world,” Marcia said. “But remember that being impulsive always has consequences. And eventually you are going to have to come back to earth.”
“I will. I’m working at five today but will be home by ten tonight.”
“I’ll see you then. Are you off tomorrow?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Riley wants to go to the park with his favorite auntie.”
“Tell him it’s a date,” Jen said and hung up.
“Who do you have a date with?” Nate asked, stepping out on to the patio.
She hung up the phone and then turned to look over her shoulder at Nate. “Riley … my nephew. We usually spend Sunday together at the park. I take him for the morning and let my sister sleep in. It’s the one day a week she can.”
“I want to hear more about your family,” he said.
The housekeeper brought out their breakfast and then left. Nate gestured for Jen to come sit down at the glass-topped table.
When she was seated next to him, he poured them both some coffee. “What does your sister do?” “She’s a lawyer,” Jen said.
“So she’s smart like you,” Nate said. “What kind of law does she practice? “
“Family law. She does divorces and custody hearings,” Jen said. “I don’t know how she does it, but she really likes it. Her job is really demanding and with Riley she has no free time.”
“Where is Riley’s dad?” Nate asked.
“He’s not in the picture. Having kids and a family wasn’t what he wanted. But Marcia did, so they went their separate ways.”
Nate put his fork down. “I don’t understand men like that. I know guys who make that same decision. But a child is a part of you … I couldn’t abandon a part of me,” he said.
Jen was surprised to hear him say that. Surprised that family meant as much to him as it obviously did. “Family is important to you.”
“Hell, yes. You know how you talked about not being a dancer anymore and not being sure who you were without that?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I was the same way with baseball and I saw a lot of ‘friends’ drop me when it was clear I wasn’t going to be able to play anymore. But my brothers—they just said come home and we will do something together. Something that will be an even bigger adventure than baseball was.”
“Did you regret it?” she asked.
“Not once. I wouldn’t be here with you now if not for that long-ago injury.”
She wanted to pretend that his words didn’t make her heart melt but they did. She knew then what Marcia had warned her about. The consequences of spending the night with Nate—and now this day with him—were that she’d forget he was an impulse. She’d forget they were just supposed to be having fun and maybe start caring for him more than she should.
The sea breeze blew across the deck of the boat, stirring Jen’s hair around her face. She wore a pair of dark cherry-red round-frame sunglasses, which went perfectly with the sundress he’d bought for her. It was a deep navy blue with a V-neck and a tie at the back. He’d gotten her a light sweater to wear over it since it was cool on the water.
She sat at the stern of the boat and he watched her from the flybridge. Ordinarily, he’d have a crew onboard but today he wanted to be alone with Jen. To have her completely to himself. He knew that this would be the only day they’d spend together like this for a while. He had a busy social calendar and it was important to the club that he always have his picture in the society pages.
And unfortunately, Jen didn’t have the kind of headline-grabbing presence he needed. But he couldn’t regret spending the day with her. She was what he needed and he was enjoying every minute of it.
When they were out to sea and out of the shipping lanes, he dropped anchor and joined her at the back of the boat.
“This is so nice. I haven’t been out on a yacht before.”
“Do you like the ocean?” he asked. “I do. But there never seems like enough time to just take a day and go out on the water like this. Thank you, Nate.”
He sat down next to her. “You are very welcome.”
“Why did you bring me out here?” she asked.
“I wanted you all to myself. Away from the distractions of the club and of our real lives.”
She nodded. And he wondered what she was thinking. He couldn’t see her eyes behind the lenses of her dark glasses. And when she got quiet, he felt as if she retreated to someplace he couldn’t follow.
“I saw a picture of you on this yacht … sitting right here. I think it was in Yachting Magazine.”
He nodded. “With the Countess De Moreny. She was thinking of buying one of these Sunseeker boats and I let her try mine out.”
“You looked quite friendly with her, intimate,” Jen said.
“I was. I like Daphne,” Nate said. “Is that a problem?”
Jen shrugged. “You seemed almost too perfect last night and today and I have to remember that you are a player. That I’m not some woman you are just going to fall for. Please don’t let me forget that.”
He knew that he was dealing with someone who wasn’t used to the world he traveled in. And he’d already decided that was part of the reason she was so appealing to him. But he didn’t want to have to remind her not to care about him.
He wanted her to care.
He wanted her to think about him all the time and when they were apart he wanted her to try to get back to him. And he knew that wasn’t fair.
“I’m not playing with you, Jen,” he said at last.
“I never thought you were. For me this was a crazy dare. Something that I probably wouldn’t have done at any other time, but for you, this is your life. A different woman every night and a lot of fun. I have to remember that we’re essentially two very different people,” she said, pushing her sunglasses up on her head.
He saw fear and caution in her gaze and he knew that she was being as honest with him as she could be. She wanted to be sure she didn’t get hurt, and he didn’t want her to be hurt.
“I would never do anything to hurt you,” he said.
“Not intentionally,” she said. She slid out of the padded bench until she stood on the deck. “Give me the tour of this floating luxury craft. I want to be able to tell my nephew all about it.”
He let her change the subject because there was nothing more he could say to change her mind. He knew he’d simply have to do whatever it took to make sure she knew how important she was to him. He wasn’t about to let her waltz out of his life easily.
