Page 64 of Isla

"I can't wait," I manage to say, trying to get my feet to cooperate.

By the time we make it up the gangplank, I have my legs back under me, and I'm practically running, dragging him toward the boat. The ship is sleek. Navy, cream, and chrome everywhere you look. We're greeted by a waiter in a tuxedo holding a tray of champagne.

"Welcome toThe Tide Runner. Please enjoy a glass of champagne, compliments of the captain. Please look for your names on the board behind me. There you will find your key. Further instructions await you in your room."

I bite my lip to keep in my grin. This is so fucking cool. Theo hands me a glass, clinking his against mine. "To a future better than anything we've ever imagined," he whispers, his gaze caressing my face as we take a sip. He grabs our room key from the hook below our names and picks up a printed diagram of the boat before guiding me toward the elevator. Crystal chandeliers shine a warm light on everysurface, giving the perfect magical ambiance. It feels like we're in a movie.

"This is incredible," I say, looking at what a cute couple we make in the mirrored elevator doors.

"Yes, you are," he murmurs, his lips moving against my hair. He pulls me into the elevator the second it opens, slamming his palm on the button to close the doors before trapping me against the wall, his elbows boxing me in. His lips are on mine before the doors close.

"What is it about you?" he growls, dragging his lips along the sweep of my jaw. "I can't keep my hands off of you. All I can think about is how your skin feels beneath my fingers. We're on a beautiful yacht, and all I want to do is lock you in the bedroom and ravish you."

"I'm not opposed to that." I shiver as he rakes his teeth over my collarbone.

"We're going to have to continue these single dates forever, you know."

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm a selfish motherfucker, Isla."

The door to the elevator opens before I can respond, another couple waiting to get on. I follow Theo down the plushly carpeted hallway, running my fingertips over the textured wallpaper. Theo bites his lip as he wiggles the key in the lock, pushing the door open and scooping me into his arms before crossing the threshold. He stops just inside the door, and both of our jaws drop.

"What is this place?" I whisper, not knowing where to look as he spins us around in a circle. The room is straight out of the 1920s. Opulence and extravagance everywhere you look. He sets me down, pointing to an envelope waiting for us on a table just inside the door, our names written in elegant calligraphy on the outside. I slide my nail under the flap and pull out the card inside, angling it so Theo can read it, too.

Welcome,Theo & Isla. This evening, you are John and Anna DuPont, newlyweds here on holiday. Anna is an heiress to an oil fortune, and John isthe groundskeeper she fell in love with and begged her daddy to marry. You are both tasked with finding out who committed the murder.

Please look inside your wardrobe to find your costume for dinner. You must always remain in character in public spaces until you leave the ship after lunch tomorrow.

I jump up and down,clapping my hands. "This is so much fun! Do we get anything if we guess correctly?" I ask, walking over to the built-in wardrobe and pulling it open.

"The satisfaction of knowing we're smarter than everyone else." Theo smirks, joining me. I forget what we were talking about the second my gaze lands on our outfits for the night. Theo has a tux with emerald green accents that perfectly matches the sleek, shimmery dress hanging next to it.

"Damn, they really went all out, didn't they?" I ask, pulling the dress out and admiring it. "Thank you for setting this up, Theo. I can already tell it's going to be amazing."

"Only the best for my baby," he murmurs, kissing my cheek. I can't describe what those simple words do to me. What they mean to me. I feel like my brain is melting. Every wall is crumbling down. Defenses breached.

"Look at us. How far we've come," I whisper, smiling up at him. "Who would've thought?"

"I did." His lips cover mine, and I surrender to him, softening in his arms, molding to his body, greedily soaking up every touch. This. This is what I've been waiting for my entire life. Someone who makes the world around me disappear when I'm in his arms.

"We only have thirty minutes until cocktail hour starts," Theo says once we’ve finally managed to break away from each other.

"So what exactly do we do?" I ask, pulling my dress from the hanger and laying it on the bed.

"Work together to figure out who the murderer is."

"But who was murdered?" I ask, unzipping my sundress and watching as it puddles at my feet.

"I guess we're going to find out." He walks up behind me, winding his arms around my torso and pulling me against his chest.

"Or we can stay in the room and try to murder each other with sex?" I suggest, turning to face him, biting my lip and blinking up at him innocently.

"We'll have plenty of time for that later, Sunflower."

He gathers the dinner dress in his arms, unfastening it and crouching, holding it open so I can step into it easily. I shimmy as he slides it up my body, slipping my arms through the straps. I turn to look at myself in the mirror, not able to stop myself from watching Theo instead of myself as he fastens the back, fingertips skimming my shoulder, his gaze caressing every inch of bare skin.

"Your turn," I rasp, grasping the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head. I can't stop myself from flattening my palms against his abdomen, reveling in the way his muscles jump under my touch. If I were him, I would never be able to stop looking at myself in the mirror. "You're so goddamned sexy." I drag my palms up his chest, his heartbeat strong under my hand.

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