Deadly Honeymoon (Hardy Brothers Security Book 7) Read Online Free Page A

arrived on the deck, greeting everyone and then explaining about the itinerary for the rest of the afternoon. James tuned him out. He didn’t care about anyone but his bride, and she was busy leaning over the edge of the boat as she tried to get a gander of a gray fin.
    One of the blonde women took the opportunity to approach James. “Hi.”
    James kept his face neutral. “Hi.”
    “I’m Dakota,” she said, introducing herself. “And this is my best friend, Hayley.”
    “Nice to meet you.” He knew the girl was trying to flirt, and Mandy was so distracted with the water that she was beyond noticing his imminent peril. It was up to him to let them down easy.
    “So, this is exciting, isn’t it?” Dakota asked.
    “It’s fun.”
    “It’s scary,” Hayley said, taking a step forward. “It’s making me all shaky.”
    James pursed his lips. “I’m sure we’re perfectly safe. They wouldn’t do these excursions if you were in any real danger.”
    “Still,” Dakota said, moving closer as she tried to edge Hayley away. “It’s a big deal.”
    James ran his tongue over his teeth. “Sure.”
    “So, where are you from?” Hayley asked.
    “Michigan.”
    “Oh, that’s so cool,” Dakota said, shooting Hayley a territorial look. “We’re from Ohio. That’s really close.”
    “Not that close,” James said, wishing Mandy would suddenly remember that she was married for a moment.
    “It’s close,” Dakota said. “ Very close.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “So, what brings you to Bermuda?” Hayley asked.
    Here was the opening he’d been waiting for. “My honeymoon.”
    Hayley’s face fell. “Oh. You’re married?”
    James held up his left hand for confirmation. “I am.”
    “Happily?”
    James glanced at his distracted wife. “Yes.”
    “That’s too bad,” Dakota said, pouting.
    Mandy picked that moment to swivel around, her face lit with glee. “Look.”
    James followed her extended index finger with his eyes, his gaze falling on a distinctive fin as it sluiced through the water about twenty feet away. “What kind is it?”
    Mandy narrowed her eyes, studying the shark. “Tiger.”
    “Awesome.”
    “That’s your wife?” Dakota asked, frowning.
    “It is.”
    “She seems … nice.”
    “She loves sharks,” James explained. “She’s distracted.”
    “How can anyone be distracted when you’re around?” Dakota purred.
    “Maybe because I know I’ll be seeing him naked again in a couple of hours,” Mandy shot back, still staring out at the ocean.
    James smirked. She’d been listening the whole time.
    Dakota’s eyebrows knit together as she regarded Mandy, looking her up and down like she was trying to decide if she was competition. Mandy was dressed in cutoff shorts and a simple tank top, her blonde hair tied into two messy buns on either side of her face. She was bare and simple, which was just how James liked her. He found beauty in the angular planes of her face, and the wide smile that was so often tugging at her plump lips. Makeup was unnecessary. Dakota and Hayley obviously hadn’t learned that lesson yet.
    “You don’t have to be crude,” Hayley said.
    Mandy finally turned, fixing her two rival blondes with a dismissive look. “You’re the ones hitting on my husband while I’m standing right next to him.”
    “We weren’t hitting on him,” Dakota squealed, placing her hand on James’ bare forearm. “We weren’t hitting on you.”
    Mandy rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just know, he’s already taken. You’re wasting your time.” A splashing fin in the water dragged Mandy’s gaze back to the water. “Look!”
    “You deserve so much better,” Hayley said.
    James pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. “I have the best woman in the world.”
    “You’re just saying that because she’s so … mean,” Dakota said.
    “I’m saying that because it’s true,” James countered. “And, she’s right, you’re wasting your time.”
    “We don’t have to be,”