Teasing in Texas (At the Altar Book 10) (4 page)

Her hand came up to stroke his shoulder, feeling the muscles against her finger tips. Those muscles didn’t come from pushing a pencil all day. “Do you work out?” she asked. Somehow she’d pictured him as a man who did little more than work at a desk with numbers all day. The muscles were a nice surprise.

Tony shrugged. “I play a lot of racquetball, so if you consider that working out, then I guess I do. I just consider it fun!”

“I guess I had you figured for a desk jockey. I’m surprised about your muscles.”

He smiled. “Not all accountants are boring.” After he’d said the words, he almost added that he was one of the boring ones, but he’d wait until she figured that out for herself. Hopefully it would take a long time.

Tony reached behind him and pushed the button on the wall that plunged the cabin into darkness, pulling her to him, so her head was resting on his shoulder. “Tell me about a normal day for Jenni.”

Jenni yawned, covering her mouth as she did. “I’m up early, usually by about five, because I have to work at seven. Some of the nurses where I work haven’t gotten used to the fact that I’m one of them now, so they still give me some of the grunt work, but that’s okay. I go into work, do my rounds, help with whatever needs done around work. Heidi Henderson, Slade’s wife, is my immediate supervisor. We used to eat lunch together a lot, but now that I’m a nurse too, we don’t get as much chance to do that.”

“Do you like what you do?”

“There’s nothing else I can imagine doing. I don’t only love being a nurse, I love working in a nursing home. The people who live there keep me in stitches. It’s truly what I’ve wanted my entire life, and it’s really come true for me.”

“I’m glad.”

“What about you? What’s a typical day for you?”

Tony stroked her hair as he answered, marveling when she didn’t complain about him touching her. “I’m up about five as well. I have a quick breakfast, and then I head to the gym. I have a friend I play racquetball with every morning. I get to the office about eight. Work until about five. I’m not on a strict schedule as long as I get my work done. Some days I work from home.”

“I bet that’s nice. When you work from home, you can be in charge of supper.”

“You think I can cook?” he asked.

She shrugged. “You’ve been on your own long enough to figure it out if you couldn’t before. I work a lot of hours, and I’m not going to do all the housework.” She needed to get that out there now. If they needed to, they could use her salary to pay for a maid and some kind of food delivery service. She had a trust fund, so she didn’t exactly need to work. She never had.

“Don’t worry. I cook. I’m not a gourmet chef or anything, but I do enjoy cooking and I do it a lot. I hate eating out all the time.”

“Me too. I mean, a cruise is nice, because you get good quality food without having to cook. Have you been on a cruise before?” It was her first, and she was enjoying it around being wracked with nerves over meeting him.

“No, this is my first. I thought it was very strange that my future wife needed to be married by the captain of a cruise ship, but I went along with it, because Dr. Lachele told me that she’d found the perfect wife for me.”

“And? Has she?” Jenni found herself very attracted to her new husband, and hoped he felt the same.

“I’m not sure yet. I sure hope so. I saw you in line on the first day, and your friends were already being strange. I thought you were really pretty then, but I almost swallowed my tongue when you came down the aisle toward me. Of course, when I saw those two coming at me arm in arm, I thought about running for it. Then I remembered I was on a cruise ship, and I wouldn’t get very far.”

“Just remember, they’re my friends, but that doesn’t mean I’m just like them. Don’t paint us all with the same brush. Keep me separate in your mind.”

“I’ll do my best,” he told her. “I have to admit, they made me question you at first.”

“Well, they’re both good people, especially when they’re not together. I don’t know why they fight like they do, but they can be a pain.”

“I only saw that one argument in line. Why do they keep stabbing each other with tiny forks and laughing?”

“That is something the world may never know…” Jenni wished she understood the obsession with the shrimp forks, but she wasn’t sure she ever would.

“Where are the forks coming from?”

She sighed. “They come if you order the shrimp cocktail, so they both order the shrimp cocktail for dinner every night, even though Bridget never eats hers. And then they ask for more shrimp forks for dessert. Trust me—they have issues, but if they can take their aggression with each other out by stabbing each other with a couple of shrimp forks, it’s better than fighting.”

“I’ll take your word for that.” He was silent for a while, stroking her hair. When he realized she’d fallen asleep, he sighed audibly. It was going to be a long two weeks.

Chapter Four

Jenni woke with something heavy over her waist, as she lay on her side, facing the wall in her cabin. She moved her hand down to stroke the object, and quickly realized her new husband had his arm around her. Tony. Her husband’s name was Tony. She turned over to look at him, hoping she’d catch him sleeping beside her. Did he drool in his sleep?

She’d fallen asleep so quickly, she had no idea if he drooled or did anything else. When she was facing him, she realized his eyes were on her. “Were you watching me sleep?” she asked, immediately forgetting that she’d been planning on watching
him
sleep!

He grinned, one finger tracing her cheek. “The first thing I noticed about you is how pretty you are.”

She smiled. She’d never really thought of herself as pretty. “Thank you.”

“When did you first notice me?” he asked.

She shrugged. “In line to get on the ship. I was hoping my future husband—whoever he may be—wouldn’t notice the antics of the twins and lump me in with them.”

He grinned. “Too late for that!” He kissed her softly. “Hey, the ship stopped moving!”

“So are we going to go play in port?” One of the few things she’d learned from her mother was the joy of shopping. She was definitely a retail therapy kind of girl.

“Absolutely!” With a quick kiss, he rolled out of bed, and she got a good view of his bottom in his tight boxer briefs.

She closed her eyes, blushing. “You use the bathroom first.”

He looked at her and laughed. “You should be used to mostly naked men. You’re a nurse.”

“Yes, but I’m not planning to someday make love with any of the mostly naked men I have contact with daily!” She waited until his laughter died down and he closed the door of the bathroom behind him before opening her eyes again.

She jumped out of bed and quickly found clothes to wear for the day, a little surprised at how timid she felt around him. It was strange, but there was a definite attraction there, and she’d just chalk it up to that.

An hour later, they’d had breakfast and were walking along the path that led to solid land. They had to dodge all the people taking pictures and go through a store, but they finally made it to the other side.

“I want to shop in all the silly tourist shops and see what I can find that just screams Mexican honeymoon to me.” Jenni was thrilled that he was willing to go along with her in her shopping madness. She wouldn’t expect it often, but if he could do it whenever they traveled, she’d be thrilled.

He shrugged, taking her hand in his. The more she got used to his touch, the faster she’d agree to the sex part of their marriage.

She wandered into store after store, and he followed along, helping her find silly souvenirs for people at home. “Oh, wow! I need this for my friend, Heidi. She’s having twin girls!”

“Slade’s wife, right?”

Jenni nodded. “Yup.” She held up two tiny little Mexican party dresses. “One pink and one red, don’t you think?”

He knew nothing about dresses, babies, or Mexican attire, so he did the most logical thing he could think of. “If you like it, then it’s brilliant.”

“No opinion, huh?”

Tony laughed. “None whatsoever. Thanks for asking though!”

She saw a big jug of vanilla and frowned. “My mom’s cook is from Mexico and I’ve heard her complain that you can’t get good vanilla in the US. I need this too.”

Before they left that shop, his arms were full of bags, but he wasn’t complaining. She seemed to be having fun, and that’s what mattered to him the most. He loved how excited she got bartering with the people in the stalls and finding little gems for people she loved back home.

They went into a restaurant in the large port area, not wanting to walk all the way back to the ship for lunch. “Let’s see how real Mexican food compares to Tex-Mex,” she suggested, excited to just spend time with him doing something normal.

He dropped his load of packages on the floor beneath the table. “Are we done shopping yet?”

“Of course not! I have not yet
begun
to shop!”

“My arms are going to be falling off by the time we get back to the ship. And remember, we have to get all this stuff home!” He shook his head, thinking about how crowded their cabin would be for the rest of the trip. Even a suite on a cruise ship was smaller than a regular hotel room.

She shrugged. “We’ll buy another suitcase if we need to.”

He shook his head at her, realizing she really must have come from wealth. “I guess we can do that.” He’d never in his life had the kind of disposable income it would have taken for him to be willing to just buy another suitcase for souvenirs.

“Oh, trust me. It’s better than filling up our arms.” Once they’d ordered their drinks, she looked down at her hand which was locked with his. “I’m glad we did this today. I think it’s a good way for us to get more comfortable with each other.”

“I can’t believe we’re going to be back in Galveston the day after tomorrow. Did you drive down with the Bobsey Twins?”

“They prefer to be called the Wonder Twins, but yeah, I rode with them. Bridget drove, which was an experience in and of itself.” She thought about Bridget driving over a median going at forty-five miles per hour back in Arlington and shook her head. The girl needed a few more driving lessons before she should be allowed behind a wheel.

“I can just imagine a long car trip with those two!”

“It was fine until they started singing every Disney song they could come up with, but then I was ready to strangle them both. The
Circle of Life
was really interesting, because neither of them can carry a tune. Of course what they lack in talent, they make up for with volume.” She shook her head, repeating Bridget’s words about their singing. She loved them both, but they were insane.

He shook his head. “I’m so glad I wasn’t part of that.”

“Yes, you really are.” Jenni shook her head. “They’re my best friends. I shouldn’t talk badly about them.” She’d been worried her ears would start bleeding any moment throughout the morning drive down.

Tony shrugged. “I don’t think you’re talking badly if everything you’re saying is true, and having met them, I’m
sure
it’s true.” Her friends were definitely unique individuals.

She grinned, squeezing his hand. “I want to get a few more gifts for people back home. There’s an elderly woman that I think of as a surrogate grandmother there. I’d like to find some kind of necklace for her.”

He hadn’t gotten her an engagement ring or wedding ring, so he nodded. “I wouldn’t mind shopping for jewelry.”

Two hours later, they got back onto the ship, and she kept staring down at her left hand, watching the way the sun sparkled on the diamond. “I wasn’t expecting you to buy me a ring.”

“Of course, I brought you a ring. We’re married. I have to stake my possession of you by putting that ring on your left hand.” He hadn’t enjoyed parting with the money, of course, but he loved seeing the ring on her. It made him feel like she really was his.

She laughed. “Don’t worry, there are no men trying to knock down my door to marry me.”

“Good. I don’t want to have to take up boxing to fight them all off. I think I would, though. You’re pretty special.”

She blushed, pleased that he thought so highly of her. Once they reached their room, she sank onto the bed, digging through her bags. “We bought a lot of
crap
.”

He grinned. “We did, but they’re things that will remind you of our wedding cruise, so that matters.”

“Would you have a huge problem if I took a nap?” she asked. “I feel like I should stay awake and talk to you, but I’m fading fast. I never have time to take a nap at home.”

He looked at his phone for the time. “We have three hours before dinner. Yes, nap.” He picked up a paperback from his nightstand. “I’ve got a book to finish before this cruise is over anyway.”

He settled on the bed beside her, sitting with his back to the headboard, while she snuggled under the covers, close enough that her head was resting against him. He read a couple of pages, but spent most of the time staring down at his beautiful bride. Today had told him all he needed to know. Dr. Lachele had once again worked her magic. The woman was practically perfect in every way.

*****

Jenni felt funny going into the dining room and sitting two tables over from her friends. She thought about joining the others, but she knew she needed to spend time alone with her husband. He wouldn’t appreciate the twins’ antics anyway.

She ordered the shrimp cocktail, and showed Tony the little fork that came with it, and he shook his head. “Where did they come up with the idea of stabbing each other?”

“That’s a rhetorical question, right?” she asked. There were no answers for why her friends did things, and trying to figure them out was simply asking for a headache.

The meal was much more subdued with just Tony beside her, but Jenni had no complaints. She could hear her friends’ manic giggles from two tables over, and once looked at them and caught Kaya’s eye. Kaya winked, and she knew then all was well. They were still having fun without their mediator. So often her presence had been the only thing keeping the sisters from strangling one another.

“Why are vacations so exhausting?” she asked softly.

Tony shrugged. “I think anything that gets us out of our routine is tiring. And we spent five hours walking around in the heat of the sun today. We should be tired.”

“That’s true.”

The drink waiter stopped at their table and frowned at her. “Weren’t you at the other table? The one with the girls who drink Coke and root beer, but act like they’re drinking Vodka?” His voice was thick with a Serbian accent.

Jenni smiled. “I was. I got married last night, and now I’m sitting with my husband.”

The man gave her an odd look before wandering away.

Tony smiled. “It must seem weird that you were on a cruise ship with your fiancé and not spending any time with him at all.”

“I guess that’s true.” Jenni shrugged. “Whatever. I don’t care what random strangers on a cruise ship think. Not now. I did at the beginning of the cruise, because I wasn’t sure which of the random strangers I’d end up married to.”

He grinned. “Makes sense to me!” He brought her hand to his lips, causing a flutter of feeling deep inside her. “I’m glad I was the random stranger you were marrying and not some other man.”

“Me too.” She pulled her schedule for the evening from her pocket. “We could go to the dance show in the main theater tonight. Or we could do karaoke again. Do you enjoy singing?” She was actually a very good singer, but she was sure he wouldn’t believe that after she sang with the twins.

“I love to sing. My friends make fun of me, because CPAs aren’t supposed to like karaoke.”

“Well, we should do that then! I don’t mind. I like to sing as well.”

He nodded, smiling at her. “Sounds good to me.”

They ran into Kaya and Bridget on their way to karaoke. Kaya hugged Jenni, whispering in her ear. “Everything good?”

Jenni nodded. “Very good. He’s a good man.”

“I’m glad.”

“You guys doing karaoke again?” Bridget asked. “If so, save us seats. We have five more photographers to see tonight.”

“Are you getting photos with all of them every night?” Tony asked.

“There’s an unlimited photo deal,” Kaya said. “We believe in getting our money’s worth.”

Bridget nodded. “Yup. Mom’s going to be so proud of us!”

“She will. I can’t wait ‘til she sees the pic with both of us kissing that photographer!”

Jenni closed her eyes and shook her head. She didn’t even want to know. “We’ll save you seats,” she promised, hoping Tony wouldn’t mind if they spent a little time with her friends.

When they got into the karaoke room, Tony chose a table for four without blinking, before he went over and grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down a song. When he came back, he was smiling. “You don’t mind if I sing to you, do you?”

She shook her head, blushing a little.

The girls had just come in to join them when he walked up for his song. Jenni watched with trepidation, wondering what he’d sing. She smiled, tears welling up in her eyes when she heard the opening bars to
If Tomorrow Never Comes
by Garth Brooks, one of her favorite songs.

As soon as Tony opened his mouth, Jenni’s jaw dropped in surprise. She’d had no idea he had a good voice. Of course, she’d only known him twenty-four hours, but still. The man could sing!

Kaya looked at Jenni with a smile. “Wow. He’s got it bad already. I think you should keep this one.”

Jenni laughed softly. “I think I will.”

When Tony was done, the twins stood up and cheered, Bridget whistling with her fingers in her mouth. Jenni sat quietly applauding, but when he got back to the table, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. She put her whole heart into it, and when she pulled back, she could see the pleasure and surprise in his eyes.

Bridget looked at the two of them. “I think you two need to get a room,” she said fanning her face. “BRB, I’m going to go and sign up for a song.”