“I’m aware,” she says, cutting in with a smile.
“I’m going to stay involved with our company as an advisor. I own half of it too and you’re in good hands.” I cup her face with my hand. “Well, forty-nine percent, technically, but I don’t care if it’s zero. I just want you happy. It’s your baby to do what you want with. Forge an empire bigger than mine, or keep HeronComm as your only client. I don’t care. And if you want to work for starving artists, then forget what I said and do it. We’ll take a loss and a tax deduction.”
She puts her hand over mine, brings my fingers to her lips, and kisses each knuckle.
“I love you, Mag.”
It’s too tempting to pull her into my lap and take her right here in the car like we’re high school kids making time before curfew ends. Only, today’s far too important for that.
“Love you too,” I whisper back. “We should get on the boat. It’s embarking soon.”
I go to the trunk to grab our supplies and she meets me behind the car. I take out a pack and a shoe box. “This is for you.”
She pulls the top off the box.
“Um...Thank you?” Her lips are puckered like she’s sucking on a sour lemon wedge. “Maybe I’ll just leave them in the car.” She starts for the passenger door.
I grab her arm. “They’re deck shoes.”
“Deck shoes?”
“Anchor shoes.” I tell her.
“Anchor shoes?”
God. This woman might just slay me yet.
“So you don’t slip on the ship and bruise your cute ass. This yacht is the only place I love as much as the office, and if you fall overboard, I’ll only find solace behind my desk.”
She puts a hand on her hip. “Is that so?”
I sigh.
Her face turns rosy. She skips toward me, closing the space between us as she tumbles into my arms.
“I love how you worry about everything,” she whispers, kissing my chin and then up my jaw.
I sling the pack over my shoulder to slip an arm around her, press her close, and let my lips find hers. I don’t have to urge her mouth open.
With a buttery moan, her tongue caresses mine, her teeth teasing my bottom lip.
I pull my face away from hers, leaving an arm around her, and slow my breathing until I can talk. “Somebody’s got to look out for us both, Brina, or you’ll be the death of me.”
“Hey, at least you’ll die happy.”
“No denying that,” I growl, sliding a hand to her ass and cupping what’s mine.
“Also, I love you, but these shoes are hideous. I thought yachts were all glitz and glamour.”
“Bah. I watched you almost slide down a mountain in those stupid flip flops once. You would have if I hadn’t been there to catch you.”
“And I wouldn’t have been on that mountain if it wasn’t for you!” she fires back, veering her face away before I can kiss her again.
“Wear the damn shoes, and we’ll order you a custom pair before we go boating again. Deal? It’s just us on the yacht today and a tiny crew. I don’t waste time staring at your feet. I promise you that when you’ve got plenty of other assets demanding my attention.”
She flashes me a devilish wink.
Hands tangled, we finally make it to the boat and set sail toward the sunshine over Lake Michigan. Before I know it, I’m lounging on a chaise with Brina in my arms, kissing her hair.
“Welcome to perfection,” I mutter.
“The boat? It’s pretty cool.”
“I’m glad you agree.” I run my fingers through her hair. “But I meant the calm waves and the girl in my arms.”
She kisses my shoulders, burying her face against me.
“I love you, but you already know it.”
The fact that I’ll never get tired of saying those words makes me hold her tighter still.
“Are you okay? You seemed kinda tense earlier and a little more—umm—urgent than usual.”
“Urgent?” I snort out a laugh.
She chews on her lip. “You’ve told me you love me more today than any other day I can remember.”
“It’s the nerves.”
“Whaaat?” She grins, her eyes going wide. “I didn’t know you got nervous. What for?”
I gaze into those russet-brown eyes, so vivid, so bright, so entirely my world.
“I don’t, usually, but I need to close a deal soon with someone who plays hardball, and there’s a lot to lose if it goes sour.”
“What? Is this that new gaming company you told me about?” she whispers, blissfully clueless. “You’ll kill it, Mag. And you won’t even have to threaten to eat cat food!”
We both fall together laughing, remembering that infamy.
How can it be so long ago? It feels like only yesterday when she was at my side at that meeting, testing my ability not to get hard every time I saw her.
“No worries. My counterpart on the other side isn’t impressed by those stunts,” I say.