Page 39 of Before You Say I Do
“Fuck me,” were Jordan’s first words as she boarded, admiring the polished wooden decks under her feet. Jordan had seen this level of opulence before, but experiencing such a boat was still a treat.
Taran came dashing up from the lower deck, and grabbed Delta’s arm. “You have to come and see the bedrooms down here,” she said, giving Delta no choice. “It’s absolutely unreal. The lush fabrics! The amount of cushions! And there are mirrorseverywhere.”
Jordan followed Marcus’s cousins, Arielle and Martha, up some steps to the middle deck. The sun was already hot on her back, and now she saw where the wall-to-wall Beyoncé was coming from. Beyond an outdoor round table that could seat ten, was an indoor lounge and bar, accessed via double glass doors. They were wide open, with a blond bartender hard at work within.
“There better be at least a plunge pool onboard.” Arielle turned to Martha. “We don’t want this trip to turn out like Cassandra’s disaster, do we?”
Martha shuddered. She pointed through the double doors. “At least the barman is good looking. Cassandra’s yacht had no pool and female bar staff. Hen party suicide.”
Jordan already felt sorry for Cassandra.
Up some more stairs was the top deck. Gloria stood there, mouth open. She beckoned to Jordan and Nikita. “Come and see this!” Had she become more Scottish since she boarded? “There’s a pool! On a boat!”
Jordan and Nikita did as they were told. The aqua blue of the plunge pool shimmered in the middle of the top deck, surrounded by loungers and sofas. Perhaps Arielle and Martha wouldn’t be giving this weekend such a bad write-up after all.
Jordan had expected a bloke called Pierre behind the bar, or perhaps Thierry, with a cool, French accent dripping from his lips. Instead, they’d got an Aussie named Travis. Not that any of the hen do were disappointed with Travis’s easy charm and rippling muscles.
The sun beat down as Jordan reclined on one of the sun loungers. It was a lot of boat for ten of them to fill, but they were going to try their best.
Next to Jordan, Gloria had her pale Scottish skin out. She sat beside her daughter who’d inherited the same. If Abby matured like Gloria, Marcus had struck some deal. Gloria was wearing a black bikini, and it was showing off toned legs and hard abs that had already drawn amazed stares from the rest of the hen party.
“I want to know now, Gloria. Tell me the secret of looking as good as you do in your late 50s.” Jordan held up her phone. “Tell me now, and I’m going to broadcast it live on Instagram so the rest of the world can watch and learn.”
Gloria threw her head back and let out a cackle of laughter. “Square sausage and brown sauce, of course.” She grinned at Jordan. “Do you know what that is, hen?”
Jordan shook her head. She had absolutely zero idea what the hell Gloria was talking about.
Gloria tapped Abby on the thigh. “You need to get this one around to yours for a bit of square sausage. Although it’s usually eaten for breakfast, so you might have to turn up very early in the morning. Or else stay the night before. You girls have got years to catch up on, so that wouldn’t be a problem, would it?” She gave them both an extravagant wink.
Jordan glanced at Abby, who was giving her mum the universal “please don’t embarrass me” face.
She smiled.
She was also busy imagining staying the night at Abby’s place, but instead of breakfast, she was imagining all-night sex, and waking up naked and sated, their skin sticking to each other in a deliciously new way.
Jordan blinked hard to get rid of that particular image. Square sausage couldn’t compete with that.
Not safe for work.Jordan was very much at work.
“I think Jordan can live without that particular breakfast.” Abby sat forward, moving her sunglasses up her face.
Was it Jordan’s imagination, or was Abby’s gaze sliding down her body?
She blinked again.
Something rushed in her chest.
It must be her imagination.
“The world always needs square sausage, young lady,” Gloria said. “Don’t shy away from your roots. I know we had eggs, avocado, and smoked salmon this morning and it was delicious. But sometimes, a square sausage is the only thing that’ll cut it.” She pointed at her chest. “At least for this proud Scot.”
Abby laughed, her gaze still on Jordan. “When we get home, I’ll cook you some, okay? Mum’s right. You need to experience it once in your life.”
Desire pooled in her stomach as she focused on Abby in her blue polka dot bikini. Damn, her legs were fine.
“I’m always up for new and exciting experiences, so count me in.” Had she managed to make that reply light and throwaway?
Gloria looked from one to the other, as if she might say something, then didn’t. “Anyway, we’ve been on this boat for 20 minutes and nobody’s brought the bride a drink!”
