Deadly Honeymoon (Hardy Brothers Security Book 7) (2 page)

“What are you hungry for?” James asked, glancing around the busy festival.

After their morning interlude, James had finally convinced Mandy that three surfers seeing them fornicating on the beach wasn’t the end of the world. When he’d pointed out they would never see the men again, she’d finally relaxed enough to be cajoled out of the house.

His punishment was a day at a local festival, which he was taking in stride. Kind of. As much as he would’ve preferred they remain at the house – and naked – he knew that Mandy needed a little space from their debauchery to regain some perspective.

Sometimes – okay, a lot of the time  –  she made him laugh, and freaking out about strangers seeing them having sex was one of those times.

James tugged on their laced fingers, causing Mandy to shift her attention to him.

“What did you say?”

James chuckled. “Where was your head?”

“Everything is just so colorful,” Mandy said. “The music is so festive. It’s just … fun.”

James had other ideas about what constituted fun, but wasn’t about to argue with her. Her face was lit with excitement, and he loved the way her simple floral skirt and tank top showed off her body. It was giving him ideas for later, and anticipation was half the fun, after all. Every time she twirled and that skirt flew up a little, the ideas were getting more and more graphic.

“Aren’t you having fun?”

James smiled. “I’m having fun.”

“You don’t look like you’re having fun,” Mandy countered.

“That’s because I was having a dirty thought,” James replied. “I’m better now.”

“After this morning, you should keep your dirty thoughts to yourself,” Mandy said, pushing her lower lip out into a pout.

James leaned down and kissed the pout. “I’m having a good time. I just asked what you wanted to eat.”

“Oh,” Mandy said, her expression thoughtful. “What about some seafood?”

James stilled. The last time Mandy had eaten seafood she’d spent twenty-four hours on the bathroom floor with food poisoning. Since he’d been the one on the cold tile with her, he wasn’t looking forward to a repeat of the experience. “Um … .”

“Come on,” Mandy prodded. “We have to pull off the Band-Aid sometime. I’m desperate for lobster, and maybe some crab legs. Ooh, and scallops sound divine.”

James furrowed his brow, considering. “Okay,” he conceded. “Just so you know, if you get sick, we’re still having sex.”

“Well, that will be fun,” Mandy said. “There’s nothing like hot-and-sweaty sex when it’s combined with projectile vomiting. Let’s check out some of these stands first.”

“What for?”

“Gifts.”

“For who?”

“Um, Ally, Sophie, Emma, and Heidi.”

James scowled. “Why are we buying them gifts?”

“We’re in Bermuda.”

“Huh, I hadn’t noticed.”

“We have to bring souvenirs back for everyone,” Mandy argued.

“No, we don’t.”

“Yes, we do.”

“No, we don’t.”

Mandy’s blue eyes clouded, causing James to give in before he even realized what was happening. “Fine,” he said. “You’re picking them all out.”

“Oh, you’re threatening me with shopping, how will I ever recover?” Mandy covered her heart in a mocking manner.

“Yeah, I should’ve thought about that,” James grumbled.

Mandy tugged on his hand. “Puh-leez?”

“Oh, good, the puppy-dog eyes,” James said, sighing.

“Puh-leez?”

“Oh, right, like I’m really going to tell you no,” James said, resigned. “Let’s go shopping.”

Mandy’s face split into a wide grin. “Thank you.”

“You’re just lucky I love you,” James said. “You owe me.”

“I think we can work something out,” Mandy said. “Although, to be fair, since you stripped me naked and mounted me in front of strange surfer dudes this morning, I think we’re even.”

James barked out a laugh. “Mounted you?”

“What would you call it?”

“Hot.”

Mandy rolled her eyes. “Let’s shop. I need to get Ally something good.”

James spent the next thirty minutes following Mandy from booth to booth. She’d already found necklaces for Emma and Sophie, and she’d discovered a bohemian skirt that just “screamed” Heidi. That only left Ally, and unfortunately his new wife was being picky.

“Ally will like anything,” James said.

“She’s your sister.”

“Oh, wow, is that why she was always at the house when I was a kid?”

Mandy made a face. “Is the sarcasm necessary?”

“No.”

Mandy rubbed the heel of her hand against her forehead. “Let’s just go to dinner. I’ll come back here tomorrow on my own. I need to get Ally something special.”

James instantly felt guilty. “No. I’m sorry. Let’s pick out something for Ally.”

Mandy shook her head. “No. You’re having a bad time. It’s our honeymoon. You should be happy.”

“Do you think I’m going to be happy when you’re not?”

“I’m happy,” Mandy argued, forcing a tight smile on her face.

James cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah. You know I can tell when you’re faking it, right?”

Mandy sucked her bottom lip into her mouth in an attempt to keep from laughing out loud as James frowned.

“I didn’t mean that how it came out,” James said, faltering.

“I know.”

“I really didn’t mean it that way.”

“I know.”

James grabbed Mandy’s hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing her palm. “Come on, let’s pick something out for Ally.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” James said. “Then we’re going to get some dinner, and then I believe there are some fireworks tonight.”

“There are always fireworks with you,” Mandy teased.

James kissed her. “There had better be.”

“And I very rarely have to fake anything,” Mandy said, shooting him a mischievous smile as she scampered off to the next booth.

James growled as he followed her. “You and I are going to have a long … talk … later,” he threatened. “No one fakes anything on my watch.”

“HOW
are you feeling?” James asked, looking Mandy up and down worriedly.

“I’m good,” Mandy said, shifting her shopping bags to her other hand so she could link her fingers with his.

“You ate a lot of lobster,” James said.

“So did you.”

“Yes, but I have a stronger stomach than you.”

“You don’t know that,” Mandy countered. “You can’t even watch horror movies without getting all squeamish.”

James made a face. “That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is.”

“It is not.”

“Do you remember watching
Cabin Fever
with me?” Mandy prodded.

“Is that the one with the flesh-eating virus where the girl shaved her own skin off?”

“Yes.”

“You watch some sick stuff,” James said.

“You liked that girl when she was naked and jumping up and down on that other guy,” Mandy pointed out. “I believe you loved her chest the best – even though those things were clearly fake.”

James grinned. “That was a good scene.”

“No one is that thin and has boobs that big,” Mandy grumbled.

“I happen to love your boobs, baby,” James said, kissing her forehead. “They’re more than enough.”

Mandy scowled. “Don’t placate me.”

James tugged her to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. “How about we go back to the house and I show you just how great they are?”

“I thought we were going to watch the fireworks?”

“Maybe we can see them from the house,” James suggested. “We can cuddle together on the terrace and watch the fireworks while igniting some of our own?”

“I am not having sex with you outside again.”

“Never say never, baby.”

Mandy made an exaggerated face, sticking her tongue out. James covered her oval mouth with his and kissed her. “Let’s watch the fireworks.”

“Are you just agreeing to watch the fireworks to get me naked outside again later?”

“That’s a horrible thing to accuse your husband of.”

Mandy tilted her head to the side, waiting.

“Maybe,” James conceded.

“Well, then I’m going to get my money’s worth,” Mandy said.

“Am I buying you a gift now?”

Mandy shook her head. “You’re already my gift. You are, however, going to dance with me.”

James shifted his gaze to the street where the band had started playing. “I’m dancing?”

“You are.”

James sighed. “You’re so getting naked in the ocean tonight.”

Mandy was scandalized. “No way.”

“No one will see us, baby.”

“Um … sharks.”

James scowled. “How can you be both obsessed with sharks and terrified of them?”

“I’m multifaceted weird.”

“You’re something,” James agreed, glancing at the shopping bags in her hand. “How are we going to dance with that?”

“Oh, you’re just looking for a reason not to dance with me.”

“I would love to dance with you,” James countered. “Those bags are going to get in the way.”

Mandy shuffled inside the bags, ultimately transferring all of the purchases to the same tote. Then, with exaggerated slowness, she shoved it into the large hobo bag resting on her hip and lifted the strap over her head and extended her arms. When she was done, she fixed James with a smug look. “What else have you got?”

James barked out a laugh. “I love you.”

“Does that mean you’re going to dance with me?”

“Try and stop me,” James said, shuffling forward and capturing her in his arms. “Just don’t expect me to be able to salsa dance, or whatever it is they’re doing.”

Mandy snickered. “I’m happy if you just hold me while you sway from side to side.”

“I always want to hold you, baby,” James said, rubbing his face against hers as they moved.

Mandy sank into him, letting him twirl her around with the other revelers. He even dipped her low at one point and kissed the tip of her nose.

“I think you’re better at this than you let on.”

“You make me good at everything,” James teased.

“So, you’re not regretting marrying me?”

James snapped her body back up, pulling it flush with his. “Don’t ever think anything like that,” he warned. “You’re my everything.”

Mandy wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his shoulder as the beat changed and the tempo slowed. “You know, I meant everything I said to you at the wedding. I’ve always loved you.”

James tightened his arms around her, rubbing her back. “I meant everything I said, too. There is no me without you.”

“You
did
exist before me.”

“I may have existed,” James said, brushing his lips against her forehead. “That wasn’t really living, though. There is no living without you.”

“You’re really sweet when you want to be.”

“Love does crazy things to a man,” James said. “It makes him want to shop and dance, for crying out loud.”

Mandy giggled, inadvertently jumping when a barrage of fireworks exploded in the sky above them.

James stopped moving, and Mandy pulled away slightly so she could get a better look at the impressive display. As the colors split the sky, a sea of purples, reds, blues and greens cast an appealing shadow on her face as James studied her profile. Her delighted smile was enough for him to fall in love with her all over again.

The moment was ruined when Mandy was knocked forward, a drunken reveler stumbling into her.

“Do you want to dance?”

Mandy smiled, exchanging an amused look with James before answering. “I’m good, but thank you for asking.”

“Come on,” the man said, frowning. “It’s a party.”

“Well, I don’t think my husband would like it.”

“Oh, screw him,” the man said, pushing his black hair back in place so it covered the obvious bald spot on the top of his head. “I promise, I’m a good dancer.”

Mandy’s smile tightened. “I’m sure you are … .”

“Come on, dolly.” The man grabbed her arm, jerking her farther down the street. “I’ll rock your world.”

Mandy tried to wrench her arm away, thankful that the large hobo bag was keeping the man at a safe distance. He tried pawing at it to move it, but James was on him quickly.

“Hey, pal,” he said, grabbing the back of his shirt and hauling him away from his blonde. “Don’t touch her.”

The man looked James up and down, clearly unimpressed by what he saw. “Who are you?”

“I’m the man who’s going to beat your ass if you touch my wife again,” James threatened.