Page 40 of Kinks of a Billionaire
I sighed, happy to push the thought aside for now. Glancing around the beautiful boat, I was once again shocked by the luxury. “So whose boat is this anyway? And whatkindof boat is it?” I looked around, taking in the split-level decks and impressed by every inch I’d seen of this boat so far. The living spaces were designed with comfort in mind, the lush cabins were a dream come true, and there were even parts of the boat with a glass-bottom window to see the seas below.
He stood up, rinsed his glass, and put it in the little dishwasher. A freaking dishwasher, on a boat!
“It’s a catamaran,” he explained. Royce was a billionaire, so he remained unimpressed. Me, on the other hand? I was foaming at the mouth. “A super catamaran, which basically justmeans it’s twice as fancy and comes with all the amenities of a regular yacht.”
I scoffed—who was going to tell this guy I’d never even been on a “regular” yacht, let alone knew what it was supposed to look like. I finished my own drink and joined him by the sink, but before I could wash it, he took the glass out of my hold.
“Are you going to wait on me, Mr. Ashford?” I teased, bumping my shoulder against his playfully. He shut the dishwasher door, his low and dark chuckle filling the little space, before he grabbed my hips and set me on the counter, spreading my legs to stand between them.
The warmth of his body made me shiver in delight while so many naughty fantasies swirled in my mind. Ones I hadn’t allowed myself to imagine in a long time when it came to my best friend—correction, husband.
“I’ll do whatever you want, Willow.” He leaned forward, his mouth brushing against my sensitive earlobe. “Just say the word.”
A strangled laugh that came out sounding like a moan vibrated in my chest, and I had to clear my throat to get myself together.
“Can we go swimming?” was how I decided to respond to his offer.
“Nude?”
I giggled, swatting him gently on his inked forearm. “No, not nude.”
Although, it did sound tempting.
My ring sparkled in the sun, almost like a reminder of my new reality, as we disembarked in the Canary Islands. Restaurantslined the striking golden-sand beaches, and the water glistened turquoise beneath the midday sun.
Royce wore aviator sunglasses under a Prada bucket hat, hiding most of his face. I opted for a wide-brim straw hat that kept the sun off my face. Hand in hand, we looked just like any other couple here on their honeymoon.
“In all the years I’ve visited Portugal with my parents, we’ve never made it here,” I murmured, my eyes darting left and right, soaking it all in. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s okay,” Royce agreed.
“Just okay?”
“Too crowded.”
“You can’t blame people. Who wouldn’t want to visit this piece of heaven?” Royce grimaced, and I pinched his side, a chuckle slipping from my lips. I felt lighter here, and I wasn’t about to let his grumpiness dampen our day. “Why did we stop, then?”
“We need supplies. Food.” Just as he said it, we walked past a local fruit stand and his steps came to an abrupt stop in front of it. I followed suit, scanning the choices until I stopped at one, my heart fluttering in my chest.
Pineapples. The memory came bustling in, mocking my stupidity. Ironic how a single decision could alter one’s path. Three months ago, I gave a seemingly nice man a chance. Nothing could have ever prepared me for what I’d have to withstand, only to discover that love simply wasn’t in the cards for me. I was lucky to have Royce and our agreement, and I would do everything to protect my baby, but I knew it was time to let go of my childish dreams. I wasn’t a girl anymore; there was no sense in harboring a silly crush on my best friend’s brother.
“Should we get a few pineapples?” Royce’s tone was usually easy to read, but not today. I shielded my eyes from the sun andturned my head to look at my handsome husband, but it was hard to see anything behind those sunglasses.
I shifted uncomfortably. “Umm, I don’t know.”
“Willow…” Something in the way he said my name sounded like a plea, and it was the final push I needed to let him in a bit. He’d been so patient with me the last few days, it was the least I could do.
“I hate pineapple cake,” I admitted with a sigh. “Not that anything… happened on… on that front.” Stuart never went down on me, and ironically, I was grateful for it now. “He never…Wenever…”
Ugh.Since when was I uncomfortable talking about sex? But I hated to think about the early days with Stuart. It filled me with melancholy and disappointment. Not because I loved him, but because I was stupid enough to settle.
“Excellent.” He nodded as if satisfied with my statement. “Sponge cakes suck anyhow. There’ll be no more of that in our lives.” He turned to the kind-faced woman. “Three pineapples, please.”
Despite still reeling from the memory of that stupid cake and that stupid night, I chuckled. “Why do we need three?”
He shrugged. “Third time’s the charm, right?”
Chapter 19
