Ride the Tide (Deep Six #3) - Julie Ann Walker Page 0,121

count the picnic.”

“Do you count the picnic?”

She shrugged. “Seems in order to be counted as a true date, we should have more than BLTs and brownies. I’m thinking candlelight, fresh caviar, and expensive French wine.”

His chin jerked back. He wasn’t a fancy guy. Never had been, never would be. She knew that, didn’t she? “Are you serious?”

Her grin was impish. “No. What I seriously want the next time we’re on Key West is chicken wings, a cold beer, and not less than four orgasms.”

His smile stretched his lips tight. “That’s my girl.”

Her smile was just as wide. “And you’re my guy. Forever. Has a certain ring to it, doesn’t it?”

He couldn’t stand it a second longer. He had to claim her Kewpie-doll lips. She welcomed his kiss with the same enthusiasm she’d welcomed his love. With open arms and a heart so fierce and sweet that he knew he would spend the rest of his life proving himself worthy of her.

Just when things were turning from romantic to erotic, a hard knock sounded at the door. “Cover yourselves!” Romeo’s voice boomed through the solid wood. “I’m coming in!”

Alex scrambled to lift the sheet to her chin before the door burst open and revealed Romeo on the threshold. His dark eyes sparkled so feverishly that alarm instantly filled Mason. “What the fuck’s happened now?” he demanded.

“It’s a cannon.” Romeo’s voice was hoarse.

“What is?” Mason blinked in confusion when, from the corner of his eye, he saw Alex scramble for her glasses on the bedside table.

After she slipped them on, she stared hard at Romeo. “And?”

Romeo nodded jerkily. “Verified against the log books.”

“Oh my god!” Both Alex’s hands flew to cover her mouth. She shook her head in disbelief.

“What?” Mason looked between them. “What am I missing?”

“I uncovered a cannon on my dive earlier.” Alex’s voice was so breathless she could barely get the words out. “It’s from the Santa Cristina. Oh my god, Mason! We’ve found her!”

With a shout, she tackled him back onto the mattress and covered his face and jaw with biting little kisses.

He’d like to say he was thrilled about the prospect of the ghost galleon’s riches. But the truth was, with his woman all warm and willing and gloriously naked atop him, all he could manage to think about was the blood pooling in his cock.

“I’ll…uh…leave you to it, eh?” Romeo quietly closed the door behind him.

Mason flipped Alex onto her back and settled himself between her legs. Claiming her mouth, he was once again hit by the image of a little girl with red hair and laughing blue eyes. Only this time, the vision didn’t frighten him.

Thanks to Alex. Who had freed him from his past. Freed him from fear of the present. Freed his soul while making him long for all that would be in their future.

“Wait, wait.” She grabbed his face so he was forced to release her lips. “What kind of breakfast cereal do you like?”

He blinked at her in confusion. “Um…Raisin Bran?”

Her grin was secretive. “Oh, good. Mine’s Rice Krispies.”

Before he could wonder what breakfast cereal had to do with anything, she sealed their lips and kissed every thought from his head.

Epilogue

June 23, 1624

Bartolome Vargas scanned the ocean beyond the reef. The black water was unbroken, save for the silvery moonlight reflecting over the tops of the waves.

No prying enemy eyes. No one around to know their secrets.

Good, he thought and dropped his spyglass so he could check on his men.

After liberating the Santa Cristina of her precious riches, they had waited nearly a week for an ultra-low tide. But even with the water pulled away from the reef by the magnetic force of the Mother Moon, the crew still struggled against the waves as they worked tirelessly to secure the treasure in its new home.

Again, Bartolome felt a punch of pride at the sight of them. They were starving and thirsty and weak from living outdoors. And yet they toiled on. Because they believed in the mission the same as he did. Because they—

A cry made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It came from Alejandro, one of his older deckhands.

Alejandro gripped his chest as his lips peeled back in a gruesome grimace. He tried to say something, but his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell into the surf face-first.

Bartolome raced toward the drowning man, but Rosario beat him there. His midshipman jumped into the sea and came up seconds later with Alejandro’s