Page 67 of The Surrogate Nanny
Simone raised her hand. I was surprised, considering how she was adamantly against the yacht a few minutes ago.
“Yes, Mrs. Powell?”
“How many passengers does theJade Mermaidaccommodate?”
He grinned, knowing he had her hook, line, and sinker.
“TheJade Mermaidcan accommodate eight guests in four staterooms. There is a main suite, a VIP stateroom, a double, and a twin stateroom. There is also a quarter that can accommodate four crew members.”
“Oh…that’s nice.”
“Yes, ma’am, and as you can see here, the interior layout is efficient for seating guests. There is an enormous country-style kitchen that is adjacent to a dining room. Please take a moment to tour the deck, and then I’ll take you to the guestrooms.”
I watched in silence as Simone toured the yacht. I followed her to the aft of the boat. She patted a blue cushion of the outdoor horseshoe seating. Concern laced her features.
“Tell me what you’re feeling, Simone.”
“I’m deeply concerned about safety. Nori could climb on the couch and launch herself right over the edge.”
“We can make some changes to make it safer for Nori.”
“I suppose,” she whispered, staring at the lapping waves.
“What did you think about the living area?”
“It was great. I appreciated how homey it felt. I was afraid everything would be white and modern, and as you know, white furniture and babies don’t mix.”
“Don’t I know it,” I drawled, recalling a rug that had to be sent to the cleaners after it lost a battle with Nori and a sippy cup full of juice and a loose lid. “Let’s go inside and check out the kitchen.”
***
Simone’s mouth dropped once we entered the main suite. “Oh, Ant,” she said breathlessly, turning me on without even trying. “This is so…wow.”
I stole Nori from her and fell back onto the king-sized bed. She squealed as we played airplane. “Ugh,” I complained when baby drool dripped onto my face. My distress only made her laugh and drool harder. “God, you’re perfect,” I whispered, bringing her to my chest.
“Anthony, there’s a jacuzzi tub in here!”
“Uh-huh,” I said, patting Nori on the butt.
“There are two shower heads in here,” she reported.
“I like the sound of that,” I commented, closing my eyes. I opened them again and found Simone staring at me.
“You fell asleep.”
“I did? How long was I out?”
“Thirty minutes. That splash pad must’ve worn you two out.”
“You have no idea. So, what do you think? Are we buying a yacht?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Simone
I moaned when Anthony sucked my tongue as he caressed my thighs. The caresses quickly turned into painful grasps, resulting in his fingertips being buried into my flesh. I didn’t mind. I wanted him to mark me and make me his. He pulled away, leaving me breathless, with the sound of my blood rushing in my ears like the waves that slammed against the yacht’s hull.
It was finally my birthday, and instead of dining at a high-end restaurant surrounded by strangers, Anthony thought it’d be a good idea to take his new toy,TheJade Mermaid,out to sea. He hired a small crew consisting of a captain and first mate, who doubled as an engineer, to take us out a couple of miles from shore. He cooked my favorite meal—creamy tomato blackened salmon and shrimp pasta and paired it with a triple-digit bottle of white wine that I enjoyed more than I cared to admit. He cut me off after two glasses but reassured me he’d keep the wine fridge at home stocked with it. My birthday cake put the biggest smile on my face. It was a round, two-tier pale pink iced cake decorated in edible gold-colored sugar pearls and intricate frosted flowers on top. I thought the flowers were real for a second until Nori swiped at it, pulling away tiny fingers covered in icing. She didn’t hesitate to suck her fingers into her mouth and reach for seconds while Anthony sang “Happy Birthday.”