“Me too.” She pulled her schedule for the evening from her pocket. “We could go to the dance show in the main theater tonight. Or we could do karaoke again. Do you enjoy singing?” She was actually a very good singer, but she was sure he wouldn’t believe that after she sang with the twins.
“I love to sing. My friends make fun of me, because CPAs aren’t supposed to like karaoke.”
“Well, we should do that then! I don’t mind. I like to sing as well.”
He nodded, smiling at her. “Sounds good to me.”
They ran into Kaya and Bridget on their way to karaoke. Kaya hugged Jenni, whispering in her ear. “Everything good?”
Jenni nodded. “Very good. He’s a good man.”
“I’m glad.”
“You guys doing karaoke again?” Bridget asked. “If so, save us seats. We have five more photographers to see tonight.”
“Are you getting photos with all of them every night?” Tony asked.
“There’s an unlimited photo deal,” Kaya said. “We believe in getting our money’s worth.”
Bridget nodded. “Yup. Mom’s going to be so proud of us!”
“She will. I can’t wait ‘til she sees the pic with both of us kissing that photographer!”
Jenni closed her eyes and shook her head. She didn’t even want to know. “We’ll save you seats,” she promised, hoping Tony wouldn’t mind if they spent a little time with her friends.
When they got into the karaoke room, Tony chose a table for four without blinking, before he went over and grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down a song. When he came back, he was smiling. “You don’t mind if I sing to you, do you?”
She shook her head, blushing a little.
The girls had just come in to join them when he walked up for his song. Jenni watched with trepidation, wondering what he’d sing. She smiled, tears welling up in her eyes when she heard the opening bars to If Tomorrow Never Comes by Garth Brooks, one of her favorite songs.
As soon as Tony opened his mouth, Jenni’s jaw dropped in surprise. She’d had no idea he had a good voice. Of course, she’d only known him twenty-four hours, but still. The man could sing!
Kaya looked at Jenni with a smile. “Wow. He’s got it bad already. I think you should keep this one.”
Jenni laughed softly. “I think I will.”
When Tony was done, the twins stood up and cheered, Bridget whistling with her fingers in her mouth. Jenni sat quietly applauding, but when he got back to the table, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. She put her whole heart into it, and when she pulled back, she could see the pleasure and surprise in his eyes.
Bridget looked at the two of them. “I think you two need to get a room,” she said fanning her face. “BRB, I’m going to go and sign up for a song.”
Kaya grinned at them. “Ignore my sister. She’s as uncouth as they come,” she told Tony. “Good song choice. Way to get into your girl’s heart.”
Jenni had worried for a moment that Kaya was going to say, “Way to get into your girl’s pants,” so she breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back against the comfortable bench seat, her head against Tony’s shoulder.
Bridget came back with a smile. “I signed us up.”
“Ooo…what song did you pick?”
“Men by the Forester Sisters!” Bridget answered immediately.
Jenni sighed. “I’m not singing that with you!”
“We need you for the lead! Kaya’s got a voice that sounds like worn out brakes.”
“Bridget’s got a voice that sounds like a cat dying,” Kaya responded, making a face at her sister.
“Kaya’s voice sounds like a hearing aid when it’s turned up too high.”
“Bridget’s voice sounds like someone raking their nails on a chalkboard.”
Tony watched the sisters for a moment before turning to Jenni. “Yeah, their drunk act is probably better than this.”
“Anything is better than this,” Jenni returned. “I’m not singing Men with you two. I’m just not!”
“Aww…come on, Jenni! You know you’re the only one of the three of us who has a decent voice,” Bridget pleaded.
“Then you should have picked a different song!”
Tony nudged Jenni. “I don’t mind if you sing it. Are you really that good?”
Jenni shrugged. “Not as good as they make it sound.”
“Yes, she is,” Bridget said. “And she knows it! She was always singing in school.”
Kaya nodded. “I make it a habit never to agree with my sister, but I have to on this. Jenni’s voice is amazing.”
“Sing,” Tony urged. He really wanted to hear her if her friends believed she was that good.
Jenni took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure she was ready to sing for him, but she finally nodded. “Okay, I will.”
Bridget applauded. “We’ll just do back up then. You can sing all the important lines yourself.”
They listened to an off-key rendition of Wind Beneath My Wings that had them all flinching with pain. “I may not be able to sing, but at least I know how bad I sound,” Kaya said. “That woman thinks she’s good!”
When it was time for Jenni and her cohorts to sing, Tony applauded his new wife as she got onto the stage. He couldn’t help but wonder if the twins were just playing or if she really was good.
It only took one line of the song for him to know there had been no joking involved. Jenni could sing. She could really sing. The song chosen showed off her range beautifully, and Tony smiled. There was something they had in common!
He applauded along with the rest of the room. When she came back to him, he hugged her close. “We need to do a duet tomorrow night. You’re amazing.”
She blushed, smiling. “Thank you. I love to sing.” She’d taken years of singing lessons when she was young, because her mother thought her daughter should be good at everything. It had turned her off of singing, but now…now maybe she could start enjoying it again with Tony.
They said goodnight to the girls soon after that, taking the elevator to their cabin. Once they were back, Jenni smiled. “Want to go out on the balcony for a bit?” There was nothing she liked more than sitting outside, watching the waves. It was an experience like no other.
He nodded. “I’d like that.”
Once they were on the balcony, their chairs at the very back, side by side, Jenni turned to him. “Kaya and Bridget were on their best behavior tonight.”
“I could see that!” He stroked his hand up and down her arm. “Did you ask them to calm things down?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t. They knew you weren’t exactly impressed with them, so they calmed down on their own.” His touch on her bare arm had shivers going through her.
Catching her hand, he pulled her from her chair over onto his lap. “I want to touch my wife. Is that allowed?”
Jenni stroked his cheek with her hand, feeling the scratchy stubble. “Your wife likes it when you touch her.” She leaned down, brushing her lips across his, feeling bold.
His hands stroked over her back, skimming against her neck. He wondered if he dared try to touch one of her breasts, and felt like he’d gone back to twelfth grade, wondering if he could cop a feel of his prom date.
She turned toward him more, her hands stroking over his shoulders and chest. “There’s something about a man’s shoulders that make me feel all fluttery inside.”
He grinned at that. “Stand up for a second then.” When she complied, he peeled off his polo and threw it to the floor of the balcony, before pulling her back down on top of him. “That better?”
She nodded. “Much. No one can see us here, can they?”
He shook his head. “No. Not here. Not unless they’re in another ship with binoculars, and we’d see the lights of another ship if there was one there.” His hand stroked her cheek. “Now, where were we?”
“I believe I was touching your shoulders.” She pressed her lips to one of them, as his hands
moved under the back of her shirt. “I like it when you touch me,” she said softly, a little embarrassed, but more aroused than anything else.
When her teeth scraped against his shoulder, he jumped a bit, surprised but loving the feeling. He didn’t worry about where his hands went after that, pulling her blouse over her head and leaving her in her capris and bra.
His hands stroked over her shoulders and cupped one of her breasts through her bra, his thumb and forefinger toying with her nipple.
She sat up straight on his lap and reached behind her, unfastening her bra and letting it drop before leaning down and pressing her lips to his again.
He groaned softly as her breasts pressed against his bare chest. “You’re killing me, Jenni!”
“I am? You’re not bored?” Jenni had always assumed she’d be bad at this. She’d never had a serious boyfriend to test it with, but she’d just somehow known.
He took her hand and pressed it against the front of his pants, so she could feel how very interested he was. “Not even a little bit.”
She squeezed him through his pants. “Do you remember what I said about waiting a couple of weeks?” She was glad it was dark, and he couldn’t see her face, because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to be so bold otherwise.
He nodded. “I do.” He immediately took his hands off her, taking deep gulping breaths. He wasn’t going to renege on their deal.
Her lips were pressed to his ear when she whispered. “I changed my mind. Make love to me, Tony.”
Tony stared at Jenni in surprise for only a moment, before he jumped to his feet, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the cabin. He wasn’t about to give her time to change her mind.
Chapter Five
When Jenni woke the following morning, she opened her eyes to find Tony watching her once again. Thinking of their night together, she blushed, moving toward him to bury her face against his chest.
Tony grinned, his arms closing around her. She may be embarrassed about what had happened the night before, but he was only pleased. The night had been magical for him, and he never wanted to forget a single moment of it. “G’morning.”
“Morning,” she mumbled against his chest.
He kissed the top of her head, because that was the only part of her he could reach. “Hungry?”
She shook her head, refusing to look at him. “Nope.”
“You know, you’re going to have to face me sometime.”
She shrugged. “I can hide under the covers all day. Room service will bring me food.”
“But you’d have to go to the door wearing nothing.”
“You could go to the door for me.” She still didn’t peek her head out from under the cover.
Tony sighed. “If you go to eat breakfast with me, I’ll find a good duet for us for karaoke tonight!”
Jenni looked up at him for just a moment. “You’ll go out on the balcony while I get out of bed and get dressed?”
“Nope. I won’t.”
“You’re mean!”
“I wouldn’t say mean…it’s for your own good. You have to be able to face me someday. We are married after all!”
“We are…” She peeked up at him again. “Are you sure you can’t go on the balcony while I get up?”
He nodded. “I will, however, go to the bathroom and shower so you can do whatever you need to do in here.”
She kissed his chin. “Sounds like a good compromise to me!”
He laughed, tilting her face up for a real kiss. “I’ll be quick.” He rolled to the side of the bed and walked toward the bathroom, obviously unashamed of his nakedness.
She closed her eyes for a moment, but then realized she had every right to look and she followed him to the bathroom with her gaze. When he got to the door, he winked at her before going in.
After the door closed, she jumped up from bed and hurried to put on a nightgown, which was the best option until she was showered. She picked up her iPad, and stared down at it. She had a few minutes to read, but her world had just tilted on its axis.
She still didn’t meet his eyes as she went into the bathroom a short while later, her clothes held in her hand. How could she?
At breakfast, she was staring at her eggs when she realized she didn’t even know where they would live. “Do you have a house or an apartment?” she asked.
“Are you ever going to look at me again?” Tony asked, refusing to answer until she met his gaze.
“I’m not sure yet. House or apartment?”
“I refuse to have conversations with the top of your head.”
Jenni frowned, but turned her head to the side, so she was staring at the man at the table next to her instead. “House or apartment?”
Tony stared at her for a moment before choking out a laugh. “Your smart mouth friends seemed to have rubbed off on you.”
She turned to him, grinning. “Fine. I’m looking at you now. House or apartment?”
“I have an apartment in Arlington. It’s pretty small actually. What about you?”
She sighed. “An apartment, but it’s not terribly small. Lease is up next month, so I’m free to move anywhere.”
“Do you want to look for a house in Grapevine?” he asked. “Or Southlake would split the difference between our workplaces.”
She shrugged. “I’d prefer Southlake. I hate having a long commute.”
He nodded. “That works for me.”
He forked up a bite of his eggs, tilting his head to one side. “Thanks for finally looking at me. I thought maybe I’d done something wrong.”
Jenni blushed. “No, I think you did everything just right.” Not that she knew. The whole thing had been a new experience for her.
He took her hand, stroking the palm with his thumb. “So you don’t want to wait two weeks to try it again?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t want to wait two weeks. Are you just trying to embarrass me?”
“Why? Is it working?” Tony asked, a grin transforming his face.
She stuck her tongue out at him, jumping when a voice behind her said, “I can’t believe you’re already fighting.” It was Bridget.
Then she heard Kaya’s voice. “Bridget the Midget has issues. She thought she found the man of her dreams, but he was with someone else last night.”
“It’s the whole not putting out on the first cruise thing,” Bridget lamented. “Kaya the Kreator hasn’t found anyone special either, you know!”
“But I wasn’t looking for someone special. I’ve written five chapters while you’ve been off playing with Matt.”
“His name wasn’t Matt!”
“That’s how I tagged him on Facebook…” Kaya grinned down at Tony and Jenni.
“You have serious issues,” Bridget told her sister.
“Stop whining. I’m hungry.”
“Not whining.” Bridget raised a hand to wave to the newlyweds. “See you at karaoke tonight?”
Tony nodded. “I’ve thought of the perfect song I want to sing with Jenni.”
Kaya grinned. “A love song?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
“Bridget and I have been practicing something special too.”
Jenni groaned. “Please tell me you two aren’t going to sing again!”
Bridget frowned. “You haven’t enjoyed our dulcet tones?”
“They’re going to make you two swim back to shore…” Jenni warned.
“I can see where our musical abilities aren’t appreciated.” Kaya spun away and walked toward the buffet, wrinkling her nose as she went.
Bridget shrugged. “I don’t care if you love me for my brilliant singing as long as you love me.”
Jenni sighed. “I love you both. Please don’t sing!”
“We could not sing as a wedding gift…”
“Perfect!” Jenni responded enthusiastically.
“But we probably won’t. We wouldn’t want to deprive the passengers who aren’t tone deaf.”
“Have a good day
, Bridget!”
Bridget leaned down and hugged Jenni. “Love you.” She kissed Jenni’s cheek before hurrying off after her sister to the buffet.
Tony shook his head. “What will they sing?”
“They’ve been threatening me with I Got You Babe. I swear, I will murder them both in their sleep!” Jenni shook her head, clearly exasperated.
“They wouldn’t really sing a love song to each other, would they?” Tony asked, surprised at the idea of it.
“Have you met them? Do you really think there’s anything they wouldn’t do?”
Tony groaned. “You have a point there. And it’s a very good one. I have a feeling there will be a room full of scarred karaoke participants tonight.”
“Why change now? If people are still going, it’s their own fault. Don’t you think?”
Tony didn’t bother to respond, because he was afraid to. She was right. They should have learned their lesson when the sisters had showed up the first night.
*****
Getting off the ship the following morning, proved to be a hassle. “I can’t believe you bought two full suitcases full of souvenirs for people at home,” Tony told her. He wasn’t angry, but he was a little baffled. Who knew that many people?
Jenni shrugged. “We’ll make it.” She dragged two suitcases, with a tote bag tied to the top of one of them, while he dragged two. “Where are you parked?”
“I stayed at a hotel near here, and they had a place to park and a shuttle.” He pointed to the shuttle area. “I’m told we wait there until our shuttle comes, and they drive us to our car.”
They stood with their suitcases, and he kept giving her a goofy grin. Finally, she smacked his arm. “Stop that!”
“Stop what?”
“Your goofiness is starting to embarrass me.”
“I’m not goofy!” he countered. “I’m boring! Ask anyone who knows me, especially my secretary. She tells me I’m boring every single day.”
“I’ll have to meet your secretary. You’re anything but boring, Tony the CPA.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek, thrilled they were together.
Dr. Lachele waved at her from across the way. “Jenni!”
Jenni smiled and waved at the matchmaker, frowning when she hurried toward them. “Here comes Dr. Lachele.”
Teasing in Texas (At the Altar Book 10) Page 5
