Page 61 of Bargain with the Bachelor
It felt like Hunter was trying to change the subject, but I answered, “Yes, so I hope we’re going out to dinner.”
“Oh, we’re going out all right,” he answered with a grin.
He drove to Eastport Bay’s historic harbor area, parking near Brady’s Wharf, a popular dining and shopping destination that boasted some of my favorite local restaurants.
“Are we going to Nooky’s Diner?” I asked as he pulled into a spot. “I love that place.”
“We are not,” he said with a cryptic half-smile. “The place I’m taking you is a bit more… exclusive.”
We walked together, passing by the tourist spots and entering the Eastport Bay Yachting Center Marina.
“Oh my gosh,” I squealed. “We’re going on one of those dinner cruises, aren’t we? I’ve never done one of those. I’ve never even taken a sunset champagne cruise, though I’ve always wanted to. Either way, I’m so excited.”
Hunter held his tongue, sliding me a knowing grin.
Contrary to my expectations, we didn’t proceed to the end of the dock where a tall, white-sailed schooner was waiting, or to the right where one of the double-decker tour boats was moored. Instead, he directed me to a private slip where a huge, white yacht was docked.
“Here we are.” He motioned toward the ramp to its deck, indicating that I should go first.
“Whose is this?” I asked as I climbed the ramp’s slight incline.
“A friend’s. Reid’s actually,” Hunter said from behind me. “He’s lending it to us, along with his captain.”
“Oh. I didn’t know he had a boat. Or a captain.”
Of all the guys in the house, Reid Mancini had been the most difficult to get to know. As attractive as he was, he put out an emotional deflector shield that kept others at a distance. Or maybe it was just me.
Hunter nodded. “He loves fishing. He hasn’t used the yacht much lately because he’s been basically doing double duty with my company and his own. He’s stretched pretty thin. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep him. StillYours-dot-com is really blowing up. Eventually he’s going to have to devote his full-time attention to it.”
I chuckled. “It’s still hard to believe someone as cynical as he is created one of the world’s most popular social media sites—and it’s all aboutlove.I read it’s on the verge of eclipsing Facebook.”
“Pretty crazy, huh? There’s definitely a story behind it, but I doubt he’d want me discussing his personal business.”
When we stepped onto the deck, I forgot all about Reid’s business, personal and professional. I was too overwhelmed by his floating mansion.
“Watch your step,” Hunter warned. “The area near the pool might be slippery.”
It wasn’t, but I wouldn’t have minded falling in. The cozy soaking pool glowed with underwater lights, and it was obviously heated—shimmers of inviting steam hovered above the blue water, beckoning me to step in and submerge myself.
The ship’s interior was spectacular as well. I’d been a guest in many glamorous homes, and none was any more impressive than this.
With dramatic skylights and ocean views from every room, the yacht was the picture of understated elegance.
There was luxury everywhere I looked, from the white wool and silk carpet in the sunken living area and media room, to the marble bathrooms, custom made lintels and columns of natural wood, and fully equipped gym.
In the dining room, the soft glow of recessed ceiling lights glanced off the gleaming burled wood tabletop and sparkling crystal and silverware.
“Mmmm. It smells amazing in here,” I said. “So we’re having dinner onboard?”
“Yes, in a little while. I thought you might like to be out on deck as we leave the harbor and go out into the bay. I asked the captain to keep it close to the shore for a while in case you wanted to get some shots of the mansions and lighthouses, or maybe the Eastport Bridge at sunset.”
I beamed at him. “You know I do.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Though it was winter, the day was unseasonably mild. I was comfortable in my down jacket as I snapped shots of a Revolutionary War fortress, the Cliffhouse, and Clingstone, Eastport Bay’s famous House on the Rock.
The three-story, twenty-three room, ten thousand square foot home had been built in 1905 atop a small rocky island and was beautiful in its rustic solitude.
