Harrison was a close second, mostly because I wanted to rub it in his face.
But then Grandfather’s words caught up to me, and any elation screeched to a grinding halt.
“We don’t need to wait for the wedding,” I told him. “I can start the transition immediately.”
“There’s no rush,” he insisted. “Enjoy your time as a newlywed before taking over half the company. It’ll still be there after the wedding.”
Afterthe wedding.
I frowned and sank back into the chair, rubbing my jaw as triumph warred with the dread quickly pooling in my stomach.
This was it. The moment I’d been working toward since I first visited Grandfather’s office as a kid. I would get everything I wanted. My own half of the company. I’d be the one with the power to call all the shots.
I just had one problem.
There wasn’t going to be a wedding.
I walked back to the main deck in a daze.
Grandfather had retired to his room after prodding me with more questions about the wedding, which I deflected with lies about Ellie wanting to keep it a surprise.
I don’t know how long I’d sat in the lounge by myself. My mind ran through all the possibilities of how to pull this off, but it always came back to one option. I needed to convince Ellie to hold up the ruse longer than tomorrow. To talk her into going through with a wedding—or at least pretending to with a fake certificate.
She’d probably laminate it.
It was another business deal. A means to an end.
…So why did I feel so shitty about even proposing it?
By the time I made it back out to the deck, the party was over. Crew had already cleaned up the food, and everyone except Ellie and my brother had left.
Ellie had moved to the cabana bed at the aft of the yacht. Her face was red from laughing while she watched Harrison hop around the deck in front of her like he was doing some bizarre animal impression.
It took one wordless look from me for my brother to straighten. He muttered a quick good night to Ellie before rolling his eyes at me and ducking away.
I strolled up to where Ellie sat on the edge of the bed. “Hey.”
Her answering grin shone so bright, I felt my own smile cracking through.
“Hey,” Ellie whispered, shifting to kneel on the mattress. She wiggled her eyebrows playfully. “Ready to celebrate?”
The mischievous gleam in her eyes had me forgetting all about the promotion—and everything else aside from her.
I surveyed the empty—but still very public—deck, and my brows rose. “Here?”
“Why not? It’s a gorgeous night. The stars are out.” She slowly peeled her swim cover up and off, then playfully wrappedthe garment around my neck to pull me closer. Her voice lowered to a whisper. “And I’ve been waiting since we got back on the boat for you to kiss me again.”
I didn’t make her wait a second longer. Fusing my lips to hers, I wrapped her in my arms and used her surprise to deepen the kiss.
Ellie let her swim cover drop to the deck, and all my problems went with it.
under the stars
. . .
Ellie
Ellie’s Guide toProfessional CuddlingBeing a Fake FiancéeNOT Falling for Your Fake FiancéHiding Any Trace that You’ve Fallen for Your Fake FiancéKeeping It TogetherSurviving as a Fake FiancéeReaping the Benefits of a Fake Engagement, Tip #31: When given the chance to get naked together under the stars, do it.
