Chapter 6

6

Jace lay as still as possible. Through his porthole window, he could see the sun just barely starting to peek over the horizon. It was enough for him to see the woman lying next to him. She slept soundly, her choppy hair tossed over her face, leaving only her mouth and jawline exposed.

His mind relived the events of the night before, over and over again. Finding her on the deck, talking, laughing, kissing. Jace hadn't thought twice about asking her down to his quarters. He knew he wanted her there, in his bed. He knew he wanted to please her and how much his own body wanted to do so. His bear had practically demanded it, and Jace had felt that insistence reflected in Erin's bobcat. She'd felt so good in his arms, and to be inside her had felt like coming home.

"I should probably sneak back to my room," she'd said at one point when they'd lain amongst the rumpled sheets, their arms around each other, their legs tangled, the softness of her belly pressed against him. "Florence doesn't like talking to me anyway, so it won't matter if she's asleep."

"You can if you want to," he'd replied reluctantly. Jace hadn't wanted her to leave, but he wouldn't stop her. "I'd love it if you'd stay, though."

Erin had picked up her head then to look at him, her lips curled. "Won't that be scandalous for you? Sleeping with one of your guests?"

"Let them talk. It won't bother me in the least." He'd kissed her then. They'd spent enough time together that her skin had taken on the scent of his own, and it'd driven his bear wild.

She'd laid her head back on his shoulder. "I don't really care, either, but I've caused enough trouble. I should go."

She hadn't. They'd both fallen asleep. Jace was awake now, but it still seemed like he was living in a dream.

This was her. It was finally her. Now, what would he do about it ?

At the moment, the only thing he could do was his job. Someone had to run this boat, and he was the only one qualified. Jace lay there for a couple more minutes, trying to decide if he should disturb Erin. The day prior had been hard enough for her, though, and he'd kept her up fairly late. He slipped quietly out of bed and up to the helm.

The ship was quiet as he sat down at the wheel to check over the controls and double-check the route for the day. Long gold rays of sunlight were now slipping out across the bay, picking out the texture of the water and highlighting the lines of the yacht. Mornings like these made him remember exactly why he loved being out there so much. There was a sense of being completely alone, yet one with the world, a private knowledge and wonder he just couldn't find on land. The excitement that built in him as the sun rose was a very similar feeling to the one he got when he was with Erin, like he had the secret to life all to himself.

"Ah, there you are," a gruff voice said behind him.

Jace turned to find Hugo Bradford. His white linen button-down was paired with very loud shorts, the bright colors resolving into numerous sharks. He hadn't shaved that morning, which might've been interpreted as a purposeful look except for the dark circles under his eyes. At least he'd combed his hair. "Good morning."

"It's not, actually," Hugo replied brusquely. "I'm sure you know that."

Looking past him, Jace could still see the ribbons that decorated the railings. He hadn't forgotten yesterday's events, not by a long shot, but there was one even he was keener to dwell on than the wedding. "I can imagine."

Hugo sighed and folded his arms. "There's a change of plans, Captain. You're going to bring this boat right back to Provincetown."

Jace raised a brow. "We're scheduled to be out for the rest of the week."

"I know that," the other man snapped. "There's no point in carrying on this charade and fucking around out here on the water. The wedding is off."

"Couldn't smooth it over with her, huh?" It was no skin off his teeth, and he couldn't blame Gretchen for refusing to give it another go after what she'd been told. But Hugo was the one footing the bill, and Jace knew he had to play the customer service game. He occupied himself by cleaning a tiny spot off the window.

Bradford snorted. "There's no way I'm getting married in front of my friends after that girl made me suffer such humiliation on my own vacation!"

Jace slowly lifted his head. "That girl?" he echoed, his jaw beginning to clench.

"Women aren't worth the trouble sometimes," Hugo went on. "You think you've found one that's at least tolerable, but then another hen comes along to cluck at her and it fucks the whole thing up."

"They're not hens or girls," Jace replied, fighting hard to keep his voice calm. "They're women. They're people. They're your fiancée and her best friend."

"I don't give a shit who they are! They're a fucking embarrassment!" Hugo stormed.

A storm of a different kind was brewing in Jace right then. His bear raged at what an asshole this man was. "If you ask me, it was your actions that were embarrassing. As I recall, you were the one who cheated on your fiancée. All Erin did was call you out on it, and rightfully so." He lifted his chin and waited. He'd spoken the truth and knew that didn't always sit well with guys like Hugo. Jace could be professional on many levels, but there was a limit.

Hugo flapped a dismissive hand in the air. "You couldn't possibly understand."

Jace didn't miss the underlying disgust in that statement, but he didn't care. He couldn't change the mind of a man like that, nor would he want to waste his time trying. Instead, he focused on getting the hell away from him. He may have switched away from these longer tours for Ian's sake, but it was saving his own sanity as well. "I can reroute and head back to Provincetown as you requested, but I should remind you that the fee for the trip is nonrefundable regardless of when we return to the harbor."

Hugo's face scrunched up as though the thought of talking about money as a limitation was revolting. "I don't care about trivialities like that. I'm just ready to get off this damn boat."

"Whatever you say, sir." Jace pointedly turned away from him and back to the helm. He waited until he heard the turd stomp away, then let his shoulders relax a little. He shouldn't let a jackass like that get under his skin. Hugo could be as big of a jerk as he wanted, but he'd never get away with speaking about his mate like that. It wasn't her fault he couldn't keep it in his pants. Jace continued to fume for a while as he fired up the engines and set the course for the dock.

He didn't see anyone for a couple of hours. The layout of The Endless Summer meant the passengers could easily come and sit in the lounge while he drove the boat, but instead, they steered clear. Jace could only imagine the tension that must be playing out all over the ship. The bride and groom that were no longer engaged. A woman who'd been betrayed by the man she loved as well as one of her best friends. Another woman who might very well have been used by a powerful man. And then there was Erin, who had only wanted to make things right. Several times, he'd considered slipping down to his quarters to see if she was still there or if she'd returned to her own room. He wished he'd done things a little differently, that he'd woken her up with a kiss and maybe even another round before he'd gone to work instead of letting her sleep.

These thoughts and others had plenty of time to roll through his mind until Ian appeared a couple of hours later. "Hey. I hadn't seen you at all yet this morning. I brought you some coffee and a cinnamon roll."

"I won't turn that down." A deep rumble from his stomach agreed. He hadn't bothered getting breakfast that morning. He'd been too preoccupied with his thoughts about Erin, the uncomfortable silence of the boat, and then his conversation with Hugo. None of that had left him feeling particularly interested in food, but now that first sip of coffee felt like a lifeline. "Ah, thank you. Why don't you take the wheel for me?

Ian had already been eyeing the controls but jumped a little as he straightened. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. You'll need plenty of practice if you're serious about being a captain someday." Jace took his breakfast and moved over.

Looking a bit nervous, Ian took the helm. "Yeah, but that's going to be on older touring boats. You know, the kind of thing I might actually have a chance at buying someday. Not some motor yacht like this."

Jace shook his head as he pressed the side of his fork into the cinnamon roll. It was soft, warm, and delicious, much like…Well, he didn't need to be thinking of Erin right now. "You need to get your hands on as many boats as you can in the meantime. It all adds up to experience, and you never know what you might be in charge of at some point."

"You really think this could work out? The whole shark tours thing I was telling you about?"

He looked up at his son. Ian watched the water around them, his shoulders straight and his eyes alert. This might be a fancier boat than the boy had imagined himself getting a hold of, but he still looked comfortable. This was his world. A wave of pride rushed over him. He hadn't been a perfect father, but he'd obviously done a few things right. "Yeah. I really do."

"Thanks." Ian smiled. After a moment, he took a closer look at the course plotted out for the day. "So it's true, huh?"

"Hm?" Jace had his mouth full of cinnamon roll. As with the coffee, he realized how much he needed it.

"We're turning around and heading back," Ian replied.

Jace nodded. "As the wealthiest among us commands, yes. Don't worry, though. Your pay won't be getting cut. I explained to him that the cost of the trip is nonrefundable."

"Bet he didn't even care."

"Nope." Jace knew they shouldn't be talking about Hugo. It was only a couple of days ago that he'd been reminding his son of how professional and respectful they should be. At the moment, though, Jace didn't care any more about respecting Hugo than Hugo did about respecting anyone else. The way he'd spoken about Erin still made Jace's blood boil. An uncomfortable feeling like a deep itch had taken up residence under his skin at not knowing exactly where Erin was or what she was doing. This was only because it meant he didn't know if Hugo was anywhere near her. Erin wanted to make it up to Gretchen for stopping the wedding, and it seemed likely she could run into the erstwhile groom. Jace couldn't trust that man to keep his mouth shut, and he'd hate to have to shove the douchebag into the water all the way out there. Well, no. He'd love to do that. He'd just hate having to explain it to Rodney later.

"Hello?" Ian waved a hand in front of his face. "That cinnamon roll can't be that good."

"Sorry. I was lost in thought." Jace blinked, bringing himself back. He took another deep drink of coffee, figuring he needed it. "What were you saying?"

"I was asking what you were going to do with the rest of the week," Ian repeated, though Jace hadn't heard him the first time. "Cutting this trip short means I've got some extra time on my hands. I think I might use it to go look at some apartments."

"That would be a good use of your time," Jace answered carefully.

"Yeah, there are some openings in some of the better apartment complexes, so I thought I might check them out."

Jace set his plate and fork aside. He'd take them down to the galley later. Right now, up there at the top of the boat, things were peaceful and quiet. He'd take advantage of time with his son when he could, whether he was getting paid or not. "You know you don't have to move out."

"I know." They'd had this conversation a few times already. "I just figured I'd go see what was out there. It's better than watching you sit on the couch and scratch yourself when you've suddenly got some time off work."

He couldn't help but laugh at the joke. They both knew Jace was far too active to be lying around uselessly, even if he did have time off. There was always something to be done, whether it was maintenance on his boats, repairs on the house, or an adventure to be had. "Sure, I can't blame you there. Your old man just isn't very exciting anymore."

"Yeah, yeah. That's what it is. Just looking at you makes me want to fall asleep." Ian punched his dad in the arm.

Jace's heart warmed. It wasn't easy watching his son grow up. Ian wasn't the same little boy who used to run into his arms when he got home from work. Nor was he entirely different. Time went by and changed things, and it was changing things for Jace as well as Ian. "Um, I actually did have an idea about what to do with the rest of the week. I wanted to run it by you."

"Shoot."

He opened his mouth and took a deep breath, finding it harder to say than he imagined. "It's about Erin."

"The lady you can't keep your eyes off of?" Ian asked with a grin.

It was more than his eyes that'd been on her. "Yes. She's my mate."

Ian's brows shot up. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." Jace swallowed. He'd dated a bit here and there since Maggie's death, but he'd always kept that world separate from his son. It'd only seemed right. Even now that Ian was a grown man, it felt like a bit of a betrayal to admit he had such strong feelings for someone. "It caught me by surprise, and I wanted to feel it out and be sure before I said anything, but I'm sure now."

"Wow. That's big news," Ian replied.

Jace took another sip of coffee. So far, not so bad. "She lives in Salem, which is just far enough away to make it difficult for the two of us to spend more time together and get to know each other. I was thinking about asking her to join me at our place for the rest of the week if she's able, but I wanted to check with you first."

"With me?" Ian asked. "Why?"

"You live there, too," Jace pointed out. "I wanted to make sure you're okay with it."

To Jace's surprise, Ian laughed. "I don't care. I'm excited for you, Dad."

"I'm glad to hear that," Jace replied. "It's pretty exciting for me, honestly, but I don't want anything to be awkward for you."

Ian adjusted the throttle slightly. "I'll be fine. I can always go stay with Bailey and give the two of you your privacy. Then she can watch you lay around on the couch and scratch yourself."

"I'm sure that's the only thing I'll have to say to convince her," Jace laughed. He finished his coffee and relaxed into his seat. It was a beautiful day, the sort that would've been absolutely perfect for this wedding cruise if it'd gone as planned.

It was an ending for Gretchen and Hugo, but it might be the perfect beginning for him and Erin.