Point of No Return (34 page)

My heart leapt. “Really?”

“Really.”

“How?”

“The captain used to be a Navy chaplain,” Kade said, combing back my unruly hair with his fingers. “I’ll introduce you later. He said he’d marry us. I had some connections get us a license, and there’s no waiting period in Hawaii.”

We could get married today. By the time the sun set tonight, it would be official. Suddenly, I wanted that. I wanted it more than anything. Maybe I was gun-shy because Blane had broken our engagement, or maybe it was because even though Kade had promised to not leave me again, a little part of me was still unsure. Whatever it was, I felt a measure of relief to think it would be a done deal by the time the day was through.

Reaching up, I carefully removed Kade’s sunglasses. I wanted to see his eyes, their clear blue rivaling that of the sky above us. “Yes,” I said. “Yes, I want that.”

Kade had my hair clasped in a loose ponytail, his hand holding the wayward strands over my shoulder. He gently tugged, pulling me toward him for a kiss. I melted into him.

“Ahem.”

I pulled back, turning to see Andrew standing a few feet away.

“Breakfast is ready,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you, Andrew,” Kade said, taking his sunglasses from my fingers and sliding them back on.

Andrew had made French toast, the warm maple syrup soaking into the thick slices of bread. I ate until I was nearly groaning, I was so full.

“So where’d you find these people to work here?” I asked.

Kade helped himself to a slice of pineapple. “They came with the boat,” he said with a shrug.

After we ate, Kade had us change into swimsuits, then he introduced me to Captain Hugh, a nice man who looked to be in his mid to late fifties. His skin was tanned a deep brown, his face creased with crow’s-feet from many hours in the sun. He was friendly and easygoing, and I liked him right away.

A woman was aboard, too, the only female member of the crew, and her name was Jennifer. Kade introduced me to her and said she was the first mate. The last member of the crew was Taylor, the butler. He arranged two deck chairs for Kade and me, and he gave me a friendly smile before disappearing below deck.

I was wearing the white bikini Kade had bought for me in Las Vegas. I caught Kade blatantly staring as I settled myself on one of the chairs.

“See something you like?” I teased, preening just a bit under his appreciative gaze.

“See something I adore,” Kade frankly replied.

Ah, the things Kade said sometimes. My face almost hurt from smiling so much, even as tears pricked my eyes. I was so happy and yet, deep down I was terrified. I’d been happy before and look how that had ended. Surely this couldn’t be real. I should enjoy it while it lasted because who knew when it would end?

“What happened to your job in Boston?” I asked, reminded of what felt like ages ago when Kade had said we’d be traveling there. I wondered if the security job had been sidelined when he’d gone back to his old occupation while we’d been apart.

Kade shrugged, lying back in the other chair with his arms bent behind his head. “I decided to take a vacation,” he said noncommittally.

I let it go at that. I didn’t want to argue and there would be plenty of time to discuss the future. I really wanted to enjoy the here and now. My stomach was full and I wasn’t feeling sick, despite the rocking of the boat. I was on an amazing yacht in the middle of the ocean, enjoying a gorgeous, sunny day with the man I loved. Nothing got better than this.

Of course, Kade wasn’t one to lie around doing nothing for a long period of time, so pretty soon he was wandering, digging up a radio and fiddling with it until music drifted from the speakers. Then he got thirsty and had Andrew make five different types of smoothies, both of us trying each one and choosing a favorite. After that, he dug up fingernail polish from somewhere—I didn’t ask where—and proceeded to drag me back to the couch so he could paint my toes a candy apple red.

“You just can’t stand sitting still, can you?” I asked with amusement as Kade carefully painted the last two toes.

“I get antsy on a boat,” he said.

I looked quizzically at him.

“No escape route,” he clarified.

I snorted. “Then why did you buy a yacht?”

He shrugged, blowing a little on my nails to dry the polish. “Thought you’d like it.”

My eyebrows climbed. “Kade,” I said carefully, a suspicion forming in my mind, “how long have you owned this yacht?”

He didn’t answer right away. Testing the dryness of my nails, he seemed satisfied, resting my feet in his lap as he leaned back on the couch.

“Since Christmas.”

I was speechless for a moment, the implications of that statement sinking in. When I spoke, my voice was quiet. “You’ve known for that long?”

“I knew the moment I first laid eyes on you,” Kade said, matter-of-fact.

I remembered that day in the courthouse. Me, still reeling from being attacked and held as a hostage. Kade, stopping to make sure I was all right. Now looking back on it, I realized it had been out of character for him to do so. Kade wasn’t known for his compassion toward strangers.

“You were like a princess out of a fairy tale,” Kade said, his hands caressing my legs as he spoke. “I still remember my first glimpse of you, standing in line at security. Your hair was the color of the sunset.”

I couldn’t help my smile. “I didn’t know you’d noticed me,” I said, “at least, not before that guy held me hostage.”

“You saved his life that day,” Kade said, surprising me again. “If you hadn’t done what you did, I was about two seconds from blowing his brains out.”

“How did you have a gun inside the courthouse?” I asked, bewildered. Kade just smirked and I rolled my eyes. Of course
he
would have found a way around that.

“Though it did give me a chance to talk to you,” Kade continued. “But you weren’t real talkative.”

“I was in shock,” I defended myself, though my cheeks heated. The real reason I hadn’t said much was because I’d been blown away that a man who looked like Kade did had stopped to talk to me.

“And here I thought it was my stunning good looks that had your tongue all tied up,” he teased.

Even though Kade’s ego needed no stroking, I ’fessed up. “Yeah, that too.”

Kade’s laugh was a soft rasp that made my face even warmer, but I was still smiling. It was good to see him so happy and relaxed.

“So why didn’t you ask me out?”

Kade’s smile faded and he cocked an eyebrow at me. “What would I have said to you?
Hey, I kill people for a living, but I’m really great in bed.
” He shook his head. “There was nothing about me that was worthy of you. You were innocent, sweet. It would’ve been a fucking crime for me to ask you out.”

There were so many things wrong with that statement, it was hard to know where to start. “I was not innocent, or sweet,” I argued. “And you know I hate it when you say stuff like that about yourself.”

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t matter anyway,” Kade dismissed. “I’m not exactly known for my self-restraint, which is how we find ourselves sitting here.” He indicated the yacht.

I thought for a moment. “Kade,” I began carefully, “would you have ever said anything to me if Blane hadn’t made you play bodyguard when he was working that case?”

Kade didn’t answer for a moment. “I wanted to stay away, not come back to Indy. Being around you while you were with Blane was torture.”

“Is that why you were so mean to me?”

His smile was bitter. “It was easier if I could make you hate me. But then you had to go and almost get yourself killed
. . .
and I couldn’t make myself be cruel to you. Not after that.”

I pulled my feet away, crawling over to settle on my knees next to him. I looped my arms around his neck and smiled. “I’m glad,” I said, pressing my lips to his.

“Mmm,” Kade murmured. “You smell like coconut.”

He still wore the white shirt, only now no buttons were fastened. His chest was warm from the sun, our bodies touching and sliding from my suntan oil.

I abruptly sat back. “Coconut,” I said. “That sounds good. Do you think Andrew has any?”

Kade slid his sunglasses down to peer at me over the top. “You want coconut? Just coconut?”

I nodded. “Yeah.” My stomach growled.

Kade grinned. “I’m on it.”

He returned shortly with a bowl of shredded coconut and insisted on feeding it to me. I didn’t mind. My head in Kade’s lap while he teased me and fed me coconut was the stuff dreams are made of—my dreams at least.

A few hours later, I was standing in our bedroom, surveying myself in the mirror, dressed in what would become my wedding gown.

I’d never gotten to wear the dress I’d bought in Vegas, instead stashing it in the back of my closet when I’d gotten home. It happened to be made of a floaty white chiffon, with little straps that went over my shoulders, then crossed and tied behind my back. The sweetheart neckline dipped low between my breasts, meeting an empire waistband of rhinestones and crystals that wrapped around me to another deep V in the back. The chiffon skirt fell all the way to the floor. The dress wouldn’t have worked for a regular wedding, but for this setting, it was perfect. And it seemed fitting that Kade had unknowingly ended up buying my wedding gown.

My peacock-blue stilettos winked at me from my suitcase. I slipped them on. That took care of my “something blue.” I added the diamond bracelet Kade had given me in Vegas. It was a few months old, I supposed. As for “borrowed”—well, I guess I’d just have to go without.

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” I said.

Jennifer stepped inside. “I hope you don’t mind my intruding,” she said with a smile, “but Mr. Dennon had mentioned you might want to borrow these.” She held out her hand. Two diamond stud earrings lay in her palm.

“That’s perfect!” I exclaimed in delight. “Thank you so much! I was just thinking how I didn’t have the ‘something borrowed.
’
”

“Glad to help,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “This is for you, too.” This time she gave me a small bouquet of deep purple flowers, then she left, closing the door softly behind her.

It seemed Kade had thought of everything.

I put in the earrings and studied my reflection. My hair was in waves down my back, the way Kade liked it. We’d docked on the far westward side of Oahu, and it was a lot less windy there than on the open sea, so I thought my hairstyle would be okay. My tan had deepened today and the white dress was a really nice contrast against my bronzed skin.

My wedding dress. Tears stung my eyes and I had to hurriedly blink them back, not wanting my mascara to run. I held the bouquet in front of me, the diamonds at my wrist, ears, and finger sparkling in the mirror.

I was getting married.

There was a deep pang inside. I was sad that my parents weren’t here, to see me happy and marrying the man I loved. But it seemed like I could feel them, looking down on me. I closed my eyes.

“I miss you so much,” I whispered. “But I’m happy, and loved, and I know that’s all you wanted for me.” A sense of peace came over me, soothing the lingering melancholy, and my heart lifted.

It was time.

When I appeared on the deck, I gasped in surprise and delight. It appeared the crew had been hard at work while I was getting ready. Flowers that matched my bouquet were everywhere, wrapped around lines that stretched overhead, covering the rails at the edge of the deck. Everything was lit by strings of lights, their soft glow intermixed with the flowers twined among them. I caught sight of Taylor adding a final few blooms to a railing.

Music floated softly through the air. Someone must have found the yacht’s sound system. It was lovely, but I couldn’t place the tune.

Then my gaze landed on Kade.

He stood at the far end of the bow, the setting sun a blazing shimmer of red and orange behind him, making him a stark figure limned in gold. He was speaking to Captain Hugh and laughed at something Hugh said. Glancing up, he caught sight of me, and his whole body went still.

At that moment, everything faded away and it seemed it was just him and me. I was only aware of Kade, our gazes locked together.

He began walking toward me, his steps sure and unhurried. I couldn’t move, my heart so full of emotion it seemed incomprehensible that I could feel so much for this man. Surely my body couldn’t contain all the love inside.

Kade stopped in front of me and I knew I would remember the look in his eyes for the rest of my life.

“My bride,” he murmured, his voice edged in awe. His hands drifted lightly down my arms. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

My face split into a smile. “Likewise,” I said, my voice a bit breathless. The way he looked was enough to take my breath away. Now that he was close, I could see the tuxedo he was wearing. The lines were classic, the fabric expensive and tailored to fit him perfectly. The white of his shirt was blinding, a stark contrast to the deep black of the jacket. He’d even tied the bow tie.