James kissed her. “There had better be.”
“And I very rarely have to fake anything,” Mandy said, shooting him a mischievous smile as she scampered off to the next booth.
James growled as he followed her. “You and I are going to have a long … talk … later,” he threatened. “No one fakes anything on my watch.”
“HOW are you feeling?” James asked, looking Mandy up and down worriedly.
“I’m good,” Mandy said, shifting her shopping bags to her other hand so she could link her fingers with his.
“You ate a lot of lobster,” James said.
“So did you.”
“Yes, but I have a stronger stomach than you.”
“You don’t know that,” Mandy countered. “You can’t even watch horror movies without getting all squeamish.”
James made a face. “That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is.”
“It is not.”
“Do you remember watching Cabin Fever with me?” Mandy prodded.
“Is that the one with the flesh-eating virus where the girl shaved her own skin off?”
“Yes.”
“You watch some sick stuff,” James said.
“You liked that girl when she was naked and jumping up and down on that other guy,” Mandy pointed out. “I believe you loved her chest the best – even though those things were clearly fake.”
James grinned. “That was a good scene.”
“No one is that thin and has boobs that big,” Mandy grumbled.
“I happen to love your boobs, baby,” James said, kissing her forehead. “They’re more than enough.”
Mandy scowled. “Don’t placate me.”
James tugged her to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. “How about we go back to the house and I show you just how great they are?”
“I thought we were going to watch the fireworks?”
“Maybe we can see them from the house,” James suggested. “We can cuddle together on the terrace and watch the fireworks while igniting some of our own?”
“I am not having sex with you outside again.”
“Never say never, baby.”
Mandy made an exaggerated face, sticking her tongue out. James covered her oval mouth with his and kissed her. “Let’s watch the fireworks.”
“Are you just agreeing to watch the fireworks to get me naked outside again later?”
“That’s a horrible thing to accuse your husband of.”
Mandy tilted her head to the side, waiting.
“Maybe,” James conceded.
“Well, then I’m going to get my money’s worth,” Mandy said.
“Am I buying you a gift now?”
Mandy shook her head. “You’re already my gift. You are, however, going to dance with me.”
James shifted his gaze to the street where the band had started playing. “I’m dancing?”
“You are.”
James sighed. “You’re so getting naked in the ocean tonight.”
Mandy was scandalized. “No way.”
“No one will see us, baby.”
“Um … sharks.”
James scowled. “How can you be both obsessed with sharks and terrified of them?”
“I’m multifaceted weird.”
“You’re something,” James agreed, glancing at the shopping bags in her hand. “How are we going to dance with that?”
“Oh, you’re just looking for a reason not to dance with me.”
“I would love to dance with you,” James countered. “Those bags are going to get in the way.”
Mandy shuffled inside the bags, ultimately transferring all of the purchases to the same tote. Then, with exaggerated slowness, she shoved it into the large hobo bag resting on her hip and lifted the strap over her head and extended her arms. When she was done, she fixed James with a smug look. “What else have you got?”
James barked out a laugh. “I love you.”
“Does that mean you’re going to dance with me?”
“Try and stop me,” James said, shuffling forward and capturing her in his arms. “Just don’t expect me to be able to salsa dance, or whatever it is they’re doing.”
Mandy snickered. “I’m happy if you just hold me while you sway from side to side.”
“I always want to hold you, baby,” James said, rubbing his face against hers as they moved.
Mandy sank into him, letting him twirl her around with the other revelers. He even dipped her low at one point and kissed the tip of her nose.
“I think you’re better at this than you let on.”
“You make me good at everything,” James teased.
“So, you’re not regretting marrying me?”
James snapped her body back up, pulling it flush with his. “Don’t ever think anything like that,” he warned. “You’re my everything.”
Mandy wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his shoulder as the beat changed and the tempo slowed. “You know, I meant everything I said to you at the wedding. I’ve always loved you.”
James tightened his arms around her, rubbing her back. “I meant everything I said, too. There is no me without you.”
“You did exist before me.”
“I may have existed,” James said, brushing his lips against her forehead. “That wasn’t really living, though. There is no living without you.”
“You’re really sweet when you want to be.”
“Love does crazy things to a man,” James said. “It makes him want to shop and dance, for crying out loud.”
Mandy giggled, inadvertently jumping when a barrage of fireworks exploded in the sky above them.
James stopped moving, and Mandy pulled away slightly so she could get a better look at the impressive display. As the colors split the sky, a sea of purples, reds, blues and greens cast an appealing shadow on her face as James studied her profile. Her delighted smile was enough for him to fall in love with her all over again.
The moment was ruined when Mandy was knocked forward, a drunken reveler stumbling into her.
“Do you want to dance?”
Mandy smiled, exchanging an amused look with James before answering. “I’m good, but thank you for asking.”
“Come on,” the man said, frowning. “It’s a party.”
“Well, I don’t think my husband would like it.”
“Oh, screw him,” the man said, pushing his black hair back in place so it covered the obvious bald spot on the top of his head. “I promise, I’m a good dancer.”
Mandy’s smile tightened. “I’m sure you are … .”
“Come on, dolly.” The man grabbed her arm, jerking her farther down the street. “I’ll rock your world.”
Mandy tried to wrench her arm away, thankful that the large hobo bag was keeping the man at a safe distance. He tried pawing at it to move it, but James was on him quickly.
“Hey, pal,” he said, grabbing the back of his shirt and hauling him away from his blonde. “Don’t touch her.”
The man looked James up and down, clearly unimpressed by what he saw. “Who are you?”
“I’m the man who’s going to beat your ass if you touch my wife again,” James threatened.
The man made a face. “Well, she shouldn’t be dressed like that if she’s married,” he sneered. “She looks like she’s open for offers.”
James’ fist was slamming into the man’s face before Mandy realized what was happening. The man reared back, grabbing his nose as blood poured out.
“You hit me!”
“What’s going on here?”
James shifted his gaze to the approaching police officer, forcing himself to remain calm. “Just a misunderstanding.”
“About?”
“About whether or not my wife was available for groping,” James replied honestly.
The cop nodded. “I see.” He moved closer to the stranger. “Sir, are you all right?”
“That guy hit me!”
“D
id you touch his wife?”
“Well, she’s dressed like a slut.”
James took a step toward him, his fist clenched at his side. The cop put up a stilling hand.
“I think you should probably stay away from other people’s wives,” the cop suggested, shifting his attention to James. “Maybe you and your wife should move farther down the street?”
“We’re leaving,” James said, holding out his hand so Mandy could take it. He focused on the stranger, who was still trying to stem the flow of blood from his nose. “Don’t ever come near my wife again.”
Mandy took James’ hand, fixing him with a weary look. “You’re always so aggressive.”
“Move your ass,” James said. “I’m going to be really aggressive in about twenty minutes, and I don’t want you to miss it.”
“Me either.”
Three
“I hate surprises.”
“You don’t hate surprises,” James said, brushing off Mandy’s pouty complaints as he read the sign on the dock.
“I do. You know they drive me crazy,” Mandy argued.
“You drive yourself crazy,” James countered. “I think it’s this way.”
Mandy remained where she was standing, hands on hips, and she fixed him with a hard look. “Tell me where we’re going.”
“We’re almost there,” James said.
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“I hate surprises!”
“Our honeymoon destination was a surprise, and you loved that,” James pointed out.
“Yes, but you drove me batshit crazy for an entire month by not telling me,” Mandy said. “It was torture.”
James smiled. “Baby?”
“What?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Now, walk this way,” James said, turning and moving down the dock.
“I changed my mind,” Mandy grumbled as she fell into step behind him. “I hate you.”
“You’re going to love me again in a few minutes.”
“Nope. My disdain is forever.”
James rolled his eyes, but he kept walking. Thankfully, he found the boat he was looking for relatively quickly. “There it is.”
Mandy stilled. “It’s a boat.”
James waited.
“It’s a big boat.”
“What? You don’t like boats suddenly?”
“I just didn’t realize we were looking for a boat,” Mandy said.
“We’re at the docks,” James said, his tone dry. “What did you think we were looking for?”
Mandy shrugged. “Pie.”
“Pie?”
“Hey, you don’t know,” Mandy said. “They could have good pie at the docks.”
James shook his head, frustration starting to bubble up. “Are you trying to make me kill you?”
“I … why are we at the docks?”
“I thought you might want to pick up a fisherman,” James deadpanned. “If you come with me, you’ll find out.”
Mandy scowled. “I hate surprises.”
“You’re going to like this one.”
“I bet you’re wrong.”
“If I am, I’ll give you a two-hour massage tonight,” James offered.
Mandy brightened, clapping her hands together. “Yay!”
“Yeah, you don’t hate me so much now, do you?”
“SO, WAIT, we’re doing what?” Mandy’s eyes, the same color as the sea they were traversing, were wide.
James smiled, leaning back in the deck chair and stretching his long legs out in front of him lazily. “We’re going shark watching.”
“Like real sharks?”
“No, fake ones.”
Mandy made a face. “Don’t take that tone with me.”
“You’re the one who is being unreasonable,” James said.
“I am not being unreasonable,” Mandy said, pitching forward as the speeding boat hit a hard wave. James reached out, catching her before she could hit the deck.
“You are.”
“I’m just … .”
“Excited?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Scared?”
“I’m not sure.”
“It’s going to be fun,” James said, shifting Mandy over so she was settled into the seat next to him. “Fasten your seatbelt.”
Mandy did as instructed. “What kind of sharks are we going to see?”
James narrowed his eyes. She was excited, that much was obvious. She was also worried. He loved his wife more than anything in the world, but sometimes she got lost in her own head.
“I’m not sure,” James said. “What kind of sharks lives around Bermuda?”
“Mostly Tiger sharks,” Mandy said. “Although, Great Whites have been sighted in the area at times. Do you think we’ll see a Great White?”
James smirked. “How do you know that? That Tiger sharks are prevalent in Bermuda, I mean.”
“What? I know things.”
“You know a lot of things,” James agreed. “That’s just a random thing for you to know. How do you know it?”
Mandy reached up to her neck, zipping the sterling silver shark charm across the chain as she considered the query. James had given her the necklace as a wedding gift, embracing her odd love of sharks and pairing it with a one-word engraving: Forever.
“I watch a lot of Shark Week,” Mandy replied.
“I’ve noticed,” James said. “I can never DVR anything when Shark Week is on because you fill the whole thing with shark shows. Then you proceed to watch them and maul me with your tongue.”
“Oh, like that’s some big hardship for you,” Mandy scoffed.
“I never said it was a hardship,” James said. “I happen to like your tongue.”
“You’re a sick man.” Mandy shifted in her seat, staring at the ocean as it passed by in a blur. “I’ve never been on a boat on the ocean.”
James raised an eyebrow. “Are you having fun?”
“I like the ride,” Mandy said. “When are we going to get to the sharks?”
James chuckled. “I have no idea. Just sit back and relax.”
Mandy leaned back against the seat, glancing around at the other tourists on the boat as they chatted amiably amongst themselves. Her attention was drawn to two young women, neither of whom looked old enough to drink. Their heads were bent together, and they were whispering. Occasionally, they would shift their attention from each other long enough to stare at the same spot on the boat. Unfortunately, that spot just happened to be where James was sitting.
Mandy cast a sidelong look at her husband. He was a beautiful specimen of a man. His body was perfect, and tantalizingly bronze thanks to the island sun. His jaw was strong and angular, and he earned attention from the opposite sex whenever he entered a room.
“You have a fan club,” Mandy said.
James lifted his head, turning. “What?”
Mandy inclined her chin toward the two women, one of whom was adjusting her bathing suit top so her breasts looked more advantageous from James’ position. “They’re staring at you.”
James glanced at the women, smiling slyly. “I’m a popular guy.”
“Why is it that people fall all over you wherever we go?”
“I’m the best looking guy in the world.”
Mandy wrinkled her nose. “How old do you think they are?”
James shrugged, glancing back at the girls, who giggled when they caught him looking in their direction. “Eighteen? Nineteen? Does it matter?”
Mandy shook her head. “No.”
James leaned over, chucking her under the chin so she would look at him. “You know you’re the only woman in this world I care about, right?”
“You like blondes,” Mandy said.
“I like one blonde,” James replied. “You.”
“If they were brunette, would that make a difference?”
“Nope.”
“Are you sure?”
James sighed dramatically. “You’re the only woman I care about,” he said. “I don’t think you really care about them, though. I think you’re fixating on them because the idea of seeing sharks has your stomach twisted in knots. This is exactly why I didn’t tell you what we were doing beforehand. You would’ve completely melted down waiting for this to happen.”
“I don’t melt down.”
“You always melt down,” James countered.
“I … .”
Whatever Mandy was about to say died on her lips as the engine of the boat died. She leaned forward excitedly. “Do you see any sharks?”
James shook his head, fighting hard to keep from laughing. She was so excited she was about to burst.
The captain of the boat arrived on the deck, greeting everyone and then explaining about the itinerary for the rest of the afternoon. James tuned him out. He didn’t care about anyone but his bride, and she was busy leaning over the edge of the boat as she tried to get a gander of a gray fin.
One of the blonde women took the opportunity to approach James. “Hi.”
James kept his face neutral. “Hi.”
“I’m Dakota,” she said, introducing herself. “And this is my best friend, Hayley.”
“Nice to meet you.” He knew the girl was trying to flirt, and Mandy was so distracted with the water that she was beyond noticing his imminent peril. It was up to him to let them down easy.
“So, this is exciting, isn’t it?” Dakota asked.
“It’s fun.”
“It’s scary,” Hayley said, taking a step forward. “It’s making me all shaky.”
James pursed his lips. “I’m sure we’re perfectly safe. They wouldn’t do these excursions if you were in any real danger.”
“Still,” Dakota said, moving closer as she tried to edge Hayley away. “It’s a big deal.”
James ran his tongue over his teeth. “Sure.”
“So, where are you from?” Hayley asked.
“Michigan.”
“Oh, that’s so cool,” Dakota said, shooting Hayley a territorial look. “We’re from Ohio. That’s really close.”
“Not that close,” James said, wishing Mandy would suddenly remember that she was married for a moment.
“It’s close,” Dakota said. “Very close.”
“Uh-huh.”
“So, what brings you to Bermuda?” Hayley asked.
Here was the opening he’d been waiting for. “My honeymoon.”
Hayley’s face fell. “Oh. You’re married?”
Deadly Honeymoon (Hardy Brothers Security Book 7) Page 2
