Page 42 of The Mogul: Leonard

“Is this something you old people do all the time?” I ask, yawning.

Raphael chuckles while Leonard fights a smile pulling at his lips.

“What?” Elijah asks, grinning.

“Waking up before noon on Saturday,” I explain.

“Yes, it’s something they do a lot,” Mia, Elijah’s girlfriend and around my age, answers.

“Hey! I’m not that old!” Silver complains.

“Yes, you are,” I answer, with Dakota and Mia nodding in approval.

Thank God there are a couple of girls my age, or I would be bored to death listening to these career men talking business all day.

Aaron and Raphael laugh as Leonard scowls.

“What? You didn’t think you were young, did you?” I raise my eyebrow, challenging him.

“Jesus. And I invited her,” he murmurs under his breath, making everyone laugh.

The truth is, I’m happy to be here. After my meltdown at the rage room, Leonard went easy on me. He reduced our office hours, took me out for lunch more often, and even some dinners. And yesterday, he invited me on a sailing trip he had planned with his friends. It’s like somehow I stepped up to be part of his circle—a stark difference from the guys I was hanging out with until a few weeks ago.

“You can go.” Raphael’s bodyguard gives us the thumbs up.

I grab my bag from the dock and follow the others toward a sailboat. Leonard gets in first, then helps us jump into it until the eight of us are all on board. Raphael, Aaron, and Elijah help with the ropes while Leonard stands behind the boat’s wheel.

“Where’s the captain?” I ask when I see him tampering with the instruments.

Leonard frowns. “What do you mean?”

“Who’s…driving this thing?” I wave toward the massive boat.

“I am.” His face contorts with confusion.

“You know how to do this? I thought there was an expert helping us.”

He points toward Raphael and the others busy helping him sail this boat. “We do it all the time.”

“Of course you do,” I murmur as I reach the girls sprawled on the bow.

I sit between them, and I don’t miss the curious glance Silver gives me.

“So, I’m happy you two are getting along,” she says, nodding toward Leonard.

I glance toward him, and my breath catches in my throat. He is gorgeous in his khaki shorts, polo, sailing shoes, and sunglasses. Even dressed more casually, he has a sophisticated bearing that’s difficult not to notice. His tanned skin almost glows in the morning sun.

“Getting along is a strong statement. We tolerate each other,” I point out, and they all exchange a look I can’t figure out.

“What?” I ask, confused.

“If he asked you to come, he likes you,” Dakota explains.

“He’s very protective of his free time and picky about the people he surrounds himself with,” Mia chips in.

I shrug, attempting to brush off their insinuations. I don my sunglasses and lie down, hoping to bask in the sun’s warmth, but their words persist in my thoughts. I never anticipated this invitation to carry such weight, or I would have thought more before accepting.

It takes us half an hour to leave the dock and the harbor. When we finally hoist the sails, a light breeze helps us move smoothly over the flat ocean. It’s a perfect day to be out at sea.

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