Page 10 of Sailor's Delight
Jenn smiled and chuckled lightly to show she understood the reference. Trey smiled.
“All right, so if we can’t talk about life off the boat…” Trey paused, clearly thinking. “What would you like to do today?”
Honestly? Just you.Jenn swallowed both the mouthful of fried potato and her gut response. She sat back, looking up into the bright blue sky, and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She sat for a moment, feeling the warm late spring sun soak into her outstretched legs, her arms, and her upturned face. When she opened them, Trey was sitting quietly, a half smile on his lips, simply watching her.
Jenn became suddenly self-conscious. “What?”
Trey smiled and looked down, rubbing his palms together. “Nothing.”
“No, really! Come on, what are you looking at? Do I have food on my face? A pimple?” Jenn ran her fingers over her face.
“There’s nothing. I’m just—,” Trey broke off, staring at the ground again. “Just you. I’m just watching you. I’ve always liked watching you.”
Jenn blinked. “Always?”
Trey fumbled, pointing with his finger. “Yeah, you know, always since yesterday. You know; it feels like forever.”
Jenn narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Okay, weirdo.” She took another bite of hash brown and bacon, holding up her hand to talk around the food. “What doyouwant to do today?”
Trey blew a loud raspberry, leaning back on his lounger and turning to look around them. He held out his arms as if to take in the whole ship. “Well, I believe it’s a sea day, so the entirety of theDuchess of the Wavesis our oyster.” He smiled. “We can go anywhere and do anything you want, as long as it’s on this ship.”
“Really?” Jenn asked, smiling into the plate of food. “Anything I want?”
“I mean, anything within reason. I’m pretty sure we’re in international waters at this point, so felonies are definitely out…” He grinned at her, that smile she’d fallen so heavily for. “But other than that, I’m down for whatever.”
“In that case…” Jenn stood up, gripping Trey’s hand. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to try with you.”
“I’m flying, Jack!” Jenn stood with both pumps perched precariously atop the second rail from the bottom of the guardrail at the forward most point they could access on the boat, both arms outstretched, one hand clasping her hat, the other fully like a wing.
Trey pressed against her back, supporting her weight with one arm wrapped just below her belly, the other pressing tenderly against her lower ribs, high on her waist. His facepressed into her neck, and she smiled, closing her eyes as he placed a tender kiss there, sliding his lips along her neck both before and after the kiss. She shuddered involuntarily.
“Now who’s the schmaltzy one?” he whispered.
She didn’t answer, only dropped her free hand to his flexed forearm and gave a gentle squeeze.
She wasn’t sure whether it was the wind or something else that squeezed a tear from the corner of her eye.
“Well, I’m glad you got that out of your system,” Trey said as they walked, arm in arm, across the observation deck, Jenn still needing to hold onto her hat with one hand.
Looking down at their shadows, she smiled. They cut quite a pair, at least in silhouette.
“You’ve been waiting to do that from the moment we boarded, haven’t you?”
“God, yes!” Jenn groaned. “I can’t believe they still don’t charge for that. Can you imagine? Oh, they could make a killing!”
Trey’s beard shifted. She could tell he was fighting the urge to smile. “At least for another couple years, until all the Gen Xers and Millennials who were traumatized in their teens and preteens by that movie are too old to safely get up on the bars. Then they’ll have to make wheelchair ramps.” He mock-gasped, whipping his head to look at her. “Or a chair lift!”
She whacked his forearm affectionately. “Keep it up. I dare you.”
He only smiled in response.
A warmth began to spread in her belly that she hadn’t felt in months.God, it’s been forever since I’ve felt this light.She stole a glance at Trey. He was staring out across the ocean. The smile on her face wavered. What was he thinking about?I remember this feeling, she thought pensively.
Chapter 4
The day had passed quickly and enjoyably. They’d passed the day exactly as one should on a cruise: they ate when they were hungry, drank when they were thirsty, and dozed side by side in the warm sun.
They had turned the loungers so that they were side by side but facing each other. Trey glanced at Jenn, her head turned slightly to the side and face mostly covered by her hat. He smiled tenderly. She needed this. The last several months, he knew she’d been working herself to death on a merger at work. He also knew that she had a strict policy of not taking work home with her, which she observed religiously. Unfortunately, during times like this, that meant that she mostly never went home, or even up for air. Or rather, she did, but it was only a pitstop, long enough for her to change the tires, refuel, and get back out onto the track. She had good reason to be exhausted.