Page 50 of Powerful Prince
Stephanie’s lips curved up, but I paced. She took my phone from me like she was taking charge of me but said nothing. My skin vibrated now and I realized how idiotic I had been to let Ryder walk away.
I should have run into his arms and wrapped myself in them and never let go.
Now my heart raced and I prayed I wasn’t too late.
My phone beeped and Stephanie showed me the screen as she said, “Emily sent an address.”
I grabbed it from her hands and pressed the phone to my heart.
Now I needed to go and tell Ryder the truth. I loved him and I’d accept the consequences, or just close my blog. Online life meant less to me than being with Ryder. Love was the most sacred of feelings and I’d ignored the feeling that he was my other half.
Adrenaline rushed in my veins and I grabbed my hotel key and opened my phone for the map app as I said, “I have to go. Thank you.”
The blue dot was walkable. Stephanie tossed me my blue sweater and I caught it and gave her a thumbs up. I tugged it on over my yoga shirt and stretch pants and took the stairs down.
The blue dot was easy to follow, even in the dark. The howling night wind over the ocean had my hair standing on its ends, but the sound of the water lapping against the wharf as the tide came in made it easy to hear where the edge was.
Boats were tied up along the pier and my blue dot stopped in front of a small white yacht named “Queen Elsa”. The lights were off, but I tucked my phone into the pocket on the thigh of my yoga pants and ignored how my heart raced.
If this was Ryder’s place, then I needed to knock. My mind raced with one question: how do you knock on a ship? I glanced around at the other boats tied nearby. If I called out loudly, I’d wake everyone.
My body trembled, but I pressed my hand to my heart and decided to climb aboard to knock on the cabin door.
I saw no ladder or plank, so I reached for the side of the boat and jumped.
I made a thump when I landed and a light turned on.
I hoped this was the right place. My hands shook as I knocked on the door, and called out, “Ryder? Are you here?”
For a moment, no one answered. Then, I heard footsteps.
The air smelled of the ocean and the forest meeting—Ryder’s special scent. And then the door opened. He was wearing jeans but no shirt, and his hair was wet.
“Nicole?”
My lips tingled to kiss him. I needed to tell him. But I didn’t want the world to see us, so I pushed past him, into his sitting room.
The yacht was much nicer than the one I’d given a class on for the rich ladies in Seattle a few years ago. He closed the door, and I shifted my weight back and forth on my feet as I said, “I told my lawyer to sign the contract.”
He stepped away from me, but his eyes widened. “You didn’t have to.”
My heart pounded so loudly in my chest, it was all I heard in my ears. His blue eyes were exactly what I wanted to see when I woke up in the morning and when I went to bed at night. I moved closer to him and ignored how my skin had zaps of electricity in it as I said, “If I have to choose between you and the blog, it’s so clear now. I love you. I want to marry you because you’re the best man I’ve ever met, and I can’t imagine spending my life without you.”
His lips curved into a smile as he asked, “You love me?”
“Yes.” I nodded, and realized tears had escaped my eyes. Did he want me? Did he love me, too?
He handed me a tissue and I dabbed my eyes. He was the only man I’d ever met who always had tissues to hand out like this. He said, “Then, marry me and we’ll leave together.”
More water streamed out of my eyes and I took his hands and nodded. “If that’s what you want. Or we can stay here. I don’t care. I want you more than I want my blog or anything else.”
He wrapped his muscular arms around me and held me tight. I relaxed and was at peace now as he asked, “You’re willing to give everything up for me?”
“Yes,” I said, without hesitation. This choice was so simple. I loved him and needed to follow my heart.
He eased his hug and said, “Sweetheart, you don’t have to give up your blog. I love you too, and I won’t let you sacrifice for me.”
I placed my hands on his cheeks. The blog wasn’t a huge sacrifice, not if he loved his family and wanted to be with them. I met his gaze as I said, “If you love your family, and me, and want to stay here, I can accept limits. I just want you.”
