Page 7 of Once Upon a Royal Billionaire

She hesitated. He knew it was a leading question and that she might not be ready for it. But then she rocked forward on her feet and turned to him. “Not very long. A couple weeks.” She looked up at him. “Maybe three.”

He nodded. “Then we better hit the water.”

“I was wondering, while I’m here, could we…do Nepo?”

“Absolutely! I haven’t climbed that peak since the last time we did it.”

“I believe it. That was definitely a day to remember. Would have scared away anyone less determined.”

“But not us.”

They laughed, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders without thinking.

She stiffened.

He pulled away. “Sorry. Habit.”

“No, It’s alright. Please do that again.”

“You sure? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m not uncomfortable. It’s just…” She looked away then lifted her chin and shrugged. “It’s just been a while.”

“Ten years, four months.”

She widened her eyes. “Yes, for us. But I meant it’s been a while since I’ve been with anyone. It just, well, it feels nice, the touch, the closeness.” She sidled up to him. “And we’re old friends, right?” She laughed. “It feels safe.”

Was she trying to convince herself, or him? Maybe she’d been through more than he realized. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the friend vibe, but he was happy she seemed so comfortable with him. He replaced his arm and held her close to his side. “So, when do you want to tackle Nepo?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Whoa, so soon? Don’t you want to ski or get ready for the competition?”

Emily tapped her chin. “Oh, well, you probably do, don’t you? I should have thought of that. As for me, I’m really not competing.”

“But you’re the best.”

She shrugged.

“Come on. Let’s get out there on the water.”

“I’m game! Show me this new boat of yours.”

“It’s so awesome. It has a whole computerized system that works with the skier and navigates the pull and race at the rope and compensates for speed.”

“A smart boat?”

He laughed. “Yes, exactly. And it’s great for wakeboarding when we’re just messing around in between competitions.”

They made their way down the stairs to the covered slip. He was excited to show off his boat, surprisingly so. Her approval of his latest toy became more important than anything else at the moment.

They climbed in, and he backed the boat out of the slip. She pulled her shirt over her head and stowed it away. Seeing her in a swimsuit made him smile. Not only did she look amazing, but it felt like coming home. This was how life was supposed to be. Emily beside him, out on the water. He pulled off his shirt, and as he reached over her to stow it in the glove box, the air between them felt charged.

He enjoyed her gaze as it lifted from his abs to his face. And when their eyes met, she held him captive. She was so familiar—the turn of her smile, the dimple on her right cheek, the speckles in her hazel eyes. He winked and then sat back in the captain’s chair. Everyone else was already out in his other boats. He saw Clint taking the course and two other boats waiting to drive through the buoys.

“Let’s go over to the islands.” Emily’s eyes sparkled with adventure.

“Ha! I haven’t thought about them in years!”

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