17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

~ Addi ~

" S o, you don't mind that I changed your plans, do you?" James asked as he took my hand.

Usually, the answer to that question would be yes, very much so. I hated it when people did that. Not just guys, but anyone. I had a friend who would do that to me all the time, and it would pretty much set me off.

But something about his giddiness stopped me from being mad. I mean, yeah, I was still a little peeved, but it's not something that I would blow up about. Or really fight over. Because he reminded me of a little kid on Christmas, getting ready to see the gifts Santa Claus left. And I couldn't really wait to find out why he was like this.

"I'll get over it."

"You don't like it, huh?"

"Change of plans? No. It bugs me. However, you're far too excited and I don't have the heart, or the energy, to be mad right now."

"Yeah, we did spend a good part of last night pretty busy, didn't we?"

"Well, if you would have stopped ordering ice cream, maybe we wouldn't have been up so late. Not sure when I became Baskin Robbins with thirty-one flavors."

"Excuse me, Addi. It is not my fault that I needed to try all the flavors of ice cream on your skin. Or how it mixed and tasted with your juices. I'm still struggling to find which one was my favorite though."

I smacked his arm but couldn't stop the blush nor the smile that appeared on my face.

Of any lover I had, James far surpassed them all. And you know what? I really hated to think of what my future looked like with just lackluster sex. James had blown any future man out of the water, just like he blew any past lovers out.

"Anyway," I told him, quickly changing the subject. I had no problem with sex talk, especially ours. Because it really was fantastic. But I was far more curious about his change of plans and why he changed them. "What is the game plan today? What is so special about Kingston that you ran the risk of pissing me off?"

"Don't worry, you'll still get your rum." He winked at me, and I wasn't sure why I found that as hot as I did.

"Okay, good. But you still didn't answer my question."

"Ever heard of a place when you were younger that you wanted to desperately visit?"

I paused as I thought that over. I mean, didn't everyone have something like that? "Of course. I want to go to Ireland!"

"And chances just never allowed it?"

"Yup. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Kingston is your place?"

"Yes! But not for any common reason. I love history. Kind of a nerd about it actually. And ever since I was little, Kingston was the place I wanted to go. I've never been, guess I wanted to share it with someone who might understand my love for it."

He waited for someone special to share it with and he brought me? He waited for me? What the hell did that say? Did that mean? Those were questions I couldn't answer yet. Or better yet, didn't want to answer.

So, rather than think about it, I did the next best thing; changed the subject. "What's on the agenda today?"

"It's not a private tour, however, it's not one through the cruise line. We're taking a tour of Port Royal and Fort Charles. You know, all history and pirates, and such."

I couldn't help but return his grin, enjoying that glimpse of true happiness.

I wasn't a nerd like he was, but I have always found history to be fascinating, especially the glorified pirates. And out here, well, this was where some of the best places to read up on them would be.

That and drink rum, of course.

Two and a half hours later, after listening to the stories and history around the area, of learning about the damage done by hurricanes and earthquakes, about the coming and going of pirates, I decided that a vacation home here was perfect. Even with all the natural disasters.

Not because of the rich history, or the amazing rum we got to sip while we walked around and took pictures, but because of the serenity of the island.

Sure, you could feel the bustle in the local people, however, there was still a calm about it. And there was such a love in their culture and their history. They took the good and the bad and were proud of it both. I absolutely loved that.

I wanted to be part of that. Even as an outsider. Of course, that was a pipe dream that I'm sure wasn't going to happen.

"What did you think?" James asked, wrapping his arm around my waist as we walked back to the boat to have dinner. We hadn't gotten around to trying the steakhouse yet and had heard the food was beyond delicious and the views were unbeatable. How that was possible was beyond me because the whole ship had great views just about everywhere.

"I loved it, thank you. Of all the places, I think Kingston might be my favorite. I would love to get a home out here, but I'm sure it's well past my budget, even being a successful lawyer."

"Given the chances of hurricanes out here, the property isn't nearly as much as you might think it is. Should look into it."

We walked to the back of the ship, the smell of fresh seafood and steak making my stomach grumble. I grinned as he chuckled.

"I should have fed you sooner."

"No, it's fine. My own fault. I didn't eat a good breakfast."

"You mean ice cream off my chest isn't a decent meal?"

I set the menu down and lifted a brow at him.

"Delicious though it might be, no, it's not filling. Now, what are you going to feed me?"

"One of everything by the way your stomach keeps talking." I threw the napkin at him, making him laugh. I couldn't help but stare at him as he looked down, a smile on his face. He had one all day, and I loved it. It twisted my heart in ways I was sure wasn't good.

I hated to admit it, but today was so much fun; he was so much fun. And I didn't want to walk away. But given what I was walking back into, I wasn't sure I could stay with him, not with the case on the line. And I wasn't sure what to do about that.