“No,” Jessica said. “We’re safe. Unless that gigantic shark comes back.”
The man laughed. “We’ll have a towboat sent out to you at your expense. The Coast Guard only handles real emergencies. Over.”
Jessica lifted her brows and shook her head. “He doesn’t think this is an emergency.”
“We aren’t sinking or on fire or anything,” Sed reminded her. And a few minutes ago she’d been willing to remain at sea for days or even weeks.
“Thank you for sending a towboat,” she said into the radio. “Over.”
A moment later the handheld squawked again. “Have you activated the EPIRB? We haven’t picked up your emergency signal yet. Over.”
Sed opened the little white box behind the captain’s seat and pulled out a yellow device that looked like some space-age flashlight with an antenna sticking out of the top. After examining it, he found a switch and turned it on. A bright light began to flash on the top like a disco strobe.
“The EPIRB is on now. Did you get our signal?” Jessica said. “Over.”
After a long tense minute, the man responded. “We have your position and will send help soon. Hang tight. This is almost over. Over.”
“I wonder why my dad never showed me how to use this thing,” Sed said. He hadn’t even known it existed. He was sure it hadn’t been there when they’d bought the boat and the salesman had shown them how everything worked.
“He probably thought he’d be there to turn it on if necessary.”
“Or he just bought it.” Once again Dad had rescued them from the great beyond.
“So I guess we sit around until the towboat shows up,” Jessica said.
“We could do a little more honeymooning,” he said, setting the beacon on the captain’s seat and returning to the seating area to join his wife.
“Oh, I plan to do plenty more of that,” she said, wrapping her arms around him and standing on tiptoe to kiss him. “Both here and back at our rented beach house.”
“And when we’re touring Europe?”
“When we’re touring the entire planet,” she said, “and when we get back home until the baby’s born. And after the baby’s born and when we’re ready to make another one.”
“Are you planning on honeymooning forever?” he asked, not that he minded.
“You bet your sweet ass I am,” she said. She pulled his head down for a searing kiss.
Chapter Thirteen
When the towboat operator arrived a few hours later, Jessica was sampling one of the MRE desserts—a surprisingly moist brownie. She just wished she had some cold milk to wash it down. The burly man—Tony—insisted on trying to give their engine a jump first, even though Sed told him that the lightning strike had likely destroyed their electronic ignition.
As expected, the engine didn’t start. “This is going to cost you a fortune to fix,” Tony said.
“I’m not sure my wife will ever want to go sailing again anyway,” Sed told him, his shoulders dropping.
Oh no. She refused to be responsible for diminishing Sed’s joy.
“What do you mean? I can’t wait to go sailing again,” Jessica blurted. “How long will it take to fix? Do you think it will be seaworthy again by the time we get back from Europe? I’ll still have a few months before the baby arrives. We can sail to Hawaii. Or the Philippines. How far is Australia?”
She wasn’t sure what she was blabbering on about. Their maiden voyage had been anything but easy, and they weren’t skilled enough to make such long journeys, but blabber she did. “We can take a second honeymoon.”
Sed chuckled. The more she’d blabbered about sailing, the straighter his back had become, and his eyes were now bright with happiness. That was what she wanted for her husband at all times—happiness. None of that dejected nonsense he’d displayed a moment ago.
“We haven’t even finished our first honeymoon yet,” he said.
“And since I don’t plan to take a break from it the entire time we’re in Europe, we’ll probably be on our third or fourth honeymoon by September.”
“I can tow you directly to a good repair shop,” Tony said. “They can figure out everything that’s wrong with her and tell you what it will cost to fix. I’m sure they’ll be able to estimate how long she’ll be out of commission, but it might be until September.”
Sed squeezed Jessica’s hand and stared hard into her eyes. “You’re sure you want to go sailing again?”
“Of course. I know we’ll never run into this kind of trouble again. What are the chances that lightning will strike twice?”
“What are the chances that it struck once?” Tony asked. “Lightning is rare on the West Coast. Now, if you were down by Florida, it happens a lot more often, but off California?” The man shook his head. “Bizarre.”
“See?” Jessica said. “We have nothing to worry about.” Though apparently Zeus really did have it out for them. “Let’s get the boat fixed.” She smiled encouragingly and nodded at Sed. “Maybe we can talk your mom and sisters into joining us.”
Sed hugged her, and over her shoulder he said to Tony, “Tow us to that repair shop. We’re not ready to give up sailing just yet.”
*~*~*
Near dark, Jessica dropped her bag inside the front door of the rented beach house and breathed in the air conditioning. She wasn’t emotionally prepared for her next adventure with her new husband yet. She wished she had a few days to recuperate and settle her nerves, but they were heading for Vegas on a red-eye flight the next morning.
Their rescue had been anticlimactic after their trials at sea. She’d half expected the towboat that had pulled the Sea Lion♥ back to the dock to run aground or at least destroy their boat, but the entire ordeal had gone down without a hitch. The drive back to the beach house had also been without mishap. After the eventfulness of the past three days, Jessica was looking forward to a little boredom.
Sed closed the door behind them and circled her waist with both arms. Her heart rate kicked up the instant his lips grazed her neck. She decided there would be nothing boring about the last few hours of their official honeymoon, even if they did nothing more than stand there in the entryway for the remainder of it.
“You know what sounds wonderful right now?” Sed murmured close to her ear.
“A bacon cheeseburger with extra mayo?” Her mouth watered.
He chuckled. “That does sound pretty good, but I was thinking of a nice hot shower.”
“Will it be hot because I’m in it with you?” she asked, reaching behind her to grab his firm backside.
“That would make it hotter, but if you want to eat first—”
“Nope. I want to feel clean again. Then I want you to dirty me up.”
His hands slid up her stomach and cupped her breasts. “I think that can be arranged.”
They left a trail of clothes behind them on their way to the bathroom. Sed turned on the shower and let the water heat up while Jessica used a real toilet that flushed. The shower felt wonderful against her skin, but not as fantastic as her husband’s soapy hands as he thoroughly cleaned her from head to toe. She thought she might come when he washed her hair for her. She scrubbed him next, spending extra time washing his cock and balls.
“That’s enough of that,” he said as he grabbed her wrist. His rigid cock strained toward her.
“But it’s so dirty,” she purred. She began to soap his length with her free hand. “I want it squeaky clean before I suck it.”
He groaned and then shuddered when she slid her slippery hand down to gently massage his balls.
“And these too,” she said. “Who knows where they’ve been?”
“You know exactly where they’ve been. They haven’t left your sight for a week.”
“Are you suggesting that I need to keep my eye on them?”
She squatted in front of him until his balls were at eye level and pressed his cock upward so she could get an unfettered view. She stared at his sac as if she were concert securi
ty and his balls were a pair of crafty groupies trying to sneak backstage.
“They look well-behaved to me,” she said.
He laughed and cupped her shoulders to draw her back to her feet. “Let’s rinse off and take this to the bedroom where we can get comfortable.”
Having a bed at their disposal did sound fabulous. She grabbed the detachable showerhead and hosed them down, then shut off the water, eager to start their next adventure together, especially since it wouldn’t involve a potentially life-threatening situation on a sailboat or in a hot-air balloon. She was through with unusual modes of transportation. At least for the time being. If it was anyone other than Trey getting married, she’d refuse to get on a plane and insist that they walk to Vegas. But Trey was a honey. Her relationship with Sed had definitely strengthened—and her perception of him had changed for the better—when he’d helped Trey overcome his addiction to prescription painkillers. If not for Trey, Jessica might not be the happiest newlywed in existence. Trey deserved the same happiness, and she wanted to witness Reagan giving it to him.
Sed wrapped a fluffy bath sheet around her and scooped her into his arms. He carried her to the bed where he laid her down and stared at her.
“I love you more than our sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden,” he said.
“Wow,” she said. “I didn’t know it was possible to love anyone that much.”
“Me neither.” He grinned crookedly, one darling dimple carving a dent into his cheek. “How about a little music to get us in the mood?”
She was already in the mood. She nibbled on a finger to occupy her mouth while she watched him connect his smartphone to the clock radio on the nightstand and start his playlist. Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” blared from the tiny speakers, and Sed threw up a pair of devil horns on one hand while he head-banged and thrashed about. His show was made more hilarious because he was naked and free balling.
Jessica clutched her stomach as she laughed.
“Sorry,” he said. “Wrong mood.”
Smiling, he fiddled with the screen of his phone and found some gentle instrumental music. She caught the name of the playlist—Our Honeymoon—and her heart melted. He’d been thinking ahead about how to make their honeymoon romantic. What a wonderful man.
“Come here,” she said, lifting her arms in his direction. “You’re too far away.”
He settled on top of her, his skin cool and damp from their shower. His fingers tangled in the wet strands of her hair, and he bent his head to kiss her. She stroked his back as he deepened the kiss, and then he moved those kisses along her jaw to her ear, down her neck, along her chest, and to her breasts and belly. She opened her legs wide, and he settled between them, his lips moving slow and tender against her clit. He took his time with her, hands caressing her thighs and hips as his mouth offered her building pleasure. Her fingers clutched the covers beneath her as her back arched and she shattered in bliss. Even before the ripples of ecstasy receded, she wanted him inside her, to fill her emptiness.
“Sed.”
He gently turned her onto her belly and massaged her shoulders and back until her flesh felt like warm butter. She knew she should reciprocate, but she couldn’t move. Oh, she felt so good inside and out. His big, strong hands moved down to her ass, thighs and calves and massaged the tension from her there as well. By the time he reached her feet, she was boneless. She couldn’t have moved if she tried.
She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until the smell of greasy beef drew a moan of longing from deep in her chest, and she opened her eyes. The room was dimly lit with candles, and sitting on the bed beside her was a big white bag speckled with grease spots. Next to the bag sat the most devastatingly gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on.
“Did I fall asleep?” she murmured, rolling onto her side and rubbing her eyes. “I’m sorry. I meant to give you a fantastic blow job to thank you for making me feel like the most cherished woman on earth.”
“You are the most cherished woman on earth,” he said. “Are you hungry?”
“Did you bring me a cheeseburger?”
“The cheeseburger’s for me. I asked you what you wanted, and I translated”—he made a loud snoring sound—“to mean salad.”
She pouted, but his grin told her that he was only teasing. He opened the bag and peered inside.
“Well, shit,” he said. “The morons got our order wrong. There are two bacon cheeseburgers in here, and they put extra mayo on one of them.”
She shifted onto her knees and hugged him. “I love you. You have no idea how much I love you.”
“You love me or that the take-out joint got our order wrong?”
“You. For making me feel safe and beautiful and loved and valued and smart. And as soon as I get that cheeseburger in my belly, satisfied.”
“I tried to satisfy you earlier, but someone wasn’t interested. It’s the last night of our honeymoon, and you fell asleep.”
The bag rustled as he reached inside and pulled out a paper-wrapped cheeseburger and a carton of fries.
“Of course I was interested. Just tired.”
“Likely story.”
She couldn’t see his face, so she didn’t know if he was teasing or if she’d bruised his pride.
“Sed, you satisfy me on every level.” She grabbed his arm to strengthen her claim. “The best thing I ever did was stop trying to push you away.”
When he turned his face toward hers, he wore a mocking grin. “You didn’t last very long in your attempt.”
“It’s your fault.” Jessica squeezed his arm, and he flexed beneath her fingers. Mmm. She did love those big, hard muscles of his. “You’re so damned irresistible.”
He smiled, and she was glad that she could make him feel as good about himself as he made her feel about herself.
She unwrapped her cheeseburger and lifted the top bun to make sure there were no onions hiding to ambush her taste buds. The sandwich was dressed exactly as she liked it; Sed had remembered everything. She wasn’t sure why something like getting her cheeseburger right made tears prickle her eyes, but her eyes were burning. Must have been those damned pregnancy hormones making her all sappy and emotional.
The cheeseburger was divine, the fries a bit soggy, and the company perfect.
“Mom called while I was picking up our burgers,” Sed told her between bites. “She says the sailboat is ours if we want it. Do we want it?”
“It can be fixed, right?” The mechanic had been too busy to offer an estimate yet.
“I’m sure it can.”
“Good, because I’d love to go sailing with you again,” she said. “But we’ll prepare better next time.”
“Now that we know what an EPIRB is, we’re good.”
“Well, I still plan to stock up on batteries and fill that cooler with something we can actually eat.”
“Maybe we’ll get around to fishing next time,” he said.
“Or we can just have copious sex to pass the time.”
“I love that I married an adventurous woman,” he said.
“You love that you married a horny woman.”
He laughed. “That too. And one so bendy.” He winked at her.
“I’m not going to be too bendy after stuffing myself with this ginormous cheeseburger.” She’d be more likely to want to hibernate than attempt fucking him in a standing splits position.
“That’s why I figured you wanted a salad,” he said, reaching for another fry.
“I’ll eat salad tomorrow,” she promised. “Tonight I want to gorge myself and fall asleep in your arms. I wish we could sleep until noon and do nothing but yoga all day.”
“That sounds perfect to me,” he said. “I should let you plan our days more often, but we have to be at the airport at four a.m.”
Jessica groaned and collapsed back onto the comfortable mattress, stretching her arms wide. “Trey had better be glad I love him.”
“He’s glad. Who wouldn’t be glad about that?”
“My mother,” Jessica said. She always felt that any affection she showed her mother burdened the loveless woman with guilt.
“Your mother loves you. She has a terrible way of showing it, but she wouldn’t have hooked us up with this nice place if she didn’t love you.”
“I should probably call her and thank her.” Because she hoped Sed was right.
Sed grabbed her cellphone off the side table and handed it to her. “I think she’d like that.”
Her mother like being thanked? Uh, yeah. She lived for that shit.
“Did someone steal my daughter’s cellphone?” Mom asked when she answered.
“No, Mom. It’s me. I just wanted to thank you for renting this great house for me and Sed. We loved our time here. It was perfect.”
“Did you get to meet him?” Mom asked, a breathless quality to her voice.
“Meet who?”
“Enrique Sanz.”
Jessica shot Sed a puzzled look, but he couldn’t hear what her mother had asked, so he just shrugged and shook his head.
“Why would I have met him?”
“Zach seemed to think he might show up there looking for him and that it would serve him right that he wasn’t there.”
“I’m so confused. Who is Zach?”
“He works with your husband. Some drummer from one of the bands on Sed’s tour.”
Drummer. Drummer. Jessica searched her memory for drummers named Zach, and then it dawned on her. “You mean Zach Mercier of Twisted Element?”
“Maybe. Good-looking guy with dark hair that’s shaved on the sides and has a little ponytail?”
Jessica could picture her mother demonstrating his hairstyle on her end of their phone conversation.
“Yeah, that sounds Zach. How did you meet him?”
“He was at your reception.”
“Right. I’d forgotten.” Jessica wasn’t sure if she’d even said hello to him. “What does he have to do with Enrique and this house?”
“Don’t you read the tabloids?”
“Not if I can avoid it.”
“Enrique and Zach are involved.” Mom lowered her voice as if they were spies sharing secrets on a tapped line. “Romantically. Or they were until the tabloids published something about their affair and Enrique denied it. Sanz was supposed to come to your reception. He RSVPed months ago. I figured he didn’t show because Zach was there, so I asked Zach about it, because wouldn’t that have been exciting, for Enrique Sanz to be at your reception? My God, he’s gorgeous and getting so many huge acting roles these days. I’d say he’s an A-list actor, wouldn’t you?”
Lost in Paradise: A Sinners on Tour Honeymoon Page 11
