Page 53 of Redemption

She shivered, and I cascaded my hands down her arms. But then she straightened and seemed to shake herself out of it. She turned to face me, and I was so distracted by the feel of her lips on mine that I barely noticed her slipping the sleep mask from my hand.

“Nope.” She smiled against my lips before leaning back. “I need you to wear it. I have a surprise for you.”

“What kind of surprise?” I waggled my eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, there will be sex involved, but we have to get to our destination first.”

“Which would be…”

She shook her head. “You can put it on now or when we get in the car.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t like surprises.”

I meant it. Surprises as a SEAL were deadly. And my training was so ingrained in me that the idea of covering my eyes and leaving the apartment went against the very fiber of my being.

She looped her arms around my neck. “I know. But you like me, right?”

“Mm-hmm.” I nuzzled her neck.

I more than liked Sloan. I loved her, but I couldn’t tell her that. Not when we were still keeping our relationship a secret from my sister and I had no idea what the future held.

I hated that we had to sneak around, but the idea of hurting my sister nearly killed me.

And I knew what would happen if we told her. When Greer had found out about my relationship with her former best friend, she hadn’t talked to me for weeks. And they hadn’t been nearly as close as Sloan and Greer were. Telling Greer would only end in heartbreak for everyone.

“And you trust me,” Sloan said.

“Yes.” I peeled her shirt aside, kissing every inch of available skin I could reach.

She moaned. But then she pushed me away. “Stop trying to distract me.”

“But it’s so much fun.” I smirked.

“Jackson,” she huffed.

“All right. All right.” I slid the sleep mask over my eyes. “Happy now?”

It was dark, and I didn’t like giving up my sense of sight. But I had to trust Sloan, and I did. Besides, my curiosity was definitely piqued about whatever she had planned.

With my vision darkened, my other senses were heightened. I heard a loud zipper. The jangle of her keys as she locked the door behind us. Felt the warmth of her skin as she slid her hand in mine.

I’d had to step up into our ride, which meant it wasn’t your typical taxi. And the seats were a soft, buttery leather. Where was she taking me, and how could she afford this?

After nearly an hour car ride that had left me grumpy and still clueless as to our destination, we stopped. Sloan thanked the driver before helping me out of the car. The noise of the city seemed magnified, and was that…a ship’s horn?

I itched to remove my blindfold. I hated not being able to scan my surroundings, to make sure Sloan was safe. But I was trying to be patient—for her. Because whatever this surprise was, she’d clearly gone to great lengths—and perhaps considerable expense—to make it happen. For me.

“Here we are,” she said, finally sliding the sleep mask from my face. “Surprise!”

I squinted against the bright morning sun. A row of sailboats bobbed in front of us, glass skyscrapers rising dramatically behind them.

“We’re having lunch by the water?” I asked.

“Nope.” She grinned. “We’re going sailing.”

“In one of these?” I encompassed the boats with a sweeping gesture, my excitement growing. I loved sailing, and Sloan and I had been talking about going together. But it had always seemed like something that was out of reach. We either couldn’t find the time or the price of renting a sailboat for a weekend was astronomical.

“Come on.” She tugged my hand, leading me past the row of sailboats used for tourist charters and over to a locked gate.

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