Page 23 of Georgia Guy
I set them carefully aside before getting naked and ravaging Joe’s sexy body. Riding him and gazing out the windows at the beautiful Hawaii sunset over the water is absolute heaven. Life can’t possibly get much better than being on a yacht and making love with the man of my dreams in paradise.
We arrive a few minutes late for dinner. Everyone probably knows exactly why we are tardy, but no one calls us out on it.
I’m delighted to see that our handsome, charming yacht captain is dining with us tonight. Captain Hudson Harrison is the exact opposite of the crusty, cranky old seaman I would have expected to have this job.
When the impeccably presented, gourmet food arrives, Emmy teases her brother for requesting a simple grilled cheese with bacon. Eyeing his plate, she says, “I guess some things never change.”
“I know what I like,” Joe answers, with no shame, before popping a French fry into his mouth. After swallowing, he angles his head toward Dane’s beverage and adds, “At least I have a grown-up drink.”
Dani speaks up for the first time during our meal. “I thought the same thing about Dane’s beverage of choice, but don’t knock Shirley Temples until you’ve tried them. They are delicious.”
She lifts her cherry-garnished pink drink in Dane’s direction. He does an air-cheers with her, before they both take giant gulps of the sweet concoction.
It doesn’t take long for the four men around the table to begin talking animatedly over their love of driving fast. The mode of transportation doesn’t seem to matter––cars, boats, motorcycles. They all share a love of extreme speed in anything that has a motor.
As the meal progresses, Captain Hudson regales us with sea stories from his days in the Coast Guard and has us all riveted to his every word.
Joe leans over to whisper near my ear, “Do you have a bit of a crush on our captain?”
“What? No.” I answer firmly. At his single raised brow, I say, “He’s the type of man I would be drawn to, if I didn’t know you, but you’re the only man for me, Joe Scott.”
He beams at my reassurance and presses a sweet kiss to my cheek.
“Besides, he and the third stew, Tori, have a thing going on.” I speak with authority, even though it’s just a guess.
“No way,” Joe answers, still whispering. “He’s her boss. They’re not banging.”
Grinning, I say, “They may not actually be banging, but they both want to. The chemistry between them practically sizzles.”
As if proving my point, Tori’s finger brushes across the captain’s hand as she clears his dinner plate. They lock eyes and snatch their hands away from the connection as if they have both just been burned.
I give Joe a knowing look to nonverbally say,I told you so.
He shrugs his shoulders, silently admitting that I might be right.
The captain makes a quick exit before dessert, as if we have caught him doing something wrong.
Evidently deciding that it’s time for his big moment, Joe taps his fork on his crystal water glass.
His mother’s lower eyelids well with tears as she stage-whispers to her husband, “He’s getting engaged.”
Giving his mother an exasperated look, Joe says, “That’s not what this is about, although someday soon, I would love to makethatannouncement.”
He squeezes my hand within his beneath the table before saying, “After spending the day with Alex, I’m sure you can all easily see why I love her so much.”
Heads nod around the table, making me feel as accepted and comfortable as I do with my own family.
Beaming at me, he says, “This amazing woman has convinced me that I should use my computer hacking skills for good, rather than mischief. I’m starting a company that will help stop the leaking of private information, and my first client is Morrow Industries.”
Looking directly at his dad, he says, “I’ve spoken with Mr. Morrow, and he seems truly sorry for the way you were treated.”
His dad nods before saying, “He called me, and we hashed it all out, son. We’re all good.”
Joe’s shoulders sag with relief, making it obvious that he wasn’t as confident as he pretended to be that our families’ past dealings were all forgiven.
“We’re better than good,” Joe’s mom weighs in. “We’re blessed beyond measure.”
Joe’s dad nods his agreement before asking, “What about your motorcycle repair shop?”
