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Sure. I’ll be home in a few minutes.
When we arrive, I drop my things off inside and head to the boardwalk.
Before I even turn the corner at the stone wall separating the garden from the beach, I see Malik at the end of the boardwalk loading a bag onto a large sailboat with magnificent white sails billowing in the wind.
He has another two boats moored on the other side of the boardwalk, but they’re both motor yachts I’ve seen before on my walks out here. The one near Malik is a sailing yacht. The type many of the sailors in Wilmington would use for fishing and boat races.
My steps quicken toward him, and he turns to face me.
He’s wearing a fitted white T-shirt and black slacks. I’d be freezing in anything like that. The temperature dropped earlier, so I kept on my jacket. My legs are still a little cold, though, because I’m wearing a wrap over skirt.
When I get closer to Malik, I can’t help myself—I skip into his arms and sink into his hard chest as he pulls me in for a kiss.
“Damn it, why do you always taste so fucking good?” he rasps against my lips.
“Maybe because I always want you.” Listen to me talk; I stopped holding back days and days ago, and now I’m literally spilling out my heart.
“That’s always good.” He gives me a grin when he releases me and the moonlight turns his teeth silver.
I look at the yacht and point at it. “Where did this come from?”
“It’s old. I was fixing it up along with a few others in the garage.”
A normal garage would home a few cars and other vehicles. His has boats, too. I’ve seen the cars, but there was another section that I haven’t seen yet. I’m guessing the boats are there.
“How many boats do you own?”
“Five. This one’s special, though. I built it with my uncle when I was sixteen.”
My mouth drops, impressed to hear such awesomeness. I’ve never met anyone who could build a boat before.
“You built this?”
He looks proud. “Yeah. My uncle was a hands-on craftsman. He loved the old Viking ways of doing things, so he made it his duty to learn how to build everything, including boats. He taught me to do the same.”
“That’s really impressive.” I’m deeply fascinated, but I also notice that he’s talking about another member of his family apart from his brothers and his father.
It’s all a mystery to me and a closed book of wonder just like him.
“Want to go for a ride?” He gives me a wolfish smile.
“When?
“Now.”
“Now?” My heartbeat picks up.
“Yeah, now.”
“Oh my God, really? But it’s so late.” I can’t imagine going out on the waters at this time. And it’s so dark. For a person who can’t swim, that makes everything even scarier.
“We’ll be fine. I can sail any boat with my eyes closed. In fact, I have.” A deep chuckle rumbles in his chest. “The moon and the planets align tonight. We can get the best view at sea.”
That sounds mesmerizing. “The moon and the planets?”
“Jupiter and Venus. Look.” He points at the clear night sky toward the moon and what looks like two bright stars below it. I can tell they aren’t just stars, though, because they look different from the others.
“That’s really Jupiter and Venus?”
