Chapter Thirty-Three
THE MUELLERS’ LAST day aboard the Veritas was a hectic whirlwind of island-hopping and clearing customs, and by the time they were anchored in Christmas Cove, everybody was ready to just relax.
That meant more swimming for the boys and their father, while Kim stretched out on the trampolines to watch them as she soaked up the last few rays of the day.
Because Lauren was busy in the kitchen preparing a special dinner for the family’s last night aboard the boat, Grey gathered bottles of root beer for the boys and a couple bottles of Saint John’s Ale for Will and Kim and carried them out to the front of the boat.
Seeing the family enjoying themselves made her smile, and she laughed out loud as she watched Peyton go flying off the starboard pontoon with an excited, “Watch this!” before landing a textbook belly flop.
“That had to hurt,” Grey commented as she set the tray of drinks down onto the small walkway that cut between the forward trampolines. She grabbed one of the beers and held it out for Kim. “Here you go.”
“My son, the rocket surgeon,” Kim chuckled as she sat up and took the bottle from Grey. “Thank you. And, thanks again for watching them last night so we could go out.”
“It was—”
“Wonderful,” Kim interrupted. She sighed and peered over the edge of the boat to where Peyton was cry-laughing in his father’s arms. When she was convinced that he was okay, she rolled her eyes and turned back to Grey.
“The boys cannot stop talking about how much fun they had making pizzas with you two and playing games, and I just want you to know that Will and I really appreciated the opportunity to spend a little time alone.”
Grey smiled. “It really wasn’t a problem at all. They’re good kids. We had fun, too.”
“Still… Thank you.”
“It was our pleasure,” Grey assured her with a small tip of her head as she looked out over the cove.
Despite the fact that nearly every one of the twenty-two mooring balls that dotted the cove were taken, there was still an air of tranquility about the place that she loved.
And she needed that tranquility, especially after dealing with customs and busy ports all day.
Her personality was best suited for small groups and open space, so having to maneuver through crowded harbors and hordes of people always left her feeling exhausted.
She needed to recharge her batteries, to sit with a bottle of beer or a glass of scotch and enjoy the feeling of the sun on her skin and the wind in her hair, but that would have to wait until later.
For now, a few quiet moments with Lauren would have to suffice until the workday was officially at an end.
“Well,” she murmured after a beat, “I should probably go see if Lauren needs any help with dinner. If you guys need anything, just holler.”
“Will do.”
“Moooooommy!” Max yelled, and Grey chuckled when Will echoed the call.
Kim sighed and set her beer back on the tray. “Looks like I’m up,” she drawled wryly as she laid her sunglasses beside the bottles and walked over to the edge of the boat. “What’s up, Max?”
“Come swimming!” all three boys chorused.
Grey laughed. “Have fun.”
“Yeah. You too,” Kim said, winking at Grey before she leapt off the side of the boat, knees tucked to her chest as she cannonballed her entire family.
Grey shook her head as she made her way back down the length of the boat to the back deck.
She enjoyed the majority of the clients she ferried about the islands, but Kim really was one of a kind.
Grey’s step faltered when she spotted Lauren dancing in the kitchen, hips swaying almost in time with the beat of the music playing from the salon’s speakers, and she smiled to herself as she leaned against the doorframe to watch.
Even though she had lived every second, it was hard for her to believe that only a week had passed since she first laid eyes on Lauren.
She had gone from both hating and craving the sight of Lauren because the redhead reminded her of Emily, to seeing the differences between the two women, and then seeing and appreciating Lauren for who she was.
She still missed Emily, but the hurt she used to feel whenever she thought about her had become a dull, pleasant ache.
She was moving on, learning to live again in Lauren’s understanding arms.
The song playing changed to an old Killers tune, and Grey covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter at the way Lauren started bopping her head with the intro.
A wooden spoon became a microphone as Lauren began singing and dancing in earnest. Grey had thought that what she needed was quietude—it was, after all, her usual method of dealing with days like the one she had just had—but as her feet carried her toward the galley, she realized that she did not need a few peaceful moments alone to recharge after the long day.
She simply needed Lauren.
Her smile grew as she sidled into the galley, close enough to touch Lauren if she were to just reach out her hand.
The song began building toward the chorus and she waited, purposefully hovering beyond Lauren’s line of sight, until she began singing along.
“Somebody told me, you had a boyfriend, that looks like a girlfriend…”
Lauren whipped around, wooden spoon held threateningly in the air, and froze when she saw Grey standing behind her. Grey’s hands were held up in front of her, ready to block any blows that might be directed her way, and Lauren shook her head as she tried to glare at her. “Don’t scare me like that!”
“Come on, Murphy.” Grey tugged the wooden spoon from Lauren’s hand and tossed it into the sink as she started dancing up against her. “Dance with me.”
“I don’t…” Lauren began to argue, but her voice trailed off when she realized that, contrary to every other person who had ever seen her dance, Grey was not laughing at her.
The look in Grey’s eyes cajoled her to join-in, and she was helpless to resist. She was impossibly self-conscious as she started dancing again, her every movement much more muted than it was before, but as the song played on, she found herself letting go until she was dancing like she had been when she realized she was not alone.
“Oh, I love this one,” Grey said when the music changed. She laughed and captured Lauren’s lips in a playful kiss as she reached for the redhead’s hips and pulled her flush against her. “Come on, Murphy. Show me whatcha got.”
The feeling of Grey’s leg slipping between her own made Lauren gasp, and she froze as Grey began grinding against her. She could do silly dancing-in-the-kitchen dancing, but not this. She shook her head and stammered, “I…I don’t…”
“Yes you do,” Grey said, easily reading the apprehension in Lauren’s eyes. “Trust me.”
Lauren bit her lip and allowed the hands on her hips to guide her into motion.
Her heart hammered with nerves when Grey’s hold relaxed and she was left controlling her own movement.
She felt awkward and uncoordinated as she tried to keep pace with Grey, and just when she was about to pull back and give up, Grey’s lips covered her own, effectively holding her in place.
“You’re doing great,” Grey murmured reassuringly.
“I don’t know how to dance,” Lauren argued weakly.
“You do.” Grey wrapped her right hand around Lauren’s neck and pulled her in for another kiss.
The longer Grey kissed her, the less concerned Lauren became with the quality of her dancing.
She looped her arms around Grey’s neck and deepened the kiss, and her body began moving of its own volition to the beat of the music and the rhythmic press of Grey’s hips against her own.
The music became nothing but background noise, something loud and brash to contrast the soft moans and ragged breaths that filled their air between them.
Their hips slowed to a gentle grind that was more akin to foreplay than dancing, and Lauren whimpered at the loss of Grey’s lips when they broke apart.
Grey smoothed a hand over Lauren’s cheek. “That was fun.”
“It was,” Lauren agreed softly. Her eyes flitted over Grey’s face and she smiled. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
Lauren shrugged and looked away. “Not laughing at me.”
“Oh, Lauren,” Grey sighed, hooking a finger under Lauren’s chin to lift her eyes up to her own. “You move beautifully.” She could see that Lauren was ready to protest her assessment, and she cut her off with another quick kiss. “You do.”
Lauren wanted to argue, but the earnestness in Grey’s gaze brokered no dissent, and she relented with a small nod. She knew that it was a lie, but she appreciated it all the same. “Thank you.”
Grey smiled and pulled Lauren into her arms. Her heart swelled at the way Lauren sank into her, clearly needing the physical reassurance, and she sighed as she brushed a light kiss over her ear. “You’re welcome.”