Jill huffed out a wistful sigh. “You’re like the best man ever, aren’t you?”
James’ expression was triumphant when he fixed Grady with a challenging gaze. “See.”
“Sadly, I do see,” Grady said. “I’ll take the turtle necklace right up front here, the one with the sea turtle pendant. Sophie loves sterling silver.”
“You’ve got it,” Jill said. “I’ll get you some boxes.”
James leaned against the counter and stared out into the busy hallway as he waited for Jill to return. His gaze fell on two figures – one more familiar than the other – outside of one of the popular pubs.
“It’s Jon Peterson,” he said, inclining his chin.
Grady scowled as he followed James’ gaze. “I don’t want to make Mandy’s head any bigger than it already is, but I agree with her about that guy. I don’t like him either.”
“Are you sure you’re not just saying that because he’s been hitting on Sophie?”
“I’m sure that I hate him regardless.”
“Yeah, I don’t like him either,” James said after a beat. “Isn’t that the captain next to him? What’s his name again?”
“Richard Archibald.”
“Davenport said we would see him because he’s sleeping in our part of the ship, and yet I haven’t laid eyes on him since we got here,” James said. “Maybe we should talk to him before heading back to the room.”
Grady shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt.”
“Let’s pay and then have a quick drink,” he suggested, his eyes unreadable as they watched Peterson and Archibald head toward the bar. “That will loosen me up before I spend the rest of the day with my wife.”
Grady snorted. “Like you need to be loosened up.”
“I still want to feel them out,” James said. “Something isn’t right on this boat. I just can’t figure out what it is.”
GRADY AND James didn’t bother hiding their approach as they picked two stools at the bar. They left one spot open between them and Archibald and Peterson, but other than that they made sure the men knew they were there. They were being purposely intimidating for a reason. They wanted to gauge responses, and they’d learned over the years that there was no better way to do that than to get a man’s hackles up.
“Well, good morning,” Peterson boomed out. “I didn’t expect to see you gentlemen imbibing so early in the day.”
“It will be lunchtime in an hour,” James pointed out. “We’re kind of on vacation, so we didn’t see the harm.”
“It looks as if you’ve been shopping,” Peterson said. “Buy anything good?”
“Just gifts for our women,” Grady replied, his gaze heavy as it landed on Peterson. He didn’t like the man. Every time he opened his mouth the feeling almost doubled in intensity. “We’re going to meet up with them in the dining room when it comes time for lunch.”
“Ah, well, that’s nice,” Peterson said. “You all seem very tight. It must be nice to be able to go on vacation together.”
“We live close to one another and spend a lot of time together as it is,” James said. “We have weekly barbecues at my house. We don’t really worry about spending time together because very often we need a break rather than more bonding time.”
Peterson arched an eyebrow, amused. His demeanor suggested he was calm and collected, but James didn’t miss the underlying tension that passed between the two men when Grady and James approached. He rationalized that he could’ve imagined it, but he wanted to test his theory before committing to a belief.
“You must be Richard Archibald,” James said, forcing the captain to focus on him. “We’ve heard a lot about you. I’m James Hardy. I’m doing some security work onboard during this trip.”
“Yeah? I’ve heard a lot about you, too.” Archibald’s hair was snowy white and his tone gruff. James couldn’t decide if it was an act or merely how the man chose to communicate. Perhaps the reason they didn’t see Archibald in the hallway was because he wasn’t a social butterfly.
“What have you heard about me?” James asked. “I love random gossip – even when I’m at the center of it.”
“Oh, he hasn’t heard anything upsetting,” Peterson answered, ignoring the dark look Archibald sent his way as he focused on James. “You guys are just the talk of the boat.”
“And why is that?”
“Because of your women, of course,” Peterson answered. “You can’t expect to hit a cruise ship with four beautiful women and not be the center of attention.”
“Our women are decidedly beautiful,” James agreed. “They’re almost magical really.”
“Yes, you especially have all of the teenagers atwitter,” Peterson said. “That’s what Mr. Davenport said anyway. He believes his daughter has developed quite the crush on you.”
“Why wouldn’t she like someone her own age?” Archibald asked, genuinely curious. “No offense to Mr. Hardy here, but he’s a bit old for a teenager. Older men may like younger women, but I don’t think it flips the other way.”
“He may be old, but he also dotes on his wife,” Peterson explained. “All of the girls see an attractive man spoiling a woman and making her feel as if she’s the most important thing in the world and that makes them whimsical and jealous.”
“I don’t make my wife feel like she’s the most important thing in the world,” James clarified. “She is the most important thing in my world. There’s a difference.”
“Not to those girls.” Peterson was blithe. “All they see is a man in love. That’s what they want. They’re at an age when the harsh realities of life haven’t left them bitter yet. It will happen eventually, though.”
James wet his lips as he regarded Peterson with an unreadable look. That was an odd thing to say. Of course, Peterson was an odd man. He was supposed to be a social butterfly as he attended to all of the guests’ needs, and yet there was something so fake about his demeanor James could feel nothing but suspicion and dislike whenever he regarded the man. James had to wonder exactly how Peterson earned his position, because it seemed to come with limited power. That made Peterson dangerous, and that was clearly something the customer relations manager already knew.
“I don’t think everyone ends up bitter,” James said finally. “My wife isn’t bitter. I like to think I’m not bitter.”
“You’re wife isn’t bitter?” Peterson arched a surprised eyebrow. “I would think that after everything that’s happened to her, she would be nothing but bitter.”
What was that supposed to mean? James and Grady exchanged a drawn-out look.
“What has she been through?” Grady asked after a beat. “What do you mean?”
“Well, the kidnapping, of course,” Peterson said. He seemed almost proud to reveal the fruits of his research. “I looked you all up online after meeting you. Whew! That’s quite the cadre of news stories you’ve had written about you.”
“Yes, we’re practically famous,” James drawled. “As for the kidnapping, I wouldn’t bring that up to my wife if I were you. She doesn’t find it funny – your smile seems to indicate you do – and if she’s upset, then I’m upset.”
Peterson had the grace to look abashed. “I wasn’t insinuating that her kidnapping was funny,” he said. “That’s the last thing I believe. Truly. I offer my humblest apologies.”
The man didn’t sound sincere. He sounded like he was a snake coiling in preparation for an attack. James recognized the signs and he didn’t like them.
“Yes, well, I think we’re done here,” James said, grabbing his shopping bag and shaking his head when the bartender approached. “Have a nice afternoon, gentlemen.”
“Oh, don’t run off,” Peterson said. “I didn’t mean to ruin your afternoon. You didn’t even get to order your drinks.”
“You haven’t ruined our afternoon,” Grady said. “You’ve just made us realize we would rather spend our time with other people.”
The dig wasn’t lost on Peterson and he scowled as Grady smirked.
“Yes, well, please give my regards to Sophie,” Peterson said, his tone oily. “She is one of the loveliest creatures I’ve ever seen.”
“I’ll do that,” Grady said. “After I give her my regards, of course.”
“Of course,” Peterson said, nodding stiffly.
James waited until they were back in the main hallway and safely out of earshot before speaking again. “He’s not very smart.”
“Definitely not,” Grady agreed. “He’s smug, though.”
“Oh, he’s definitely smug,” James said. “I’m going back to the room. I want to talk to Maverick. If Peterson did a search on us, Maverick should be able to figure out what he was really looking for. He set up that trap and trace on our names months ago. If someone searched for us, we’ll know who it was and what they read relatively quickly.”
“That’s a good idea,” Grady said. “I want to go through those files Maverick sent over, too. It might not hurt to have him go deeper on Peterson.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
18
Eighteen
James was distracted when he returned to the room. He knew Mandy remained by the marine window – and he believed she was still asleep – so he thought he would get a few moments to himself to think before waking her. He was wrong.
“What’s in the bag?” Mandy asked.
“Hmm? Oh, gifts.”
“For who?”
“You, of course,” James said, finally shifting his eyes to his wife and gasping when he realized she was naked. “What the … ?”
“I’ve missed you,” Mandy said, reclining on her elbows, her legs bent at the knee as her toes rested on the marine window. “Don’t you want to spend some quality time with me?”
Before walking through the door, James was convinced he was going to be able to focus on work before rousing his slumbering blonde. Now he couldn’t remember what part of his work detail he wanted to focus on first. “Um … what?”
Mandy’s grin was mischievous. “What’s in the bag, James?”
“I got you some stuff,” James said, licking his lips as he recovered. “I think you’re really going to like it.”
“Can I see what’s in the bag?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I feel you need to earn your treats today,” James replied, resting the shopping bag on the table and reaching for the back of his shirt so he could tug it over his head. “We’re going to have to come to a compromise, baby. I do have some work that needs to be done … and so do you.”
“I’m on vacation.”
“Yes, but you’re going to like your work,” James said. “I’m going to reward you by doling out everything in the bag if you help me look through files and run searches on a few people.”
“That sounds boring.”
“I’m going to do something else before we start that,” James offered. “I promise it won’t be boring.” He unbuttoned his shorts and dragged them down, revealing his own nudity to Mandy’s gleaming eyes.
“You went commando?” Mandy was intrigued. “That was … ballsy.”
“Cute, wife,” James said, dropping to his hands and knees as he crawled between her legs. “I didn’t expect to be gone as long as we were.” He pressed a kiss to her soft flesh and smirked when she groaned. “Now, I’m going to spend some quality time with you, but then we have to do some work. Do you agree to my terms?”
Mandy pressed her lips together and nodded.
“Good,” James said, flicking out his tongue and causing her to squirm. “Be prepared, wife. You’re going to be endlessly worshipped today.”
“I can’t wait.”
“That makes two of us.”
“WHERE HAVE you been?” Sophie asked, letting herself into the suite she shared with Grady shortly before noon. She was dressed in a bikini, a towel cinched at her waist, and she had a curious look on her face. “I was getting worried. We ran into Finn and Jake and they said you stopped early because you were sick. Are you okay?”
Grady flashed a genuine smile as he looked up from his tablet and motioned for Sophie to close the distance between them. “I’m fine, sugar,” he replied. “I wasn’t really sick. I made that up.”
“Why?”
“Mostly because I didn’t want to work.”
“Why else?”
Grady cocked his head to the side as he decided how to answer. “I want to get some advice from James.”
“About what?”
“Loving a woman.”
Sophie’s heart fluttered at the simple answer. “You don’t need advice, Grady,” she chided. “I’ve never felt more loved.”
Grady gripped Sophie’s hips and pressed his forehead to her flat stomach. He loved her body and the way it seemed to fit his. It was as if they were made for one another. He knew that was a schmaltzy notion, but he didn’t really care.
“I’m going to love you forever,” Grady said. “I’m going to make all of your dreams come true.”
Sophie ran her fingers through his hair as she stared at the back of his head. Her heart hurt for him. She didn’t mean to upset him when with her actions the previous evening. “Is this about last night? I’m so sorry … .”
Grady cut her off by raising his head and shaking it. “Don’t finish that sentence, sugar,” he admonished. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“That’s not how you made it sound last night.”
“Yes, well, we both know I’m prone to dramatic fits,” Grady said. “I like to stroke my own ego as much as the next person, but I’m not blind to my faults. You caught me off guard and I panicked.”
“Really? I didn’t notice.”
“No one needs the sarcasm,” Grady said, gripping her rear end and pulling her closer. “I’m going to do things right, Sophie. I promise. You just need to give me a little more time. I have a plan.”
Sophie bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. He was so serious. His expression made his already handsome face almost painful to look at because he was so beautiful. “You have a plan?”
“I do.”
“Well, that’s something,” Sophie said. “Are you going to let me in on this plan?”
“Well, for starters, I got you a gift,” Grady said, reaching for the small bag on the table next to him. “This is not a big gift. It’s a … stopgap gift.”
“Wow, that sounds romantic,” Sophie deadpanned, widening her eyes to comical proportions as Grady pulled out a small jewelry box. “What is it?”
“It’s a necklace,” Grady answered. He saw no reason to lie. “I know you’re not big on things. You don’t collect items or get your self worth through shopping. I still want to be able to buy you things when the mood strikes.”
“I … okay.”
“James brought up a good point today,” Grady explained. “He said that I would never be able to have a merry Christmas if you didn’t open yourself up to receiving gifts. He’s right. I want to buy you things. I want to take joy in doing it.
“We went to a shop today so I could buy you something as a means to make up after I freaked out and James left with like ten things for Mandy,” he continued. “He loves shopping for her. He’s delighted to be able to do it. I want to be the same way.”
“Things don’t signify love, though,” Sophie said. “Love is the most important thing out there.”
“I agree,” Grady said. “I still want to be able to pick out things for you. None of the stuff James bought today was extravagant … or important … or even classy. He bought so many pairs of shark panties I lost count.”
Sophie barked out a coarse laugh. “That sounds just like him.”
“Yes, he’s nothing if not predictable,” Grady agreed. “I still want to be able to shower you with gifts because I enjoy it.”
“Okay.” Sophie nodded. “Can I see my new present? I’m kind of getting worked up listening to you talk about it.”
&nb
sp; Grady nodded. “Remember, this isn’t your big gift. You still have to wait a bit for that.”
“You have a plan,” Sophie said, flipping open the top of the jewelry box. Her heart caught in her throat when she saw the simple necklace. It was beautiful. The turtle reminded her of their relationship. It was always dependable … and beautiful in its simplicity. “Oh, I love it.”
“Good,” Grady said, kissing her stomach. “I’ll put it on you later. I want to make up for last night first.”
Sophie arched a playful eyebrow. “How?”
“Well, I have a plan,” Grady said, mock chewing on her stomach as he squeezed her butt. “I think you’re going to enjoy it.”
“I know I’m going to enjoy it. I … .” She didn’t get a chance to finish because Grady moved fast and wrestled her to the floor. He was obviously ready to enact his plan. “Grady!”
“HAVE YOU found anything?”
James wore nothing but his boxer shorts as he got comfortable on the floor next to Mandy. She was dressed in a new pair of shark panties – James was saving the “Jawesome” ones as a special treat for later – and a bralette that barely covered anything.
“I’m still looking,” Mandy replied. “There’s a lot to wade through.”
“Uh-huh.” James ran his hands over the bralette and cupped her breasts. “Is this new? I like it.”
“That’s because it doesn’t cover anything.”
“No, it covers the important stuff,” James countered. “That’s the entire reason I forced you to at least pretend to get dressed. I can’t see the important stuff and focus on work at the same time. I definitely love this thing, though. You look smoking hot in it.”
Mandy’s grin was impish as she locked gazes with him. “You think I look smoking hot in everything.”
“I do indeed,” James confirmed. “You’re beautiful, my baby. That was the first thing I thought when you walked into my office two and a half years ago. I said ‘that is a beautiful woman.’ Then I realized who you were and the beauty only intensified.”
“That’s a bit schmaltzy.”
“That’s how I roll.”
Mandy’s sea-blue eyes flashed. “I told Heidi about running into you that day,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. They rarely talked about Heidi and her death. James wasn’t averse to the subject, but he was desperate to keep depressing thoughts from muddling her mind. “She asked about my crush when I was a kid and she was the first one to suggest I might be able to make you fall in love with me.”
Deadly Waves (Hardy Brothers Security Book 23) Page 15
