by C. R. Ellis
He slipped my hand into his and walked me all the way to the deck, where a handful of million-dollar yachts were docked. The one we were stopped in front of had to be seventy feet long, and was the embodiment of the word sleek. A shiny black hull contrasted perfectly with the white cabin. I scanned the entire yacht carefully, imagining state-of-art features and amenities inside as I tried in vain to wrap my mind around what was happening. My eyes stopped when they came to the white script writing along the back of the hull.
Esperanza.
Hope.
Only fitting for such a gorgeous, mammoth yacht to have an exotic name.
Emmett had been tight-lipped about his plans the entire drive from downtown Austin to Lake Travis. I must’ve thrown out a dozen guesses as to what was in store for today. I knew from yesterday he liked kayaking, so I was expecting something similar. Renting some kind of water sporting equipment and hitting the lake. Hiking along the Greenbelt. A drive down to New Braunfels to float the river, maybe. This wasn’t even on my radar of possibilities.
“Too cliché to say I know a guy?” he asked.
My eyebrows flew halfway up my forehead. “Uh, yes. Tell me, is this ‘guy’ named Mark Zuckerberg?”
He laughed. “No. Zuckerberg’s not the yachting type.”
While I didn’t know Emmett well, I was pretty sure he was being serious. Which was absolutely crazy, because there was no way Emmett knew Mark Zuckerberg. Right?
As soon as I gathered my wits enough to seek clarification, a lanky, curly-haired guy wearing a Diamond Pointe Marina uniform jogged over to us. “She’s good to go for y’all, sir,” he stated, gesturing the way to our access point to board Esperanza. He looked at Emmett with respect and admiration, but I got the feeling Emmett commanded as much everywhere he went. The kid looked high school aged, and judging by the way he directed us aboard without asking for so much as a single form of identification, he’d met Emmett before. Which made me even more curious.
Just who the hell is Emmett?! And how did he ‘know a guy’ rich enough to own a yacht like this and let him take it out for a cruise?
“Thanks, Trevor.” He nodded, giving the kid a handshake and slipping him a bill.
Trevor nodded and tipped his hat as he turned to leave. He hesitated after a few steps and turned back around. “Will there be anything else you need from me, Mr. S—”
“No, I think we’re good. I’ll keep in touch through the radio.”
Emmett S…
So his last name starts with an S.
I tried not to think about how he’d cut Trevor off so abruptly. Emmett’s secrecy regarding his last name didn’t bode well for my chances of things with him lasting past today.
“Yes, sir,” Trevor replied quickly, turning and leaving me to board a yacht undoubtedly worth as much as some of the water-front houses along the lake, with a man who was becoming my favorite mystery.
Emmett turned and held out a hand to help me aboard. Neither of us made an effort to break the contact as he led the way into the cabin. I couldn’t imagine there would be many things capable of pulling my attention away from the man beside me, but somehow the sight in front of me demanded every ounce of my attention.
“Emmett, this is…wow,” I mumbled.
He let my hand fall so I was free to explore while he moved to the head of the yacht, where he started checking dials and getting ready to take us out onto the water.
I scanned the dark cherry wood flooring beneath my feet, the bright, light-stained wood covering the walls. A white leather sofa with two black accent chairs at each end adorned one side of the vessel. A modern, curved-edge glass coffee table with a vase of soft pink peonies sat in front of the couch. To the right was a built-in entertainment center with a hidden slot where a TV could be raised or lowered. Past the living room area was a dining room table and a stunning kitchen.
I finally crossed all the way to the far side and stood in a cockpit filled with screens, dials, levers, and a steering wheel.
I turned back around and saw Emmett leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed against his chest, eyes trained on me. I’d been soaking in the sight of everything around me and he’d been soaking in the sight of me.
His lips twitched into a devilish smile, and I was immediately drawn back into his orbit.
“Ready?” he asked, moving back to stand by the controls and grip the wheel.
My eyebrows rose. My knowledge of water vessels was limited, to say the least, but I was pretty sure an average joe off the street didn’t know how to operate a yacht.
“You’ve gone out by yourself before?” I asked.
“Once or twice.”
I did say I wanted adventure…
“Okay. Show me what you’ve got,” I instructed.
Emmett’s face lit up like this was Christmas morning and I’d just given him a puppy.
The boat’s engine purred to life, and he began maneuvering Esperanza out of the marina. After a couple minutes, all traces of land slipped out of view, leaving me with nothing more than the outrageously expensive furnishings in the cabin and the navy blue waters as my company.
Oh, and the ovary-exploding, mind-bogglingly gorgeous man next to me.
My eyes rested on him, admiring his focus and the relaxed ease with which he worked. The way he commandeered the vessel was unbelievably hot. But then again, I was quickly coming to the conclusion he could make anything seem hot.
“What’s your average Tuesday night like?” he asked.
Shifting my attention from Emmett to the water, and back again, I said, “Uh, it depends on my work schedule. I usually have client or vendor meetings with Jas early in the week. We co-own a wedding planning business. If I’m not meeting with a vendor or a client or doing anything work-related, I try to go for a run with Triton. But, truth be told, I can usually be found at home with a book in my hand or curled up on the couch working my way through my Netflix queue. So, nothing terribly exciting I’m afraid.”
I was expecting the usual joke or comment about my chosen profession (apparently some think planning weddings for a living means I’m desperate to get married), but he only nodded and darted his eyes from the water to the screen showing a map of our location.
“I don’t know many people who own a business and find the time or the drive to be a dedicated runner. That’s impressive.”
I was honest with my response, but I wasn’t about to be honest enough to tell him why I’d become an avid runner. “What about you? What do your Thursday nights look like?”
“I have a standing date on Thursday nights.”
A groan-slash-choking sound escaped my throat. I opened my mouth to unleash my thoughts about this standing date, but he cut me off with a laugh before I could say anything.
“Jade, no. It’s not what you think. I have a standing date with my aunt. She’s been more of a mom to me than my own, and I spend Thursday nights taking her to a movie or a play and dinner. Thursdays are the one night a week I don’t work late. My uncle used to work late every night, but now she’s made him cut back to Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I take her out Thursdays and she has a book club on Tuesdays.”
My heart rate dropped back down to normal as I processed his words.
Of course he was the world’s sweetest nephew. Of freaking course.
Also, knowing he worked late every night other than Thursdays, my heart ached with loneliness for him. What caused him to become an island of desolation?
“That’s really sweet of you, Emmett. I’m sure you’re her favorite nephew.” For all I knew, he was her only nephew, but I was sure he was the leading favorite, regardless. I didn’t know many men who would have such dedication to an aunt, even if she had been a mother figure to him.
His jaw clenched and his eyes hardened into angry slits, making me wonder if I’d said something wrong. “Emmett, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
“No, you’re right. I’m definitely her favorite nephew.”
I
nodded, not sure what to say in response. “So you’re pretty close to your aunt and uncle, then?”
He nodded, and I noticed his shoulders relax. “Yeah. Growing up, I spent more time with them than with my own parents. Em’s always been my biggest supporter, and John has always been the dad my father isn’t. He’d lift me up after I lost a soccer game, and he taught me all the things a dad should: how to change a car’s oil, how to fix things around the house, how to cook, even.”
“They sound wonderful.”
“They are. They’re the only reason I stayed in Boston.” I wanted to ask what he meant, but he shifted his focus back to the boat, back to the water. He guided Esperanza into a little alcove and killed the engine. “Hold on,” he commanded, running toward the doors across the cabin.
“So, I never asked…what do you think?” He gestured at our extravagant surroundings after reappearing a few seconds later.
I jumped out of the seat and walked toward him, letting my eyes roam around again. “I think this is so over-the-top, so beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined. It’s breathtaking. I think you are the most enigmatic, intriguing man I’ve ever met. And I think you probably were being serious about Zuckerberg. Which begs the question—exactly who are you, Emmett? How can you just have a yacht like this at your disposal on less than a day’s notice?”
He sucked in a breath, and I could almost see the knots of tension forming in his broad shoulders and the walls going back up around his heart. His stony expression was a façade, a mask he seemed all too comfortable wearing.
It must be exhausting being so guarded. I couldn’t even begin to understand what kind of secrets he held so closely, but whatever they were, they haunted this sweet, thoughtful man in a way I already hated.
I didn’t even know his history, and yet, I wanted to ease his pain. The scars I’d been left with after Andrew were nothing compared to the pain in Emmett’s eyes. It was a soul-crushing kind of pain he wore like an albatross.
I reached out and pulled his hand into mine. “I’m not asking for your life story, Emmett. I get the no-strings thing, and I’m trying to respect your privacy, but I can’t help having questions.” I shook my head. “But it’s okay; I think I know who you are, anyway.”
His eyes widened in surprise and his lips twitched. “Do you now?”
“I’ve decided you’re Bruce Wayne. Or Bill Gates’ nephew.” He was hot enough to be Batman, and from the looks of our surroundings, he at least knew someone with enough money to be a Gates.
He laughed. “Oh, yeah?”
“Well, you’re mysterious and sexy enough to be Bruce Wayne. But your reflexes weren’t quick enough to avoid flipping out of your kayak yesterday, so there’s that. Also, if you take into consideration who could afford this kind of luxury, not a lot of people come to mind. Then again, your last name does start with an S, so maybe the Gates leap was wrong.”
“Thought you might’ve caught that.” He tightened his grip on my hand and pulled me toward the couch. “We should talk,” he urged, sitting down and tugging me to the spot right next to him.
I’d been half-joking, trying to make the situation less tension-filled once I realized how uncomfortable it made him. His lips set in a hard line. There was a storm brewing in the depths of his ocean irises, deep hues of blue erasing all traces of light and humor from his eyes and sending a shiver of anticipation racing through me.
“You’re right, Jade. I know you have questions. And I owe you answers.” He sighed, shaking his head and moving to angle his gaze out to the water behind us. “To answer your second question, the yacht belongs to my brother-in-law, so that’s how she’s available on such short notice.”
“Oh. I see.” I nodded, even though I didn’t see. Brother-in-law was pretty vague. “And my first question?”
“Should’ve known you’d come back to that one. You need to know though.” He paused, bringing his eyes back to search mine. He stood and walked across the space to look out the window. “My name and my family don’t define who I am. They’re responsible for the reason I don’t do relationships. My life is messy and complicated because I was born into a family that values status and power above all else. Perception above reality. And the reality of my family isn’t pretty.”
I tried to process everything Emmett was offering, but I was only left with more questions. Who is his family? And why would they cause such internal turmoil for him? What exactly did “messy and complicated” mean?
“But you said this was your brother-in-law’s yacht? He’s family.” I walked toward Emmett and gently grabbed his shoulder to turn him around so we’d be face-to-face.
“My sister’s husband, Colby. They’re good people, Hope and Colby.” His eyes looked everywhere but at me. “Hope is the exception when it comes to my family. She left Boston after high school and never looked back, and the rest of my family acts like she doesn’t exist. Which is good, believe me.”
“Why?” I asked without hesitation. I knew I shouldn’t press Emmett for too much at once, but I had more questions than answers again. At least I knew something about his family now. He adored his sister; that much was clear. But I didn’t understand the family dynamic any more than I had before he’d mentioned her.
He sucked in a deep breath and pulled my hands into his. His grip was warm, but firm as his thumb gently stroked the tops of my knuckles. “Because I’m a S—”
“Emmett, wait,” I called, cutting him off and pulling one hand free to cover his lips with my finger. “Don’t. You don’t have to tell me. I agreed to come today knowing your terms, and I want to respect them. I don’t care what your last name is or who your family is. I just want you today. Not them. If you still want to tell me more later, you can. But for now, I just want to know the man beneath the Red Sox shirt and Bostonian accent.”
I couldn’t explain it, but those words were the truth. Sixty seconds ago I was desperate for answers. But looking at this caring, strong man in front of me, I could honestly say those things didn’t matter. I didn’t need to know his last name to feel the sincerity in his words. Whoever his family was didn’t change the fact that I could tell he was a good man.
He visibly relaxed, but his eyes lit up at my statement. “You’re sure?” he asked, sweeping a lock of my hair to the side.
“I’m sure, Boston,” I confirmed, leaning into his hand and studying the bluest eyes I’d ever seen.
He smiled, his fingers lingering against my face. “You have no idea how hard it’s been to keep my hands off of you.”
“So don’t,” I replied, draping my arms over his shoulders and bringing our bodies closer. I wondered if he could feel my heart pounding through the thin fabric of my shirt.
Emmett’s hands cupped my face and his head dipped down to my level. He pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that stirred feelings within me I’d never truly registered before. With Andrew, there was an attraction between us, but I’d never felt like I’d combust strictly from the lust created by the feel of his lips against mine. Emmett staked his claim over me with each igniting brush of our mouths. I pulled my hands off of him so I could ease myself down into the plush leather cushions. After only a moment, I was pulling at his shirt again, tugging him down on top of me with a rushed fervor that left no room for anything resembling patience.
He reached out to brace himself and avoid collapsing on top of me. His lips twitched into a smirk as he stifled a chuckle. “So eager.” Emmett’s eyes heated over when they clashed with mine. “Scoot back,” he commanded roughly, gesturing for me to lay back all the way into the thick cushions.
“So bossy,” I countered, but my body was already complying, edging me farther into the comfort of the couch. My throat was parched; it seemed there was only one particular part of my body capable of producing moisture at the moment, and it was centrally located between my legs. The man could make a simple command hot enough to get me wet instantly.
He closed the gap between us, straddling me by sinking
his knees into the leather on both sides of me, effectively pinning me in place. His broad, muscular chest, his tousled blond hair, and his blue eyes were all I could see.
“I think you like the bossy side of me,” he mused with a smirk.
“I think I like every side of you, bossy side very much included.”
In a flash, our mouths collided again, and this time, I felt his eagerness, the restraint he’d been holding on to by a thread, the desperation he was feeling that matched my own.
I slipped my hands beneath his shirt so they could roam freely against his back, and I heard a growl somewhere in his throat as I dragged my nails down his shoulder blades, itching to bring him closer to me. He broke free of my lips so he could pull his shirt over his head. I took the opportunity to do the same and tossed my shirt aside.
My heart raced and flames of lust threatened to burn me up. Everything I needed to know about Emmett was being conveyed by his body. I knew this was crazy. On the surface, we hardly knew each other, but that couldn’t have been farther from how I felt. His career, his family, his past—those were all things that described him. But what defined him was the tenderness held in his touch, the sincerity in his bright eyes, the thoughtfulness behind his actions, the truth in the words he spoke.
“Wait,” he called, peeling his lips from mine. His eyes fluttered open, and I immediately noticed the way they were clouded over and wild with desire. “Is this too fast? Too much?” he asked, his voice ragged and desperate. Judging by the thick bulge in his swim trunks pressed between my legs, it was taking some serious restraint on his part to even suggest slowing down.
I shook my head adamantly and cupped his face between my hands. “No. Tomorrow you’ll go back to Boston and our twenty-four hours will be over. Emmett, I probably want this more than you do,” I insisted, running fingers through his messy blonde hair and holding him in place as I arched into him, appreciating the friction of his skin against mine.
“Doubtful,” he murmured, bringing his lips to mine before moving them to my neck and chest. My hand reached up to the strap of my bikini. I was ready to pull it off and free myself of one more layer between us. A large hand clamped over mine before I could get the job done, though. His fingers toyed with the fabric of my bikini string while he trailed kisses down my chest. I wriggled beneath him and tried in vain to pull him closer to me.
