Page 93 of Alex

I kick off my heels and cuddle closer to his side as he bends over to retrieve my shoes and wraps his arm around me. “That sounds nice.”

The sand is soft and cool beneath my feet as it squishes between my toes.

I let out a soft sigh as Alex leads us closer to the water. “Can you believe it’s already been eight months since the night I first met you?”

Eight months since Mom died.

I shake that thought away. I don’t want to ruin my first date with Alex because I’m mourning Mom all over again.

Alex links his hand with mine, causing me to stop walking. His voice is husky, yet soft. Deep and lustful, but happy and hopeful.

“How can I forget? That night changed everything for me. I needed to know more about the quiet woman that snuck away from my party without so much as a name, number, or address.”

“Who would have thought that just a few weeks later I’d be working for your dad without even knowing it?”

The corner of Alex’s eyes crinkle as he grins and laughs. “Not me, that’s for sure.”

Standing on my tiptoes, I press my lips to his. Before things can get too heated, I pull on his hand.

“Come on. I’m ready to see what else you planned for our date.”

His face lights up like the night sky on Independence Day. “Let’s go. It’s just a little way down the road. We’ll take the car.”

Chapter Twenty Six

ALEX

Elise’s eyeswiden as I lead her down the dock to our next destination.

“Here we are.” I stop at the end of the pier and point at the luxurious boat floating in the water.

“Oh. My. God. We’re going on a yacht?” She bounces on the balls of her feet like an excited child.

“Only for the romantic dessert portion of this date.”

I’m not ready to tell her I bought this yacht yesterday. Dad was supportive of my decision, and he even helped me pick this one out.

I wanted to get a yacht big enough that we can take out to sea for a few weeks at a time, but also something that was local and available for tonight’s date.

Elise glances around at the other yachts parked at the marina. “And then we will go back to the house?”

Does she not like the yacht? Did I get too aheadof myself in thinking she would enjoy being on the water?

If I’m being honest, I don’t know all that much about her.

Does she hate boats?

Does she have a fear of the water?

“If that’s where you’d like to go, then that’s where I’ll take you.”

Is there somewhere else she’d like to be? Should I have asked for her thoughts on our date?

Her face scrunches up as she gets lost in thought. It’s cute, and it’s something I’ve grown to love over the past several months.

Her eyes get wide before she asks, “What if I want to stay the night on the yacht?”

I shrug. “Then we will stay the night on the yacht. It’s ours.”

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