Page 8 of Billionaire's Fake Plus One

“I’m up!I’ll be down in a minute,” I say groggily as I reluctantly get up. I smooth the rumpled sheets and rush into the bathroom. I do a double take when I see myself. Hair a rat’s nest. Deep grooves lining my cheeks. Is that drool? I squint and rub my fingers down the caked white substance on my cheek. Ugh.

I quickly brush my teeth,then take the fastest shower I’ve ever taken. I dampen my hair just enough to smooth it out as I run a brush through it, then I put it up in a low pony tail.

I’m already late, so I don’t have much time to be indecisive over my outfit, but I still waffle over the choice of swimsuit. I finally settle on a cobalt blue, V neck, one piece swimsuit.

I wearmy patterned jumpsuit over it and tuck my black Seattle Supersonics cap over my head. I pick up my bag, which I luckily filled last night with the items I’ll need today, then I take a bracing breath and walk out.

They’re already eatingwhen I get to the dining room. Millie, who I’ve noticed is the most outspoken of the two, grins at me. “Wow, you look so pretty! Doesn’t she, Daddy?”

My face heatsup as Lucien watches me with a guarded look that I know misses absolutely no detail. His gaze slowly takes in my face and my chest before dropping to my sandaled feet.

“She sure does,”he finally says, his Adam's apple bobbing as he speaks. I quickly slide into the empty seat beside Maddie, and we share a quick breakfast.

Afterwards,as Lucien picks up the large picnic basket Mrs. Garrett has prepared, I try not to notice how handsome he looks in his casual outfit. I try not to notice the defined muscles of his chest through the half-open shirt. I try not to imagine how the indentations of his abs would feel as I trace them with my fingertips, then my tongue. I try not to notice his strong, muscled legs filling out his swim trunks. I try so freaking hard not to notice how toe-curling handsome he looks.He’s an asshole, Willow.Remember that!

But the problem is:the more time I spend with him, the less assholey he seams.

“Ready?”he asks, and I jolt out of my musings. My cheeks warm again, and I groan internally when he raises a single brow at me. Thankfully, the girls cheer, and we slowly troop out the backdoor to the private dock I glimpsed from his study window my first day here.

I slowdown when the boat comes into full view, my lips parting in surprise. It’s not really a boat, but rather a compact, luxurious yacht. It’s small enough to fit in the dock but big enough that I know it must cost a pretty penny. The pale blue coat glistens under the soft morning sun. THE MILLISON is written in bold, silvery letters near the bow.

“It stands for Millicent and Madison.”Millie tells me proudly as we board. Of course, it does.Why won’t he do things to make my dislike of him grow?Instead, he does things like name his expensive yacht after his daughters, making my insides melt.

Two menand a woman dressed in a uniform come up from below deck to greet us, and Lucien introduces me: Liam, the captain, Alex, the first officer, and Gina, the hostess. Lucien hands the picnic basket to Gina and leads us to the upper deck, where there’s a long cushioned bench with throw pillows and a dining table with space for ten.

“Isn’tthis a bit fancy for Bainbridge Island?” I ask, perching on one of the dining chairs as the boat rumbles to life. The girls go for the cushioned bench, of course, where they sprawl out to watch the water.

Lucien shrugsas he moves to his daughters. “I have a speed boat in the second garage, but I prefer using this one when I’m taking the girls out on the water. It’s safer.”

He takesout a tube of sunscreen and rubs it on the twins meticulously. When he’s done with them, he rubs some on his shoulders. I swear, I genuinely try my hardest not to imagine what it would be like to feel his rippling muscles beneath my palms as I watch him spread the lotion and make his skin glisten in the sun.

My daydreaming spellis suddenly broken when he hands the tube to me. I sigh internally, resigning myself to being proven wrong about him today.

As the yachtslowly picks up speed and goes deeper into Puget Sound, Lucien excuses himself, and the girls and I move towards the railings to admire the view. The downtown Seattle skyline slowly comes into view, and I point out a few buildings and landmarks I recognize to the girls.

“Who’s ready to fish?”Lucien calls from the lower deck, waving a few fishing rods and other gear up at us. The girls scream in excitement and scamper down to meet him. I reluctantly follow behind. When they come into view, Lucien is buckling Maddie into a life jacket, and I quickly walk forward to help Millie.

The boatslowly comes to a stop in the middle of the Sound, and he hands each girl a mini rod and reel with the lure already attached to the line. They expertly toss it into the water like they’ve done this countless times.

“You can use mine.”Lucien offers, passing the remaining rod and reel to me. I awkwardly toss it into the water, hunching over the rod. Lucien and the girls laugh, making fun of me.

“You’re standing all wrong.Stand up straight. Keep your feet wide.” I try to do as Lucien instructs, but his slight chuckle tells me that I’m still not getting it right. “Here.” He finally says, moving closer to me to arrange my limbs correctly. My heart starts pounding, my pulse jumping into my throat as his hands drop to my hips to angle them the right way.

His left handmoves to my lower back while the other one bands around my belly as he straightens my incorrect posture. His warm breath fans the back of my neck as he moves me this way and that. I’m unable to help my body’s response. Goosebumps erupt over my skin, and I shiver in his arms.

Lucien freezes behind me,then slowly bends his head lower until the bridge of his nose caresses the back of my neck. “You smell like vanilla and butterscotch,” he murmurs into my skin, and I melt. My grip on the fishing rod goes slack, and it slips from my fingers. I turn back and the heat in his gaze makes me shudder.

My stomach growswarm as tiny butterflies suddenly spring to life. I lick my lips nervously ,and his eyes drop to them, increasing the inferno burning inside me.

“Daddy, Willow dropped her fishing rod,”Millie points out and we both jump apart.

“I’m just not cutout for fishing,” I say lightly as I move as far away from Lucien as I can without leaving the deck. “I think I’ll sit in the lounge over there and just watch you guys.” I don’t wait for their response before moving swiftly to the lounge chair.

Lucien watches me for a moment,then picks up the rod and moves to stand beside the twins. I blow out a breath of relief when his intense gaze leaves me. I don’t know how those eyes of his can be so breathtaking and disturbing at the same time.

They continue for a couple hours:the girls catching tiny fish that Lucien toss back into the water. The fish Lucien catch go into a small bucket Gina, the hostess, dropped a few minutes ago, while giving him hot eyes, I might add. I’m not jealous or anything, but the kids are right there!

Millie and Maddiesoon get antsy, and we move to the upper deck for a quick snack. When Lucien suggests they continue fishing, the kids grumble, and I chuckle.

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