Chapter 16
Jax kept his hand firmly on her upper arm, ensuring that she wasn’t going anywhere he wasn’t taking her. He hadn’t spoken to her since Mick and Greg beat a hasty retreat from the meeting that was clearly over, at least for them. Striding through the doorway with her at his side, he spoke to his desk sergeant, Madge Peterson, who was watching them wide-eyed.
“Sergeant Moreau and I are leaving for the day. Please hold my calls and contact me only in an emergency after you run it by Mac first.”
Madge nodded, then seemed to take a breath. “Sure thing, Chief.” She swallowed and turned to Viviana. “How about you, Vivi, will you be—”
Jax interrupted her. “Sergeant Moreau will also be unavailable. You can refer her calls to her commander. Commander Bannon can handle anything coming her way.”
Viviana did her best to keep up with his larger strides. She knew he was doing it on purpose to underscore how much bigger he was, but she refused to let him see that he was intimidating her. When they got out to the parking lot, she managed to twist free.
“My car is over there, Jax. I don’t need a ride.”
He laughed aloud. The harsh, mirthless sound sent waves of anxiety flooding her overwrought nerves, as did his mocking reply. “You do, unless you plan to run the next twenty miles or so.”
She stepped back and glared at him. “Where are you going, Jax, and what makes you think that I will go with you?”
His ironic response confirmed that his soft tone masked an undercurrent of anger. “Well, let’s see, Viviana, under ordinary circumstances I might suggest that we blow off a little steam and head for Telegraph Pass. But you’ve already done that today with California’s assistant attorney general. Or I could suggest that we go to a nice restaurant and have a sinfully expensive dinner, but we did that with my parents. As I recall, that didn’t work out so well.”
With her securely in tow, he strode across the parking lot. When they reached his Alpha Romeo, he hit the automatic release and yanked the door open. “In you go, Sergeant. Oh, and be sure to fasten your seat belt. You’re in for a wild ride.” Before she had a chance to answer, Jax fastened the belt across her lap, closed the door, and rounded the car. He peeled out of the parking lot, throwing a cascade of gravel in their wake. When he headed for the freeway leading to the coast, Viviana reached for his arm.
“Dammit, Jax. Answer me. What are you doing? Where are we going?”
Gazing straight ahead, the strain in his voice mirrored the expression on his face. “Hmm, those are good questions, Viviana, ones that deserve our attention. As to where we are going . . . at the moment, we’re going where no one will interrupt us or invade our time together. A place where we can deal with those important questions you raised. As to the specific place we’re going, it’s a place that has always brought me peace. A place I’d like to share with you.”
For the next twenty minutes, neither of them spoke. Viviana forced herself not to break the unusual silence. She’d thought Jax was angry, but as she studied him from behind her Gucci sunglasses, she decided that the crease on his cheek and his firm jaw spoke more to determination than anger. Allowing herself to relax against the padded seat, she realized how on edge she was. It had been a challenging day. The flurry of activity with Enrique, documented by the troupe of media who couldn’t seem to get enough of either of them, forced her to be constantly onstage. At first, she’d been surprised at the horde of reporters and cameramen following them. But then, as Jax had said, she shouldn’t have been. After all, Enrique was running for the highest office in the state. Given the dashingly handsome upstart combined with her star power, she should have expected the throng of media that followed them for over six hours. But for God’s sake, to make it the top story on twenty-four-hour news? In fairness to Jax, she admitted if she had to watch him parade around the city on the arm of a gorgeous woman, she would likely be as pissed as he was.
Conceding that point, Viviana blew out a hard sigh. She wished that the silence between them wasn’t layered with dissention. She would have loved to build on the erotic night they’d had just last night. Or better yet, snuggle together on their rooftop deck and watch a cheesy movie. When Jax turned off the highway onto a two-lane road with signs leading to the Bayside Marina, Viviana broke out of her reverie. She turned to him with a frown. “I don’t understand, Jax, where are we?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve never been on the cove, Viviana? What kind of a California beach bunny are you?” At her questioning glance, he added, “Welcome to one of most beautiful bays outside of San Fran.”
Viviana looked out over the glistening, wave-tipped indigo water to the three long piers extending into the bay. Boats of all sizes, ranging from sixteen-foot speedboats to larger seaworthy crafts, occupied the slips. Not knowing a darn thing about boats, Viviana was shocked when Jax pulled into a parking lot close to the longest pier.
He was at her door in seconds, opening it with a flourish. “Your adventure awaits, milady.”
Surprised, Viviana looked at him askance, “Uh, are we going sailing?”
Jax laughed. “Since there ain’t a sailboat in sight, no sweetheart, we aren’t going sailing.” A broad smile lit his face, the sight reminding her how much she loved it when he smiled at her the way he was now. Reaching for her hand, he pulled her close to him. “C’mon, lovely lady, I told you we were going for a wild ride.”
Before she could answer him, a loud voice called, “Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit.” A tall, sun-bronzed man wearing board shorts and a ripped tee shirt stained with what looked like a month’s worth of motor oil strode toward them. Sticking out a grime-covered hand and with a smile as wide as his face was weathered, the eager man yanked Jax into a one-armed embrace. “Dammit to hell, Jax, it really is you! Shit, man, when Toby called to say you were coming out here, I didn’t believe him. I told ’im he was as confused as a fart in a fan factory. That you were too busy saving the fuckin’ world to have a little fun.”
Shoving his baseball cap that claimed “Bad Decisions Make Good Stories” farther back on his head, the voluble man crowed, “Damn, dude, six of us have been runnin’ all over hell’s half acre gettin’ your boat ready. Shit, it just arrived yesterday. We weren’t sure we could get it done before you got here.”
Before Jax could do more than laugh and return the one-armed hug, upon seeing Viviana, the big man’s verbal fusillade stopped short. Stepping back and staring from her to Jax in amazement, he said, “You little cotton picker, Jax! It’s really true, ain’t it, Commander? You done hooked up with the Enchantress herself.” Shaking his head, he openly ogled Viviana and said in a voice thick with amazement, “Well, if that don’t just pickle my dill.” Gazing at Jax in appreciation, he added with a heartfelt sigh, “Of course, Commander, you would do the impossible, the way you always do. But, gawd almighty, Jax! The Enchantress? I’m tellin’ you if I didn’t love you so much, I’d cream yo’ corn for bein’ so goddamned lucky.” He shook his head in wonder and turned to Viviana with a shrug. “Honey, I’ll do my best not to stare at you, but shit, girl, you’re even purtier in person than you are on the tee-vee.”
Jax hugged Viviana next to him and laughingly introduced the glowing man. “Viviana, meet Dawg Hanson. He is without a doubt the biggest bullshitter that ever clawed his way out of the Mississippi Delta to become one of the baddest bad guys on my elite team of operatives. The only thing more impressive than Dawg’s verbal banter is his skill with a sniper rifle. What’s your record, Dawg, a thousand yards?”
Dawg’s grin split his face. “Hell, Jax, a pussy jarhead or swabbie could do that. I think my best shot was the one that took down that Somali Al-Shabaab pig a good fourteen hundred yards plus. You remember that motherfucker, Jax? The one who made the mistake of raisin’ his cowardly head a couple of inches? More than enough for me to scalp him with my kill shot.”
At that moment a gang of eager men appeared from nowhere, descending on Jax and Viviana. Presenting her to what Viviana quickly decided could have been the cast of Stripes or better yet, Private Benjamin, Jax finally extricated her from the group of clowning fans and led her to an enormous boat on the end of the pier. Grinning at her, he said, “Welcome aboard, princess. Just in case you thought my souped-up Giulia was my only boy-toy, Viviana, meet my Sea Ray SLX 400.” He nodded at the impressive craft. “Without a doubt, sweetheart, this miraculous piece of marine innovation is my surest-fire wet dream—in addition to you, of course.” He lifted her in his arms, then leapt onto the deck of the gleaming craft. With a teasing smile, he said, “It’s only appropriate that I carry you across the threshold of this remarkable vessel.”
Setting her on the deck, feeling like a little kid on Christmas morning, Jax pointed out a laundry list of special features, then described in glowing terms the phenomenal things the gorgeous craft was capable of. Finally turning to her with barely contained excitement, Jax asked, “How about it, princess? Are you ready for that wild ride I promised?”
An hour later, when the sun finally dipped below the horizon and twilight was painting the lagoon with mysterious shadows and the promise of a star-filled night sky, Jax brought the boat to a halt and dropped anchor. Turning to Viviana, whose eyes were glowing with excitement, he said, “What do you think, lovely lady? Dare I think that your shining eyes and rosy cheeks confirm that my seagoing, testosterone-laden surprise has been a hit?”
Viviana crowed in excitement. Questions spilled from her mouth in an incoherent stream. “Oh my God, Jax, I’ve never seen anything like this. Or ridden on anything so beautiful . . . or so fast. Good grief, I never even knew you had a boat—or is this called a yacht or ship?”
Jax laughed. “Well, sweetheart, it qualifies as a yacht, but truth be told, I think of it as my own piece of heaven. Some of the best moments of my life were skimming over the water in powerful boats, but I gotta admit, this Sea Ray is my best ride ever. I lusted after this particular model for ten years, watching them add one amazing feature after another. I finally caved and bought it right before the Belize op. In a way, I guess it was a statement to myself and my team that we were all going to be coming back, and we’d survive that crazy mission. I’ve only had it in the water a few times, and as Dawg and the guys said, I had them bring it up from San Diego yesterday. They’ve spent the last day and a half getting it ready for me . . . for us.”
Reveling in her starry-eyed excitement, he confessed, “I’ve never had a woman on board this vessel, Viviana. I knew it was too special to waste on just anyone. And then I met you. From the moment I saw you dive off that twenty-foot Belize cliff to the pool below, I knew I’d met a woman worthy of this boat.” He hugged her close to him and added, “But, darlin’, if that rumble I hear is your stomach and not thunder, it confirms you have to be as hungry as I am. How about it, Enchantress? Are you ready for a sinfully sumptuous dinner and an even more sensuous dessert?”
Lounging on the upholstered bench, Viviana looked up to see Jax studying her. Having eaten every remarkable treat he’d pulled out of the overflowing picnic basket and finished her second glass of pinot grigio, she didn’t know when she’d felt so content. Seeing Jax’s incipient frown, she asked in surprise, “Is something wrong, Jax?” Even as she said it, she couldn’t imagine what could possibly be wrong unless he was thinking back to the challenges of their day.
Before she could dwell on the litany of issues that were tearing at them, Jax pressed his lips together and said quizzically, “No, not necessarily wrong. But I just realized I didn’t pack a swimming suit for you.” At her surprised start, he said with an aggrieved sigh, “I guess there is only one answer to that dilemma, Viviana.”
At her raised brow, he rose to his feet and reached for her. “Given that we can’t let this glorious water go to waste, I guess we will just have to swim naked.”
After they’d romped in the cool ocean water like a pair of seagoing porpoises, Jax finding every way possible to shock her with his amorous overtures, he dragged her next to the boarding ladder. “Up you go, sweetheart. I’ll gladly follow you. How else can this outrageous voyeur revel in the sight of your superlative ass and plan all the things I’m going to do with it—make that do to it . . . ”
After he made long, slow, passionate love to her, Viviana huddled against him, drifting in the fairyland on the edge of sleep. Realizing that he’d turned on the engine and they were heading for shore, she shot him a troubled glance. “Do we have to go, Jax?”
He nodded. “Yeah, sweetheart, we do. Unfortunately, the rest of our challenging lives awaits us.” Powering down the engine, he allowed the craft to coast forward and pulled her into his arms. Lifting her chin, he met her inquiring gaze. With a soft smile, he said, “But, Viviana, we have this piece of heaven and we have each other. Nothing and no one can take it away from us.” He added somberly, “Unless we let it.”
When she frowned and started to speak, he pressed a strong finger against her lips. “But we aren’t going to let either of us do that, are we, baby?”
She nodded in agreement, pressing her cheek against his strong chest. She murmured, “Promise, Jax?”
He smiled and pinched her cheek. “Yeah, sweetheart, that’s a promise I’ll spend my life ensuring that we keep.”
She grinned up at him and said, “Ditto!”
****
Less than a week later, Viviana wondered with a pained sigh how both she and Jax could have been so naïve. How could they not have known that heaven could become hell if it wasn’t cared for and protected from the myriad forces out to corrupt it? Especially the self-imposed havoc they each carelessly rained on it.