Page 112 of Boss of Me

We swap playful grins before he hops out of the SUV and comes around to open my door. He lifts me out and cradles me against his chest, his grin broadening when I loop my arms around his neck and rain kisses along his jaw.

He carries me down to the dock where he nimbly climbs into the rowboat before helping me aboard. The boat is large enough to hold at least eight people.

I sit on one of the wooden benches while Gunner takes off his tuxedo jacket and drapes it around my bare shoulders. I happily snuggle into the fabric, breathing in his scent as he rolls up his sleeves and then unties the boat from its mooring.

He sits on the bench facing me, grabs the oars and pushes the boat away from the dock. And then we’re off, gliding across the moonlit lagoon.

It’s a perfect summer night, warm with soft breezes coming off the mountains. The water looks like glass under the night sky with giant lily pads floating on the surface.

Sitting there in my beautiful red gown, I feel like a princess in some ethereal fairytale.

“You really know how to make a girl’s fantasies come true, Gunner Ransom,” I say with a sigh.

He grins at me, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. “What else do you fantasize about?”

“A lady never tells.”

He laughs, and my heart swells at the sound of it. I watch him for a few moments, admiring the way he effortlessly rows the boat, the muscles in his forearms rippling with each stroke.

“Where’d you learn to waltz so beautifully?” My tone is half teasing, half serious. “Is that a prerequisite for rich kids? Learning to waltz?”

“Pretty much,” he says with a wry twitch of his lips. “My grandparents are esteemed members of the Dallas Country Club. The worst part of living with them was being forced to attend a ton of boring society balls.”

I grin. “Is that why you hacked country club databases? To exact revenge?”

He chuckles. “Probably.”

I laugh and lean back on the bench, enjoying the soft breeze that wafts over us, freeing tendrils of hair from my updo.

Gunner watches me, his eyes moving over my slitted dress and the bare curve of my thigh before traveling back up to my face and lingering there.

“So what about you, kitten?” he says in that low, rumbly drawl that always heats my blood. “Who taught you to waltz?”

“I took ballroom dance lessons in high school. I can do a mean tango, too.”

“Yeah?” Gunner grins. “That’s sexy as hell.”

“It is,” I agree. “The tango is a very sexy dance.”

His eyes gleam. “You’ll have to show me sometime.”

“With pleasure.” My voice softens as I gaze at him. “I love dancing with you.”

“I feel the same way,” he says just as softly. “There’s nothing better than holding you in my arms, Marlowe.”

We share a tender smile as the boat floats beneath a swath of tropical trees, the leafy fronds brushing the tops of our heads like caressing fingers. I let out a blissful sigh, savoring every moment of this unforgettable fairytale experience.

When we reach the middle of the lagoon, Gunner pulls in the oars and drops the anchor to keep the boat from drifting.

My heart beats faster as he moves to sit beside me, the heat of his body radiating through mine. We stare at each other without speaking until I whisper, “None of this feels real. It feels like a dream.”

A smile lights his eyes. “If this is a dream, it’s the best damn one I’ve ever had, and I don’t want to wake up.”

“Me neither.”

He moves in closer, sinking his hands into my hair. “I’ve been dying to do this all night.”

I stare up at him, barely breathing as he removes the silver hair combs one by one and drops them on the bench. Then he threads his fingers through my loosened tresses as they tumble over my shoulders, framing my face.