Chapter 11 #2
She waved a hand. “Fine, fine.” Her lips pursed.
Then, as she met his eyes, her smile took over, as if she’d realized she was acting like a surly teenager.
Michaela would see that as a weakness. Yet her stiff spine told him she’d keep up all her barriers while she enjoyed the meal of all her favorite things.
Halfway through the pasta salad, the beet hummus, and the charcuterie plate, she glanced at him, and her eyes suddenly twinkled. The amazing sight wrapped around him, making his heart beat faster and his breath come quicker.
She surprised the heck out of him by asking, “Are you going to install a diving board in the stern?”
“I hadn’t even thought about that,” he admitted freely.
“But it’s a perfect idea. It should be removable, but when we’re not tooling around, I can dive right into the water.
” It was brilliant, and he made his decision then and there.
“This boat is perfect for me. I definitely want it. I don’t even need to bargain down the price. ”
The only reaction was in the flare of her pupils. The commission would be a hefty one, he was sure. But instead of addressing the bargaining, she asked, “Do you still dive for fun?”
“Naturally. I do dives and flips.” With a laugh, he added, “And cannonballs because they’re fun.” Then he had an idea equally as brilliant as hers. “Since you’re the one who suggested a diving board, you have to jump off it with me right after it’s installed.”
She surprised him with a shudder. Wagging a finger, she said, “Oh no, there are things in the ocean that freak me out. It’s too wild. I could get stung by a jellyfish or eaten by a shark.”
He gave a great belly laugh. “I’ll protect you.”
She gave him a stern look. “Not if the shark eats you first.” She shuddered again. “I swear, I’m terrified of all things ocean.”
Another challenge. She presented so many interesting challenges. He’d have to show her how amazing jumping into the clear blue sea could be.
Her first thought: The commission on this sale would be amazing.
Her second: It was so billionaire-ish to buy a yacht without even trying to negotiate on the price.
Her third: Was he buying the yacht just to seduce her?
But the worst thought of all was that she wanted to be seduced.
No, no, no. She couldn’t allow that to happen.
They sailed past Alcatraz, the gloomy monolith looming over them as the steward swept away the remains of their meal. A few minutes later, the young man returned with a platter of mini strawberry cheesecakes.
She groaned. “I couldn’t eat another bite.”
But her mouth was already watering for one of the tiny treats.
Troy popped one in his mouth, saying around it, “It’s only a bite.”
They were decadent, with a dab of strawberry sauce and cream on the top. He was seducing her with all her favorite things.
“Just one.” She took a delicate bite.
Oh, it was scrumptious. She closed her eyes, savoring the texture, the flavors. And without another thought of resistance, she dropped the other half in her mouth, unable to hold back another moan of pleasure.
Even as she opened her eyes, he held out another one. She waved him off. “Really, one is enough.”
One more mini strawberry cheesecake could be her downfall.
But he was smiling that seductive smile. “Just one more. Or I’ll send them all home with you.”
If she took them home, she’d gorge herself. So she took the offering in another half bite, flavors exploding on her tongue.
Kissing him might taste like this.
After eating the other half, she made the universal stop sign. “No. Honestly. No more.”
He smiled wickedly, as if he knew how badly she wanted another. How badly she wanted that kiss.
“You’ve got a little bit of cream on your lip,” he said softly, his eyes caressing her mouth.
She licked her top lip.
“You didn’t quite get it.”
She would have licked again, except that he was already reaching out, his index finger slipping the cream from the corner of her mouth. But, oh God, he lingered.
“There. All clean,” he murmured.
Then, outrageously, he licked the little dot of cream off his finger.
Michaela went very still inside, her gaze fixed on his mouth and finger as he tasted the cream. Tasted her .
The entire world seemed to go still along with her—even Troy—as their gazes locked.
She could hear the flap of sails on a nearby boat, the screech of gulls as they dove for fish in the wake, the slap of water against the hull.
And the furious beating of her heart.
She couldn’t say who moved first, but his mouth was on hers, tongue tracing the line of her lips. Then he cupped her face in his warm hands, and his tongue pressed deeper. She couldn’t push him away. Good Lord, she didn’t want to. Against everything she knew she should do, she parted her lips.
He deepened the kiss, filling her up, stirring all her senses with the sugary taste of strawberries and cream, the tang of the cheesecake, the taste of the fine wine, his scent spicy and exotic, subtle and yet overwhelming.
She gave herself over to that kiss, to him, to his lips on hers and his tongue teasing and tasting everything.
A moan escaped her, sliding up her throat, filling her mouth.
The touch of his palms against her cheeks set her skin on fire.
Her entire being wanted to drag him into her arms, to feel his hard body against hers.
She might have done just that if a ferryboat hadn’t blasted its horn and sloshed water up the sides of the yacht in its wake.
Common sense flooded back, and with a hand on his chest, she pushed him away, breaking that delicious, decadent kiss.
His hands fell away, and a cool breeze wafted over her hot skin.
Oh God, it had been so good. He’d tasted so wild and sweet.
She picked up her wineglass as if it were a shield.
“That was a terrible mistake.” She wanted so badly to put her fingers to her lips, as if she might taste him again.
“It shouldn’t have happened.” But she would never, ever forget it.
“I believe we’ve been cruising long enough.
Please have the steward tell the captain we should return to the marina now. ”
Troy didn’t move. He didn’t speak. She was forced to slide around the other side of the banquette to get out.
Before she could stand, he said, “I want you to make an offer on the yacht for me.” He named a mind-boggling amount that was above the asking price.
When she stared at him, probably with her eyes as wide as saucers, he shrugged. “I want to make sure I get this one. Can you prepare the papers?”
She stammered, “Ye-yes. I can do that.”
Pushing herself out of the seat, she wanted to run as fast as possible to Captain Sprague and tell him to turn around. To turn tail and run.
But Troy wasn’t finished. “I’d like the sale to go through as soon as possible. Cal and Lyssa have talked about a romantic wedding on a boat. I’d like them to be able to use mine.”
Oh. He wasn’t trying to seduce her with the sale. He had another plan in mind.
Other than bringing the buyer and seller together, she wasn’t part of that plan. She stood stiffly before him. “I’ll contact the seller as soon as we get back.”
Then she dashed off, ostensibly to tell the steward they needed to head in, but maybe she was distancing herself from Troy.
From that kiss.
And from her feelings.