The Temporary Wife - By Jeannie Moon Page 0,44
eye. “You aren’t kidding?”
“Nope. Want me to carry you?”
“Don’t joke about that,” she said. “It’s quite possible I can’t walk.”
She turned away from him and moaned. “I cannot believe you aren’t letting me sleep.”
“I haven’t slept. I’m okay.”
Meg snorted. “You are not a normal human.”
Jason pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and laughed. “Maybe not, but I sure did like spending the night looking at you. Come on!” He gave her rear a nice smack, admiring the pretty flower tattoo that adorned her right cheek.
“Hey!” she squealed.
“Get up and put on some clothes or I’m carrying you out there naked.”
“Jason, I’m tired. Can’t you come back to bed? It’s so nice and warm.”
“Up,” he said. He was enjoying this. Just having the ability to annoy her so thoroughly was worth it.
He stood by the doorway, and Meg finally gave in and got out of bed. She rifled through his drawers and pulled on some very baggy pajama pants before wrapping herself in the terry robe from the night before, all while sporting a kissable pout. “This is mean.”
“No, it’s not. Stop whining.”
“It’s early and cold, and I’m sore.”
Jason couldn’t take it anymore and scooped her into his arms, because he knew she was going to love this. Happily, she didn’t object and cuddled against him. His whole body warmed from the contact. No other woman got him as hot as Meg. That she was a little crazy was another issue altogether. If nothing else, the next year wouldn’t be boring.
He couldn’t deny that he liked her. She wasn’t easy, but she was smart to the core, understanding things that flew by the very bookish people he often associated with. She had plenty of knowledge, but Meg had a sense about people that put her ahead of all the intellectuals he knew.
He loved talking to her because of it. It had always been that way. She’d flown through her honors and AP classes in school, although she was hapless with math. Meg was the person he always wanted to talk to about a problem. She knew how to deal with people, with situations.
When the custody issue came up, he knew she’d try to work out the problem, but this was a time she’d come up short unless she had some help. He knew it killed her that she wasn’t able to do this on her own, but he’d protect her if it was the last thing he did. His parents wouldn’t be allowed to hurt her again.
Getting to the forward deck, he deposited his lovely bundle on a chaise made for two and covered them with a blanket he’d grabbed on their way through the living room.
Again, she curled into him, closing her eyes and taking advantage of his body heat. It gave Jason the chance to look at her in the new morning light. Her skin, reflecting the rosy light, seemed almost translucent, and her long lashes lay dark across her cheeks. She was peaceful, and that was something he didn’t ever see in Meg. She was always on alert, always a mass of kinetic energy. To see her relaxed and calm made him feel even more protective.
Did he give that to her? Had she just resigned herself to her life for the next year? When they separated, would he be taking it away again?
He held her while she rested. Then, as expected, a familiar whistling sound came from the starboard side of the boat. Meg’s eyes flew open and looked up at him.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“You could go check.”
Flinging back the blanket, Meg made her way to the rail. He heard her gasp.
“Oh, my God. This is incredible.”
He stood next to her, leaning into the rail and seeing the pod of dolphins playing alongside the yacht and enjoying the wake. Her face was pure joy, and when she turned that smile on him, Jason would have moved a mountain for her.
“Thank you for this. For making me get up to see them.”
“I knew you wouldn’t want to miss it. It’s pretty spectacular.”
“Are they always here?”
“Pretty much. This type of dolphin is very social.”
“I wish I had my camera.”
“Yeah?” He walked back to the chaise, reached under, and pulled out a small camera bag with a bow. “This should work for you.”
She took the bag, and the light in her eyes flashed and settled on him, asking him without words what this was all about.
Jason didn’t speak, but instead took the camera from the