Page 40 of The Heiress

He sat across from me and took my hands in his. “If you walk away you’ll always have that lovely life you created for yourself, but you’ll also always know that you could have at leasttriedto make the world a better place.”

My mouth went very dry. My tongue felt so thick it might choke me. “How?” I managed to squeak out.

“You have important stakes in those companies. Influential ones. The Feyereisens have been pushing the company one way. If you and Georgia work together, maybe you can take back control of the ship.”

“You’re making a very big assumption there.” I took a few deep breaths, bringing my heart back under control. “You think that’s what Georgia even wants? You’re assuming she’s a good guy. Girl.Woman. Damnit.”

He gave my hands another squeeze. “You’re right. I am. That’s why I think you should be careful about getting wined and dined on a fancy yacht. You’ll wind up taking the money and running before you know.”

“Before I know what?”

He shot me a tight smile. “Who’s good and who’s bad. If you can do anything or not. Whether the magic lamp with three wishes comes with chains.”

He...had a point.

“I’m not telling you what to do, Sam. Whatever course you chart, I’m with you. I’m just making sure you’re taking a look at the whole map before you leave port.”

“Excellent maritime analogy, good sir.” I swallowed down my panic with the rest of the expensive bribery champagne.

“And hey,” he shot me another one of those drop-dead gorgeous smiles, “there’s nothing that says we can’t enjoy the hell out of the process. Get dressed for dinner. I hear the chef has something spectacular for us.”

* * *

After washingoff the sunscreen and saltwater, I dried my hair, applied a few touches of makeup to compliment my newly sun kissed skin, and slipped on the blue sundress Kennedy packed in my bag. It wasn’t mine, so maybe it was one of the pieces made for me. Whoever picked it out knew what they were doing because it enhanced myass-ets and lengthened my torso so that I looked the way I felt. A trick of geometry and fabric.

I loved it.

I went barefoot because it was a boat. What was the point of shoes? Even sandals? The sun was beginning to set and the sky had turned a brilliant shade of pink when I emerged from the cabin below. The table was set with crystal and china that seemed out of place at sea. Candles flickered and guitar music strummed from hidden speakers, but could only be heard when the ocean chose to be quiet.

Jace stood at the stern in a pair of slim grey shorts and a white Cuban shirt. His hair was brushed back from his face and he held a glass of bourbon in his hand, watching the wake churn behind the boat. My heart skipped a beat again. Mostly because I was profoundly attracted to him, but also because the broody mood that surrounded him had an air of masculinity that seemed to attract my femininity.

I stood frozen in the doorway, watching him. Wondering what he was thinking. He wasn’t wearing sunglasses so I was able to see the way his eyes pinched at the corners and his brow furrowed. His jaw worked. Mostly he had it tensed, but every few moments the muscles would work for a moment before settling back.

The engines slowed and then cut. I shifted my weight and held onto the doorframe while the boat rocked, waiting for the wake to catch up and rock the boat once more. Jace braced his hand against the rail and turned, the lines of worry and stress erasing instantly when he saw me.

A lot of wonderful, giddy things happened in my chest. I liked, very much, that I made him forget his troubles. I just hoped I wasn’t one of those troubles. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He stepped carefully over to the table and set his glass down. “I think they’re going to keep things pretty quiet while we eat.” He nodded toward the now silent engines.

I’d never been this attracted to someone before. It was hard to breathe. Every time I tried to inhale my chest grew tighter and my heart pounded harder. Like they were competing for space and neither were winning. “You clean up nice.”

He glanced down. “I apparently own some new clothes. Not that I mind.”

I didn’t mind either. He looked really good. “I believe Kennedy, who you may recall is a blanket thief, arranged for us to dress nicer.”

“More likethem?”

“Something like that.”

He moved even closer. I couldfeelhim getting closer. It was like the air between us morphed, pressed into me, alerting my body that he was approaching. I had to crane my neck and look up a little to meet his eyes.

“I’m sorry if I put too much pressure on you earlier. I got carried away.”

Being this close but not touching felt wrong. My skin burned everywhere it wished our bodies were attached. My forearms, my hands, my hips, my belly. Electric and almost painful. My balance swayed and it wasn’t from the boat. It was because being this close to Jace made me dizzy.

“No, you’re right. I should be thinking about all the implications and possibilities. I don’t want to make any uneducated choices because I’m scared or tired. It’s…”

His eyebrows rose. “It’s?”

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