Rulers of Deception by Katie Jennings Read Free Book Online

his legs in the breeze, his loose cotton shirt pressed against his chest. “You can tell me, you know.”
    She shook her head, her eyes taking in the white-crested waves and the seagulls that danced in the sky. In the distance, she could see the smooth curve of Long Island and the many boats that frequented the Sound. “He’s not worth a second more of my time.”
    “He, huh?” Wyatt crouched down beside her, hanging on to one of the ropes. “You got a new boyfriend I don’t know about?”
    The very thought revolted her. “No. McAllister’s son, Daniel.” When he only continued to look at her, she sighed. “He came by to meet us today and decided to insult us at the same time.”
    He couldn’t see her eyes behind the dark tinted glasses she wore, but knew they’d be sparking with heat. “Bastard.”
    A sly smile curved her lips. “Which is exactly why he doesn’t deserve my time.”
    “Well then, let this old sailor take you on a voyage.” He tapped a finger under her chin playfully and stood, shielding his eyes with his hand as he looked out over the water. “You see, sweetheart, before man could fly to freedom, he sailed for it.”
    “You love it.” She could hear it in his voice, and adored him for it.
    “I spent more time on a boat than on land when I was a kid, drawn to that razor’s edge of a horizon.”
    She closed her eyes, enjoying the combination of his voice and the hum of the sea. “I wish I could have known your parents.”
    Wyatt smiled, the sentiment bittersweet. “You would’ve scared the shit out of them.”
    “How so? I can be nice,” she argued, lips pursed.
    “I know, that’s not what would have scared them.” He lowered again and brought her face to his. “It would have scared them to see me so obsessed with you. Their wild, rebellious son who swore he’d never settle down unless it was with a boat and the open sea.”
    “But things changed for you,” she recalled, remorse over what little she knew about his youth stinging her heart. To make it worse, she knew she could do nothing to mend the ache in his heart. It was as much a part of him as the marrow in his very bones.
    “I didn’t sail for a long time after my dad and brother died.” Wyatt looked out to the water, the pain of missing them hitting him like one of those crashing waves. “Coming back to you put the love of the sea back into me.”
    Madison reached for his hand, squeezing it in her own. “You never lost it, darling. Our passions may lay dormant, but they never leave us.”
    “Coming from a woman who’s never short on passion,” he mused, lifting her hand to his lips for a soft kiss. He nibbled on her knuckles and grinned. “Seeing you out here on my boat does things to me, ma belle . Bad things.”
    One of her eyebrows quirked up, a devilish gleam in her eyes. “Is that so?”
    “Elegant class meets the mayhem of the sea. It’s an irresistible combination.” He sat down beside her and draped his arm over her shoulders, drawing her in. They both looked out to the horizon as the sun set to the west, cloaking the waves in shimmering light. “Are you sure you don’t want to do the whole wedding thing? We still could.”
    She nestled her head in the crook of his neck, breathing in the sweet scent of his cologne mixed with the lightly tangy scent of sweat. “Going to the courthouse and making it official was enough for me. I don’t need a ceremony for the approval of others to prove my love for you. I know what’s in my heart.”
    “I have to admit my favorite part was the trip to Maine afterward…you and me in a lighthouse with a raging storm outside and nothing but candles and blankets to keep us warm and dry.”
    She remembered the crackling jolts of lightning and the roar of crashing waves. Lying in a small bed at the base of the lighthouse, bracing against the storm and each other.
    “I never understood the appeal of such places until that night. I’d say it was better than any church