by Blue Davis
They polished off dinner and wine, then gathered supplies that Evan had brought. They loaded them onto the boat, exhausted from day’s events.
James grinned at his brother. “There’s enough water here to last three months.”
Evan gave him a stink-eye. “Quit complaining. It’s water. It doesn’t go bad.”
James stopped. “I’m grateful, brother. What would I have done without you?”
“We’re family. We stick together. Who else is going to help your ass out?” He paused. “So this girl,” he began.
James interrupted. “I know what you’re going to say. I’m screwed, right?”
Evan laughed. “I wasn’t gonna say anything like that. It’s just that I’ve never seen you like this.”
James’ heart pounded wildly. “It’s her. She’s driving me crazy. She took my world and turned it upside-down. She’s changed me and I don’t know who I am anymore.”
A line drew between Evan’s eyebrows. “How could this girl be doing all of that to you?”
James raised his palms up and shook his head. “I have no fucking idea. It just happened from one day to the next.”
“No,” his voice trailed higher at the end. “I’m pretty sure I’ve heard you talking about this one before.”
“That was just to get in her pants. But once she got me in there, she trapped me,” James said, clapping his hands horizontally.
Evan laughed. “I don’t see how any one girl could make you lose control like that, bro.” His brother had this silly-ass grin on his face.
“You got another thing coming, little brother. One day some girl is going to come and knock you flat on your ass. And I’ll be there to rub it in your face.”
James was serious. He was the first of his brothers to fall hard for a woman and it was his duty to warn the others.
“How come your brother doesn’t have anyone to share this beautiful island mansion with?” Lexi settled onto the comfortable king-sized bed.
“I don’t really know, myself. I’ve always teased him about that. He’s never had a girlfriend. Everybody in the family thinks he’s gay, but we have nothing to go on. He’s never been with anyone—male or female.”
“Aw. Maybe he just hasn’t found the right person yet,” she said, pouting her lips.
That night he and Lexi slept intertwined in soft, sweet warmth. He could’ve spend eternity like that, drugged from her scent. He held her tight. She wasn’t going to wake up and wander off anywhere. He would prevent that shit from happening. She’s mine.
They must’ve slept soundly, because they woke up in the same exact positions that they had fallen asleep in.
They said their goodbyes and boarded the vessel. It took them a day or so to reach American waters.
Lexi bit her lip and strained her eyes on the sea in front of her.
James hated seeing her upset. He wanted to smooth her pretty forehead and tell her everything was going to be fine. “You alright?”
Her jaw tightened. “Pins and needles. What if they get curious about the statues?”
“Then we run over the list of things that we talked about yesterday. We found them at an old abandoned church. We spoke with Haitian officials, they said they were fine to take. And lo-and-behold, here they are.”
She drew in a deep breath and studied the approaching harbor with nervous eyes.
Chapter 15
Lexi
Her nerves were frazzled. It wasn’t only because of watching and worrying about the border situation. It was a combination of that plus James. She had been living on the premise that things were better done alone. This big, beautiful man coming in to partner with her had thrown everything off. Her brain scrambled to make sense of it all.
Carl had been the same, had offered her to share his house and business. He was handsome and smooth-talking, like James. But that was where the line could be drawn. Carl was selfish. He had only wanted her there because he saw what was in it for him. And when he stopped being interested, he grabbed the next new toy. That wasn’t love.
James not only talked the talk, but he walked the walk. He risked his life for me. He was cool-headed and even-tempered. She could get used to that--a man who was even-keeled and who did not flip out when things got rough. She herself tried to maintain self-control, and she expected that from people around her too.
And there was the chemistry. Soon they’d have to keep a fire extinguisher nearby to put out the flames because their fiery heat and passion knew no bounds.
But does he still want me? She meandered around the question as her eyes became transfixed on the large shipping vessels situated in front of the Miami skyline. Her heart beat pounded against her chest as James and Noah looked warily from her to the port.
Everyone hushed as they moved through the channel.
Large cruise ships sat in the water alongside huge container ships. Industrial fumes of fuel wafted through the air.
They had already practiced their lines. They’d memorized what to say and how to get out of any entanglement. Breathing was shallow and hesitant.
James sat next to her, sweating hail while he drifted the boat into a wide holding dock, alongside several other smaller sized vessels.
A port employee approached. Noah helped him rope down the boat to the thick cement dock.
The man studied the boat and grabbed his radio from his side holster.
James tightened his jaw and gave Lexi a warning glance.
Heat rose to her chest as her breaths became encumbered. Whatever you do, do not look back at those statues.
Two officials dressed in baggy jeans, tucked-in navy blue T-shirts, and blue caps marked with a gold emblem, approached. The harbor employee scurried away and the officers stepped on the boat. The one in mirrored sunglasses spoke. “We don’t have you registered on arrivals today.”
“Oh. We weren’t aware we needed to register,” James stated.
The customs officer’s jaw stiffened. “Where are you coming from?” He tightened his lips and examined James, then glared at Lexi and Noah.
“Haiti. Coming back from a 10-day Caribbean adventure. Saw lots of cool stuff.”
He stood quietly for a moment more. “Passports?”
All three gave their passports to the officer at once. He studied the passports and scrutinized Lexi’s and Noah’s pictures. He wrote notes down on a clip-boarded form. He opened James’ passport. He jerked his head forward and opened his eyes larger over the main page of the passport. His eyes dimmed. “I’m sorry Mr. Ashton, didn’t recognize you with this vessel. What happened to the yacht?”
James rocked back on his heels and smiled. “Evan’s got it. And what kind of adventure would it be if I brought a big mansion out on the water? That’d be like bringing a million-dollar RV to go camping.”
The man chuckled. “True. I saw your brother around here a couple days ago, said he was going to Ashton Cay. You guys can’t keep off the water, can you?”
James smiled with one corner of his mouth. “We were born on the water. We’re from Miami.”
The officer produced a curt smile. “Yes. Your family goes way back here at the port, Mr. Ashton. We need to get back to do some paperwork on a few things. Make sure you go register this one at the office,” he instructed, patting the steel rail.
The man looked again at Lexi and Noah, then tipped his cap as he glanced at the bridge deck of the boat. “Welcome back to Miami.”
They all thanked the officer. He left with his comrade back down to the dock.
Noah was the first to crack loose. “Born on the water?”
James waited till they were alone. “I meant that literally. We all had sea water births.”
Lexi drew in a quick breath. “Really?”
“No.” James broke into a wide grin and rubbed his neck.
Lexi laughed and jabbed him on the shoulder. “Get outta here. You’re crazy.”
James raised an eyebrow and tilted his head while he focused on her. “You
drive me crazy,” he growled in a deep voice.
Noah pulled in a deep, exaggerated breath. “Home free. Almost wanted to start singing the Star-Spangled Banner,” he quipped, grinning.
James lifted the head off one of the statues and peeked inside. “Gotta admit, it was a patriotic moment. The Three Musketeers arriving home, back from all the action,” he piped.
Lexi interjected. “Weren’t they from Paris?”
“Miami, Paris, Port-au-Prince. It’s all the same,” Noah smirked, gesturing a balance scale with his hands.
They laughed, but Lexi grew serious. They pulled it off. Her mind danced as she rested her eyes on the three hollow statues. It was a hell of a lot of effort, but she got her gold. “We did good, boys. Let’s bag it up and bring it home.”
Lexi, James, and Noah sat at a square card table in James’ billiard room.
“The real question is, how are we going to move this gold without Carl? He was a lying, cheating bastard, but he knew his job inside-out,” she said.
Both hers and James’ eyes settled on Noah.
Noah turned the corners of his mouth downward and raised his hands. “Don’t look at me. I have no idea what the hell he did in his office. I assumed he was jerking off all day.”
Carl had to be replaceable. One of them would have to step in and try to snag Carl’s contacts, or…hmmm. “I have a friend back home in Seattle who might be willing to help out. She’s from my jewel heist days. She used to help me move rocks.”
James twisted a gold watch around his wrist. “Is she still doing it?”
“Not now. Her husband died, and she fell off the face of the earth. I can see if she wants to get back into it though. Her name is Nikki.”
Noah raised an eyebrow. “Would Nikki be trustworthy enough?”
Lexi shot him a warning glare. “She’s as trustworthy as you are.”
James tagged on to the end of her sentence and nodded. “Which means she’s pretty damn trustworthy. I say let’s bring her in.”
Noah raised his arms. “You win, but she better be legit. I’m done dealing with crazy-ass punks.”
Lexi bit her lip. Nikki was as good of a person as any of them were and she could make a decent member of the team. She was a risk-taker, but she wasn’t reckless. “She’s an honest ally. Let me think up an angle and I’ll call her in the morning.”
James glanced at Noah, and looked away. “So, uh… I’m kind of liking this new partnership.”
Lexi froze and turned around, ready to smile and respond graciously, but his attention was focused on Noah. She bowed her head, embarrassed.
He looked Noah square in the eye.
He was referring to his partnership with Noah, of course. Why in the world would he want a partnership with somebody who put him through hell? She had nearly gotten him killed, and Noah had arrived like a hero in a parachute to make it all better. Of course he wanted to partner with Noah. Not her.
James spun a gold coin on the plastic table surface. “So what did you do with the guns, anyway? Please don’t tell me they’re sitting on the boat back at the port.”
Noah gulped a swig of beer and interlaced his fingers behind his head. “Fed them to the sharks.”
James curled his lips into a sly smile. “Then I guess I’m the only one with any artillery then.”
“What?” Noah looked both surprised and puzzled. “Where is it at?”
James walked to a shelf and removed a black, rectangular box. He placed his fingertips on a biometric sensor, opened the case, and picked up a polished handheld gun from the inner mold. After removing the magazine, cocking it, and checking the chamber, he handed it to Noah.
Noah’s eyebrows rose as he aimed it at a dart bullseye on the wall. “Desert Eagle, right? Impressive. She’s beautiful.”
“She is.” James met Lexi’s eyes and kept his gaze.
A sudden flash of heat rose to Lexi’s face. Why is his attention on me now? She was just a plain Jane, following her passions, chasing her obscure dreams.
She hadn’t put on a dress in years. Her hair was tangled on most days, because she’d been too busy pouring over some archeological discovery or mapping out a perfect treasure hunting scheme. So what could he possibly be attracted to?
On the other hand, she saw everything in him. He was funny and handsome and he hadn’t been afraid to lay down his life to protect her. He had come to her rescue without knowing the slightest of details. He trusted her.
And what did he do after her major screw-up with Carl? He forgave her. Her mind scrambled for something to say before the locked gaze unraveled. What do you say to a man who has done so much for you?
The gaze between them didn’t stop.
“I’m getting out of here. It’s getting weird,” Noah said, chucking his glass bottle into the recycle bin and shuffling out the door.
“So, you never told me--”
“James, I need to get--”
They had begun speaking at the same time. They both laughed nervously.
“I have to get something off my chest,” she began.
James eyebrows furrowed. “What’s on your chest?” He was good at breaking up the seriousness in the room and making her feel at ease. But this wasn’t one of those moments.
Light beads of sweat broke out on her upper lip. “Do you remember when you were asking me if this was just a business partnership?”
He stiffened. “Like yesterday.”
A smile rose to her lips. She leaned back and then forward again. “It was almost yesterday, wasn’t it?”
James nodded, but said nothing, as he looked at her with patient eyes.
She saw things clearer now. After she and Carl broke it off, she fought hard to build her world—a life she could be proud of and call her own. She called the shots, and it had worked well. But now, the love she had for him had somehow overpowered her need to be independent. It was a strong, magnetic force she no longer had the urge to control. She and James had played the flirting game far too long. Why would she continue alone when everything was so much better with him? How could she continue alone? She wanted to stop beating around the bush and tell him everything. But she was scared. Oh. So. Scared.
Tell him. And do it now while your legs aren’t wrapped around him. Just have a serious, logical conversation and tell him what you think. She began, smoothing over the shakiness in her voice. “I never ever thought I’d be telling this to anyone. It’s been a long time since I let anyone in, you know?” She didn’t want him to answer. Stop babbling and just say it. “It’s hard laying it all out there, without knowing how you feel about me.” She paused and swallowed. “I faced my worst fear out there. I handled the conflict and defended what was mine. But… I didn’t do it without you.”
James eyes lit like fireworks beaming to the sky. His lips parted and then he jammed them shut.
“I’m falling in love with you,” she blurted. There. I said it. Her body became light as an airiness expanded her chest.
James was quiet.
I don’t care whether he tells me back, I’d say those three words to him a million more times without hesitation. She closed her eyes and rocked her head back. She pulled in a deep, cleansing breath. “I love you, James.” She opened them.
He still said nothing.
Was it too much? Too mushy? Heat rose to her temples as she tried to fan herself. Whatever. You told him, you got it off your chest. That much felt good, and it was relieving to finally break free from solitude and learn to trust again.
Okay. This is getting ridiculous. Why isn’t he saying anything back?
“Oh,” he said, his innocent eyes turning mischievous. He raised an eyebrow. “Were you waiting for me to say something?”
She hugged herself and cradled her chin on her chest. She nodded and dared to listen.
His lips rose to a glowing smile. “You know, Lexi,” he began. “I’ve been in love with you for many, many years. How long, I don’t know because I never wanted to come to
terms with it. But after spending these unforgettable moments with you, how can I continue to deny it? You’re the only woman for me, the only woman I’ve ever loved. I’ll never go a day again without telling you so.”
He gazed into her eyes in a way that no man had ever done before.
“I love you, Lexi.”
Tears pierced Lexi’s eyes. Dumb time to cry. She lifted her chin and blotted her eye with her fingertips. A fountain of tears cascaded down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry. I thought you’d like it.” James had a serious look on his face.
She burst into laughter and threw her arms around his strong, manly shoulders. “I do, I do.”
James held her tight in his muscle-bound arms. He threaded his hand through her hair and whispered, “So where do we go from here?”
She wracked her brain for the next adventure. “The Amber room? Marie Antoinette’s jewels at the bottom of the Oak Island pit?”
He perked up. “Actually, I was hoping we could avoid mud and life or death situations.” He paused. “How about a movie and popcorn?”
Lexi’s smile deepened. She picked up a gold coin from the card table and flicked it into the air. She caught the coin, slapped it onto her hand and examined the results. “Tails.” She leaned back. “I buy.”
“Well now,” James crooned, his eyes drifting down her body. “What are the odds?” He grabbed her and drew her in closer.
She dropped the coin on the floor.
His soulful eyes drank her in. She allowed a quiet whimper to escape.
He breathed in her heated exhale and returned the warmth back to her hungry, tingling lips.
The End
About Blue Davis
Love isn't always rosy. Some men are just trouble. Others are diamonds in the rough. I write books about strong women who keep holding on. A good man is hard to find. What is even harder is finding one who will love and cherish you until the end of time.
I am a fresh, new voice from L.A. I do hope you enjoy my stories. Please keep in touch with me at [email protected].