Page 20 of Captain's Orders
"Is this okay?" Jordan whispered, because the last thing she wanted was for Dani to feel uncomfortable.
"Mm-hm." Dani's fingers found hers and pressed her hand more firmly against her, holding it there.
Although Jordan was far from relaxed, it felt good to hold her. Dani smelled amazing and Jordan was so turned on she could barely think. She wanted to slide her hand up under hertank top, to find her bare skin, her breasts. To press her mouth to the back of her neck and find out what sound she made when it was real. She wanted to fuck her so badly it hurt, and by now she was pretty sure Dani wanted that too.
Behave, she told herself. Whatever this was, it was already more than she should have allowed.Don't make it worse.
13
DANI
The white fabric of the pergola lifted and settled in the breeze, and Dani stepped back to look at what they'd built.
It looked good. The pergola was angled so the table looked straight out at the water, framed by the soft ripple of linen overhead and on either side. Two chairs at a round table laid in white. Three small glass vases of pale roses, low enough not to interfere with sightlines. The Krug already in its bucket. Crystal flutes, bone china, and fine silverware. The food platters in the temperature-regulated boxes beside the table.
Behind them, the cay rose into a low scrub of palms and seagrape. Ahead, the water shaded from clear over the sand to pale jade to deeper blue further out. There wasn't a single boat in sight. They'd chosen this beach because it was secluded—tucked behind a small headland on the lee side of an unnamed cay twenty minutes from Staniel.
"Stop fussing with the napkins," Lindsay said.
Dani looked down. She was re-folding a napkin for the third time.
"You're somewhere else today."
"I'm right here."
"Liar." Lindsay rolled her shoulders. "You've been miles away all morning."
Dani didn't reply as she placed a bottle of San Pellegrino in another cooler.
The truth was that her brain was miles away. About two miles, in the direction of the yacht, where Jordan was presumably on the bridge. Or maybe she'd gone back to her cabin to actually sleep because Dani didn't think either of them had slept much last night. She'd been awake, completely consumed by how Jordan's arm felt around her, and she could tell by Jordan's shallow breathing she was awake too. She must have dozed off at some point though, and when she woke up they were even more tangled and she'd practically jumped straight out of bed and into the shower so they wouldn't have to face each other.
That was seven hours ago and they hadn't spoken at all today. Zoe had had a meeting with Jordan so she'd brought up Jordan's breakfast and coffee, and Dani had been busy with the guests.
"Tender," Lindsay said.
Dani lifted her head. There was a distant note of an engine, threading in over the water from the direction of the yacht. Zoe was arriving with Patricia and Gerald.
"Good timing," Lindsay added.
Dani took a slow breath, brushed sand off her white slacks, and ran her fingers through her ponytail to make sure no strands had escaped. Lindsay did the same.
The tender rounded the point and slid into the shallows with Zoe at the helm. Patricia was in the bow seat with a silk scarf knotted at her throat and Gerald was beside her in a pressed navy linen shirt, one arm around her shoulders. It was their official anniversary today and Gerald had wanted to surprisehis wife while the rest of the family entertained themselves at Staniel Cay Yacht Club for the afternoon.
Patricia looked up and when she saw the cay and the setup, her hand went to her mouth.
"Enjoy your lunch. I'll pick you up in two hours," Zoe said, helping them onto dry land.
Patricia walked up the beach towards the table, slippers in hand. She stopped a few feet short of it and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Oh, Gerald."
"Happy anniversary, Pat."
"You did this."
"Dani and Lindsay made it happen. I just asked them nicely."
"Come here, you." She turned to him and put her palm flat against his cheek. He covered her hand with his own and smiled. It was moving seeing two people still so happy together after decades.
"Mrs. Whitfield, Mr. Whitfield." Dani gestured towards the chairs. "Whenever you're ready."
