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It is also pretty darn sheer, showing the shadowy details of my nude form to anyone who looks. I wear a thong but nothing else underneath.
Gretchen selected a dainty silver chain from Tiffany & Co. To finish it all off, she chose a pair of strappy silver stiletto heels that make my legs, which are already my best feature, look fantastic if I say so myself.
I drape a smaller towel over my chest and sit at the vanity my Uncle John insisted on putting in my room. He was full of such sweet gestures – trying to be a mom to me and help me navigate the trials and tribulations of a typical teenage girl growing up.
The lighting in the room is remarkable. I don’t wear much makeup, so anything is super dramatic. I go for a smoky, smudgy grey eye. I lay on the mascara so my lashes are luscious and curly. I have perfect beach hair and let my tresses dry naturally into shoulder-length bouncy curls. Being a low-maintenance gal has its perks. I am ready to go with minimal muss and fuss.
I texted Nick, Jack’s driver. Both Jack and Gretchen assured me that Nick was only having Jack’s back when he did thatnumber on me. Even so, I don’t forget or forgive easily, and it turns my stomach to deal with him. I don’t trust him anymore. I waited at the door and watched for the Lincoln Town Car.
Only it’s a stretch limo that appears. I have to give Nick credit where credit is due. It is impressive how he pulls into the Calypso lot and whips the limo around to be ready to leave without further ado. I would have had to maneuver backward and forward for several minutes to achieve the same.
I appear, holding onto the rail as I descend the stairs, while Nick, like a footman in a Disney movie, holds the door open for me.
“Marrone,” he mutters.
I know that’s his way of saying someone is hot. I still haven’t warmed up to him, and it’s a half-hour drive to Marina Del Rey, where the stalker admirer’s boat is. I fasten my seat belt and look out the window. It’s going to be a painfully quiet ride.
As we pulled out of the parking lot, I heard Nick make his report on his cell phone. “On our way,” he says.
“Waiting,” Jack replies.
My heart races at the sound of his voice. I am waiting too. Impatiently. I can’t wait for all the bad feelings to be behind me and for us to return to that magic we shared. Magic that brought the inn back to life. That brought me back to life.
Nick is wise not to ruin anything by talking about the awful way he treated me. He saves it until after he parks. He turns to me with the door ajar so the light shines on his face.
“I apologize,” he says. “Mr. Houston is a lucky man, and it’s not because of the money.”
That is the long and the short of it before he gets my door for me again and offers me his arm. I accept because it is as good of an apology as I will likely get from a man who seldom feels the need to apologize to anyone.
I also don’t want to bust a heel walking the proverbial plank to the yacht. There is a dock and then an actual plank, which is a little frightening to traverse in skinny but sexy stilettos, but I manage with Nick’s help.
Once I climbed aboard, Nick and I parted ways. The party is in full swing, and I feel like Cinderella, searching for her prince. And before I can look around for him, Jack is somehow behind me. I feel his warmth emanate through me.
“Right here,” he whispers.
I turn around and throw my arms around him. He draws me tightly against him.
“So glad you made it,” he says.
Chapter 13
Jack
Icannot let Brynne go. I pressed her tightly to my body. My nose is buried in her hair, which smells incredibly fresh and sweet. It mixes with the sensory experience of the night. The tinkling of glasses and hors d’oeuvre forks. Amber lights and the salty scent of the sea. Music plays softly in the background. Laughter from other guests enjoying themselves.
“Words cannot describe,” I say, not finishing my sentence. But I feel I don’t have to. Brynne is leaning against me with complete trust and total vulnerability. We are dancing to music only we can hear. My body hums with a tangle of emotions. I step back, taking her hand in mine.
“So beautiful,” I mutter as my eyes take her in.
I cannot wait any longer. I lean forward to kiss her.
“Hello,” I whisper.
“Hello,” she replies sweetly.
And with that, the silly blip of a freak out that made us overthink what has blossomed between us is over. It is that simple; I want to be with Brynne and no one else.
Alas, our moment crashes when Adrianne appears.
