I adjusted my yellow crocheted crop top and looked around while Mac nudged past me. He lugged an additional sleek black suitcase along with mine.
Then I spottedhim.
Gleaming white boats lined both sides of the marina, and Cade Westbrook stood in the middle of them all, watching the parking lot with a small frown. He looked every bit the part of a wealthy sailing hotshot—fancy boat shoes and all. His dark hair was styled back with a natural wave, the sleeves of his crisp white linen shirt casually rolled up to his elbows.
His toned forearms had no right to be that attractive.
I wasn’t usually one to notice price tags, but Cade’s sunglasses alone had to cost more than my entire outfit. That had me feeling out of place in a way I hadn’t prepared for.
Before I could delve deeper into that feeling, Cade spotted us and lost just a touch of the tenseness in his shoulders. He curled a couple fingers, beckoning us over, and nodded at a nearby boat.
Mac reached him first, strode past Cade, and hopped down onto the deck of the boat, while I lagged on my shorter legs.
Cade’s brows rose at my backpack when I reached him. “You brought the cat. Shouldn’t he be at that château?”
I’d gotten a voicemail from Château de Chaton this morning cordially inviting Lord Whiskerson to be a member, so Cade hadn’t been lying about his connections. But it didn’t feel right leaving Westport for the first time without my best friend by my side.
“I couldn’t leave Whiskey behind. He loves adventures.” I smiled and gripped the backpack’s straps. “Don’t worry. I called Madison and made sure it was okay with her first.”
Cade blinked down at me. “I never mentioned Madison to you. How did you get her number?”
“Well, she was in your family tree. It made more sense with our ruse for me to reach out to her directly instead of through your brother, so I asked Nate for her number yesterday. He’s very helpful. I can see why you hired him,” I said, then paused. “You’re not allergic to cats, are you?”
I probably should’ve asked before choosing a cat café for our meeting yesterday.
Cade’s unamused stare didn’t quite answer the question.
A loudthudsounded from the boat, followed by Mac cursing, and I winced. “Isn’t your bodyguard supposed to be with you at all times? Not chauffeuring me around?”
“Mac’s the only one I trusted to make sure you didn’t run off without upholding your end of our deal,” Cade said, making me shake my head with a laugh.
“You promised me everything I could ever need, Cade,” I said, smiling. “I’d be a fool to pass this up.”
His gaze narrowed, studying me like I’d just grown a second head, so I turned to the boat. Mac had already settled into a lounge area with chairs near the back, snacking on a tray filled with fruit, drinks beside him. The deck even had a hot tub, just like a party boat I’d seen on TV. “Wow. I can’t believe your grandfather has his own yacht. It’s beautiful.”
A low chuckle rumbled from Cade.
“This isn’t my grandfather’s yacht.” The smirk in his voice pulled my attention back to him as he nodded behind me. “Thatis.”
I swiveled, and my jaw dropped. A ginormous sleek boat waited further out in the water, not docked like the others. It hadto be at least seven decks tall and so large it looked like it’d eaten all the other smaller boats around us. I was amazed it could even stay afloat.
“Wow,” I breathed, struggling for words through my awe. I’d never seen anything like it.The Valenciawas written in a huge elegant script near the back. “…That is one fancy-ass boat.”
Cade only chuckled again and leaned closer until the woodsy scent of his cologne mixed with the salt air. “Don’t let the captain hear you call it a boat.”
I was still gaping when a black helicopter approached the ship and landed one level down from the topmost deck.
…It even had ahelipad?
I was officially out of my depth. A fish out of water. A fraud.
Cade grunted softly behind me.
“My show-off of a brother can never resist a dramatic entrance,” he muttered, though he sounded more affectionate than annoyed.
But my stomach did a huge somersault. I tightened my grip on my backpack straps and spun to Cade. “Will we need to ride in the helicopter, too? I’m not so good with heights. They’re listed in my cuddler profile under my biggest fears.”
A snort came from the direction of the boat—sounding suspiciously like Mac.
