Page 52 of Cocky Tech God
“I chartered a private sailboat for us. I want to take you up the bay to my favorite spot.”
He’d chartered a boat? Wow. A knot grew exponentially in my throat, and it took my ability to speak. For once, I was speechless. Never had I been surprised by someone like this. My silence wasn’t normal.
Hansen grinned at my overt response. “I must have done a good job if you can’t even say a word.”
“You did so well,” I managed to say.
He reached for my hand, and I gave it to him. He said, “Come on. Let’s go check it out.”
Together we walked to the wooden house, stepping onto creaking floorboards once inside. An older graying woman in tan Bermuda shorts and a white tank top greeted us immediately.
“Hansen! Nice to see you again.” She pulled out her notebook, scratching out a line from the ledger with a mechanical pencil. Not a computer in sight.
I turned my eyes to meet Hansen’s.
He shrugged. “They know me here.”
Of course, they did. I beamed at him, the sun overhead making me hot. But the heat growing inside me wasn’t just from the sun, it was from Hansen. The way he made me feel. The pride I became overwhelmed with in being next to him, and in being with him.
“George is almost ready for you,” the woman said and glanced through the wall of large windows leading to a row of various-sized sailboats along the seafoam-green water no more than ten feet from the deck on the house.
“Are you excited?” Hansen asked and took my hand, weaving his fingers with mine.
The knot that came back in my throat almost made it hard to get the words out. “More than you know.”
The charter was something to be excited about, but there was more to it than that. I was excited at the possibility of having more days like this with Hansen. No matter how stupid it was, the potential of us—of what we could become together—was right in my face.
“That’s ours.” Hansen pointed at the last boat in the line. It was enormous. Enough room for a few dozen people. A man stood on the edge, tugging at white sails and ropes.
“It’s so big,” I said, catching myself, and the unspoken joke I’d walked into. I rolled my eyes, laughing at my faux pas. Yet another one in Hansen’s presence.
Hansen paused, grinning. But he shook his head. “Nope. Too easy, Mendez.”
I slapped his arm. Our dynamic had changed so much. We were not only going on sexual attraction, we had also developed a playfulness that I enjoyed just as much.
Hansen squeezed my hand as we walked to the dock and on the boat. I sauntered along the edge to a seating area at the back, a higher seat directly in front of a large silver steering wheel.
“Welcome!” The man’s British island accent was heavy. “It’s good to have you on my boat again this fine day.”
“Nice to see you again, too, George. We’re going down to the cabin to change out of these clothes, then we’ll be out on the front deck to sunbathe,” Hansen said.
“I don’t have a change of clothes.” I looked at Hansen. He’d said not to bring anything but myself.
“It’s all taken care of.” Hansen winked at me, and my stomach fluttered.
“Right on. Well…” George opened his arms, his fingers splayed. “Get sorted out and relax. We’ll take it from here.”
Underneath the boat was a labyrinth of compartments. Hansen led me down a narrow staircase in the middle of the boat. A window overhead displayed a perfect view of the sky. Everything seemed more vibrant. The air, more fragrant. I needed this more than I could have imagined. Especially after I’d convinced myself that LMS was done.
We arrived at a cabin with a large bed in the middle of the surprisingly large space. It was twice the size of my room back home in Manhattan. On the bed was a gorgeous, navy-striped bathing suit, red swim trunks, and towels. All with the tags still on them. He’d gotten us swimwear for the excursion.
“You got me a bathing suit?” I grinned.
“I had the crew make selections. But I was very specific about my taste.” Hansen closed the door behind him. “Do you like it?”
I touched the material. “I love it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” He walked to the massive bed and sat. “This is the captain’s cabin, just so you know.”