"Oh, hello," came a voice from beyond the palms.
She looked up. Straight into the face of Emil Van Horn.
"Oh, hi," she said.
Emil approached her, Nash close on his heels.
Emil smiled. "How is little Nutmeg behaving for you?"
Nothing weird happening here at all. Just act natural. "Oh, just fine. He’s very sweet."
"Pardon me, my manners," said Emil. He stretched out his hand. "Emil Van Horn. Victoria Van Horn is my aunt. I hear you'll be staying at the house for a couple of weeks, taking care of Nutmeg. Did Delphine get you settled?"
"Oh yes. She's been very nice."
"Good." His eyes traveled over her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.
She watched Nash just a few feet away. His expression remained stoic, but a protruding vein in his neck throbbed beneath his reddening face.
Lena picked up Nutmeg. "Well, sorry to bother you. Nash said he needed to stop by. We were on our way to get some supplies."
"Oh yes, yes," said Emil. "No bother. I’m glad you dropped by."
His inappropriate stare made her skin crawl. But she was positive he didn’t recognize her, so at least there was that.
"I'd love for you"—he circled his hand in the air to include Nash—"both of you, to attend a party I'm hosting, here on my boat. The day aftertomorrow."
"Oh . . . um . . ."
Emil's tone was all charm, but the lechery parading in his gaze hadn't abated.
"I . . . I didn't pack anything appropriate for a—"
"No problem at all," Emil said. "I'll have Delphine order some dresses for you from one of the boutiques at The Mandeville."
"Oh, you don't need to—"
"It's no problem. I'm glad you can come." He focused on Nash. "I'll be spending the next couple of days on my boat and at the golf course." He inclined his head toward the golf club next to the marina. "I'll take the golf cart over if I don't want to walk, so I won't need you for a couple of days. The day after the party, though, I'll need to run some errands. I'll text you about the time."
Nash gave a tight nod. "Yes, sir."
Emil redirected his salacious gaze at Lena.
She eased toward Nash, but the subtle shift did nothing to discourage Emil. The billionaire's eyes traveled down her body.
Before her disgust could demand a full-on retreat, Nash stepped forward, brushing her shoulder, his strong presence mitigating Emil's creepiness.Thank you.
Emil's grin widened. "See you both back here in two days. At the party. Seven o'clock."
As much as she wanted the conversation to end, unease about the invitation spurred her protest. "Really, Mr. Van Horn, I should just—"
"I'll see you then," he interrupted.
He winked at her.
Ew. A wink from a man had never made her feel disgusting before.
She opened her mouth to offer another excuse, but he was already walking away. She hadn't come up with a good excuse anyway. Maybe this was a lucky break. They'd been invited aboard the yacht. And Cassidy was probably there. In two days she could be on her way home with Cassidy.
