Page 47
She snaps her heels together and salutes. “Aye, aye, Captain. No more sassing from this sailor. But since I’m official, maybe I could have one of those cool pirate hats?”
“God, woman, get your jargon right before you board my boat next time, huh? It’s a tricorn.”
Up on tiptoes, she peers into the coffee mug I’m still holding. “Got any more of that grog?”
Throwing my head back, I let go a hearty laugh. Damn, she’s adorable! She’s been on board exactly eight minutes, and I’m having the most fun I’ve had in months.
I jerk my head toward the coffee maker. “Help yourself to as much grog as you can stand. I’ve got a few more details to take care of before the ‘crew’ arrives. And a word of advice?”
She’s on her way to the coffee fixings but stops, twirls, and lifts a delicate eyebrow.
“When you brush up on that sailor jargon, Pirates of the Caribbean is not your best resource.”
She sways a few steps my way. “Oh? And what is my best resource?” Unless I’m putting my own hopeful spin on it, there’s a flirty quality to her tone, and it’s kindling sparks of lust inside me.
“Your best bet is an experienced sailor. Like me.” A glimmer of something appears in her eyes as she seems to register the emphasis I put on “experienced.”
Damn it to hell! Da fuck am I doing? Playing with fire, that’s what I’m doing. But the interplay with Jackie is too much fun, and my control hangs by a skate lace. If I were a smart man, I’d get myself good and laid. Maybe that way I could control this ridiculous urge to flirt with the sister of the one man who decides whether I stay or go. But I don’t want to get good and laid by anybody—with the exception of the very woman who’s stirring up this chaos inside me. Why does it have to be her? What makes her special?
Her gaze trails from my head to my feet and back up again, and she smirks. “I’ll take that into consideration.”
Fuck, do I want to take her mouth right now. And the rest of her while I’m at it.
“Yoo-hoo!” Peggy’s voice comes from the dock gate, so there’s no way she sees us, but Jackie and I take several steps away from each other like two guilty people about to get caught doing something they shouldn’t be doing. Peggy’s call hits like ice water and shocks me right out of my carnal fog.
“Be right there,” I bark back.
Jackie holds out her hand for my mug, and I pass it to her. We may be a few feet apart, but we’re still staring at each other.
I jab my thumb over my shoulder. “I need to, uh, go help Peggy with the kids.”
“Do you need my help too?”
“Only when we get them on board, so stand by.” I need to put more distance between myself and this woman who’s throwing my internal compass completely out of whack. Thank fuck the kids are here to help me get back on course.
I hustle to the gate, where Peggy’s herding some kids through. To my surprise, Robbie’s father brings up the rear. “Do we have a volunteer?” I ask as I take over wheeling Ruby across the planks.
Peggy beams. “We do. Last minute addition. I hope that’s okay.”
“Absolutely. We can always use extra hands.” Hanging on to Ruby’s chair with one hand, I extend the other to the thirty-something dude. “Glad to see you, Rick.”
An hour later, we’re gliding over the water and I’m not glad to see Rick because he has spent the majority of his time either ogling or monopolizing Jackie. The ogling keeps him from helping me, and the monopolizing keeps her from fully tending to the kids like I can tell she wants to. My focus is on sailing the boat, but from the few glimpses I’ve stolen, her body language tells me she’s not enjoying his attention. I’ve got to say I admire her deftness at handling the situation, though. She simultaneously gives the kids what they need while avoiding him as he tries to engage—all with grace and without a trace of the rudeness he’s earned. Rude is exactly how I would handle the jackass.
Besides Robbie’s dad harassing my first mate, I’m pissed because I really could use the extra help from him. I assign him different tasks, which he either does too hastily, and therefore incorrectly, or he abandons the job altogether in an obvious bid to charm Jackie. The last time he sailed with me, he was hands-on. Now his hands only want to be on Jackie. Can’t say I blame him, but I don’t have to like it.
She’s especially cute today, with no makeup and her blond strands in that short ponytail of hers that reminds me of a round paintbrush. I’ve yanked it a few times now and gotten either a giggle or a fake glower. As for the rest of her, dark jeans mold to her strong legs and mouthwatering ass. Of course she’s sporting the boat shoes that should be clunky on her petite feet but instead are sexy as hell. Wonder what she’d look like sans everything but the boat shoes?
I tamp down the ridiculous meandering.
She started the day in her black Beaufort sweatshirt but peeled it off to reveal a pale green T-shirt that matches her eyes. The fabric is worn and looks soft and touchable, like her—except for the saying across her chest, which reads, “I’m a Numbers Person. People are Optional.”
I catch Rick staring at her rack for the umpteenth time and have to bite my tongue so I don’t ask if he’s dyslexic. Couldn’t read it the first or fiftieth time, dude? Of course I understand what he’s actually studying because I’m a guy too, and damn if she doesn’t fill that T-shirt very, very well.
“Can I have a turn at the helm, Captain Colby?” Robbie calls from his usual spot, parked on the step.
I glance over at him. “Wanna take over?” We’re under power, and the boat’s already headed back toward the marina.
With a squeal of joy, the kid bounces up and down on his bony little butt and claps. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
