One Long Embrace
Page 47
“No trick. I stand by my word. If you decide you want to leave me after four days, I’ll set you up with your own business. But I hope you’ll stay and give me another chance.”
“So what are you planning? Four days of sex, thinking that will sway me?”
As much as he liked the idea, that wasn’t his plan. “I’m afraid that would be the wrong approach. I’m not going to sleep with you until you’ve changed your mind about me.” He motioned to the cabin below. “We won’t be sleeping in the same bed. I’ve prepared a sleeping cabin for you. Your bag is still here. I got you a few more things, additional clothes and toiletries for the trip so you’ll feel comfortable.”
Tara stared at him in disbelief. “You went shopping for me?”
“Don’t say it as if you’ve never heard of a man going shopping.”
“You surprise me, Jay.”
He grinned. “Well, that’s a start. Why don’t you go down to the cabin and get changed?” He ran his eyes over her figure-hugging red dress. “Not that I don’t love the way you look, but it’s going to get breezy. I got you a few sweaters and a windbreaker.”
“Sure.” She turned.
“Oh, and could you maybe grab my blue jacket, too? It’s hanging on a hook in the main cabin.”
“Okay.” She walked down the stairs and disappeared from sight.
Jay shed his tuxedo jacket and hung it over the backrest of the high seat behind the wheel. By the time Tara came back, he’d programmed their destination into the navigation system of the yacht and set the autopilot.
Tara looked gorgeous in the white linen pants, the blue tank top and the blue-and-white windbreaker he’d bought for her.
“You bought me boat shoes.”
He looked down to her feet. She wore blue-and-white Nautica shoes. “I didn’t want you to walk on the yacht in high heels. It ruins the veneer.”
Not that he cared. After all, he could always have the deck resurfaced. But it was dangerous not to have a good footing on a boat. An unexpected wave could knock Tara off her feet if she wasn’t wearing the right shoes.
“I could have just worn my flip-flops.”
He tossed her a slightly annoyed look. “Just accept my little gift. It’s the least I could do for not giving you a chance to pack.”
Tara seemed embarrassed about that. “Thanks. Oh, and here’s your jacket.”
She handed it to him, and he slipped it on. Later, he’d get changed and wear something more comfortable, but right now he wanted to put as much distance between them and whoever was going to pursue them. Surely, Tara’s parents would be on their tail to save their daughter from a most unsuitable man.
“I hope the cabin works for you,” he said, just to make conversation and put Tara at ease.
“Actually…” She hesitated.
“Is there a problem?”
“It’s nothing you can fix. It’s just when the door is closed you can’t fully open the closet door to the right of it. It rubs against the handle. Really badly thought out. I mean, it looks great, really, but it’s not very functional.”
“What would you do?”
“Well there’s nothing you can do. Not now, it’s already built.”
“Yes, but if you could do it all over again?”
“You mean redesign?”
He nodded encouragingly.
“Well, first of all, I’d move the door by about two feet to the left, and then I’d take about three inches off the depth of the closet. It’ll still give you enough space inside for hanging whatever you need to, but it’ll make it much easier to move around. And the hardware would have to go, too.”
“The hardware?”
“Yes, the handles. Instead of having them stick out where you constantly bump into them, why not carve into the wood so they are recessed? You know?”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Well, feel free to let your new designer know.”
Jay smiled and met her eyes. “I haven’t filled the position yet.”
Frown lines built on her forehead. “You must have had lots of good applicants.”
“I did. There was one whose designs I loved particularly.”
“Why didn’t you hire that person?”
He smirked. “Because she ran out on me before I got a chance to talk to her about her portfolio.”
Tara looked at him, still a good dose of suspicion in her blue eyes. “You’re probably just saying that so that I’ll like you.”
“So what are you planning? Four days of sex, thinking that will sway me?”
As much as he liked the idea, that wasn’t his plan. “I’m afraid that would be the wrong approach. I’m not going to sleep with you until you’ve changed your mind about me.” He motioned to the cabin below. “We won’t be sleeping in the same bed. I’ve prepared a sleeping cabin for you. Your bag is still here. I got you a few more things, additional clothes and toiletries for the trip so you’ll feel comfortable.”
Tara stared at him in disbelief. “You went shopping for me?”
“Don’t say it as if you’ve never heard of a man going shopping.”
“You surprise me, Jay.”
He grinned. “Well, that’s a start. Why don’t you go down to the cabin and get changed?” He ran his eyes over her figure-hugging red dress. “Not that I don’t love the way you look, but it’s going to get breezy. I got you a few sweaters and a windbreaker.”
“Sure.” She turned.
“Oh, and could you maybe grab my blue jacket, too? It’s hanging on a hook in the main cabin.”
“Okay.” She walked down the stairs and disappeared from sight.
Jay shed his tuxedo jacket and hung it over the backrest of the high seat behind the wheel. By the time Tara came back, he’d programmed their destination into the navigation system of the yacht and set the autopilot.
Tara looked gorgeous in the white linen pants, the blue tank top and the blue-and-white windbreaker he’d bought for her.
“You bought me boat shoes.”
He looked down to her feet. She wore blue-and-white Nautica shoes. “I didn’t want you to walk on the yacht in high heels. It ruins the veneer.”
Not that he cared. After all, he could always have the deck resurfaced. But it was dangerous not to have a good footing on a boat. An unexpected wave could knock Tara off her feet if she wasn’t wearing the right shoes.
“I could have just worn my flip-flops.”
He tossed her a slightly annoyed look. “Just accept my little gift. It’s the least I could do for not giving you a chance to pack.”
Tara seemed embarrassed about that. “Thanks. Oh, and here’s your jacket.”
She handed it to him, and he slipped it on. Later, he’d get changed and wear something more comfortable, but right now he wanted to put as much distance between them and whoever was going to pursue them. Surely, Tara’s parents would be on their tail to save their daughter from a most unsuitable man.
“I hope the cabin works for you,” he said, just to make conversation and put Tara at ease.
“Actually…” She hesitated.
“Is there a problem?”
“It’s nothing you can fix. It’s just when the door is closed you can’t fully open the closet door to the right of it. It rubs against the handle. Really badly thought out. I mean, it looks great, really, but it’s not very functional.”
“What would you do?”
“Well there’s nothing you can do. Not now, it’s already built.”
“Yes, but if you could do it all over again?”
“You mean redesign?”
He nodded encouragingly.
“Well, first of all, I’d move the door by about two feet to the left, and then I’d take about three inches off the depth of the closet. It’ll still give you enough space inside for hanging whatever you need to, but it’ll make it much easier to move around. And the hardware would have to go, too.”
“The hardware?”
“Yes, the handles. Instead of having them stick out where you constantly bump into them, why not carve into the wood so they are recessed? You know?”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Well, feel free to let your new designer know.”
Jay smiled and met her eyes. “I haven’t filled the position yet.”
Frown lines built on her forehead. “You must have had lots of good applicants.”
“I did. There was one whose designs I loved particularly.”
“Why didn’t you hire that person?”
He smirked. “Because she ran out on me before I got a chance to talk to her about her portfolio.”
Tara looked at him, still a good dose of suspicion in her blue eyes. “You’re probably just saying that so that I’ll like you.”
