Page 59 of Abandoned Oaths

“How is anyone supposed to see me when I’ll be all the way up there?” I pointed to where I thought a deck would be.

“His house sits up away from the water. His backyard is tiered with direct access to a private dock. If he was standing on it, he wouldn’t see you, but if he’s looking down from his house or patio, he could,” Cruz explained as he held out his hand and helped me up the short plank to the white deck at the rear.

“Are you driving?” I asked, looking around at the leather seating and table filled with food and drinks.

“No, there’s a captain.” He chuckled. “I’m playing the role of crew.”

“Ah,” I murmured, as if I knew what that meant. “So where do I go?”

I wanted to explore the inside where a huge flatscreen hanged on a wall across from a plush-looking sofa and a full kitchen just beyond. How many levels were there?

“Bow.” He pointed to the front of the boat. “There’s a dedicated sunbathing area. I’ll bring you anything you want.” He winked and led me along the side of the boat.

“But there are beds here.” I glanced back at the two very comfy-looking options.

He stopped and waved his hand as if he was revealing a magic trick, and I smiled at the enormous bed with two rows of pillows and a chilling bottle of champagne waiting. “This one is better.”

I agreed and slipped off my shoes and undid the tie before crawling into the middle and lying on the bed. “Oh, yes. This is better.”

He chuckled and handed me a pair of black sunglasses from his back pocket. I took them and slid them on, knowing they looked good from the smile on his face.

“I’ll be back to put on your sunscreen.”

He winked and disappeared. I rearranged the pillows until I was ridiculously comfortable. I barely noticed when we started moving. It was so much smoother than when we took the small boats back and forth to the mainland.

This I could get used to.

I was almost asleep when Cruz spoke.

“Settling in?”

“I live here now. You guys can have the apartment.”

He laughed. “Sounds good to me. Sit up.”

I groaned, but took his hand and allowed him to pull me up. “How far is his house?”

He poured sunscreen on his palm and started on my arm before answering. “At our speed, about thirty minutes. We’re not in any rush. Let’s give him plenty of time to see you coming.”

That made sense. We didn’t want to waste this trip.

“Are you ready for things to get more serious?”

His focus was on my back, so I could watch him over my shoulder without getting caught.

“I guess I’m a little nervous. He might not like me once he spends a few minutes with me alone.”

Cruz cracked a smile. “I highly doubt that.”

“You guys can barely tolerate me.”

He froze, holding my shoulders in his hands. “That’s not true.” He lifted his eyes to meet my gaze. “I don’t think any of us can get enough.”

I scoffed.

“I’m serious. I’d do just about anything to trade places with him.”

“You want me to seduce you instead?”

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