Chapter 4

4

"Come in," Jace said when a knock sounded on his cabin door.

Ian entered and looked at his father. "Wow, really going all out today, aren't you?"

Standing in front of the mirror, Jace readjusted the jacket of his full dress uniform. It'd been quite a while since he'd worn one since his usual job didn't require such formality. "I kind of have to if I'm officiating this shindig. Funny thing is, it just doesn't look as good on me as it used to."

His son snorted. "You're just nervous because you have to wear it in front of a girl ," Ian teased.

"That doesn't have anything to do with it. I'm just not used to it anymore."

"Riiight," Ian replied. "Whatever you say, man. "

Jace sighed at his reflection as he combed his hair first one way and then another. He knew Ian was right, even if he didn't want to admit it. There was no shame in his feelings for Erin, but it wasn't time to talk about the subject yet. He'd barely scratched the surface on what was between them.

But if Ian was noticing, he wasn't doing a very good job of keeping it quiet. He turned away from the mirror to grab his hat. "Is it that obvious?"

"Hey, I've never worked with you on a boat like this. I don't know how you normally operate. I guess I wouldn't know how any captain on a fancy yacht operates, but I doubt any of them would slip off to talk to a particular guest outside or make eyes at her over dinner."

"What can I say? She's not a snob like the rest of them," Jace groused.

Ian wagged a finger at him. "Now, now. We have to be professional. This is our job, and we agreed to do it."

Jace laughed. "I always knew you'd use my words against me someday. Anyway, I assume there was a specific reason you came in here. Or was it just to tease me?"

"The teasing is just a bonus," Ian replied with a grin. "I actually came to let you know Marissa and I got the last of the flowers put out, and the ribbons are tied along the railings like you wanted. The music is ready to go. The only thing we have to do to start the ceremony is to literally press play."

"Perfect." Jace was no wedding planner, and he was glad that Rodney had everything in place with detailed instructions. "Since we have so few people to work with, this ought to go fairly smoothly."

At least, he hoped so as he made his way back up to the deck. Though the yacht wasn't huge, he and the crew had made quite a bit of room by moving some furniture around. White folding chairs were placed in a row, and an arch had been set up. The ribbons fluttered in the gentle breeze, and the late afternoon sunlight was golden and gentle. Ian had started up some light classical music. It was beautiful, an intimate setting inside an almost infinite expanse of water. Jace checked over his notes and then took his place in front of the arch. Now, all he had to do was wait.

The wedding guests were the first to appear. Jace knew them all by name now. Hadley and Blaire sat together, giggling and talking with their heads close. Florence sauntered up next, carefully arranging herself in her seat. Last came Phillip, jogging up from below deck, still adjusting his tie. He nodded at the women before plopping into a seat, earning a disdainful look from Florence.

Hugo came next, dressed in a designer tux that'd been custom-tailored or perhaps even custom-made. He strode coolly down the aisle and took his place. Jace noticed that he didn't look the least bit flustered. Every groom Jace had ever seen was always a bit nervous, rubbing his hands together or making too many jokes. Hugo was simply there, casually waiting for his bride.

The groomsman, Archie, looked a bit more flustered as he came down the aisle next, picking at the buttons on the front of his tux.

Then there she was. Jace had been looking forward to seeing Erin, only having caught a glimpse of her around breakfast time before he'd had to help set up. Then, she'd sat on a deck chair with a steaming mug of coffee and a book. She'd looked casual and relaxed, making Jace want to sit next to her and ask what she was reading.

Now? He wouldn't be able to come up with any words to ask at all. He was stunned by her beauty. The dress of champagne silk didn't seem to be her style, considering what else he'd seen her wear, but the thin material traced her curves out for him. The tiny straps showed off her pale shoulders, and the draped neckline enhanced the slight movement of her breasts. Her hips pressed against the fabric, and as she walked down the aisle, she seemed to be walking straight toward him. The sunlight and the color of her dress enhanced the emerald of her eyes, which were focused on him. Jace's mouth went dry, and his bear went wild. It pressed at the boundaries of his human body, and he fought to keep it under control. It was insistent and demanding. Through his beast, Jace felt the gravitational pull of this woman. If he'd had any doubts, they were erased. He knew she was his mate.

She reached him and then turned, taking her place just to Jace's right. Erin turned her gaze away from him, and Jace felt the absence down to his bones.

But the music shifted at Ian's command, and now everyone was looking away from him and toward the bride. Gretchen emerged in a tall column of white silk, but Jace barely registered her. His entire being was still lasered in on Erin. He'd been disappointed when she'd turned away—even though logically, he knew it was nothing personal—but now he was rewarded with a dazzling view of her backside. The champagne silk was just as flattering from this angle, as was the way she'd pulled up her hair to show off the length of her neck. Only a day ago, he'd been certain that this week would drag by. Now, he didn't want it to end.

The music changed once again as Gretchen came to take her place next to her groom. The couple looked at him expectantly, and Jace forced himself back on track. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today…"

He'd read the speech to himself several times before they'd left the harbor. It'd been a while, and Jace wanted to be sure he got it right. The words had come back to him quickly and easily, and now he spoke them with little thought at all. He looked at Gretchen and Hugo but maintained a steady awareness of Erin.

She'd looked calm and confident when she'd first arrived, but as the ceremony went on, she began to fidget. She smoothed her dress down her thighs. She checked the fastener on her earring and adjusted her necklace. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, looking back and forth between Hugo and Gretchen. Concern wrinkled her brow, and her breaths became quicker. He readied himself to catch her in case she passed out. They just had to get through the last of the vows, do the ring exchange, and then they'd be done. Perhaps, Jace hoped, he'd find time to talk with her again.

Now, he was just as eager to get this over with. "If anyone present objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace." Jace paused, as was tradition, and then pulled in a breath to continue.

But Erin's hand darted out and touched Gretchen's arm, making the bride turn toward her. "Don't do this."

"What?" Gretchen's eyes darted from Erin to Jace and then to her groom and back.

Erin's brows knitted together, and she licked her lips. "I'm sorry, but I saw Hugo and Blaire together in the storage closet last night. Like, together together. You can't marry someone who's going to treat you like that. You deserve much better."

Hugo's face turned several shades of red, though it was from anger rather than embarrassment. "How dare you say such things!"

Blaire was on her feet now, too. "What did you just say?"

Jace could see he'd quickly lost control of this whole thing. He cleared his throat. "If we could all just take a breath and calm down…"

But it was too late. Gretchen's eyes intensified as she stared at her friend, a look so fierce it could kill, and then burst into tears. She tossed her flowers on the ground. Her back heaved with her sobs as she turned away, walking stiffly back down the aisle.

Hugo heaved a sigh and trudged after her.

Jace looked at Ian, who stood at the back of the deck. The look of shock on his face reflected Jace's.

"I'm sorry," Erin whispered just before she hurried off.

"The chairs are all put away, and we put the furniture back where it normally goes," Marissa reported.

"What do we do about everything else?" Ian asked.

Jace's shoulders were tense. This would've been a bad situation anyway, but it felt even worse since this wasn't his job or company. He hadn't personally done anything to make the wedding go awry, but he still felt like he'd let Rodney down somehow. He looked around at the flowers and the fluttering ribbons, an odd contrast to the somber pall that'd taken over the ship ever since the wedding had come to such an abrupt halt. "The groom—er, Hugo—made it pretty obvious that there would be no party tonight. Still, it's getting late and it's been a long day. Leave the last bits of it for tomorrow and get some rest."

"You sure?" Ian asked.

"Yeah. We're anchored for the night, so after I check on a few things, I'll be hitting the hay myself." Not that he thought he'd sleep very well. If he weren't thinking about the disastrous day, he'd be thinking about Erin—preferably the latter.

"All right. Good night." Ian headed below the deck.

Though he knew everything was all settled and well, Jace went back to the helm station anyway. It'd been a habit he'd formed a long time ago, back when he used to have this sort of job on the regular, to double-check that they were good for the night. The routine had carried over into his personal life once he'd changed to only making daily runs, and he was at home at night with Ian. He'd do a quick security check of the house, making sure the doors were locked, the dirty dishes were in the dishwasher, and his little boy was sleeping soundly in his bed.

Things had changed a lot since then.

He took a quick glance over the controls and nodded. Nothing was coming over the radio. All was well. But then he spotted a shadow out by the bow. Jace stopped and studied it. The moon provided the only illumination out there, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. It was Erin.

Slipping out onto the deck, Jace made his way forward. He could see her dark hair moving slightly in the breeze. She sat almost all the way in the bow, having passed by the large seating area and the sun pad. Her knees were drawn up to her chin. One arm was wrapped around her shins, and the other loosely held a glass of straight whiskey. Her other hand rested on one knee as she looked out to sea.

"I wasn't sure if it was okay to be out here."

She hadn't moved or turned to him, and Jace thought she hadn't heard him approach. "It's fine by me," he said softly. "Would you mind some company?"

"You're the captain," she replied, moving her glass to make room next to her. "I don't know that you want to be seen fraternizing with me, though. I'm a homewrecker. Not in the classic sense, but something along those lines."

Careless of his dress uniform, which he surely wouldn't be using again for this trip, Jace lowered himself to the deck. "Is that what Gretchen called you?"

"No." She took a sip of her drink and didn't seem bothered by the burn of it. "She didn't really say much of anything. I tried to talk to her, but Hugo was with her. I waited and came back later, but it didn't matter. She won't come out, and she won't talk to me."

"I'm sorry," Jace replied.

"Well, me too." She straightened out her legs and leaned back against the sun pad. Erin had changed from the flimsy bridesmaid's dress into a dark t-shirt and pajama bottoms. The moonlight allowed Jace to see that her toes were painted, though he couldn't tell what color. She didn't need an expensive dress and strappy shoes to be sexy, that was for sure. It was still her body underneath, and he wanted it just as badly.

"I came on this trip because I wanted to be here for my friend," she continued. "I thought that meant just going through the motions of putting on a dress and smiling for the camera. I was wrong."

"Did you really catch those two in a storage closet?" Jace had been wondering about that ever since her announcement. He didn't think Erin was the sort who would just make that up, but he was curious. The yacht made for relatively close quarters, but people could find their privacy if they wanted it badly enough .

Erin pressed her lips together and nodded. "Oh, yeah. I saw way more of those two than I ever would've wanted."

"So, why are you beating yourself up about it?" he asked. "I know Gretchen is taking it hard, but I think anyone would if they found out their spouse-to-be was cheating on them."

She shrugged. "I should've told her earlier. I just didn't know how. She kept telling me how happy she was, and we're not as close as we were as kids. It wasn't until they were about to seal the deal that I knew I really had to say something."

He studied her profile as she spoke. Erin had wiped off her makeup, and her hair was tousled. This was what she must look like right before she went to bed or when she first woke up in the morning. Jace liked it. A lot. "That's a hell of a burden."

"And now I've unloaded it all on you. I'm sorry about that. There's just something about you that makes me want to talk to you." She took a sip of her whiskey and frowned at it. "And I think there might be something about this whiskey that made me admit that."

Jace laughed. "I don't mind. I've been wanting to talk to you, anyway. And I don't have alcohol in my system that I can blame for telling you that." No, there was something else in his system.

"Good." Erin had mostly been looking out through the railing, keeping herself distant even as they sat together, but now she turned to him. "Then distract me from my misery and change the subject."

"All right. Tell me what you are. Not the homewrecker part," he added with a smile. "The other part of you. I know you're like me, but also not."

A single syllable of laughter escaped her throat. "Isn't it funny how people like us can say it without actually saying it?"

"Years of practice, I suppose."

Erin nodded. "I'm a bobcat."

"Really?" He sat up a little straighter at the surprising news.

"Is it that shocking?" Her lips curled with amusement.

"Just a surprise." But also not. He'd already sensed something feline about her, but he'd attributed that to her feminine appeal. Apparently, he'd been more on target than he'd realized. "That's not one you hear of every day."

"What about you?" she asked.

"Just a boring old black bear," he admitted.

Erin shook her head. "That's not boring. That means you're big and scary."

"Oh, now I'm scary," he replied. "Thanks."

She laughed again, this time letting out a little more of it. "I mean, you can kick someone's ass."

"And you couldn't?" he challenged.

"I could if I wanted to," she replied. Her shoulders had relaxed, and she wiggled her feet a little. "Maybe I should go kick Hugo's ass. I could just bust into his cabin and scratch his eyes out."

"No, don't do that." Jace shook his head. "As soon as other folks find out Hugo Bradford could afford a bobcat on his yacht, everyone else will want one, too."

This time when she laughed, he noticed it made her eyes crinkle a bit more at the corners. The connection between them was growing. He could feel it in his gut and in his chest.

A bear and a bobcat, sitting in the bow of a boat. Nothing had gone the way he'd thought it would on this trip, but Jace didn't mind.