Page 106 of Hired Husband

By late afternoon, the skyline of Alexandria appeared through the haze ahead. The yacht glided into a berth and the crew secured the lines with practiced movements. The engines fell silent and then that was it. We were here. But neither of us moved to disembark. The yacht was home for… I didn’t even know how long, simply that we were staying on it while waiting for whatever storm was inevitably coming our way.

I went in search of Jasmine and found her at the stern, watching the Mediterranean shimmer in the setting sun. I stepped up beside her, my shoulder brushing hers. Her fingers found mine while I was reaching for the railing.

I glanced at her, worried about the fact that she’d barely said a word all day, too lost in her own world to talk to me about anything, but for now, we were together and that had to be enough. We just stood there for a while, but eventually, she glanced up at me and let go of my hand.

“I’m going to take a shower,” she said quietly, those dark eyes strangely flat on mine. “Dinner will probably be served soon.”

I inclined my chin. “I’ll come get you if they call us before you’re back out here.”

“Thanks.” She tucked a few strands of hair that’d escaped her ponytail during the day behind her ears, shot me a small smile, and disappeared, leaving me to lounge on the deck while I waited.

I found a chair and let out a heavy breath, kicking up my feet as I looked out over the water. Exhausted despite not having done much today, I sort of dozed off, startling when my phone buzzed where I was holding it against my stomach.

Joseph: Are you alive?

Me: For now.

Joseph: Glad to hear it. You’re someplace safe?

Me: Same answer. We’re all good for now, but who knows how long that will last?

Joseph: There’s a lot of speculation about where you are. Plenty of rumors that Jasmine was seen at some airport or train station.

Me: It turns out Deja is a mastermind at this escaping thing. We haven’t been near an airplane or train. So that wasn’t us.

Joseph: You’re still in the country, though. Right?

Me: Yep. Closer than you’d think. Why?

Joseph: Well, don’t go far. Basel’s pushing the contract through.

Me: What? Are you serious?

Joseph: Serious as a broken engagement. LOL. Too soon?

Me: Nah. I emerged victorious, remember? It’s not really a sore subject. What about David and the fact that she’s not marrying him after all?

Joseph: Apparently, Basel says that’s a personal matter and shouldn’t affect the project.

Me: Wow. I wasn’t expecting that.

Joseph: Me either, brother. I’ll keep you in the loop. For now, just be ready to start when the time comes.

Me: You got it.

I slipped the phone back onto my lap, struggling to get my head wrapped around the fact we might still get the project after all. If it was still alive, Jasmine hadn’t sacrificed everything for nothing. I smiled, letting my eyes drift shut again.

Thank God.

Between the sea breeze, the comfortable chair, and the emotional exhaustion of the last forty-eight hours, I let go of complete consciousness as I lay there, not quite asleep but definitely not fully awake either.

I heard footsteps cross the deck at some point after the sun had set completely. I assumed it was a crew member, not opening my eyes until somebody gently nudged my shoulder. “Isaac?”

“Jasmine?” I looked up, blinking a few times and wondering if I was fully asleep after all. It was her, but she didn’t look all dazed and confused anymore. “Hmm?”

“Don’t hmm me,” she teased, sinking into a crouch and nudging my shoulder again. “Come on. Get up.”

“Why?” I frowned, realizing that the wide-eyed uncertainty she’d had on her face since yesterday wasn’t really there anymore. In fact, there was a spark of mischief behind her smile. I sat up, yawning before stretching my arms out above my head. “What time is it?”