by Jo Leigh
She gazed up at him without a trace of guile in her eyes. “Well, then they really don’t understand, do they?”
Wyatt’s heart lightened. He pulled her close, and all he could think was how much he really liked this woman.
Chapter Eighteen
CRICKET WALKED INTO the bar, happy that for once she wasn’t wearing high heels, but that was all she was happy about.
“Whoa, did something happen to Ronny?”
She slipped onto the barstool directly in front of Wyatt, who was mixing a G&T. “Did Sabrina have to leave?”
“She’s covering tables for Shelly, who’s on a break.”
“Oh. Good.”
He didn’t bother asking about Ronny again—his right eyebrow did the job.
“I’m furious with my father.”
“Why? What happened? Did he make a break for it?”
“No,” Cricket said, thinking about stealing the gin and tonic before he could give it to a customer. And she didn’t even like gin. “He lied to me.”
“About?”
“He never got checked for surfer’s ear. He told me he had, straight to my face. The doctor is almost positive that’s what the problem is. It’s not even that he could’ve had an unnecessary MRI, which would have cost a fortune. Just... Ronny’s always been honest with me.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Or maybe he lied all the time, who knows?”
Leaning straight over the bar, she grabbed the drink now that the lime slice was on it. “He’s having a CT scan tomorrow morning. Then he’ll need to see an audiologist. There’s a possibility that he’ll need surgery. Though that won’t stop him from being discharged tomorrow, so we’ll need to get his stupid shack ready first thing in the morning. The doctor’s going to call when they have his results.” After taking a pretty big drink, she winced hard.
“Gin not your thing?”
“It’s really not. But I’ll finish it, don’t worry.”
He reached over and took the glass. “How about a beer?”
“That would be great. Thank you.” She’d never been with a man who was so considerate before. Not about her drink, although that was sweet. There were lots of little things. And she knew without a doubt he’d keep an eye on Ronny after she left. Which was both comforting and upsetting. It was going to be hard enough to leave...
Why couldn’t she have met him in Chicago? Of course, if he had lived there, she never would’ve met him anyway, because all she did was work. And hang out with other lawyers. How depressing.
As he bent over to get a bottle from the cooler, Cricket looked away out of self-preservation. She’d just noticed Leonard and Marvin at the end of the bar when she had a tiny epiphany.
When Wyatt set down her beer, she crooked her finger and got as close to him as possible so she wouldn’t be overheard. “Special ops, father’s an admiral, so...ex-SEAL?”
He gave her a crooked smile that melted her. “Yeah.”
“So, when you mentioned that it might be swimmer’s ear, you knew what you were talking about.”
“I never had it, but some guys in BUD/S training did, and that was enough to disqualify them. It can be serious, if not taken care of. I know it can lead to hearing loss and infections, along with the vertigo.”
“Oddly, Dr. Oakden doesn’t think he’s had it very long, or he wouldn’t have been able to hide it at all. By all rights I should leave him in there for a week, but I know they’ll need the beds if the storm is worse than they expect.”
Sabrina walked up to the bar and smiled at Cricket, giving her a quick hello before facing Wyatt. “I need a pitcher of margaritas, please. Some guys from the offshore wind turbine crew had to evacuate and plan to spend the night here.”
“Did you tell them we close at one and not a minute later?”
“I did. And they’re calling motels as we speak.”
“You let me know if there’s any trouble, okay? I don’t want them getting too hammered.”
“I’ll manage it, boss. No one ever guesses when I water down the punch.”
He smiled, then got to work on the pitcher.
Cricket took a moment to look around as she washed the taste of gin out of her mouth. There weren’t all that many customers, no surprise there, and most of them were locals. She’d known Leonard and Marvin from when she was a kid, and she guessed that they made a habit of coming here in the evenings. Naturally, they were watching the news about the storm. That was all anyone had talked about at the hospital. They’d been getting prepared, even though the last she’d heard, it had been downgraded again, and wasn’t expected to make landfall this far north. Still, while she’d been yelling at Ronny, the hospital had run tests on their backup generators.
Someone she didn’t know well, although she recognized her, was sitting next to Leonard. “Shut up, everyone. Shut up.”
It was breaking news from WPRI. The storm was picking up speed as it turned west just past Virginia.
“That ought to slow it down even more,” Leonard said. “It won’t be anything except some wind by the time it gets this far.”
“We don’t know how long it’ll be in Virginia, though,” the woman said. “Could just go right back out to sea at that new speed.”
“Nah,” Leonard said, after he’d drained his beer. “Landfall that far down the coast is always a good sign. Mark my words.”
“I know this kind of storm,” Marvin said, frowning at his buddy. “It’ll hit hard. Not as hard as some, but on the beachfront? We’ll see some heavy damage. I’ve already boarded our windows, and tomorrow me and the missus are going to her sister’s inland.”
“Are you nuts?” Leonard said, as if the man had insulted him personally. “It’s June. Nothing’s gonna hit the Bay hard in June. You’re drunk, old man.”
“I’m right about this. I feel it in my bones.”
“And you’re the only one who knows. Better than the guys who study weather for a living. Better than the coast guard and the mayor, whose only advice is to watch out for the windows near the beach, and be prepared for a possible power outage.”
“Remember Sandy?” Marvin said, making a sour face. “We got slammed.”
“Yeah, and we knew it was coming. Everybody knew it was a massive hurricane. This’ll be nothing but a mosquito bite.”
“Could Marvin be right?” Cricket asked, looking at Wyatt. “Are we being too cavalier about this?”
“If I hear this argument one more time, I’ll be the one causing some serious damage,” Wyatt said, shaking his head. “We’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ve been tracking this storm since it hit the Bahamas, and we’ll be fine. I even called an old friend of mine to make sure. Someone who’d know.”
That made her relax. Whoever he’d called would have a lot more information than some guy in a bar. “I believe you, but if you need to stay here, I completely understand.” She stood, beer in hand. “I’ll just go back and get my room straightened out. In fact, I might as well check out of the hotel. Whether or not he needs surgery, I should be there in case he falls again. Who knows, I might even find out if he’s hiding something else from me.”
“Hold on a minute. I’m coming with you. It’s slow, and Sabrina doesn’t need me hanging around making her feel as if I’m doing her a favor by letting her run things. Anyway, the old-timers are driving me nuts. I can’t take it.”
“Oops.” Cricket grinned. “Then I come in here bitching about Ronny.”
“I don’t care about that.” He grabbed a towel and wiped his hands. “When, exactly, are you planning to check out of the hotel?”
She knew why he was asking. She’d thought about that herself. Sure would be a shame to let that amazing bed and tub go to waste. “I haven’t really thought about it. Probably late tonight or early tomorrow morning. They’re going to charge me for a full day, so it doesn�
��t matter either way.”
“Like hell it doesn’t,” he said a bit too loudly.
Cricket laughed, knowing he’d take the bait.
* * *
THE SUITE WAS COOL, plush and so welcoming after such a difficult day that Cricket felt like stripping down right that second and dragging Wyatt into the tub with her. But, he was on his cell, talking to Sabrina, then Becky, who was waiting out the storm inland with her late husband’s grandparents. After that he wanted to call his friend Roy in DC who had up-to-the-minute weather information. So the tub would have to wait until the phone calls were done, and they’d gotten something to eat. Besides, she wanted to shower off the grunge from working in her old bedroom before she stepped into her oil-infused bath.
“You sure?” he asked, while opening the minibar. After another moment of silence, he said, “Okay. Call if you need me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You hungry, too?” Cricket joined him, running her hand across his back. It was a great minibar, with high-end snacks and beverages. They could have themselves a nice picnic after the bath.
Wyatt closed the fridge and looked at her, a quarter smile making him look even sexier than normal. “Yeah, but food can wait,” he said. “Let me help you get out of those uncomfortable clothes.”
“Don’t you have another call to make?”
“Roy isn’t going anywhere.”
Grinning, Cricket took his hand and pulled him closer to the big bathroom. “Your assignment, should you decide to accept it, is to make me forget about Ronny, the storm and my job. Think you can do that?”
As he closed the door behind him, he pulled off his T-shirt and kicked off his shoes. Then he lifted her sundress up and off, and relieved her of her bra and panties.
He kissed her forehead, her lips, the tip of her chin, then breathed warm air over her already budding nipples before standing up again. That just left his pants, which he stripped down along with his boxer briefs.
Her tummy fluttered like crazy and she almost gave up on her plan, but no. She could wait. “Let’s shower off first, okay?”
“I thought this was all about the tub?”
“Trust me, it is.” The fluttering got out of control as she watched him turn on the shower and adjust each one of the multiple showerheads. So she got busy, starting the taps on the big double tub, then she poured in her favorite body oil that would soothe their muscles and make them smell like cucumber and melon.
The moment she turned around, the sight of the water flowing over his stunning chest stole her breath. Sparse dark hair swirled around his muscles, tapering down to a treasure trail that earned the moniker.
She stepped inside the glass shower, and he pulled her into his arms. The first kiss was soft and sweet, a mere brush of lips, but then his hands moved down her back, and as they rubbed against each other, the wet slick making every move smooth as silk, he took her mouth.
When she finally looked up, his dark hungry gaze met hers.
“We done in here?”
She shook her head and grabbed the fresh scrubby that had been left by housekeeping. It was her own body wash that she used, however, making a rich, lemon-scented lather.
He plucked the scrub right out of her hands and proceeded to wash her from neck to toe, taking great care not to miss any spots. It was better than any spa day she’d ever had. It didn’t even tickle when he got to her feet, but she couldn’t stop trembling.
Then it was her turn, and the pleasure was just as profound in giving as receiving. His body was a work of art, from his chiseled jaw all the way down to his muscled calves, and everything in between. He was so hard, Cricket’s thighs clenched together involuntarily. That did nothing for the ache, though.
“I think it’s time for our bath,” he said, his voice low, eyes closed.
“Go ahead and rinse off,” she said, handing him the scrub. “I have to get something.” She left the shower, a little chilled at the temperature difference, but that only made her more anxious to get into the tub. It was almost full and since there would be two of them, she turned off the taps. It smelled gorgeous, and she knew the oil would make everything feel like heaven. The last thing she did was take out her jar of coconut oil and put it within reach.
It didn’t take but a couple of minutes for Wyatt to join her in the tub. It was so large, that her lower body had floated until he was settled, and she could brace herself against him. His erection had eased up, but wasn’t gone, and it was hard not to just watch it bobbing in the water.
She giggled, then saw that he was watching her boobs bob, too. “We’re so easily amused. What does that say about us? I mean, we’re in our thirties. This shouldn’t be a novelty at all.”
“It’s you,” he said. “Of course it’s novel.” He turned to his side, and put his arm behind her back, while his free hand cupped her jaw. “You were beautiful the first time I laid eyes on you, and you’ve gotten prettier by the day. How’s that possible?”
“Huh, so it’s not just me, then?”
“What, you also think you’ve gotten prettier?”
She nudged him with her elbow and watched the outside corners of his eyes crinkle. “You know what I meant. You’ve become so much more than I was expecting.”
“In bed, or in general?”
“Both, as it happens. You’ve been incredibly thoughtful. Not just to me, either. I love the way you watch out for your staff, although...”
“What?”
“How come there aren’t any guys serving drinks?”
“I serve drinks.”
“Besides you.”
“There have been in the past, and I’m sure there will be again. But I admit, I’m very careful with hiring. It’s important that everyone feels safe, especially when I’m not there.”
“Okay, I understand. But I don’t know, wouldn’t it be safer for the women if there were a couple of men there, too? I bet your female customers would appreciate it.”
“Huh,” he said. “And here I thought I was enough eye candy to satisfy everyone.”
She kissed him. “You’re more than enough, Mr. Ego.”
“Kidding. You make a good point, but I’m also going to be giving all the staff self-defense lessons. I should have done that from the start, but now, I’ll make sure they can all take care of themselves, no matter what.”
“Great idea. Wish I was staying long enough to learn with them. Chicago can be scary.”
In an instant his eyes turned a stormy gray. “Let’s not talk about you leaving.”
Cricket blinked. No, she didn’t want to even think about it, either.
“I don’t want to lose my cucumber scent high,” he said, his mouth lifting in a faint smile, clearly trying to lighten the mood again. “It’s weird. You know, bathing in vegetables.”
She smiled back, playing along, unwilling to remain stuck on his unexpected reaction. “And fruit.”
“Can’t forget the fruit.”
“But it’s nice, isn’t it?” she asked, teasing his lower lip with her finger. “It’s soothing in all the right ways.”
His hand moved down her body, until he was soothing her in a completely different way. “Now, this is better than nice,” he whispered, watching her eyes until she couldn’t keep them open another second.
* * *
BY ELEVEN THIRTY the next morning, the wind was coming in at twenty miles per hour. Wyatt had made sure Ronny’s shack was boarded up tight, and that Skip had gathered his gang to get the Baby Girl battened down.
Wyatt wished he could have gone to spring Ronny instead of Cricket, but in truth, she’d be fine and he needed to help secure the bar. Turned out the girls hadn’t waited for him. “Man, you guys did an ace job.”
“It was no problem,” Tiffy said. “Viv was here for a while, but she had to go get her mom’s house ready. The wind far
m guys helped, though. They did all the heavy lifting.”
“Okay, remind me, I owe them a few rounds on the house,” he said, and caught Tiffy’s little smile before she slid a look at Sabrina.
“Oh, they’re totally fine.” She shrugged. “But maybe we’ll give them one round.”
He wasn’t even going to ask. “Well, thank you. Seriously. You ladies did great,” he said, noticing how they’d secured the liquor to withstand anything short of the whole place caving in. He doubted it would, and even if there was a strong storm surge, it probably wouldn’t do any damage. But there would definitely be something extra in their next paycheck. “Did you guys get any sleep?”
“Sleep is for sissies,” Sabrina said, looking as if she would conk out in a second if she dared sit down.
“Why don’t you two get out of here? Go home and get some rest.”
“Nah, I’m staying,” Sabrina said, and Tiffy added, “We both are.”
“Well, you can go upstairs if you want. I appreciate you taking care of the hurricane shutters up there, and it shouldn’t be so windy you’ll be in any danger. Aside from Lego toys—”
“And your bed. When’s the last time you changed your sheets?” Tiffy had her hands on her hips and was clearly bent on making mischief.
“Okay, you can catch a nap in the office. While Sabrina sleeps happily on my freshly laundered sheets. Also, there’s a sleeping bag and extra pillows in the closet. But if the power goes out, it’ll get warm up there.”
Sabrina moaned. “At least we bagged up a ton of ice and filled the coolers to the brim. You have any food up there that’s going to spoil if we’re caught for long?”
“You might as well finish off the kids’ ice cream. There’s not a lot in the fridge but feel free to have at it.” He felt for his phone, but didn’t pull it out. “You guys know you can get me if there’s an emergency. If necessary, you can come on down to Ronny’s shack, but only if it’s safer than staying here. I have it on good authority that the winds shouldn’t go over sixty miles an hour, and we’ve weathered worse than that, right?”
“Way worse,” Tiffy agreed. “Bet it’s coming early, just like Marvin said...”
