Page 27 of Always the Baker

“You okay?” he asked against my ear.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The captain came to speak to us, and they both gave me a tour. The bed, the sitting area, the bar, the picnic basket. I shed a tear. He was treating me so well. I tried to convince myself this was how he was with all women, but a piece of me believed that wasn’t true.

When the yacht started to move, I gripped the railing tightly. Brax noticed and wrapped an arm around my waist.

“I got you.” Between the sincerity of his voice and warmth of his breath against my ear, I relaxed against him. “Just relax and enjoy the view.”

As we pulled away from the dock, I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. The city skyline stretched out before us, glittering in the morning sun. It was breathtaking.

“Pretty amazing, huh?” Brax said, watching my face.

“It’s incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Brax squeezed me tighter. “Well, I’m glad I get to share it with you.”

I turned to look at him. My heart swelled. In that moment, with the wind in my hair and the city at our backs, it felt like we were the only two people in the world. And for once, I didn’t feel like an imposter. I felt like I belonged right here, with him.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the skyline, drinking in every detail, even the seagulls swooping overhead… it was all so new and exciting.

“I can’t believe I’ve never been on the bay before,” I admitted, still clutching the railing. “It’s... it’s just incredible.”

Brax chuckled with his arm still around my waist. “Never? Really?”

I shook my head, feeling a little embarrassed. “Nope. First time.”

He leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear. “And here I thought you were a big city girl. This is one of the best parts of The Hills.”

I laughed nervously, trying to play it cool. “Well it never seemed like something worth doing.”

“Clearly.” His eyes twinkled with amusement.

Even as he teased me, I felt warm and safe in his arms. It was like we’d known each other for years instead of days. He broke away and made us mimosas that were heavy on the champagne. Like… they literally had just a couple of drops of orange juice. I chuckled but accepted. Brax asked me if I smoked, and after I said yes, he pulled out a blunt that we passed until it was just a nub.

That instantly increased my hunger, so we opened the picnic basket he’d gotten. It was supposed to be for lunch after we’d been on the water for a while, but we both were ready to smash now. He had several different kinds of small sandwiches, fruit, and chips. While I pigged out on ham and Swiss, he had turkey and cheddar. We shared a bag of spicy pickle chips since I wasn’t sure if I’d like them, and they turned out to be bomb. I was smiling hard as hell, unsure if it was the weed or the fullness of the moment.

“Maybe you should give me the full city tour. Show me all the things I’ve been missing,” I suggested.

Brax grinned. “I’d love to. We could start with a play since you mentioned wanting to go, hit up some food trucks, maybe even sneak into an exclusive rooftop lounge that’ll be closing soon for the season. It has a pool, bar, and DJ. The vibe is immaculate… especially if we can snag a private cabana.”

My heart raced at the thought. A whole day of adventures with Brax? It sounded like a dream come true. But a little voice in the back of my mind reminded me that this wasn’t real, that I was living on borrowed time.

I pushed the thought away, determined to enjoy this moment.

I laughed, trying to sound casual, but my heart was racing. “Exclusive rooftop bar? Sounds fancy. I’m not sure I’m dressed for that kind of place.”

Brax’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Trust me, you look perfect. Besides, half the fun is sneaking in.”

I doubt if he had to sneak into anywhere, but it was fun playing the game.

“You’re such a bad influence.”

He smiled as he pulled out his phone. “Speaking of bad influences, we need a selfie to commemorate your first boat ride.”

“You calling this a boat when it’s a yacht is beyond me.”

The sexy chuckle he released went straight to my pussy. “That’s all it is to me. Now come on and take this picture.”

“Oh, I don’t know…” I hesitated, but Brax was already positioning us.

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