”
“It’s our yacht,” I correct her, my pulse racing as fast as ever.
“And you secretly named her after me?” She pokes her finger into her chest, looking a million bucks in a floaty white dress and white sandals, before she pushes her sunglasses from her nose onto the top of her head. Her eyes are bright and full of wonder.
“I named her long before this happened.” I motion to the space between us, feeling slightly uncomfortable in front of my new staff.
“That’s so…”
Stupid? Fucked up? Ridiculous?
“Romantic.” Erika’s lips burst into a wide smile that’s brighter than the sunshine of Bora Bora.
“Is it?”
“Yes, Leon, and the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
Erika throws herself into my arms and nuzzles into my neck. “You disguised my name.”
It’s not a question.
“I’ve been disguising my love for you for as long as I can remember, baby.” I kiss her hair, then her neck, pouring my love into her.
“This is yours?” Erika eases out of my hold, her voice filled with emotion and cracking at the end.
“This is ours.” How many times do I have to keep telling her that?
“Ours.” She looks behind her at the vessel I’ve spent hours pouring my heart and soul into designing. Every bolt and screw, I chose. “She’s beautiful.”
“That’s why I named her after you.”
“You’re incredible, Mr. Hill. Have I told you that today?” She shakes her head in amazement and disbelief.
“Yes, you have.” When she was coming all over my cock as the sun rose this morning. “But don’t ever stop.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”