He grinned. “Make me.”
“God, you’re such a child.” With an exasperated exhale, she lifted the edges of her swimsuit top and rubbed the stuff on her breasts.
Oh hell. It took everything he had in him not to groan, and he couldn’t help but wonder if the sunscreen tasted as good as it smelled. Was she trying to torture him? Knowing her, probably.
“You need to put some on, too,” she said in a won’t-take-no-for-an-answer tone and held the tube out to him. So, naturally, he had to brush it aside. At this point, poking at her had gone beyond an amusing pastime and into compulsion territory, but he got the feeling she enjoyed their bickering as much as he did.
“I’ll be fine.”
She sniffed, snapped the tube shut, and dropped it into her bag. “Don’t you come whining to me when you’re burned to a crisp, buddy. I’ll just laugh and do my I-told-you-so dance.”
“Now that’s something I’d pay to see. Does it involve a pole?”
She punched him in the shoulder. Hard. “You’re an ass.”
Satisfied with the outcome of the conversation, he lifted his face to the sun and inhaled the salty air. The ocean was as flat as a sheet of blue glass today, the only waves the ones coming off the boat as she skimmed across the water toward their destination. He stole a glance at Libby. She sat beside him with her eyes closed, her face also raised to the sun and wind. When she smiled, he did, too. She loved this. Sure, she’d cut off her own tongue with nail clippers before she admitted to it, but she was just as taken with the colors and sounds and flavors of the Keys as he was.
He couldn’t wait to see what her reaction would be to the afternoon he had planned and all but bounced in his seat with impatience. No doubt she was going to bitch and moan—and he couldn’t wait for the argumental gymnastics to follow—but he was also sure she was going to relish every second of it. At least he hoped so. He wanted to see her relax, wanted her to forget for a little while why they were in this tropical paradise. An escape for them both.
Fuck, his nerves were jangling around under his skin like obnoxious church bells.
Unable to stay seated any longer, he got up and paced the length of the boat, rubbing the ring in his shorts pocket like some kind of fucking magic lamp. He stopped and forced himself to remove his hand from the pocket and zip it up so he wouldn’t be tempted again. Libby gave him a quizzical look at the sound of the zipper, but went back to enjoying the ride without a word of question.
Hah. The lawyer was speechless. Had to be a first.
Temptation to provoke her again niggled at him, just so he could watch the flush of debate fill her cheeks. She was beautiful when she went into full lawyer-mode. Then again, he thought as she leaned over the railing, her hair loose and dancing around her face like rays of sunlight, she was always beautiful.
Nerves again. He rubbed his hands together, told himself to chill the fuck out. It wasn’t like he was proposing a second time. She’d probably laugh and kick him in the balls if he tried something that asinine. Still…he wanted everything perfect. Worry-free. And, yeah, maybe a little romantic.
Maybe he’d just check in with the captain one last time to make sure everything was all set.
…
When the boat slowed and coasted toward one of the little islands they had been circling for the last half hour, Libby sent a questioning glance Jude’s way. He merely grinned back.
She rolled her eyes. That man. His grin really shouldn’t set off rabbles of butterflies in her stomach.
The boat coasted toward a dock that looked half as sturdy as they one they’d left an hour ago. Jude stood at the bow and leaned out, grabbing ahold of a rope to help guide them in. After tying them with a skillful knot, he turned and reached down a hand to help her up and out.
“Ladies first.”
How gentlemanly. Funny thing—he was a gentleman. Two weeks ago, she never would have thought so. But he’d given her a flower every day. He’d found a new copy of her ruined book. He had run out into public half-naked just to keep an overgrown lizard from giving her nightmares. What was all of that if not gentlemanly?
Libby waited on the dock for him to grab his pack and disembark. The captain unloaded a huge surfboard and one long paddle from the back of the boat, then jumped in behind the wheel again and gave a wave. Jude untied the boat, pushed it away from the dock, and waved back.
“Whoa, wait,” Libby said, panic rising. “Where is he going?”
“Home.” He took her hand and led her toward the beach.
“He’s leaving us out here?”