He rolls his eyes, then wags his fingers in a wave at Aspen. “Anytime you change your mind, just say the word. Your boyfriend knows how to get in touch.”
My free hand curls into a fist. Joey’s Adam’s apple bobs, and he moves away, toward the restaurant. Griffin hit him in the face once, and Joey knows we don’t hold back. I’m glad it was Griffin who did the honors, since he knows how to deliver maximum pain. He didn’t study kickboxing to have a punch like a block of tofu.
Aspen watches him disappear into the restaurant. “So…he’s your dad’s assistant or something?”
“He’s nobody important. You don’t need to know him.”Ever. I’m certain that when Joey was born, his mom received condolence cards. As for Dad… Well, Grandma moved to Southern France, which says everything you need to know. I’m not subjecting Aspen to people not even their own families like.
However, I’ll introduce her to my brothers at some point. They’re great, and she’ll love them. It’s a little deceptive that I only want to show her a heavily edited aspect of my life, but I don’t want to scare her away. I’ve seen how girls dumped Griffin after experiencing the kind of shitshow our dad can put on. I’m not going to risk losing Aspen when things are so good between us. Part of me feels guilty about withholding information, but hey, nobody discloses everything. I’m not an index fund; I’m a human being. She only has to see me, like me and want to keep me.
Chapter Eighteen
Aspen
When Grant says we should hang out and do whatever after our leisurely breakfast, I assume he means something like a walk along the beach.
Instead, he charters a yacht and we sail up the California coast. TheVeronicais a gorgeous white vessel. There’s just the crew and us on the ship. On the deck is a hot tub and a huge setup of fresh fruit, finger food and drinks, together with comfy chairs and sunbeds.
“Too bad the weather’s so chilly,” I say, shivering despite a sweater. The air’s cooler on the water. “I’d love to get a tan.”
“Maybe this summer,” he says, putting his arms around me to warm me—and probably to cop a feel, which is fine.
“I’d love that.” I smile.
We share a large, cushy lounger. He pulls me into his lap, and I sit sideways with my arms wrapped around his neck. It feels likethis is exactly where I belong, and my heart flutters as I inhale his scent along with the briny breeze.
The crew said we’d see some marine life, including seals, although I have my doubts. I’ve never seen any on coastal tours before. But I don’t care. The endless horizon feels liberating, we’re the only ones on deck at the moment and it feels like we’re the only people in the world.
After spending some time watching the sky and the blue ocean, I start to feel something hard prodding at me. Smiling devilishly, I squirm.
“Vixen.” Grant cups my chin and kisses me. Although the wind is chilly, I’m warm in his arms, and his mouth is searing. I kiss him back, sharing our moment in the ocean breeze, tasting him and a hint of salt. His hand travels down my back, leaving a hot trail. I press closer.
A huge splashing sound starts me out of the kiss. I look around to see a pod of dolphins jumping along the ship. I leap to my feet and rush to the side. “Oh my God!”
Laughing, Grant joins me. “Never seen dolphins jumping out of the water before?”
“Not in the wild.” I stare at the gorgeous, sleek creatures. I wave, but don’t know if they can see me. “Hey, do you think they have good eyesight?”
“Absolutelynoidea.”
“Holy shit,” I whisper when one of them jumps so high, it almost comes close to where we are. “That’s incredible!”
Grant puts his arm around my waist. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”
“I wasn’t sure if we’d see anything other than the ocean,” I say.
“Why not?”
“I’ve just never really been lucky.” I smile at him. “Maybe things are changing now.”
He presses a quick kiss on my temple, then looks into my eyes. “It’s you who make me feel like the luckiest guy alive.”
I wrap my arms around him tightly and press my cheek against his chest as we watch the dolphins. My heart never beat like this for anybody. And I know I made the right decision last night.
He’s the one.
Chapter Nineteen
Grant
