Page 34 of The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée

I knew this yacht would be huge, but it’s literally six stories tall, like a layer cake of gleaming white separated by strips of dark windows and brown wooden decks, sleek and ginormous.

Rex comes up next to me. I can feel him looking down at me, but I’m still taking in the yacht. Blue-uniformed crew members come out from the back, which is a sprawling open-air lounge of comfy seating and potted palms. They’re setting up some kind of glam gangplank for us.

Rex sets a knuckle under my chin and turns my head to him. It’s a romantic gesture until he growls, “Try not to be so slack-jawed for fuck’s sake.”

I try not to let his growl get me down. I’m dressed as a princess, after all—a boring princess, but a princess nevertheless—and about to step aboard a giant football-field-sized yacht! A hundred yards longer than a football field, according to Clark. I go onto my tiptoes and whisper into his ear, “I really want to take a selfie of me boarding this boat! You might have to physically restrain me from it!”

He gets one of his disgusted expressions. “Don’t,” he says.

“But I’m a rube hairdresser you’ve plucked from obscurity. I feel like I can be a little tiny bit amazed at this thing.”

“No selfies. Think about it, Tabitha. We’ve been having a secret relationship for two months and I have fully introduced you to all the luxuries of life.”

“But do you own a yacht?”

“No.” He practically spits it out. Like yachts are the devil.

I suppress a smile because he’s so Rex, what with the surliness. “Well, then I think I can be a little impressed.”

“You will keep yourself toned down,” he warns through gritted teeth.

“What happened to opposites attracting?” I tease.

He gives me a dark look.

“Why do you hate yachts?” I ask.

“Because I do,” he growls. “And don’t say that out loud again.”

“So yachts are out. Now I have to think of another Christmas gift. You are so hard to buy for.”

He gives me a warning look. Clark comes around to our side of the limo and takes a selfie with the yacht behind him.

I direct a face of shock at Rex. Because, really? Clark can do it, but not me?

More men in the blue uniforms are grabbing our bags and welcoming us to the boat.

“Thank you,” I say as they walk up the plank.

Under his breath, Rex mumbles, “Never thank the help.”

I give him a look, because,hello! I’m the help! But nothing can deflate my mood right now. “Aye aye,” I say.

A row of uniformed women and one man stand at the ready as we step onto the posh lounge area. The first woman has tons of tiny braids, neatly caught in a blue band in back. She introduces herself as Taylor, the head stewardess, and these people are her team. A woman with a close-cropped platinum do is Mary, the first stewardess. Mary holds a clipboard and checks us in. There are other stewardesses, including Renata, a blonde with aviator glasses, who will be showing us to our cabins.

“This is the aft lounge deck,” Renata says as she leads the way past live lemon trees and swanky lounge furniture. “You’re on the fourth level. I can take you via an elevator at the center or—”

“We’ll take the stairs,” Rex says.

“Very good.” Renata spins on her heel and leads us up a wide wooden staircase.

“Taylor’s basically the captain of hospitality,” Clark explains as we follow Renata up the second set of stairs and then a third. “Taylor runs the interior, and Mary is her first mate.”

We follow Renata along the gleaming wood walkway on the outside of the third floor past an endless row of windows belonging to the guest cabins. Eventually the row of rooms ends, and the walkway opens out to what Renata calls the main foredeck—a vast, sweeping area with pools, bars, bright blue cabanas, potted palms, seating areas, and festive blue flags.

“It’s like a little city,” I say.

“Almost,” Renata says, heading up an open stairway to the fourth level. We pass a small lounge overlooking the massive main deck and head back toward yet another row of guest cabins. “There are sixty guest rooms in all, thirty each on the third and fourth levels, plus the family area and master suites on the fifth. Crew quarters on first.”

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