Page 53 of Embracing the Change

“Therefore,” Jamie continued, “Paloma making moves, and Pop being Pop, after he took hit after hit for his part in the Core Point debacle, I do not see good things.”

I didn’t either. And I worried at this juncture in our conversation that he might not find solace in me reiterating how effective the G-Force was.

The Core Point debacle had been devastating for AJ Oakley. His part in that athletic company’s coverups of sexual assaults, which had led to the outing of AJ being involved in the same in his other business dealings, had been crushing.

He’d been removed from boards, even the one of his own company. He’d had deals die. He was a pariah in any polite society. Not that he’d ever cared about that, but then again, he’d never been a pariah. Even the media, who used to feed on his extreme political incorrectness, had lost interest in a loud-mouthed old man who seemed to behave as he did in a frantic attempt to remain relevant.

After that, AJ had vowed “dirty” revenge against Jamie (consequently, Dru’s and my growing concern).

I didn’t know how we didn’t cotton on to the unholy alliance of Paloma and AJ.

Well, at least I hadn’t.

Jamie seemed to have his finger on that pulse.

I was taken out of my gloomy thoughts when Jamie said, “Now we need to talk about that dress.”

I felt heat in my face, and it hit other parts of me when I focused on him and caught the look in his eyes.

I noted immediately AJ and Jamie had one thing in common.

If they had a reason to be, they were both predators.

But, I was seeing, they were very different kinds.

For the life of me, I didn’t know why, since the look in his eyes was what I’d been wanting from him for a very long time, but I took a step back.

He took one forward.

Oh my.

“Jamie,” I whispered.

He didn’t reply.

He was again staring at my legs, which had suddenly started trembling.

“Sir. Ma’am.”

Both our heads turned sharply to see the captain standing just in from the interior doorway to the lounge, beyond him, a magnificent view of the formal dining room.

He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’ve received an urgent call from Mr. Tom Pierce.”

The look on the captain’s face, those words coming from his mouth, my hand darted out, colliding with Jamie’s as his did the same my way, and he curled his fingers tightly around mine.

“We’ll be increasing our speed and changing course toward shore,” the captain continued, and his eyes locked on Jamie. “I’m sorry to be the one to inform you, sir. Your daughter-in-law has gone into early labor. Mother and child are in distress. They’re sending a helicopter to collect you and Ms. Ellington from the ship. Mr. Wheeler’s plane will be meeting you at a local airstrip. I suggest you both change clothes.”

Jamie’s voice was so guttural, it felt like it flayed at my flesh, and his grip on my hand was vise-like when he said, “Thank you.”

The captain dipped his chin and left.

I turned instantly to Jamie, got close, put my hand on his chest and pressed deep.

When I looked up at him, I saw his face was ravaged with worry.

My heart squeezed.

“It’s going to be fine,” I whispered.

---